TORONTO –Liberal Party of Canada Leader Justin Trudeau attended the 20th annual Mela Gadri Babian Da in Surrey on Sunday and at one of his first stops of the campaign, speaking to a crowd of over 10,000 people, he highlighted the significance of this important cultural event and said he and his party remain committed to an official apology for the Komagata Maru incident, which the Conservatives have refused while giving a similar redress to the Chinese community for the head tax issue.
Trudeau reaffirmed his commitment that a Liberal government would issue a formal apology for the Komagata Maru incident in 1914. He also highlighted that, in 2008, the Liberal Party introduced a motion in the House of Commons that called for this apology – and it passed unanimously.
“A formal apology for the Komagata Maru incident is long overdue in Canada’s Parliament,” said Trudeau. “Yet, six years after Parliament unanimously passed a Liberal motion for an apology, Stephen Harper and his government have yet to apologise.”
“Canada is a country defined by its multiculturalism,” said Trudeau. “Our rich diversity is a source of strength for our country. We are fortunate to have hundreds of thousands of Sikhs who contribute to – and enrich – the national fabric of our country.”
