Acclaimed Surrey based artist Jarnail Singh and writer Ajmer Rode are presenting their artistic series ‘Komagata Maru Stories’ in Delta.

The series of paintings and stories composed by the duo, recently appeared in Surrey and Abbotsford last year. The paintings and narratives of this exhibition depict key incidents of Komagata Maru's stay off the Vancouver coast.

The ship with 376 passengers of Indian origin arrived in Vancouver's Burrard Inlet on 23 May 1914, and was denied its legal right to land on 23 July.

Passengers were forcibly turned away from disembarking due to the racial bias of Canadian officials.

Using paintings combined with excerpts of fictional realism, Singh and Rode have captured a frame by frame breakdown of the points along the journey from Hong Kong to Vancouver, the internment aboard the ship in Burrard Inlet and the eventual arrival in Calcutta and the Budge Budge incident which then ensued leaving 19 passengers dead. The exhibition will be held at Firehall Centre for the Arts, 11489,84 Avenue Delta.

It runs until June 30th.

For more information call Delta Arts Council at 604-596-1025 or Jarnail Singh at 604-825-4659.

 

 

 

The Canadian government has recently enacted a ludicrous law

 

“Canadian government has recently enacted a ludicrous law. It refuses immigration to any passenger who has not boarded the ship from his or her country of origin. Now everybody knows that no ship comes directly from India to Canada. So the law is clearly made to prevent Indians from coming to Canada, and is now being used against Komagata Maru passengers who boarded the ship from Hongkong, China or Japan. 

But no matter what, we are determined to keep the passengers here. If they are sent back in humiliation, because they are Indians, how can we hope to get respect for ourselves in this country we have made our home?”

Incidentally my name is Bhag Singh, president of the newly formed Komagata Maru Shore Committee, and this is the Sikh temple on 1866 Second Avenue West in Vancouver where Komagata Maru struggle is taking shape. The shore committee is about to begin its first meeting here. Our lawyer Edward Bird tells us there is already an urgency on Komagata Maru.

 

 

Good afternoon Mr. Singh

 

"Good afternoon, Mr. Gurdit Singh”

“Good afternoon, sir.”

“I am William Hopkinson from the Canadian Immigration department.”

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Hopkinson, I have heard a lot about you.”

“Hope it is not all very bad.” 

“Of course not. But now that you’re here, help us disembark as soon as possible. Passengers are impatient to see Vancouver.”

“I am afraid, Gurdit Singh, the Komagata Maru has to leave the Harbor and go back immediately." 

"Of course, Mr. Hopkinson. Once the passengers disembark and the cargo unloads the ship will go back."

"Make no mistake, Mr. Singh, no passenger and no cargo leaves the ship. Not even you."

"I don’t understand this, sir. I must leave the ship, sell the coal we brought with us and make the final payment to the ship owners. $22000! That's what we have to pay. 

“I have nothing to do with your payments, Mr. Singh, but leave you must.”

“Then may I know, sir, under what law can you refuse us entry?"

"It’s no use discussing laws, Gurdit Singh. It's the decision of the Canadian Immigration department. Komagata Maru passengers are not allowed to enter Canada."

 

 

Gurdit Singh is a man of optimism

 

Gurdit Singh the charterer of Komagata Maru is a man of optimism. He stops pacing in front of his cabin and walks into the cabin of his secretary sitting quietly in a chair.

“Daljit Singh, go outside, join them.”

"Join who, sir?"

"The passengers. Don’t you see them dancing? They see the boats coming. Soon they'll start disembarking. Soon they'll disperse in the city. I will no more be their leader, you no more my secretary. Go join them for the last time."

"But, sir, have you seen the boats carefully."

"What about them?"

"Seems we are surrounded by gun boats."

"Are you joking, Daljit Singh!" 

"I wish I were."