A man in Halifax reported being subjected to a racist incident on Saturday when another individual purposely hit his car with bagpipes and hurled racial slurs at him. Shalu Shajan, originally from India, recounted the event to CBC News, stating that after parking his car on Lower Water Street in downtown Halifax, a man carrying bagpipes came up to his vehicle and struck the side mirror with the instrument. Shajan confronted the man, who then proceeded to strike the trunk of his car. The situation escalated into a verbal altercation during which the man directed racist remarks at Shajan, telling him to “go back to your country.” Eyewitness Raven Fox, who observed the encounter, described a heated exchange between the two men, noting the racial undertones in the aggressor’s comments. The man wielding the bagpipes seemed to deliberately target Shajan’s car, leaving both Shajan and Fox disheartened by the incident’s racist nature, especially in a supposedly kind and welcoming place like Halifax. Concerned for his safety, Shajan took out his phone to call 911, prompting the man to walk away towards the waterfront. Subsequently, Shajan captured a photo of the individual, reported the incident to Halifax Regional Police and their hate crime division, and shared the incident on social media. Police confirmed receiving the report and are investigating if the incident qualifies as a hate crime. Shajan, who felt the encounter was motivated by hate due to the racist language used against him, expressed his willingness to press charges to combat such behavior. Notably, reported hate crimes against South Asian Canadians have been on the rise in recent years, as per Statistics Canada data. While specific comments on this incident were reserved by the Indo-Canadian Association of Nova Scotia, the group expressed deep concern over another racist attack targeting a member of the Indian community. Shajan, though previously exposed to racist remarks, considered this incident the first time he felt physically threatened, prompting him to share his experience online to aid the police investigation and ensure accountability for the offender.