Part of a road in Canada to be renamed ‘Komagata Maru Way’

A portion of a road in Abbotsford in Canadas British Columbia province will be renamed Komagata Maru Way in memory of the 376 Indians who sailed to Canada from India in 1914, but were denied entry in the dominion due to the prevalent racist policies.

A portion of a road in Abbotsford in Canada's British Columbia province will be renamed Komagata Maru Way in memory of the 376 Indians who sailed to Canada from India in 1914, but were denied entry in the dominion due to the prevalent racist policies. The Abbotsford City Council voted unanimously last week to rename a portion of South Fraser Way to Komagata Maru Way, local newspaper, the Surrey-Now Leader reported. The Komagata Maru incident involved the Japanese steamship "Komagata Maru '' carrying 376 Indian passengers – 340 Sikhs, 24 Muslims and 12 Hindus – set sail from Hong Kong on April 4, 1914 to the coast of British Columbia. These passengers were in search of a new home and economic security. Upon the ship's arrival, the hopeful immigrants were denied entry and forced to return to Budge Budge in Kolkata. When they reached Kolkata, the Indian Imperial Police attempted to arrest them, following which a riot ensued and the subsequent police firing led to the deaths of 22 people.

The move comes after descendants of the members aboard the Komagata Maru in 1914, asked a previous council to commemorate the humanitarian role played by Abbotsford's South Asian community at the time, the report said. "The Komagata Maru event was a significant event in the application of racist and exclusionary immigration laws in 1914," it said. "The gesture shows a commitment to promoting and understanding inclusiveness, and belonging to all residents regardless of their cultural background. It sends a strong message to our future generations that we must look ... to make sure we have a just society for everybody,'' Councillor Dave Sidhu told Surrey-Now Leader.

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