Canada Post commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Komagata Maru with new stamp.
The Komagata Maru was a chartered Japanese steamship that sailed in 1914 from Hong Kong to British India to Canada, carrying 376 migrants. When the migrants arrived in Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet, 352 migrants, mainly Sikh, were denied entry from authorities due to an exclusionary immigration policy called the Continuous Passage Act.
Passengers argued that the law didn’t apply, as they were British subjects, since India and Canada were still considered British colonies. The 20 granted entry were returning residents and the ship’s doctor and family; the remaining hundreds were forced to sail back to India.
When the passengers arrived back in India, World War I had started, and they were viewed as political agitators. Twenty passengers were shot after disembarking, while many were imprisoned under the charge of carrying out seditious activity.
The exclusionary law remained intact until 1947, which meant that immigrants were denied entry unless they had made a continuous journey from their country of origin.
Passengers of the Komagata Maru in Vancouver Harbour/ montrealgazette
On May 6, Canada Post unveiled a stamp commemorating the Komagata Maru incident. Deepak Chopra, the president and CEO of Canada Post stated, “Canada Post’s stamps tell the stories of our history. But we don’t just commemorate our heroic events our nation is also shaped by the failures of its past. Events like Komagata Maru have helped encourage Canadians to make it a priority to build a more free and welcoming society that today doesn’t just tolerate diversity, but thrives by it.”
The unveiling of the stamp was held by Canada Post at Parliament Hill to kick off Asian Heritage Month.
Featured Image: vancitybuzz
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