CHANDIGARH: In the aftermath of the Brampton college violence, not only the natives, but the Punjabi diaspora in Canada have condemned the incident.

Displaying hatred, the Punjabis residing in Canada have started putting up advertisements outside accommodations on rent which say “International students and dogs are not allowed”.

Extending support to the Punjabi students who are being targeted by the local Punjabi community, Lawyers For Human Rights International (LFHRI) pleaded to Punjabi Community in Canada that the students should be treated with empathy and just for the fault of a few, all the students should not be victimized.

LFHRI general secretary advocate Navkiran Singh said that there are more than 1.5 lakh Punjabi students in Canada and they are being victimized at the hands of not only Canadians but also the Punjabi community. “The hate crime against these students is increasing by the day and Canadians along with the local Punjabi community think that international students are responsible for dipping employment opportunities. These students are being blamed for not letting the locals get admission in academic institutions as an international candidate pays thrice the fees taken from a local resident. We plead the Punjabi community stop victimisation of genuine, non-violent students due to the fault of a few students.”

Singh added that just because Punjabi students are not part of the vote bank , they are being neglected and victimized by their own people. These students are not given houses on rent by the local Punjabis and even advertisements like “dogs and international students not allowed” are being put up, which is “unfortunate”.

Starting a campaign on social media platforms, LFHRI urged Canada PM, external affairs minister of India along with the Punjab CM to look into the issue and pleaded Punjab residents to counsel and train their children before they move to Canada to avoid any incidents of hate crime. The Punjabi community in Canada was also asked to reflect on the time they had come to Canada.

On June 20, a video appeared on social media handles which showed a string of “violent incidents” around Sheridan College’s Brampton campus. In the video, over a dozen people were seen throwing punches and kicking each other, with at least one person being dragged by a group of people tugging at his shirt. The incident captured on video depicted the violence being instigated by international students on the campus.

