[ad_1]
Toronto: India has flagged the sequence of episodes of vandalism focusing on statues of Mahatma Gandhi to the Canadian authorities.
India’s Excessive Fee in Ottawa has communicated this concern to World Affairs Canada, the nation’s overseas ministry, a senior Indian official mentioned.
The newest such incident concerned the decapitation of a Gandhi sculpture positioned on the campus of the Simon Fraser College in Burnaby, British Columbia. That incident occurred final Monday.
4 days earlier, on March 23, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, positioned on the Metropolis Corridor within the city of Hamilton in Ontario was defaced and anti-India and pro-Khalistan graffiti spray-painted close to its base. That incident is being investigated by Hamilton Police’s Hate Crime Unit.
In July final yr, one other statue, positioned on the Vishnu Mandir in Richmond Hill, was additionally defaced. The 20-foot tall bronze statue was located within the temple’s Peace Park.
Canadian police has arrange a devoted info line because it seeks cooperation of the general public in its ongoing investigation into the decapitation of the bust in Burnaby.
In an announcement on Thursday, the Burnaby unit of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) mentioned it had “created a particular cellphone info line in relation to a deliberate act of vandalism that broken a statue at Simon Fraser College”.
Burnaby RCMP launched an investigation into the vandalism on Tuesday. “We’re interesting for help from the general public as we consider there are people who have info that might assist our investigators,” Burnaby RCMP Cpl Mike Kalanj mentioned.
Investigators consider an influence software was doubtless utilized in decapitating the bust. In a launch issued on Tuesday, Kalanj had famous that Burnaby RCMP was “conscious that Gandhi statues have been broken in different areas of Canada prior to now” and “are taking a look at all elements of this incident, together with the attainable motivation”.
The vandalism had drawn a pointy response from India’s consulate in Vancouver, because it tweeted, “We strongly condemn the heinous crime of vandalising the statue of harbinger of peace Mahatma Gandhi.”
The college additionally condemned the incident, because it mentioned in an announcement, “We’re deeply disenchanted that somebody would do such an act. Vandalism of any sort is unacceptable and won’t be tolerated.”
The bust has been a fixture on the campus since 1970, and was created on the Tremendous Arts Studio of the Wagh Brothers in Mumbai.
On October 2 yearly, the college organises garlanding of the bust.
None of those incidents have up to now resulted in arrests. Whereas they’ve been linked by some to the so-called Punjab Referendum being organised by the secessionist group, Sikhs for Justice, Canadian legislation enforcement has but to ascertain that connection.
Statues of the Mahatma have been focused in North America even earlier. In February final yr, one was found decapitated in New York, whereas in January 2021, one other was vandalised in Davis, California.
[ad_2]
Source link
