All it needed was just one jab at each other from two miscreants on both sides to launch one of the darkest chapters in the history of Indo-Canadians and shatter the image of a peaceful community that had co-existed together for decades in this calm nation.

What followed was the standard drill of hate mongers and opportunists.

With edited videos on social media, wild what’s app forwards, brazen nay juvenile statements from many political leaders and representatives of various so labelled leaders of religious and social organizations; the spark that was lit spread far and wide as wild fire.

And lo! Within a matter of less than 36 hours, Canada and especially Brampton/Mississauga region resembled a riot zone from a B grade Bollywood movie while the Indian origin people felt like living in homeland once again.

Where do I start? To give the background of the Khalistani movement in Canada what they stand for and how they are transforming themselves from an insignificant fringe to a strong social and political force to reckon with, please read my various previous articles on my website www.devanshunarang.com as I have covered them as years while standing up to them at ground as well as through my written and spoken words in Canada.

But right now I will specifically focus on the events of this week starting Sunday November 3^rd and how the red line was crossed and perhaps intentionally so to divide the Indo-Canadian community on religious lines and to create a wrong image of Canada in the world and especially amongst the people of India.

First the headlines-

NO RELIGIOUS PLACES WERE ATTACKED.

NO RELIGION WAS HARMED OR WAS/IS IN DANGER IN CANADA.

Now the details as they have emerged as yet-

1. The Indian consulate holds events to help the Indian citizens residing in Canada especially the elderly to provide them with life certificates and various other facilities and such events are held at various temples or Gurudwaras from time to time besides the Consulate office itself.
2. Since the time the Khalistanis have started targeting Indian consulate officials and especially after Nijjar’s killing last year, they have been holding protests against consulate officials at such events at almost all places where such events are held. This time too they planned a protest outside the temple where this event was being held on November 3^rd 2024. So the temple or the Hindus in particular were NOT the target but the protest was against the presence of Indian consulate personnel present there. Perhaps knowing the escalation of tensions in the last few days, this event could have been postponed or cancelled but that is a decision that can always be debated at times like this.
3. As per the practice followed by these Khalistani miscreants which I too have personally seen at various events where I have stood up to them, they come, they wave flags, abuse Indian officials, leaders and Indian flags and at times offer slurs to any South Asian passing by and leave. In all such protests they have ensured that they do NOT cross the red line of physical violence even if there are counter protestors shouting back in support of India. At such times, their abuse will increase and yet their leaders ensure that no physical violence takes place.
4. From the videos that have emerged and from the various accounts available including whats’s app group forwards, this time a certain section of leaders who either wanted to portray themselves as the leaders of the Hindu community or were actually used by some vested groups or organizations, decided to aggravate the matter and take things in their hands. Or teach a “lesson” to the protesting Khalistanis at this event. Their thought process was clear- If they succeed, great and even if they fail, they could easily portray this as an attack on the Hindu community or religious place and use that to gain more power in the community as well as create a divide. And their plan worked as clockwork.
5. Instead of peaceful, matured protestors who had been leading the counter protests from Indian side all this while, this time, knowingly as it seems, young crowd mostly from Haryana-international students on study visa were manipulated and incited with recognition and rewards and were called to come and teach a lesson to Khalistanis. They were provided not just with Indian and Hindutava flags but also with sticks and even metal rod as weapons to fight if required. And then they were sent right in the front line face to face with the Khalistani protestors while the leaders stood behind and watched.
6. There were also a few miscreants present who were shouting praise of the Indian gangster Lawerence Bishnoi and from where they came and who they represented is not known. Hopefully the law authorities will be able to find who they were.
7. What followed was a round of verbal slurs in front of the temple compound directed at each other by both sides. And then the first jab took place and as the video shows (Link here- Baaz on X: “UPDATE | Pro-India counter-protestors were the first to attack SFJ members demonstrating outside the Mandir on public property. The pro-India actors then retreated into the Mandir parking lot after losing a fight. Police attended the scene afterwards to create a protest barrier. https://t.co/LgaeXZzgNK” / X),  it is split second and while some claim that the Pro-Indian protestor hit first, it could also be the Khalistani protestor. However it is clear that it was almost instantaneous and the so labelled Indian side was also ready and prepared for violence. What followed was a round of assaults at each other with flags used as weapons and even the metal rod and sticks were used by the miscreants from the so labelled Indian side.
8. Later when the fight became more intense and the so labelled Indian side was losing or “chose to run”, they started running and the Khalistani protestors chased them with their flags. And then instead of running on the road or the street, these miscreants from the so labelled Indian side, started running inside the temple compound. I am calling them “so-labelled Indian” and not Indian as a true Indian or a Hindu community member cannot behave like what they did and these were dirty minds more with the idea for mischief and malign the name of India and the Hindu community. Either by choice or their foolishness. Also they had no reason to run inside the temple complex and whether it was fear and the desire to escape or whether they did it by choice or as directed, should be probed. BECAUSE their THIS ACT led to the creation of the narrative of Khalistanis storming a religious place or targeting Hindu devotees.
9. As is clear in the video, no Hindu devotees were targeted or attacked by Khalistani miscreants and while they resorted to violence openly, they targeted these miscreants from the so labelled Indian side and went after them. When they could not find any more and felt that they had run away and with the Police too entering the picture, the Khalistanis withdrew and went outside. Yet at no point of time, they targeted any temple visitor or devotee and their entire violence and anger was directed against these counter protestors. Also as some videos show, a large number of Hindutava flags or flag waving people also emerged from inside the temple wall and also some videos showed that bricks/stones were also thrown at the Khalistani protestor from inside the temple complex. Who did that is not seen but must be looked at! Also it should be added that all miscreants INCLUDING the Khalistani miscreants who clearly resorted to violence must be identified and punished.
10. What followed thereafter was pure hype and mischief. On both sides and especially from the Hindutava brigade. Edited videos of Khalistanis entering and hitting people, people shouting and blaming them for violence were spread like wild fire with crazy stories of the temple under attack. People were mobilized in large numbers and made to feel that their religion and their people were in danger and were being targeted.
11. A large mob started building up, various leaders and figures who were ready to add fuel to the fire entered, voices appeared in support of Hindutava right wing organizations like RSS/VHP/Shiv Sena/Bajrang Dal/HSS and hateful and inciting speeches were made including the one viral of the priest of the temple asking people to go on rampage even killing people. That person has now been suspended by the temple authorities under pressure.
12. The hate organizations and people went on overdrive (we all know who they are and yet should be clearly tracked and be made to face the law of the land) and started their activities to incite youth. Later in the night a mob was organized in front of the Malton Gurudwara where masked men with bats and sticks came and shouted slogans and slurs at the Gurudwara and threatened to attack. The Peel Police did an excellent job in dispersing the mob and in ensuring that no untoward incidence happened on that night.
13. Meanwhile a meeting was organized on 4^th November 2024 at 6 pm at the same temple and the reason put up was that the temple authorities were worried about its safety and that of the devotees. However it was planned as an event to get a large number of people to come together knowing fully well that at this time and hour, any such gathering can incite and raise more temperatures and also lead to violence. That is exactly what happened. With hate mongers like Ron Banerjee openly calling for killings of Sikhs, with miscreants promising free swords and weapons to people desiring and with a few other miscreants asking people to rally and walk on the streets of Brampton in protest, some with weapons like swords and sticks, a riot like situation was created on the streets of Brampton.
14. A few attacked and damaged the vehicles on streets, shouted slogans and slurs at Police and some even attacked other people and the Police and the riot Police were called in and it took a strong arm of administration to control the situation and restore law and order.
15. Something like this was never seen on the streets of Brampton and never from the Indian community and that too unfortunately the misguided people from the Hindu community.
16. Meanwhile on the first day, based on the narrative being built, the Indian media and the Indian politicians led by the Indian PM Modi himself and his party went on overdrive.  While I am sure they fully well knew the entire account and how it all transpired from various videos that existed on social media and from the briefing of Indian consulate, however it was made out to the Indian public as if the temple was attacked and that the Hindus and the Hindu religious places were in danger in Canada where law and order had broken down. As is seen, this was not the truth but a picture that perhaps was edited and created to build an anti-Canada narrative.
17. Later after the event of the day after and upon knowing that how a self-goal has been made by creating this overdrive of hate, damage control exercises are being done from the Indian side including putting up pictures of the consulate event, cancelling further events at religious places and regretting the turn of events, etc. Meanwhile various Hindutava and Hindu organizations are washing their hands off all this and blaming the youth and especially the lads from Haryana for this act as if they were solely responsible. It should not be forgotten and actually anyone and everyone who led them to this path should be found out and face action as per Canadian laws. Also such people should be isolated by the Indo-Canadian community as hate mongers and never allowed to hurt community again.

I am writing all this in detail to provide an account of what has transpired.

NO RELIGION IS IN DANGER. NO RELIGIOUS PLACE WAS ATTACKED.

The Khalistani fringe is bad and wrong but this time the other side turned out to be bad or perhaps worse as they were easily misled and acted in ways which not just broke Canadian laws but have harmed the community tremendously.

It is time for healing and to find ways to ensure that no such hateful events ever take place again. We are better than this and are peace loving Canadians of Indian origin and will emerge stronger together. We are in this together- Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, atheists and above all- PROUD AND LAW ABIDING CANADIANS FIRST.

Today we take a pledge to strengthen our bond again and to ensure that we return back to peace and normalcy soon and continue to contribute to the success and glory of this great nation and to the glory of India, our motherland. Amen!