OTTAWA, TODAY – Mr. Stéphane Ouellette, President and Chief Executive Officer, Merchant Navy Commemorative Theme Project (MNCTP), paid homage to the Sikh community worldwide in celebration of Sikh Heritage Month. In addition, Mr. Ouellette paid tribute to the countless Sikhs that fought and died during both World Wars.

Sikh Heritage Month takes place in April every year as Sikhs mark the revelation of the Order of the Khalsa in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh in Punjab. 

On April 11, 2013, MPP Jagmeet Singh introduced Bill 52, An Act to proclaim the month of April as Sikh Heritage Month in the Province of Ontario. The first of its kind in the world, Sikh Heritage Month would become a celebration of arts, heritage, and culture.

April is a very important month for the Sikh community. During this month, Sikh Canadians celebrate Vaisakhi, which marks the creation of the Khalsa and the Sikh articles of faith. Sikh Canadians widely celebrate Vaisakhi, also known as Khalsa Day, across Ontario. Sikh Heritage Month is an opportunity to remember, celebrate, and educate future generations about Sikh Canadians, and the important role they have played and continue to play in communities across Ontario. Bill 52 received Royal Assent on December 12, 2013.

During both World Wars, the forces of British India (Muslim, Sikh, Hindu men from Punjab, UP, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar) played critical roles in the defence of the British Commonwealth and Her allies. During World War One, the strength of the British Indian Army reached over 1 million. In World War Two, these formidable forces rose to 2.5 million, the largest volunteer army ever assembled in history. These forces were deployed to distant lands such as East Africa, Egypt, Gallipoli, and Mesopotamia. Over 1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth, including some 169,700 from the forces of undivided British India, perished in both World Wars.

As part of our UNSUNG HEROES PROJECT (UHP), we wish to ensure that we honour these great warriors that sacrificed so much for the freedom we have today. Our forgotten heroes are the most marginalized groups and nations in global history. Given our proud multi–cultural heritage, both nationally and internationally, we must stop relegating such important elements of our past to the outskirts of present day policy. As such, the stories of our “Unsung Heroes” must no longer remain a missing chapter in our history books. Our children and the world must know who these men and women were and honour them. It is everyone’s patriotic duty to recognize the tradition of freedom for which they fought and died to preserve.