Leaves of Absence – May 19, 2026

Statement Watch

My name is Ras Singh Toor. I'm a vice president and spokesperson for the descendants of the Khamagatamaharu Society. First of all, I want to say thank you to Inspector Mayor and all the councillors, city staff, for recognizing the Khamagatamaharu passengers and proclaimed and recognized the Khamagatamaharu passengers and proclaimed . Thank you. And also I want to say thank you to the city of Vancouver for renaming the place name to place. And also apologize their role in the Khamagatamaru incident as well. Thank you very much for doing that. And also I went to see the Khamagatamaru memorial and the city did upgrade it. And it's a great job done by the city of Vancouver. And I would like to say thank you once again. Spectre Mayor, Ken Sim, all the Councillors, city staff, and arts and culture team, and also the parks board member for their work. making the Gulnana Gajahas, upgraded the Gulnana Gajahas Commemorative Memorial, ADLT, and the cultural leaders team, and the parks board member, did an excellent job. And it's a great tribute to those passengers who suffered a lot during the tragedy. We can't undo the past, but we can move forward. and leave a legacy for future generations by educating them about the past. And this is a very good learning tool to connect the Canadians to their past and build a more peaceful and tolerant tomorrow. And thank you very much for all your... Thank you. All right. Thank you very much. My name is Jagraad Singh Lawley. I'm the vice president for Sikh Heritage Month Vancouver. Alongside me, it's an honor to stand here today alongside our president, Thad Singh Jal. Again, you know, jumping off of what our individual said here, I sincerely want to thank the mayor and the council for your hard work, your leadership, your dedication. to the people of Vancouver each and every day for everything that you guys have done throughout your time and everything you guys continue to do to this day. Your continued support for diversity, inclusion, culture, and continued remembrance, community remembrance helps build a city where all communities feel seen, heard, and valued. Now, while the Komagata Maru moment remains one of the darkest times, the darkest chapters in Canadian history, I think it's also very important that we remember it as a story of extraordinary courage, resilience, and perseverance. The passengers of the Komagata Maru, also known as the Granada Jihad, stood firmly for their rights, their dignity, their humanity, despite facing immense racism and immense hardship. It's something that I think we should continue to remember each and every day. Today's proclamation is more than words on a paper. It's a promise that these stories are never going to be forgotten. It's a commitment to remembrance, education, and reconciliation. It ensures that future generations will continue learning about the sacrifices of those 376 passengers and understand the importance of building a society rooted in equality, compassion, and justice. As young Sikh leaders ourselves, it's deeply meaningful to see our city recognize and honor this legacy. It reminds us that history must not only be remembered, it must also be taught, protected, and carried forward. Through remembrance, we strengthen our communities and ensure that the lessons of the past guide us towards the future. So on behalf of Sikh Heritage Month Vancouver, we sincerely thank the Mayor and Council for recognizing Komagad Amaru Gurnanak Shahaj Remembrance Day and for standing with our community in preserving this important history. May we continue to honor the legacy of the 376 passengers, not only through remembrance, but through action, by uplifting one another, standing together in unity, and building a future where every person is treated with dignity, respect, and humanity. Thank you. I wrote a few words, so I have to read it. I got a paper in my pocket. ,, standing on these traditional lands, we thank with deep humility his worship, Mayor ,, members of council, the city of Vancouver, and all who helped restore to its rightful place in Canadian history. Because reconciliation, rectification, and redress requires accuracy. was a Sikh-led initiative, carrying Punjabi passengers of Sikh, Muslim and Hindu faiths, envisioned by Baba Gurudev Singh Ji, sustained by Khalsa Diwan Society, supported by indigenous people of this land who send food in solidarity, defended by J. Edward Byrd, who challenged an unjust law. And as the redress continues, we remember Paimewa Singh, sentenced here in Vancouver and hanged in New Westminster. His shaheedi remains part of the city's unfinished moral record and one that true redress must resolve through his formal posthumous exoneration. For this history was never only about exclusion. It was also about what arrived here in Chardikala. Guru Nanak Jihad was the first floating Gurdwara Sahib to bless the Pacific. Guru Granth Sahib enthroned, Nishant Sahib flying high, Langar, Sangat, Pangat, that is what came to these shores. Not division, but dignity. Not exclusion, but Chardikala. Guru Nanak unites us. And when memory is named with precision, it does not remain on the margins. It stands where it belonged, at the heart of Canadian history. With immense gratitude to the City of Vancouver for this act of historical courage, this moment will become a catalyst for rectifying the federal apology. So that Canada's national memory also restores a true name with dignity, Accuracy and moral courage and that is good knowledge. Thank you