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Hinduism in Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Hinduism is the third-largest religion in Canada, with approximately 2.3% of the nation's total population identifying as Hindu in the 2021 census.[2][3] As of 2021, there were over 828,000 Hindu Canadians.[3]
Among South Asian Canadians – the largest visible minority group in the country – approximately 30% identify as Hindu, reflecting the strong cultural and spiritual presence of the religion within this community.[4][5] Canada ranks second in North America having one of the highest percentages of Hindus in the Western world. In the North American region, the United States has the largest Hindu population, with approximately 3.3 million adherents, or 1.0% of its national population, as of 2020.[6]
Hinduism is one of the fastest-growing religions in Canada. According to the 2021 Census, there are 828,195 Hindus in Canada, up from 297,200 in the 2001 census.[7][8] Across Canada, Hindu temples, cultural centres, and festivals such as Diwali and Holi play a central role in community life. In recognition of the contributions of the Hindu community, the Government of Canada officially designated November as Hindu Heritage Month in 2022.[9] This month celebrates the culture, traditions, and ongoing contributions of Hindus to Canadian society, highlighting the values of inclusivity, diversity, and mutual respect.
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History
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Immigration from India to Canada began in 1903-04. Although early Canadian references often labelled all Indian immigrants as 'Hindus,' Hindus formed a minority among these Punjabi arrivals, who were predominantly Sikh with some Muslims.[10][11] Nevertheless, all South Asians encountered racial exclusion under Canada's colour bar. Immigrants faced intense hostility in British Columbia, leading to a sharp decline in numbers.[12] Religious practices among early South Asian immigrants, including Hindus, centred on community gatherings at temples.[13]
During the 1960s, mounting pressure from India led to the liberalization of Canadian immigration policies. Many Hindus from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, along with Hindu Indian diasporic communities in Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, and East African nations such as Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania arrived to Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.[11][14]
Canadian Hindus have generally originated from three distinct groups. The first group is primarily made up of Indian immigrants who first began arriving in British Columbia.[15] Hindus from all over India continue to immigrate to Canada. This initial wave of Hindu immigrants came from nations that were historically under European colonial rule, such as British Raj, Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, and parts of coastal East Africa.[16] The second major group of Hindus immigrated from Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. In the case of Sri Lankan Hindus, their history in Canada goes back to the 1940s, when a few hundred Sri Lankan Tamils migrated to Canada.[17] The 1983 communal riots and later civil war in Sri Lanka precipitated the mass exodus of Tamils with over 500,000 finding refuge in countries including Canada, the UK, Australia, United States, France and Switzerland. Since then, Sri Lankan Tamils have continued to migrate to Canada, particularly to the Greater Toronto Area. A third group includes European Canadians not from Hindu backgrounds, including followers of the Hare Krishna movement.[18] The Toronto district of Scarborough has a particularly high concentration of followers of the Hare Krishna movement, with Hinduism being the dominant religion in several neighbourhoods.[19]
The government pledged to resettle 6,500 Bhutanese refugees of Nepalese ethnicity by 2012. The majority of Bhutanese Nepali are Hindus. By 2014, Lethbridge was home to the largest Bhutanese community in Canada.[20] Nearly 6,600 Bhutanese Nepali, also called Lhotshampa had settled in Canada by the end of 2015, with approximately 1,300 in Lethbridge by August 2016.[21]
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Hindu population & demographics
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By province
The Hindu population in Canada according to the 2021 National Household Survey.[7]
By major Census Metropolitan Areas (2021)
The Hindu population in Canada by major Census Metropolitan Areas according to the 2021 Census.[7]
By federal electoral district (2024)
The Hindu population percentage in Canada by federal electoral district according to the 2021 Census.[7]
Ontario
British Columbia
Alberta
Quebec
Manitoba
By ethnic origin (2021)
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Temple societies
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These communities have formed over 1000 temple societies across the country which essentially function as community organisations. Some also established private Tamil-language schools as an alternative to non-religious and Catholic school boards attended by Hindu students.[25][failed verification]
In 1971, one of the earliest Hindu temples in Canada was established in rural Nova Scotia in Auld's Cove. Hindu Sanstha of Nova Scotia was formed by some 25 families living in the area at the time.[citation needed]
The largest Hindu temple in Canada is BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto. It consists of two separate buildings: the mandir itself and the Haveli, home to a large sabha hall, several religious bookstops, a small prayer room, the country's largest Indo-Canadian museum, a water fountain and a large gymnasium. It is the only Mandir built using Hindu traditions. The temple is built in the traditional Hindu style of Shikharbaddha mandir, which is made accordingly to the principles laid out in Shilpa Shastras, sacred Hindu texts that describe the canons of traditionally architecture, and describes how the structure of a shikharbaddha mandir symbolically reflects the body of Purusha, or the Cosmic Man.[26] It took $40 million to build and opened in 2007, surpassing Hindu Sabha Temple in nearby Brampton, which held the old record. The entire mandir is 32,000 sq ft (3,000 m2).[27][28][better source needed]
Society
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Organizations
There are several organizations representing the Hindu community in Canada. Among them, the Hindu Canadian Network is the most prominent umbrella organization.[29][30]
Contemporary society
According to a survey conducted by the Angus Reid Institute in 2013, 42% of Canadians had a favorable opinion of Hinduism which increased to 49% in the 2016 survey. When asked whether it would be acceptable if one of their children were to marry a Hindu in February 2017, 54% of Canadians said that it would be acceptable, as compared to 37% in September 2013.[citation needed]
Another survey by the Angus Reid Institute found that 32% of believed that the influence of Hinduism “in Canada and Canadian public life” is growing. However, 67% of those surveyed “don’t know anything/understand very little” about Hinduism, while 4% “understand very well”.[31]
Community and impact
Hindus in Canada are able to create communities that not only follow religious practices but also provide education, counselling, support and outreach services. These communities allow many Hindus from overseas to comfortably adapt when immigrating to Canada. When Hindu institutions and worldviews are not mirrored in the migrated country, it can hinder the process of adaptation through isolation and loss of identity.[32] Racial-ethnic identity development involves identifying with and relating to a specific group and is found to be associated with particular health behaviors and mental health outcomes.[33]
Politics
Deepak Obhrai was the first Hindu MP in Canada. Anita Anand, Chandra Arya, Arpan Khanna, and Shuvaloy Majumdar have since been elected as MPs.[34] Vim Kochhar was the first Hindu appointed to the Senate,[35] Raj Sherman was the first Hindu to lead a Canadian political party).[36] Anita Anand is the first Hindu cabinet minister in Canada. She became a cabinet minister in 2019.[37] Despite Hindus making up 2.3% of Canada's population according to the 2021 Census, they are significantly underrepresented in federal politics, with only 1.2% of Members of Parliament (4 out of 338) elected in the 2021 federal election identifying as Hindu.[38]
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Attacks on the Hindu community
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According to Juris Pupcenoks, violent Sikh extremism spread to Canada following Operation Blue Star with Canadian Sikh radicals making public pledges to kill Hindus.[39] Former CSIS agent, Bob Burgoyne, stated that Sikh extremists threatened to kill thousands of Hindus by various means, like bombing Air India flights.[40]
- In 1984, Ajaib Singh Bagri, a man accused of playing a role in the Air India bombing, declared "Until we kill 50,000 Hindus, we will not rest" at the founding convention of the World Sikh Organization.[41][42]
- In 2013, a Hindu temple in Surrey had three windows smashed. A baseball bat found there after the attack had Sikh markings.[43]
- In 2022, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir of Toronto was defaced with anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti. The Indian High Commission to Canada subsequently condemned the act. Chandra Arya, Nepean MP, also condemned the hate crime and expressed concern of rising incidents in recent times. Sonia Sidhu, Brampton South MP, condemned the incident and asserted it to be unacceptable in multicultural society.[44] Patrick Brown, Mayor of Brampton expressed his disappointment. Ruby Sahota, Brampton North MP, termed the hate crime 'disgusting' and demanded punishment for the criminals.[45]
- In July 2022, a Gandhi statue in a Hindu temple in Richmond Hill was defaced with pro Khalistan graffiti which included the words "rapist" and "Khalistan". The incident was described as a hate crime by York Regional Police.[46]
- In January, 2023 the Gauri Shankar Temple of Brampton was defaced with anti-India and anti-Hindu graffiti. Consulate General of India in Toronto condemned the act and asked the Canadian authorities to investigate into the matter.[47] Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown condemned the hate crime.[48] Chandra Arya, Nepean MP, condemned the anti-Hindu attack and called authorities for taking the rising crimes against Hindus seriously.[49] The founder and priest of temple Shri Dhirendra Tripathi said "Khalistanis have caused fear among us. They have become emboldened and the community is uncertain about their next actions. Canadian authorities should take stern steps to curb their activities".[50]
- In February 2023, the Ram Mandir of Mississauga was defaced with anti-India graffiti.[51] The spray paint also described Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale as a martyr.[52] The Indian Consulate General in Toronto issued a statement condemning the attack. Mr. Patrick Brown, Brampton Mayor condemned the incident stressing the importance of religious freedom and assured an investigation by the Peel Police.[53] Canadian Minister of National Defence Anita Anand and Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly expressed solidarity with the Hindu community facing repeated vandalism of their places of worship.[54] The police have not investigated the motive behind the hate-crime.[55]
- In April 2023, the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple of Windsor, Ontario was vandalized with anti-Hindu graffiti.[56] The Windsor Police acknowledged the hate-motived factor in the act.[57] The Ministry of External Affairs of India issued a statement condemning the hate crime.[58]
- In April 2023, the leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, condemned the growing number of anti-Hindu incidents in the country. In an interview with Prime Asia, he stated: “We have to stop Hinduphobia and nasty comments that are made about Hindus and the vandalism and other violence targeting Hindu Canadians. This is totally unacceptable.” Referring to the incidents of Hindu temples being vandalized, he proposed giving places of worship government funds for security equipment and resources.[59]
- In July 2023, a pro-Khalistan poster was spotted outside the Bharat Mata Temple in Brampton targeting Indian diplomats to Canada. The temple volunteers removed the poster.[60]
- In July, 2023, the sign board of Shri Bhagavad Gita Park in Brampton was vandalized with anti-India graffiti which was condemned by the City Council terming the vandalism as 'an attack on a faith community'. Patrick Brown, Mayor of Brampton, claimed he was outraged with the incident. Members of local Hindu community expressed their disappointment. Later, the city workers restored the sign board by removing the graffiti.[61]
- In August 2023, the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey was vandalized with anti India and pro Khalistan posters placed on its front gate and rear wall.[62]
- In September 2023, Sikhs for Justice warned Indo-Canadian Hindus in a video to "leave Canada" and "go to India" and further accused Hindus of being disloyal to Canada, in the wake of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's statement that Indian government agents may have played a role in Hardeep Singh Nijjar's death.[63][64] The video was condemned by numerous Canadian politicians, including ministers in the federal cabinet and federal party leaders.[65]
- In September–October 2023, 6 Hindu temples were broken into in Ontario, with 3 temples broken into in a single night.[66][67] Surveillance videos show a large amount of cash being taken from the donation boxes, with an attempt to break into a safe in one of the temples.[68] The temples included the Chitpurni Temple, the Rameshwar Mandir in Caledon, the Hindu Heritage Center in Mississauga, the Hindu Mandir Durham in Pickering, the Devi Mandir in Pickering, and the Sankat Mochan Mandir in Ajax.[69][67]
- In July 2024, a BAPS temple in Edmonton was vandalized with graffiti labelling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepean MP Chandra Arya as "Hindu terrorist(s)". A video of the desecration was promoted on social media. Several groups, including the Consulate General of India in Vancouver, the Canadian Hindu Chamber of Commerce, and the US-based Hindu American Foundation, condemned the incident and called for Canadian authorities to investigate, citing a 'growing tide of Hinduphobia in Canada'. Several elected members of government, including Randy Boissonnault, Terry Duguid, Tim Uppal, and Edmonton mayor Amarjeet Sohi condemned the incident as an 'act of hate that goes against Canadian values'.[70] Chandra Arya reiterated his concerns surrounding growing Khalistani extremism and called on law enforcement authorities to take action, stating "Like a broken record, I again call on Canadian law enforcement agencies to take this issue seriously before these rhetorics get translated into physical action against Hindu-Canadians.” In response, US-based Khalistan separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannu called for Arya and other Hindu-Canadians to return to India.[71][72]
- In August 2024, a pro Khalistan group gathered at a venue for an Indian Independence Day parade, and were heard shouting "Canadian Hindus go back to India". In the days preceding the event, the secessionist group, Sikhs for Justice, circulated flyers calling for a "face-off" between Khalistani Sikhs and Canadian Hindus. Pierre Poilievre condemned the incident and described the calls from the Khalistani group "absolutely unacceptable" and stated that "Hindus have the right to worship, to raise their families, to live in peace, without intimidation or threats". He further accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of dividing communities.[73]
- In November 2024, Khalistani demonstrators attacked people outside the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton with flag poles. Justin Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre, and Jagmeet Singh, along with other Canadian politicians, condemned the incident.[74] As a result of the violence, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown announced he that he intended to introduce a motion at city council to prohibit protests outside places of worship in Brampton.[75] An off duty Peel Police sergeant Harinder Sohi was suspended from duty for participating in the protest. Sohi was filmed holding a Khalistan flag outside the temple.[76][77] In a social media post, a police officer was seen charging at a temple-goer and punching him, seemingly without provocation.[78][79]
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