Opinion | ‘Seen As Competition’: Why Racism Against Indians Is Growing In Canada
Every morning, Pushkar Chawla makes it a point to reach the local bus stop on time, hoping to catch the bus to his workplace in Brampton, Canada. But he is apprehensive about the bus driver, about whether the driver will stop for him to board when there is no white person at the bus stop. “The bus driver stops only if there’s a white person; otherwise, he drives by,” says Chawla.
In the same city—Brampton—Gursimran Singh Talwar faces a ‘subtle kind of racism’ when he is labelled as ‘too serious’ or ‘quiet’ by his colleagues. “My social relationships and professional growth were impacted by these presumptions. My Canadian identity is not entirely acknowledged, as I’m constantly asked, ‘Where are you really from?'” says Talwar.
The recent surge of hateful incidents has coincided with rising tensions between India and Canada, worsening the climate of discrimination. However, this year, the cases of xenophobia can largely be traced back to anti-immigration rhetoric spread online, particularly in social media comment sections and TikTok clips mocking Indians. So much so that hate towards Indians and South Asians seems to have been normalised in Canada.