Komagata Maru reminder how Canada failed to uphold its values, says Carney

Prime Minister Mark Carney said the 1914 Komagata Maru incident in which 376 Indian immigrants were refused entry by Canada is a “stark reminder” of how the country fell short of its values and asked the countrymen to ensure that such injustices are never repeated and build a future where inclusion is not a slogan, but a reality.

In 1914, the Komagata Maru, a Japanese steamship, anchored in Vancouver’s harbour after a long journey across the Pacific.

The 376 people aboard, of Sikh, Muslim and Hindu faiths, arrived seeking refuge and dignity, Carney said.

“Canadian authorities, however, using exclusionary and discriminatory laws, refused them entry,” he said in a statement commemorating the Komagata Maru incident on Friday.

Recalling their ordeal, Carney said for two months, passengers were detained on the ship and denied access to food, water, and medical care.

“When they were forced to return to India, many were imprisoned or killed there,” he said. “The Komagata Maru tragedy is a stark reminder of how, in moments of our history, Canada fell short of the values we hold dear,” the Canadian Prime Minister said.

“We cannot rewrite the past, but we must confront it; to act with purpose, to ensure that such injustices are never repeated, and to build a stronger future where inclusion is not a slogan, but a reality – lived, practised, and defended...Let this solemn anniversary serve as a call of remembrance and conscience. To honour the past is to learn from it,” Carney added.