NDP motion raises ghosts of Komagata Maru

NDP Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Critic Jenny Kwan, MP for Vancouver East, is calling on the Liberal government to officially apologize for the Komagata Maru incident.
In 2002, the Professor Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation of Canada initiated a petition calling for a respectful apology from the Canadian government. Past governments refused.
In 2014, attending Mela Gadri Babian Da, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a pre-election commitment  that he would make a formal apology for the Komagata Maru incident within the first 90 days of his mandate.
“It’s now 2016, more than 100 days into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s mandate, and we are still waiting for the formal apology in the House of Commons”, said Sahib Thind, President of Professor Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation of Canada.
“The descendants of those who were on the Komagata Maru need closure and they deserve the respect to have a formal apology in the House of Commons,” said Kwan. 
“If the Liberals want real change from the Conservatives, they would listen to the community, support this motion and officially apologize for the Komagata Maru.”
The Komagata Maru marks a dark chapter in Canadian history. Nearly 400 passengers were refused entry into Canada under a discriminatory law and sent back to India where 20 of them were killed.
“New Democrats have been pushing for years to have this formal apology made in the House of Commons,” added Kwan.

 

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