First Indians in Canada: The story of their struggle and resilience

Mayo Singh founded the Paldi colony successful Canada’s Victoria Island. (Cowichan Valley Museums and Archives)

Initially, they escaped the radical wrath aimed astatine the Chinese and Japanese. But arsenic the recession struck, locals began to resent them. Tensions escalated erstwhile the Vancouver Trades and Labour Council formed the Asiatic Exclusion League successful August 1907, with the politician and councillors among its founders. They feared that Asian immigrants would 1 time outrun British Columbia’s achromatic population. A period later, a rally connected Labour Day by its members, who were carrying “Keep Canada white” placards, turned into a riot arsenic they ransacked Chinatown. Around the aforesaid time, determination were akin anti-Asian riots successful Bellingham, Washington, San Francisco and different West Coast cities successful the United States. Barrington Walker, a prof astatine Wilfrid Laurier University’s Department of History whose probe focuses connected contention and immigration, attributes this rage to “economic contention and the thought that Asians would enactment for debased wages”.

As the Justin Trudeau authorities tightens migration rules successful effect to rising anti-immigrant sentiment crossed the country, a consciousness of déjà vu stirs among those who callback the struggles of aboriginal settlers.

Kesur Singh, a Risaldar Major successful the 25th Cavalry of the Frontier Force, is contiguous considered the archetypal Indian settler successful Canada. (The Navy and Army Illustrated)

The discrimination

Soon aft the contention riots of 1907, galore Indians were thrown retired of their jobs and homes, scores were bullied connected the streets, and the assemblage was often reviled by the section media. They were besides stripped of their close to vote. But they persevered, uncovering spot successful the Khalsa Diwan Society. Established successful Vancouver successful 1906, it built Canada’s archetypal gurdwara, which was besides the archetypal successful North America.

However, the Canadian authorities was determined to halt the influx of Asians. In January 1908, it introduced the “continuous journey” regulation, which mandated that migrants could lone get astatine a Canadian larboard from their state of origin. It further required each incoming Asians to person $200, compared to the $20 required of Europeans. The British Columbia authorities besides attempted to nonstop Indian immigrants to British Honduras, but they refused.

The anti-Indian sentiment reached its nadir successful 1914, erstwhile 376 Punjabis arrived successful British Columbia via the “continuous passage” travel connected the Komagata Maru, but lone 24 were allowed entry. After languishing connected the vessel for months, they were forced to permission by HMCS Rainbow, a Canadian naval vessel. British constabulary attempted to apprehension their person Gurdit Singh erstwhile they docked astatine Budge Budge Port successful Calcutta. The men protested and the constabulary opened fire, sidesplitting 18 of them and jailing the rest, though Gurdit managed to escape. Today, a memorial to these men stands astatine Vancouver Harbour.

Despite their hardships, the Indian assemblage often protested against this discriminatory attraction successful Canada. Guru Dutt Kumar tried to springiness South Asians a dependable done the newspaper Swadesh Sevak. Bhag Singh, the president of the Khalsa Diwan Society, visited India to unit the authorities to instrumentality action. Community members besides took to the streets to protestation their conditions.

D P Pandia, a Madras-born England-educated barrister, came to Canada connected a lecture circuit successful 1939. He went connected to enactment backmost and assistance the Indian assemblage successful Canada combat for their rights.

The ‘Canadianization’

Despite this unrest, much Punjabis migrated to Canada successful the 1920s aft restrictions connected bringing women and children were lifted. This marked the opening of what is often referred to arsenic “Canadianization.” Among those who unknowingly pioneered this question was Mayo Singh Manhas from Paldi colony adjacent Jalandhar. In his 20s, Mayo made his mode to British Columbia via California, yet purchasing timber rights from the Canadian Pacific Railway successful 1916 and founding the Mayo Lumber Company Ltd. Mayo gradually bought 1,300 acres and established a colony called Paldi connected Victoria Island. Joan Mayo, his daughter-in-law who authored Paldi Remembered in 1997, writes, “With the accomplishment of respective women from India, the assemblage truly sprang to life. The colony of Paldi became a unsocial taste substance of East Indians, Japanese, Chinese, and whites. All spoke a signifier of breached English, unsocial to Paldi, started archetypal by the men successful the workplace and continued by the children who knew lone the connection of their parents.” Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had a repast astatine Mayo’s location successful Paldi during his sojourn to British Columbia. Though Mayo passed distant successful 1955, the Paldi gurdwara helium built successful 1919 continues his contented of the yearly Jor Mela successful July, coinciding with Canada Day celebrations.

Although the hardworking assemblage prospered each implicit Canada, they felt similar second-class citizens arsenic they had nary voting rights. Then, they enlisted the assistance of D P Pandia, a Madras-born England-educated barrister who came to Canada connected a lecture circuit successful 1939. Impressed by his presentation, Kartar Singh, an exertion who started respective publications successful Canada to assistance Indians accommodate to Canadian life, and Kapoor Singh Siddoo, an influential businessman successful Vancouver, asked him to enactment connected and assistance successful their struggle.

Before focusing connected securing voting rights, Pandia began by securing amnesty for 218 Punjabis detained for deportation by migration authorities. The archetypal insignificant triumph came successful 1945, erstwhile each those who had fought successful World War II were granted voting rights. In 1947, each antheral immigrants received the close to vote, coinciding with India’s Independence. Pandia stayed connected successful Vancouver, wherever helium passed distant successful 1999, good aft Punjab-born Gurbax Singh Malhi became the archetypal Indian to beryllium elected to the Canadian Parliament successful 1993.

Today, Indian-origin politicians are profoundly embedded successful some national and provincial politics. Earlier this month, the British Columbia Assembly welcomed a grounds 14 legislators with roots successful Punjab. The aboriginal settlers would person been proud.