Mr. Speaker, the Punjab assembly in India unanimously passed a resolution calling on the Canadian Parliament to apologize for the Komagata Maru incident.
The 1914 Komagata Maru incident was a dark moment in Canada's past, when 352 passengers aboard the steamship were denied entry into Canada based on a discriminatory immigration policy. The ship was forced to return to India and, as a result, 19 passengers were killed not to mention the many other hardships that were endured.
The petitioners ask that the Government of Canada provide a formal apology in Parliament with respect to the Komagata Maru incident of 1914. I thank the petitioners and the individuals who took the time to sign the petition.