Komagata Maru
Why were the Asians not let to enter in Canada?
This Journey started in 1914 when British ruled India.It was when people from Pakistan and India who struggled to raise their family.It was when these people had to do something for their family's.So then the men thought of living in Vancouver,BC,Canada so the men could raise their family's.The men didn't bring their children and their wives because the men wanted to settle down in Canada first.Probably after a few days all the Asians got together so they can put all their money together because it is the law of Canada that each person that enters Canada must pay $200 and also have to come to Canada on a non-stop journey to Canada if they don't then they can't enter Canada.It was time when they rented a big boat named Komagata Maru that came from Hong Kong.The day the boat arrived to India everybody boarded the ship they're we're 376 passengers which had 12 Hindus,24 Muslims and 340 Sikhs on the ship.The ship had left on the 4th of April of 1914 and took 2 months to get there.On May 23 the ship finally got to Vancouver,BC,Canada.The Asians were really happy because they thought this was a new beginning ,where they can be free where they can be happy ,where they won't get tortured and many more things. When they arrived closer to the land of Canada the Canadian government stopped the Asians to enter because Canada wanted a white mans country.Everybody was really shocked because they thought that Canada was a multi- cultural Country.Then the Canadian government told them that you must leave Canadian territory.The Asians had made a decision that they would not leave until the Canadian government would let them on the Canadian land.On since the Komagata Maru had been waiting on the water with no food or water because the Canadian government did not allow them to go on Canadian land.On June 23 exactly after 2 months the Canadian navy came to Vancouver with their 6 inch guns Komagata Karu was forced to go back to South Asia.So then their trip was 4 months long. When the Komagata Maru got to Calcutta,India they were stopped by the British because the British did not wan't them to enter Calcutta. They said that they're going to send them in a train to Punjab,India but a Sikh refused and a British police officer attacked him then everybody started fighting.Some of the people had died and the rest were sent to Punjab by train.
Finally after 92 years on May 26,2006 the Canadian government apologized for what horrible thing that Canada did to them. After all of this I am very disappointed in what Canada did.
Sources
http://sikhpioneers.org/komagata%20maru.htm
http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/komagata-maru-incident-violation-human-rights
http://komagatamarujourney.ca/incident
http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/newsrelease/7354
http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/bc/komagata_maru_incident/
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/archives_komagatamaru.htm