Canada Post will release unique booklet of 6 international-rate stamps. Released in connection with Asian Heritage Month, this stamp recognizes the significance of the Komagata Maru incident and commemorates its 100thanniversary.
Canada Post, will be releasing a stamp on May 1 ( formally to be released on May 6, 2014 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Komagata Maru incident, when a Japanese-owned ship carrying South Asian passengers was denied entry upon arrival in Canadian waters.
A sad moment in Canada’s history
On May 23, 1914 the Komagata Maru, carrying 376 South Asian passengers of mostly Sikh background, was refused permission to land in Vancouver due to the laws in place to discourage non-white immigrants from entering Canada. Instead of a journey for a better life, the passengers arriving in Vancouver were denied food and water, and were not allowed to disembark.
After two months of waiting and hoping to be granted entry, the majority of the passengers on board the Komagata Maru were forced to leave Vancouver on July 23, 1914. This event lead the passengers to face further conflicts after they had landed in Calcutta, India.
Toronto: The Canadian postal department, Canada Post, has decided to release a stamp on 1st May 2014, commemorating the centenary of Komagata Maru incident in 1914 that involved forced return of 376 passengers from the Vancouver Harbor to India.
This $2.50 stamp will be formally released in Ottawa by federal Employment and Multicultural Minister Jason Kenney and Canada Post President and CEO Deepak Chopra.
“The South Asian community is proud that part of its history is being remembered,” the Canada Post said in a press statement.
Komagata Maru, a Japanese steamship hired by influential Sikh Baba Gurdit Singh, was boarded by 376 Indians and set sail for Canada in 1914. The Indians were not allowed to disembark at Vancouver city in Canada and the ship was sent back. On reaching India, the British government ordered firing on passengers as the ship anchored at Budge Budge port near Kolkata.
“The Komagata Maru Foundation has done a good job educating people in the South Asian community, but there are still many Canadians who do not know about the incident,” Foundation President Harbhan Gill said. “We’d love this stamp to prompt questions. This is part of Canadian history.”
However, according to Toronto-based stamp collector Prakash Mody and a few others, Canada Post is doing a half-hearted job as it is issuing only $$2.50 Komagata Maru stamp. It means as an international stamp (which’s $2.50 denomination), it will only be used by Canadians for mailing international letters (United States not included). And so, Canadians won’t be able to see it while receiving mail or sending mail within the country.
To Mody’s dismay Canada Post is printing only 250,000 of these stamps and not the usual 1.5-million stamps.
“If Canada Post wanted to publicize (as they mentioned in their write-up) this historical event, then they could have (and should have) issued this stamp at regular Canadian rate (85 cents) and should have printed their normal run of 1.5-million stamps,” he said.
When approached, Canada Post President Deepak Chopra said he would make a statement and answer any questions related to this stamp on May 6 when the stamp will be formally released.
“Forced to leave Vancouver on July 23 (1914), the passengers (aboard Komagata Maru) returned to India, where approximately 20 of them were shot and others imprisoned. Even though it was a sad event, Canadians should take away a happy message. We’ve learned from those mistakes and made positive, inspiring changes in (the last) 100 years,” Gill said.
Mr Prakash Mody, noted philatelist from Canada expresses his views on this issue in a letter to The Chairman, Canada Post and Philatelic Advisory Committee. Here are some points to ponder given by Mr Mody in his letter.
I am happy that on May 1, Canada Post (CP) is issuing a stamp on Komagata Maru incident. I don't know why was this Komagata Maru stamp is not issued of a domestic - permanent rate and instead issued of $2.50 international rate denomination? May be that Indo-Canadians may use it for writing to India but that number may be small (they use emails) and that way only few would come to know about this event. Canadians may not know about this black dot in history!
The quantity printed is only 250,000 instead of usual around 1.5 million stamps! If CP wanted to publicise, as mentioned in Details, this historical event, it could have issued of domestic rate with more quantity. I hope that wide publicity is given of the special function to release the stamp at Ottawa.
Views and Opinion
Some people said despite this being a historical decision to recount Canadian history, Canada Post is doing a half-hearted job as it’s issuing only $$2.50 Komagata Maru stamp. It means as an international stamp (which’s $2.50 denomination), it will only be used by Canadians for mailing international letters (United States not included). So, Canadians won’t be able to see it while receiving mail or sending mail within the country, says Toronto-based stamp collector Prakash Mody.
Moreover, to his dismay, Canada Post is printing only 250,000 of these stamps and not usual 1.5-million stamps. “If Canada Post wanted to publicize (as they mentioned in their write-up) this historical event, then they could have issued (and should have) issued this stamp of regular Canadian rate (58 cents) and should have printed their normal run of 1.5-million stamps,” he says.
When approached, Canada Post President Chopra said he would make a statement and answer any questions related to this stamp on May 6 when the stamp will be formally released .
“Forced to leave Vancouver on July 23 (1914), the passengers (aboard Komagata Maru) returned to India, where approximately 20 of them were shot and others imprisoned.
“Even though it was a sad event, Canadians should take away a happy message. We’ve learned from those mistakes and made positive, inspiring change in 100 years,” says Gill. “We’re a new Canada, one that treats everyone as equal.”
Mody has for years been pursuing with Canada Post the idea of a Diwali stamp, as Diwali in Canada and elsewhere is no more deemed only as a Hindu Festival. It has assumed to some extent the same meaning as Christmas. Most Canadians now know what the Festival of Lights is.
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