The Komagata Maru Heritage Foundation hosted a remembrance of the 97th Anniversary of the departure of the Komagata Maru from Vancouver, Canada on July 23, 1914.
Speakers shared a brief history and stories of the Komagata Maru incident which was followed by a candlelight vigil at the Bear Creek Pavilion in Surrey
Food and monetary donations were accepted to benefit the Surrey Food Bank.
This year’s event was attended by MP’s Jasbir Sandhu and Jinny Sims, MLA’s Raj Chauhan and Bruce Ralston in addition to several community leaders.
The Komagata Maru, a ship whose 356 immigrant passengers from the Punjab arrived in Vancouver in 1914 only to be denied entry. Exclusion laws sent the immigrants back to India where many were shot or imprisoned.
The Simon Fraser University Library is overseeing the creation of a digital interactive website that retells the tragic story.