Declare July 23 as ‘Guru Nanak Jahaz Remembrance Day': Akal Takht jathedar
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Bathinda/Amritsar: Officiating jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj, has called upon Sikh institutions and the central and Punjab govt to officially declare July 23 as 'Guru Nanak Jahaz Remembrance Day'.
This date coincides with the forced return of passengers on the Guru Nanak Jahaz (Komagata Maru) from Vancouver in Canada on July 23, 1914.
The Canadian city of Surrey has proclaimed July 23 as Guru Nanak Jahaz Remembrance Day. Earlier, the city of Vancouver declared Guru Nanak Jahaz Remembrance Day on May 23, when 376 passengers aboard the vessel arrived in Vancouver.
Jathedar Gargaj said that on this day in 1914, under the leadership of Ghadar revolutionary Baba Gurdit Singh, a large group of Punjabis — mostly Sikhs — seeking a better future arrived in Canada.
However, they were forcibly turned away, which was a grave violation of human rights.
He stated that this episode is now officially recognised in Canadian cities such as Surrey and Vancouver as Guru Nanak Jahaz Remembrance Day, which he hailed as a significant step towards acknowledging historical truth.
This day commemorates a major struggle against racism and in defence of human rights, led by Baba Gurdit Singh, who in 1914 founded the Guru Nanak Steamship Company.
He chartered a Japanese vessel from Komagata Maru Company, renamed it Guru Nanak Jahaz, and challenged Canada's then-racist immigration laws.
Jathedar Gargaj emphasised that historical sources clearly show that the journey from Hong Kong to Canada was deeply spiritual, marked by the presence of Guru Granth Sahib, Akand Panth Sahib, and the Nishan Sahib (Sikh flag) on board, embodying the values of Sri Guru Nanak Dev.
He expressed regret that in India, history books still refer to the ship as Komagata Maru, despite Baba Gurdit Singh naming it Guru Nanak Jahaz, a fact verified in his autobiographical book, Guru Nanak Jahaz.
He appealed to universities, academic institutions, and gurdwara management bodies across India to do justice to this history by adopting the correct name — Guru Nanak Jahaz — in textbooks and curricula. Teaching this name instead of Komagata Maru would be both historically accurate and morally just, he said.
Such efforts, he added, would present true history and serve as a source of spiritual inspiration for future generations.
Jathedar Gargaj said this event played a crucial role in the early 20th-century freedom movement and helped awaken the spirit of independence in the country. Baba Gurdit Singh, he added, must always be remembered among the great heroes of India's freedom struggle.
He expressed gratitude to the city councils of Vancouver and Surrey for recognising July 23 not as Komagata Maru Day, but as Guru Nanak Jahaz Remembrance Day.
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