2014 - Komagata Maru Incident | Commemorative Coin

The 3rd commemorative coin for the year 2014 was released on occasion of 'Centenary of Komagata Maru Incident'.

The Komagata Maru incident refers to a historical event that occurred in 1914 involving the Komagata Maru, a Japanese steamship carrying 376 passengers, primarily immigrants from Punjab, British India. The ship arrived in Vancouver, Canada, on May 23, 1914, but was denied docking by the Canadian authorities due to discriminatory immigration laws.

The passengers aboard the Komagata Maru were mainly Sikh immigrants who sought better economic opportunities in Canada. However, the Canadian government, enforcing exclusionary immigration policies aimed at restricting South Asian immigration, refused entry to the passengers. The ship was held in quarantine in Vancouver Harbor for two months.

After a prolonged standoff, the Canadian military escorted the Komagata Maru out of the harbor on July 23, 1914, and forced it to sail back to India. The incident highlighted the systemic racism and discrimination faced by South Asian immigrants during that period.

Upon the ship's return to Calcutta (now Kolkata) in September 1914, the British Imperial Government considered the passengers as political agitators. An attempt to arrest Baba Gurdit Singh, one of the leaders, led to a confrontation, resulting in police firing in which 19 passengers were killed. Baba Gurdit Singh managed to escape, while the remaining passengers were sent to Punjab.

The Komagata Maru incident remains a significant chapter in the history of Indian immigration, symbolizing the challenges faced by immigrants and the fight against discriminatory immigration policies.

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