Indian Hindu nationalist rhetoric fueled Canadian temple violence

Diplomatic relations between India and Canada continue to decline in the aftermath of the slaying of a Canadian Sikh activist in British Columbia. A recent violent confrontation at a Hindu temple in Brampton, Ontario, between pro-Khalistan protesters and Hindu nationalists has created further tensions.

Dozens of pro-Khalistan Sikhs, many of them members of Sikhs for Justice, gathered outside the Brampton temple to protest the presence of Indian consulate officials in one of several recent demonstrations in the Toronto area.

The protesters support the Khalistan movement that seeks to create a homeland for Sikhs in northern India. The movement is banned in India but permitted in Canada.

Canadian media outlets reported on the Brampton clash, but most did not highlight the role of far-right Hindu nationalists and the use of a controversial slogan chanted at the temple.

In videos circulating on social media, the priest at the Hindu Sabha Mandir temple, later identified as Rajinder Prasad, is seen addressing a large crowd.

He shouts in Hindi: “Batenge toh…,” and the crowd shouts back, “Katenge!”

What it means

The controversial phrase batenge toh katenge can be loosely translated to “if we are divided, we will be destroyed” or “divided we fall.” But this apparent call for Hindu unity has an ominous meaning that upholds Hindu nationalist principles and is at odds with democratic norms.

The slogan is directly linked to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s speech at a rally in August this year in Agra in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India.

Adityanath, a politician and monk known for his extremist conservative views, remarked that “the nation will be empowered only when we are united.” Several members of both the ruling