Canadian Sikhs demand 1914 episode in school curriculum
TORONTO: Canadian Sikhs have demanded that the 1914 Komagata Maru tragedy be made a part of Canada’s school curriculum, as they welcomed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s apology for the “great injustice” done to Indian migrants.
The World Sikh Organisation (WSO) has written to Canadian provincial ministers calling for the Komagata Maru incident to be included in school curricula.
“Prime Minster Trudeau’s apology in the House of Commons is a historic moment for Canadian Sikhs,” WSO president Mukhbir Singh said.
Singh said: “It was essential that the incident, as well as the anti-immigrant sentiment that fuelled the episode, be made a part of our provincial education curricula. It is important that we as Canadians teach our youngsters to confront issues such as racism and xenophobia and learning about the Komagata Maru incident is an excellent opportunity to do so,” he said.
The WSO has offered assistance to the provincial minsters of education in providing resources to help make the Komagata Maru a part of their education curricula, the organisation said in a statement.
Komagata Maru sailed into Vancouver harbour on May 23, 1914, from Hong Kong carrying 376 passengers, but most of the passengers were eventually turned away on the grounds of the “continuous journey clause” that allowed only travellers on a trip without interruption to land in Canada.
After two months in limbo in the harbour, the ship was escorted out of the harbour by the military. It returned to India and on its arrival, at least 19 people were killed in a skirmish with British soldiers, while others were jailed.
Trudeau apologised in the House of Commons on Wednesday.