Rajya Sabha member MP Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal has written to the Vice Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, urging official recognition of the Komagata Maru ship in historical records as the ‘Guru Nanak Jahaj’ and proposing that July 23 be observed annually at the national level in its memory. In his letter, he noted that 111 years ago, on July 23, 1914, the ship departed Canada for India and reached Bajbaj Ghat in Kolkata on September 29, 1914, where British forces opened fire, leading to the martyrdom of 19 passengers.
He highlighted that Baba Gurdit Singh Ji had boarded the Komagata Maru from Hong Kong to Vancouver, with the ship setting sail on April 4, 1914, and reaching Vancouver on May 23. Despite fulfilling all legal requirements, Canadian authorities denied the passengers entry. After remaining anchored for two months, the ship departed on July 23 due to discriminatory immigration laws targeting Indians.
MP Sant Balbir Seechewal emphasized that the vessel, widely known as the Komagata Maru, was originally registered as ‘Guru Nanak Jahaj’ by Baba Gurdit Singh Ji under the Guru Nanak Steamship Company. The ship carried the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, and devotional hymns (Shabad Kirtan) were sung onboard. Among the 376 passengers were 340 Sikhs, 12 Hindus, and 24 Muslims, and the tickets were issued under the name ‘Guru Nanak Jahaj.’
He also referred to Baba Gurdit Singh Ji’s book “The Heartbreaking Story of the Passengers of Sri Guru Nanak Jahaj” and historian Dr. Gurdev Singh Siddhu’s work “Sri Guru Nanak Jahaj (Komagata Maru Ship: A Contemporary Account)” as strong historical evidence of the ship’s original name.
MP Sant Balbir Seechewal urged the Rajya Sabha to pass a resolution recognizing the ship as ‘Guru Nanak Jahaj’ in official history and to honor the martyrs who lost their lives in the tragic incident.