Special Report
Editorial
Op-Ed
Opinion
Columns

Politics
Literature
Music
Art & Culture
Sikh Religion
Rights
1984
Books
Education
Business

Entertainment
Lifestyle
Travel
Health
Heritage
Sports
Kids Corner

Panjab
India
Pakistan
South Asia
US of A
Canada
Asia-Pacific
UK
Europe
Middle East
Africa
World
 

Archives
Newsletter
Advertise

Obituaries

Feedback
Contact Us
About Us
Site Map

Komagata Maru -- The Film
WSN Bureau

Indo-Canadian director Deepa Mehta is planning a big-budget feature film about the Komagata Maru tragedy. And Amitabh Bachan is playing a high-profile character in the movie, that of Giani Gurditt Singh ji.

Many Sikhs of course wonder whether it would be an honour, given Bachhan’s track record of prejudiced comments against the Sikhs and open admiration of Indira Gandhi.

The Komagata Maru incident is one of Canada‘s darkest moments in history and the latest apology from a country that believes in multiculturalism is likely to give a boost to the movie.

Seema Biswas, who has been critically acclaimed in the international press for Water, and John Abraham will also play key roles in Komagata Maru.

British actor Terence Stamp is playing the crucial role of a lawyer in Komagata Maru.
The story of Komagata Maru starts in 1914, when a fairly well off Sikh, Gurdit Singh, living in Malaysia, decided to challenge the law by sending a shipload of Indians to Canada as immigrants.

He charted the Komagata Maru, a Japanese steamliner which after much trouble with authorities upped-anchor on April 4 with 150 Sikh passengers. More passengers were picked up on the way.

When Komagata Maru made it to Shanghai, a German cable company sent a message to the German press announcing the departure of the steamer Komagata Maru from Shanghai for Vancouver on April 14 with 400 Indians on board. The news of its departure reached the British Columbia authorities. Their instant reaction was that “Hindus would never be allowed to land in Canada."

On May 23, 1914, the Komagata Maru reached Vancouver and anchored near Burrard Inlet.

For two months the passengers of the Komagata Maru, the Indians in British Columbia, and the authorities of British Columbia were involved in a heated legal battle. In the end, only 24 passengers were given permission to legally stay in Canada and the ship was forced to return to Hong Kong.

25 June, 2008
 

Bookmark with

Reddit    Yahoo     Furl    Delicious