A new sign at King George Park will acknowledge Richmond’s role in the racist Komagata Maru incident and celebrate the local Sikh community’s contribution to the city.
The Komagata Maru and its 376 Sikh, Muslim and Hindu passengers were turned away from Vancouver on May 23, 1914. Passengers were not allowed to disembark despite being British citizens and had limited access to food, water and medication, relying on support from local South Asian and First Nations communities.
The ship stayed in Vancouver's harbour for two months before being sent back to India on July 23. When they arrived back in India at the port of Budge Budge, about 20 people were killed by British troops and many others were injured and ultimately jailed.
Fast forward to December 2019, Raj Singh Toor, spokesperson of the Descendants of the Komagata Maru Society, requested the City of Richmond acknowledge its direct role in connection with the incident.
Toor’s grandfather was one of the passengers on the ship who got jailed and had joined the Indian freedom movement in protest of the incident.
The local Sikh community has close ties with the City of Richmond from its early days, said Toor, as they were part of the labour force at Steveston’s Imperial Cannery.
Sikhs in Richmond also pitched in to work with a group of local Sikhs called the Shore Committee to provide supplies to passengers on the Komagata Maru and attempted to lease the ship to stop it from being sent back.
The interpretive sign, which will be unveiled Wednesday afternoon, was a collaborative effort between Toor and the City of Richmond to increase public awareness of the historical event, inspire community members to fight discrimination and foster inclusion, Toor explained.
“Komagata Maru interpretive sign in Richmond 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 future generations by educating them about the past,” he said.
The sign is set to be unveiled Wednesday, July 12, at King George Park adjacent to the Cambie Community Centre at 2:30 p.m.
