NEW WESTMINSTER – The City Of New Westminster is recognizing the Komagata Maru passengers because the City has a direct connection to the Komagata maru incident.
In 1914 more than 100 families living in New Westminster and working in Fraser Mill New Westminster and provided food, water and medication to the Komagata Maru passengers. They also contributed to try to lease the ship in an attempt to keep it from being sent back.
The City of New Westminster Councillor Chinu Das brought the Motion Oct 7, 2019 . The City Of New Westminster gave me 5 minutes to speak about the Komagata Maru incident and passed the Motion unanimously, that staff report on the connection of New Westminster to the Komagata Maru incident. In particular, the report should provide documentation of the support the New Westminster South Asian community provided to the passengers of the Komagata Maru.
All members of Council present voted in favour of the motion.
Now, New Westminster wants to talk to families who have a connection to the Komagata Maru and need the Indo-Canadian community’s help.
Ralph McCullough, the city’s museum and heritage manager, is leading a research and asked Raj Toor, Vice President and Spokesperson for the Descendants of the Komagata Maru Society, for help..
Toor gave McCullough well known historian Dr Hugh Johnston Historian’s name. Johnston wrote a book on the Voyage of the Komagata Maru. But they also want to talk family members grandparents of families helped the passengers with food, water or medication. This information will help him in his research.
“I am requesting if any families living in Canada whose grandfather or great grandfather lived in New Westminster in 1914 and helped provide the Komagata Maru passengers with food, water and medication. They can contact the City of New Westminster councillors Chinu Das or Rob McCullough, Manager museum and Heritage City of New Westminster,” Toor told the LINK.
The City of New Westminster will recognize the Komagata Passengers and also those families whose descendants helped the passengers as well.
For more information, contact Raj Toor at 778-386-0024.
