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Immortal Komagata Maru
In the year 1900 the
census reported 2050 people from India on the North American continent. The
majority of these people were Punjabis who had settled in Canada. They had come
with the hope of finding work so that they could improve their economic
situation from what it had been in the Punjab. Upon arrival in Canada they
encountered numerous hardships and discrimination. Canadians wanted the
"brown invasion" to stop. They felt that the growing number of Indians
would take over their jobs in factories, mills and lumber yards.
It was these insecurities
which led British Columbia to pass stringent laws discouraging the immigration
of Indians to Canada. Indians had to have at least $200 on their person to enter
British Columbia and had to have come via direct passage from India. These were
very unreasonable laws as the average Indian only earned about ten cents a day.
The Canadian government was also pressuring steamship companies to stop selling
tickets to Indians. In 1907 a bill was passed denying all Indians the right to
vote. They were prohibited to run for public office, serve on juries, and were
not permitted to become accountants, lawyers or pharmacists. All this was done
to stop the "brown Invasion." On the other hand Japanese and Chinese
were immigrating in unlimited numbers.
In 1914 the Komagata Maru
was an outright challenge to these exclusionist laws. The Komagata Maru was a
Japanese steamliner chartered by an affluent businessman, Gurdit Singh, to bring
Indian immigrants to Canada. The ship's route departed from Hong Kong, stopped
in Japan and then headed to Canada. Its passengers included 376 Indians, all
Punjabis, among whom 340 were Sikhs, 12 Hindus, and 24 Muslims. The ship was
eventually turned back at Vancouver where landing was refused, and terminated
eventually at Calcutta.
"Bhai Gurdit Singh,
Bhai Daljit Singh and his friend Bhai Vir Singh from Ferozepur were staying in
the Sikh Temple of Hong Kong in 1914. The story of Chief Justice Hunter's
judgment in Victoria, B.C., about the release of 39 Asian Indians was on
everybody's lips. The emigrants were overjoyed. Bhai Daljit Singh began
selling tickets for departures to Canada. However, the British Government of
Hong Kong was watching the activities of Bhai Gurdit Singh because the charter
of Komagata Maru was in his name. Two days before the ship was to sail, Bhai
Gurdit Singh was arrested by Hong Kong police on the charge of illegally
selling tickets for an illegal voyage and the ship placed under police guard.
The Sikh Police of Hong Kong were often used to terrorize prospective
emigrants.
"Bhai Gurdit Singh
was released on bail on March 24, 1914. Mr. Severn, chief secretary for the
Governor of Hong Kong, was known to Bhai Gurdit Singh while he was in Malaya.
Mr. Severn told Singh that he had been waiting instructions from England and
Canada, which never arrived. The governor granted Singh permission for passage
on April 4, 1914.
"That very day
Komagata Maru left Hong Kong with 150 passengers. On April 8 at Shanghai, 111
emigrants boarded the ship, and on April 14, at the Port of Moji, 86, at the
Yokohama port, 14 more passengers boarded the Komagata Maru totalling 376
passengers. From Moji, Bhai Gurdit Singh took 1500 tons of coal to sell in
Canada and had intended to buy lumber from B.C. to sell back in the East.
Finally, the Komagata Maru left Yokohama on May 3, 1914.
 "[There were words
of caution from several quarters to the passengers.] Bhai Balwant Singh
travelled in the Komagata Maru from Moji to Kobe and explained to the
passengers the attitude of the British Government of India, Britain, and
Canada towards their mission. Gyani Bhagwan Singh, who was forcibly deported
from Canada on November 19, 1913, also the passengers at Yokohama and told
them the story of his own deportation. Mahamad Barkatullah, the great teacher,
who was professor of Hindustani in the University of Tokyo, also met the
passengers of Maru in Yokohama.
When Komagata Maru made
it to Shanghai, a German cable company sent a message to the German press
announcing the departure of the steamer Komagata Maru from Shanghai for
Vancouver on April 14 with "400 Indians on board..."
"The news was
picked up by British press. The Vancouver daily "Province",
published the inflammatory news report under the heading of "Boat Loads
of Hindus on Way to Vancouver". The British Columbia press began giving
such headlines to their articles as "Hindu Invasion of Canada".
 The news of its departure
reached the British Columbia authorities. Their instant reaction was that
"Hindus would never be allowed to land in Canada." The Indians who had
already settled in Canada had also started to prepare for the arrival of the
Komagata Maru. Meetings were held in the Gurdwaras concerning what actions to
take. Money and provisions were collected to help the passengers upon their
arrival in Vancouver. The entire Indian community in Canada united to fight the
opposition.
 On May 23, 1914, the
Komagata Maru reached Vancouver and anchored near Burrard Inlet. Both the
Indians and the Canadian authorities had been waiting for it. The Canadians
wanted to send the ship back to where it had originated. The Indians on the
other side had lawyers, money and other provisions ready to help the passengers.
The Canadian authorities did not let the passengers leave the boat claiming they
had violated the exclusionist laws. The claim was that the ship had not arrived
via direct passage and most passengers did not have the $200 that would have
qualified them to enter British Columbia. For two months the passengers of the
Komagata Maru, the Indians in British Columbia, and the authorities of British
Columbia were involved in a heated legal battle. At the end of the two months
only 24 passengers were given permission to legally stay in Canada. On July 23,
1914 the Komagata Maru was forced to leave Victoria harbor and return to Hong
Kong.
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