By Brampton City hosted the Hindu Heritage month celebration in the city hall of Brampton on this Tuesday Nov 13th. This started with the meet and greet and some snacks etc.. All went very fine. Then the meeting started when we realized lots of changes from the norm in a systematic effort to convert this Hindu Heritage function into just a free samosa party.
Let’s discuss each one of the aspect of this function to see why this was more of an insult to Hindus than a honor. And we at Bharat Marg say this with lots of responsibility.
1) There was no Mantra chanting to start the event. It was there last year. Even this year pundits from Gauri Shankar Mandir and Hindu heritage center and many other were there. When we spoke with them, we realized that there is a gag order from the city that you will not chant any mantra. How did the Hindu organizers agreed and preceded with this is beyond our understanding. Why even celebrate the Hindu heritage month in the city hall? We could have done outside and saved our honor. Did the people come there to eat samosas or to raise the flag of Santana Dharma is a question that deserves answer.
2) Brampton City also put a gag order that the Hindu heritage month celebration should not be started with lighting the lamp for whatever regulations. This is very fishy considering the fact last year for the same celebration there was lamp lighting and the Mayor Linda Jeffery lighted the lamp by herself with other dignitaries to inaugurate the function. This time, city forced to do candle lighting, trying to convert the Hindu heritage month into Christian function.
3) We are glad few of the elected officials including the Mayor elect Sri Patrick Brown, Mp Ruby Sahota, Smt Sonia Sidhu and few other councilors were there. Thing to notice is that none of the so called elected Hindu politicians showed up. Very sad that none of the Hindu MPPs Sri Deepak Anand or Nina Tangri or Dipika Damerla (from Mississauga) showed up. Also local Indian elected politicians Sri Gurpreet Dhillon, Harkirat and Balbir Sohi Didn’t show up too. It’s very shameful. Function was not hosted by the city and the sitting mayor nor any elected Hindu politicians showed up. May be they either thought it was not important or didn’t want to show up here as they thought it will destroy their non-Hindu voter base. Either way it’s shameful.
Other than all the above, function was good with snacks and food by Sri Mohan from Sewa Group. Yes Saffron flag was hoisted and many took pictures etc. which were all great. Pundits who came there from various temples like clearly expressed their displeasure and we stand with them and agree with them. Because when we think back, all we can remember about subdued and gag ordered Hindu month celebration will be as a samosa get together..
We spoke to many of the organizers and directors and coordinators of the function and they said next year it won’t be like this and we got these gag orders very near to the function and we couldn’t do anything and assured us next year it will be better.
While driving back, all we could think of is the difference in the communities. For one community prayer schools are opened and any public place is open and more and for some communities even the rules like wearing the helmet were changed just for them, so that they can be appeased… Politicians know Hindus are weak… and they don’t respect them for the same. Even so called Hindu politicians dump them as they know we will vote for them any which way…
And here is the Hindu community just wanting to be a doormat to take pictures and for promoting selfish interest… Will we ever change? Only time can answer.
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