Surrey, British Columbia (Richa Walia): In a significant gesture of remembrance and reflection, the Surrey City Council has officially declared July 23 as ‘Guru Nanak Jahaz Remembrance Day’, commemorating the 352 Indian passengers aboard the Japanese steamship Komagata Maru who were denied entry into Canada in 1914.
The declaration pays tribute to the passengers’ courage and resilience in the face of discriminatory immigration laws of the era. The ship, originally named Komagata Maru, was rechristened Guru Nanak Jahaz by its organizer Baba Gurdit Singh before departing on its historic journey. The renaming gave the voyage profound spiritual, cultural, and political significance for the South Asian community.
According to the city’s proclamation, the date July 23 holds historic weight—it was on this day in 1914 that the ship, after being anchored for two months in Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet, was ultimately forced to turn back with the majority of its passengers aboard. The move, justified at the time by authorities citing concerns over revolutionary activities, is now widely seen as a manifestation of institutional racism and colonial exclusion.
This year marks the 111th anniversary of the ship’s forced departure. Of the 376 passengers who arrived in Canada—340 Sikhs, 24 Muslims, and 12 Hindus—only 24 were allowed to disembark, having proven prior residency.
Earlier this year, the City of Vancouver had also declared May 23 as Guru Nanak Jahaz (Komagata Maru) Day of Remembrance, coinciding with the day the ship had first arrived in Canadian waters in 1914.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke will formally announce the proclamation on July 23. Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim made a similar declaration in May, underscoring growing recognition of the Komagata Maru tragedy across Canadian municipalities.
The initiative has been spearheaded by the Guru Nanak Jahaz Heritage Society, led by Gurvinder Singh Dhaliwal of Abbotsford and Raj Singh Bhandal, who have been instrumental in advocating for official recognition of the passengers’ legacy.
“The name Guru Nanak Jahaz carries profound meaning,” the proclamation notes. “It was overshadowed for too long by the more commonly known Komagata Maru, yet it symbolizes a powerful act of resistance against colonial injustice.”
The proclamation further recognizes Surrey’s vibrant Sikh and Punjabi community, and honours the ship’s passengers for their pursuit of dignity, equality, and justice—values denied under the now-defunct Continuous Journey regulation, which was used to block non-European immigration.
“Today, descendants and communities across Canada remember this journey not only as a maritime voyage, but as a courageous stand against colonialism and racism,” the city’s declaration reads. “Their moral courage and enduring legacy continue to inspire generations to fight against injustice.”
