An open letter by a Sikh businessman in Canada 

All Sikhs and my Hindu brothers and sisters, and major part of the Indian diaspora do not support the violent events.

As a Sikh businessman living in Brampton, Canada, I am concerned at the recent violence between groups of Hindus and Sikhs, who do not represent to majority members of both communities. My Hindu and Sikh brothers are deeply troubled over the incidents and are praying for peace.

This is not what our community wants. We live in harmony here in Canada. Both Sikh and Hindu communities respect each other and share the richness of our culture.  As written in Gurbani “Maanas ki Jaat sabeh eke pehchaan bo” (recognise the human race as one). It is important that we, as members of diverse Indian communities, come together to condemn these acts of violence and reaffirm our commitment to peace and understanding.

Leaders of both communities have spoken against the incidents.

The incident, which took place yesterday outside the Hindu Sabha Mandir, Brampton, has been condemned by Ontario Sikhs and Gurudwara Council.  And the incident that took place at Malton Sikh temple in retaliation of the incident at Hindu temple is also condemned by Hindu federation. This clarifies that the public and the organisation do not support these kinds of violent incidents.

Mandir and gurdwaras are not just buildings; they are sacred places that represent the spiritual heart of our communities, places where people go to seek solace, connection, and a sense of belonging.

It is a humble request to everyone who wants to protest to please avoid protesting at worship place. I have spoken to many people from the Sikh and Hindu community and everyone shares the same thought process.

As Sikhs, our faith teaches us the importance of standing up against injustice and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that such acts of violence do not divide us.

Sikhs believe in the principle of “sarbat da bhala” (welfare of all). This teaching calls us to care for one another, regardless of our backgrounds or beliefs. These incidents have no place in our community. We as a member of Sikh and Hindu community, we all need to stand together in this situation. Leaders of both the communities need to further address this situation very carefully as it can fuel up very quickly to a level that could be hard to handle.

I am a businessman based in Brampton who is proud of our rich Indian culture and Sikh teaching.