Prime Minister Harper Should Apologize..

August 15th, 2008 to August 28th, 2008
Punjabi Patrika

"The apology has been given and it won’t
be repeated," said Conservative MP Jason
Kenney. Some harsh comments from
someone, who is supposed to be sorry. Prime
Minister Stephen Harper, who was in various
parts of British Columbia to celebrate the
provinces 150th anniversary two weeks ago,
where he attended Surrey’s Gadri Babeyan
Da Mela and surprisely gave an apology to
the Sikh community for the Kamagat Maru
incident. The Komagata Maru sailed into the
Vancouver harbour with 376 on board on
May 23, 1914. The dominion government
would not allow the passengers to disembark
and the vessel sat in harbour for two months.
The 1910 Canadian law, which many deemed
to be racist declared that there had to be
direct voyage or continuous journey from
their homeland, which even today doesn’t
exist from India. The would be immigrants,
who were British subjects and had legal
rights to land in Canada were turned away
and 20 were killed and many were jailed when
they arrived back to Calcutta
I applaud Prime Minister Harper and his
government for taking the courage to
apologize the first federal government to do
so, but it fails short of a standing ovation.
Harper had a beautiful opportunity to get
this right; instead he struck out at the park.
Their is nothing wrong in coming to BC and
attending a outdoor function in Surrey’s
Bear Creek Park and apologizing for the
mistakes that were passed down by
lawmakers many generations before him.
But, not to repeat this same apology on the
floors of the House of Commons as the head
of state is more of a slap in the face that a pat
on the back. First of all, Surrey does not
represent all of Canadian Sikhs and many
nationwide didn’t get the opportunity to hear
or read what Harper said in his speech. He
should of told the Surrey crowd during his
presentation that a follow up speech would
be coming in the Commons where it can be
properly documented and recorded for
national and historical significance.
Unfortunatley, Harper is treating this has
regional issue within Canada, but it carries
both regional and national importance,
because the laws at the time were passed by
the central government.
This so called apology in Surrey marks the
third such reconciliation Harper has made
with embarrassing parts of Canada’s past.
On June 11, Harper apologized to First
Nations who suffered abuse decades ago at
Canadian residential schools, calling it " an
important evolution in Canada’s relationship
with our first peoples". In 2006, Harper issued
a full apology to the Chinese Canadian
community for the head tax. Last May, the
British Columbia government apologized to
the Canadian Sikh community for this
incident in the legislature.
Norm Sangha, past president of the Khalsa
Diwan Society of Abbotsford said, " I don’t
think that this was the right place to do this.
The discrimination bills were passed in the
House of Commons in the early 1900’s and
that’s were the apology should take place.
This is a joke to come to a function in Surrey
and to apologize".
Satwinder Bains, Director for the Centre of
Indo Canadian Studies at the University of
the Fraser Valley said, " Prime Minister
Harper’s apology in Surrey on Sunday for
the Komagata Maru has not met the
expectations of Canadians who are looking
for redress on past wrongs. Precedent
dictates that a formal apology by
Government is done in Parliament, for the
record and for all Canadians to become aware
and to acknowledge the apology. Going to a
park and apologizing in front of a group of
people (no matter how large) is not the same
as apologizing in front of all Canadians in
the proper and graceful manner".
For families who were effected by this
unfortunate circumstance this apology is
personal and waiting. We must never forget
that Canada is a compassionate country and
it has learned from its past mistakes and
continues to build bridges in a multicultural
environment. What concerns me is some of
the comments surrounding this issue.
Unfortunately, racism is still alive and we
must continue to find ways of not heading
back to the past.
If you are going to apologize make it
meaningful or don’t do it at all. I urge Prime
Minister Harper to apologize in the
Commons and to participate in our diversity
challenge. It’s amazing what minority
governments will do for visible minorities
groups to stay in power. Apologize and let’s
move forward together.
Ken Herar@gmail.com