Vancouver mayor Ken Sim and members from the local Sikh community including Raj Singh Toor, the vice-president of the Descendants of the Komagata Maru Society and a grandson of one of the ship’s passengers, unveiled the newest monument to the passengers of the doomed ship which was forced to turn back due to Canada’s racist laws. The street on the City’s waterfront known as Canada Place will now have a second name as Komagata Maru Place, giving this dark incident enormous exposure at a very prominent strip in downtown popular with tourists.

By PD Raj – Senior Reporter DESIBUZZCanada

VANCOUVER – Vancouver mayor Ken Sim and members from the local Sikh community including Raj Singh Toor, the vice-president of the Descendants of the Komagata Maru Society and a grandson of one of the ship’s passengers, unveiled the newest monument to the passengers of the doomed ship which was forced to turn back due to Canada’s racist laws.

The street on the City’s waterfront known as Canada Place will now have a second name as Komagata Maru Place, giving this dark incident enormous exposure at a very prominent strip in downtown popular with tourists.

The Komagata Maru, also called the Guru Nanak Jahaaz, docked near the current location of Canada Place in 1914 with 340 Sikh, 27 Muslim and 12 Hindu passengers on board, most of whom were denied entry into Canada despite having valid travel documents.

The ship sat in the harbour for two months, and the passengers on board had to contend with a lack of medical aid, food or water.

It was ultimately forced to return to India and was met by British soldiers. Nineteen passengers were killed and others jailed by colonial authorities there after being considered political agitators.

Toor, who has been advocating for recognition of the historic wrong and helping to create numerous memorials for the Komagata Maru passengers, said the street renaming would go some way to correcting the hurt inflicted 110 years ago.

“We can’t undo the past, but we can move forward and leave a legacy for the future generations by educating them about the past,” Toor told CBC News at the Friday event.

The artwork that will accompany the Komagata Maru Place signage was designed by local artist Jag Nagra, who said the Komagata Maru incident had lasting effects on South Asian people in the region.

Multiple city officials were in attendance Friday, including Mayor Sim, who apologized for the city’s role in turning away the passengers at the time.

“I think it’s incumbent upon all of us to unlearn what we’ve been taught in the past and learn the true history as to what’s happened on these lands,” Sim told a news conference.

Toor put forward the request to the City of Vancouver in 2018 for a street naming to recognizing the Komagata Maru passengers. 

“Komagata Maru Place street Signs is a great tribute to those passengers who suffered a lot during the tragedy.We can’t undo the past but we can move forward and leave a legacy for the future generations by educating them about the past,” Toor told DESIBUZZCanada.

 “In 2023 Myself and the City of Vancouver staff agreed that acknowledging the Komagata Maru incident would provide a meaningful opportunity for the community to reflect on systemic racism in Canada and in March 2023, City of Vancouver Mayor and Council voted that the primary street Canada Place be provided a secondary honorary name Komagata Maru Place in memory of the Komagata Maru passengers to increase awareness of the struggles that many went through and to inspire people to fight discrimination and foster inclusion to help us create a better future. And also this street have a direct view where the Komagata Maru ship was detained  200 Metres away in the water.”