ABSTRACT
In this paper we reflect on the Komagata Maru as a fundamental foreshadowing of a century of Sikh negotiation with the Canadian state to achieve inclusion and belonging. The commitment of Gurdit Singh, who charted the vessel, is emblematic of miri piri, the idea that the spiritual and political cannot be separated in the fight for justice. We use miri piri as a lens through which to examine a century of Sikh struggle in Canada since the Komagata Maru. We examine four cases of Sikh-led social activism that illustrate the spirit of miri piri – the integration of the spiritual and the political in the act of resistance against injustice. Our cases include the demand for refugee rights, recognition and inclusion of minority veterans, the protection of minority groups in the wake of 9/11, and the fight to protect religious expression in Quebec. We then address what we believe is missing in Sikh social activism in terms of fighting for gender and caste equality within Sikh communities themselves. We conclude with a reflection on the fact that Sikh spirituality has greatly enhanced the social fabric of Canada, but that the struggle for rights remains a daily one that Canadian Sikhs must address both within and outside their own communities.
