What happened to Komagata Maru passengers in 1914?, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• In 1914, the Komagata Maru, a Japanese steamship, sailed from Hong Kong to Vancouver carrying 376 passengers of Indian origin.
• Canadian authorities refused to allow the ship to dock due to exclusionary laws, leading to a two-month standoff.
• Upon return to Calcutta, British authorities fired upon the passengers, resulting in 20 deaths and imprisonment of many others.
• The Komagata Maru incident fueled the Ghadar movement, an anti-colonial movement.
• Canada formally apologized for the incident in 2016.

Detailed Insights:

• By 1914, Punjab was a major recruitment area for the British Indian Army, but faced issues like rural debt and disease, pushing people to emigrate.
• The Ghadar movement, founded in 1913 by expatriate Punjabis, aimed to overthrow British rule in India and had members on the Komagata Maru.
• Canada's "continuous journey regulation" of 1908 and pressure on shipping companies aimed to block Indian immigration.
• After being denied entry and facing harsh conditions, only 22 passengers with prior Canadian residence were allowed to disembark.
• The Komagata Maru incident exposed the false promises of equality within the British Empire and remains a symbol of colonial injustice.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Ghadar Movement: An early 20th-century movement aiming to overthrow British rule in India through armed revolution.
• Continuous Journey Regulation: A 1908 Canadian law that denied entry to immigrants who did not travel directly from their country of origin.