The name Komagata Maru may mean little to most Kolkatans today. But the incident that occurred on that Japanese ship more than a century ago has become emblematic of an entire period of Indian history that is characterised by xenophobia and racism. The ghat that witnessed the bloodshed of several innocent Indian Sikhs who travelled by the ship Komagata Maru, is the historic Budge Budge Jetty Ghat.

Budge Budge Ghat Jetty No. 6 entrance

Sikh devotees of Komagata Maru at the memorial

Route 
From Taratala Morh drive westwards via Taratala Road till you reach Jinjira Bazar Y-fork. Hereafter, take a left onto Sampriti Flyover for Budge Budge. Drive straight till you reach Budge Budge Chowrasta Y-fork. Take the right towards Railway Gate  No. 4. Cross two railway tracks at short intervals to reach Komagata Maru Memorial at Shaheed Ganj just ahead of Budge Budge Jetty No. 6.

The Ghat
There is no significant pavilion or structure to identify the Budge Budge Ghat. However, there is a series of jetties numbered 1 to 8 of which Jetty No. 6 is of historic significance. It is from this jetty that the defiant ship Komagata Maru had arrived from Vancouver, Canada. The entire bank is under the Kolkata Port Trust now and is a restricted area, since huge oil depots of different petroleum companies are situated in the area has limited entry. This jetty was once a major dock of colonial Kolkata. 
If not for the ghat, you must make it a point to at least visit the Komagata Maru Memorial, which was witness to human brutality in 1914. The memorial, a Kirpan, was unveiled by Sri Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India on 1 January 1952. It is a small, open air compound some 200 metres away from the jetty. To enter the sacred ground of the memorial, you must leave your shoes outside. 

Komagata Maru Memorial near Budge Budge Ghat

As you enter, you’ll find the 2-storey museum on the left that bears resemblance to a ship. The museum is still not open to the public. On your right, is the huge concrete structure that signifies the Kirpan of the Sikhs. Beside the Kirpan is a pradeep ghar and a tall Nishan Sahib on the right, unveiled by Baba Gurdit Singh, the main head behind the incident. There is also a plaque that has all the 52 of the 72 names of the martyrs shot in the Komagata Maru incident. There is a small shade for people to rest in as well as a ladies toilet.

History
A Singapore based businessman, Baba Gurdit Singh wanted to help his compatriots who were earlier rejected entry by the Canadian government. The ship Komagata Maru set off from Hong Kong in April 1914. It sailed from British Hong Kong, via Shanghai, China, and Yokohama, Japan, to Vancouver in Canada (British Columbia) on 4 April 1914, carrying 376 passengers from Punjab province in British India. The passengers comprised 337 Sikhs, 27 Muslims and 12 Hindus − all Punjabis and British subjects. Of these 376 passengers, 24 were admitted to Canada, but the other 352 were not allowed to disembark and the ship was forced to leave Canadian waters.
Gurdit Singh was aware of the Canadian policies, but argued that the passengers on the Komagata Maru were British subjects and hence they should not be denied entry into another Commonwealth nation like Canada. 

Old Budge Budge Station where Swami Vivekananda spent a night

However, after a two-month standoff in the waters just off Vancouver, the ship returned to India. The Indian Imperial Police attempted to arrest the group leaders. An uproar ensued, and they were fired upon by the police, resulting in the deaths of 20 people. Gurdit Singh managed to escape. Later it was he who approached Nehru to construct a monument in memory of the Komagata Maru incident.     
Today, the memorial is considered a sacred place especially for the Sikhs. Thus every year, 29 September is observed as a Shaheed-i-jor Mela by the Komagata Committee, Shaheed Ganj Gurudwara, Budge Budge.
Each ghat on the Hooghly narrates a unique story − of magnificent architecture, of spine chilling hitory. The ghats will thus stand testimony to the bygone eras of Indian civilisation. These ghats or jetties were the main entry points from the outside world into the British India when Calcutta happened to be the capital city. The Komagata Maru mishap, however, leaves us pondering. Even after a century, are we able to curb our deeprooted racial stereotyping? As a nation can we come together and evade racism and discrimination against humanity?

The waiting room at the old station now an office

BUDGE BUDGE OLD RAILWAY STATION
For all those who plan to visit the Komagata Maru Memorial, do visit the Old Budge Budge Railway Station next to the Komagata Memorial. On his arrival from Chicago following his success at the Chicago Parliament of Religions on 19 February 1897, Swami Vivekananda had disembarked at Budge Budge Jetty. He was to leave for Sealdah by train from the Budge Budge Station, which was at a walkable distance from the jetty. However, having missed the last train, Swamiji had stayed for the night in the first class waiting room with his disciples.
 The waiting room has now been converted into an office room of the Chief Yard Master. The armchair where Swamiji rested can be found in the Heritage Gallery at Fairlie Place. The corner where he rested has a small marble statue of Swamiji on a stone pedestal.