Vancouver, BC. Sukhchain Brar. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaking from the floor of an institution thatonce enacted racist policies against large-scale Asian Immigrants, until late 1960’s, apologized Wednesday for the Koma Gata Maru tragic incident in 1914. All Indo-Canadian Mps from Canada were present in the Parliament, including a Delegation from British Columbia, comprising of few Family members of the 376 Victims who were not allowed to disembark from the Japanese Ship “Koma Gata Maru”, led by Baba Gurdit Singh.
Canada has a history of compensation, for the victims of discrimination , allocated for Chinese Head Tax, Air India , Kanishka families, who have been individually paid amounts ranging from $ 25,000 and more. Former Conservative prime Minister Stephen Harper instituted $ 10 Million dollars Fund for the “Kanishka Families”.
Koma Gata Maru India Foundation, Families spokesman Gursimran Singh, thanked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and requested him to establish $ 50 Million Dollars ” Koma Gata Maru Fund”, to build a Memorial in Calcutta and Amritsar, India and to preserve this Canadian-India History, so it is never repeated in Both the Countries.
BC Peoples Party President Vikram Bajwa, has invited the Families of Koma Gata Maru Foundation India, to Vancouver, Canada in August 2016.