Canada's South Asian diaspora on edge in light of mounting India-Pakistan tensions

Canada's South Asian community is on edge after conflict erupted between India and Pakistan in the form of missile strikes that killed 31 people in Pakistani-administered areas.

The Hindu Canadian Foundation says in a statement on its website that its members "may face heightened risks" in light of the tensions on the Indian subcontinent, and the group has issued guidelines to "ensure safety" and "strengthen community bonds."

Those guidelines include suggestions that Hindu Canadians familiarize themselves with laws on "religious and ethnic discrimination," as well as an avoidance of "engaging with provocative rhetoric, especially from extremist groups."

Meanwhile, one Pakistani Canadian says he is urging calm among the South Asian diaspora community in Canada, calling the situation "very sombre" and noting many Canadians have family in the region touched by the conflict.

Regina resident Muhammad Kashif Naseer says the local South Asian community is "very close-knit," but there are concerns that the emotions from the Indian-Pakistani conflict may spill over into Canadian diaspora communities.

Canada had not issued a statement about India firing missiles at Pakistan earlier that day, though Ottawa did update its travel advisory for the region Wednesday, warning Canadians in the affected area to "be vigilant and prepared to shelter in place."

"Tensions could increase and the situation could deteriorate rapidly," the Global Affairs Canada advisory reads.

India-Pakistan tensions have been elevated since an attack on April 22 in Indian-administered Kashmir, where gunmen killed 26 people, most of them Indian Hindu tourists.

Indian officials have blamed Pakistan for backing the gunmen – a charge denied by Islamabad – and New Delhi has said the latest missile strikes were a retaliation for the April massacre. 

The day after the April attack, Canada's high commission in New Delhi put out a statement that didn't mention India by name, prompting criticism from Indian nationalists.

"Canada extends its deepest condolences to the victims of the terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir," the April 23 statement read. "We also commend the many acts of bravery that saved innocent lives. This senseless and horrific act can never be justified."

The Hindu Canadian Foundation did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but says in its statement that it is committed to "foster a safe, inclusive Canada where Hindu Canadians can thrive without fear, while promoting solidarity with all communities to combat extremism."

"Hindu Canadians are integral to Canada’s multicultural fabric, contributing economically, culturally, and socially," the statement says. "By staying united, informed, and proactive, the community can navigate these challenging times with strength and dignity."

The April attack took place in the part of the Kashmir region that is controlled by India but claimed by Pakistan.

"We all are concerned because our family members are there, our communities and relatives – you name it, all those things are back there," Naseer says. "Obviously, nobody wants that to be escalated."

Naseer says South Asian community leaders in Canada should be working together to make sure tensions in Asia do not emerge in Canadian society in negative ways.

"I am not a kind of person who will (let) this any (of this) affect my relationship with my friends from India and all that," he says. "But I'm sure there will be some people who are politically charged, and … they might think differently on both sides. But I expect that they should be showing a little bit (of) Canadian restraint.

"I will say, to be a Canadian and why we choose to come to Canada, is to get out of these things … (so) I'm expecting that there shouldn't be any unrest in between the communities."

— With files from Dylan Robertson in Ottawa and the Associated Press.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, K.M. Chaudary