THE EMIGRANT HINDUS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 144, 19 June 1915, Page 10

THE EMIGRANT HINDUS.

The attempt of 500 Hindus to force an entry into Canada is recalled by th© arrival at Sydney on 31st May of the famous Komagata Maru, the Japanese vessel by which the Hindus travelled to Vancouver. Captain Yamamoto still has command of the steamer, and he tells an interesting story. At the outset it is significant that the Komagata Maru is said to have been chartered by the frickery of a German agent in Hongkong. It is considered possible that the whole iucident wae intimately connected with the outbreak which followed in Europe. After the vessel was chartered, Gurdit Singh, a leader of the Hindus, appeared on the steamer, and he seems to have profited considerably from the venture, as he charged each Hindu £20 for the passage. He assured them that there would be no difficulty in landing in Canada, and the voyage was duly commenced. Vancouver was reached in due course, and then the Canadian Custom authorities refused the Hindus a landing. Instead, armed guards were placed on the ship day and night, and this created much unrest, with the result that meetings were held on tile ship almost every half-hour, bnt apart from awful threats nothing eventuated. Later, the cruiser Rainbow arrived, and the Hindus gave in. # On their return to India there was rioting, and a number of lives were lost in the disturbance. Of the original 500, only 19 escaped, but Gurdit Singh managed to evade the authorities.,