Hindus Dismayed By Canadian Opposition Scrapping Diwali Event

OTTAWA (ANI) – Canadian Hindus expressed disappointment after Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre canceled the planned 2024 Diwali celebrations at Parliament Hill amid ongoing diplomatic tensions with India.

The Hindu Forum of Canada criticized the move, saying it “sends a clear message of exclusion to a community deeply woven into Canada’s cultural fabric.” Diwali, celebrated globally as a festival of light and unity, has been honored by leaders like U.S. President Joe Biden and astronaut Sunita Williams, they noted. “Yet, CPC leader Pierre Poilievre has shown a concerning disregard for Canadian Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains,” the statement added, calling the decision “a politically motivated act of appeasement that dismisses a significant, vibrant part of Canadian society.”

The Forum urged Indian-origin Canadians to vote for leaders who respect all communities, cautioning, “If he were to become Prime Minister, what further tactics might he use? This Diwali, let’s stand together for representation, respect, and true inclusivity.”

The Overseas Friends of India Canada (OFIC), which organized the event, said they received no explanation for the cancellation. OFIC president Shiv Bhasker wrote to Poilievre, stating, “The failure of politicians to attend this important cultural event sends a message to Indo-Canadians that we are viewed as outsiders linked to political actions of a country many of us are ancestrally tied to but have no direct connection with.”