Diwali gala in Yellowknife cancelled over racism concerns

After two years of arranging Diwali celebrations in Yellowknife, the main organizer says there won’t be another large event this year due to a rise in anti-Indian sentiment.

Priyanka Sharma, who first volunteered to organize a gala in 2023 and returned last year to host a garba dance celebration, said her friends and others usually help her put together a big event to unite the community – but that won’t happen this year.

“The racism is at the peak right now. Whenever we open Facebook, even on Rant and Raves, people start saying lots of things about ‘East Indians,'” she said.

“I would say it’s a serious issue that needs to be addressed. There are many innocent individuals who end up being unfairly judged or blamed for the actions of others. We should be careful not to put everyone under one umbrella.”

While she hasn’t personally experienced racism, Sharma said several others have approached her to share incidents where they felt targeted in the community. She said her own coworkers have been supportive of her, but people working in front-line jobs often face discriminatory remarks.

Sharma has been living in Canada for many years and in Yellowknife for more than three years. She said there was a time when South Asian community members used to be excited to participate in various cultural events – some of which raised funds for the NWT SPCA animal shelter or distributed food to people in need during the 2023 wildfire evacuation.

She said that is no longer the case and there is a sense of fear about possible backlash online.

“Whenever someone discusses this with me, it is stressful,” she said.

“I have seen Yellowknife in the last four years and a few people I know have been living here since 10-15 years – we never saw this kind of environment here.”

Despite that, Sharma said many people in Yellowknife speak out against hateful comments online.

“I wanted to acknowledge the non-acceptance going on in our community. I am a Yellowknifer at heart and I feel like it’s my home,” she said. “I would like to request everyone to please not judge the South Asian community. We contribute a lot as well.”

Sharma said once the situation cools down, she intends to bring back public events. For now, she is only hosting smaller private gatherings with friends and family.

A Diwali dinner unrelated to the gala Sharma previously planned is still scheduled to take place at the Baker Centre on October 18.

‘We’re not here to fight with someone’

Two residents requested anonymity to discuss their experiences of racism in Yellowknife. They are identified only by their last names: Dhaliwal and Muhammad.

Dhaliwal, who has been living in the city since 2024, said he has started feeling compelled to wear a cap instead of turban to “avoid unwanted attention.” In his experience, members of the Sikh community are being treated differently due to hate speech online.

“As someone who proudly wears turban, I have noticed some negative perceptions,” he said. “It’s crucial to understand that wearing a turban or any cultural attire does not reflect a person’s character or intentions. I promote an atmosphere of understanding and respect for one another.”

Dhaliwal recalled briefly parking his car in a no-parking zone after it broke down. While he was trying to restart it, he said a woman approached and began taking photos, even though another car was parked in the same area.

On another occasion, he said, a man showed up at his workplace and shouted, “These immigrants don’t know how to work.”

Despite the challenges he has faced in the city, he said his coworkers have been supportive and always had his back.

“I know in every community, in every religion there are some bad people as well as good people. Now, it’s like people think if one person is bad, they think all the people are bad,” he said. “According to me, they should also think if one person is good, then all the people are good.”

Dhaliwal said he never filed a formal complaint against those who made racist remarks because he wants to live his life peacefully and avoid unnecessary conflict, especially while he is in the process of applying for permanent residency.

Though he has participated in Diwali celebrations in the city, Dhaliwal said there won’t be a large celebration this year to avoid stressful situations. He added that community members don’t want to give anyone an excuse to spread hate.

“Anything can happen, there can be any [kind of] drama in which we suffer … We will not get the peace of mind,” he said.

“It’s good to have a public party, everyone comes and enjoys. But this time we’re not doing that publicly. We don’t want anyone to come there and create drama. It feels bad but we should just go with the flow. We’re not here to fight with someone. We’re here to live our life peacefully and happy.

“At my work, they’re very good people. They appreciate me a lot, they support me a lot. I never [face] these kinds of issues at work. They’re very good to me and I am good to them.”

Muhammad, originally from Afghanistan, said he has heard hateful comments against Indians on three separate occasions. One man standing outside Tim Hortons asked him if he was Indian. When he replied no, the man added, “I hate Indian people.”

A separate incident happened when he went to a school, where another man made a similar remark. While walking toward Old Town, he said a woman in a car directed a derogatory Hindi curse word at him.

“Racism is too high here,” he said.

“I felt awful. We’re all South Asians so it is not good if someone says bad things about one country – it goes to everyone.”