Gurpreet Singh

Articles by Gurpreet Singh

Looking beyond apology for the Komagata Maru tragedy

In May of this year Prime Minister Justin Trudeau created history by making an official apology in the House of Commons for the Komagata Maru episode. By doing so, he not only fulfilled his promise to the Indo Canadian community, but also scored a point over his Conservative predecessor Stephen Harper, who was not willing to ask for forgiveness in the parliament. (…)

Mewa Singh’s legacy still relevant

This year marks 100 years since the hanging of Mewa Singh – the first Indian political activist to be executed in Canada. Associated with the Ghadar Party, a radical group of the South Asian immigrants in North America, Mewa Singh was given the death sentence on January 11, 1915 for assassinating a controversial Immigration Inspector William Hopkinson. Mewa Singh came to Canada as a British subject like most Indian immigrants for better livelihood. Both India and Canada were British colonies back then. Many Indian immigrants at that time believed in the fairness of the British Empire. However, they were disillusioned to find that the British officials never came to their rescue in an event of racial violence or to challenge the discriminatory immigration policies. (…)