The refusal of 376 American immigrants in the 1914 Komagata Maru event was a stark reminder of how Ottawa undertook its own goals, and Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney pleaded with the public to make sure that these injustices are not repeated. After a lengthy trip across the Pacific, the Komagata Maru, a Chinese boat, anchored in Vancouver’s harbor in 1914. The 376 people on board, who were of Sikh, Muslim, and Hindu faiths, were reported to have travelled to Canada to find refuge, but were denied entry and unfortunately forced to return to India by the government. But, Canadian authorities denied them access despite using anti-discrimination and restrictive laws. For two weeks, passengers on board the ship were denied access to food, water, and health care. Many of them were imprisoned or killed that when they were forced to return, he said in the speech. The Komagata Maru horror serves as a stark warning of how undervalued Canadian principles were at times throughout our past. We can’t change the past, but we must fight it, he said, and to work with function to prevent future injustices from occurring again. In this way, inclusion can be lived, practiced, and protected, he continued. The PM added that to live in harmony with the past is to learn from it, and to work is to understand from it.
