Executive Summary

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The conference brought together community leaders, scholars, and activists to discuss the state of the Hindu community in Canada. The event focused on empowerment, safety, and civic engagement, aiming to transition the community from polite silence to organized advocacy.

Resolution: The conference unanimously adopted a four-point resolution (with amendments) condemning hate crimes against Hindu Canadians and reaffirming commitment to non-violence and civic contribution.

 

 

Main Themes

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Safety & Dignity: Temple protection, hate crime prevention, addressing Hinduphobia and school bullying, and awareness of Bill C-9.

Civic Empowerment: Voter outreach, riding-level leadership, and constructive collaboration with policymakers.

Tools & Support: National reporting mechanisms, use of technology, fundraising assistance, creation of a Hindu Fact Sheet, and volunteer engagement.

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Detailed Session Summary

 

1. Opening & Welcome

• 09:30 AM: The session began with a traditional lighting of the lamp by Uttra Bhargava to signify the dispelling of darkness.

• Vinod Kumar (Convener): Welcomed attendees to the Sprott School of Business. He outlined the four goals: promoting awareness, identifying challenges (vandalism/hate), fostering dialogue, and developing action items.

• Subhas Bhargava (Chair): Delivered a call to action, emphasizing that the "time for polite silence is over." He drew parallels to the Jewish community's history of self-organization in Montreal and urged Hindus to organize similarly.

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2. Speaker Forum

• Shivang Vaishnav: Presented on leadership models, drawing parallels between Indigenous "Rock/Water" leadership currents and Hindu Dharma/Karma traditions.

• Kulbhushan Kapoor: Spoke on geopolitical challenges to Hindu existence, expressing strong views on the need for a Hindu homeland and concerns over demographic shifts.

• Rishabh Saraswat: focused on Bill C-9. He argued that the bill conflates the Nazi Hakenkreuz with the sacred Swastika. He urged the community to reclaim the symbol and advocated for legislative language changes (using "Nazi Swastika" or "Hakenkreuz").

• Jodi Green (Jewish Federation of Ottawa): Discussed the rise in antisemitism and the need for allyship. She expressed cautious support for Bill C-9 but emphasized the need for community feedback.

• Ruchi Wali (CNCH): Provided statistics on the rise of hate crimes. She noted that reported hate crimes against "other religions" (including Hindus) doubled between 2020 and 2024. She highlighted the lack of a specific "Anti-Hindu" category in police reporting.

• Krishna Sahai (Demographics): Presented data on the 800,000+ Hindus in Canada. Highlighted high educational attainment and income but low political influence.

• Guru Bhat & Kumar Gyanchandani (HAVA): Discussed civic empowerment. Kumar shared the success story of the Oakville Bubble Zone Bylaw, which restricts protests within 100m of places of worship, passed after significant community engagement.

• Jay Jayaraman: Spoke on gratitude and contribution. He urged the community to be more inclusive (language-wise) and to visibly celebrate Hindu contributions to Canada.

 

3. Resolution Adoption

• Process: The draft resolution was read by Subhas Bhargava and Krishna Sahai.

• Debate: A discussion ensued regarding Point 1. Some members suggested condemning violence against all Canadians. Rishabh Saraswat and others argued that the resolution must specifically name "Hindu Canadians" to address the specific lack of recognition for their community.

• Amendments:

  • Point 1: "Specifically targeting Hindu Canadians" was retained.

  • Point 4: Added "Compassion" to the list of values (Peace, Compassion, Justice, Non-violence).

• Vote: The resolution was passed unanimously.

 

4. Closing

• Subhas Bhargava thanked the volunteers, Carleton University, and the Kautilya Chanakya Institute.