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  1. Canada apologizes for 1914 rejection of Asian migrant ship Prime Minister Justin Trudeau formally apologizes, Wednesday, May 18, 2016, in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, for a 1914 Canadian government decision that barred most of the passengers of the Komagata Maru from entering the country. Canadian officials refused to allow the Indians in, even though they were British subjects just like every other Canadian of the time. The chartered vessel was carrying 376 Indian passengers, nearly all of them Sikhs, bound for what they thought would be a new life in Canada. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press By ROB GILLIES Posted: May. 18, 2016 8:00 am Updated: May. 18, 2016 9:38 pm TORONTO (AP) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized in Parliament on Wednesday for a government decision in 1914 to turn away a ship carrying hundreds of South Asian immigrants. The Komagata Maru from Hong Kong arrived off Vancouver only to have almost all of its 376 passengers, nearly all of them Sikhs from India, denied entry due to immigration laws at the time. The passengers were hoping to challenge Canadian immigration law, which refused entry to any Indians who had not arrived in Canada via a continuous journey from the Indian mainland nearly impossible at the time. The law was seen as a measure to stymie Indian arrivals. Officials refused to allow the Indians in, even though they were British subjects just like every other Canadian of the time. After 20 passengers who had previously lived in Canada were allowed to disembark, the ship was turned away. The ship was eventually sent to Calcutta, and least 19 people were killed in a skirmish with British soldiers. Others were jailed. "Canada's government was, without question, responsible for the laws that prevented these passengers from immigrating peacefully and securely," Trudeau said. "For that, and for every regrettable consequence that followed, we are sorry." Opposition leaders also apologized. New Democrat leader Thomas Mulcair called it "racism, plain and simple." A spectator in the public gallery hollered out a Punjabi slogan that signals happiness after Trudeau spoke. Former prime minister Stephen Harper apologized at an event in British Columbia in 2008, but members of the Sikh community have long said an apology should be offered formally in Parliament. There are more than a million Canadians of South Asian descent. Trudeau had pledged to make an apology during his election campaign last year. He noted in Parliament on Wednesday that Canada's current defense minister, Harjit Sajjan, once commanded the reserve regiment that turned back the Komagata Maru and thanked him for helping the Komagata Maru incident get national attention. "Before entering political life, the minister was the commanding officer of the British Columbia Regiment Duke of Connaught's Own the same regiment that once forced out the Komagata Maru," Trudeau said to applause. "A century ago, the minister's family might well have been turned away from Canada. Today, the minister sits beside us, here, in this House." Sajjan tweeted that he was humbled and grateful and he thanked Trudeau.
  2. 100 years since Komagata Maru http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Komagata_Maru
  3. Komagata Maru Stamp Honours Sikh Pioneers Who Faced Racism From Canada But Critics Say Federal Government Must Give Official Apology To Make Such Honours Meaningful! While the stamp honours Sikh pioneers who made such great sacrifices and faced such harsh racism in Canada – critics say such gestures are meaningless without an official apology from the government of Canada, something that was given to Chinese-Canadians by Stephen Harper Conservatives who somehow feel South Asians-Indo-Canadians are not worthy. Prof Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation organizer and founder Sahib Thind told the LINK the Conservatives have been dividing the community by doling out grants to some groups while ignoring those who have been fighting to get an apology. By R. Paul Dhillon OTTAWA – Canada Post has unveiled a new stamp to mark 100 years since a ship full of mostly Sikh passengers who were turned away from Canada and sent back to India, where they were jailed or killed. While it honours Sikh pioneers who made such great sacrifices and faced such harsh racism – critics say such gestures are meaningless without an official apology from the government of Canada, something that was given to Chinese-Canadians by Stephen Harper Conservatives who somehow feel South Asians-Indo-Canadians are not worthy. The Komagata Maru arrived in Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet on May 23, 1914, carrying 376 British subjects, primarily Sikhs from India’s Punjab region, as well as a number of Hindus and Muslims, reported Canadian Press. The ship was denied permission to dock and only a handful of passengers were allowed to stay in Canada, with the rest remaining on the ship as it was escorted out of Canadian waters two months after its arrival. When the ship arrived in India, 19 of the passengers were shot and the rest were imprisoned. The international-rate stamp features an image of the Komagata Maru, with a group of men in Sikh turbans in the background. Prime Minister Stephen Harper did deliver an apology for the Komagata Maru incident in 2008, and the B.C. legislature passed a motion apologizing on behalf of the province the same year but politicians like Surrey-North NDP MP Jasbir Sandhu continue to push for an apology on the 100th anniversary of the Komagata Maru. Sandhu is not alone as other Sikh community groups like Prof Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation organizer and founder Sahib Thind has been very vocal as well. Thind told the LINK the Conservatives have been dividing the community by doling out grants to some groups while ignoring those who have been fighting to get an apology. “Due to the discriminatory “continuous journey” regulation, passengers were prevented from disembarking while the ship remained in Burrard Inlet for two months. Passengers were denied basic necessities, such as food and water,” MP Sandhu said in the House this week. This was one of several incidents in the early 20th century involving Canada’s exclusion laws designed to keep out immigrants of Asian origin and descent. Sandhu said the tragedy of the Komagata Maru marks a dark chapter in Canadian history, one that must be honoured by the recognition of the failures of our past and inspire us to pursue a more equal Canada for future generations. “Along with my NDP colleagues, I will continue to push for a formal official apology on the floor of the House of Commons for this tragedy. An apology is long overdue and a necessary part of the healing and reconciliation process,“ he said. Devinder Shory, Member of Parliament for Calgary Northeast, joined Prime Minister Stephen Harper, along with Conservative caucus colleagues, to unveil a new stamp in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Komagata Maru tragedy. “The Komagata Maru tragedy was an unfortunate black mark on our Canadian history,” said Calgary Conservative MP Devinder Shory, who joined Prime Minister Harper and his Conservative colleagues, including former MP Gurmant Grewal and his MP wife Nina Grewal, in unveiling the stamp in Ottawa on Wednesday. source http://thelinkpaper.ca/?p=37350
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