Holland Park vigil draws attention to 1919 British massacre in Amritsar

If you want to send a message that you oppose brutal colonialism—and you can't be bothered to watch Christy Clark on TV—you'll have your opportunity this evening.

That's because there's a candlelight vigil at 7 p.m. in Surrey to commemorate the massacre of Jallianwala Bagh.

It takes place at Holland Park, which is across the street from the King George SkyTrain station at 135A Street and King George Boulevard. 

The Jallianwala Bagh was the enclosed public garden where the Butcher of Amritsar, Brig.-Gen. Reginald Dyer, ordered British troops to fire on unarmed Indians on April 13, 1919.

The event was portrayed in Richard Attenborough's 1982 epic film Gandhi. 

Earlier this year, British prime minister David Cameron refused to issue a formal apology for the massacre, which killed at least 379 Indians. For that, he was widely criticized.

Tonight's event is organized by the Committee of Progressive Pakistani Canadians, the management of Joy TV's Mehak Punjab Di program, and the Fraser Valley Peace Council.

It comes a day after Kamaljit Thind of Mehak Punjab Di organized a picture exhibition during Vancouver's Vaisakhi parade dedicated to the Jallianwala Bagh episode. It was the first such initiative by someone in the South Asian community during the annual celebration.

Coincidentally, tonight's candlelight vigil will occur at precisely the same time that Premier Christy Clark will go on Global TV to urge viewers to re-elect the B.C. Liberals.

And in another coincidence, this also happens to be the 122nd anniversary of the birth of Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, who was a chief architect of the Indian constitution.

Ambedkar is beloved by many freedom-loving South Asians for his tireless efforts to end discrimination against the so-called untouchables.

You can read more about this remarkable man here. He was born into this caste and converted to Buddhism.

Progressive South Asians in the Lower Mainland have created a Facebook page called "We Are All Untouchables" to show their solidarity with the Dalits, who are the lowest-caste Hindus in India.