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Hindustan Times
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Canada considers tougher laws to address extremism
Toronto Canada's justice minister Sean Fraser. Ottawa is considering new legislation aimed at preventing protests outside key public spaces such as places of worship, schools and community centres, in response to concerns about extremism and public safety. The proposed law would criminalise the blocking of access to these venues and introduce penalties for individuals found guilty of wilfully intimidating or threatening people attending events there. Justice minister Sean Fraser emphasised that the law seeks to balance the right to freedom of expression with the protection of religious freedoms, stating, 'People need to know that in Canada they are free to pray to the God of their choice and to, at the same time, freely express themselves, but not to the point where you threaten the protected Charter rights of a religious minority.' The proposal comes nearly eight months after the violent invasion of the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton by pro-Khalistan protestors. The demonstrators had targeted the temple over the presence of Indian officials for a consular camp on the premises. This incident, along with other similar events, has raised concerns over the rise of radical elements in the country. Ritesh Malik, chair of the Canada-India Foundation (CIF), expressed support for stronger measures, calling for a tougher stance against extremism. 'Glorification of violence, celebration of violence, extremism should not be allowed to happen anywhere on Canadian soil, not in schools or places of worship,' Malik said. 'What's happening right now is radicalising youth, and violence is being celebrated. That needs to stop.' Malik's comments came during the United Against Extremism conference, held in the Greater Toronto Area, which focused on the growing issue of pro-Khalistan radicalism and anti-Semitic extremism in Canada. The conference was organised by the CIF in collaboration with Tafsik Organization, a Jewish civil rights group. Tafsik's executive director, Amir Epstein, also voiced support for the proposed legislation. 'I think it's great, and I think it should absolutely happen,' he said. 'We need to make sure people aren't protesting in front of schools, daycares, synagogues, Hindu temples, or churches.' In the past, Indo-Canadian places of worship have implemented 'bubble zones' to protect themselves from pro-Khalistan protestors. For example, in November 2023, Vancouver's Ross Street Gurdwara was granted an injunction by a local court that prevented protests within a designated area, ensuring the smooth operation of two consular camps. A similar restraining order was issued for the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Toronto. However, the violent incident at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton had a chilling effect on other temples, some of which canceled consular camps after receiving advisories from local law enforcement. Pro-Khalistan groups have also been known to gather at memorials for the victims of the 1985 Air India bombing, though their numbers were notably low at recent memorials marking the 40th anniversary of the attack.
Hindustan Times
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Communities targeted by extremists want Canadian govt to take striction action to rein in radical elements
Toronto: While the Canadian government is considering legislation to prevent protests outside places of worship, schools and community centres, groups opposed to extremism in the country have sought tougher measures to rein in radical elements in the country. The gathering at the United Against Extremism conference in the town of Woodbridge in the Greater Toronto Area on Sunday. (Credit: CIF) Ottawa is looking at introducing legislation with criminal provisions to prevent blocking of access to such venues, and creating a criminal offence of wilfully intimidating or threatening people attending events there, the agency Canadian Press reported. It cited Canada's Justice Minister Sean Fraser as saying, 'People need to know that in Canada they are free to pray to the God of their choice and to, at the same time, freely express themselves, but not to the point where you threaten the protected Charter rights of a religious minority.' It has been over seven months since the violent invasion of the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton by pro-Khalistan protestors, who were demonstrating there against the presence of Indian officials for a consular camp on the premises. Participants in a panel at the United Against Extremism conference in the town of Woodbridge in the Greater Toronto Area on Sunday. (Credit: CIF) Reacting to the proposed measure, Ritesh Malik, chair of the Canada-India Foundation (CIF), said, 'Glorification of violence, celebration of violence, extremism should not be allowed to happen anywhere on Canadian soil, not schools or not just places of worship.' 'I think there needs to be a firmer stand in terms of what the Government will do to curb such extremist ideologies and the way its radicalising youth, the way violence is being celebrated. That needs to stop,' he said. Malik was speaking at the United Against Extremism conference organised in the Greater Toronto Area on Sunday. The conference featured several panels and focused on the rise of pro-Khalistan radicalism and anti-semitic extremism in Canada in the recent past. It was organised by CIF along with Tafsik Organization, a Jewish civil rights group. Tafsik's executive director Amir Epstein said of the proposed law, 'I think it's great, I think it should absolutely happen, we did need it.' 'Now we have to make sure that people don't do this in front of little kids' schools in front of daycares, in front of synagogues in front of Hindu temples, in front of churches,' he added. Epstein said the objective of the conference, the first of its kind, was to 'create awareness about the extremism in our country and the fact that we're losing this country to extremist groups.' 'We want to create awareness, so we're able to understand what the threat even is. I feel like people don't even understand what it is,' he said. 'This conference was an attempt to bring that discussion and provide a platform to people and give them a venue where they can share their concerns,' Malik said. The concept of the bubble zone has been used by Indo-Canadian places of worship to protest themselves against pro-Khalistan groups. In November last year, the historic Ross Street Gurdwara in Vancouver, was given an injunction by a local court disallowing protests within a specific area and that prevented disruption of two consular camps being held there. Later that month, the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Toronto received a similar restraining order from an Ontario court preventing protesters from gathering within 100 metre of its premises as it hosted a consular camp. However, the attack on the Hindu Sabha Mandir did have a chilling effect on other temples which cancelled scheduled camps, after being advised to do so by local law enforcement. Pro-Khalistan elements had also taken to gathering at the memorials for the victims of Air India flight 182, the Kanishka, in recent years. However, they were absent at the memorials in Ottawa and Toronto on the 40th anniversary of the worst terror attack in Canadian history, which claimed 329 lives on June 23, 1985. While they did appear at the Vancouver memorial, their numbers were noticeably low.
Hindustan Times
18-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Positive momentum expected following reset in India-Canada ties: Experts
Kananaskis, Canada: Those engaged in the India-Canada corridor are hopeful that another inflection point has been arrived at, a positive one this time after a productive bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart and host Mark Carney on Tuesday on the margins of the G7 leaders' summit in Kananaskis. 'India and Canada have following a pragmatic script this year towards normalising the broken political relationship. On the margins of the G7 Summit, the two PMs pressed the reset button, in essence allowing robust economic ties to drive the political ones,' Ajay Bisaria, former Indian High Commissioner to Ottawa felt. Among the issues addressed was filling the vacant posts of High Commissioners in the two capitals and Bisaria said that 'should enable a step-by-step move towards stabilisation of ties and then perhaps building back a better strategic partnership, guided by economic and geopolitical interests and future- proofed against security shocks'. Also enthusiastic about the positivity flowing from the meeting was Goldy Hyder, president and CEO of the Business Council of Canada. He said, 'It's a very good day. Exactly the right steps to reset and restore constructive bilateral relations.' Vina Nadjibulla, vice-president research and strategy at the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada, said, 'Good to have a clear signal from the two leaders to reset the relationship and deepen cooperation at a time when both countries are hoping to diversify economic and strategic partnerships.' She said the meeting and its outcome represented 'a significant moment' which sets the stage for follow up action at the level of officials and ministers. She described it as 'positive on substance and symbolism', marking 'remarkable progress' that 'would have been hard to imagine even a few months ago.' Ritesh Malik, chair of the Canada-India Foundation also welcomed the outcome, as he said 'this could be the big reset moment on many important unresolved issues'. 'Commitment to mutual respect, territorial integrity and sovereignty is just the foundation on which this relationship can only grow leaps and bounds,' he added.
