The recent killings in the ongoing gang violence across Metro Vancouver belie the claims of commentators who link the problem to the Indo-Canadian community.

Not only mainstream analysts, but also community gate keepers have been blaming the "culture of violence" within the Indo-Canadian community for the killing of more than 100 people in the decade-long Indo-Canadian gang war.

However, the shootings of the past several weeks involved victims outside the Indo-Canadian community.

Indo-Canadian parents of those involved in organized crime in particular, and community leaders in general, were often accused of not sharing information with the police. A few commentators even advised the community to get out of its state of denial. Such statements resulted in stereotyping and racial profiling to such an extent that every well-to-do Indo-Canadian youth with a flashy car became a suspect.

Out of fear, the Indo-Canadian leadership fell into the trap of right wing political parties and reactionary police officials in supporting tough laws to end the violence instead of focusing on strengthening social safety programs to eradicate the causes of organized crime.

Longer imprisonments and the death penalty have not solved the problem of crime in the U.S.

No, the problem of gang violence was never confined to one particular community. It’s a universal problem that affects all communities and has to be dealt with through joint efforts.

Now that the problem has started impacting mainstream society we have seen angry protests being organized in Metro Vancouver. One such rally was held in Surrey on Sunday.

The Canadian establishment should do more to end economic inequality between immigrants and mainstream society. It should spend more money on universities to make higher education affordable to youngsters.

The government should legalize the drug trade to end the profit that motivates the violence. And finally, the government should provide extra money for rehabilitation and de-addiction programs, rather than ripping away the social safety net in the name of ruthless economic reform.