In the beginning of the twentieth century, the economic situation in India, especially in the Punjab, was very critical. The chances of employment were insufficient and the wages were very low. This was the reason that the people of the Punjab, particularly the Sikhs, migrated to other parts of the British empire to earn their living. Most of them settled in Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore and Thailand. There were many opportunities for them to get employment in Canada and America due to rapid industrial development there. In reality, the then governments of the U.S.A. and Canada welcomed the labourers from abroad with open arms. Consequently, about ten thousand people, from the Punjab, majority of them being Sikhs, settled at Vancouver in Canada. Due to continuous migration of the Black people, the Canadian government became suspicious.

The Canadian government issued two ordinances in this respect. According to the first ordinance, there should be at least 200 dollars with the emigrant who desired to disembark at the Canadian shore and according to the second ordinance, it was compulsory for such a person to reach Canada on a single ticket by a single ship directly from his place of birth or from that country of which he was a citizen. According to these two ordinances, even the dependent children of the Indian immigrants who had settled in Canada much long ago could not migrate to Canada because they could not reach Canada directly travelling by a foreign country’s ship. It looks as if the Indian British Government was in league with the Canadian Government in this matter.

Efforts made by Baba Gurdit Singh. Baba Gurdit Singh, Sarhali, a wealthy trader of Singapore, thought of a strange plan, He floated a ship-navigation Co. in Hong Kong in 1913 A.D. and chartered a Japanese ship named ‘Kamagata Maru’ by which the Indian migrants could be taken to Canada straight away. He collected 370 passengers and the ship sailed for Canada from Singapore on 14th April, 1914. It reached the port of Vancouver on 23 May, 1914. Though these migrants fulfilled the conditions laid down in both the ordinances issued by the Canadian government yet they were not allowed to disembark.

First of all the passengers refused to return to India but when the government threatened to open fire on the ship, only then they gave in. They did not get permission to disembark at any harbour during their return journey and the ship reached a port known Budge-Budge situated near Calcutta (Kolkata) on 29th September, 1914.

They were ordered to. board a special train in order to send them to the Punjab where they had to be imprisoned under a recently promulgated ordinance known as Ingress into India Ordinance. These passengers were thoroughly searched and no weapons or arms were found. Most of the passengers did not wish to go to the Punjab. The passengers then marched in a procession towards Calcutta (Kolkata). A company of British soldiers overtook them on the way and compelled them to return to the railway station. In the conflict, the soldiers opened fire and nineteen persons were killed. Six soldiers were also killed.

The police arrested many persons whereas others„evaded arrest by taking to their heels. Baba Gurdit Singh managed to escape. The police could not trace him for seven years. At last, he produced himself for arrest at Nankana Sahib on the birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Ji in 1921 A.D.