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StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto-“Today over one million Canadians are of South Asian descent. These hard working men and women passionately devoted to their families and communities are helping make our country even stronger for the generations yet to come, our country that afford opportunity to all, regardless of their background, our country that offers sanctuary to victims of violence and persecution, our country of freedom and democracy, of prosperity and peace, second to none in the world. As Canadians we have before us, and before our children and grandchildren, a future of literally unlimited possibility. A lot of that promise stems from the confidence, the ideas, and the energies brought here by successive waves of newcomers drawn to our shores by the promise of a new and better life.
“Canada is renowned the world over for its welcoming embrace of immigrants. But like all countries, our record isn’t perfect. We haven’t always lived up to our own ideals. One such failure, as has been mentioned, was the detention and turning away of the Komagata Maru in 1914, an event that caused much hardship for its passengers, 376 subjects of the British crown from Punjab, and which for many of them ended in terrible tragedy. Two years ago, I stood before you and made a commitment and send then, we have acted on that.
“This May the Government of Canada secured the passage of the unanimous motion in the House of Commons recognizing the Komagata Maru and tragedy and apologizing to those who were directly affected. Today, on behalf of the Government of Canada, I am officially conveying as Prime Minister that apology. Now friends, many Canadians have worked long and hard to secure recognition for this historic event. I’d like to thank from this community, the Professor Mohan Singh Foundation, the Khalsa Diwan Society, the Komagata Maru Descendents Association, and Community Leader, Tarlok Sablok, for their persistent and passionate dedication to this issue over the years.
“I also wish to acknowledge my own colleagues, for the work they have done to help all Canadians come to terms with this sad chapter in our history. We cannot change the events of the past; we cannot undo the misdeeds committed against those long deceased. But we can bring Canadians together in the present to unite our country, and to set us on a course to accomplish greater things in the future.”
End quote.
Mr. Speaker, the historic apology followed a previous speech the Prime Minister made in 2006, in which he stated that the Government of Canada acknowledged the Komagata Maru incident and announced the Government’s commitment to undertake consultations with the South Asian-Canadian community on how best to recognize this sad moment in history. The apology delivered in 2008 was as a direct result of these consultations.
It also followed a May 2008 motion in which the Government secured the passage of the unanimous motion in the House of Commons recognizing the Komagata Maru tragedy and apologizing to those who were directly affected.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that the apology was made by the Prime Minister with great respect, and I know most people in the community appreciate that apology, agree with that apology, respect that apology, and feel we should move on.
Mr. Speaker, Jack Uppal - no relation - is a highly respected, and one of the most recognized figures, in Canada’s South Asian community. This community leader and successful businessman came to Canada as an infant in 1926 with his parents who settled in British Columbia. Mr. Uppal was one of the first Sikh children to attend a Vancouver public school. He now owns a successful lumber company in South Vancouver. Mr. Uppal is known for hiring new immigrants and supporting other looking to come to Canada. Mr. Uppal has received the BC Community Achievement Award. He was President of the Khalsa Diwan Society where he helped new immigrant Sikhs to integrate into Canadians Society. He helped to establish Ross Street Temple. He is a committee member of the South Asian-Canadian Advisory Committee for the Community Historical Recognition Project. And in June of this year, Mr. Uppal is going to receive a much-deserved Honourary doctorate degree from Simon Fraser University at their Spring Convocation.
This is what Mr. Uppal had to say in response to the Prime Minister’s historic apology, and I quote:
“Under the leadership of this Prime Minister, this government apologized for the historic injustice of the Komagata Maru. That apology was given in my house, my backyard, the place where the incident took place. I accepted the apology; the matter of an apology is closed. For myself, I have accepted the apology.
“The Komagata Maru was a tragic incident in Canada’s history, but this government has made remarkable efforts to right the wrong. From the Prime Minister’s public apology, to the Minister of Immigration’s establishment of the Komagata Maru Canadian Historical Recognition Program - which has funded a significant number of educational projects, museums and memorials across the country - this government is to be commended for its approach to reconciling a dark stain in our history.”
There are countless others in the community that share Mr. Uppal’s view.
Mr. Speaker, the Komagata Maru incident took place almost 100 years ago now, and no Government previously issued an apology. Our Government and Prime Minister are the first and only ones to make such an historic apology for this tragic event.
Mr. Speaker, I want to refer back to the response Mr. Uppal gave to the Prime Minister’s apology. Specifically, the last point during which Mr. Uppal addresses the Government’s creation and funding for the Community Historical Recognition Program, as this brings me to my next point.
In 2006, in direct response to calls for the Government of Canada to address historic wrongs involving immigration and wartime measures, our Conservative Government created the Community Historical Recognition Program, otherwise known as CHRP.
This program provides grants and contribution funding for community projects that developed in partnership with various groups. In May 2008, the Immigration Minister, at the time the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity, announced that the South Asian-Canadian community would be able to apply for up to $2.5 million in grants and contributions funding for projects that acknowledge, commemorate, and educate current and future Canadians about the Komagata Maru incident.
Let me list for you the projects related to the Komagata Maru incident that the NDP and Liberals voted against.
Our Government has provided funding for the Komagata Maru Incident online project. This funding has gone toward the creation of a comprehensive website about the Komagata Maru incident, including interactive tools, and learning modules.
Our Government has also provided funding for the creation of the first ever public museum dedicated to the Komagata Maru incident, which will be housed at the Khalsa Diwan Society in Vancouver.
We have helped fund the first ever public monument dedicated to the Komagata Maru incident in Vancouver’s Harbour Green Park, the closest point to where the ship was anchored for two months.
We have funded several book projects on the Komagata Maru incident. One is an illustrated book that will include the societal, cultural, political, and religious aspects of the story of the Komagata Maru. The text will be based on the transcript of the award-winning film Continuous Journey. The second book project will include content that will be translated into Punjabi.
And our Government has provided funding for a project which engages youth through creative writing and digital media on the history of the Komagata Maru incident.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately time does not permit me to go through the several more projects our Government has funded that acknowledge, commemorate, and educate Canadians about this tragic event.
It is clear that our Government has taken several steps in regards to the Komagata Maru incident. Unfortunately, we have not received the support of the NDP or the Liberals.
Mr. Speaker, the South Asian-Canadian community have contributed a great deal, both economically and culturally, to this great country.
The Prime Minister and our Conservative Government have taken several historic steps to address the Komagata Maru incident, through the Prime Minister’s apology, and the creation of the CHRP program, among others.
I would remind this House that the Prime Minister took another historic step when he appointed the first ever turban-wearing Sikh to Cabinet. It is with great honour that I serve with this Prime Minister and as part of a Government that I truly believe continues to make our great country a better place for all Canadians.
Our Conservative Government recognizes and appreciates these significant and important contributions of South Asian Canadians. Through our actions, our Government has responded to the issues that are important to these communities across the country.
Mr. Speaker, South Asian-Canadians can count on our Conservative Government to stand up for the values and issues that are important to them – family, hard work, culture, and respect, among others. We have shown through our actions that our Government will not only listen, but take action. And we will continue to do so.
“Canada is renowned the world over for its welcoming embrace of immigrants. But like all countries, our record isn’t perfect. We haven’t always lived up to our own ideals. One such failure, as has been mentioned, was the detention and turning away of the Komagata Maru in 1914, an event that caused much hardship for its passengers, 376 subjects of the British crown from Punjab, and which for many of them ended in terrible tragedy. Two years ago, I stood before you and made a commitment and send then, we have acted on that.
“This May the Government of Canada secured the passage of the unanimous motion in the House of Commons recognizing the Komagata Maru and tragedy and apologizing to those who were directly affected. Today, on behalf of the Government of Canada, I am officially conveying as Prime Minister that apology. Now friends, many Canadians have worked long and hard to secure recognition for this historic event. I’d like to thank from this community, the Professor Mohan Singh Foundation, the Khalsa Diwan Society, the Komagata Maru Descendents Association, and Community Leader, Tarlok Sablok, for their persistent and passionate dedication to this issue over the years.
“I also wish to acknowledge my own colleagues, for the work they have done to help all Canadians come to terms with this sad chapter in our history. We cannot change the events of the past; we cannot undo the misdeeds committed against those long deceased. But we can bring Canadians together in the present to unite our country, and to set us on a course to accomplish greater things in the future.”
End quote.
Mr. Speaker, the historic apology followed a previous speech the Prime Minister made in 2006, in which he stated that the Government of Canada acknowledged the Komagata Maru incident and announced the Government’s commitment to undertake consultations with the South Asian-Canadian community on how best to recognize this sad moment in history. The apology delivered in 2008 was as a direct result of these consultations.
It also followed a May 2008 motion in which the Government secured the passage of the unanimous motion in the House of Commons recognizing the Komagata Maru tragedy and apologizing to those who were directly affected.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that the apology was made by the Prime Minister with great respect, and I know most people in the community appreciate that apology, agree with that apology, respect that apology, and feel we should move on.
Mr. Speaker, Jack Uppal - no relation - is a highly respected, and one of the most recognized figures, in Canada’s South Asian community. This community leader and successful businessman came to Canada as an infant in 1926 with his parents who settled in British Columbia. Mr. Uppal was one of the first Sikh children to attend a Vancouver public school. He now owns a successful lumber company in South Vancouver. Mr. Uppal is known for hiring new immigrants and supporting other looking to come to Canada. Mr. Uppal has received the BC Community Achievement Award. He was President of the Khalsa Diwan Society where he helped new immigrant Sikhs to integrate into Canadians Society. He helped to establish Ross Street Temple. He is a committee member of the South Asian-Canadian Advisory Committee for the Community Historical Recognition Project. And in June of this year, Mr. Uppal is going to receive a much-deserved Honourary doctorate degree from Simon Fraser University at their Spring Convocation.
This is what Mr. Uppal had to say in response to the Prime Minister’s historic apology, and I quote:
“Under the leadership of this Prime Minister, this government apologized for the historic injustice of the Komagata Maru. That apology was given in my house, my backyard, the place where the incident took place. I accepted the apology; the matter of an apology is closed. For myself, I have accepted the apology.
“The Komagata Maru was a tragic incident in Canada’s history, but this government has made remarkable efforts to right the wrong. From the Prime Minister’s public apology, to the Minister of Immigration’s establishment of the Komagata Maru Canadian Historical Recognition Program - which has funded a significant number of educational projects, museums and memorials across the country - this government is to be commended for its approach to reconciling a dark stain in our history.”
There are countless others in the community that share Mr. Uppal’s view.
Mr. Speaker, the Komagata Maru incident took place almost 100 years ago now, and no Government previously issued an apology. Our Government and Prime Minister are the first and only ones to make such an historic apology for this tragic event.
Mr. Speaker, I want to refer back to the response Mr. Uppal gave to the Prime Minister’s apology. Specifically, the last point during which Mr. Uppal addresses the Government’s creation and funding for the Community Historical Recognition Program, as this brings me to my next point.
In 2006, in direct response to calls for the Government of Canada to address historic wrongs involving immigration and wartime measures, our Conservative Government created the Community Historical Recognition Program, otherwise known as CHRP.
This program provides grants and contribution funding for community projects that developed in partnership with various groups. In May 2008, the Immigration Minister, at the time the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity, announced that the South Asian-Canadian community would be able to apply for up to $2.5 million in grants and contributions funding for projects that acknowledge, commemorate, and educate current and future Canadians about the Komagata Maru incident.
Let me list for you the projects related to the Komagata Maru incident that the NDP and Liberals voted against.
Our Government has provided funding for the Komagata Maru Incident online project. This funding has gone toward the creation of a comprehensive website about the Komagata Maru incident, including interactive tools, and learning modules.
Our Government has also provided funding for the creation of the first ever public museum dedicated to the Komagata Maru incident, which will be housed at the Khalsa Diwan Society in Vancouver.
We have helped fund the first ever public monument dedicated to the Komagata Maru incident in Vancouver’s Harbour Green Park, the closest point to where the ship was anchored for two months.
We have funded several book projects on the Komagata Maru incident. One is an illustrated book that will include the societal, cultural, political, and religious aspects of the story of the Komagata Maru. The text will be based on the transcript of the award-winning film Continuous Journey. The second book project will include content that will be translated into Punjabi.
And our Government has provided funding for a project which engages youth through creative writing and digital media on the history of the Komagata Maru incident.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately time does not permit me to go through the several more projects our Government has funded that acknowledge, commemorate, and educate Canadians about this tragic event.
It is clear that our Government has taken several steps in regards to the Komagata Maru incident. Unfortunately, we have not received the support of the NDP or the Liberals.
Mr. Speaker, the South Asian-Canadian community have contributed a great deal, both economically and culturally, to this great country.
The Prime Minister and our Conservative Government have taken several historic steps to address the Komagata Maru incident, through the Prime Minister’s apology, and the creation of the CHRP program, among others.
I would remind this House that the Prime Minister took another historic step when he appointed the first ever turban-wearing Sikh to Cabinet. It is with great honour that I serve with this Prime Minister and as part of a Government that I truly believe continues to make our great country a better place for all Canadians.
Our Conservative Government recognizes and appreciates these significant and important contributions of South Asian Canadians. Through our actions, our Government has responded to the issues that are important to these communities across the country.
Mr. Speaker, South Asian-Canadians can count on our Conservative Government to stand up for the values and issues that are important to them – family, hard work, culture, and respect, among others. We have shown through our actions that our Government will not only listen, but take action. And we will continue to do so.
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