Canada’s handling of hate is on trial — and India is watching closely

As Canada is debating an anti-hate crime bill, former Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma has said that laws can only signal intent and the real success will rest on restoring normality to the Indian diaspora.

In an article in India Narratives, Verma noted that the Combatting Hate Bill (C-9) intends to correct the shortcomings of current legal provisions that have a high bar for prosecution for hate speech and allow intimidation to continue in the guise of free expressions. But he flagged the legislation cannot change behaviour.

Verma noted, "If incidents involving threats, vandalism, or targeted intimidation continue to be met with delayed or uneven responses, the existence of a stronger legal framework will carry limited weight. For India, the test will not be whether Canada has legislated, but whether it has acted, and acted consistently."

Verma served as the High Commissioner of India in Canada from November 2022 to October 2024. The Government of India had recalled him after then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government named him and other Indian diplomats as ‘persons of interest’ in cases stemming from the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which Trudeau had blamed on India.

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Verma's tenure coincided with the plunging of the India-Canada relationship to its lowest point as Trudeau accused India of assassination, foreign interference, and political violence inside Canada. At the same time, Khalistani extremists frequently indulged in intimidating and violent acts against Indian missions, Indian diplomats, and members of the diaspora, and Canadian authorities failed to take any meaningful action.

Canada's bill 'directly addresses' problems: Ex-envoy

Verma highlighted that the C-9 Bill "directly addresses the kinds of incidents promoted by Khalistani extremists that have unsettled Indian diaspora communities".

By criminalising the intimidation or obstruction of individuals seeking to access religious or cultural spaces, the bill has recognised that the denial of safe access is itself a form of harm, according to Verma.

"For the Indian diaspora, the stakes are more immediate and more personal. Canada has long been seen as a space where identity can be expressed freely and without fear. The visibility of intimidation, whether through public demonstrations, symbolic acts, or targeted vandalism, has introduced an element of uncertainty into everyday life," Verma further said.

In recent years, Verma said the Indian diaspora in Canada has been forced to navigate a climate that feels "increasingly charged, performative, and at times, openly hostile, driven by Canada-based Khalistani extremism". He cited personal anecdotes from his tenure in the country that involved frequent death threats from Khalistani elements and a personal assault.

Recalling a tableau reenacting the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and a poster bearing the image of India’s then-High Commissioner with bullet marks, Verma said that these violent and hateful gestures were "not isolated provocations" but "performative acts that blur the line between expression and intimidation, testing how far public space can be used to normalise threat".

After years of intimidation, Canada's Hindus see cautious hope

Under more than a decade of Trudeau's government, Hindu temples became a frequent target of Khalistani forces' ire. Vandalism of temples was common and intimidation of community members was rife.

Indians were often equated with Hindus and anti-India campaign often merged with Hinduphobia, according to community members.

"Hindu temples have been vandalised with graffiti carrying extremist messaging, often designed less to persuade than to provoke. The repetition of such incidents has created a sense that these are not isolated acts of mischief, but part of a broader attempt to challenge India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity through disruption and symbolic aggression," noted Verma.

The C-9 Bill directly addresses such kinds of acts and removes the requirement of the attorney general's consent for prosecution. Verma flagged that everything would boil down to implementation if the bill becomes a law.

"The real measure will lie in what follows. Whether the law is applied consistently, whether it commands public confidence, and whether it succeeds in restoring a sense of normalcy to diaspora life will determine its impact. For the Indian diaspora, the hope is straightforward: that the shift from intimidation to accountability is not merely legislative, but lived," noted Verma.

The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) has also welcomed the passage of the bill in the Commons and urged the senators debating the bill to take cognisance of the growing Hinduphobia in Canada, particularly the attacks Hindu temples by Khalistani extremists.

"For years now, our community has struggled with the loud, graphic, and often violent demonstrations at our temples that directly impact the experience of devotees seeking spiritual solace. These serious concerns remain consistently overlooked, and law-enforcement inaction only increases the community’s vulnerability. Every community in Canada deserves equal protection from hate, and Hindus are no exception," the CoHNA said in a statement.