Latest news with #GuruNanakJahazRemembranceDay
Time of India
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra's son attends Guru Nanak Jahaz Remembrance Day event in Canada city
Bathinda: Slain human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra's son Janmeet Singh participated in the proclamation by Surrey city council in British Columbia, Canada, declaring July 23 as Guru Nanak Jahaz Remembrance Day. Janmeet Singh's great-grandfather (Jaswant Singh Khalra's grandfather), Harnam Singh, was one of the 376 passengers aboard the Japanese steamship Komagata Maru (Guru Nanak Jahaz) when it reached Vancouver on May 23, 1914. He was arrested when the vessel reached India on Sept 27, 1914. The declaration at Surrey City Hall was attended by a host of dignitaries, including members of Parliament Sukh Dhaliwal and Gurbax Singh Saini, along with British Columbia legislative assembly members Amina Shah, Garry Begg, Mandeep Singh Dhaliwal, Harman Bhangu, and Jody Toor. Surrey councillor Harry Bains formally presented a copy of the proclamation to Janmeet Singh. Notable attendees also included researcher and Ragi Bhai Baldeep Singh, and former Pakistani MP Rai Aziz Ullah Khan, whose family are custodians of the 17th-century Ganga Sagar, a copper urn belonging to tenth Sikh master Guru Gobind Singh. Gurvinder Singh Dhaliwal from the Guru Nanak Jahaz Heritage Society, the driving force behind the proclamation, spoke about the historical significance of the steamship. Wearing a "Guru Nanak Jahaz" imprinted tee, Dhaliwal recounted how the passengers were denied entry and kept near Vancouver for two months before their forced return. It was further emphasised the importance of rectifying past wrongs and re-naming the vessel Guru Nanak Jahaz, as it was renamed by the passengers, led by Baba Gurdit Singh, after religious ceremonies.
Time of India
23-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Declare July 23 as ‘Guru Nanak Jahaz Remembrance Day': Akal Takht jathedar
1 2 3 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.
Indian Express
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Calls grow for national recognition of Komagata Maru ship as ‘Guru Nanak Jahaz'
Akal Takht Acting Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj and Rajya Sabha member Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal have demanded the Centre and the Punjab Government declare July 23 Guru Nanak Jahaz Remembrance Day to honour the participants of the 1914 voyage led by Baba Gurdit Singh, also known as Komagata Maru. In a message issued from Amritsar on the 111th anniversary of the forced return of the ship from Canada, Gargajj said, 'I call upon all Sikh institutions, the Government of India, and the Punjab Government to declare July 23 as 'Guru Nanak Jahaz Remembrance Day'.' Gargajj said this would recognise Baba Gurdit Singh's 'major struggle against racism and in defense of human rights'. Gargajj emphasised that Baba Gurdit Singh had named the ship Guru Nanak Jahaz, not Komagata Maru, a fact documented in the leader's autobiographical book. 'It is regrettable that history books in India continue to use the colonial name, ignoring the fact that Baba Gurdit Singh renamed the ship Guru Nanak Jahaz,' he said. 'This journey was deeply spiritual, with Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the Nishan Sahib on board.' Gargajj further noted that the Canadian cities of Surrey and Vancouver had already designated July 23 as Guru Nanak Jahaz Remembrance Day. 'India must do the same,' he added. Separately, in New Delhi, MP Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal submitted a request to the deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha seeking national recognition for the date. He wrote, 'We request that July 23rd be observed annually at the national level to remember the sacrifices of the martyrs aboard the Guru Nanak Jahaz.' Seechewal noted that the ship had sailed from Hong Kong to Canada carrying 376 passengers, mostly Sikhs, and that the Canadian authorities denied them entry, forcing the ship to return on July 23, 1914. Upon its return to India, British forces opened fire on the passengers at Budge Budge Ghat in Kolkata, killing 19 and sentencing others to penal colonies. Seechewal cited works by Baba Gurdit Singh and historian Dr Gurdev Singh Sidhu, both of which identify the ship as Guru Nanak Jahaz. 'The name holds cultural and religious importance,' he wrote, urging Parliament to pass a motion to honour the legacy of the ship and its passengers. Both leaders called for the ship's history to be taught accurately in Indian schools and universities, and for the name Guru Nanak Jahaz to replace Komagata Maru in textbooks and public discourse. Raj Singh Bhandal, who leads the Guru Nanak Jahaz Heritage Society, has been at the forefront of the campaign in Canada and is extending the efforts to India. 'Names are very important in history,' Bhandal said. 'The ship's name was changed many times, and it was named Guru Nanak Jahaz after Baba Gurdit Singh bought it.' According to Bhandal, the journey was not just about immigration but was inspired by the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev. 'The inspiration behind the fight that Baba Gurdit Singh and others led against the British was Guru Nanak Dev Ji. We hope that the Indian government will make this correction that would help the coming generations understand history better,' he said.
