Canada Finally Apologizes For 1914 Violent White Racist Rejection Of Sikh Asian Migrant Ship Komagata Maru

[genie]

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.

[genie]

The Canadian government seems like its treating the Sikhs better than any government on earth putting the British and Indian governments to deep shame.

Both the british and indian governments have the blood of millions of sikhs on their hands and have yet to apologise or give any recompense for their evil crimes and ill gotten gains of sikh lands and resources since the british invaded the sikh empire in 1840 and created the Indian union in 1947. In fact both establishments are in high debt to the Sikhs and like any villain in a plot of a story that they used and abused then tried to murder the very entity (the sikhs of punjab) that gave them so much and defended their freedom from their enemies in both world wars and in the 3 wars of india against pakistan .

Shame on the British and Indian establishments and high praise should be given to the Canadian govt especially with ustin Trudeau as its prime minister.

[KhoonKaBadlaKhoon]

The British should apologize if anyone. You cant just show up at a nations doorsteps uninvited and expected to be allowed in, especially in those days. Was there any law then ensured that British subjects could travel to any other country that is also a colony?

Some Sikhs actually want a chapter in the public school curriculum for this incident now. Embarrasing in my opinion. Pushing their luck.

[Ranjeet01]

Trudeau needs to apologise for his "elbow"

[Guest Jacfsing2]

Why is Canada apologizing for a British incident. The 1914 thing was more of a British thing than Canada, also while Britain had subjects all over the world, when was it easy for a person to travel to other places Britain owned?

[jkvlondon]

The British should apologize if anyone. You cant just show up at a nations doorsteps uninvited and expected to be allowed in, especially in those days. Was there any law then ensured that British subjects could travel to any other country that is also a colony?

Some Sikhs actually want a chapter in the public school curriculum for this incident now. Embarrasing in my opinion. Pushing their luck.

why embarassing? surely you would want to open white british eye's to the hidden history of brutality so they can understand why maybe not everyone wants to be their skivvy

[MisterrSingh]

why embarassing? surely you would want to open white british eye's to the hidden history of brutality so they can understand why maybe not everyone wants to be their skivvy

The white British (the average man) are reaching the end of their tether. It's exactly this kind of behaviour that they and other denominations of the White man are beginning to rally against.

The white man believes he's under attack; he believes his very existence is under threat by a global population that is laying all the blame for the ills of the world at his doorstep. This gesture, as satisfying as it may be for us, is another slap in the face for him; a perceived betrayal by his own in favour of the Other.

Even the apparently tolerant and welcoming indigenous white Canadian has started to grumble about how his country is full to the brim of third-world foreigners. The voices may be no more than a whisper at the moment, but the beginnings of something are definitely there. You've just got to know where to look.

[jkvlondon]

Trudeau needs to apologise for his "elbow"

already done it, you should read more news

[jkvlondon]

The white British (the average man) are reaching the end of their tether. It's exactly this kind of behaviour that they and other denominations of the White man are beginning to rally against.

The white man believes he's under attack; he believes his very existence is under threat by a global population that is laying all the blame for the ills of the world at his doorstep. This gesture, as satisfying as it may be for us, is another slap in the face for him; a perceived betrayal by his own in favour of the Other.

Even the apparently tolerant and welcoming indigenous white Canadian has started to grumble about how his country is full to the brim of third-world foreigners. The voices may be no more than a whisper at the moment, but the beginnings of something are definitely there. You've just got to know where to look.

they are at the end of their tether hmm? well it has not even created a slight hesitation in the continual interference in other countries over the past 100 years . The main common tendency amongst those anglo-saxon decendents the 'whingeing pom' gene , it is always everyone elses fault ...forget about the stealing of other's resources at gun and cannon mouth , the enslavement of humans and self-enrichment from their suffering , the continual blackmailing of impoverished countries to rip them off for meds, tech and trade. For me, what Guru ji said goes Ape Bij ap he hi Khao they are just reaping what they sowed

[genie]

The average white man has nothing to apologise for but what he is not entitled to is "white male privillage" ie that is being entitled to things above other race/coloured people simpley for him being a white male. Canadian white's are from europe they have no business complaining about immigrants when it was their ancestors who invaded the brown nation of indigneous native brown indian tribes. So if they make a fuss about immigrants they need to go back to europe as do the australians, as do the white south africans, as do the white people of the united states and south america's. The white population before the 16th century was purely concentrated in europe while brown coloured people populated south and north america and blacks the african continent. So it is the whites that have grown in number and expanded out to colonise other places through sheer brute force and killing the non-white indigenous populations.

Those leaders of western white nations who have transgressed people and exploit them in the past and want to live in a world where people care about humanity should apologise for the deeds of their forefathers and nations past.

Just as japan should apologise to china for the invasions and rape of nanaking and sexual exploitation of koren women. There is no harm in issuing apologies it shows they are civlised and humane people and not the monsters that they have been portrayed in history by the past deeds by their forefathers.