The Indo-Canadian community in Ontario has voiced its concern and disappointment regarding the ongoing series of burglaries aimed at Hindu temples across the province.

Earlier this week, the Vaishno Devi Mandir in Oakville city experienced a burglary, marking the latest incident in a string of similar occurrences targeting Hindu temples across Ontario. During the late hours of February 10 or the early hours of February 11, unidentified individuals broke into the temple premises.

They proceeded to pilfer a significant sum of cash from the donation boxes placed in front of the idols, in addition to ransacking various offices within the temple. Furthermore, the perpetrators stole equipment used for video recording from both the external and internal closed-circuit cameras, which were initially installed for security purposes.

Keshav Agnihotri, the president of the temple, expressed profound shock and dismay within the community following the burglary incident. He articulated widespread bewilderment over the occurrence of such an incident within a religious establishment.

 Agnihotri revealed that officers from the Halton Regional Police promptly responded to the discovery of the burglary on Sunday and have since commenced an investigation into the matter.

Despite the police intervention, apprehension continues to mount within the community, with Agnihotri emphasizing the growing perception of vulnerability among their institutions, characterizing them as increasingly susceptible targets.

The sentiment expressed by the National Alliance of Indo-Canadians resonated with many, as they highlighted the persistent occurrences of "targeted thefts and vandalism of Hindu places of worship."

They emphasized the necessity for such acts to be universally condemned by all individuals with a sense of righteousness in Canada. Community leader Ruchi Wali took to social media to bring attention to the break-in and questioned when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police would take decisive action to address this ongoing issue, urging them not to treat it as an isolated incident.

In December, Jagdish Pandher from Brampton was arrested for multiple temple robberies. At least six temples in Ontario have been targeted since September, including ones in Pickering, Ajax, Oshawa, Brampton, Caledon, and Mississauga.

Similar incidents occurred in the GTA in late 2021 and early 2022, with 18 break-ins reported. Four individuals, including Jagdish Pander, were arrested in March 2022. The targeted places of worship were predominantly Hindu temples but also included Jain temples and Sikh gurdwaras.

Image source: Hindustan Times