Toronto: A section of a road in Abbotsford, British Columbia, will be called Komagata Maru Way in honour of the 376 Indians who travelled to Canada from India in 1914 but were turned away because to the dominion's pervasive racism. According to a report, the Abbotsford City Council unanimously decided to rename a section of South Fraser Way as Komagata Maru Way.
On April 4, 1914, the Japanese steamship “Komagata Maru” carrying 376 Indian passengers - 340 Sikhs, 24 Muslims and 12 Hindus - set sail from Hong Kong to the coast of British Columbia. These travellers wanted financial stability and a new place to call home. The hopeful immigrants were denied admission when the ship docked, and they were sent back to Budge Budge in Kolkata. When they arrived in Kolkata, the Indian Imperial Police made an attempt to capture them. As a result, there was a disturbance, and the ensuing police shooting resulted in the deaths of 22 individuals.
According to the report, the council was asked by the relatives of those who were on board the Komagata Maru in 1914 to recognise the humanitarian work done at the time by the South Asian community in Abbotsford. It stated that the Komagata Maru incident had a significant impact on the implementation of discriminatory immigration regulations in 1914. Councillor Dave Sidhu remarked that the action "shows a dedication to encouraging tolerance, and belonging to all citizens regardless of their cultural heritage."