BC-wide warrant has been issued for the man who allegedly defaced Komagata Maru memorial last summer
By Surbhi Gogia
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver police recently announced that its 4-month investigation has resulted in charges against 39-year-old Yuniar Kurniawan who allegedly defacedVancouver’s Komagata Maru memorial in Coal Harbour with white paint. BC Prosecution Service approved one count of mischief and a BC-wide warrant has been issued for Kurniawan’s arrest.
The announcement has evoked emotional as well optimistic response from the community especially those who are directly related to the tragic incident of 1914. Raj Toor is the spokesperson and founder of Descendants of the Komagata Maru Society,an organization of families all over Canada, who are direct descendants of the passengers from the ship named Komagatu Maru.
Toor recalling the act of vandalism said, “The defacing of the Komagata Maru Memorial in August last year was a very terrible incident and was a very sad thing to see. For the last century, our families have had to live with the experience of being rejected from Canada because of our race, and it is memorials such as these that help us deal with the pain and damage of racism. When these memorials are defaced, the painful memories of intolerance and racism come back.”
But he said on behalf of the Society that they do not wish to dwell on the pain of the past. “Instead, we are grateful to the Vancouver Police for taking this vandalism very seriously, and investing their time and energy into bringing about charges against the person they feel is responsible for the vandalism.”
The society has worked tirelessly in spreading awareness about the tragic incident of Komagatu Maru. The ship arrived in Vancouver in 1914, carrying nearly 400 people from India who were denied entry to Canada despite being citizens of the British Empire.A memorial was built in memory of those people in Coal Harbour.
“We wish to think about the great success we have had these last few years in getting memorials and displays acknowledging the Komagata Maru incident throughout many cities in the Metro Vancouver area. These memorials serve to heal the wounds of the families of the victims and help to educate Canadians about the importance of creating a more tolerant society,” Toor said.
Last summer multiple online and media reports began showing white paint splattered on the memorial, located on the seawall in Coal Harbour. The graffiti, which included multiple white hand-prints, covered the names of people who had been aboard the ship.
Although the vandalism was not initially reported to police, a team of investigators was able to gather important evidence from the scene and identify a suspect after people began discussing the crime on social media.
Explaining VPD’s response, Sergeant Steve Addison said, “The crime reverberated throughout the community because of what this memorial reveals about our past and the steps we have taken to become a more inclusive community,” said. “We promised to do everything in our power to solve this crime, and we’re pleased that evidence has led us to a criminal charge.”
The defacing of the Komagata Maru Memorial is a reminder that we still have a lot of work to do, but the diligent work of the Vancouver Police does give us hope that even in the dark days we are still making progress to building a more tolerant Canada, said Toor.
