Mission is honouring the 19 passengers killed in the 1914 Komagata Maru incident with a proclamation and a new educational tool for students.
At a council meeting on May 15, the City of Mission proclaimed May 23, 2023 as Komagata Maru Remembrance Day.
Storyboards were also presented at Mission Public Schools’ May 16 board of education meeting by representatives from the Mission Community Heritage Commission to educate students about the Komagata Maru incident.
The storyboards present research and contributions from Charlotte Lightburn of the Mission Community Heritage Commission, Satwinder Bains of the University of Fraser Valley and Raj Singh Toor of the Descendants of the Komagata Maru Society.
The Komagata Maru event is part of the curriculum for grade six and high school students and the storyboards will be circulated through the schools.
“I would like to say thank you to the respected Mayor Paul Horn and council, the school board and the Mission Community Heritage Commission for recognizing the Komagata Maru passengers,” Toor said.
Tuesday (May 23) marks the 109th anniversary of the Komagata Maru’s arrival in Vancouver.
“We cannot undo the past but we can move forward and leave a legacy for future generations by educating them about the past. Today’s youth will be the future mayors, premiers, and prime ministers, and if they truly learn about the important story of the Komagata Maru, I am certain that they will not repeat the same mistakes of previous generations,” Toor said.
The ship was chartered in 1914 by Gurdit Singh, a businessman and leader of a movement that challenged British laws in India. It carried 376 passengers including Hindu, Muslim and Sikh supporters that Singh recruited from Hong Kong, Shanghai, Moji and Yokohama.
Upon arrival in Vancouver, some passengers were allowed entry if they were previous residents but others had to stay on board. The ship was asked to leave but stayed for two months.
On orders from Prime Minister Robert Borden, the ship was escorted from Vancouver’s harbour and reached India two months later. Indian police arrested the passengers and 19 passengers were killed in an ensuing riot.
@dillon_white
dillon.white@missioncityrecord.com
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