By Balwant Sanghera
Last year, in 2013, our community celebrated the centenary of the Gadar Movement with a great deal of enthusiasm. This year marks the centenary of another major development for our community. It is the hundredth anniversary of the ill-fated journey of Komagata Maru to Canada. Leased by Hong Kong based businessman Gurdit Singh, the steam ship named Komagata Maru, carrying 376 passengers, arrived in the City of Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet on May 23, 1914. As British subjects, all of them had the right to enter Canada which was a dominion under the British Empire. However, the Canadian government of that time had already passed legislation barring their entry. Not only they were refused entry to Canada but also the passengers were treated in a very shabby and harsh manner by the authorities at that time. Only 24 passengers, who had some prior connection to Canada, were allowed to land. The remaining 352 individuals were forced to return to India on July 23, 1914, under the shadow of two Canadian warships. It is a black mark in Canadian history. Such tragedies should never be allowed to happen again. Remembering such tragic events as part of our community’s history in Canada is an effective way of reminding our younger generations of the sacrifices made by our ancestors.
Since the advent of 2014, a large number of community organizations have been doing a commendable job in paying tribute to the Komagata Maru passengers and fondly remembering them. Hardly any week goes by without a function or activity devoted to the Komagata Maru. Nearly every major event has been dedicated to the memory of this tragic event. The Komagata Maru Heritage Foundation and numerous other community organizations have gone out of their way to ensure that we don’t forget our heroes-trailblazers.
The issuing of a postal stamp dedicated to the Komagata Maru was a commendable gesture by Canada Post. Also, the active support by some of the First Nations people and other communities must be recognized and appreciated. The youth participation in Komagata Maru related activities/events has been amazing. It is great to see our community come together in such a way to commemorate this tragic chapter of our community here. The media-both electronic and print- has also done an amazing job in making the public aware of what happened to our ancestors one hundred years ago.
There is no doubt that remembering the Komagata Maru tragedy has created a lot more awareness not only in our community but also in the community at large. It has been quite an experience for all of us. Now we need to take the next step and lobby the provincial and federal governments to incorporate the tragic saga of Komagata Maru into school curriculum. Once the authorities agree to this, well respected local historians like Sohan Singh Pooni, Dr.Hugh Johnston and many others should be requested to take on the task. In a sense, the Komagata Maru episode is a landmark for our community. Thus, it is only appropriate to make it a part of our children’s school curriculum.
Balwant Sanghera is a retired School Psychologist and Community Activist.
