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Canada Komagata Maru Passengers Remembered With Vancouver Monument

Jan 6, 2005
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Metro-Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Komagata Maru passengers remembered with Vancouver monument

By Mike Hager, Vancouver Sun - July 23, 2012 7:24 PM

http://www.{censored}/news/6978083.bin

The monument to the Komagata Maru was unveiled along the seawall near Convention Centre
West in Vancouver, B.C., on July 23, 2012
Photograph by: Steve Bosch, PNG


Almost a full century after its 376 South Asian passengers were escorted out of Vancouver’s Coal Harbour, the Komagata Maru freighter — and its would-be immigrants — have been honoured with a monument acknowledging Canada’s past discrimination.

Municipal, provincial and federal politicians attended the unveiling ceremony Monday afternoon, as well as members from the Khalsa Diwan Society, which runs Vancouver’s Ross Street Sikh temple and designed the federally funded monument in consultation with the park board.

“In a day like today, where Canada really embraces multiculturalism in a different way, it’s startling for people to think that 98 years ago it could have been so different,” said Vancouver park board commissioner Niki Sharma. “We’re a country built on immigrants so the policies of the past really help us to realize how important it is to not go back there again.

“Having parents myself that are from India strikes a chord with me, because if things hadn’t changed, my future here would have been a lot different.”

The monument was designed and created with $82,500 in federal funds and an additional $104,000 came from the Canadian government to develop a museum at the Ross Street temple.

The Komagata Maru, chartered by Singaporean Sikh Gurdit Singh, arrived in Vancouver on May 23, 1914, with 376 British subjects from India aboard. The ship’s point of origin in Hong Kong violated a 1908 Canadian law that required a continuous passage.

Under Canada’s strict immigration laws of the day, the passengers were not allowed to land. And although they should have been able to settle in Canada as British subjects, public and political sentiments and policies at the time were overtly racist.

The Komagata Maru was escorted out of Vancouver by the navy on July 23, 1914, after the ship and its passengers sat in the city’s harbour for weeks.

Because those aboard were thought to be anti-British, police fired upon the group when it arrived back in India, killing and injuring dozens of people.

Sohan Singh Deo, president of the Khalsa Diwan Society, said Monday that today’s Canada is a much more accepting and multicultural country than the state that barred immigrants based on the colour of their skin. However, he said “discrimination is always everywhere, you can’t deny that.” The monument — which includes the names of all the passengers denied entry — will help future generations recognize the danger of such discrimination.

“No matter how far you go, history comes along,” Deo said.

mhager@postmedia.com

Twitter:mad:MikePHager

source: http://www.{censored}/news/Komagata...ed+with+Vancouver+monument/6978053/story.html
 

Gyani Jarnail Singh

Sawa lakh se EK larraoan
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Jul 4, 2004
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KUALA LUMPUR MALAYSIA
How many know that the Man behind this Kamagata maru project was Gurditt Singh Sarhali..a MALAYAN CONTRACTOR living in a small town North of Kuala Lumpur. The Gurdwara Sahib there has a well he had dug for water supply back then...
He came up with the idea of either buying or leasing a Japanese Ship Kamagata maru renamed GURU NANAK JAHAAZ !! to ferry INDIANS to Canada as Canadian Legislation required immigrants to board ships at their HOME Country..and this Crafty Legislation was specially crafted to PREVENT INDIAN Immigrants from entering Canada because NO SHIP came direct from India to Canada...!!....ALL Ships came via Hong Kong or Japan and thus this legislation was effective in keeping Indians OUT. The Canadians sure DIDNT figure that SIKHS like Gurditt Singh wouldnt take NO for an answer..hence a PRIVATE one off ship..and everyone knows what the Canadians did NEXT..the Totally reprehensible act of REFUSING PERMISSION to the Legal entry of Kamagata Maru under various excuses..and then its forced return to Bengal Port Calcutta where the waiting BRITISH Forces opened fire on the disembarking passengers killing many. Gurditt singh faced the full wrath of the British govt.:mundaviolin:
 
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