Former NDP Cabinet Minister Moe Sihota Was The First To Raise The Apology Issue And Former Tory MP Gurmant Grewal Was First To Raise The Apology Issue In Parliament In 1997 At Behest Of Prof. Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation

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"Ironman" Grewal Sees Mission Accomplished As Formal Apology Acknowledges That South Asians Were Not Unequal

Of the 376 passengers of the ship 90.4% were Sikhs, 3.2% Hindus, 6.4% Muslims. At least 19 passengers were killed by the armed forces upon their arrival in India.

By PD Raj

With News Files

SURREY – Former NDP cabinet minister Moe Sihota, the first Indo-Canadian elected to the B.C. legislature, was the first Indo-Canadian politician to crusade to correct the Komagata Maru injustice.

Sihota's initial efforts were met with ridicule and neglect. It would take until 2008 for the B.C. government to formally apologize, and another eight years for Parliament to follow suit – proof positive, he said, of how diversity can shape politics, reported Canadian Press.

“The face of Canada is somewhat better represented now in our Parliament than years before,” said Sihota. “With that comes a collective understanding, sympathy and appreciation of the significance of these events and the need to apologize for them.”

On Wednesday, former Conservative Member of Parliament Gurmant Grewal put out a press release, saying he felt a sigh of accomplishing a mission since he was the first person to raise the issue of an apology in October 1997 and a dozen times thereafter in the House of Commons, demanding an apology from the Canadian government for the tragedy of Komagata Maru ship in 1914. He had done at the behest of the Prof. Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation.

The British Dominion resident passengers were not allowed to touch on the Canadian shore and were repelled back under the guns of Canadian naval ship to India as per the deliberately designed exclusionist and racist policy. Of the 376 passengers of the ship comprising 3.2% Hindus, 6.4% Muslims and 90.4% Sikhs, at least 19 passengers were killed by the armed forces upon their arrival in India.

“Though the historical wrongs can never be undone but the apology acknowledges and redresses the wrong, expresses the regrets on behalf of the lawmakers in parliament; and would serve as a reminder to the future generations assuring that racial discrimination must not be tolerated. Apology heals the long left open wound, restores the dignity of the oppressed community and would help pave the way for better integration of cultural communities in the most multicultural country of the world – we proudly call Canada, whose major strength today is diversity”, Grewal said.

Grewal’s demand was not seriously taken by the then government of Canada. A local community newspaper – The NOW – wrote an offensive editorial against Grewal’s demand for apology in 1997 and even some Reform Party members tore their membership cards in protest.

Despite all that, Grewal continued to raise the awareness of the issue and kept repeating the demand. He tabled petitions in Parliament in 2002 signed by thousands of petitioners initiated by Prof. Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation.

In 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered an apology at the Gadri Babian da Mela in Surrey. Many individuals, organizations, politicians and the provincial governments exploited the apology issue to appease the community for political gains. The Leaders of the Opposition parties during the election campaign promised to offer an apology and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau kept his promise today. 

The Komagata Maru tragedy has been a symptom of a bigger and serious issue. The Canadian government not only went too far venturing into legislating racial intolerance and discrimination but also putting deliberate and unfair obstacles like hefty head tax, inhumane treatment, trading insults, violating human rights and denying them justice. While on the other hand, the Sikh soldiers were bravely fighting alongside the British Empire and the Commonwealth receiving the highest and largest awards from the Crown. The media of the day also spread hate by their offensive headlines and insulting cartoons.

The apology for Komagata Maru tragedy has not been the only issue raised by Grewal. He introduced 50 Bills and Motions and has raised numerous issues 

on the floor of parliament during his three terms including the recognition of international education credentials, call for inquiry into the Air India bombing, elimination of hyphenation of Canadians, regulatory reforms, whistleblowers protection, visitor’s visa reforms, protection of fire fighters, seniors pension and addressing corruption in Canadian missions abroad.

He has been the only visible minority to serve as the officer of Parliament as Deputy House Leader and Chair of a Joint Committee of the House and Senate. Grewal was elected an MP in 1997 in the shortest period of less than six years after immigrating to Canada; he and his wife Nina Grewal were the first couple to concurrently serve as MPs in Canadian Parliament. Prime Minister Harper while in opposition called Grewal “the Ironman of Canadian Parliament”.