Maple Observer - Mississauga becomes second city in Canada to recognize “anti-Hindu hate”

Mississauga city council has voted to formally recognize “anti-Hindu hate,” becoming the second municipality in Canada after Wainwright, Alberta.

The motion formally condemns anti-Hindu hate “in all its forms” and directs city staff to work with Peel Regional Police, interfaith organizations, and the city’s anti-racism advisory committee on education and outreach initiatives.

The motion passed following hours of public presentations from Hindu students and community advocates. Supporters framed the resolution as overdue recognition of discrimination they say has often gone unnamed particularly in schools, universities and online.

“When you name something, you shame something,” Councillor Dipika Damerla said during the Nov. 5, 20025 meeting. “If it’s not named, it becomes normalized.”

Students focus on campuses and online spaces

Much of the testimony before council focused on experiences in educational institutions rather than in municipal settings.

Several Hindu students said they had been mocked, stereotyped or labelled extremists for expressing religious identity or questioning how Hinduism is discussed in academic settings. According to speakers, incidents included vandalized posters, petitions opposing Hindu student events, and classroom comments dismissed as political speech rather than discrimination.

Khushi Jetley, a recent university graduate, told council that Hindu students are often welcomed only in limited cultural contexts, such as dance or food events, but face pushback when raising concerns about bias.

“As long as we sit and dance, we’re fine,” Jetley said. “The moment we speak up, we’re labelled extremists.”

Rishi Gopinath, a Mississauga resident and content creator, said online harassment targeting Hindu identity is widespread and has led many young people to self-censor.

“Mississauga’s Hindus should not have to choose between being visible and being safe,” he said.

Speakers repeatedly argued that the absence of a clearly recognized term for anti-Hindu hate has made it harder to report incidents or seek accountability from institutions.

Community advocates cite vandalism and underreporting

Community representatives echoed those concerns. Vijay Jain, director of Canadian Hindus for Harmony, said families have reported bullying of children, vandalism of temples, and online harassment, but he said many incidents go unreported due to fear or lack of confidence in institutional responses.

“Recognizing anti-Hindu hatred is the first step,” Jain said. “It’s about safety, dignity and equal protection.”

Rishabh Saraswat of the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) argued that incidents involving Hindu places of worship are often reframed as political disputes rather than religious hatred.

“When a synagogue is attacked, it’s called antisemitism. When a mosque is attacked, it’s called Islamophobia,” he said. “But when a Hindu temple is defaced, it’s often framed differently.”

Some of the speakers at the public hearing cited statistics and research on rising hate crimes against South Asians and the spread of online hate networks. Those figures were presented by speakers and were not independently assessed during the council meeting.

Council acknowledges limits, backs symbolic action

Throughout the discussion, Mayor Carolyn Parrish questioned whether many of the concerns raised — particularly those related to universities — fell within municipal jurisdiction. She encouraged students to also raise issues with school boards and postsecondary institutions.

Still, Parrish ultimately supported the motion, describing it as symbolic but affirming. Council later added language directing that the resolution be shared with universities named by the speakers, as well as with school boards and elected officials.

City staff noted that Mississauga already operates under broad anti-discrimination policies guided by Ontario’s Human Rights Code, which prohibits discrimination based on religion, race and ethnicity. The new motion does not create new enforcement powers.

Supporters argued that formal recognition provides a framework for institutions and law enforcement to better identify and respond to incidents.

“Without a name, there’s no accountability,” Jetley said. “This is the start of a longer journey.”

A federal petition adds national context

The Mississauga vote follows earlier efforts at the federal level to formally recognize Hinduphobia as a form of discrimination.

On Nov. 2, 2023, Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman tabled Petition e-4507 in the House of Commons, calling on the federal government to recognize Hinduphobia. The petition garnered more than 25,000 signatures.

“Everyone in this country deserves a safe place free of intimidation, violence, harassment and vandalism to worship,” Lantsman said at the time, citing concerns about discrimination faced by Hindu Canadians at work, school and in their communities.

The petition was initiated by Hindu organizations and endorsed by the Canadian Organization for Hindu Heritage Education. According to a press release from the organisation, correspondence sent to Justin Trudeau’s office was forwarded to Kamal Khera for consideration.

Broader questions

Mississauga’s proclamation is similar to the one passed earlier this year by town councillors in Wainwright, Alberta. Advocates point to both actions as signs of growing pressure on governments at multiple levels to adopt more specific language when addressing discrimination faced by Hindu Canadians.

The South Asian Dalit Adivasi Network (SADAN), has raised concerns in other forums that such motions risk conflating criticism of caste discrimination with religious hatred. Those perspectives were not represented among the speakers at the Mississauga meeting.