Hayward's Sikh and Hindu Communities Navigate Temple Attacks and a Record-Breaking Diwali
Two stories have defined South Asian life in and around Hayward this season, and they speak to both the vulnerability and vitality of a community that has become one of California's largest. In January 2024, Vijay's Sherawali Temple in Hayward was defaced with pro-Khalistan graffiti—'Modi is a terrorist' and 'Khalistan Zindabad'—triggering a federal hate-crime investigation and prompting leaders from the Sikh and Hindu communities to stand together in solidarity. That act of vandalism, paired with a simultaneous attack on the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Newark, laid bare the sectarian tensions that Sikh community organizations are working to defuse within their own diaspora. Against that backdrop, Bay Area South Asians also had reason to celebrate: the Association of Indo Americans drew more than 25,000 people to the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton for its annual Diwali festival, featuring fireworks, music, food, fashion, and remarks from California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan. A Hayward resident at the event captured the mood: 'Indians are one of the majority populations now in California. So it gives you that recognition.'
🪔 Khalistan Graffiti at Hayward Temple Draws FBI
When members of the Hayward community arrived at Vijay's Sherawali Temple in January 2024, they discovered it had been defaced with hate graffiti reading 'Modi is a terrorist' and 'Khalistan Zindabad'—Long live Khalistan—a reference to the separatist movement seeking a Sikh homeland in parts of northwestern India, banned in India since political violence in the 1970s and 1980s. Weeks earlier, the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in nearby Newark had suffered a similar attack. The twin incidents prompted a cross-community response. The Jakara Movement, a Sikh organization, organized a press conference alongside local law enforcement, city leaders from Hayward and Newark, and interfaith South Asian organizers. Youth organizer Rakaab Singh said he was disturbed by the persistence of such incidents: 'Reading in the newspaper about two vandalism events in mandirs in Newark and Hayward, left me wondering: How can this still be happening in 2024?' Captain Gurvinder Singh Gosal of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office confirmed that federal partners had been brought in: 'We actually got our federal counterparts with FBI involved as well. So, we definitely take this seriously.' No suspects had been identified, and surveillance footage captured nothing. Multiple Bay Area agencies are treating the incidents as possible hate crimes. Sikh leaders at the press conference were unequivocal: the vandalism does not represent their community, and they stand in solidarity with their Hindu neighbors in calling for accountability and an end to hate. [6]
🎉 25,000 Gather at Alameda Fairgrounds for Diwali
Saturday night fireworks lit up the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton in celebration of Diwali—the Festival of Lights—as more than 25,000 people from across the Bay Area gathered for one of the region's largest South Asian cultural events. The Association of Indo Americans organized the celebration with more than 150 volunteers, bringing together music, food, fashion, and cultural programming that drew families from Hayward, Union City, Fremont, and beyond. 'I love this celebration, because I have a lot of memories from India going to these kinds of events,' said Neha Agarwal of Union City. 'I have two kids. I love to bring them here so that they can learn.' Sachin Syal noted the festival's power to build cross-cultural understanding: 'As a kid growing up, I always knew about all the other traditions. There was Christmas and Halloween. And now that we have this, we can learn about other cultures.' California Attorney General Rob Bonta attended and connected Diwali's themes of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance to the current political climate, citing federal challenges to immigrant communities and diversity programs. Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan, who grew up in the East Bay of Indian descent, said the event's scale signals something significant: 'It legitimizes the South Asian community as a solid community in our area. They have much to contribute. They want to give back.' Hayward resident Deepika Bajpi put it simply: 'Indians are one of the majority populations now in California. So it gives you that recognition.' Beginning the following year, Diwali became an official California state holiday. [2]
Sources: [6] ABC7 Bay Area · [2] ABC7 Bay Area