VOIWORLD/Canada
SOURCE: OPINDIA
In what is being called an ‘attempt to instill fear’, a Gurdwara in Vancouver and Surrey’s Lakshmi Narayan Temple desecrated with pro-Khalistan graffiti.
“A small group of Sikh separatists, advocating for Khalistan, defaced our sacred walls with divisive slogans like ‘Khalistan Zindabad’. This act is part of an ongoing campaign by extremist forces that seek to instil fear and division within the Canadian Sikh community,” Gurdwara management said in a statement.
On 19th April (local time), Khalsa Diwan Society Gurdwara, also known as the Ross Street Gurdwara, was desecrated with pro-Khalistan and anti-India graffiti. The management of the Gurdwara in Canada’s Vancouver has accused “extremist forces” of the vandalism. They claimed that it was an attempt to instil fear within the Sikh community in Canada. The miscreants used spray paint to desecrate the Gurdwara.
The management issued a statement that was published on their Instagram account. Calling for unity and reflection amidst extremism, the management said that the community was shocked to witness the act of vandalism at the Gurdwara. “A small group of Sikh separatists, advocating for Khalistan, defaced our sacred walls with divisive slogans like ‘Khalistan Zindabad’. This act is part of an ongoing campaign by extremist forces that seek to instil fear and division within the Canadian Sikh community,” the statement read.
The management further noted that such actions undermine the values of inclusivity, respect and mutual support that are “foundational to both Sikhism and Canadian society”. They added, “What occurred on April 19th is not only an attack on our Gurdwara but also an assault on the legacy our ancestors built – a legacy grounded in hard work, unity, and peaceful coexistence.”
They further called on all Canadians, Sikhs and people of goodwill to stand together in the face of extremism. “We must denounce these acts and reaffirm our shared commitment to the values of peace, unity, and respect. This attack is an attack on all of us – on the very unity that makes Canada strong. Let us unite against division and extremism, for the future we all share,” the management concluded in the press release.
