Ashwin Annamalai, a Canadian citizen of Indian descent, has voiced alarm over a “disturbing rise” in hate crimes targeting the Indian community in Canada. His concerns come amid escalating diplomatic tensions between India and Canada.
Personal Experience of Racism
In a video shared on social media platform X, Annamalai recounts a recent incident where he became the target of a racist outburst from a woman who mistakenly believed he was an Indian national. He described the encounter as deeply unsettling, noting that such incidents are becoming increasingly common.
The once welcoming community of Kitchener-Waterloo has seen a disturbing rise in hate, particularly against people of colour. Here’s a personal account of what I experienced today: A random woman gave me the finger & spewed hate while I was out for a walk at Erb/Avondale 🧵 1/n pic.twitter.com/TxvXeXW3Yd
— Ashwin Annamalai (@ignorantsapient) October 15, 2024
“The once welcoming community of Kitchener-Waterloo has seen a disturbing rise in hate, particularly against people of colour,” Annamalai explained. He detailed his experience: “A random woman gave me the finger and spewed hate while I was out for a walk at Erb/Avondale. She wrongly assumed I am Indian and I must leave immediately. When I challenged her very politely, she went about her racist rants. She is also upset that there are black people in the community. She also accuses me of not speaking English and that I need to just leave.”
Growing Concern in the Community
Alongside the video, Annamalai shared a link to a report indicating that the Waterloo region has the highest rate of police-reported hate crimes in Canada. He emphasized the significance of this alarming trend, stating, “This is not an isolated incident. New data from Statistics Canada reveals that Waterloo region has the highest rate of police-reported hate crimes in Canada.”
Call for Awareness and Action
Annamalai’s experience sheds light on a broader issue of rising hate crimes in the region, calling for increased awareness and action to combat racism and discrimination against communities of colour.
(Includes inputs from online sources)
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