Komagata Maru and Minority Community

Ottawa South Asians: Fast forward more than a century and South Asians are the single largest visible minority community in the country, with Statistics Canada estimating that they will represent one in every three people in the Toronto area alone by 2031, according to Guelph Mercury. The community influence is also reflected in the corridors of power in Ottawa — 23 South Asians, 17 of them Sikh, were elected last fall. Related Stories Komagata Maru: a chronology of... Prof hopes Komagata Maru apology... Brampton MP unveils Komagata Maru... Her great-great grandfather chartered the ship Komagata Maru, filled it with 376 Indian passengers, nearly all of them Sikhs, and they sailed to the shores of British Columbia in search of a new life. It expected all will be on hand Wednesday for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau historic apology for what happened next with the Komagata Maru some 102 years ago. The ship was forced back to India, where 19 were killed in a skirmish with British authorities and dozens of others were imprisoned or forced into hiding, including Randhawa great-great grandfather. Canadian officials refused to allow the Indians in, arguing the ship passengers were violating immigration laws even though they were British subjects just like every other Canadian of the time. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.