Ontario man told to 'go back to India' explains why he shared video of the encounter online
A Waterloo, Ont. man is sharing video of a recent encounter with a stranger to give others an idea of the hate he experiences in the community.
Ashwin Annamalai was out for a walk when a woman made an obscene gesture at him from the other side of the street.
“She made an aggressive gesture with both her hands. And I was confused,” he said. “I walk up to her and I ask her: ‘Was that at me?’ And she's like: ‘Yeah.’”
Annamalai said he confronted the woman because he was concerned he had done something to upset her.
“If I did something wrong, if I cut you off in traffic, or I littered, something to piss people off, I got to own up to it and I got to go and fix it, right? So that's why I wanted to engage with her so that she doesn't have to be mad at me.”
The video doesn't show the beginning of the interaction, but Annamalai said he started recording so people would believe him.
“There's no proof, it didn't happen in this day in age. If there was no video, you wouldn't be talking to me right now.”
In the video, the person can be heard saying to Annamalai: “I’m being aggressive to you because too many Indians are in Canada and I want you to go back.”
Annamalai, a Canadian citizen, believes no one deserves to be told to they don’t belong.
“I just want people to be kind to each other and people should have the ability to walk on a public sidewalk without being asked to go back, whether [they’re] Indian, Canadian, North Korean,” he said. “It doesn't matter. It's a public sidewalk and we all have the charter right to be here.”
A friend of Annamalai’s reported the incident to the Waterloo Regional Police Service. They continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“WRPS was made aware of the video and reached out to the victim to have a report filed. Additional support was also provided to the victim by our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Unit,” said Const. Melissa Quarrie.
Annamalai said he and his friends have seen more acts of racism in recent months.
"She asked me to go back and, at that point, I did not know where to go back [to],” he explained. “I've been experiencing elevated incidents of hate and racism over the past few months."
Since posting the video, Annamalai has received a lot of support from the community. While CTV News was interviewing him on Friday, a woman stopped her car to tell Annamalai she supports him.
“I was really disappointed to hear that that was an experience happening right here in our community,” Shannon Henderson said. “I recognized the houses, so I knew exactly where it was and it was just really disappointing. I think that you are so well-spoken and you handled the situation with grace. I'm really ashamed that that's our community experience. And that's people's lived experiences here.”
“You make Canada home,” Annamalai replied.
“You are home,” Henderson answered back. “You are home.”
Catherine Fife, the Member of Provincial Parliament for Waterloo, also raised concerns after seeing the video online.
“We know that many Ontarians are facing challenges in their daily lives, but expressing that frustration with bigoted language that is directed at others is never acceptable,” she stated in an email to CTV News.
People have made comments on the post about the woman’s mental health and immigrant students, but Annamalai said those are government issues and that’s out of his control.
"The system has failed people with mental health issues. Nobody deserves to be asked to go back… that's not right. The system should support people with mental health issues," he said. “You’ve got to understand, international students are paying like $40,000 to $50,000 to get a diploma in this community. They are our guests. We cannot expect students to fix the inflation crisis, the cost of living crisis. We’ve got to look up to our political leadership for answers, not the students, and especially not screaming at random people on the street. Screaming at random people on the street is not going to help you with your mortgage payment or rising rent.”
Annamalai said this experience won’t stop him from walking outside on a nice day, but he wants everyone to show a little more compassion.
“This is my home and, [if] we have a leaky roof, we are going to fix it together,” said Annamalai.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Post strike: Union 'extremely disappointed' in latest offer, negotiator says
A negotiator for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) says the latest offer from Canada Post to end the ongoing strike shows the carrier is moving in the "opposite direction."
An archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look on
France's iconic Notre Dame Cathedral is formally reopening its doors on Saturday for the first time since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark in 2019.
Canada's air force took video of object shot down over Yukon, updated image released
The Canadian military has released more details and an updated image of the unidentified object shot down over Canada's Yukon territory in February 2023.
Why finding the suspected CEO killer is harder than you might think
He killed a high-profile CEO on a sidewalk in America’s largest city, where thousands of surveillance cameras monitor millions of people every day.
Sask. doctor facing professional charges in circumcision case
A Saskatoon doctor has been accused of unprofessional conduct following a high-cost adult circumcision that included a request for the patient to text unsecured post-op pictures of his genitals.
Man arrested after 16-hour standoff with Barrie police seeks to be released from custody
The 43-year-old man taken to hospital in distress following a 16-hour armed standoff with Barrie police last month is seeking bail.
Facing the holidays without family ties or the romantic partner of your dreams? Here's how to make this season fulfilling
While the holiday season is often a time rich with cheer love and family connections, it can also be a painful reminder of what once was.
Quebec City bus driver arrested for drunk-driving after collision
A Réseau de transport de la capitale (RTC) bus driver has been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after being involved in a collision in Quebec City late Friday evening.
Invasive species could be hiding in your Christmas decor. Here's how to stop the spread
Make sure to look through your holiday decorations, as Christmas trees, wreaths, and other natural decor can have invasive insects, eggs, and plants that pose a threat to local ecosystems and the economy.