In cities across Canada, South Asians are dying of COVID-19 in higher numbers than their fellow citizens.
This is bad news for everyone, and terrible news for South Asians. What’s going on?

Niru with Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown
If you were to believe what some media, certain doctors and even some politicians are saying, it’s largely because South Asians are deliberately flaunting public health and safety rules, and instead hosting gatherings in their homes because cultural notions of hospitality supposedly trump personal and community health.
Let me ask you a question: If you and your neighbours were following social distancing rules, staying away from loved ones and doing your part for the collective good, and your community still faced intense, sweeping criticism, wouldn’t you be angered since that criticism can foster resentment?
Well, it turns out that there is more to this issue than meets the eye, and that pointing fingers at one group is as damaging as it is misleading. There are more logical explanations, and we dig into them all on this episode.
Join us for “Pandemic Politics & the Mayor of Desiland, Ontario” where we speak with Indus Community Services CEO Gurpreet Malhotra, and the Mayor of Brampton, Canada’s unofficial Desi capital, Patrick Brown.
Thanks for tuning in, and we’d love to hear what you think of all this!
Namaste,
Niru
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