Komagata Maru | SabrangIndia

Modi government repeats Komagata Maru history in It’s worst form

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 03:54:13 +0000

Even as Canada repents the racist incident of 1914, the right-wing Hindu supremacist government of India has taken a leaf from history to deny refuge to Muslims coming from neighbouring countries.

The Japanese vessel carrying more than 300 South Asian passengers from British India had arrived at Vancouver on July 23, 1914. Since British Columbia was part of the British dominion, they had come as British subjects to earn their livelihood in this part of the world. However, under a discriminatory immigration law aimed at keeping Canada a white man’s land, the Komagata Maru ship was forced to return after remaining stranded in the waters of Burrard Inlet for two months.

The current Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has already apologized for the episode in the House of Commons.More than a century later, the history is being repeated by the India government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP, which wants to transform India into majoritarian Hindu state, had recently passed a controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill, which openly discourages Muslims coming to India as refugees from the neighbouring countries. Among these countries are Muslim dominated Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The bill is intended to ensure smooth immigration of non-Muslims, especially Hindus from these countries to India. The BJP claims that these groups have been facing religious persecution in these countries, although it goes against the spirit of Indian Constitution that is based on the principles of secularism and diversity. Being a secular democracy, India cannot discriminate so shamelessly and blatantly against any religious group. This Bill is today Indian law.

It goes without saying that there are some Muslim groups, such as Shias, Ahmediyas or even Mohajirs, who face inequality in Pakistan. How can one deny refuge to them? A situation that constantly brings climate refugees, irrespective of their religious beliefs, to India has nothing to do with the socio-political environment in these countries. One does not need a PhD to guess what the motivations of this government are. They have clearly picked on countries that are frequently demonized by the BJP government as exporters of Islamic extremism, in order to polarize Hindus against Muslims. It is worth mentioning that attacks on Muslims have grown under Modi ever since he became the Prime Minister in 2014 and got re-elected this year with more seats. The state of Gujarat had witnessed anti-Muslim pogrom in 2002 under his watch. Modi, who was the Chief Minister of the state back then, had alleged Pakistan based Islamic extremists of burning a train carrying Hindu pilgrims. More than 50 people had died in the incident that was instantly blamed on Pakistan, following which thousands of Muslims were killed by mobs across Gujarat.

It’s a shame that the Indian officials in Canada continue to celebrate the history of Komagata Maru and won’t shy away from staking claims in the story, whereas in their own home country, they are raising walls against refugees in the name of religion. Their attitude is no different than that of the British, who wanted to keep India divided on religious lines to prolong their rule. Ironically, Gurdit Singh, who charted the Komagata Maru, had shared in his memoirs that the British were partly upset with him as he had given space to everyone, including Hindus, Muslims and the Sikhs, on the vessel to practice their religions. This shows how the founding fathers of modern India had tried to build an inclusive society, by taking everyone along in their fight against colonialism and racism, and yet the present day Indian leadership is bent upon destroying that dream. It is time for Canada to wake up and see what’s going on in India. If Trudeau really cares for Komagata Maru, he should intervene and let Modi know that this is not going to be tolerated, and if Modi doesn’t listen then he must think of slapping sanctions against the Indian government.

Indians Abroad for Pluralist India has organized a rally against the divisive Citizenship Amendment Act on Sunday, December 22 at 3 pm at Holland Park in Surrey.

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In Its Attitude To Rohingyas, the Modi government is Repeating Komagata Maru: Indian Immigrants Forced Back from Canada, 1914

Sat, 23 Sep 2017 09:51:08 +0000

What binds Kyi with Modi or US President Donald Trump is that they are all indulging in populist politics that thrives on majoritarianism. In the name of security, all three governments are scapegoating Muslims to polarise Buddhists, Hindus and Christians against them.

Sikhs aboard Komagata Maru in Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet, 1914 Image: Wikipedia.org

If Trudeau is really sorry for what happened to the passengers of Komagata Maru hundred years ago he should now stand up for Rohingyas as he is the only hope in the International politics that seems to be dominated by extreme right.

If the attitude of the Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government in India toward Rohingya refugees is any indication, it is repeating the history of Komagata Maru.

The Japanese vessel carrying more than 300 South Asian passengers from India was forced to return by the Canadian government from Vancouver in 1914. The decision was made under a discriminatory immigration law that was passed to keep Canada as white man’s country.

These passengers had come to Canada as British subjects to earn their livelihood. Both India and Canada were British colonies back then. When the ship arrived, there was a wide spread racist backlash from the media and right wing politicians.
Under pressure from the white nationalists, the ship was forcibly returned. When Komagata Maru reached India, the British Indian police suspected that many of the passengers might have turned into subversives and tried to arrest them upon reaching near Calcutta as a result there was a scuffle between the police and the passengers that led to police firing which left several people dead on September 29, 1914.

Only last year, the Canadian government formally apologised for the racist episode in the House of Commons. While Komagata Maru tragedy remains etched in the collective memory of the Indo Canadians, the government of India the country many of them were born in is taking the society backward.

Following large scale violence by the Buddhist extremists and Myanmar army targeting Rohingyas mainly Muslims and a very few Hindus, thousands of refugees are now seeking shelter in India on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
The refugee crisis was triggered by army repression following an attack by Rohingya militants seeking autonomy and citizenship rights for their people . But the right wing BJP government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not willing to accept them with open arms.

While some are raising security concerns citing Rohingya militancy that they claim might spill over to India if these refugees were allowed to stay back, the more hawkish BJP supporters have gone to the extent of suggesting that only Hindu refugees be allowed to stay and Muslims be sent back. Such hateful statements are no different from the ones that were directed at Komagata Maru passengers and other South Asian immigrants by the white supremacists who also emphasized that the immigration from India will create problems. They even threatened Edward Bird, a lawyer who defended the ship passengers much as the BJP supporters are attacking people who are defending Rohingyas on social media.

Activists for social within the Indo Canadian community cannot overlook this connection. For those who care about the history of the Komagata Maru struggle it has become even more relevant today in the light of Rohingya refugee crisis. Not only the right wing government in India but Canada’s Liberal government also need to be made accountable for what is happening in that part of the world where a section of the population has become stateless people.

After all, Canada has given the leader of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi an honorary citizenship for fighting against military regime in the past. As she remains complicit in the crimes against Rohingyas, the Canadian government that claims to be human rights leader in the world should take away her honorary citizenship.

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