VANCOUVER: Stephen Rogers (S.C. MLL.A. Vancouver South) in a statement in B.C. legislature describing May 23 as the darkest day in the history of Canada said, “In the history of every nation there are days of which the nation can be very proud, and often those days are celebrated by way of a national holiday and celebration. But every nation has a day in its history which must be considered a dark day and a day of national or in this case disgrace, Today marks the seventy fifth anniversary May 23, 1914 of the entrance into British Columbia waters of the Komagata Maru and the disgraceful performance of the governments of both Canada and British Columbia. Its passing should not go unnoticed.
New democratic MLA Moc Sihota says that a mark of recognition should be erected in Vancouver in recognition of saddest day in Indo Canadian community. But when he asked Tourism Minister Bill Reid in the legislature about any plans to recognize the incident the minister responded by saying the simple answer is nothing.
Seventy five years later the Scored government is compounding the injustice and bigotry that was carried out by the Canadian government against the passengers of the Komagata Maru.” Sihota said.
The Indo Canadian community is simply seeking an acknowledgement of that injustice a commemorative that will act as a reminder that this kind of racism must never happen again, Instead the Scored have insulted this community by un categorically rejecting any kind of acknowledgement,
This event has become a rallying point for the Indo Canadian community and for the right to settle, live and earn a living in Canada. The government must Recognize the importance of this in Canadian and B.C. history and Reverse its decision.”
Article extracted from this publication >> June 2, 1989
