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THE GADAR

HEROICSThe forgotten saga of overseas Indians who

staked their lives to free India from the British

INDER SINGH AND SAYANTAN CHAKRAVARTY

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First edition printed in May 2013 by India Empire Publications

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This book is dedicated to the high humanspirit of freedom and to all those who’ve strived to attain liberty for themselves and their nations

ContentsPages

Foreword ......................................................................................................... 06 to 09Acknowledgement ..................................................................................................... 10Introduction ............................................................................................................... 11Proclamation .............................................................................................................. 12

Section Cover: Introductory Articles ..................................................... 13 to 31Gadar—Overseas Indians Attempt to Free India from British Slavery ............... 14GOPIO’s Role .............................................................................................................. 24Gadar Memorial Hall, San Francisco ....................................................................... 27Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Hall, Jalandhar ..................................................................... 30Memorial Day for Indian Americans ....................................................................... 31

Section Cover: The Gadar Leadership .................................................. 33 to 43Sohan Singh Bhakna .................................................................................................. 34Lala Har Dayal ............................................................................................................ 38Kartar Singh Sarabha ................................................................................................ 41

Section Cover: Lahore Conspiracy and Other Trials ........................... 45 to 123Bhai Balwant Singh .................................................................................................... 47Harnam Singh Tundilat ............................................................................................. 50Harnam Singh Kala Sangha ....................................................................................... 53Baba Jawala Singh ..................................................................................................... 56Dr. Mathra Singh ........................................................................................................ 59Munsha Singh Dukhi .................................................................................................. 62Pakhar Singh Dhudike ............................................................................................... 65Bhai Parmanand ......................................................................................................... 68Bhai Piara Singh Langeri ........................................................................................... 71Bhai Randhir Singh .................................................................................................... 74Vishnu Ganesh Pingle ................................................................................................ 77Sant Baba Wasakha Singh ......................................................................................... 80Chuhar Singh .............................................................................................................. 83Gurmukh Singh Lalton .............................................................................................. 85Ishar Singh Dhudike .................................................................................................. 87Jagat Singh .................................................................................................................. 89Jawand Singh ............................................................................................................. 91Bhai Kartar Singh Nawan Chand ............................................................................. 93Nand Singh Kaila ........................................................................................................ 95Nidhan Singh Chuggha .............................................................................................. 97Prithvi Singh Azad ..................................................................................................... 99Sher Singh Vein-Poin .................................................................................................. 101

Udham Singh .............................................................................................................. 103Uttam Singh Hans ...................................................................................................... 105Bir Singh Bahowal alias Vir Singh ............................................................................ 107Hirde Ram ................................................................................................................... 108Banta Singh ................................................................................................................. 109Buta Singh, Sucha Singh ............................................................................................ 110Jagat Ram, Sundar Singh ........................................................................................... 111Gujjar Singh, Chanan Singh ...................................................................................... 112Ranga Singh alias Roda Singh, Rur Singh alias Arur Singh ................................... 113Harnam Singh Saini, Inder Singh .............................................................................. 114Parma Nand, Bishan Singh, Kirpa Singh ................................................................. 115Madan Singh, Kartar Singh, Hafiz Abdullah ............................................................ 116Kesar Singh, Lal Singh ............................................................................................... 117Prem Singh, Khushal Singh, Bishan Singh .............................................................. 118Harnam Singh, Bishan Singh Jandiala, Indar Singh ............................................... 119Bhagel Singh, Budha Singh, Arjan Singh ................................................................. 120Ganda Singh, Maharaj Singh, Harnam Singh .......................................................... 121Balwant Singh, Mangal Singh, Kehar Singh ............................................................ 122Ram Saran Dass, Hari Singh ..................................................................................... 123

Section Cover: Burma Conspiracy Trials .............................................. 125 to139Harnam Singh Sahri alias Ishar Singh ..................................................................... 128Bhai Hardit Singh Lame ............................................................................................ 131Sohan Lal Pathak ....................................................................................................... 134Bhai Kapur Singh Mohi ............................................................................................. 137Amar Singh, Naranjan Singh ..................................................................................... 139

Section Cover: Hindu-German Conspiracy ........................................... 141 to 152Bhai Bhagwan Singh Gyanee .................................................................................... 143Gobind Behari Lal ...................................................................................................... 146Tarak Nath Das ........................................................................................................... 149Santokh Singh ............................................................................................................. 152

Section Cover: A Travesty of Justice ..................................................... 153 to159Kanshi Ram Marauli .................................................................................................. 155Jagat Singh Wanjhal ................................................................................................... 156Gandha Singh Kacharbhan ....................................................................................... 157Kartar Singh Dukki ..................................................................................................... 158Lal Singh Sahabana .................................................................................................... 160

Section Cover: Others (Those not sentenced) ...................................... 161 to166Maulvi Barkatullah .................................................................................................... 162Pandurang Sadashiv Khankhoje .............................................................................. 165

Andaman Jail—The Living Hell ....................................................................... 167

Role of Army Units ............................................................................................ 171

Appendix I to V ....................................................................................... 173 to 176

6 | The Gadar Heroics

FOREWORDWhat can it be that makes the mind of the revolutionary tick?

What would it be like to walk a few yards in the shoes of a revolutionary?What kind of song would he hum? What pace would his pulse race, his heartbeat? What would it take to sacrifice one’s youth for nation’s sake? What wouldit be to bristle with patriotism at the utterance of aazaadi, the Indian revolution-ary’s clarion call for liberty?

What would it be like to leave home, and near and dear ones, and go and livein hiding, waiting for a day when there arrives enough strength in the will andenough force in the flesh to rise and take on the oppressor, and break the shack-les of debilitating serfdom?

The answers aren’t easy. But some things are certain. If his cause is bigenough, the revolutionary is willing to pay the ultimate price with his life. Hewill give up the material life to seek freedom for his people. Freedom from op-pression and tyranny. Freedom from injustice. Freedom from penury. No matterhow great the peril, how difficult the goal, he’ll strive tirelessly.

The true revolutionary will usually stake his all to break the shackles oftyranny and oppression, injustice and penury, and breathe that air of freedom.In the words of Jamaican legend Bob Marley, “better to die fighting for freedomthen be a prisoner all the days of your life.”

Oh, if only there were such patriotic heroes today!

COMPELLINGThat is why revolutionaries make compelling stories. Just to know why they

did what they did. Not all revolutionaries are successful in what they attempt.Not all escape alive. Not all live to see their dreams come true. In South Africa,Steve Biko did not. In Latin America, Che Guevara did not. In India, Subhas Chan-dra Bose did not. In order to smell the air of freedom, the revolutionaries dostake their very last breath. Such sterling stuff, that which filmmakers rush toimmortalize in motion pictures.

The more one gets into it, the more it becomes clear that the mind of the rev-olutionary is sparked, shaped and set into action by injustice and oppression.History doesn’t lie. When the route of peace is cut off, the road to revolutionhas usually been the answer. Sometimes it has been the only answer. Revolu-tionaries like to walk the path of armed resistance, talk the language of warfare,revenge and force to take on their opponents. Usually, the greatest foe is the

The Gadar Heroics | 7

state, the symbol of tyranny that must be brought down and shattered. Revolu-tionaries create a cause that they can sell and that which people can easily buy.

DISCRIMINATIONThe minds of the revolutionaries that floated the Hindustan Association of

the Pacific Coast and later the Gadar newspaper in November 1913, were simi-larly sparked. Their cause was big enough, and they were willing to lay downtheir lives. They were stoked by the undying flames of patriotism. They were fu-elled by a deep desire to set their motherland free from bondage. The Gadarites,as we call the Gadar revolutionaries, lived overseas and were tormented by bit-ter racial discrimination. Being Indian was enough to be vilified and abused pub-licly, and not just for the colour of their skin. In the land of plenty, they werejust filthy coolies spoiling the American environment. Because of their slave-likestatus in India, they were easily disparaged and ridiculed in America. They al-ways worked hard and there was plenty of monetary gain to be made in return.But the pain of suffering ridicule, rile and ribaldry completely offset all that gain.As they kept doing better, draconian laws came into place to keep them awayfrom entering the USA and Canada. For the Gadarites, it was a discriminatoryworld, both at home in India, and away in America.

SPUNK AND CHARACTERThe Gadarites were young men with dreams, and plenty of courage. The bulk

was made up of Punjabi farmers that had arrived in the west coasts of USA andCanada in the first decade of the 20th century. The intellectual capital came fromyoung Indian students and teachers in prestigious institutions such as Berkeleyand Stanford. They came mainly from Punjab, and a few from Maharashtra, fromBengal, and other parts. Together they rose, and gave the call for Gadar—mean-ing mutiny—to free India. Force was their way, and storming the empire’s citadel,the final goal.

In 1913, at a place called the Yugantar Ashram in San Francisco, California,the Gadarites gave the call for aazaadi. In many ways, it was the precursor tothe other known pre-Independence revolutionary movement by the Azad HindFauj under Bose. An estimated 8,000 overseas Indians played a direct part in theGadar movement.

Remember, it was also a time in Indian history when Mahatma Gandhi wasaway, yet to return from his life-changing experience in South Africa. The methodof Satyagraha that he practiced there was as yet an alien concept to Indianminds. The armed revolt of 1857 in India and the American Revolution of 1776in the USA were the ideological templates available to the Gadar revolutionary.In both instances, the adversary was the same—Britain’s repugnant colonial ma-chinery. The Gadarites knew that allowing the British to trample all over India,allowing them to milk India systematically and drive Indians deeper into penuryand debt, would plunge their motherland indefinitely into serfdom. And that iswhy their daring is so compelling. “The sin of silence when they should protest


makes cowards of men,” said Abraham Lincoln. The Gadarites threw silence tothe winds and roared in unison.

SHORT LIVEDNot all stories have happy endings. The romantic story of the Gadar patriots

was destined to be ephemeral, and not unexpectedly. The Gadarites had daring,but the British had tact, guile, ammunition, specially set up fast-track courts,and horrific jails. It was almost a mismatch. Each time they tried to make a dent,the Gadarites were vanquished even before they could reach the gates of thecitadels. Each time they tried to bombard the bastions, their efforts blew up insmoke. The enemy’s wherewithal was too much for the young, brave men. Theywere arrested and thrown inside jails unfit for humans. Significantly, the Britishespionage system delivered when it mattered, time and time again. Most of themen feeding this well-oiled spy system were, tragically enough, Indians them-selves. They were the gaddaars—traitors—to the core who let down the patriotsand their own country over and over.

OUR PATRIOTS, THEIR TERRORISTSHistory through the eyes of the British administrators typecasts these revo-

lutionaries as criminals, terrorists and seditionists, simply because they had theaudacity to challenge the empire. The fact is that like anywhere else in the world,they were freedom loving people. Nothing more. Nothing less. Quite a few ofthem had withstood hostility to become rich by working very hard. They ownedlarge tracts of farmland in USA and Canada. Some diversified into other busi-nesses, including trading. The majority that went to North America was able tobring about a sharp and positive turnaround in its own economic fortunes, com-pared to what things were at home in India. Yet, for the sake of freedom, for thesake of nation, they gave up their business interests, their enterprise, their land,their wealth and their youth. What great heroes they were. What they couldnever give up, though, was the springing, eternal hope to accomplish the largerdream—to see India free one day.

POWER OF PENThousands of copies of the Gadar newspaper would be shipped to different

parts of the world. The readers would be mostly young men who had enlistedin the British army or other wings of the administration in places far and widelike Hong Kong, Singapore, London, Penang, Siam, Malay, Burma, Shanghai,Tokyo, Manila. The views of those that could not comprehend or read wereshaped by the ones who explained the contents of the Gadar newspaper to them.They were exhorted not to fight for an army engaged in World War I, becausethe same army would perpetuate British rule in India, and slavery of the Indianpeople. The words were inked with such power and force that they quicklysparked emotions, stoked patriotic flames, and encouraged the young men tojoin hands against the British.

Pitted against a powerful adversary, their heroics were short lived. When the


Gadarites were arrested, British special courts con-ducted swift trials to have them executed or impris-oned. The state of the prisons, especially the cellularjail at Andaman and Nicobar Islands, was such thatmany Gadarites chose to die instead of suffering mal-nutrition, animal-like labour, and the cruelty inflictedupon them by British prison officials. But the impactof the Gadar movement was lasting.

STAMP OF GADARIndian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh re-

leased a stamp commemorating the centenary of theGadar movement at the 10th Pravasi Bharatiya Divasat Kochi, Kerala on January 8, 2013. It was followedby a Gadar Oration by Professor Harish Puri, authorand professor. In 2013, at the Indian Republic Dayfunction at the Consulate General of India in San Francisco, Mr Inder Singh,Chairman of GOPIO International released the Gadar stamp along with India’sConsul General. Mr Singh who immigrated to the USA from Punjab in the 1960sand lives in California, the American state where it all started 100 years ago, isthe inspiration behind the Gadar book. His research on Gadarites is monumen-tal, his drive and perseverance to make the Government of India acknowledgethe forgotten Gadar movement in its Centennial year, extraordinary.

As of now, let’s all live with the simplicity of it all. The patriotic members ofthe Gadar party had powerful dreams. Some died without seeing their belovedIndia free from foreign rule. Some lived to see the beauty of their dreams comealive through India’s Independence in 1947, nearly 28 years after the movementhad been completely crushed by the British. It was a moment in time when allthey’d lived for, all they’d given up their youth for, had come true.

In Gadar’s Centennial year, this book that includes many character sketches,is a tribute to the collective determination and abiding love for Mother Indiathat these men displayed in abundance. It is also a tribute to the way their rev-olutionary minds ticked over.

Gadar, indeed, it was.

Sayantan ChakravartyPublisherMay [email protected]

Sayantan

Chakravarty


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSpecial Thanks

� Leadership of GOPIO International that dialogued with the Government of India atthe highest levels to ensure the release of a commemorative stamp by Indian PrimeMinister Dr Manmohan Singh on the occasion of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, 2013.

� Dr Karan Singh, Chairman, Indian Council of Cultural Relations, who raised theGadar Centennial subject with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

� The Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, Mr Vayalar Ravi, who ensured a 50-minute PBD Oration in the main hall on the subject of Gadar at Pravasi BharatiyaDivas, 2013.

� The Consulate General of San Francisco that has maintained the Gadar MemorialHall, the place where the movement started 100 years ago in 1913.

� The Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall in Jalandhar that has maintained records of theGadar movement that are becoming increasingly rare to find.

� Eminent historian Professor Harish Puri who has been a great source of advice.

� Mr Sohan Singh Pooni, historian, and an authority on Canadian Gadarites.

� Ms Soni Sangwan, senior journalist, who toiled hard to sift through, at times,conflicting information and edit the book in a short span of time.

� Tara Jyote and Sasha Jyote and their mother Simran who have readily typed somuch material for the book.

� Mrs Deepi Singh who reviewed several articles with a great deal of promptness.

� Messrs Kewal Kanda and Pritam Singh who translated some stories from Punjabito English.

� Mr. S.P. Singh, grandson of Bhai Bhagwan Singh Gyanee, who offered valuablesuggestions.

� Mr Jaydev Singh Bisht who while designing the book had to deal with changinglayouts and increasing page counts and yet managed to send the book to presson time.

� Mr Jagdish Khangura, grandson of Gadarite Kartar Singh Dukki, without whosefinancial support the book may not have been born.

� Mr Bhupinder S Mac who has been very generous with his support.

� Mr Kumar Jawa without whose help the books would not arrive at Los Angeleson time.

Sayantan ChakravartyPublisherMay 2013


INTRODUCTIONHistory is made by people as much as by forces beyond their control. The

Gadarites were people of outstanding courage and resourcefulness. They left theirsecured means of livelihood overseas and went to India to liberate their motherland.They made the valiant effort but were not happy with the outcome brought out bycircumstances far beyond their control. They sowed the seed of nationalism, whichwas nurtured to fruition by many fearless and brave soldiers of freedom movement.India was liberated by the dedication, commitment and sacrifices of freedom fight -ers like Gadarites.

The Gadar movement took place one hundred years ago. This book revisits themovement in its centennial year and takes a look at the main heroes of the move -ment. Every care has been taken to put across the most accurate information thatis available. The book includes bio sketches of several people who were given deathsentence or life imprisonment in various trials connected with the failed at tempt tofree India from the shackles of British slavery. It also includes some of thoseGadarites who were incarcerated in American jails as a result of Hindu German Con -spiracy Trial.

Information on the Gadarites did not come easy. Several reference material wassifted through by me, including those available in English, Hindi and Punjabi. SohanSingh Pooni’s Canada de Gadari Yodhe has been an excellent source. So too variouspublications and the photographic material provided in a CD format by the Desh BhagatYadar Committee, Jalandhar. A list of mate rial referred has been cited in Appendix V.

Due to paucity of time and also because in many cases due to non-availability ofinformation, not all Gadarities have been profiled. We will be obliged if we arepointed to sources where we can find requisite information. We hope to includethem in the next edition.

There are several Gadarites whose bio-sketches were developed from one tothree pages while there are others in whose case we could come up with much lessinformation. Their fight for India’s liberation is praiseworthy and deserves highestrespect. In no way, it should be equated to the length of their life story.

Most of the bio-sketches have been grouped under various conspiracy trials—La -hore, Burma and Hindu-German. Bio-sketches of Gadarites that were sentenced in theFerozeshahr encounter have been grouped in the section titled Travesty of Justice.

Gadar is spelled differently by different authors. I have preferred to spell thesame way as in Gadar Syndrome by Prof. Mark Juergensmeyer or in Indian Immi grants in USA by Prem Datta Varma.

Inder SinghChairmanGOPIO International

introductory article

� Gadar—Overseas Indians Attemptto Free India from British Slavery

� GOPIO’s Role

� Gadar Memorial Hall, San Francisco

� Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Hall, Jalandhar

� Memorial Day for Indian Americans


Gadar—Overseas Indians Attempt toFree India from British SlaveryBy Inder Singh

InDEr SInGh

Chairman

GOPIO International

he strong tailwinds of history are hard to ig-nore. With majestic force, they will take usback in time, and make us relive those mo-ments that shaped the destiny of nations.The Gadar movement is one such moment in

history. Scripted by overseas Indians, initially from thefar outposts of San Francisco and subsequently fromother distant destinations around the world in order tooverthrow the British from India, it is now in its centen-nial year. Brief in its narrative, and yet so stunningly im-pactful, the movement (1913 – 1918) was oxygenated bythe fire and belligerence of Indian youth dying to breatheand smell the fresh air of a Free India. This book is a trib-ute to that magical energy the Gadarites conjured up inorder to attempt the impossible. In the end, though, theforce of the empire proved way too strong. It managedto crush the movement with the kind of ruthlessnessone associates with the empires of the past. But it couldneither crush the collective will of the Gadarites nor thedaring romanticism of the patriot. They went to the gal-lows smiling, knowing that freedom was within reach,and safe in the knowledge that their lives were not beinggiven away in vain. The difficulty was great. But as Epi-curus, the Greek philosopher said, in trying to surmountit lay all the glory.

Indeed, the Gadarites were ordinary men but werepossessed with extraordinary determination as eachstory inside this book would illustrate. Their mindswere united, their bodies willing to strive tirelesslytill the very end. Gadar became folklore, the story ofthe stellar youth that had heroically chosen to putcountry before self. Oh, when shall we find such he-roes again?

T“The greater the difficulty, the more the glory in surmounting it.”

—Epicurus


“The first issue of the journal Gadar was in Urduand was published on November 1, 1913. An

edition of the journal was brought out next monthin Gurmukhi and in May 1914 a Gujarati edition

of the journal was also published”

DISCRIMINATORY BEHAVIORIndeed, the Gadar1 Movement was the saga of remarkable courage, valor and

determination of overseas Indians to free India from the shackles of British slav-ery. Indians had come to Canada and the United States either for higher educationor for economic opportunities. Instead, they imbibed the fire and zeal of revolu-tionaries and became the trailblazers of freedom struggle for their motherland,India. They may have lived ordinary lives but they left an extra-ordinary legacy.

At the dawn of the 20th century, Indians started coming to the United Statesmostly for economic opportunities. Some also arrived in the USA for higher edu-cation. Both India and Canada were British dominions. As such, Indians had aneasier access to Canada. The new immigrants were not members of trade unions,were hard working, accepted lower wages and worked for long hours. They wereable to procure work soon upon landing. Some Canadian employers publicizedthe economic and job opportunities available in Canada to attract more workersfrom India. During the first few years, about 2000 immigrants, mostly Punjabi farm-ers and laborers, were permitted to come every year. As the number of immigrantsincreased, the locals felt threatened by labor competition from the hardy and ad-venturous Punjabis. Fear of labor competition led to jealousy, racial antagonismand demands for exclusionary laws from cheap foreign “Asian workers”. The localpress carried many scare stories against the “Hindu Invasion.” In 1908, under pres-sure from labor unions, the Canadian government required Indian immigrants tohave $200 in their possession upon landing. Also, the Indian immigrants were de-nied entry if they had not come by "continuous journey" from India. Since therewas no direct shipping between Indian and the Canadian ports, legal immigrationof Indians to Canada virtually ended. The Canadian government also made at-tempts to expel those Indians who had already settled there. The restrictive leg-islation and ulterior intent of the Canadian government led to growing discontentand anti-colonial sentiments within the Indian community.

DRACONIAN LAWSWhen Indian immigrants saw the doors closing on them in Canada, they started

moving to the United States, which needed more people to do hard labor work tobuild new communities. Indians came as sojourners and without spouses, werepaid low wages and could afford to live only in the poor squalid part of the townor in shanty structures. They lived frugally, subsisted on low income that was pro-hibitive for whites to survive on. The Indian workers maintained low standard ofliving and many shared crowded lodging to save money to pay off their debt or


meet family obligations back in India. They were willing to do any kind of manualjob. Within a span of few years, the number of immigrant workers had grown, sothey also started facing widespread hostility. The pent-up frustrations of the whiteworkers manifested in violence against Hindu workers, vandalism of Hindu be-longings and hatred of their religion, lifestyle and living. Like Canada, the UnitedStates, which had initially welcomed the Indian workers, enacted Asian exclusion-ary laws to bar Asians immigrating to the United States.

The Japanese and Chinese governments sympathized with their overseas na-tionals for discriminatory treatment and negotiated with the American Govern-ment for compensation for life and property losses in race riots. But the BritishIndian Government would not make any representation to the U.S. Governmentfor similar compensation for Indian nationals. Indians soon realized the differencebetween the citizens of a “slave” country and those governed by their own people.Racial prejudice by American people and lack of concern by the British IndianGovernment gave birth to political consciousness in the Punjabi laborers.

MAGNET OF HIGHER EDUCATIONHigher education in American universities was a powerful magnet for young

people even during the beginning of the twentieth century. America provided themopportunity to “earn and learn” and Indian students were attracted to seek ad-mission in the US universities. However, several students upon graduation werenot able to get jobs commensurate with their qualifications. The unfair and dis-criminatory hiring practices were against the very ideals of liberty and freedomthey had experienced in their university environment. The Indian students attrib-uted the racial prejudice and discrimination to their being nationals of a subju-gated country and were motivated to get rid of the foreign rule in India. They weredetermined to fight for freedom for their motherland and started fostering feelingsof patriotism and nationalism among their fellow Indian immigrants.

Many Indians in the USA, as also in Canada, England, Germany and France, ar-ticulated nationalist feelings and started advocating freedom for India, their moth-erland, from the British serfdom. They formed organizations to collectively asserttheir birthright to independence for India and explored ways and means to attainself-rule. Ramnath Puri who came to California at the end of 1906 and worked asinterpreter to the Sikhs arriving in California, started a paper in Urdu Circular-i-Azadi in 1907 with declared objective of political education of the Indians. TarakNath Das, a student, started publishing a magazine Free Hindustan in 1908 in Seat-tle, advocating armed rebellion against the British rule as a means for achievingindependence. He also established the East India Association in 1911. The sameyear, Hindustan Association was formed in Astoria, Oregon (also see AstoriaProclamation) with Kesar Singh as president. P.S. Khankhoje of Maharashtra cameto USA in 1907, wanted to get military training and procure weapons for fightagainst the British rule in India. He established “Indian Independence League.” InNew York, a Maratha Christian Samuel Lucas Joshi (S.L. Joshi) and Maulvi Moham-mad Barkatullah of Bhopal formed “Society for the Advancement of India’ in 1907.In Vancouver, Canada, G. D. Kumar and Harnam Singh Sahri started a Punjabipaper Swadesh Sewak2 in January 1910. In March, 1911, the Indian Government


stopped importation of this journal as it was found to be Anti-British.

In 1905 in London, Shymji Krishna Varma founded Indian Home Rule Societyand India House, ostensibly a residence for Indian students but used for revolu-tionary activities. He also published Indian Sociologist. Bhikhaiji Rustom Cama(born in Bombay into a Parsi Patel family) was involved with Krishna Varma's In-dian Home Rule Society in London. She moved to Paris where she formed ParisIndian Society and started publishing Bande Mataram magazine. She unfurled the"Flag of Indian Independence" at the International Socialist Conference inStuttgart, Germany on 22 August 1907. Har Dayal renounced his scholarship andstudies at Oxford University and joined the freedom movement. In Paris, Har Dayaledited Bande Mataram in 1909.

Har Dayal came to USA in 1911 from England and worked as a faculty memberat Stanford University for some time. He was identified with nationalist activitiesin the United States. He inspired many students studying at the University of Cal-ifornia at Berkeley and channelized the pro-Indian, anti-British sentiment of thestudents for independence of India. Two of his many student followers, KatarSingh Sarabha and Vishnu Ganesh Pingle later on played very prominent roles inthe Gadar movement. Dayal’s fervor for India’s freedom spread beyond the uni-versity campuses to Punjabi farmers and laborers who had already been victimof racial attacks, discrimination and repression from the host community.

HINDUSTANI ASSOCIATION OF PACIFIC COASTIn July 1912, Indians working in different mills in Portland (Oregon) area formed

Hindustan Association with Sohan Singh Bhakna, a lumber mill worker, as presi-dent, G.D. Kumar as secretary and Kanshi Ram as treasurer. They invited Har Dayalwho visited them a few months later. A few months later, Sohan Singh Bhakna andUdham Singh Kasel went to Astoria and established a branch of Hindustan Asso-ciation with Bhai Kesar Singh Thatgarh as president. At the end of May, 1913, HarDayal along with Bhai Parmanand visited St. John, Oregon, and addressed meet-ings of Indian groups in the neighboring cities of Bridal Veil, Linton and Wina andon June 2, went to Astoria along with Sohan Singh Bhakna and others. At a meetingof some patriotic and enlightened Indians, Har Dayal passionately spoke aboutthrowing the British out of India and securing liberation by all means at their dis-posal. It was at this June 2 meeting that Hindustani Association of the Pacific Coastwas formed with a major objective of liberating India from British colonialism withthe force of arms, just as Americans had done more than a century ago, and helpestablish a free and independent India with equal rights for all. Sohan SinghBhakna, was elected President of the association, Kesar Singh Thathgarh as VicePresident, Har Dayal, as General Secretary and Kanshi Ram as treasurer. Har Dayalprovided leadership for the newly formed association and was the central figureand the force behind the new organization. It was also decided to start a newspa-per to be named ‘Gadar’ after the 1857 Gadar in India. In December 1913, during aconference in Sacramento, attended by representatives from Oregon, Washington,California and Canada, the executive committee was expanded. Jawala Singh waselected as vice president and several others from California were included in thecommittee.


Punjabis had come to the United States with the highest of expectations. Butthey were disillusioned when they faced hostility, humiliation and racial prejudicefrom the American people and were disheartened by the failure of the British In-dian Government to provide help when they became victims of violent acts fromAmerican hoodlums. They felt that they could fight for their rights and live in dig-nity in America if their own homeland was not under foreign rule. When the Hin-dustani Association of the Pacific Coast was formed, Punjabis whole-heartedlysupported its objectives of liberating India from the colonial rule, enthusiasticallybecame its members, liberally helped financially and willingly agreed to fight arevolutionary war for India’s freedom.

The headquarters of the Hindustani Association of the Pacific Coast was es-tablished at 436 Hill Street in San Francisco and was named Yugantar Ashram. Itserved as a base for coordination of all the activities of the association. Later, abuilding at 5 Wood Street was purchased and the headquarters was shifted there.3

The association launched a magazine appropriately titled Gadar for free distribu-tion to promote the aims, objectives and activities of the organization. In the firstissue of the Gadar journal, the editorial declared:

“Today there begins in foreign lands, but in our own country’s language, a waragainst the British Raj.

What is our name? Gadar.What is our work? Gadar.

Where will Gadar break out? In India.The time will soon come when the rifles and blood will take the place of pen and ink.”

THE GADAR NEWSPAPERGadar literally means revolt or mutiny and was published in Urdu, Hindi, Pun-

jabi, among other languages. The first issue of the journal Gadar was in Urdu andwas published on November 1, 1913. An edition of the journal was brought out inPunjabi in Gurmukhi script in December and in May 1914 a Gujarati edition of thejournal was also published.4 It carried articles on the conditions of the people ofIndia under British rule and also on problems of racial prejudice and discrimina-tion against Indians in the United States. The magazine contents expressed com-munity’s pent-up anger and suppressed feelings and exhorted like-minded peopleto join the association. Through the magazine, the Indian people were called uponto unite and rise up against the British rule and throw them out of India. The ac-tivities of the association were intense and incessant. The Gadar magazine becamevery popular among Indians, its circulation and influence increased rapidly. Overa period of time, the Hindustani Association of the Pacific Coast itself becameknown as the Gadar Party.

Within a short period of time, the weekly magazine became a sought-after pe-riodical for revolutionary and patriotic ideas. Besides Gadar, other publicationswere brought out to raise the consciousness of the Indian people for revolt againstthe British. One of them was a collection of poems / songs titled Gadar-di-Goonjwhich became very popular among the Punjabis. The poems were composed by


amateur poets and reflected the discontent and the surging anger against injusticeand oppression by the British. Ten thousand copies of this pamphlet were pub-lished and distributed. The poems were memorized and recited at gatherings.They exhorted people for an armed rebellion to gain freedom of their country.Publications from the Yugantar Ashram became very popular and were eagerlyawaited. They were sent to Indian revolutionaries in India, Europe, Canada, Philip-pines, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Burma, Egypt, Turkey, andAfghanistan. The weekly Gadar magazine, being the principal patriotic literature,reached many people; even if one copy reached India or to a fellow revolutionaryelsewhere, multiple copies were made for circulation.

In the past, several attempts were made in UK and Canada to mobilize the Indiancommunity for India’s independence. But it could not become a mass movementas both countries were under the British. After Gadar Party was formed in America,many volunteers started devoting full time to publish Gadar magazine which wassent free every week to over 5000 people in USA, Canada and other countries. Thecontents of the journal awakened the conscious of the readers and poems pub-lished in Gadar newspaper excited them to liberate their motherland. The visibleeffects of the Gadar publications started to manifest in India and abroad. Manycommitted volunteers opened branches of the Gadar party in various countriesand worked tirelessly to promote the objectives of the party. They had imbibedthe fire and zeal of revolutionaries and were motivated to fight for freedom for theirmotherland. The movement became the symbol of political consciousness of theoverseas Indians. The influence of the Gadar movement was so powerful that whencalled upon, many overseas Indians returned to India to fight for India’s freedom.

HAR DAYAL’S EXITThe British government became alarmed at the popularity of the Gadar move-

ment and free accessibility and availability of the ‘seditious’ literature. They usedevery means to stop its circulation, particularly in India. They also tried to sup-press the Gadar movement and had hired agents to penetrate the Gadar party andwatch their activities. Har Dayal used the columns of Gadar to caution his com-patriots against British spies. The British were convinced that removal of HarDayal would bring an end to the revolutionary movement. Under pressure fromthe British Indian Government, Har Dayal was arrested by the U.S. Government,but later released on bail on March 24, 1914. Har Dayal jumped the bail and leftfor Switzerland on April 14 and from there, he went to Germany.

The sudden departure of Har Dayal did create some vacuum in the organiza-tional structure of the association but it did not cause its demise. Har Dayal wassimultaneously the editor of Gadar and secretary general of the association. San-tokh Singh, an educated and a great revolutionary, was appointed as the SecretaryGeneral. His active involvement gave fresh incentive to the movement. Ram Chan-dra Bharadwaj who had joined Yugantar Ashram in January 1914 and had experi-ence as editor of a newspaper in India became the editor of Gadar, which wasrenamed as Hindustan Gadar. The weekly publication of the magazine continuedwithout interruption. Kartar Singh Sarabha, Harnam Singh Kotla, and a studentNiranjan Das were appointed on the editorial board of the Party’s mouthpiece,


Hindustan Gadar. Many committed and motivated volunteers continued to worktirelessly and pursued the planned activities of the association.

KOMAGATA MARUThe Gadar leadership decided that it would be important to train some people

in certain roles they could play in the planned revolt in India. Kartar Singh Sarabhawas sent to New York to learn flying airplanes. Master Udham Singh Kasel, whohad worked in the artillery side in Hong Kong army, started teaching the use ofdifferent kinds of weapons to a group of Gadarites. Harnam Singh of Kotla NaudhSingh began learning how to make bombs. He, however, lost an arm while testinga bomb and became known as Tundilat after that accident.

Indians in Canada were very unhappy with the new regulation which effectivelyprevented Indian immigration from India. An enterprising and resourceful Indianin Singapore, Gurdit Singh, chartered a Japanese vessel Komagata Maru to circum-vent the Canadian exclusion regulations and brought 376 passengers in May 1914.The Canadian government refused disembarking of the ship at Vancouver. The In-dian community in Canada was outraged, rallied in support of the passengers andsought legal recourse. After a two-month legal wrangling, only 24 passengers wereallowed to immigrate and the ship was forced to return to India on July 23. The ac-tion of the Canadian Government created bitterness, frustration and vengefulnessnot only among the passengers but also among the Indian people in Canada andthe US. Before Komagata Maru reached India, the British authorities had enacteda new law, “Ingress into India Ordinance” on September 5, 1914, which empoweredthe Punjab Government to check the people entering India. The Government wasalso empowered to confine their movements to their villages or imprison themwithout trial. On reaching Budge Budge harbor, near Calcutta, on September 29,1914, the British Indian Government wanted to transport the incoming passengersto Punjab while most of the passengers wanted to stay and find employment there.When the arriving passengers refused to board the special train for Punjab, the po-lice opened fire on them resulting in several fatalities. The police also arrested overtwo hundred passengers and put them in prison. The brutal treatment of the re-turning passengers generated a wave of resentment against the British government.The Komagata Maru incident encouraged new converts to the Gadar cause, notonly from North America but Indians from all over the world and gave impetus tothe movement. Some of the passengers of the ship also turned Gadarities.

WORLD WAR IThe Hindustani Association of the Pacific Coast was still new when in August, 1914,

World War I broke out, in which Germany fought against England. The Gadar Partyconsidered it to be a great opportunity to expel the British from India while the BritishIndian troops would be busy fighting war at the front. Bhai Bhagwan Singh who wasdeported from Canada within a few months of his arrival due to his revolutionary ac-tivities, arrived in Yugantar Ashram from Japan in May 1914 with Maulvi Barkatullah.He prepared ‘Declaration of War’ (Ailan-i-Jung) which was published on August 5, 1914in the Gadar magazine. The Gadarites started an energetic campaign to mobilize theoverseas Indians in Canada and the United States. Gadar Party president Sohan SinghBhakna had followed the Komagata Maru to India. Ram Chandra, Bhai Bhagwan Singh


and Maulvi Barkatullah addressed a series of meetings in the Pacific Coast states, ex-horting Indian patriots to return to India to liberate their motherland. They drew plansto infiltrate the Indian army and excite the soldiers to fight—not for the British butagainst the British Empire—and free India from the shackles of British imperialism.The Gadarites inspired thousands of Indians to go to India to launch a revolution.

Kartar Singh Sarabha left early and reached Colombo in the middle of Septem-ber, 1914. Santokh Singh, Babu Harnam Singh, Sohan Lal Pathak and Balwant Singhwere sent to Singapore, Siam and Burma. Bhai Bhagwan Singh was sent to Manilaand Maulvi Barkatullah was deputed to Islamic countries. Several leadingGadarites including Bhai Jawala Singh Thathian, Bhai Wasakha Singh, Bhai KesarSingh Thathgarh and Bhai Sher Singh Vein Poin and Master Udham Singh Kaseltook the lead and left by whatever ship they could get their passage booked. Theseleaders of the Party volunteered to be among the first to go to India in order to in-spire others to follow them. After the departure of leading Gadarites, Ram Chandrabecame the most important leader of the Gadar Party.

INDIAN INDEPENDENCE COMMITTEEThe German Government had great sympathy with the Gadar movement because

the German Government and the Gadarites had the British as their common enemy.In September 1914, Indians formed Indian Independence Committee (also known asthe Indian Revolutionary Society) members of which were Virendra Nath Chattopad-hyay (younger brother of politician-poetess Sarojini Naidu), Maulvi Barkatullah (afterhis death, he was buried near Sacramento), Pandurang Khankhoje, Bhupendra NathDatta (brother of Swami Vivekananda), Champak Raman Pillai (a young Tamilian)and Tarak Nath Das (a foundation is named after him in Columbia University, NewYork). Har Dayal became member in January, 1915 but left it in October. The objec-tives of the society were to arrange financial assistance from German governmentfor revolutionary activities and propaganda work in different countries of the world,training of volunteer force of Indian fighters and transportation of arms and ammu-nitions to reach the Gadarites for a revolt against the British Government in India.

The Indian Revolutionary Society in Berlin successfully arranged financial aidfor the Gadar Movement from Germany. The German Embassy in the United Statesengaged a German national to liaison with the Gadar leadership in San Francisco.Some ships were chartered to carry arms and ammunitions to India but the armsnever reached India. The Gadarites also sought help from anti-British governmentsin other countries. In December 1915, Raja Mohinder Pratap formed a Free Hindus-tan Government-in-exile in Kabul, Afghanistan. He himself became President, madeMaulavi Barkatullah as Prime Minister and Champakaran Pillai as Foreign Minister.The government-in-exile tried to establish diplomatic relationships with countries,such as Turkey, Germany, Japan, and others, opposed to the British in World War l.

Before leaving for India, the Gadarites had hoped that the embers of freedomhad caught fire in India too and Indians were ready for a revolution. So when theWorld War l provided a golden opportunity for them to attain their goal, they hur-ried homeward for rebellion and overthrow of the British Government. The ironyof that valiant effort was that while the Gadarites had gone to India to fight for the


freedom of their motherland, the Indian political leadership openly and willinglyco-operated with the British, thereby prolonging India’s serfdom. While the over-seas Indians prayed in Gurudwaras, mosques and temples for the success of theGadarites’ mission to free India from the British slavery, the people in India fullysupported the government and flocked to Gurudwaras, mosques and temples topray for the victory of the British!

INDIANS NOT READYMany Gadarites who reached India, found no arms to start rebellion. A number

of Gadarites including Sohan Singh Bhakna, president, and Kesar Singh and JawalaSingh, vice presidents were taken captives on reaching India while Kartar SinghSarabha, Nidhan Singh Chugha, Harnam Singh Tundilat, Bhagat Singh alias GandaSingh Kacharbhan, Parmanand Jhansi, Jagat Ram Hariana, Prithvi Singh, Hafiz Ab-dullah of Jagraon, Pandit Kanshi Ram, V.G. Pingley and several others were ableto evade arrest. An estimated 8000 Overseas Indians left for India from 1914-18,about 3000 were intercepted; more than 300 were put in jails while many morewere restricted to their villages5.

Kartar Singh Sarabha and other Gadar leaders had come to India to overthrowthe British rule and wanted to unite and work with all those forces that were work-ing to liberate India. They organized meetings to plan for the revolution, procurearms and arrange funds to carry out propaganda and other activities for theachievement of their goal. Since many Gadarites were retired military soldiers,they tried to infiltrate into various units of the armed forces, established contactswith their colleagues still working in the armed forces and incited them to revoltand become part of the rebellious force to liberate India. The Gadarites’ plan in-cluded recruiting new people to join them, looting military arsenals, makingbombs and robbing government treasuries.

ENTER RAS BEHARI BOSEKartar Singh Sarabha and Vishnu Ganesh Pingle convinced the well known

Bengal revolutionary Ras Behari Bose and he came to Punjab in January, 1915.He brought the work of the Gadar Party under centralized control, establishedheadquarter at Lahore and directed the party propaganda from the headquarter.The Gadar leadership decided to start the rebellion on 21 February, 1915. But thesuccess was dependent on the uprising by the military units in Lahore andFirozepur cantonments followed by units elsewhere. Two weeks earlier, KirpalSingh, a Government spy met with Gadar leaders Nidhan Singh, Kehar Singh andHarnam Singh Tundilat. Nidhan Singh knew Kirpal Singh from Shanghai and thatacquaintance was considered enough for the three leaders to include him in theinner circle. Kirpal Singh wasted no time in alerting the police about the planneduprising. When Gadar leaders learnt about the leak, they advanced the date toFebruary 19, which too had reached the police. The suspected army units weredisarmed or placed under vigilance. Several Gadarites were arrested and the po-lice went all over to arrest the other Gadarites. Thus, the plans of the Gadaritesfor revolt were foiled and their dream to see mother India liberated from theBritish slavery came to nothing. By the end of February 1915, most of the Gadaractivists were taken captives.


PROSECUTIONThe Gadarites were prosecuted in batches by the Special Tribunal in what are

known as Lahore conspiracy trials. At the end of trials, as many as 46 patriots in-cluding Kartar Singh Sarabha and Vishnu Ganesh Pingle attained martyrdom. SeventyGadarites were given life imprisonment, several among them transportation for life– confinement in Andaman Cellular jail – and 125 were given varying terms of impris-onment6. The lives of most Gadarites changed due to long imprisonments duringwhich they endured unimaginable sufferings. A few died during imprisonment, somehad serious health issues after release. In the United States too, several Gadaritesand their German supporters, were prosecuted in the San Francisco Hindu GermanConspiracy Trial (1917-18). Twenty-nine “Hindus” and Germans were convicted forvarying terms of imprisonment for violating the American Neutrality Laws7.

The Gadarites had a flame of liberty lit in their hearts, and did not hesitate tomake any sacrifice for the cause of freedom, dignity and prosperity of their moth-erland. They fought valiantly for their cause. Although the movement did notachieve its stated objective, but it had awakened the sleeping India, contributed tothe politicization of Indians and left a major impact on India’s struggle for freedom.The heroism, courage and sacrifices of the Gadarites inspired many freedom fightersto continue their mission. Several Gadarites, after completing their prison term, be-came active in the struggle for India’s freedom while majority of the eight thousandreturned Gadarites forever carried a cherished vision of a free India in their hearts.

A prominent Indian writer, Khushwant Singh, wrote in Illustrated Weekly, onFebruary 26, 1961, “In the early months of World War I, an ambitious attempt tofree their country was made by Indians living overseas, particularly in the UnitedStates and Canada. Although the overwhelming majority of the Gadarites wereSikhs and the centers of revolutionary activity were the Sikh temples in Canada,the United States, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore, many of the leaders wereof other parties and from different parts of India, Har Dayal, Ras Bihari Bose,Barkutullah, Seth Husain Rahim, Tarak Nath Das and Vishnu Ganesh Pingle. ……The Gadar was the first organized violent bid for freedom after the uprising of1857. Many hundreds paid the ultimate price with their lives.” �

—Inder Singh is Chairman of GOPIO, Global Organization of People of Indian Origin. He was GOPIO President from 2004-09. He is chairman of Indian American Heritage

Foundation. He was NFIA president from 1988-92 and chairman from 1992- 96. He was founding president of FIA, Southern California. Inder Singh can be

contacted by telephone at 818-708-3885 or by email at [email protected].

1. Gadar spelled same way as in Gadar Syndrome by Mark Juergensmeye, Indian Immigrants in USAby P Vatma

2. Ghadar Movement, Harish K Puri, ch 43. After India became independent, the building was handed over to Indian Consulate in San Francisco.

The old dilapidated building was demolished and replaced with a new two-story structure, nowknown as Gadar Memorial Hall.

4. Ghadar Revolution in America, Anil Ganguly5. The Role of the Ghadar Party in the National Movement by G.S. Deol, pp 106-1076. Ghadar Movement, Harish K Puri, pp 1317. www.sikhpioneers.org

The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin(GOPIO International) took a bold initiative to high-light the extraordinary contributions of the heroes ofthe Gadar Movement with the objective to inform,promote, recognize, acknowledge and commemoratethe Gadar Centennial as a truly well deserved tributeat the highest levels and on a global scale.

Starting in June 2011, GOPIO chairman Inder Singhdelivered a letter to India’s Consul General in SanFrancisco for a befitting commemoration forGadarites at the 100th anniversary of Gadar Move-ment in 2013. He followed it with a similar request toDr. Karan Singh, chairman, Indian Council for CulturalRelations (ICCR) who assured that the letter will bedelivered to Prime Minister of India. The initiativetook a higher profile on January 25, 2012 at a meeting

between Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA), Mr Vayalar Ravi, and AshookRamsaran, president of GOPIO International. Ramsaran presented detailed plansof the GOPIO Centennial Commemoration Committee (GCCC), inviting all persons,agencies, organizations and institutions interested in participating in the upcom-ing centennial events in 2013.

The Campaign for Centennial CommemorationThis campaign progressed quickly with GOPIO’s February 11, 2012 solicitation

to India’s Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh. The highlights are outlined below:� Declare 2013 as the year of Centennial Commemoration of Gadar Movement.� Issue a suitably designed postage stamp commemorating the Gadar Move-

ment.� Publish a historic Centennial Commemoration book about the Gadar Move-

ment, sacrifices of the Gadar Heroes, brief bio-data, if available, of all the 48martyrs and 69 Gadarites who were given life imprisonment, for free distribu-tion to libraries, schools, institutions and organizations.

� Establish chairs in memory of the Gadar heroes in India and at least one ormore in the USA.

� Direct all Indian Consulates in USA and Canada to commemorate the centen-nial of the Gadar movement by holding official community events.

� Help community organizations in the USA to get officials and dignitaries fromIndia to participate in centennial community events in selected major cities

90th AnniversaryIn 2003, GOPIO (Mr Inder Singh), the National Federation of Indian American


GOPIO’s ROLEBy Ashook Ramsaran

aShOOk raMSaran

President

GOPIO International


Associations (Mr Niraj Baxi) and the Global Punjabi Diaspora jointly organizedthe 90th anniversary of Gadar movement to pay tribute to the pioneers, patriotsand heroes of the Gadar movement. Former president of India, Mr K. R. Narayanancame to the USA to deliver the keynote address.

GOPIO ProductionsIn March 2012, GOPIO also produced a comprehensive 29-page GOPIO Gadar

Centennial booklet with details on history of the Gadar Movement.

GOPIO produced a comprehensive 20-minute Gadar Centennial documentaryon DVD. GOPIO produced a special GOPIO Gadar lapel pin for free distribution atmeetings, GGCC seminar and other events. GOPIO ordered a specially emblazonedshawl to be given to special recipients at GGCC seminar and other events. GOPIOalso posted the entire 29-page GGCC booklet on its website for worldwide accessand viewing. In addition, Empire India became a very supportive media partnerand published articles on Gadar by GOPIO chairman Inder Singh and others forglobal distribution on a monthly basis.

GOPIO Gadar Centennial Launch in USAGOPIO International, in collaboration with GOPIO Chapters of Metro DC and

Virginia, held a very successful launch of its GOPIO Gadar Centennial Commemo-ration in the USA on Saturday, November 3, 2012 at the Embassy of India in Wash-ington, DC. Hon. Nirupama Rao, India’s Ambassador to the USA, was the ChiefGuest. Three other Indian Diaspora ambassadors to the United States also partic-ipated in the launch program: Hon. Ambassador Bayney Karran of Guyana; Hon.Ambassador Dr Neil Parsan of Trinidad & Tobago; and Hon. Ambassador SubashMungra of Suriname.

Amb. Rao spoke glowingly about the launch and positively supportive ofGOPIO's initiative and GOPIO Gadar Centennial Commemoration, highlightingGOPIO’s initiatives on matters of interest and concern in the Indian Diaspora. Amb.Rao said that “it is a privilege to cooperate with GOPIO in this auspicious venture.”Ambassadors Karran, Parsan and Mungra reiterated the long and lasting bondsof heritage and history between their respective countries and India, with lots ofinspiration and encouragement derived from the Gadar Movement for the strugglefor independence in their respective countries. Their attendance and participationcertainly enhanced the program and made it more global in outreach and appeal.

GOPIO Convention 2013 and Recognition of Gadar DescendantsGOPIO held its annual convention on January 6, 2013 in Kochi, India, preceding

the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD 2013) events. At the GOPIO conference, an entiresession was allocated to Gadar movement and centennial in 2013. It was titledConference Session II: Freedom Movements in the Diaspora—Gadar & Others andchaired by Inder Singh (Chairman GOPIO Int'l, USA and co-chaired by Dr. NeerjaArun (GOPIO Academic Council Co-Chair, and Coordinator-cum-Director, GujaratUniv. International Program, Ahmedabad, India). The lead speaker was Prof. Har-ish Puri (Researcher, Historian and Author of Books on Gadar Movement, India)who was also selected for the Gadar oration at PBD2013. Other speakers included


Dr Savitri Sawhney (author and daughter of Gadar Hero Khankhoje); ManpreetKaur Singh (Author, Journalist, Australia); Dr. Teresa Wycliffe (Community Leader,GOPIO Metro DC, USA). The session was concluded by Harbachan Singh (Director,Liaison to United Nations, USA). Activities were bolstered by the presence of Mu-nish Gupta, GOPIO Regional Coordinator (Africa), as well as K. N. Gupta, Director,GOPIO Liaison to Government of India.

The GOPIO CSA banquet later that evening was a very prominent, high profile,well publicized event with chief guest Governor H. R. Bhardwaj, currently Gover-nor of Karnataka and Kerala; MOIA Minister Vayalar Ravi as Guest of Honor; andother guests including Kerala Chief Oommen Chandy, Kerala NRI Minister K.C.Joseph; former Governor M. M. Jacob; and Lord Bhikhu Parekh from the House ofLords, UK.

Empire India produced a comprehensive pull-out section titled “The GadarStory” which was widely distributed at GOPIO events and PBD2013.

In ConclusionIn addition to the Prime Minister’s speech on Gadar at PBD2013, the release

of the postage stamp and the Oration on Gadar at PBD2013, the Gadar museumin San Francisco is a major recognition of those who made ultimate sacrifices forthe freedom of India. These are historic markers for all time, transcending timeand place. The results of GOPIO’s initiatives and efforts are also remarkableachievements for all persons of Indian origin, the Indian Diaspora and for GOPIOwhich is the premiere global NRI/PIO diaspora advocacy organization with aproven record of major accomplishments. GOPIO’s role in initiating, promotingand its successful appeal for global commemoration of the Gadar Centennial issignificant and prominent. �

—Ashook K. Ramsaran is the president of the Global Organization of People ofIndian Origin (GOPIO International). Ramsaran was born in Guyana, third genera-tion of Indian indentured laborers who came to Guyana in 1853 and 1860 respec-

tively. He emigrated to the USA in 1967 and obtained post graduate degrees inengineering at Polytechnic University in New York. He is founder and president of

Ramex, an electronics manufacturing company based in New York, USA. He resides in New York, USA with his family. Contact: [email protected]


Gadar Memorial Hall, San Francisco

he Hindustan Association of the Pacific Coast, known as the GadarParty, was founded in a historic meeting in Astoria, Oregon, in 1913.The headquarters of the association was established at 436 Hill Street,San Francisco and named as "Yugantar Ashram" in honor of a revolu-tionary Calcutta political journal. The building served as a base for co-

ordination of all activities of the association. It was used as a residence for LalaHar Dayal, first Secretary General of the Association and editor of Urdu GadarJournal, Kartar Singh Sarabha, editor of the Punjabi edition and all volunteers whocooked, ate and slept there. It was the work place for all those who were engagedin the writing, printing, and distribution of the Weekly Gadar magazine; and it wasa meeting place for public and secret activities relating to the overthrow of theBritish colonial rule in India. Over a period of time, the building became knownas "Gadar Ashram."

The weekly Gadar journal was sent free to people in India and to Indians settledoverseas in various parts of the world to propagate and promote the aims, objec-tives and activities of the organization. With every issue, demand for Gadar mag-azine kept growing and need for more volunteers rose rapidly. The building nolonger met the increased demand for space. The need for larger quartersprompted expansion to a three-storey building at 5 Wood street. An electric presswas installed for the printing of the Gadar journal and other revolutionary publi-cations. The fiery writings and electrifying Punjabi poetry in Gadar magazinehelped spread the Gadar message quickly among the overseas Indians. The influ-ence of the Gadar movement was so powerful that when called upon, many over-seas Indians returned to India to fight for India’s freedom.

The Gadar activities somewhat slowed down after the uprising on February 19,1915 failed to take off in India. The movement suffered a major setback when In-dian nationalists were arrested in USA in connection with Hindu-German Conspir-acy case. The conviction of several Indians in Hindu-German Conspiracy Trialsand threat of deportation to India, kept the Gadar activities under check. But, fornearly four decades, the building at 5 Wood Street continued to be the home ofIndian nationalist activities. After Independence was achieved, the building andthe records were handed over to India’s Consul General in 1949. The de jure trans-fer took place in June 1952.

The Gadar Party had moved into the building at 5 Woods Street much prior toits legal transfer on March 31, 1917. At the time of transfer to the Indian Consulate,the building was in a dilapidated condition and badly needed repairs. The com-munity wanted a suitable memorial for the Gadarites but Government of India keptdelaying its construction. After relentless efforts over a long period of time, Gov-ernment of India sanctioned $83,000 which was not sufficient for the new building.Additional funds were raised from the community and names of donors are listedin a plaque on the wall of the Memorial Hall in San Francisco:

T


PATRONS� Didar Singh & Santi Bains, Yuba City� Kartar Singh Bains, Yuba City� Dr. Narinder Singh & Satinder Kaur Kapany� Kartar, Tarsem & Chain Singh Kher, Yuba City� Rattan Singh Sahota, Yuba City� Harsev Singh & Munsha Singh Thiara, Live Oak� Ujagar Singh Cheema & Family, Yuba City

PRINCIPAL DONORS� India Club, Inc., San Francisco� Sarwan S. & Monica Gill, Berkeley� Gulzar S. Jhol, M.D., Yuba City� Kushyalia Devi, w/o H.S. Mugowal, Yuba City� Dahyabhai & Shantaben Patel, San Francisco� R.M. Patel, Millbrae� Jarnail Singh Purewal, Fresno� Shri Guru Singh Sabha, Los Angeles� Gujrati Samaj, San Francisco� Jagaan Nath & Olive Sharma, Los Angeles� Bhaktawar Singh & Udham Singh, Yuba City� Yogi Bhajansingh, 3HO Foundation, Los Angeles� Mrs. Rala Samra & B.S. Thind, Imperial Valley� Swarn Singh Takher, Yuba City� Gurdial, Gurdev & Kuldip S. Thiara, Yuba City


� Jarnail S. Thiara & Ranjana, San Francisco� Mehar Singh Tumber, Yuba City� Mr. & Mrs. Harmon Singh, Imperial Valley� India Association of San Diego

Sardar Swaran Singh, the then Minister of External Affairs, performed theground breaking ceremony for the restoration of the building in September 1974.India’s Ambassador to USA, Shri T.N. Kaul inaugurated the two-storey Gadar Me-morial building on March 23, 1975. In October, 1976, Gadar Memorial Library wasinaugurated by Shri Y.B. Chavan, Minister for External Affairs. The books were do-nated by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

Gadar Hall is used by the Consul General of India for celebrating national fes-tivals like Independence Day and Republic Day and for other official functions.

Gadar Memorial Hall has some framed pictures of the Gadar Party leaders andmartyrs on walls of the main hall. There are an assortment of books and someGadar Party material. Also, there is the artificial arm of Harnam Singh ``Tundilat’’.He had lost one of his arms when a bomb went off accidentally while he was ex-perimenting making bomb. He used artificial limb after that accident and wasknown as “Tundilat’’ since then.

GOPIO and several organizations and individuals and descendants of GadariBabas have been relentlessly pursuing with various agencies of the Governmentfor a befitting commemoration of Gadar centenary in 2013. During his inauguraladdress at Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in Kochi, on January 8, 2013, Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh announced:

"This year, we are celebrating the centenary of the Gadar Movement, whichwas a luminous spark of support in distant California for the struggle for inde-pendence being waged at home in our country. Apart from commemorating it bythe issue of a special postage stamp, we will also upgrade the Gadar Memorial inSan Francisco into a functional museum and library with a sculpture to honor theGadari Babas, the heroes of the great movement."

On February 28, 2013, Finance Minister announced in the Indian Parliamentthat necessary funds have been allocated in the budget for upgrading the Gadarhall into a functional library and museum. When the Gadar Memorial Hall is up-graded, it truly will become the living symbol of the glorious sacrifices of theGadarites who, in the words of former President K.R. Narayanan, “faced untoldmisery and hardships in pursuit of their objective and even made the supremesacrifice of laying down their lives.” �


Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Hall, Jalandharesh Bhagat Yaadgar complex is atwo-storey building situated onGrand Trunk Road, Jalandhar in thecentre of the city. The site is spreadon three acres of land which was

purchased in 1955. As Gadar activists were re-leased from Andaman Jail after serving life im-prisonment, they decided to form 'Desh BhagatParivar Sahayk Committee (Patriots' FamilySupport Committee) aimed to look after thewelfare of families of Gadar men who were stillin jail or had been incapacitated through pro-longed confinement or their properties hadbeen confiscated by the government. BabaWasakha Singh became its chief organizer whoraised much needed cash for many needy fam-ilies. This Committee continued its activitiestill 1947 when India gained its independence.

Then, Desh Bhagat Parivar Sahayk Committee was registered under a newname of 'Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Committee' transferring its entire fund to the neworganization. Sohan Singh Bhakna, founder president of the Gadar Party waselected President of the Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Committee.

Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Committee was concerned to preserve the memory ofthe Gadar Party. For this purpose, they decided to establish a memorial for theircolleagues who had laid their lives for the liberation of the country. A prime sitewas chosen and bought in Jalandhar in 1955. On 14th December 1957 followingthe death of Sant Wasakha Singh at Dadher, an appeal was made for funds for con-struction of building on this site. Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Committee members con-tributed funds with Amar Singh Sandhwan and Bhag Singh of Jai Singh Wala,Ferozepur offered magnanimously. A wider appeal was launched on 5th January1958. During 1958, Gurmukh Singh Lalton, Karam Singh Cheema, Bhooja Singh andBhola Singh Cheema were deputed to collect donations from Punjabis in Britainand Canada. As sufficient funds were raised, the foundation stone for the Memo-rial building was laid by Amar Singh Sandhwan on 17th November, 1959.

As the Memorial building stands now after several rounds of additional con-struction, it houses an auditorium, an exhibition hall displaying portraits ofGadarites and other revolutionary nationalists, a library, a public hall for socialgatherings, a lecture theatre for informal gatherings, some residential rooms alongwith the Committee office. �

Source: http://www.Gadarmemorial.net/memorialhall.htm

D


Memorial Day for Indian Americanshen a nation has raised itself to liberty, when it has finally brokenthrough the shackles of subjugation and slavery, it calls for cele-bration. Liberty has not come without a price. People have paidfor liberty and freedom with their lives, with their toil, with theirblood, sweat and tears. In the United States, the last Monday of

May is observed annually as Memorial Day – a day of national awareness and rev-erence, honoring those Americans who died while defending American nation andits values. Memorial Day parades and memorial services are held to remember, re-flect and honor those who have given their all in service to their country. It wasfirst observed on May 30, 1868 and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Likethe US, several other nations, pay tribute to their martyrs and freedom fighterswho sacrificed their life and preferred the gallows for attainment and preservationof freedom. They are held in high esteem and their memories are kept alive by rais-ing befitting memorials so that they could serve as a source of inspiration andcourage for future generations.

Many Indian Americans may not know the historical background of MemorialDay. However, like Americans, several Indians hold gatherings of family and friendsfor parties and barbecues. Most of the Indians in America may also not know theirown day of reverence. Soon after Indians started coming to the United States in thebeginning of the twentieth century, they started facing hostility from the white Amer-ican population. Indians attributed the racial prejudice and bigotry of the white peo-ple due to their being nationals of a subjugated country. In 1913, they formed HindiAssociation of the Pacific Coast with a major objective to liberate India from Britishcolonialism. They started publishing a weekly journal, Gadar which was sent free tothousands of overseas Indians all over the world. After sometime, Hindi Associationbecame known as the Gadar party after the name of their weekly magazine. Whenthe World War l started in 1914, it provided an excellent opportunity to overthrowthe British Government while the British Indian forces were busy fighting war in Eu-rope. As many as 8,000 Overseas Indians hurried homeward to free their motherlandfrom British slavery. The British spies and traitors, however, foiled their plans andhundreds of Gadarites were arrested and prosecuted under the Defense of India Act.Some paid the ultimate price with their lives, hundreds were jailed, some for life. Itis such a pity that there is no memorial day for them!

The Gadar Movement was the saga of remarkable courage, valor and determi-nation of overseas Indians to free India from the shackles of British slavery. Indi-ans had come to Canada and the United States either for higher education or foreconomic opportunities. Instead, they imbibed the fire and zeal of revolutionariesand became the trailblazers of freedom struggle for their motherland, India. Theymay have lived ordinary lives but they left an extra-ordinary legacy. The IndianAmerican community, at least on Memorial Day, should remember the sacrificesof Gadarites and organize tribute events to perpetuate the memory of the braveIndians who laid down their lives in pursuit of freedom for India. �

W

TOP gadar leadershiP

The think tank of the Gadar Movement who made it possible for thousands of overseas Indians to make a daring bid to

free India from the British 100 years ago

� Sohan Singh Bhakna

� Lala Har Dayal

� Kartar Singh Sarabha


sOhan singh Bhakna

Sohan Singh Bhakna

t had been a day of hard labor at the timber mill. Yet, Sohan Singh could notsleep. In his ears, he could still hear the racist slurs ringing. For the proudJat Sikh from Bhakna, Amritsar, life in the United States was a far cry from

what he had expected. If in India, the British had made slaves of them, crushedthem under their exploitative laws and ruined their agrarian economy throughtheir extortionist taxation, the treatment meted to him and others like him in theU.S. was no better. Just as in India, they were second-class citizens, had no rightsand were paid less despite doing more work than their white counter-parts.

Enough, he decided. It was time to rise and fight. Sohan Singh, leading from thefront, organized the largely Sikh labor community and together with leaders likeLala Har Dayal and Pandit Kanshi Ram, decided to revolt.

The seeds to his revolutionary way of thinking were sown in his childhood.Born in a rich agrarian family in 1870, Sohan Singh Shergill of Bhakna, was a cher-ished only son. His formal education suffered owing to the lack of schools in hisvillage, but he did complete his elementary education. He was married early andled the carefree life of a village youth. It was when he came under the influence ofNamdhari Sikh guru, Baba Kesar, that his life found direction. Nationalism becamehis creed and he readily participated in protests against British policies in theearly 1900s.

GADAR PARTY PRESIDENTHit hard by the economic slowdown at the turn of the 20th century, he decided

to leave India for foreign shores. He headed for the United States and ended up

I


sOhan singh Bhakna

working in a timber mill as a laborer. While the work was hard but enjoyable, itwere the harsh insults that Sohan Singh found hard to swallow. San Francisco atthat time had a small Indian community of students and many Indians in Califor-nia, Oregon and Washington States were working as laborers. Close interactionsgrew between these groups. They soon organized themselves by forming Hindus-tan Association of the Pacific Coast.

The main rallying point of the Association was the injustice they saw aroundthem. The Canadian government had formalized its exclusionist policies into lawsthat prevented Indians from entering the country. In the US they were treated ascheap labor and were not given any rights. For the proud Indians, mostly Sikhs,the aim of coming to a foreign land was as much economic as it was a way of re-gaining their social status and honor. But the prejudiced and racist attitudes theysaw around them made their blood boil. In 1913, when the Gadar Party was born,Sohan Singh Bhakna was elected its President. The aim of the Gadar Party wasplain and simple: revolt and overthrow of the British by any means and to reclaimthe motherland. In fact, one of the documents of the Gadar Party clearly statesthat the final aim of the party was the creation of the United States of India.

As the message of the Gadar Party spread through the mouthpiece, Gadar,thousands joined the movement. The movement gained momentum because ofthe Komagata Maru. Sohan Singh was incensed at the treatment meted out to theshipful of Indians trying to seek work in Canada that was turned away. The tragicjourney of the Komagata Maru coincided with the outbreak of the First World Warand the Gadarites decided that the time was ripe for revolution. Sohan SinghBhakna contacted the people on board the ill-fated Komagata Maru and personallysent them arms to be able to take on the British by the time the ship returned toCalcutta. He himself set sail for India to launch the revolution. The plan was to in-cite the Indian soldiers in the British army to mutiny. Sohan Singh travelled underassumed names and Nagasaki, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Penang. He had with hima consignment of arms, explosives and ammunition. He spread the message of therevolt among Indians at these places. Apart from the other Gadarites accompany-ing him, he had some unwanted followers as well—these were the agents of theBritish who had infiltrated the ranks of the revolutionaries.

ARREST AND TRIALThe result was that by the time he reached Calcutta, he was arrested. Even be-

fore he could actually set foot on Indian soil, he was arrested on the ship itself inOctober 1914. During his custody period, he was threatened, tortured and evenlured to reveal details of the Gadar movement and its leaders. He, however, stoodfirmly silent. The other Gadar leaders hastened the revolt but because of the trai-tors in their midst, they could not succeed. Sohan Singh was put on trial with theother Gadar leaders in the Lahore Conspiracy Case. He was among those sen-tenced to death. Proud of his revolutionary activities, he refused to appeal againstthe sentence. However, Pandit Moti Lal Nehru, appearing on his behalf, was ableto secure a lesser sentence on technical grounds. He argued that Sohan Singh had


sOhan singh Bhakna

not even set foot on Indian soil, having been arrested while still on board, he couldnot be accused of committing crimes in India. Sohan Singh was among the 17 outof 24 whose death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in the Andaman.

Until 1921, Sohan Singh was in Cellular Jail in the Andaman. Here, he lived in avirtual hell. Over the time he spent here, he organized several hunger strikes toprotest against the ill-treatment and indignities heaped upon political prisoners.The result of his continued protest, along with other Gadarites, was the settingup of an enquiry commission, which ruled that Cellular Jail should no longer beused to house political prisoners. Conditions for other prisoners were also im-proved. Sohan Singh felt that this achievement in a small way compensated forthe loss of eight comrades who died protesting the treatment given to them bythe jail authorities. In 1921, Sohan Singh was transferred to Coimbatore jail andthen to Yervada. At Yervada, he undertook a hunger strike again to protest thejail policy of not allowing Sikh prisoners to wear turbans. In 1927, he was shiftedto the Central Jail at Lahore, where he again went on hunger strike in June 1928to protest against the segregation of the so-called low-caste Majhabi Sikhs fromother 'high-caste' Sikhs during meals. In Lahore Jail, he also met another youngrevolutionary, Bhagat Singh. In deference to his advanced years, Bhagat Singhasked Sohan Singh to abandon his hunger strike. To this, Sohan Singh replied, “Imay be old in years, but the revolutionary in me is still young.”

He served sixteen years in various jails before he was released in July 1930. Onhis release, he continued his agitation for the rights of farmers and to seek thefreedom of other Gadarites who were still languishing in jails. His influence amongthe farming community grew immensely. He became the leader for the All IndiaKisan Sabha. Such was his influence that the British were forced to arrest himagain on various occasions. Especially during the Second World War, the Britishfeared that he might use this as an opportunity to launch another revolt, and theyarrested him. He was kept in the Deoli Camp jail in Rajasthan.

Even after Independence, he was arrested twice in 1948 but finally, on Jawa-harlal Nehru’s intervention, he was never arrested again. He died of pneumoniaon December 21, 1968 in Amritsar. �

GADAR NUGGETIn the USA, 29 Indians and

Germans were convicted following the San Francisco Hindu German

Conspiracy Trial in 1918.


The Call Of gadar ParTy

Which party of our country blazed the trail ofFreedom and equality?

—the Gadar Party

Which party came in existence in america in March 1913with the combined efforts of indian workers,

indian patriots in exile and indian students in america?—the Gadar Party

Which party raised the flag of freedomwhereupon numerous martyrs laid down their lives

and hundreds of revolutionaries were sentenced to lifeinside cellular jails in andaman?

—the Gadar Party

though the Gadar Party could not achieve its goal, yetthe efforts of the party infused verve and vitality into the

psyche of the indian people; the result thereof is before us all.thereby one more chapter of valour has been added in

the saga of our freedom struggle.

ParTy gUidelinesunity—leads to vitality and freedom.

disunity—results in weakness and subjugation.integration—leads to equitable order.

internal Strife—is the path to national ruin,

Hence arise young men!Be in tune with the changing times.

Fulfill your destined duty.destroy all bondages.

Be they economic, political, or social.true religion is Humanity.

long live the People!—sohan singh Bhakna (BaBa)

May 1, 1966

the founder President of the Gadar Party, Sohan Singh Bhakna, revered as “Baba” in-stalled a plaque in memory of the Gadar Party at his native village Bhakna, districtamritsar. He died in december 1968 at the age of 99. the inscription is worded in Pun-jabi (Gurmukhi script). its english translation reads as above.


Lala Har Dayal

ala Har Dayal was a born motivator. Legend goes that while a professorat Stanford University, he one day entered the Nalanda Club where In-dian students would gather, wearing a rather serious countenance. His

entry created a buzz, the kinds one would reserve for rock stars. Rock star, LalaHar Dayal was, but of the revolutionary kind.

He had something to say, and an air of expectation settled around the room.“December 23, 1912,” said Har Dayal, “is a date we should all remember.” The stu-dents looked at him, wondering about the importance of the date. “This dateshould be etched in the memory of every nationalist Indian. On this day, BasantaKumar Biswas struck a blow on the British Raj.” Biswas had hurled a bomb atViceroy Hardinge. This single act of bravery made Har Dayal believe that the In-dians had come to a stage where they desperately wanted British rule andtyranny to end.

Har Dayal ended with a couplet:

"Pagari apani sambhaliyega 'Mir' !Aur basti nahin, ye Dilli hai !!"

"Take care of your turban Mr Mir ! (Mr Mir is a reference to the Britishersof the time) This is not just any town, this is Delhi, India

BIRTH OF GADARWith this, the gauntlet was thrown and the revolutionary movement, Gadar

was born. His speech was met with uproar and the entire group of students beganraising nationalist slogans and dancing. Soon after, Lala Har Dayal also brought

L

lala har dayal


lala har dayal

out a pamphlet to spread the word.

FORMATIVE YEARS Lala Har Dayal’s journey from a middle-class Mathur family in Delhi to the path

of revolution was one that passed through the galleries of academia. He was bornin 1884. His father, Gauri Dayal Mathur, was a Reader in the District Courts. LalaHar Dayal did his early schooling at the Cambridge Mission School in Delhi andthen he went on to do his graduation in Sanskrit from St Stephen’s College. An ex-tremely bright student, he completed his Masters in Sanskrit in a year from PunjabUniversity and then enrolled for a Masters in English Literature. His results sur-prised everyone as he broke all records with his performance. His achievementsforced the government to take notice and he was awarded two scholarships tostudy at Oxford. He was a Government of India Scholar at Oxford in 1905 and wasin England preparing for entry into the Indian Civil Services when he was exposedto the anarchist ideology. He got in touch with Guy Aldred, who brought out a pub-lication, The Indian Sociologist. It was in this publication that Lala Har Dayal firstwrote about his political views. In a letter published in the Indian Sociologist, hewrote that their objective should not be to reform government, but rather to re-form it out of existence, leaving only nominal traces of it. His writings were noticedby the establishment and he was put under watch by the British intelligence. In1907, Lala Har Dayal decided, “To hell with the ICS,” resigned his governmentscholarships and returned to India the next year. In India, too, his radical writingscontinued and soon the British imposed a ban on his writings. On the advice ofLala Lajpat Rai, he then left India for France.

VENTURING OVERSEASLala Har Dayal was blessed with a photographic memory and a gift for lan-

guages. In Paris, in 1909 he became the editor of Bande Mataram. Here he inter-acted with thinkers and sympathizers to the Indian nationalist movement likeBhikaji Cama and others. But this stint in Paris was stifling for Lala Har Dayal andhe moved to Algiers. From here he went to Martinique. He was practicing a life ofintense austerity in Martinique when he was sought out by Bhai Paramanand. BhaiParamanand was an Arya Samaji missionary working with revolutionary zeal forthe nationalistic cause. He exhorted Lala Har Dayal to use his immense intellectfor the revolution and asked him to move to the United States and work for therights of the Indian immigrant workers there.

So in 1911, Lala Har Dayal moved to the United States and joined the StanfordUniversity as Professor of Sanskrit and Philosophy. He got involved in industrialunionization here and was the secretary of the San Francisco chapter of the In-dustrial Workers of the World. The body was granted land in Oakland and hehelped set up the Bakunin Institute of California there.

His association with the Indian immigrants had also been growing. To encour-age young Indians to come to the United States, he convinced Jawala Singh, awealthy farmer, and set up the Guru Gobind Singh Scholarships for higher educa-


lala har dayal

tion at Berkeley in USA. On the lines of the home of Shyamji Krishna Verma in Lon-don, he opened his own rented accommodation house for these scholars – thiswas known as India House. Events in India, especially the assassination attempton the Viceroy, further fuelled his nationalist fervor. In 1913, he was invited by theIndian community activists of Portland, Oregon. He addressed Indian communitygroups and exhorted them to liberate mother India with the force of arms. Duringhis visit to Astoria, Oregon, Gadar Movement was born with Sohan Singh Bhaknaas president and Har Dayal as secretary general. The movement spread like wild-fire in the United States with large number of immigrant Indians joining – theseincluded the students as well as the workers. To spread their message, theGadarites brought out a newsletter in different languages. The newsletter, alsocalled Gadar, talked of revolution and a violent overthrow of the British from India.They also gave instructions on bomb manufacture and use of explosives.

FORCED EXIT The onset of the First World War was seen as an opportune time to launch the

offensive in India. As such, several thousand Indians returned to India by sea witharms, explosives and funds. In April, 1914, Lala Har Dayal was still in the UnitedStates when the American government, under pressure from the British, came toarrest him on charges of spreading anarchist propaganda. The British had triedto force the Americans to deport Lala Har Dayal, but that did not happen. He man-aged to obtain bail and fled to Berlin where other Indian revolutionaries in exilehad set up the India Independence Committee. Before fleeing the United States,Lala Har Dayal strongly condemned the Americans for their subservience to theBritish in a press statement.

Even after the end of the First World War, Lala Har Dayal’s exile did not end.He lived for a decade in Sweden, lecturing on Indian Philosophy, art and literature.In 1930 he earned his doctorate on the dissertation "The Bodhisatva Doctrine inBuddhist Sanskrit Literature" from the School of Oriental and African Studies ofthe University of London. Two years after the publication of his thesis in 1932, hebrought out his most popular work "Hints of Self Culture". He lectured and wroteprofusely on a variety of subjects in India, USA and various countries of Europe.A polyglot, he was fluent in Urdu, Sanskrit, English, French, German and SwedishLanguages.

Har Dayal died in Philadelphia of a heart attack on March 4, 1939 while on alecture tour of America. His deepest regret was that he could never return to hishomeland because the British kept refusing him permission. �


Kartar Singh Sarabha

n 16 November, 1915, Kartar Singh Sarabha was only 19 years old. Hehad spent the previous night in a cold cell in Lahore Jail, surroundedwith comrades in arms, singing patriotic songs from Gadar Di Gunj.

For 27 of them, this was to be their last night. For their alleged roles in the LahoreConspiracy, they were to be hanged in the morning. But so severe was the publicoutcry at the judgement that Lord Hardinge, the Governor General of India, hadbeen forced to intervene. At the last moment, the sentence of 17 of the Gadariteswas changed from death to imprisonment and deportation for life in the AndamanCellular jail. But for Kartar Singh Sarabha the gallows awaited. He was among theseven whose sentence was not reduced. During the trial, Kartar Singh had refusedcounsel. While the judge was impressed by the young man’s intellect, he showedno mercy. He labeled the 19-year-old boy the ‘most dangerous of all rebels’. Thejudge said, “He is very proud of the crimes committed by him. He does not de-serve mercy and should be sentenced to death.” Witnesses say that the 19-year-old sang all the way to the gallows, kissed the hangman’s noose, and embracedmartyrdom. The song on his lips was self-composed.

Serving ones country is very difficultIt is so easy to talk

Anyone who walked on that pathMust endure millions of calamities.

ABSOLUTE INSPIRATION No wonder, this young man inspired the likes of Shaheed Bhagat Singh,

who is known to have called him his guru. Born to Sahib Kaur and Mangal Singh,a Jat Sikh family of Sarabha, district Ludhiana, on May 24, 1896, Kartar Singh wasthe cherished son of loving parents. He lost his father in early childhood. His

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karTar singh saraBha



grandfather had brought him up. He finished primary education in his villageschool and completed matriculation form Mission High School. Later, he movedwith his uncle in Orissa. When he was 16, his grandfather thought it wise to sendhim to the US for higher education and better prospects. The young Kartar Singhreached San Francisco with dreams of studying chemistry at the University of Cal-ifornia, Berkeley. Eyes full of dreams and a heart full of expectations, Kartar wastotally unprepared for the welcome he got. At the immigrations in San Francisco,Kartar was subjected to humiliating questionings, bordering on a rigorous inter-rogation. He saw other Indians being subjected to similar treatment while otherpotential immigrants with obvious Caucasian features being let in with the barestof formalities. He asked someone sitting next to him as to why this was happening.“It is because Indians are slaves,” he was told.

WAKE UP CALLThis rankled the young, proud Jat Sikh. “A slave?” he asked himself several times.

“Do I die this way? Or do I wake up and do something about what others think I am?”Those questions surrounded Kartar. He knew that India’s stock in the world orderhad to go up. For that to happen, freedom was a necessity, no longer a mere dream.Something had to be done about getting that freedom. The fires of patriotism, na-tionalism, and liberty began to burn bright inside the young man. And what he man-aged during his next three years is something ordinary folk do not accomplish duringentire lifetimes. Over the next year, Kartar Singh became a popular member of theIndian student community at the University of California, Berkeley. He had joinedthe Nalanda Club where he met other like-minded Indians and came to learn moreabout the injustices being meted out to the rest of the Indian expatriate community.At the beginning of the 20th century, several Indians, especially Sikhs, had emigratedto the various British colonies. Most worked as farm labor. But even in these newlands, they were unable to escape the unequal treatment they had faced back home.They were still treated as second-class citizens and discriminated against in termsof wages. Kartar had also worked as a fruit picker alongside several other Sikhs. Heknew of the racial slurs that were thrown at them. He knew of how they were paidless than other farm labor only because of the color of their skin.

KEY MEMBERWhen the Gadar movement was born in 1913, Kartar Singh became a key mem-

ber. It was on 21 April, 1913, that the Indians in Astoria, Oregon got together andformed the Gadar Party. They knew that there was no way they could claim a lifeof respect while India remained a British colony. Their aim was to overthrow theBritish from India, by any means possible. They lived by the mantra, “Put at StakeEverything for the Freedom of the Country”. Kartar Singh was put in charge of theparty mouthpiece, Gadar in Punjabi language. He wrote and edited the officialGadar in Punjabi and also printed on a hand-operated machine. Gadar was pub-lished in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati and Pushto and went to Indiansall over the world. It served to mobilize several to join the Gadar movement. Apartfrom news about the atrocities of the British, the newspaper also fuelled revolu-tionary ideas among the overseas Indians. The newspaper was published at Yu-



gantar Ashram, the house in San Francisco which served as the headquarter ofthe Party as also a place for the volunteers to live.

NATION CALLINGIn October, 1913, the Gadarites were at a meeting in Sacramento. Kartar Singh

became so charged up with emotion and patriotism that he jumped on to the stageand broke into song. “Chalo chaliye, desh nu yudh karen, eho akhiri vachan te far-man ho gaye,” (Come! Let us go and join the battle for freedom, the final call hascome, let us go), he sang. He got his wish soon enough. When the World War Ibroke out and the British were preoccupied with defending themselves, theGadarites decided that the time for action had come. The decision of declarationof war against the British was published in the 5 August 1914 issue of Gadar.Copies of this issue were circulated among Indians everywhere, especially Indiansoldiers in British cantonments. On 15 September 1914, Kartar Singh left theUnited States, a month ahead of the main body of Gadar members, with SatyenSen and Vishnu Ganesh Pingle. They reached Calcutta via Colombo in November.Here they met Jatin Mukherjee, of Jugantar, who gave them a letter of introductionfor Rash Behari Bose. Bose was in Benares when Kartar Singh met him and toldhim to expect 20,000 more Gadarites. Unfortunately, this information reached theBritish and several Gadarites were arrested at the ports itself. Meanwhile, KartarSingh went about preparing the base for the revolution in Punjab. Kartar Singhwent to do a reconnaissance of the cantonments of Meerut, Agra, Benares, Alla-habad, Ambala, Lahore and Rawalpindi with Pingle and set the ground work forencouraging the Indian soldiers in the British army to join them. In his home dis-trict of Ludhiana, he set up a small scale arms manufacturing units. They madebombs at Jhabeval and Lohtbaddi.

On 25 January, 1915, Rash Behari Bose reached Amritsar and went about assess-ing the preparations. At a meeting on 12 February, 1915, the date for the revolt wasset—21 February 1915 was D-Day. The plan was to attack cantonments of Mian Mirand Ferozepur while Ambala was to be prepared for a mutiny. As the revolutionariesfeverishly went about making their final preparations for the attack, they were un-aware of a traitor in their midst. Kirpal Singh, a British mole, revealed the plan tohis bosses and on 19 February, 1915, just a day before the attack, the Gadarites werearrested. Kartar Singh, however, managed to evade the British. As the beleagueredGadarites tried to take stock of the situation, it was decided that they should tryand leave the country. Kartar was told to head towards Kabul. But the young mancould not bring himself to flee while his comrades languished in prison. Ever theoptimist, he made a last-ditch, desperate attempt to rouse the Indian soldiers of the22 Cavalry at Chak No. 5 in Sargodha. He tried to incite the soldiers to mutiny. Rissal-dar Ganda Singh of the 22 Cavalry, however, got Kartar Singh arrested.

He went to trial with the other Gadarites at Lahore in what came to be called theLahore Conspiracy case. In September 1915, the sentence was pronounced—he wasto be hanged till death. At the age of 19, Kartar Singh, student, revolutionary, inspir-ing jewel in India’s freedom struggle, became Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha. �

lahOre COnsPiraCy and

OTher Trials

he failure of the Gadar uprising, led to large-scale arrests of Gadar lead-ers. Kartar Singh Sarabha was arrested on 2nd March 1915 and VishnuGanesh Pingle was arrested on 23rd March 1915. Ras Behari Bose es-

caped arrest.

Before starting trial for the Gadarites, the Government of India passed the De-fense of India Act in March 1915, giving wide powers to the Punjab Government indealing with the Gadarites. The Gadarites were prosecuted in batches by the Spe-cial Tribunal in what are known as Lahore conspiracy trials. The Tribunal triedthe Gadarites in the Central Jail, Lahore, in nine batches and held the proceedingsin camera. Besides the first Lahore conspiracy case, there were four Lahore sup-plementary conspiracy cases, two Mandi conspiracy cases, two Burma conspiracycases, and one Lahore city conspiracy case. Besides these cases, other cases werethe Ferozeshahr murder case, Anarkali muder case, Padhri murder case, WallaBridge case, Jagatpur murder case, Nangal Kalan murder case, Thikriwala armsact case and Chawarian and Srigobindpur dacoity cases.

The first Lahore Conspiracy Trial started on 26th April 1915 and continued upto 13th September 1915. As many as eighty-two people were tried for waging waragainst the king and to overthrow the British from India. Judgment was announcedon 13th September 1915 convicting twenty-four of the Gadarites to death and sev-

T


enteen to transportation for life. Others received varying terms of imprisonment,only a few were acquitted.

The sentences awarded were too harsh for the crimes committed. SomeGadarites who were arrested from the ship on landing without putting their footon Indian soil, committed no crime and still got death sentence. There was no ap-peal against the conviction except appeal for mercy. The public strongly protestedthe irrational judgment and the press criticized it. Governor General LordHardinge intervened and converted the death sentence of seventeen convicts tolife imprisonment. The death sentence of seven patriots, namely Kartar SinghSarabha, Vishnu Ganesh Pingle, Jagat Singh Sursingh, Harnam Singh Sialkoti, Bak-shish Singh Gilwali, Surain Singh son of Gur Singh and Surain Singh son of IsherSingh, both of village Gilwali was maintained. The seven patriots kissed the gal-lows in the Central Jail Lahore on 17th November 1915 and attained martyrdom.

In the four Supplementary Lahore Conspiracy cases, twelve Gadarites werehanged, twenty-two sentenced for life and thirty-nine were given lesser punish-ment. In all other cases, twenty-seven were given death sentence while fourteenwere given life imprisonment.

According to the summary of the criminal cases arising out of the Gadar move-ment given on page 483 in War against King Emperor – Gadar of 1914-15 by Mal-winder Jit Singh and Harinder Singh, 275 persons were tried and sentenced asfollows:

� Death 46� Transportation for life 70� Varying terms of imprisonment 125� Acquitted 34

Out of 70 patriots who were given life imprisonment, 40 were transported tothe Andaman. The property of most of those who were given death sentence orlife imprisonment was ordered confiscated. �

GADAR NUGGETLala Har Dayal was editor of BandeMataram in Paris in 1909. It was

published by Bhikhaiji Rustom Cama,founder of Paris Indian Society.


Bhai BalWanT singh

Bhai Balwant Singh

alk is cheap, they say. Acting on your convictions is, indeed, tough, es-pecially when it means putting your loved ones at risk. But for BalwantSingh, when it came to putting his money where his mouth was, he

stepped up and how!

When the racist and oppressive Canadian government at the beginning of the20th century ruled that Indian immigrants would not be allowed to bring theirfamilies to Canada, Balwant Singh was among the first to challenge them. And notjust in words. The brave Sikh travelled back to India and undertook the ardousreturn voyage with his wife and children in tow.

Accompanied by Bhai Bhag Singh, another immigrant who was following BhaiBalwant Singh’s example, and his family, they boarded a ship bound for San Fran-cisco with a halt at Vancouver. The year was 1911. The fate that awaited them wasalmost like a precursor for what the ill-fated passengers of the Komagata Marufaced. Vancouver refused to allow the families to disembark, hoping to make anexample of them. The same story was repeated in San Francisco. Eventually, theylanded at Hong Kong.

HARSH LAWSBy this time, the plight of the two families, including children, was broadcast

among the Indian community in Canada and the US through the efforts of TarakNath Das, G D Kumar, Hussain Rahim and Babu Harnam Sahri. Their efforts suc-ceeded to some extent and the beleaguered families were able to buy tickets fora Vancouver-bound ship. By now, more than a year had passed since they hadbegun their journey. When they landed at Vancouver on 21 January 1912, only the

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Source: Canada de Gadari Yodhe, www.panjabilok.net


Bhai BalWanT singh

men were allowed to disembark. The families were held up awaiting deportation.

But by now, enough of a public outcry had been generated and the governmentcould not hold the women and children in detention and they were released on asecurity bond even though their deportation was not stayed. Immediately aftersecuring the custody of their families, Balwant Singh and Bhag Singh appealedagainst the deportation in court and such was the public outcry against the inhu-man treatment meted out to women and children that even before the court coulddecide, the government caved and allowed the families to settle down in Canada.

This may have been a big victory for Bhai Balwant Singh, but this simple Sikhfrom a small village (Khurdpur) in Jalandhar was destined for greater achieve-ments. Born to farmer father Budh Singh Atwal on 15 September 1882, BalwantSingh did his schooling in Adampur. He was married off as a school student, buthis wife died. On completing his middle school, Balwant Singh joined the BritishIndian Army and married Kartar Kaur of Noorpur.

However, serving in a slave army did not sit well with the self-respecting Bal-want Singh and in 1905, he resigned, deciding to seek out a better future on foreignsoil. In April 1906, he left for Hong Kong, eventually reaching Vancouver in June.

While he worked in a lumber mill, he did not allow the working conditions orthe racial intolerance get to him. Instead, he played a major role in creating a com-munity of the other immigrants from India. To keep the morale high, he workedhard and succeeded in building the first Sikh Gurudwara in North America. He be-came the first granthi when the Gurudwara opened in 1908. By now, he was wellestablished as an immigrant leader and became the treasurer of G D Kumar’s Hin-dustan Association and when the Association graduated to being rechristened theUnited India League, he became a member of the executive.

RESETTLEMENT CHALLENGEOne of the first challenges they faced was the Canadian government’s plan

to resettle the Indian immigrants in British Honduras. Bhai Balwant Singh, BhaiBhag Singh and Sant Teja Singh were instrumental in nipping this scheme in thebud. To further strengthen the immigrants, they decided to set up the GuruNanak Mining and Trust Company. The company was registered and its sharessold at $1 each. With the money thus raised, they bought 172 acres of land inNorth Vancouver and a quarter of a gold mine in California. Bhai Balwant Singhthen embarked on a journey to the US to try and raise more funds by sellingshares of the company. Bhai Balwant Singh had succeeded in bringing his familyto Canada. But this right did not extend to others. When all efforts to convincethe Canadian government to relax the rule regarding the families of Indian im-migrants failed, a delegation led by Bhai Balwant Singh set off for England to tryand affect the minds of the decision makers there. The delegation left in March1913 but was forced to return empty handed. On their way back, they made atrip to India.


Bhai BalWanT singh

In Lahore, they were feted as heroes and several newspapers carried reportsof how Indians were being subjected to racial discrimination in Canada. Bhai Bal-want Singh addressed several public meetings. They even met the Lt Governor,Michael Odweyer, and the Viceroy, Lord Harding, in Simla.

KOMAGATA MARUThe next major stop for Bhai Balwant Singh was in Japan when he spent a night

on the Komagata Maru. Eventually, Bhai Balwant Singh reached Canada a few daysbefore the ship docked. He became a leading member of the Shore Committee setup to help the ship’s passengers. He was instrumental in raising funds to pay forthe ship’s rental installment. Daily meetings at the dock became a rallying pointfor anti-British sentiment and for spreading the revolutionary message.

Meanwhile, in neighboring San Francisco, nationalist fervor was being whippedup and the Gadar party had become very active. At the behest of the Gadar party,Bhai Balwant Singh agreed to help arm the passengers on the Komagata Maru sothat when they returned to India they could be a part of the revolt. At great per-sonal risk, he crossed over to the US to buy the arms. On his return, he was ar-rested by the Canadian police and their mission failed. However, since they hadnot broken any American law by buying arms, he could not be kept under arrestand had to be let go.

ARRESTS, HANGING With the outbreak of the First World War, the Gadar leaders decided that the

time to launch the revolt had come and so the clarion call was sounded to tell allrevolutionaries to march to India. Bhai Balwant Singh also decided to return. Butshortly before his departure, on 5 September 1914, Bhai Bhag Singh and BhaiBadan Singh were shot. Among the people arrested by the Canadian police in thisconnection was Bhai Balwant Singh. But since they could not prove anything, BhaiBalwant Singh was freed in December. Not one to lose a moment, Bhai BalwantSingh left for India with his family. His first stop was San Francisco. He stayed atthe Gadar Ashram in San Francisco for a few days before going on with his journey.He reached Shanghai on Jan 23, 1915 and decided to stay on there for some time,helping in spreading the message of the revolt, sending his family on to India withBhai Batan Singh. He worked to strengthen the Gadar Party in China and left forBangkok where he reached on July 13. In Bangkok, he fell sick and was admittedin the hospital. On his release from hospital, he was arrested on Aug 1, 1915 andhanded over to British police. He was taken to Singapore where he was kept in jailfor six months and then taken to India and jailed in Calcutta. After six months, hewas sent to Punjab and tried in Second Supplementary Lahore Conspiracy Case.He was given death sentence and hanged to death in 1916. �


harnaM singh TUndilaT

Harnam Singh Tundilat

he Gadar movement had two types of revolutionaries at its heart –the intellectuals and the tough labor force that made up most of theIndian immigrant community in the United States in the early 1900s.

Harnam Singh Tundilat was a blend of both—an intellectual who was a hardyson of the soil.

EARLY LIFEHarnam Singh was born into a farming family in Kotla Naudh Singh, in the

Hoshiarpur area of Punjab, in 1882. His father, Gurdit Singh, was a farmer but thefamily was not very well off. As a child, the only schooling he got was at a dharam-sala in his village where he learnt Gurmukhi. But despite not being a man of letters,his creativity found an outlet in verse and even before his journey as a patriotbegan, he was writing verse about his motherland.

He soon joined the army but serving under a foreign flag chafed his patrioticpride. One day, after an altercation with his seniors, just days short of a promotion,he decided to leave India and find a new life in Canada in 1906. But seeing the ex-ploitation of Indians in Canada, he moved to the United States three years later.

HINDUSTANI ASSOCIATION OF PACIFIC COAST In the United States, Harnam Singh started life as a worker in a lumber mill in

Bridalville in Oregon. Around the same time, the Indians working as laborers inthe mills around were awakened to their nationalistic duty by a group of intellec-tuals studying at the University of California, Berkeley. Harnam Singh had alreadyearned a reputation for himself as a leader of men given his bent for penning stir-ring verse. There was a meeting of Indian immigrants at Portland in the early

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months of 1912 where the idea of the Hindustan Association of the Pacific Coastgerminated. At the very first meeting of the association, Harnam Singh was electedsecretary of the local branch. As his influence within the local community grew,he was made a member of the Central Executive of the association.

GADARWhen the Hindustan Association of the Pacific Coast graduated to becoming

the Gadar Party, Harnam Singh’s literary talents were put to good use. Lala HarDayal and Kartar Singh Sarabha acknowledged his abilities to rouse patriotic fer-vor through his poetry and gave ample space to him in the Gurmukhi editions ofthe Gadar newsletter. His association with Kartar Singh Sarabha developed into astrong friendship and they stayed together until Sarabha was hanged by theBritish. Harnam Singh’s well-built stature and military bearing soon earned himthe position of Lala Har Dayal’s bodyguard. Lala Har Dayal never went anywherewithout Harnam Singh by his side.

The stated objective of Gadar was to oust the British from India and all effortswere made in that direction. Harnam Singh went to the East Coast to renew hisacquaintance with weapons. He also started learning the art of making bombs andotherwise handling explosives. By now, Lala Har Dayal had fled to Europe to evadearrest in America and Harnam Singh was also elevated to the editorship of Gadar.

TUNDILATHe was given training by Udham Singh Kasel and an American friend. One day,

in mid-1914, a bomb-making experiment went horribly wrong. The explosion tookoff his left arm. Though the blast left him handicapped physically, it did not affecthis spirit in anyway. An indication of how lightly he took his loss was the way inwhich he happily took on the ironic nickname of “Tundilat”. This was the nick-name given to Sir Henry Hardinge who had fought the First Anglo-Sikh War withone arm, having lost his limb in the Napoleonic Wars. Harnam Singh may have lostan arm, but he did not lose his sense of humor or his spirit. Even with one arm,he went on to play a spectacular role in the Gadar revolt.

BHARAT CHALOHarnam Singh was among the first Gadaris to return to India. As the First World

War seemed imminent, the Gadaris had decided that the time to attack had comeand they began returning to India with the intention of armed revolt. Aware thatthe British had been tipped off about the plans of the Gadarites, he, along withKartar Singh Sarabha and Vishnu Pingle, returned to India via Colombo. Theyreached Punjab in July 1914 and immediately set about putting their plan into ac-tion. Harnam Singh donned orange robes and roamed the countryside exhortingthe local villagers to be ready for the revolt. His disguise gave him free pass to gowhere he pleased—including to cantonments like Rawalpindi, Bannu, Nausheraand Peshawar. He gave them the message of the uprising for February 1915. Whenthe plans were exposed due to the presence of a traitor in their midst, he set aboutspreading the message of the advancement in the date of the uprising. However,



as ill luck would have it, even this information reached the British and they wereexposed.

ESCAPE TO AFGHANISTANAs the uprising unraveled in front of their eyes, Harnam Singh and Kartar Singh

tried to make their way to Afghanistan to try and muster additional resources.However, enroute they decided to make another attempt at trying to achieve theirheroic objective.

SECOND ATTEMPTAt Wilsonpur, a remount farm was stationed in Chakk No 105. Here they de-

cided to stay with an acquaintance. They also wanted to try and urge the troopsin the station to revolt. But as was the case with the bigger revolt, even this at-tempt failed because of treachery within the ranks. The man they had soughtrefuge with, Rajinder Singh, sold them out. Risaldar Ganda Singh was informedand they were arrested.

LAHORE TRIALHarnam Singh Tundilat stood tall and firm, holding his amputated stump high

as a badge of honor when the Gadarites were put on trial at the infamous LahoreConspiracy Case trial. The trial by a special tribunal set up under the Defence ofIndia Act 1914, delivered its verdict on 13 September 1915. He was sentenced to behanged till dead. He was among the 24 sentenced to this punishment. Despite notappealing against the order, Harnam Singh was among those whose sentence wascommuted to life imprisonment by the Viceroy. For six years, Harnam Singh sanghis patriotic songs in the Cellular Jail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. For nineyears, he served sentence in jails in Madras, Pune, Bombay and Montgomery. Hewas released in 1930, by which time inhumanity of jail life had taken a toll on hishealth. The strapping youth who was Lala Har Dayal’s shadow as his bodyguard,was now a mere shadow of his former self, gaunt and bent with age and torture.

But even after his release from jail, the authorities kept a close watch on him.Harnam Singh had continued his anti-British activities, helping those who stoodagainst the foreign rulers. So fearful were the British of his influence, that at theoutbreak of the Second World War, they arrested him again, sending him to jailfrom 1941 to 1945. When India gained Independence, the human cost resultingfrom the riots of the partition hurt Harnam Singh tremendously. A true secularist,he worked tirelessly to save as many Muslims as he could by helping them toreach refugee camps and avoid the lynch mobs in his village and other neighbor-hoods.

Before he left for his final resting place on 18 September 1962, he had collectedhis poetry and other writings in several publications. Two collections of his rev-olutionary poetry are Harnam Lafarman and Harnam Sandesh. His prose worksinclude Sache da Sauda, Akhlaq Te Mazhab and Mazhab aur Insaniyat. �


harnaM singh kala sangha

Harnam Singh KalaSangha

arnam Singh Kala Sangha was one of the many who was inspired tojoin the cause of the motherland by the writings in the Gadar newslet-ter. This simple soldier in the British Indian army first saw a copy of

the newsletter in Hong Kong, where he was posted at the time, and soon becameso influenced by it that he was deemed a “trouble-maker” and sent back to Indiaby his officers in order to prevent him from spreading trouble.

He was born in 1887-88 in village Kala Sangha in Kapurthala to Sundar Singhand Gulab Devi. His first wife, to whom he had been married at an early age, diedin the plague of 1902. Five years later, in 1907, he was remarried to Bishan Kaur.In 1909, he joined the British Indian army as a sepoy. His first posting was withthe 26th Punjab in Kohat Cantonment. As Harnam Singh settled into army life, hegot the news that his regiment was being moved to foreign shores. In 1912, hemoved with his regiment to Hong Kong.

STIRREDIn 1914, Harnam Singh chanced upon a copy of the Gadar newsletter. What he

read touched a chord as it resonated within him, highlighting the injustices hesaw around him. Soon, he became a regular subscriber of the newsletter, devour-ing every word. Several of his colleagues started receiving Gadar magazine also.As news of the influence of Gadar reached the officers, they banned its circulation.But Harnam Singh and others like him were not to be denied. They circumventedtheir officers by getting the Gadar newsletter delivered to their Chinese friendsand picking it from them to read and circulate.

The Gadar newsletter inspired many of them to raise questions about what the

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British were doing in India and how they themselves were being treated in an un-equal manner. The writings made them realize the reality of British oppressionand sowed the seeds of dissent within them. One day, when some soldiers wereasked to dig dirt for some civil works, Harnam Singh was at the forefront, incitinghis fellow soldiers to refuse this task. He urged them to put down their shovels,saying that their duty as soldiers was to fight and not dig dirt. Seeing that theissue had raised a lot of heat, the officers retracted the order. But Harnam Singhbecame a marked man after this incident.

As soon as the British officers could, they picked on Harnam Singh and severalother “potential trouble-makers” and sent them back to India. In April 1914, Har-nam Singh reached Karachi. From here, he was sent to Ferozepur. The British mayhave thought that this was a punishment for Harnam Singh, but the reality wasthat coming to Ferozepur was exactly what he wanted. This was the hotbed ofGadar activities and here Harnam Singh met Kartar Singh Sarabha, one of the lead-ing architects of the Gadar movement.

A GOOD ALLYHarnam Singh was openly meeting with Kartar Singh and getting involved with

the Gadar plans. Soon, his seniors in his place of posting realized that the youngman Harnam Singh was meeting with was a wanted man with a reward on his head.They tried to convince Harnam Singh to lure Kartar Singh into a trap. HarnamSingh was offered money as well as land in return for handing over Kartar Singh.Harnam Singh did not succumb to the temptations, and refused. He continuedmeeting Kartar Singh, but changed their meeting venue from the cantonment areato somewhere within the precincts of the city that was considered safer.

By now, the spy network of the British had informed them about the plans forthe mutiny. As a way of preventing the mutiny and quelling any other rebelliousthought, the British dismissed several suspect soldiers. Among them was HarnamSingh who was discharged on 19 February 1915, the day of the planned mutiny.He was later arrested and charged in the Lahore Conspiracy case and sentencedto transportation for life and forfeiture of his property.

LIFE IN JAILThe first jail that Harnam Singh was sent to was Montgomery Jail. Here he had

a run-in with the authorities over the issue of wearing a cap as headgear. All pris-oners were required to wear a cloth cap. But being a Sikh, he insisted that hewanted to wear a turban. For this, he was placed in a cage like an animal for aweek.

Next, he was sent to Hazari Bagh jail. Here he had the company of Bhai RandhirSingh and 30 other Gadaris. Initially they were given acceptable treatment butsoon the top man at the jail changed and life also changed for the inmates. Insteadof roti made from flour, they got roti made of flour and dirt. They protested ver-bally and also gave in several written complaints. But even the letters addressed




to the Inspector General of Prisons were not allowed to leave the jail. And the ill-treatment continued. Unable to bear the inhuman behavior much longer and see-ing that there was no hope of any redressal to their grievances, they decided toescape. Eighteen of them managed to scale the high walls of the jail but five ofthem, including Harnam Singh, suffered severe injuries while jumping. They wererearrested and brought back to jail.

Harnam Singh was next sent to Rajahmundry Central jail and then to Rai BelurJail in Madras.

By now, Harnam Singh had spent 22 years in different jails. He was brought toLahore Central jail and offered his release papers. But this was a conditional re-lease document. Harnam Singh refused to sign it. Even though the Gadar leaderstried to convince him to sign the conditional release documents, he refused sayingthat he wanted a proper release as was his due since he had completed his jailterm. Consequently, his jail term was extended and his ill-treatment at the handof the jailors continued. He was in jail for another seven years when his case wastaken up by Master Tara Singh, the famous Akali leader. The Desh Bhagat ReleaseCommittee was set up and a public movement was launched to secure HarnamSingh’s release. So much publicity was generated through the media and publiccampaign that the authorities were forced to relent.

Harnam Singh was released on December 10, 1935.

After India became independent, Harnam Singh requested the government toreturn his property, which was confiscated. Instead, he was given monthly pensionof Rs 50. On July 2, 1959, he met Partap Singh Kairon, Chief Minister of Punjab whoraised his pension to Rs 100. Harnam Singh told him, “Please return my confis-cated land and property and keep your pension with you.” He left the chief minis-ter’s office without any satisfactory answer. �

“Even in the eyes of the enemy, these (Gadar) heroes shone like rays of hope

in the darkest night. They were India’s dream, its future and the path they

showed was later followed proudly by other martyrs like Bhagat Singh. It is

time that we remember and honor them.”

—Dr. Ved Prakash Vatuk in a foreword in An Account of the Gadar Conspiracy 1913-1915 by F.C Isemonger

and J. Slattery of Indian Police, Punjab


BaBa JaWala singh

Baba Jawala Singh

aba Jawala Singh was first the story of an entrepreneur. When he ar-rived in 1908 in the USA, all he had was his grit and determination forcompany. He had not had the chance to bring in a single penny from

his village in Amritsar. In one of the great turnaround stories that one would hear,by 1911, Jawala Singh was sponsoring scholarships for Indians who wanted tocome to the USA and study. The merit-based scholarships named Sri Guru GobindSingh Educational Scholarships were open to qualified men and women from India.In 1912, the awardees included a Christian, a Sikh, a Muslim and three Hindus.

Along with partner Wasakha Singh Dadehar, he leased a 500-acre farm atHoltsville near Stockton, California. They grew potatoes and were doing so wellthat Baba Jawala Singh came to be known as the “Potato King”. And from his suc-cess grew his generosity and besides founding scholarships, he supported PacificCoast Khalsa Diwan Society to buy a home for rent-free use by students from India.The home was named Guru Nanak Dev Ji Vidyarthi Ashram where smoking anddrinking were prohibited for resident scholars. The first Sikh temple in the UnitedStates, Stockton Sikh Gurdwara was founded by Baba Jawala Singh and BabaWasakha Singh.

RESPECTED IMMIGRANTJawala Singh was a highly respected Indian immigrant and played an important

role in the Indian community in California. His farm in Holton had a separate roomfor the Guru Granth Sahib and this served as a rallying point for the largely Sikhlabor community to congregate and offer prayers. The congregation soon startedincluding Muslims and Hindus as well. When the first Gurudwara was opened inStockton, Jawala Singh and Wasakha Singh were its first Granthis. This first Gurd-

B


wara in the United States is now a historical landmark of California.

Jawala Singh had left his village in 1905 and working his way through manycountries including Panama and Mexico, he reached San Francisco in 1908. His as-sociation with Wasakha Singh, who was also from Amritsar and had been a Granthiwith the Indian Army as well as a policeman, was beneficial to both. WhileWasakha Singh managed the farm, Jawala Singh was the public face. He realizedthe importance of a good education and developed good relations with the Uni-versity of California, Berkeley. In consultation with Lala Har Dayal and Tarak NathDas, he founded six scholarships for Indian students, an incredible feat for an im-migrant who had landed in the USA without a penny in his pocket.

NATIONALIST ACTIVITIESNationalist activities of Jawala Singh continued to grow. At the end of 1913, a

well-attended conference of the Gadar Party was organized at Sacramento underthe leadership of Jawala Singh, in which representatives from Oregon and Wash-ington actively participated. At this conference, several Indians from Californiajoined the Gadar Party. Jawala Singh was also named as vice president. In the be-ginning, Jawala Singh’s farm was known for religious meetings. Later, the meetingcharter was expanded to include discussions on the problems facing the commu-nity. The farm also became a meeting place for the revolutionaries. Secret policerecords reveal that this farmhouse was used for making bombs and experts wouldvisit to instruct the new Gadar members on how to handle explosives. When thelaunch of the revolt was imminent, he and Sohan Singh Bhakna toured the westernstates of the US where a large number of Indian immigrants lived. They asked themto join in the Gadar Movement. Jawala Singh’s farm served as a holding area forthose wanting to return to India to fight for freedom. Here they were also giventraining in the use of arms and explosives.

Jawala Singh and many Gadarites left for the planned revolt in India on boardthe SS Korea. Enroute, they attended a meeting at Hong Kong with other Gadarleaders. Jawala Singh was elected a member of the Central Managing Committeewith the task of coordinating and arranging the revolution in India. He changedships and reached Singapore where he tried, unsuccessfully, to incite the Indiantroops in the British army contingents posted there.

ARRESTNews of his presence at the SS Korea reached the British, even before he could

land. He was arrested and sent to Ludhiana. He was put on trial in the Lahore Con-spiracy Case. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without committing anycrime in India and all his property was confiscated. The Special Tribunal namedhim as one of the “brains” of the Gadar party. Jawala Singh spent many years inCellular jail in Andaman, where he suffered physical and mental torture. He waskept in iron cage, put bar-fetters and given reduced diet, one after the other. InCoimbatore jail, he was given 30 lashes for sharing his food with some starvingprisoners. After spending 18 years in different jails, he was released in 1933.

BaBa JaWala singh


BaBa JaWala singh

After release, Jawala Singh did not sit idle. He took responsibility to raise fundsfor Desh Bhagat Parivar Sahayak Committee, which was started by Baba WasakhaSingh for the families of freedom fighters. He also took up the cause of the farmersand brought out a journal Kirti. He became the first president of the Punjab KisanSabha, a farmer union. These activities did not go down well with the British andhe was arrested in 1935. He spent a year in jail and on his release, continued hiswork of speaking for the rights of farmers. He led the tenant movement of NeeliBar, an area of Montgomery district, now Pakistan. In 1936, he was elected as SGPCPresident but as he was busy in Neeli Bar, Baba Sohan Singh Bhakna was then se-lected as the President. In 1938, he received an invitation to attend the All IndiaKisan Conference in Bengal. While on his way to the conference, he was travellingfrom Nili Bar area to Lahore by bus, which had a major accident on May 8. He wasbadly injured and was rushed to Mayo hospital, Lahore where he breathed his lastat 5 am on May 9, 1938. �

“In the early months of World War I, an ambitious attempt to free

their country was made by Indians living overseas, particularly in the

United States and Canada. Although the overwhelming majority of

the Gadrites were Sikhs and the centers of revolutionary activity were

the Sikh temples in Canada, the United States, Shanghai,

Hong Kong and Singapore, many of the leaders were of other

parties and from different parts of India, Hardyal,

Ras Bihari Bose, Barkutullah, Seth Husain Rahim,

Tarak Nath Das and Vishnu Ganesh Pingley…

The Gadar was the first organized violent bid for freedom

after the uprising of 1857. Many hundreds paid the ultimate

price with their lives.”

—Khushwant Singh, Illustrated Weekly, February 26, 1961


dr. MaThra singh

Dr. Mathra Singh

t was a disheartened young man who made his way to Kabul. The Gadar Revolt,for which he had surrendered his everything, had failed at the hands of a traitor.He himself narrowly escaped arrest and sought refuge in Afghanistan. However,

destiny had more in store for Dr Mathra Singh. In Kabul, he gained fame as a medicalpractitioner and was named the Chief Medical Officer. But more importantly, he wasrecognized as a patriot and named Minister Plenipotentiary in the Indian Governmentin Exile by Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh and Maulvi Barkatullah, his colleague from theGadar Party. He continued his patriotic work, seeking allies for the Indian Governmentin Exile among the axis powers before he was betrayed at Tarmez in Turkistan. Ar-rested by the British, he was brought back to India and sentenced to death by hangingin the Third Supplementary Lahore Conspiracy case. In 1917, he was martyred.

EARLY LIFEBorn to Sardar Hari Singh Kohli on 16 March, 1883, at Dhudial, Jhelum district,

he got his early education in Chakwal. An extremely bright young man, he con-tributed to the family earnings by giving tuitions to other students even as he him-self prepared for his matriculation exam. Given his family circumstances, he wasforced to give up his studies at the age of 18 and take up an apprenticeship witha private pharmaceutical company in Rawalpindi. Within a short span of time, hehad acquired a depth of knowledge about medicines, both from experience andfrom studying foreign journals he subscribed to, and by 1906 he became a partnerin a firm of chemists in Naushera Cantonment. This line of work led to him beingaddressed as Dr Mathra Singh.

DEPARTURE FOR THE USIn order to further his education, he decided to go to the US and in 1913, left

I


dr. MaThra singh

India. He was unable to reach his destination and had to stop at Shanghai becauseof a paucity of funds. While in Shanghai, he joined a Chinese pharmacy, “The GreatEastern Dispensary”, and saved money to continue his journey. On reaching SanFrancisco, he saw first-hand how Indians were being ill-treated there as well. TheAmericans refused to allow the ship-load of Indians to disembark, saying theywere “infected”. Only he and one other passenger, who were headed to the US forhigher education, were allowed to disembark. The rest, many of whom had soldall their earthly belongings to make the journey, were unceremoniously returnedback.

INITIATION INTO THE GADAR PARTYThis affected Dr Mathra Singh badly and his time in San Francisco was spent

more with the Gadar leaders than with his text books. Dr Mathra Singh was giventhe task of setting up office for the Gadar Party in Hong Kong. He left the US forHong Kong and established the office of Gadar newspaper in a Gurudwara there.

HONG KONG AND THE KOMAGATA MARUHis writings displayed a strong anti-British sentiment and he was brought

under the radar of the British authorities. When the news of the hardships of theIndians on board the Komagata Maru reached him, he planned demonstrationsagainst the British at various places including Singapore, Penang and Shanghai. Apanic stricken British government ordered his arrest. He was soon arrested butwas released later. At a special celebration for his release, he announced a planto board the returning Komagata Maru. A list of 50 people was prepared whowould go on board the ship. But news of this reached the British and they did notallow the Komagata Maru to halt at Hong Kong. Undeterred, Dr Mathra Singh or-ganized for another ship and the 50 chosen Indians returned to India on that ship.

RETURN TO INDIAThe ship reached Calcutta around the same time as the Komagata Maru and

as with most of the Indians on that ship, he too was put on a train for the Punjab.However, he managed to give the British the slip and escaped en route. He reachedthe Punjab independently and went to work wholeheartedly with the other Gadarleaders. Along with Sardar Amar Singh, Bhai Paramanand and Rash Behari Bose,he was a member of a Board that planned and strategized for the Gadar revolt.Given his knowledge of chemicals, he was given the task of making bombs. As thedate of the revolt drew near, all the leaders were sent to various pre-decidedplaces to incite revolt among the Indian troops of the British Army. But the plansof the revolt were betrayed by Kirpal Singh and the British swooped down on thetop leadership, arresting everyone they could lay their hands on. Dr Mathra Singhwas in Rawalpindi and thus managed to escape.

KABUL AND THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT IN EXILEDr Mathra Singh reached Kabul with a colleague Harnam Singh. Initially they

were arrested but soon, they were released because of the intervention of MaulviBarkatullah. Maulvi Barkatullah had arrived in Kabul as the head of a Turkish-Ger-


dr. MaThra singh

man mission to seek Afghan support in the ongoing World War. The Maulvi was amember of the Gadar Party who had known Dr Mathra Singh from San Francisco.When Maulvi Barkatullah was named the Prime Minister of the Indian Governmentin Exile in Afghanistan, Dr Mathra Singh became Minister Plenipotentiary. He tookmissions to several countries including Iran, Russia and Germany in this capacityto seek their alliance against the British.

FINAL BETRAYALOne such mission took Dr Mathra Singh to Tashkent with a message for the

Russian Tsar, Nicholas II. He took with him a letter, engraved in gold, seeking hishelp for the Indian freedom movement. However, he was betrayed and was ar-rested in Termez in Turkistan. He was handed over to the British in Mashhad inIran and brought back to India. He was tried in the Third Supplementary LahoreConspiracy Case and sentenced to be hanged from the gallows on March 2, 1917.He attained martyrdom on 27 March 1917. �

“When you think of the Gadar Party and consider the difficulties it faced;

when you realize it did what and as it did, one thing above all others appears

to be outstanding, the love of India, the longing of freedom and the irresistible

spirit of self-sacrifice. We had no perfect organization, no ships of our own,

no wireless or private system of communication…one thing for which there

was no lack—the courage and the daring to dream of Free India.”

—From an August 19, 1956 letter by Bhai Bhagwan Singh to Gadar Party Lehar author Jagjit Singh.


Munsha Singh Dukhi

unsha Singh Dukhi was a Sikh intellectual and revolutionary poetliving among the Bengali intelligentsia in pre-Independence Cal-cutta. Born on 1 July 1890 to army subedar Nihal Singh Bhachu and

Mehtab Kaur, he was the youngest of three brothers. He spent his childhood inhis village Jandiala Manjaki in Jalandhar district where he went to the local schoollearning Urdu. He, however, learnt English with a private tutor. He had a flair forlanguages and eventually went on to learn Bangla, Chinese, and Japanese as well.

When he was 16 years old, he went to live with his brother in Calcutta. Here hecame in contact with the Bengali revolutionaries and was greatly influenced bythem. The next year of his arriving in Calcutta, in 1907, his, elder brother left forCanada. Munsha Singh also decided to join him and set sail for Canada in 1908.However, enroute, he decided to drop anchor in Hawaii. Initially he worked in thesugarcane farms there but then moved to a shipyard. Here he came in contactwith well-known Gujarati revolutionary Hussain Rahim. Both developed a bondand decided that it was time to move to Canada or San Francisco where the otherrevolutionary leaders of their time were.

The both decided to go to Canada or America. Munsha Singh reached San Fran-cisco on Jan 1, 1910. He stayed in the US for two years during which time, heworked in California, Oregon and Washington states and came in contact with fu-ture Gadarites.

ACTIVE IN USA Munsha Singh reached San Francisco in 1910 and worked in California, Oregon

and Washington states. In 1912, he moved to Vancouver and joined the Shah Wal-

M

MUnsha singh dUkhi

Source: Canada de Gadari Yodhe, The Ghadr Directory, 1934, The Encyclopedia of Sikhism


MUnsha singh dUkhi

lace Sash and Door Factory. He started playing an active part in the political ac-tivities of the Indian community. When the Gadar Party was formed in 1913, hebecame a key member. Many of his revolutionary poems were published in Gadarmagazine and he earned the sobriquet of Dukhi - Unhappy.

His poems incited the Indian community to rebel against foreign rule and takeup arms to throw the British out of India.

Around this time, the Komagato Maru also berthed in Canada and the author-ities refused to allow the passengers to disembark. The local Indian communitybanded together to fight for the right of the passengers. They formed a Shore Com-mittee to lobby with the government and to help the passengers on board the shipwith rations and medical aid. Munsha Singh was a key member of this Shore Com-mittee.

However, despite all their efforts, the government did not relent and the ill-fated Komagata Maru was forced to return to India.

ESCAPE IN CALCUTTA When the First World War started, the Gadar Party sounded the bugle call to

arms and asked all Gadarites to return to India. The time for the revolt had come.Munsha Singh was among the first batch to leave for India. However, the Britishagent in Canada, Hopkinson, informed the authorities in India about the imminentarrival of Munsha Singh. Consequently, by the time Munsha Singh reached Cal-cutta on 14 September 1914, the police was already waiting for him.

But what the police had not expected was that Munsha Singh would changehis name. He was travelling under the name Babu and thus managed to evadethem. He met up with his brother in Calcutta and before the police could trackhim there, he had left for his native village Jandiala. Once again, as the policewaited for him in Jandiala, he gave them the slip by changing his plans enroute.

He met up with the other Gadaris and began working for the revolt in earnest.He would attend meetings, spread the message of Gadar, work to raise funds andotherwise help in any way that he could.

ARRESTEDBut unfortunately, his luck in managing to escape from the police ran out even

before the date of the revolt. He was arrested on 1 January 1915. Initially he waskept in Multan Central Jail without any case being filed against him. He was even-tually tried in the Second Supplementary Lahore Conspiracy Case and sentencedto life imprisonment with forfeiture of property.

Munsha Singh was kept in Multan, Lahore and other jails and in January 1918was sent to Hazari Bagh jail where he met his Gadari friends from Vancouver. Hewas released in March 1920, under the general amnesty and went to Jandiala. After


MUnsha singh dUkhi

spending some time in Punjab, he went to Calcutta where he established contactwith the revolutionaries of Bengal. Here, he began his second innings as a revolu-tionary, this time using the pen as his weapon. In 1922, he formed a literary group,named Kavi Kutia and started Kavi Press. He started publishing small bookletsand in 1927, began a monthly magazine, Kavi. In 1928, he started publishingweekly magazine, Syndicate, and in June 1929, he started another weekly, Sanjhi-wal, which carried revolutionary writings.

He and his publications were constantly under government watch and in 1931,his press was seized. All the three magazines were banned. But not one to becowed down so easily, Munsha Singh started a monthly magazine from MianChanu in Multan district.

WORLD TOURHe was a prolific writer and wrote several books of poems, fiction and biogra-

phies. His 800-plus page book on Bhai Mohan Singh Vaid became very popular.After Independence, he travelled a lot. In the beginning of 1951, he went to Nairobiat the invitation of Punjabi friends in East Africa, and spent about 20 months there.In September 1952, he went to England where he spent a few weeks. From there,he went to Vancouver and visited old friends and places. After six months in Van-couver, he went to California where he spent a few months as a visitor and thenstarted working as a labourer. He went back to Vancouver at the end of 1953 andstarted working as priest (Granthi) of Victoria Gurdwara. He obtained immigrationand spent six years in Canada. Then, he decided to go back to India and reachedDelhi on July 9, 1958. In India, he again started publishing a newspaper. He alsoworked with Desh Bhagat Yadgar Committee as editor of Desh Bhagat Yadan andpublished life stories of Gadarites.

In 1969, Munsha Singh went to England where he suffered a stroke and returnedto India. His wife died on Aug 27, 1970. Her death and his own illness devastatedhim and he breathed his last on Jan 26, 1971 in Phagwara, Punjab. �

GADAR NUGGETIn Vancouver, Canada, G.D. Kumar andHarnam Singh Sahri started a Punjabinewspaper called Swadesh Sewak in

January 1910.


Pakhar Singh Dhudike

f there is one character trait that can encapsulate Pakhar Singh it was hisnever-say-die spirit. Frustrated by the poor conditions in his village, he de-cided to seek his fortune in Canada. Unable to go to Canada directly from

India, he entered through Mexico. Unable to be a part of the February 1915 revolt,he played a major role in the planning of the Kapurthala Ammunition Dump raid.And even after his arrest, the same never-say-die spirit saw him attempt a jailbreak.

Maybe the water of Pakhar Singh’s village had something to do with this-----hebelonged to Dhudike, in Ferozepur district which was home to several braveGadari babas who devoted their lives and all their worldly possessions to fightfor the country’s freedom.

Pakhar Singh was born in 1885 to Bhan Singh and Atar Kaur. He knew basic Gurmukhi and was married to Har Kaur when he was just 16. Inspired by storiesfrom his villagers who had gone to Canada, he too decided to head for the foreignland to try and make his fortune. He left from Calcutta in 1910 and reached HongKong. Here he learnt that the Canadian authorities had clamped down on Indianswanting to immigrate and were refusing to allow them in. Undeterred, PakharSingh decided to go to Canada via Mexico. He took a ship to Mexico, then went tothe US and eventually managed to reach Vancouver.

LUMBER MILL WORKER He joined a lumber mill in Abbotsford where a lot of Sikhs were already work-

ing. Even as Pakhar Singh got used to life as a labourer in a foreign land, he couldnot forget his home. In an effort to bring together the Sikh community and retain

I

Pakhar singh dhUdike

Source: Canada de Gadari Yodhe, www.dhudikeinfo.com



a link with their homeland, he began working hard to build a Gurudwara there.His efforts paid off when the mill owner where he worked donated lumber to con-struct the Gurudwara. Pakhar Singh and his friends ferried the timber on theirbacks from the mill to the construction site. The fruit of their labour—the Abbotsford Gurudwara—was eventually completed in 1912 and became a rallyingpoint for the local Indian community.

FACES DISCRIMINATION At this Gurudwara, during the meetings, social awareness was also increased

and the Indian community was made to realize that they were being treated likesecond class citizens by the white Canadian authorities. They worked twice ashard and twice as long as the white labor but were paid less than what the otherswere getting. Then there was the issue with the discriminatory immigration lawsskewed heavily against the interest of the Indians.

In this environment, when the Gadar Party was formed, Pakhar Singh and manyothers immediately became members. He attended all the party meetings and alsoplayed a major role in raising funds. Pakhar Singh became a vocal supporter ofGadar and would convert others by reading the Gadar newsletter to those whowere illiterate.

When the ill-fated Komagata Maru was docked outside Canada, he unhappilylearnt that among the passengers were five people from his own village. The waythe Canadian government forced the ship to return to India with almost all its pas-sengers, and the bloody reception they got at Budge Budge port in India, strength-ened his resolve to do all he could to overthrow the British from his motherland.

RETURN TO INDIA When the Gadar Party issued a call to return to India for an armed rebellion,

he too returned to India in November 1914. On December 12, 1914, he reachedColombo and when he reached India, he was handed over to the British IndianPolice. He was taken to Ludhiana and then to his village Dhudike and confinedthere. This did not deter him and he used this as opportunity to convince the vil-lage youth to join in the revolt. His village became the center of Gadar activitiesand several Gadarites frequented him there.

The planned mutiny on February 19, 1915 failed because of a traitor and thepolice started hounding and arresting Gadarites. In June 1915, several Gadaris gottogether and a decision was taken to continue the Gadar movement. To raise fundsfor their activities, they planned to procure arms and ammunition by looting gov-ernment armories. One such target was at Kapurthala. Pakhar Singh was one ofthe key planners and had a major role to play in the attack. However, as luck wouldhave it, he fell sick and though the Gadarites gathered outside Kapurthala, theraid did not happen.

However, the police got information about their plans and they began arresting

the Gadaris. Pakhar Singh was identified by his own uncle and arrested by the po-lice. He was taken to Rawalpindi jail and subjected to inhuman torture to revealmore about the conspiracy and details of his associates. He suffered in silence,refusing to name anyone.

INCARCERATION Pakhar Singh was tried in Supplementary Lahore Conspiracy Case and on

March 30, 1916, was sentenced to life imprisonment with forfeiture of his property.He was sent to Multan Central Jail where he spent 16 months and was then trans-ferred to Hazari Bagh jail in Bihar in July 1917. Inspector General of Prisons ofBihar was England-educated Bawa Jewan Singh who was sympathetic to freedomfighters. The jail doctor, who was related to Gadar martyr Vishnu Pingle, was alsosympathetic to the Gadarites. Pakhar Singh and other freedom fighters were savedfrom doing hard work and were also served reasonably good food. This humanetreatment, however, did not last long.

Jailor Jewan Singh was transferred and the new jailor was very harsh. Hestarted giving hard labor to Pakhar Singh and the other freedom fighter prisonersand also treated them inhumanely. One day in Feb 1918, two Gadarites tore downthe ceiling and roof of the jail and got out. One of them got the uniform of the war-den and also took the keys from him. He encouraged other Gadarites to come outof their cells and eighteen of them jumped the high wall and escaped.

Pakhar Singh and four Gadarites got badly hurt on jumping the eighteen feetwall. He pleaded with the others to escape while he stayed behind to take care ofthe injured. They were rearrested, beaten very badly and thrown in their cellswithout water or medical care. The prison term of all the prisoners who had triedto escape, was extended by two years. For the next few years, he was shiftedaround in several jails. At the end of 1930, he was taken to Multan Central Jail fromwhere he was released on May 2, 1931.

During Pakhar Singh’s imprisonment, his wife and children went to live withhis wife’s parents. After he was freed, he started farming in his village. People ofDhudike respected him a lot. He also took keen interest in various political activ-ities. In March 1968, he breathed his last at the age of 83. �



GADAR NUGGETLala Har Dayal was a professor of

Sanskrit and Philosophy at Stanford. He was the founding father of the movement and secretary general

of Gadar Party.


Bhai ParManand

Bhai Parmanand

n his deathbed, Bhai Paramanand had the satisfaction of knowingthat the battle he had devoted his life to had ended in victory. Theyear was 1947 and the British had been ousted, leaving India a free

nation. Bhai Paramanand was one of the ideologues of the Gadar movement whospent his youth spreading nationalist awareness across continents. It had beenhis dream to see the tricolour aflutter in all its glory. And after spending a lifetimefighting, even spending time interred in Port Blair, he was among the lucky fewfreedom fighters who lived to see the positive outcome of their struggle.

Even before Bhai Paramanand was born, his future in nationalistic activitieswas a foregone conclusion, given his bloodline. His father, Bhai Tarachand Mo-hyal, was a social activist and one of the leading lights of the Arya Samaj wavethat was spreading across the country. Bhai Paramanand’s family originally hailedfrom Kariala in the Jhelum region of Kashmir and were descendents of the reveredSikh martyr Bhai Mati Das. As an honorific for sacrificing his life with Guru TegBahadur, Bhai Mati Das’s descendents were given the title of ‘Bhai’. With such il-lustrious ancestors, it was destiny that Bhai Paramanand should embark on thepath of greatness.

ARYA SAMAJAs a leading Arya Samaji, his views were always taken seriously. In 1905, when

the British announced the partition of Bengal along religious lines, he called for asimilar regional distinction to be made in the Sind region. More than two decadesbefore the Muslim League’s demand for Pakistan, Bhai Paramanand had demandedthat the region of Sind and beyond (Afghanistan) be made into a Muslim territory.He felt that a peaceful division of the Hindus and Muslims was the only way to

O


Bhai ParManand

avoid further conflicts. He, however, changed his views later and became a pro-ponent of a unified nation created by Hindus and Muslims fighting together againsta common enemy, the British.

MEETING WITH GANDHIJIIn the same year, when Bhai Paramanand was in his 30s, he was invited to visit

South Africa by Mahatma Gandhi to speak about the Vedas. Both the nationalistleaders spent their ideologically formative years exchanging ideas. And while bothagreed that the British needed to be ousted from India, their methods for achiev-ing their goal differed radically. It was in South Africa, in Natal, that Bhai Para-manand also formed a lasting friendship with people like Deenabandhu Andrewsand G Williams. He visit to South Africa again in 1906 and he worked to improvethe conditions of Indians there. Bhai Paramanand had earned a reputation as aVedic and nationalist speaker and travelled a lot in this connection.

During the course of his travels, he met Lala Har Dayal. In 1907, he went to Eng-land, ostensibly to study but his real mission was to spread the nationalistic mes-sage. He did so through his writing. During this period, he contributed severalarticles to extremist papers. He also re-established his connection with Lala HarDayal. Along with other known extremists of the day like Madan Lal Dhingra, BhaiParamanand and Lala Har Dayal founded the National Sports Association. Thiswas obviously a cover for like-minded young Indians living in England to meet anddiscuss ways of overthrowing the British.

ROAD TO REVOLUTIONIn 1908, when Bhai Paramanand returned to India, he was well on the path of

the revolution. In November 1909, he was arrested for his extremist activities. Thepolice recovered a bomb-making manual and a bundle of other ‘seditious matter’.He was bound down for good behaviour for three years and had to provide a se-curity bond for Rs 9,000.

In 1910, Bhai Paramanand left for Europe to study ‘medicine’. The ‘medicine’he wanted to study was the balm of freedom for his beleaguered motherland. FromParis he went to Trinidad and thence to the United States of America.

In the US, Bhai Paramanand and Lala Har Dayal, once again got together towork for the overthrow of the British from India. In 1913, he and Lala Har Dayalwent to Portland, Oregon where he addressed groups of Indians. From there, heleft for India by way of Europe.

Bhai Paramanand’s plan was to spread revolutionary material and incite rebel-lion among the Indian troops of the British army while also getting the locals tojoin the revolt. Bhai Paramand headed towards Peshawar to carry out his mission.The Gadarites were facing a lot of hardships in their mission and were low onfunds. Bhai Parmanand owned a shop in Lahore, which was the center of receiptand distribution of information for Gadarites.


Bhai ParManand

BETRAYLHowever, the Gadar movement’s mission was destined to fail because of the

traitor in their midst, Kirpal Singh. Bhai Paramanand was among the Gadarites ar-rested for the Lahore Conspiracy and put to trial in Lahore. While there was littlein terms of actual evidence against Bhai Paramanand, he was sentenced to death.This unjust punishment was later changed to life imprisonment in Cellular Jail inthe Andaman.

From 1915 to 1920, Bhai Paramanand was incarcerated in Cellular Jail. He wasso distraught by the ill-treatment meted out to political prisoners that he went ona hunger strike. He was released in 1920 as a part of general amnesty announcedby King George V.

But his fight against British rule continued even after his release. During hisimprisonment, his property had been forfeited and his family underwent toughtimes. But once Bhai Paramanand was released, this did not deter him in his mis-sion. He tried hard to revive the revolution and even applied for a passport totravel abroad. He gave health reasons for wanting to travel to England, but he wasdenied permission to travel abroad. He continued his political activities and in1930, he became the head of the Sind Provincial Hindu Conference. In this capac-ity, he reversed his earlier stand on the creation of a separate Muslim land and heespoused the cause of an undivided India. He now stated that for the ouster ofthe British, it was imperative that Hindus and Muslims come together and fighttheir oppressors. He also felt that it was important for Hindus to organise them-selves to strengthen the nation.

When death finally came to Bhai Paramanand, he was 71 years of age and Indiawas a newborn nation, four months old. �

“This is the centenary of the Gadar Movement when migrants from India

settled in Canada and USA rose in their opposition to British rule in India,

unmindful of the consequences in their love for motherland. Today is also a

day to pay homage to them.”

—Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, Mr Vayalar Ravi, January 8, 2013 at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Kochi


Bhai Piara singh langeri

Bhai Piara Singh Langeri

hai Piara Singh Langeri’s journey as an activist began as a moderatebut veered to the extremist side. Born on 15 January 1881 in villageLangeri of district Hoshiarpur, he joined the British Indian army in 1902

but left after four years. Like several soldiers before him, he too decided to goabroad to seek his fortune. He landed at San Francisco in November 1906 and tookup various odd jobs as a fruit picker, railroad construction worker and a laborerin the lumber mills. Extremely unhappy at the living and working conditions aswell as the unequal treatment meted out to Indian immigrants, he took to alcohol.But soon, sense prevailed and he gave up drinking to become an advocate for ed-ucation. He became a fundraiser to create a fund to send home to spread educa-tion in Punjab.

As word about his dedication to the community spread, he was invited by SantTeja Singh, Bhai Balwant Singh and Bhai Sundar Singh to relocate in Vancouver.Bhai Piara Singh accepted their invitation and moved to Vancouver in 1908 be-coming the Managing Director of the Guru Nanak Mining and Trust Company. Thiswas a company started by Indian immigrants in Canada by selling shares at $1 totheir fellow compatriots. The aim of the company was to help the Indian immi-grants in their life in the foreign land. Four years later, in 1912, Bhai Piara Singhbecame the granthi of the Gurudwara at Victoria.

TO DO OR DIE?At that time, there were two schools of thought in Canada among the Indian

immigrants pertaining to the moderates and the revolutionaries. Bhai Piara Singhwas close to both. In 1912, Bhai Piara Singh bought a piece of land in partnershipwith Kartar Singh Hundal and Dr Sundar Singh in Victoria. They set up a printing

B

Source: Canada de Gadari Yodhe, The Ghadr Directory, 1934


press with equipment bought from England and started a bi-monthly magazinecalled Sansar. The magazine was brought out in English and Gurmukhi. The mag-azine became a bone of contention between the moderates and the revolutionar-ies, the latter believing that the magazine was a waste of money.

PRESS SET AFIRE Bhai Bhagwan Singh, who came to Vancouver from Hong Kong, firmly believed

that the magazine should not be run like the private property of a few people whenit was funded by the community. In this regard, the Khalsa Dewan Society of Van-couver passed a resolution. This resolution was editorially criticized in the nextissue of Sansar. This so enraged the militant group that they set the press on fireeven as Piara Singh slept in the office. He tried to nab some of the arsonists butthey managed to flee in the dark. The moderate group then launched the UnitedIndia Association to oppose the more militant United India League started by Hus-sain Rahim. The United India Association had Piara Singh as treasurer. But the bit-terness between the groups continued for some time and the moderates decidedto move to Toronto.

However, Bhai Piara Singh went back to Vancouver. It was around this time thatthe Komagata Maru docked there. The plight of the passengers on board so af-fected Bhai Piara Singh that he joined hands with the militants to try and help thepassengers on board. After the Komagata Maru was forced to leave Canada, BhaiPiara Singh went to Toronto. But before long the First World War started and theGadar party gave the call for all revolutionaries to return to India. Bhai Piara Singh,too, returned to India with them.

ARRIVAL IN INDIAHe reached Calcutta on 15 October 1914. Travelling under an assumed name,

he was able to evade arrest and reached his village. But soon his real identity be-came known and the police raided his village in an effort to track him down. How-ever, he managed to escape and went underground with the help of Jawand Singh,a Gadarite whom he had befriended in Canada.

Bhai Piara Singh began working to spread the Gadar mission in right earnest.Apart from inspiring the villagers, he also convinced many military personnel atBannu-Kohat to take part in the planned mutiny. The planned revolt, however,failed and several Gadar leaders were arrested in February and March 1915. BhaiPiara Singh Langeri was arrested on 12 April 1915. In the Lahore Conspiracy casetrial, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. His jail term began in Rawalpindi Jailwhere they were tortured by the jail superintendent. Bhai Piara Singh and othersplanned a jail break and tried to seek help from the jail wardens. However, theirplan failed and the bombs they had procured to effect their jailbreak were seized.They were then sent to the Andaman to the infamous Cellular Jail there.

CANADA AND BACKIn 1920, when the General Amnesty was announced, Bhai Piara Singh was re-




leased. On his release he became active in local politics after joining the Akalimovement. He was nominated as a member to the SGPC. In 1921, he was electedPresident of the American Canadian Society, a charitable organization set up toopen schools in the Doaba region and to launch a publication on the lines of Gadar.Bhai Piara Singh then started the Pardesi Khalsa, to garner the resources of theexpatriate Sikhs and to raise the revolutionary sentiments.

In 1923, he took part in the Jaito Morcha with the Akali leaders and was ar-rested. He spent the next two years in jail and was released in 1926.

When Bhai Piara Singh had gone to Canada in 1906, he had made friends withBabu Kapur Singh on the ship they were both travelling on. By now Kapur Singhhad become a big industrialist. He visited India in 1928 and on his return, tookBhai Piara Singh back with him to Vancouver. For the next two years, Bhai PiaraSingh stayed there with the aim of procuring arms and ammunition for further re-volts. But soon, it was time for him to return to complete his mission of fightingfor India’s independence. He was given a warm send off from the Gurudwaras inVancouver and Victoria. He was given several purses and saropas. He returned toIndia on 25 July 1930.

When the Second World War started, Bhai Piara Singh was again arrested andkept in Deoli Camp jail. On his release after the war was over, he contested elec-tions on the Akali ticket and won. But after independence, he did not play an activerole in politics.

He died on 18 September 1971 after a brief illness. �

“In the first decades of this (twentieth) century, California provided the scene

for one of the most bizarre and memorable incidents undertaken by any ethnic

community in the United States: the attempt by a group of India's expatriate

nationals to create a revolutionary army, invade India by sea, and liberate her

from the clutches of British rule.”

—From The Gadar Syndrome: Ethnic Anger and Nationalist Pride by ProfessorMark Juergensmeyer of the University of California, Santa Barbara


Bhai randhir singh

Bhai Randhir Singh

hough Bhai Randhir Singh was more a man of God than a gun-totingrevolutionary, his path had crossed with the British on several occa-sions before the Gadar Revolution. His fight with the British had as

much to do with patriotism as with the teachings of Sikhism that exhort all truefollowers to speak up against all injustice.

EARLY LIFEBhai Randhir Singh was born in Narangwal in Ludhiana in 1878. His father, Sar-

dar Natha Singh, was a renowned scholar who was the District Inspector ofSchools before becoming a Judge in the High Court of the State of Nabha. Hismother, Sardarni Punjab Kaur, came from the family of Bhai Bhagtu, a disciple of5th and 6th Sikh Gurus Arjan Dev and Hargobind Sahib. His father’s philosophy ofjustice with mercy, compassion and humanity came to Bhai Randhir Singh as alegacy as did the qualities of piety and devotion.

SIGNS OF GENIUSBhai Randhir Singh was an all-round student in Nabha at the Government Col-

lege and Foreman Christian College in Lahore where he completed his education.He was good in academics and sports being the captain of his college hockeyteam. He had very sharp memory which served him well in academics and in histheological studies.

GURUMANTRABhai Randhir Singh was a revolutionary even in social matters. At a time when

caste and religion were crucial in social settings, he performed the revolutionaryact of getting baptized with a Muslim, Maulvi Karim Baksh, at a large scale Amrit

T


Bhai randhir singh

ceremony in 1903. This led to his ostracism in his own village. But notwithstandingthe social stigma, he performed all that was laid down in the Sikh Code of Conduct.He believed that there is one word—Gurumantra—that becomes as much a partof one’s being as breathing and as would be revealed to a true follower by theGuru Granth Sahib.

REVOLUTIONARY ZEALIn 1905, he resigned from his government job and gave himself to treading the

path of Gurmat. His reformatory zeal soon found him standing up to malpracticesthat he saw in the management of gurudwaras. For example, at great personal risk,he stood up to the Ragi Jatha at Gurudwara Fatehgarh Sahib and again at Anand-pur Sahib Gurudwara where certain practices were going on that went against theteachings of Sikhism, especially during Hola Mohalla. He is rightly rememberedtoday as a pioneer of the Gurudwara Reform Movement and he was bestowed theHukum Nama by the Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib in 1905.

BATTLE WITH THE BRITISHBhai Randhir Singh’s battle with the British had been going on for some time

but matters came to head in 1914 when the historic Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahibin New Delhi was targeted. In a beautification drive around the newly built Parlia-ment House, the British razed the wall of the Gurudwara. Bhai Randhir Singh wasthe first Indian to raise a voice against the desecration of the shrine. He an-nounced a specific action plan for an agitation. To this end, he organized two Pan-thic Conferences in Amritsar and Lahore to pass resolutions condemning theBritish. This was the first time that anyone had raised such a strong and organizedvoice against the British. Incidentally, the Chief Khalsa Diwan had at that timestated that it stood by the British Government on the issue.

ROLE IN GADAR REVOLUTIONSo widespread was Bhai Randhir Singh’s fame and circle of influence that when

the Gadar Party sought allies in Punjab, it was but natural that they seek his help.Going against the wave in India where most of the political leadership was of theopinion that the best course of action for Indian Independence was to help theBritish during the World War I and talk of India’s Independence later, he stoodboldly with the Gadar leaders.

With Bhai Randhir Singh’s clout, the Gadar leaders were able to get access toa lot of influential Sikhs in the Punjab who assisted them with money and man-power in their revolt. Bhai Randhir Singh was a crucial clog in the Gadar Revoltwho was a party to the key planning of the armed revolt. On the early morning ofFebruary 19, 1915, Bhai Randhir Singh with several of his followers joined KartarSingh Sarabha and other Gadar leaders near Ferozepur Cantonement. What theysaw was shocking. Their dream to launch revolution had come to nothing, thehard work of months had turned to dust.

In May, 1915, Bhai Randhir Singh was arrested and tried in the Lahore Conspir-


Bhai randhir singh

acy Case. At the age of 38, leaving behind three small children and a wife, BhaiRandhir Singh was sentenced to life imprisonment and all his property was con-fiscated. So severe was the trauma on the young family that his ten year old daugh-ter died within a month of his sentencing.

TORTURE IN JAILFor more than 15 years, Bhai Randhir Singh spent the most torturous time be-

hind bars. His suffering as a political prisoner was magnified manifold because ofhis religious beliefs. As an Amritdhari (one who has taken specially prepared elixir,Amrit, and pledges to abide by the baptismal vows), his religious beliefs made itimperative that he did not eat any food prepared by non-Amritdharis. As such, hesought permission to prepare his own food. When the jail authorities at MultanJail denied his request, he went on a hunger strike. In the middle of summer hewent without food and water for 40 days. He was chained to iron gates and left inthe hot sun for days on end. His nights were spent in a small cell without any ven-tilation.

So severe was the torture that on two occasions he was given up for dead. Buthis beliefs kept him strong and he survived. When news of his torture reachedoutside the jail, the Khalsa Panth observed February 1, 1923 as a special day ofprayer for him and other Sikhs in jail. Later, after he was released from jail, thejail manual was changed and Sikh prisoners were allowed to retain the five sym-bols of Sikhism.

LIFE AFTER JAILBhai Randhir Singh was released from jail in 1930 and was honoured by the

Akal Takht with a Hukum Nana in recognition of the torture he underwent in jailfor his beliefs. He lived as a religious leader, spreading awareness about the truemeaning of Sikhism. He formed the Akhand Kirtan Jatha. He also wrote severalbooks, most famous among them, his autobiography. This is a compilation of hisletters written while in jail. He also wrote extensively on theology and his writingsare still widely read. He passed away in 1961.

GADAR NUGGETThe Komagata Maru had been

chartered to circumvent the Canadianexclusion regulations. Dramatically,

it was sent back by Canada.


VishnU ganesh Pingle

Vishnu Ganesh Pingle

ishnu Ganesh Pingle has gone down in history as a martyr extraordi-naire. When he set sail for the USA from India in 1912, it is quite pos-sible that he had little or no whiff of how short lived, and inspiring his

life was going to be?

Pingle was born into a middle class family from Poona in 1888. His parentscould not continue with his schooling because funds in the Pingle household haddried up. Young Vishnu was quite devastated, but learnt to take the hardship inhis stride. He was patriotic, freedom loving and became a part of the movementto free India from the British. To survive in his teens, and to supplement the mea-ger family income, he started a handloom unit. In 1912, he decided that he wouldtry and see if education in the USA would help him out later in life. So in 1912, hesailed to the USA, and enrolled at the University of California at Berkeley. It washere that he came into contact with like-minded Indian students, who too weredesperate to see India a free, and not a subjugated nation.

THE RETURN JOURNEYThe excitement was palpable on board the SS Salamin. It was a merchant ves-

sel, but for some special passengers, it was no less than a glorious battleship.They were no ordinary passengers—they were soldiers in a war to free their moth-erland of foreign rule. They were Vishnu Ganesh Pingle, Kartar Singh Sarabha andSatyen Bhushan Sen. All three were young students, fired up with patriotic zealand with the might of right on their side, failure in their mission was not even con-sidered. Pingle, Sarabha and Sen were the fighting arm of the Gadar movementthat had been born in the United States of America. They came from different back-grounds, but their passion united them. The year was 1914, the Great War had just

V



begun. Sitting in their headquarters in San Francisco, their leaders had decidedthat the time to set their plans for overthrowing the British was ripe. And so, Pin-gle and his associates were dispatched to India to do the groundwork.

The plan was brilliant in its simplicity. The Gadariites were to condolidate re-lations with other revolutionaries working in India. They were to work on twofronts – while raising nationalist feelings within the local population they were toincite the Indian soldiers in the British army to mutiny. With its forces spread thindue to the First World War, the British would not be in a position to do much toquell the mutiny and it would not be too difficult to oust them from India, felt theGadar leaders. It was the task of Pingle and the others to spread this message andinvolve Indians in China, Thailand and other parts of the region to join them. TheSS Salamin sailed from San Francisco and en route, Pingle and Sen stopped inChina. Here they met Tahal Singh, a Gadar leader, and told him of their plan. TahalSingh sent his associates to Bangkok in keeping with the plan. Their meeting withChinese leader Dr Sun Yat-Sen, however, proved a waste of time as he did not wantto antagonize the British.

THE CALCUTTA CONNECTIONIt was November by the time Pingle reached India. He headed straight for Cal-

cutta where he, along with Sarabha and Sen, met revolutionary leader JatinMukherjee. Mukherjee was Sen’s mentor and met them warmly. He guided themto go to Benares where Rash Behari Bose was based and asked them to use hishelp in getting local support. He gave them a letter of introduction for Bose. Onhis way to meet Bose, Pingle also met the Swarajya group at Allahabad. Inspiredby Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the Swarajya call had several followers in this region. Pin-gle, a Marathi, has himself been inspired by Tilak and Veer Savarkar. One of Tilak’sfollowers, Sunder Lal, lived in Allahabad. Rash Behari Bose had been in touch withhim since he came to Benares. When Pingle met Bose, he was recovering from in-juries sustained while making explosives. Pingle informed Bose about the 4,000Sikhs who had already come with them from the US and also told him that another15,000 were expected to reach anytime. Rash Behari told him to go to Amritsarand meet Mula Singh who had come from Shanghai.

Meanwhile, Sen had already started working on his part of the plan. He and JatinMukherjee had approached Sikh troops in Dakshineshwar, belonging to the 93rdBurmans. Pingle’s meeting with Mula Singh was attended by others and a collectivedecision was taken to begin the revolution. As a run up to it, the revolutionarieschalked out their action plan which included looting Government treasuries, incit-ing Indian troops, creating a stockpile of arms, ammunition and explosives whilespreading propaganda among the general population. It was decided that the In-dian troops would be incited to mutiny simultaneously in Lahore, Ferozepur andRawalpindi extending to Dhaka, Benares and Jabalpur. Pingle had become Rash Be-hari Bose’s trusted aide and went to several cantonments in northern India to incitethe troops. Bose also sent Pingle to Calcutta to invite the Jugantar leaders to cometo Benares to coordinate for the revolt. Jatin Mukherjee, Atulkrishna Ghosh, Naren



Bhattacharya left for Benares in early January 1915. It was at this meeting that Boseannounced the rebellion, proclaiming: "Die for your country." Jatin Mukherjee hadalready approached Havildar Mansha Singh of the 16th Rajput Rifles at Fort William,but he felt that they needed another two months to launch the revolt. He was wait-ing for the arrival of German arms. But seeing the impatience of the Gadar leaders,he agreed to bring forward the date for the mutiny. Pingle accompanied Rash Be-hari Bose to Lahore. Their associates were able to get a positive response from the7th Rajputs (Benares) and the 89th Punjabis at Dinapore. Damodar Sarup went toAllahabad. Vinayak Rao Kapile conveyed bombs from Bengal to Punjab. Others in-cited troops at Benares and Jabalpur. On 14 February, a consignment of explosivesfor 18 bombs reached Lahore from Benares.

IN AMRITSARBy the middle of January, Pingle was back in Amritsar with "the Fat Babu", as

Rash Behari was fondly called. To avoid suspicion, Rash Behari moved to Lahoreafter a fortnight. He collected materials for making bombs and ordered for 80bomb cases to a foundry at Lahore. Its owner refused to execute the order so therevolutionaries used inkpots as receptacles to make their bombs. Instead, inkpotswere used as cases in several of the dacoities. The Gadarites had managed to in-filtrate several cantonments in the north-west and Indian troops there were justwaiting for the signal to mutiny. Pingle had been instrumental in spreading prop-aganda. A master of disguise, he went around the countryside, sometimes asShyamlal the Bengali and often as Ganpat the Punjabi. The 23rd Cavalry in Punjabwas to seize weapons and kill its officers while on roll call on 21 February. Thiswas to be followed by mutiny in the 26th Punjab, which was to be the signal forthe uprising to begin. The troops were to march towards Delhi and Lahore. TheBengal revolutionaries contacted the Sikh troops stationed at Dhaka through let-ters of introduction sent by Sikh soldiers of Lahore, and succeeded in winningthem over. The Bengal cell was to look for the Punjab Mail entering the HowrahStation the next day (which would have been cancelled if Punjab was seized) andwas to strike immediately.

Though the plan was good, it failed because too many people were talkingabout the revolution before it happened and a police mole, Kirpal Singh, had al-ready relayed all crucial information to the Punjab CID. The Gadarites got wind ofthe traitor in their midst and decided to prepone D-Day. But even this informationreached the police and before the uprising began, it was crushed. Pingle tried totrigger a mutiny in the 12th Cavalry regiment at Meerut. He was apprehended atMeerut, in the night of 23 March 1915. He carried "ten bombs of the pattern usedin the attempt to assassinate Lord Hardinge in Delhi," according to a police report.It is said that it was enough to blow up an entire regiment. Mass arrests followedas the Gadarites were rounded up in Punjab and the Central Provinces. Rash Be-hari Bose escaped from Lahore and in May 1915 fled to Japan. Vishnu Ganesh Pin-gle went to trial in the Lahore Conspiracy Case and was sentenced to death byhanging at Lahore Central Jail. He became a martyr for the cause of freeing his na-tion from British rule. �


sanT BaBa Wasakha singh

Sant Baba WasakhaSingh

aba Wasakha Singh had started on his spiritual quest early on in life.Born in 1877 in the village Dadehar, near Tarn Taran, he belonged toan illustrious family of Sandhu Jat Sikhs. His ancestors had been bap-

tized into Sikhism by Guru Gobind Singh and had a highly developed martial tra-dition. They had fought against the Muslims and Afghan invaders. He received noformal education, but because of his spiritual inclination, he learnt Gurmukhi tobe able to recite the Gurbani. He gained his strength from his intense faith in Godand the Gurus. At the young age of 19, he had joined the British Army as a granthiin the Eleventh Horse regiment. But along with his spiritual awakening, his inher-ent patriotism rebelled against working under the British and he resigned.

MOVE TO THE UNITED STATESWhen Baba Wasakha Singh reached the United States of America in 1909 there

was already a sizeable Sikh immigrant population working as farm labor there.Babaji, as he was popularly known, despite his young years, had already begunhis spiritual journey, and set about organizing the immigrant Sikhs. He was in-strumental in setting up the first Sikh temple at Stockton. Not only was this a ral-lying point for Sikh immigrants, but also for all Indians. This Sikh temple playeda major role in the Indian freedom movement, as this was the birthplace of theGadar Party in California, which planned the first organized revolt against theBritish after 1857.

He first headed for China and from there on to the United States. He settleddown at Holt, a few miles from Stockton. Several of the enterprising Sikh immi-grants who had come there as farm labor, had by now established themselves asfarmers in their own right. Due to the exclusionist laws of the time, they were fac-

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sanT BaBa Visakha singh

ing a lot of prejudice and unequal treatment. They were not allowed to buy land,forced only to lease it. Several of the Indian immigrants had done so and with theirhard work earned titles like “Potato Kings”.

Baba Wasakha Singh motivated these farmers to contribute to setting up a Sikhtemple. And soon, the Stockton Sikh Temple was born. The congregation at Stock-ton met with more than just religious discourse on the agenda. Members of thecongregation were not only Sikhs. The temple actually enjoyed a secular characterand Indian immigrants of all denominations met there. They discussed the unfairtreatment they were getting as a result of being a slave nation. When the GadarParty was born, the intellectual leadership came from the Indian student commu-nity at the University of California, Berkeley. The task of motivating and organizingthe larger Indian immigrant community fell on leaders like Baba Wasakha Singh.

THE GADAR DREAMWhen the young leadership of the Gadar Party returned to India in 1914 to lay

the groundwork for the revolt, they promised the Indian revolutionaries like RashBehari Bose that they had numbers running into several thousands, waiting forthe signal to return from the US and join the freedom movement. This promisewas based on the fact that Baba Wasakha Singh and others like him had motivatedthe Indian immigrants in the US to return and fight for freedom. Baba WasakhaSingh himself returned to India in 1915. However, soon after he returned, he wasarrested. He faced trial with the other revolutionaries in the famous Lahore Con-spiracy Trial.

LIFE IN PRISONDuring the trial, Baba Wasakha Singh, a poet, kept a record of the proceedings

in his poems. When Baba Jawala Singh, another Gadari Baba, was being lashedwith canes during the course of the trial, Baba Wasakha Singh wrote,

Naal tik tikee bann ke jwala singh noo,pyaare veer noo baint phir lagaun lagae|

(They tied Jawala Singh and then starting caning my beloved brother)

Maar maar ke botiyaan kadhiyo ne,painjay vaang phir maas udaun lagae

(By hitting again and again, skin got torn and was flying like cotton)

Udon khoon de veero, gharaal vagg paye,kayee vekh ke neer vahaun lagai

(At that time, blood was flowing out like river. Seeing this scenemany of our brothers burst into tears)

Daas singh visaakh dee benti jee,jwaal singh naa mool ghabraun lagae

(Servant Visaakh Singh writes that, Jawala Singh did not falter at all)


sanT BaBa Visakha singh

Baba Wasakha Singh was sentenced to life in the Cellular Jail in Andaman. Hewrote about the inhuman conditions in the jail, calling it a “hell on earth”.

As details of the inhuman conditions in the Andaman Jail became public, a com-mission of enquiry was set up and it was decided to institute certain changes. Sev-eral political prisoners were released as a general amnesty and in 1920, BabaWasakha Singh was also released. However, he was confined to his native villageDadehar. Five years in the Andaman had taken a heavy toll on his health. Despitehis weakened physical condition, he continued his social and religious activitiesbecause of his will power and revolutionary zeal.

In 1923, Baba Wasakha Singh took over the Sikh Qaidi Parivar Sahayak Com-mittee (Sikh Prisoners’ Aid Committee), and renamed it as `Desh Bhagat ParivarSahayak Committee’. The committee looked after the welfare of the families of rev-olutionaries and also kept fighting to secure the release of other freedom fighterslanguishing in jails across the country. In 1947, the members formed a new com-mittee `Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Committee’ and transferred the balance of fund tothe account of the new committee. Sant Baba Wasakha Singh became the presidentof the Yadgaar Committee. Baba Wasakha Singh joined the Guru Ka Bag Morcha.He became the jathedar of the Akal Takht in 1934.

During the Second World War, he was arrested and put behind the bar alongwith other political prisoners. Though he saw the Independence of India as a cul-mination of his long fight against the British, the one black spot on his joy waspartition. But he put aside his own personal unhappiness and worked hard to helpresettle the victims of the partition who had come to India as refugees.

Everyone who was lucky enough to have met him came away impressed by thespiritual aura that surrounded him. He remained absorbed in meditation – naamsimran. He passed away on December 5, 1957 in Tarn Taran. �

“This year, we are celebrating the centenary of the Gadar Movement, which

was a luminous spark of support in distant California for the struggle for in-

dependence being waged at home in our country. Apart from commemorating it

by the issue of a special postage stamp, we will also upgrade the Gadar Me-

morial in San Francisco into a functional museum and library with a sculp-

ture to honor the Gadari Babas, the heroes of the great movement.”

—Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh,January 8, 2013 at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Kochi


ChUhar singh

Chuhar Singh

huhar Singh was one of those revolutionaries whose real battle wasfought from behind bars. Arrested even before he could set foot on Indiansoil, he was confined to his village and put on trial in the Lahore Conspir-

acy case. But it was during his years in different jails that Chuhar Singh took on theBritish jailors for their atrocities and withstood their torture steadfastly.

Chuhar Singh was the son of Boota Singh of village Leel in Ludhiana. Like so manyyoungsters of his region, he joined the British Indian army but soon taking the ex-ample of other soldiers, he too resigned from the army and went to America. In Amer-ica, he soon became a member of the Gadar Party and was a member of the groupof 172 who returned to India to take part in the planned revolution.

ARREST IN CALCUTTAHe reached Calcutta on October 29, 1914, but even before he could set foot on In-

dian soil, he was arrested and taken to Raiwind, Ludhiana in a special train underpolice escort. He was confined to his village, but undeterred by the police presence,he took an active part in the Gadar preparations. When their plans for the revolutionfailed and they went into hiding, Chuhar Singh was exposed by a police informer andarrested on February 22, 1915. He was tried in the Lahore Conspiracy Trial and sen-tenced to life with confiscation of his property and sent to the Andaman.

At that time, the fate of prisoners sent to Kala Pani was more or less sealed at thetime of their sentencing – chances of survival were poor. The Gadari babas sent tothe Andaman knew of the fate that awaited them and had decided that they wouldprotest against inhuman treatment. They decided to accept only that work whichwas suited to their physical capacity. On November 2, 1915, they went on hungerstrike against the flogging given to Parmanand Jhansi. Following this open confronta-tion with the jail authorities, the Gadarites had to contend with even worse treat-ment. As news of the barbaric treatment given to prisoners in the Andaman reachedhigher authorities, public pressure was generated and a Jail Reforms Committee wasappointed. The Committee recommended that political prisoners be moved fromCellular Jail. Consequently, Gadarite prisoners were transferred to jails in mainlandIndia. Chuhar Singh and Jawala Singh were sent to Coimbatore in Madras.

While Chuhar Singh was in Coimbatore Jail, the Satyagraha movement had taken

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ChUhar singh

off in a big way. In August 1921, there was a large Satyagraha protest in the city andseveral of the protesters were arrested and brought to jail. Among them were chil-dren, women and the aged. The sheer numbers created suffocating conditions withinthe jail and led to several deaths. Unable to see the plight of the hungry and thirstywomen and children, they shared their own meager food and water with them.Jawala Singh, who was with Chuhar Singh, was seen by the guards and reported. Aspunishment, he was given 30 lashes. When Jawala Singh’s flogging was over, ChuharSingh challenged the jailor to give him the same punishment as he too had commit-ted the same “crime”. This incident created a furore in the jail and all the prisonerswent on strike. The Inspector General of Prisons, Madras State, had to personallycome down to the jail and resolve the issue.

JAIL LIFEChuhar Singh spent 15 years in different jails before he was sent to Lahore Jail

and made in charge of distributing milk to the prisoners. Here Chuhar Singh had thefortune of meeting and interacting with great revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Ra-jguru and Sukhdev who were waiting their execution. Chuhar Singh was greatly im-pressed by Bhagat Singh who was spending his time reading Marxist literature there.

In February 1932, Chuhar Singh was transferred to Multan Central jail where heundertook a hunger strike to protest against the cruel treatment given to politicalprisoners. Jail authorities declared the hunger strike to be illegal and filed a caseagainst Chuhar Singh who had to send his written response to the magistrate. In thisreply, Chuhar Singh criticized several rules applied to the prisoners and made sug-gestions for improvement. However, for all his efforts, his jail term was extended bytwo years.

Meanwhile, Sohan Singh Bhakna started a Satyagraha outside jail when ChuharSingh was not released on completion of his sentence. All children from schoolsstarted by the Gadar patriots joined the Satyagraha. Chuhar Singh’s health had begunto deteriorate quickly and his body was thinning into a skeletal figure. When the gov-ernment saw his failing health, they relented and ordered his release.

He was admitted to hospital on his release, but could never recover. He breathedhis last on September 9, 1933. �

GADAR NUGGETIn July 1912, Hindustan Association ofPacific Coast was formed with SohanSingh Bhakna, a lumber mill worker, aspresident. G.D. Kumar was secretary.


gUrMUkh singh lalTOn

Gurmukh Singh Lalton

urmukh Singh was born in 1892 in the village of Lalton Khurd on theoutskirts of Ludhiana. He was born to Hushnak Singh Grewal and NandKaur. The couple had two other sons, Charhat Singh and Atma Singh,

both elder to Gurmukh Singh.

Hushnak Singh had a small land holding in Lalton, but found it extremely hardto support his family from his meager earnings. Even in penury, Gurmukh Singh,meanwhile, was growing up to be a strong, young man, full of energy. Those whoknew him likened him to a human dynamo, always on the move, agile and giftedwith great physical strength. He matriculated from Mission High School, Ludhiana.One of those Gurmukh Singh admired was Lal Singh from Nandpur who was plan-ning to leave for higher studies at Berkeley, California. Lal Singh was to turn intoa legendary specialist in agriculture and horticulture. Inspired by Lal Singh’s vi-sion, Gurmukh Singh left home with very little money. The year was 1913. Helanded in Hong Kong. He came to know about the famed ship Komagata Maru thatwas on its way to Canada. Gurmukh Singh, desperate and hopeful, found himselfaboard the same ship. On May 23, 1913, the passengers on Komagata Maru weredenied entry into Canada. They, in fact, were refused permission even to disem-bark. It was a landmark event, a defining moment that was to shape future eventsin India’s freedom struggle. The ship had to turn back and when it reached BudgeBudge Ghat, near Calcutta, the British police fired at them. A few were killed, mostof them arrested.

IMPRISONED IN ALIPUR JAILGurmukh Singh found himself lodged inside Alipur Jail in Calcutta. After a

while, he was released. By now, he understood the two bitter truths of being in a

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gUrMUkh singh lalTOn

subjugated country—there would be abundance of racial prejudice and plentifulcolonial high handedness. His experiences made Gurmukh Singh very aggressive.He was unable to stomach the serfdom his country had plunged into. He joinedhands with Kartar Singh Sarabha, Nidhan Singh Chugga, Uttam Singh Hans andArjan Singh Jagraon. Together, they planned to work to bring about a revolutionfor freedom. They hoped that Indian recruits in the British Army would join themas well, and turn the tables on the empire.

While Gurmukh Singh and his fellow comrades did try to instigate a revolution,they were no match for the British. He was arrested, tried in the Lahore Conspir-acy case, and sent to Andaman. For five years he stayed there, and consideredhimself to be a living dead. At some point the jail authorities realized he wouldrebel, and they moved him out to Trichy Jail. Soon after, it was decided to sendhim to Wardha Jail. While on his way to Wardha, he flung himself from a runningtrain somewhere near Nagpur with his handcuffs still on. He made good his es-cape. Sometime later he was to meet C. Rajagopalachari in Madras. He then wentto Hazur Sahib but left in a week. Later, Baba Nidhan Singh helped him with money,and advised him to take the road to safety.

GARNERING SUPPORT OVERSEASHeeding Baba’s advice, he returned to Punjab and stayed at Langeri village in

Hoshiarpur district at the farmhouse of Bhai Piara Singh, a very pious man whohad visited Afghanistan to further the ideals of Sikhism. Later he left for Russia,met many revolutionaries, attended training camps. Then, on an impulse, he leftfor America. Once in California, he reviewed the post-Gadar situation, raisedfunds, reorganized broken lines of contact, and tried to motivate patriots. Mostof the post-Gadar activity was in the farm of Kishan Singh of Gahaur where hespent time between 1929 and 1935, trying to organize another revolution. He wasarrested by the Federal Government, but patriotic activists helped secure his re-lease on bail. Out on bail, he left for Europe, traversing its length and breadth.Eventually on a fake passport, and aware that British spies were all over the place,he reached Kenya. He then came to India, moving through West Asian countries.He attended the Karachi session of the Indian National Congress, met several lead-ers, but remained disappointed by the pace at which Indian nationalism was mov-ing. He wondered if India would ever attain independence, because some of theleadership was far too preoccupied in pleasing the British. Restless and dissatis-fied, he left, eventually catching up with a former Afghan ruler named Oman Ullahwhose disliking for the British was well known. The two met up in Rome. Eventu-ally, he returned, and worked incognito for Lal Dhandora newspaper.

But he was found out, arrested and sent to Andaman Jail once more, where heremained until 1945 and subsequently transferred to Multan Jail from where hewas released in 1947 on India attaining independence. After having moved aroundthe world, after having been arrested, jailed and released several times and afterhaving seen India become free, he passed away at Lalton Khurd, his ancestral vil-lage, in March 1977. �


ishar singh dhUdike

Ishar Singh Dhudike

he mood was upbeat. There had been some setbacks, but the revolu-tion was round the corner. It was 19 February 1915. Ishar Singh waswith Kartar Singh Sarabha and Uttam Singh Hans among others. They

were heading for the Ferozepur Cantonment. The plan was for them to reach themilitary units there and supplemented with arms and men provided by theGadaris, the army was expected to mutiny. Excitement was building up as itseemed that a new dawn was about to break. But as soon as the band of about 60revolutionaries sent by Bhai Randhir Singh got down from the train, they knewthat something had gone wrong.

EARLY LIFE Life was to give him several setbacks. Born to simple farming fold Sajjan Singh

and Dharam Kaur in 1882 in village Dhudike in Ferozepur district, Ishar Singh wentto Canada in 1907 to try and earn some money. Due to the economic policies of theBritish government, farming was not enough to help the family make ends meet.

But Ishar Singh was forced to return in 1911 as his two elder brothers haddied and there was no one to care for his aged parents and the family land. Hewas married to his brother’s widow as per local custom. But by the end of 1912,it was clear that he would have to go back to Canada to earn money. In Canadahe worked at a lumber mill and it soon became apparent to him that even inthis foreign land, he would never be treated as an equal or be given what washis right in terms of equal wages an d working conditions. He was influencedby the Gadar literature and joined the party. He became so imbued with thespirit of nationalism that he even sent the Gadar literature to his friends andfamily in India.

T

Source: Canada de Gadari Yodhe, www.dhudikeinfo.com


ishar singh dhUdike

In August 1914, Ishar Singh along with Pakhar Singh, also from his village, andfriend Uttam Singh Hans left for India in response to the call of the Gadar Party tofight for the independence of India. By the time they reached India, the authoritieshad already got wind of their plans and as soon as he landed, he was arrested. Hewas taken to Ludhiana and then on to his village Dhudike where he was placedunder house arrest. Under the pretext of visiting his in-laws, he gave the villageheadman the slip and began working for the revolution with all his might.

When the time for the revolt came, he was standing shoulder to shoulder withhis fellow Indians and eventually gave up his life for the nation.

BETRAYED BY TRAITOR The earlier date of the revolt had been brought forward because of the pres-

ence of a traitor in their midst. But they had not realized that even the new datehad been revealed to the authorities. As the police cracked down on them, therewas chaos and Ishar Singh and Uttam Singh somehow managed to evade arrestand went underground.

But such was the indomitable spirit of the Gadari Babas that even in the faceof a nationwide crackdown by the authorities, Ishar Singh and some otherGadarites did not give up. They started finding ways to strengthen the movement.One major concern was the procurement of arms and ammunition to encouragethe Indian soldiers in the British Indian Army to mutiny. To achieve this aim, inJune 1915, Ishar Singh and others had a meeting and it was decided to loot theArmy Ammunition Depot at Kapurthala.

The plan was to gather in sufficient numbers with whatever arms they couldmuster and charge the ammunition depot. On June 5, 1915, they gathered outsideKapurthala for the attack. But because news of the earlier meeting had beenleaked to the police through the Zaildar of Nangal Kalan village, Chanda Singh, thenumbers were too few and the plan was abandoned.

However, because the Zaildar had given the police the names of the peoplewho had participated in the meeting to plan the attack, the revolutionaries startedgetting arrested. The Gadari Babas now decided to teach Chanda Singh a lessonand Ishar Singh and Uttam Singh participated in the attack on Chanda Singh. Thepolice launched a crackdown and soon, Ishar Singh Dhudike was arrested fromvillage Mana-Bhagwana on 19 September 1915. The police recovered a pistol anda revolver and some bullets from him.

TRIED AND HANGEDHe was charged in the Second Supplementary Lahore Conspiracy Case and sen-

tenced to death. He was hanged on 18 June 1916 in Lahore Jail. �


JagaT singh

Jagat Singh

fter all the toil and trouble, the band of three was at the end of theirenergy. The three youngsters had seen before their eyes, how one trai-tor had turned their years of planning to naught. The date of the Gadar

revolt had been leaked to the police and the senior leadership was being arrested.Somehow, they had escaped and in a last ditch effort, were trying to launch therevolt with the help of the local unit of the British Army at Sargodha.

Jagat Singh, Kartar Singh Sarabha and Harnam Singh Tundilat were badly inneed of resources to plan out their next event. They arrived at a friend’s house,hoping that he’d help them with their plans. The friend was a hospitable man,serving them food and water. Then the friend said he was leaving for an errandand would be back soon.

As the Gadar activists were deciding their next course of action, fate inter-vened. The door burst open and before they could figure out what was happening,they were in the clutches of the Army police. The “friend” had turned out to beyet another turncoat, a traitor who played into the hands of the British.

For Jagat Singh, the betrayal was the worst for two reasons—firstly, the turn-coat had been his contact and secondly, he had himself killed a station-masterearlier for having been a police informer, and also a government agent in Canada.For him to have been so gullible was too much to bear.

INITIAL YEARSJagat Singh, alias Jai Singh, was born in the Tarn Taran district of Amritsar in

1883. His parents were Arur Singh and Gulab Kaur Dhillon. Married at 17, he joined

A

Source: Canada de Gadari Yodhe


JagaT singh

the army at 20. But unable to work under the British, he resigned and went toShanghai to earn some money. He worked as a watchman there but soon grewrestless. Several of his acquaintances both from Shanghai and from his army dayshad moved to Canada. He too decided to try and build a future in Canada and leftfor Vancouver where he worked in a lumber mill.

MOVE TO CANADAHere he came under the influence of people like Bhai Balwant Singh and Bhai

Bhag Singh. Staying with them, he was awakened to the injustices being metedout to Indians in Canada because they were told they belonged to a slave nation.He realized that the only way to get a better life anywhere was to free the moth-erland of foreign rule. He became a trusted aide of the revolutionaries. When hecame to learn that they had a traitor, Harnam Singh, in their midst, he killed him.Harnam Singh was a government agent.

To escape the Canadian police, he fled to India on 1 September 1914. In India,he became a key functionary of the revolt being planned by the Gadar leaders. Oneday, while a meeting was on at a railway station, he saw the station master spyingon them. Before he could do any harm, Jagat Singh the station master as well.

BETRAYED However, there were too many traitors and Jagat Singh could not kill all of them.

One such man revealed the plans of the revolt and mutiny to the British. JagatSingh, who was in preparedness for the scheduled uprising, was to meet the muti-neers near the Lahore Cantonment Railway Station. However, their plans had beenexposed and instead of his contacts, the police was waiting for him there. He man-aged to flee from the spot, joining up with Kartar Singh Sarabha and Harnam SinghTundilat as they too made their way towards Afghanistan to escape arrest.

Enroute, they decided that rather than let the moment pass, they should trytheir luck at some other cantonment. Jagat Singh had a friend at Sargodha and of-fered to take them there. Unfortunately, the person they thought of as a friend,turned out to be a foe and betrayed them. They were arrested. Jagat Singh wastried in the Lahore Conspiracy case with Kartar Singh and others. �

GADAR NUGGETIn June 1913 the Hindustani

Association of Pacific Coast was formed following Har Dayal’s passionate speech at Astoria.


JaWand singh

Jawand Singh

awand Singh was only 15 when he and his brother Hira Singh left forCanada in 1907. Born in 1892 in village Nangal Kalan in Hoshiarpur, toNarain Singh Bains and Gujari Kaur, he had insisted on going abroad and

since his parents were unsure of sending such a young boy so far away they senttheir elder son with him. In Vancouver, he worked in the lumber mills there. Theracist and discriminatory attitude of the locals made his blood boil.

When the Gadar Party was launched, he jumped at the chance of doing somereal damage to the British. He became an active member of the party and evenwent to San Francisco to learn the craft of making bombs.

In 1914, he was among the first lot of Gadaris to leave for India. However, theyran out of luck at Calcutta when they were arrested. Seventy nine of them hadlanded at the port and were searched for firearms and put on a train bound forLudhiana. Jawand Singh, however, was not going to be tied down. He spotted anopportunity, seized it, and managed to escape.

MEETING WITH BIBI GULAB KAURHe soon established contact with the other Gadar members and began his

mission in earnest. The task given to them was to create awareness about theplans of the Gadar revolt and prepare the villagers and local military personnelto revolt when the signal was given. Jawand Singh was assigned the Hoshiarpurdistrict to work in. One of his associates was Bibi Gulab Kaur, a lady Gadaritewho had returned to India from Manila. In an effort to raise funds for their revolt,Jawand Singh planned and led several raids of rich Indians who were British col-laborators.

J

Source: Canada de Gadari Yodhe, Virsa, Issue of September, 2005

When the revolt of 1915 failed and Gadari leaders were getting arrested allover, Jawand Singh went underground. He was helped by several friends who kepthim hidden in fields and animal sheds. As things cooled, he again became activeand once again began spreading the Gadar message.

MURDER OF TRAITOR During this time, one famous Gadari Piara Singh Langeri was arrested and

hanged. It was well known that the arrest had been made possible with the col-laboration of Zaildar Chanda Singh. It was decided to teach Chanda Singh a lesson.Jawand Singh and his associates accosted Chanda Singh and after giving him asound thrashing killed him.

Even though the police launched a man hunt for him, he continued to work forthe Gadar mission while evading them. One famous escape of Jawand Singh oc-curred when he was crossing the Beas river. A police party followed the boat andshouted across to them to identify themselves. When they refused, the policeopened fire and killed the boatman. Jawand Singh, however, managed to escape.But now he was all alone, separated from his Gadari associates. He knew that ifhe went to any Gadari safe-house, not only would he be arrested but would alsoput others at risk. So he sought refuge with an old friend who let him stay in asmall hut he had made on his farm. But even here the police sniffed him out andsurrounded the hut. But miraculously, Jawand Singh gave them the slip and meltedaway into the darkness even as they continued to surround the empty hut.

TRAPPED, EXECUTEDBy then it had become a matter of honour for the police to arrest him. Not only

had he made them look foolish on several occasions by escaping from theirclutches, but he had also attained a hero status for his role in the assassinationof Zaildar Chanda Singh. So they set a high reward on his head and announced it.A traitor was lured by the reward and enticed Jawand Singh to a “safehouse”where the police awaited him. He was arrested on 28 March 1917 and summarilytried in the Fourth Supplementary Lahore Conspiracy case. He was sentenced todeath and was hanged to death. He was only 25 years old. �


JaWand singh

GADAR NUGGETThe Hindustani Association of the

Pacific Coast itself became known asthe Gadar Party.

The Gadar Heroics | 93Source: Canada de Gadari Yodhe, The Ghadr Directory, 1934

Bhai karTar singh naWan Chand

Bhai Kartar Singh NawanChand

artar Singh’s story is a vivid example of how unjust the British judicialsystem really was. Kartar Singh was among the Gadaris to return toIndia to start a general uprising, but he was arrested even before he

could set foot in India. Notwithstanding the fact that he had not yet committedany transgressions in India, he was charged in the Second Supplementary LahoreConspiracy case and sentenced to death. However, his sentence was later reducedto life imprisonment.

Kartar Singh was born in 1888 in Nawan Chand village in Ferozepur district ofPunjab. His father, Sundar Singh was a farmer. But owing to the difficult economicsituation, he was forced to think of going abroad to earn his living. In 1907, he reachedVancouver in Canada and began working as a laborer, like the other Indian immi-grants. Working hard and despite the discriminatory practices of his employers, hewas able to do reasonably well for himself and soon became a real estate broker.

VICTIMIZATIONAs a businessman, his victimization by the racist Canadians continued. Kartar

Singh soon realized that the treatment he and his countrymen faced would notchange until India attained independence. He soon became a significant memberof the local community involved with raising awareness about their plight. Hebrought out a pamphlet highlighting Gora Shahi Zulam which translated into oppression by the white man. His fiery speeches at the Gurudwara in Vancouverwere always a crowd-puller.

When the Gadar Party was formed, he joined immediately and worked hard toraise funds for it. He was also a key member of the Shore Committee formed to

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Bhai karTar singh naWan Chand

take up the cause of the ill-fated Komagata Maru.

ANSWERING THE GADAR CALLWhen the call to return to India was given by the Gadar Party, Kartar Singh

was among the first to shut his office and book a berth on the first ship headedfor India. However, on 15 September 1914, a local activist Bela Singh, murderedtwo people. Kartar Singh’s anti-authority attitude was well known to the local po-lice and he was among those arrested for the murders committed by Bela Singh.But in the absence of any evidence, he was let off on bail. Meanwhile, on 21 Oc-tober 1914, the British agent sent to Canada to keep an eye on the Sikh revolu-tionaries there, Hopkinson, was shot dead by Mewa Singh. Once again, KartarSingh was arrested. But because of lack of proof, he was released on bail beforebeing exonerated.

As soon as he was free from the legal formalities associated with his erroneousarrest and subsequent release, Kartar Singh left for San Francisco. He stayed atthe Gadar Ashram there before boarding a ship for Shanghai. From Shanghai heheaded for Colombo and then to India. He landed in India in March 1915. By thistime, the main Gadar revolt had failed and several Gadar leaders were either al-ready in jail or were being chased and were in hiding. Kartar Singh was arrestedeven before he could set foot on Indian soil and sent to Ludhiana where severalother Gadari Babas were jailed. He was summarily tried in the Second Lahore Con-spiracy trial and handed down the death sentence. This was however, changed tolife imprisonment and he was sent off to Hazari Bagh jail in Bihar.

PRISON AFTER PRISONFrom now, Kartar Singh’s life became a living hell. He was shunted from prison

to prison and in each he saw worse treatment than the last. At Rajahmundry jail,he was forced to go on a hunger strike as the Sikh prisoners were forced to eatsouth Indian food which they were not used to at all and was becoming difficultto consume. Next he was sent to Nagpur Jail. Here the Superintendent tried tobreak his spirit by forcing him to be servile in front of him. On his refusal, he waspunished and he himself went on hunger strike to protest. In response, all his re-ligious books, his only succor during those days, were also taken away. KartarSingh threatened to go to court to get his books back but before things came tothat the superintendent was changed. The new superintendent, however, turnedout to be worse. He ordered that all the prisoners wear half pants. Kartar Singhobjected this saying that their religion states that Sikhs wear a kachha and not ahalf pant as underwear. After a battle of wills, the superintendent was forced togive in. After nine years in Nagpur Jail, he was sent to Lahore Central Jail in 1930and then to Montgomery Jail in 1934. He was released from there the same year.

After his release, Kartar Singh devoted himself to religion and conducted re-search on the hand written copies of the Guru Granth Sahab. He wrote threebooks—Amrit Ki Hai, Dream of a Life time Prisoner and Nawi Duniya—A Historyof American and Canadian Indians. He died on 4 April 1944. �

The Gadar Heroics | 95Source: Canada de Gadari Yodhe

nand singh kaila

Nand Singh Kaila

and Singh Kaila was one of the unfortunate few for whom even the In-dependence of India did not bring an end of their struggles. He spenta large part of his life in several jails across India during the British

rule and even after Independence, he faced jail terms and eventually died mo-ments after his release from his last incarceration in 1950. Nand Singh was bornin 1870 in village Kaila in Ludhiana district. His father was Ram Singh and hismother was Fato Kaur. He was married to Sant Kaur of Bhuta village. The economictribulations in Punjab forced Nand Singh to seek his fortune overseas and headedfor Canada in 1907 settling in Vancouver. He joined the Indian immigrant workforceand began working as a laborer at Frazer Mill in Westminster. Here he came underthe influence of revolutionary leader Bhai Bhagwan Singh. Bhai Bhagwan Singh’sfiery speeches inflamed patriotic sentiments within the heart of this simple farmer.When the Canadian authorities began proceedings to deport Bhai Bhagwan Singh,Nand Singh was at the forefront of the effort to collect funds to legally take on thedeportation orders.

BACK TO INDIAWhen the Gadar Party was formed in the US, Nand Singh became a member,

subscribing to the journal which he even sent to his family and relatives in India.On the call of the Gadar party to return to India and launch the revolution, NandSingh and his associate boarded the first India-bound ship leaving from Canada.But the British in India had become aware of the Gadar agenda and a police partyawaited the returning Indian immigrants at Calcutta port. After searching them forarms and ammunition, they were bundled on to a train bound for Ludhiana wherethey were to be kept interned. Nand Singh, however, managed to escape from thetrain and reached his friend Hardit Singh’s village, Dalewal. He then made his way

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nand singh kaila

to his own village Kaila. Soon he received news of the other Gadaris in the vicinityand established contact with them. He began working to spread the message ofthe Gadar in earnest. In December 1914, his friend Hardit Singh again invited himto his village Dalewal. From here, they both went to meet Kartar Singh Sarabha andseveral other Gadarites. They discussed plans for the date of the revolt and themutiny. One major issue that was discussed was the need for funds. It was decidedthat they should not hesitate to loot the rich British collaborators to fund themovement. They also discussed the need for firearms and ammunition. Nand Singhwas made a part of a team that was entrusted the task of making bombs. NandSingh was also given the additional responsibility of transporting and storing thebombs and to be ready to disburse them at the appointed hour. The date for therevolt, 19 February 1915, finally arrived. Nand Singh was among the large groupof Gadarites who reached Ferozepur to launch the revolt. As they waited near therailway station to receive more men, they were surprised by the sudden arrivalof the police. Their plans had been revealed to the police by a traitor in theirmidst. In shock they ran and hid wherever they could.

UNDERGROUND, ARREST, JAILNand Singh managed to remain underground till March 3, 1915 when he was ar-

rested. He was tried in the Lahore Conspiracy case and sentenced to life. He wasdeported to the Andaman Islands where he was imprisoned in the Cellular Jail. Hewas among the inmates there who undertook several hunger strikes to protestagainst the inhuman conditions there. Their plight and their protests became knownto the rest of India through letters leaked out from Cellular Jail. The public outcryforced the government to set up a committee to look into the allegations. The IndianJails Committee visited Cellular Jail and made several recommendations for the im-provement of the conditions in the jail. One outcome was the recommendation thatno political prisoners be kept in Cellular Jail. Subsequently, Nand Singh was shiftedto Multan Jail. Here again, he was forced to resort to hunger strike to protest the illtreatment they received there. News of his protest reached Sohan Singh Bakhna,who had completed his jail term. He brought together several other Gadaris to sitin satyagraha outside jail in support of the hunger strike going on inside the prison.Nand Singh’s condition had become very bad and he was brought out of jail andtaken to hospital. As he improved, he was taken back to prison. He was shuntedfrom one jail to another before finally being released from Ambala Jail in May 1934.

He joined the Congress party on his release from jail and worked for India’s in-dependence. However, in 1950, he was disillusioned and left the Congress partyto join the Socialist Party. He then participated in a demonstration organized bythe Socialist Party. He was hauled up before a magistrate for this and sent to jail—first to the Hoshiarpur Jail and then Jalandhar jail. Seeing the pathetic conditionsin jail even after Independence, Nand Singh again went on strike. News of thehunger strike by the 70-year-old revolutionary raised a public outcry and the Gov-ernment was forced to release him. But the release came too late. Just as he wasbeing set free, he breathed his last. A revolutionary to the end, he died on 5 Sep-tember 1950. �


nidhan singh ChUggha

Nidhan Singh Chuggha

hile Nidhan Singh Chuggha will always be remembered for his revo-lutionary zeal and the role he played in the Gadar movement, hisdevotion to his faith was equally praiseworthy. Even when he was

aged and had been a prisoner in Kala Pani for years, he would wash at 9 pm and per-form his prayers till 8 am. Eleven straight hours of prayers during which time henever spoke to anyone.

Nidhan Singh came from village Chuggha in Moga district of Punjab. He was bornin 1855 to Sundar Singh. In 1882, he went to Shanghai and found work as a watchman.He joined the local Gurudwara and soon became the treasurer there. He married aChinese lady and had a son. After several years in Shanghai, he moved to the USA.

GADAR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEWhen the Gadar Party was formed in 1913, he was elected as a member of its ex-

ecutive committee. In April 1914, he was elected president of the then newly estab-lished Khalsa Diwan Society, Stockton, California. When the First World war brokeout, he left for India to begin the revolt against the British. He left San Francisco onboard the SS Korea on 29 August 1914. He disembarked at Nagasaki in Japan andwent on to Shanghai to raise funds for the Gadar Party. A lot of money had been col-lected for the Komagata Maru passengers in Shanghai when they were not allowedto land in Canada. This money was handed over to Nidhan Singh. He took this moneyand six automatic pistols and 600 rounds of ammunition and left Shanghai aboardthe SS Mashima Maru.

This ship and the Tosa Maru, both carrying Gadar volunteers, arrived in Penangin Malaysia at approximately the same time and were detained by the British. Not

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nidhan singh ChUggha

one to remain a silent spectator, Nidhan Singh spent the time trying to convince thetroops there to help him procure arms for his mission but without much success.He was a member of the delegation which called on the Governor of Penang, whoeventually allowed the ships to proceed.

ACTIVITIES IN PUNJABNidhan Singh reached Ludhiana on 7 November 1914. His task, as assigned by the

Central Committee, was to prepare the ground for the armed uprising in the Ludhianadistrict. He was at the forefront of all the Gadar activities in the area. Apart from cre-ating the mood for a public movement, he also helped set up bomb factories in Jhabe-wal and Lohatbadi. In order to procure arms, he planned a raid on the regimentalmagazine at the Ferozepur Cantonment on 30 November 1914. This raid, however,could not materialize.

Nidhan Singh was in the habit of carrying out his Gadar activities in disguise. How-ever, the British knew of his activities and had put up posters for his arrest. TheBritish had labeled him an "extremely dangerous criminal and one of the worst andmost important of the conspirators". He was advised to dye his flowing beard toevade arrest. However, he refused to do so. He would coolly walk through policecheck points, loudly chanting Naam or doing Gurbani path. However, he was even-tually arrested at the village of Kamalpura, along with Rur Singh of Chuhar Chakk on29 April 1915.

Tried in the First Lahore Conspiracy case, Nidhan Singh was awarded death sen-tence which was later commuted to transportation for life.

A deeply religious person and a staunch believer in the Sikh faith, Nidhan Singhwas one of the Panj Piare who laid the foundation of the Harmandar at Panja Sahibon 14 October 1932. He was president of Gurdwara Lohgarh (Dina), and of GurdwaraSingh Sabha, Moga, for some time. He died on 6 December 1936 at Moga. �

GADAR NUGGETBritish police opened fire at BudgeBudge harbor near Calcutta on September 29, 1914 on those who returned by Komagata Maru. Manydied. Over 200 were arrested.


PriThVi singh azad

Prithvi Singh Azad

death sentence or a life imprisonment term was something that couldnot deter the revolutionary spirit of Baba Prithvi Singh. He had added“Azad” or “Free” to his name, symbolizing a spirit of liberation. Enter-

prise ran in his blood. His father, Shadi Ram, showed extreme enterprise and trav-elled to Burma, leaving a young Prithvi Singh, his brother and their mother withPrithvi Singh’s grandparents. In a short time, Shadi Ram had managed to make afortune in Burma through a dairy. He started with a few cows and was soon man-aging a huge herd and supplying milk to the military in Burma.

Fortune, however, was not kind back home. Prithvi Singh’s mother passed awayand he and his brother were sent off to their maternal uncle’s house. The schoolwas about eight kilometers away and the young Prithvi Singh was denied an edu-cation on the grounds that he was too frail to travel 16 km everyday to study.

SOJOURN TO BURMASoon, Prithvi Singh was taken to Burma to be with his father. When he was 15,

he came back and lived in Ambala where he went to the mission school. But fortuneturned again and two years later money from Burma stopped coming. It turned outthat an epidemic had wiped out his father’s cattle and he was in a bad shape.

Prithvi Singh took up a job in the postal department. But the young man hadbeen greatly influenced by the political turmoil around him. Lala Lajpat Rai hadbeen arrested. Nationalistic spirit was soaring. And Prithvi Singh could not workfor the British. Vowing to dedicate his life to the cause of liberating his nation fromforeign rule, he left the country. He first headed for Singapore, went on to HongKong and then to Manila. By the end of 1912, he had reached Seattle.

A


PriThVi singh azad

LIFE IN THE USIn Seattle, he found like-minded people in the founders of the Gadar party. He

was working as a farm hand in Stockton and was at the forefront of the recruitmentand fund-raising activities of the party. At Jwala Singh’s farm, he learned to handleexplosives and to make bombs. In 1914, when the Gadaris left for India to launchthe revolution, he was on board the SS Korea. The Central Committee assigned himthe role of spreading sedition by handing out Gadar literature once they landed inIndia. He shifted to the SS Tosha Maru and entrusted four pistols, which he co-owned, to the ship’s doctor. When the ship was searched on reaching India, the pis-tols were recovered but Prithvi Singh managed to land unstopped. He told the policethat he had boarded the ship at Penang and so was allowed to leave the port.

BACK IN PUNJABOnce in Punjab, he joined up with the other Gadaris and was soon planning

and participating in dacoities to raise funds for the revolution. He was actively in-volved in several raids as well as important planning meeting with others like Kar-tar Singh Sarabha, Kanshi Ram Morali and Nidhan Singh Chugha. His activities puthim under the police radar and an Indian police officer, Amar Singh, was sent toarrest him. Amar Singh was armed with pistols and a dagger, while Prithvi Singhwas unarmed. They entangled with each other and soon, the police officers pistolshad been knocked out of his reach. He, however, managed to give Prithvi Singhtwo deep gashes on his neck. The scars remained until he passed away. He wasarrested and put on trial in the Lahore Conspiracy case. He was sentenced todeath but the sentence was later commuted to transportation for life.

IMPRISONMENTHe spent several years in Cellular Jail in the Andaman and when political pres-

sure forced jail reforms, he was transferred to jail in Madras state. He attemptedan escape, which was foiled. However, on 30 November 1922, when he was beingtransported from Rajamudhry to Nagpur, he jumped out of a moving train andmanaged to escape. He rejoined the revolutionaries and was very active in severalimportant raids. He is believed to have been part of the team that attempted torescue the revolutionaries accused in the Kakori case in June 1927. Prithvi Singhwas registered in the police records as a dreaded terrorist and head of an activegroup operating in and around Delhi with links in Lahore. Though it was neverconfirmed, it was suspected that he was responsible on an attempt on the lives oftwo police officers and their wives in Bombay in 1930.

By now, the political climate in the country had turned towards non-coopera-tion and satyagrah under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and Prithvi Singh re-alized that revolutionary means were not required any more. But he was certainthat he would be arrested and jailed so he left India via Afghanistan. He reachedRussia and spent a few years there. On return, he roamed in India with concealedidentity. At Gandhi Ji’s advice, he surrendered to police on 19th May 1938 but wasreleased from prison on 23rd September, 1939. �


sher singh Vein-POin

Sher Singh Vein-Poin

he applause in the main hall of the gurudwara in Penang was deafening.As the speaker got up to leave, he was surrounded by the audiencewho seemed to want more. The speaker tried to shake as many hands

as he could as he made his way out of the hall. He seemed to be in a hurry.

He was.

Bhai Sher Singh Vein Poin was a man on a mission. After so many years in vir-tual exile, he was returning to his motherland. And he was returning not as theshy youngster who had left to escape the tyrant at home. He was returning at thehead of an avenging army. They would soon set the homeland free. Penang wasthe last stop before they reached Calcutta. And onwards was their karambhoomiwhere they would decimate the British and restore India to its former glory.

At least that was the plan. When they reached Calcutta, what awaited themwas arrest and incarceration. All their plans went up in smoke even before theycould land in India. For Bhai Sher Singh Vein Poin, this was a major setback buthe tried to come out of it. After all, that is what he had done all his life. try to over-come all the hurdles that came his way.

MOVE TO CHINA, USABorn in 1890 in the village of Vein Poin in what is now Tarn Taran, he lost his

father Kesar Singh Dhaliwal early on. A young Sher Singh joined the British Indianarmy as a boy. He served for three years before making his way to Hong Kong in1906. After a short stint in the army there, he became a security guard in Chinaand before the end of the year, he had reached San Francisco. After a two year

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Source: Canada de Gadari Yodhe, The Ghadr Directory, 1934


sher singh Vein-POin

stint as a labourer in farms in Sacramento and Portland, he moved to Canada. Herehe found work in a lumber mill. Vancouver proved to be the turning point in hislife. He became aware of the discriminatory practices of the Canadians and be-came politically active in the Vancouver gurudwara. He joined the Gadar partyand soon, his revolutionary activities brought him to the notice of the authoritieswho branded him a “dangerous revolutionary” in their records. When the time forthe revolt against British rule came, Bhai Sher Singh heeded the call of Gadar andtook the first ship headed towards India in 1914. He was on board the ship with agroup of like-minded Indians returning home to fight for freedom.

GADAR CENTRAL COMMITTEEBhai Sher Singh could not wait to reach India and rout the British. Enroute,

when the ship halted at Hong Kong, he spent time there exhorting the local com-munity to join the movement. In keeping with the Gadar plan to incite rebellion inthe ranks of the British Indian army, he also addressed the Indian soldiers postedin Hong Kong and spread disaffection among them. By the time, he was ready toembark on the next leg of his journey, he had gathered around him a band of Indi-ans committed to the Gadar mission. He formed them into a cohesive group andtogether they made a Central Committee tasked with providing momentum to theplanned Gadar revolt on returning to India. Bhai Sher Singh was an elected mem-ber of this Central Committee. When the ship halted at Singapore, Bhai Sher Singhwent ashore and addressed gatherings of Indian immigrants, firing them up withhis passion for freedom. He repeated this at Penang. When the ship reached Cal-cutta’s Budge Budge port, every Indian on board was itching to join the revolt.But all their plans came to naught when they saw the British police clamberingon board. They were searched and Bhai Sher Singh was arrested for carrying largequantities of “seditious literature” on his person.

SEVERAL JAIL TERMSAll the Gadarites were put on a train bound for Raiwind and placed under ar-

rest. Bhai Sher Singh was interred at Montgomery Jail and eventually at MultanJail. He was tried and convicted in the Lahore Conspiracy case and given life im-prisonment with forfeiture of property. For more than five years, he was jailed inthe Andaman in the worst possible conditions. Then he was moved to Madras,Poona and Karvar jails. After 18 years in different jails, he was brought to Jaland-har jail in 1932 and released. He returned to his village 26 years after he had left.His old mother, Kisso, was now blind. Bhai Sher Singh married Harbans Kaur andhad two children who died young. He had a daughter, Dalbir Kaur, who was onlytwo when her mother died. Bhai Sher Singh continued his revolutionary activitiesand in 1938 joined the Kirti Party to start an agitation against the increase in landrevenue. He was arrested again. When the government eventually agreed to theirdemands, he was freed. On March 3, 1939, another agitation was started and BhaiSher Singh was arrested and given sentence for nine months. On acceptance ofdemands of the agitators, he was released. During the Second World War, he wasarrested under Defense of India Act and kept behind the bars for four years. Hewas released in 1944. He breathed his last on March 28, 1966. �


UdhaM singh

Udham Singh

hile in exile in Afghanistan, where he lived among pathans, UdhamSingh, a Gadari Baba, became a legend of sorts. He had managedto escape from prison, and had been a dedicated volunteer of the

Gadar party that wanted to ensure that the British were overthrown. His desireto free India and the heroic manner in which he tried to do so ensured his popu-larity not just in India, but also among the hardy pathan race.

He was born to farmer Mewa Singh and Hukam Kaur in village Kasel, Amritsardistrict, on 15 March 1882. As a youngster, he spent his days grazing cattle and work-ing on the small family farm. But soon, he decided to go to foreign shores to seek abetter livelihood. He headed for Malaysia in 1907 and first landed in Penang, thengoing on to Teping, in the Malay States. Here he got a job as a Signaller in the MalayStates Guides. Udham Singh soon learnt Malay and English. But he was destined forbigger things and he soon resigned and headed for the United States of America.

LIFE IN USAIn the USA, he came in contact with Indian immigrant leaders like Bhai Sohan

Singh Bakhna, Bhai Jawala Singh, Sant Wasakha Singh among others. Greatly in-fluenced by them and deeply affected by the unequal treatment meted out to In-dians, he became a part of the Hindi Association of the Pacific Coast and then ofthe Gadar party. When it was time to return to India to launch the revolution,Udham Singh was designated one of the party ‘generals’ tasked with impartingmilitary training to the other Gadar volunteers. On the way to India, he stoppedat Canton and Penang to procure arms. He was on board the Tosha Maru whichreached India to a sealed fate. All the Gadaris on the ship were arrested on arrivaland sent by train to Ludhiana. Udham Singh was among them. From Ludhiana he

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was sent to Multan jail and was tried in the Lahore Conspiracy case. He was sen-tenced to Life Imprisonment and sent to Cellular Jail in the Andaman.

JAILED AT ANDAMANAfter the horrific conditions at Cellular Jail were revealed and it was decided

that political prisoners will not be imprisoned there, Udham Singh was trans-ported to Vellore Jail. He was the only Sikh prisoner in the jail and suffered severeill treatment. Unable to bear the torture, he managed to escape from jail in 1921by scaling the high jail walls and headed for Punjab. After a lot of hardships, hemanaged to reach Langeri village where his Gadari friend Piara Singh lived. PiaraSingh had completed his jail term. He looked after Udham Singh and helped himregain his health. The friends decided that staying in Punjab was not safe forUdham Singh and that the best course of action for him would be to go toAfghanistan where the British would not be able to arrest him again. Consequently,Udham Singh headed for Kabul.

KHALSA DIWAN, AFGHANISTAN In Kabul, he set up the Khalsa Diwan and sought the Afghan king's permission

for Sikhs to assemble in religious congregation at Gurdwara Chashma Sahib, sa-cred to Guru Nanak, about 10 km from Jalalabad. He became a highly respectedmember of the local Sikh community. He also set up a branch of the Gadar partythere and opened a school. He remained in touch with Akali leaders such as TejaSingh Samundri and Master Tara Singh and advocated the formation of a secretsociety of Sikhs under the auspices of the Shiromani Akali Dal.

Every year, he would make a pilgrimage to Amritsar on Baisakhi. He used tomake visits to Amritsar on the Baisakhi festival in disguise. While returning toKabul after his fourth trip, on 20 January 1926, he was attacked by his guide. Theguide wanted Udham Singh to hand over all his money. Udham Singh, instead, tookout his pistol and fired at him. The guide then fled, only to return with more asso-ciates and they killed Udham Singh in a firefight.

Such was his reputation in Afghanistan, that when it became known that hehad been murdered by some locals, these locals were ostracized from their owncommunity for having killed such a great revolutionary as Udham Singh. �

UdhaM singh

GADAR NUGGETAn estimated 8,000 overseas Indiansleft for India to fight the British

between 1914 and 1918. About 3,000were intercepted. 300 were put in jails. Hundreds were forcibly confined to their villages.


UTTaM singh hans

Uttam Singh Hans

hat can one say to a mother who is seeing her son for the lasttime? Especially when he is in jail, about to be sent to the gallows?If the son is someone like Uttam Singh Hans, then all he can say is

that perhaps he would not change anything.

When Uttam Singh’s mother came to see him before he was hanged, his onlyregret was that he could not serve her as he had the Motherland. He prayed thathe be reborn so that he could do for her in his next life what he could not in this.Uttam Singh Hans, born in Jagraon (Ludhiana) in 1880, had left India in 1906 to goto Canada to earn money to take care of his parents.

But when he got there and saw the ill treatment meted out to him and his coun-trymen, he was drawn into the Gadar movement. He knew that injustice was beingdone and that something had to be done to stop it. The only way for the injusticeto stop was to throw the British out of India and that is what became his missionin life.

KOMAGATA MARU When the Komagata Maru was docked off the coast of Canada, he tried his best

to meet the passengers on board. He was part of the port committee of Indian im-migrants who were trying to get the passengers off the ship. When the ship waspassing Vancouver, he managed to get on board and exhorted the passengers notto give up. He gave a fiery speech urging them to return to India and join in therevolution to overthrow the foreign yoke that was tying them down.

He was among the first lot of Indian immigrants from Canada to return to India

W



UTTaM singh hans

on the call of the Gadar party. When he reached India, the police detained him.However, taking advantage of the fact that he had a different name when he hadleft his village, he was able to give them the slip and reached Ludhiana.

DEATH SENTENCEBut as his revolutionary activities became known, the police came to arrest

him. He went underground and kept working towards the revolution. He was apart of the group of Gadar leaders who were gathered at Ferozepur on 19 February1915, on the eve of the revolution awaiting Bhai Randhir Singh and his men. Withhim were Kartar Singh Sarabha, Ishar Singh and others.

Unfortunately, their plans were already known to the British and they swoopedon them. The group split up to evade arrest and he went underground with IsharSingh. They were both a part of the conspiracy to attack the Kapurthala ArmsDepot and later in the attack on Zaildar Chanda Singh.

He was arrested with Ishar Singh on 19 September 1915. Charged in the Sec-ond Supplementary Lahore Conspiracy Case, he was sentenced to death byhanging. �

GADAR NUGGETGadar magazine was sent free everyweek to over 5000 people in USA,Canada and other countries.

GADAR NUGGETGurdit Singh, a resourceful man in Singapore, chartered the Japanese vessel Komagata Maru. It reached

Canada with 376 passengers in May 1914.

GADAR NUGGETWhat is our name? Gadar.What is our work? Gadar.

Where will Gadar break out? In India.—Gadar slogan.


Bir singh BahOWal

Bir Singh Bahowal aliasVir Singh

ir Singh was born into a farming family in Bahowal village in Hoshiarpur districtin 1871. Badly hit by the prevailing economic scenario of the time, his fatherButa Singh Bains, allowed him to go to Canada in 1906. The young man reached

Vancouver and went about trying to earn enough money to support his family back homeby working in a lumber mill. Soon he realized that despite the hard work and long hours,he was not being paid the same amount as the white labor. It did not take him long torealize that the reason for this inequity was the British enslavement of his motherland.

RETURN FROM CANADA When the Gadar Party was formed in 1913, he became one of its earliest members.

Despite the fact that he had a lot at stake, he was among the first lot of Indian immi-grants to give up the prospect of a steady income in Canada and return to India atthe call of the Gadar Party. When his ship landed in Calcutta, the police, alreadyaware of the return of the Gadari Babas, spotted him and the arms he carried andbundled him on to a train bound for Ludhiana where all the Gadari Babas were beingkept in custody. He, however, managed to slip away and reached his village Bahowal.Here he contacted the other Gadaris and was tasked with raising funds for the revolt.

HANGING Towards this end, the Gadaris had taken to a Robin Hood style of functioning – looting

from the rich to fund the mutiny. During one such raid at a wealthy businessman’s housein a village near Amritsar, he was severely wounded. He was taken to Amritsar and severalsmall pieces of shrapnel were removed from his body. Though their revolt planned forFebruary 1915 failed and several leaders were arrested, Bhai Bir Singh managedto evade the British. He continued with his mission. But was eventually arrestedon 6 June 1915 and tried in the Second Supplementary Lahore Conspiracy case.He was sentenced to death by hanging and was martyred on 18 June 1916. �

B



hirde raM

Hirde Ram

Achance encounter with the Gadar newsletter transformed the life of this for-mer sufi. He went on to become one of the expert bomb-makers for theGadar party, improvising inkpots as bomb casings. Born on 28 November

1885, Hirde Ram, son of Gajjan Singh of village Chaki Naggar, Hamirpur, Kangradistrict, he was of a saintly bent of mind in his youth. At the age of 18, he came incontact with a saintly person and got attracted towards Sufism. He left home, gaveup the worldly way of life and took up meditation in Rishikesh. But his parentsforced him to return and married him to Sarla Devi. Just as he was settling intomarried life, he came across a Gadar newsletter. The writings stirred his latent pa-triotism and he was greatly impressed by Lala Har Dayal. He learned that severalGadaris were returning to India to start a revolt. He shared this information withanother friend Hardev and the two tried to do something similar in Mandi. How-ever, they got little support from the locals. Hardev had a contact with Gadarileader Dr Mathra Singh and sent Hirde Ram to meet him in Amritsar.

BOMB MAKER Here Hirde Ram came in contact with others like Kartar Singh Sarabha, Nidhan

Singh Chuga, Bhai Paramanand and Vishnu Ganesh Pingle. He soon earned theirtrust and became a member of the core committee of the Gadar party. Pingle hadrecently come to Amritsar and one evening they were all at the Ghulab SinghDharamsala where they were trying to make bombs. The Gadaris had suffered asetback recently when they had been refused a consignment of iron casings tomake their bombs. Hirde Ram impressed everyone by suggesting they use glassinkpots to make the bombs. They filled an empty inkpot with explosive materialand decided to test it outside town. Hirde Ram threw the improvised bomb at awall with devastating impact. Everyone was jubilant at the success and Hirde Ramwas tasked with making these improvised inkpot bombs.

NEW LEASE OF LIFEA traitor in their midst, Kirpal Singh, informed the police about their plans for

the revolt on 19 February 1915. The police raided their headquarters and arrestedHirde Ram along with several others. Hirde Ram was tried in the First Lahore Con-spiracy case and sentenced to death. This was later commuted to life imprison-ment with forfeiture of property. He was sent to Cellular Jail in the Andaman. On30 April 1927 he was released following which he settled down in Amritsar. Hestarted working as a goldsmith in Katra Mahan Singh but soon became involvedin politics. He joined the Kirti Party and was given the responsibility of recruitingyoung Hindu men. He presided over a meeting of the Nau Jawan Bharat Sabha heldin Lahore, on 8 April 1928. The account he gave of life in the Andaman which hedescribed as worse than hell, incited the young men in the audience. An agitationto seek the release of political prisoners there was launched. He also attended theannual session of the Indian National Congress in Calcutta the same year. He re-turned later to his native state of Mandi and lived there till his death. �


BanTa singh

Banta Singh

Just as his cause was betrayed by an enemy within,Gadari Banta Singh was also handed over to the Britishby the subterfuge of a relative. Born in 1890 in Sang-

howal village of Kartarpur in Jalandhar district, Buta Singh,son of Banta Singh, was a brilliant student. Not only did hecomplete two grades in one year, but when he was barely ateenager, he had already formed a group of volunteers tohelp the disadvantaged. His father was a well-respected,

prosperous farmer in his village.

TRAVEL OVERSEAS But when Banta Singh completed his matriculation, he decided to go abroad. He

reached Canada and was soon attracted to the Gadar party. He became an activemember of the party and headed for India in 1914 when the call came from the party.On his return, he became active in coaxing the Indian troops to mutiny against theBritish. He also participated in several acts aimed at hampering communication be-tween the British by destroying wireless lines and rail lines. Aside from his revolu-tionary activities, Banta Singh also started a school in his village. He was electedhead of the village panchayat and was a highly respected member of the community.His house was also a safe house for others returning from the US and Canada.

DECLARED ABSCONDER One day, while he was not at home, the police raided it and recovered some incrim-

inating documents. On the basis of these, arrest warrants were issued for him. BantaSingh went underground. As the day for the mutiny approached, Banta Singh headedfor Anarkali Bazar in Lahore. He knew of a shipment of arms and had planned to forciblyseize them for the revolt. However, as luck would have it, he was stopped for checkingby the police. At first he attempted to evade them, but when he realized that he had nochoice but to submit to the search, he pretended to give up. But just as the police manwas about to begin searching him, he reached for his weapon and shot him. In the melee,his companion Sajjan Singh was nabbed but he managed to escape. He was declared anabsconder and a reward of land and cash was announced for his capture.

TRIED AND HANGEDDuring this time, his Gadari associates, Buta Singh and Jawand Singh planned

to teach Zainadar Chanda Singh a lesson. The Zaildar had leaked informationabout the whereabouts of Gadari Piara Singh to the police which had subsequentlyled to his arrest. The trio found Chanda Singh and killed him. After this, the catand mouse game with the police became more intense. The constant hiding andrunning took a toll on Banta Singh and his health became frail. One of his closerelatives offered to care for him and took him to his own home. But instead of of-fering his health-care, the relative informed the police and Banta Singh was finallyarrested on 15 June 1915. He was tried under Martial Law in the Central Jail Lahoreand sentenced to death. He was hanged on 12th August, 1915. �


Buta Singh was a committed soldier of the Gadar Party.He was born to Sher Singh and Khen Kaur of AkalgarhKhurd, Raikot, Ludhiana. He had immigrated to

Canada in 1906 and after seeing the ill-treatment of Indianimmigrants, he became an active member in the local com-munity working for their rights. When the Gadar Party was

formed in 1913, he was among the first to join.

He returned to India in 1914 to participate in the Gadar revolt. After the failureof the revolt on 19 February 1915, he went underground and kept in touch withthe Gadarites who were still active. One of them was Piara Singh Langeri. ZaildarChanda Singh, a British collaborator, informed the police about the activities andwhereabouts of Piara Singh, leading to his arrest. The Gadaris decided to teachthe Zaildar a lesson and Buta Singh was entrusted the task with Banta Singh andJawand Singh.

On 6 June 1915, Buta Singh was arrested and sentenced to death with forfeitureof property. On 2 August 1915, he was hanged till death. �

Buta Singh

Sucha Singh, son of Gurdit Singh Jat of Chola Kalan, Sirhali, District Amritsar,was a reservist in the military and was called up for service at the beginningof World War I. He became one of the intermediaries between the disaffected

soldiers and the revolutionaries. He deserted the army and joined the revolution-ary Gadar movement. He was present at the abortive attempt made at Sirhali. Hewas sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment for desertion. He was subse-quently convicted in the Supplementary Conspiracy Case and sentenced to trans-portation for life. Sucha Singh escaped from the Hazari Bagh jail in March 1918along with Budh Singh of village Sursingh, district Lahore and several others. Onway home, he spent nights at funeral places where he cooked beans on the burn-ing funeral pyres to meet his hunger. After he reached home, he took out a pieceof flesh from his arm on which his name had been permanently written in jail.Overnight, he changed himself into a saint and spent seventeen years in the Malwaregion. The rule for his lodging quarters was that no woman could come withinits confines, not even his mother. He was arrested on November 27, 1937 and hislife imprisonment was restored. �

Sucha Singh


Jagat Ram alias Sant Ram, was born in village Hariana ofdistrict Hoshiarpur. His father was Ditta Ram. JagatRam left for America in November 1911. He soon be-

came one of Har Dayal's close aides. He had some knowl-edge of bomb-making and had visited Jawala Singh's farmnear Stockton to take part in the bomb-making experiments

there. When it was time to leave for the revolt in India, he boarded the SS Koreaat San Francisco with Jawala Singh and others on 29 August 1914. He broke journeyat Yokohama and headed for Tokyo. Here he met up with Amar Singh and RamRakha of village Sahibha, Hoshiarpur, and passed on the instructions from theparty leadership to them to acquire arms. He then headed for Manila with the pre-cious cargo of arms and bundles of revolutionary material that had been procuredby Amar Singh and Pirthi Singh. He rejoined Jawala Singh’s party at Hong Kongwhere he was elected a member of the Central Committee to carry on a campaignin India. He arrived in India by the SS Tosha Maru in October 1914. While busy infurthering the mission of the Gadar party in the Punjab, he was arrested at Pe-shawar and interned. He was sent up for trial in the Lahore Conspiracy Case andwas sentenced to death, the sentence subsequently being commuted to one oftransportation for life.

He was released from Cellular Jail in 1937 and returned to his village. His wife,whom he had left barely three months after their wedding, asked him to first goto Haridwar and purify himself by taking a dip in the holy Ganga. He willingly sub-mitted to her wish saying, “Her sacrifice is greater than mine. What I did, I did onmy own will, but she sacrificed everything because of me.” �

Jagat Ram

Sundar Singh, son of Rattan Singh, of Daula Nangal, Amritsar, had travelled toSingapore, Portland, Shanghai and Hong Kong. He was a Gadari activist andhad attended the Jhar Sahib meeting. He took part in the Sirhali incident. He

was convicted in the Supplementary Lahore Conspiracy Case and sentenced totransportation for life. �

Sundar Singh


Gujjar Singh, son of Sham Singh, of village BhaknaKalan, Amritsar, was a policeman in Shanghai beforebecoming an active member of the Gadar party

there. He returned to India in 1914 to work for the Gadarrevolution. He visited several villages in Amritsar districtto spread awareness about the Gadar plan and to garner

support for the revolution. An expert bomb-maker, he was soon picked up by thepolice and interned. He was sent for trial in the Lahore Conspiracy Case, but wasacquitted. However, as he continued his revolutionary activities, he was sent upfor trial a second time in the Supplementary Lahore Conspiracy Case and sen-tenced to transportation for life. While undergoing life sentence Gujjar Singh ledand executed a daring jail break. Several inmates jumped the jail wall and somemanaged to escape while others got injured. The police had spread the newsabout the jail break and when Gujjar Singh, who was also injured, asked for helpfrom some villagers, they informed the police. He was arrested and taken back toprison. His sentence was increased by 4 years and 3 months. He was, however, re-leased conditionally by the Punjab Government on 30th April 1930, subject to hisbeing restricted to his village under Police surveillance for 3 years.

After his release, he began taking a keen interest in the activities of his villageand the region. After 1935, he became actively involved in the Kisan movement.Later on, he became a member of the communist party. He took the initiative andstarted a co-ed high school in his village. Sohan Singh Bhakna, the founding pres-ident of Gadar Party provided land and financial support for the school while Gu-jjar Singh became member of the management team and the treasurer.

He left for heavenly abode on September 8, 1975. �

Gujjar Singh

Chanan Singh, son of Bal Singh of Bur Chand, Patti (Amritsar), returned to Indiato join other Indian immigrants to liberate India from British slavery. He con-vinced his younger brother Baghel Singh also to join the Gadar Movement. He

became an active promoter of the Gadar mission. He was arrested and sentenced todeath with forfeiture of his property. �

Chanan Singh


Ranga Singh alias Roda Singh, son of Gurdit Singh ofKhurdpur, Kartarpur (Jalandhar), joined the BritishIndian army and served till he was 30. He then went

to America in 1908. In 1913, the Gadar Party was formed tooverthrow the British regime in India. He became an activemember of the party and returned to India on December

21, 1914. After spending a month in his village, he started spreading the missionof the Gadar Party in the villages.

After the attempt to start a mutiny failed on Feb 19, 1915, most of the Gadariteswere arrested and jailed in Lahore Central jail. The Gadarites who were still free,decided to rescue their friends from jail but they needed arms and ammunition.Ranga Singh and his friends decided to attack the security guards on the WallaBridge and take their weapons to be used to break into Lahore Central jail andrescue their Gadari comrades. In their attempt at Walla Bridge, they killed four se-curity guards.

He was arrested on June 26, 1915 and tried in the Second Lahore ConspiracyCase. He was given death sentence with forfeiture of his property. �

Ranga Singh alias Roda Singh

The story of Rur Singh’s arrest is an example of his fear-lessness. Rur Singh alias Arur Singh, son of Pal SinghJat, Sangowal, Kartarpur (Jalandhar), was a wanted

man for his Gadar activities, but he still visited his friendswho were locked up in the Lahore Central Jail. One day,

while he was standing near the jail gate, a police officer asked him to identify him-self. He responded by saying that he was Arur Singh, the person the police had puta reward on. The officer could not believe him and just left him alone. However,Arur Singh called him back and asked him to arrest him. He was tried in the SecondSupplementary Lahore Conspiracy Case and given death sentence and forfeiture ofhis property.

He was hanged till death on March 16, 1917. �

Rur Singh alias Arur Singh


Harnam Singh Saini a.k.a. Nama, son of Gopal Saini ofFatehgarh, district Hoshiarpur, was a notable Indianrevolutionary. He joined the Gadar Party soon after

its formation in 1913. He became an active member of theGadar Party. While on his way to India from the USA he wasarrested in Batavia, a Dutch colony. There was nothing in-

criminating found on his person or on the ship Maverick on which he was travel-ling. Still, he was arrested and handed over to the Singapore police. He was takento Calcutta and then to Lahore where he put behind bars in Lahore Central jail.

Nama was tried in the Second Supplementary Lahore Conspiracy Case. Thetrial began on November 8, 1916 and ended on January 5, 1917. He along with fourother Gadar revolutionaries, namely, Bhai Balwant Singh of Khurdpur, Babu Ramof Fatehgarh, Hafiz Abdullah of Jagraon and Dr. Arur Singh of Sanghwal, werecharged with waging war against the King Emperor and sentenced to death. Theywere executed on March 16, 1917. All of their properties were also confiscated.

Nama wrote a letter in Urdu from Lahore Central jail on January 8, 1917 to hisrelative Dewan Chand informing him that he has been given death sentence but “heshould not worry about anything.” He wrote his name “Nama Phansiwala”. �

Harnam Singh Saini

Inder Singh son of Gurmukh Singh of Padri Kalan, TaranTaran, Amritsar, was born in 1890. He went to America insearch of work. In the US, he became actively involved

with the activities of the Gadar Party. He returned to Indiato fight for freedom of his motherland in 1914.

After the attempt to start a mutiny failed in 1915, he continued working for theGadar Party’s mission. Police informer Gurmukh Singh of Padari Kalan spied on theGadarites and they wanted to teach him a lesson. Inder Singh and some otherGadarites killed him. Inder Singh was arrested and tried in the Second Supplemen-tary Lahore Case. He was given death sentence.

On May 26, 1917, he was hanged at the Lahore Central jail. �

Inder Singh


Dressed in Japanese attire, Parma Nand set sail for theUSA for higher studies. He was impressed with theGadar mission and decided to join the S S Korea at

Yokohama with Gadar leaders such as Jagat Ram, KesarSingh, and Jowala Singh. On board, two men, Prithi Singhand Amar Singh, provided him with Indian clothes. He re-

turned to India by the S S Tosha Maru. He took a leading part in Gadar activities. Hewas arrested and sent for trial in the Lahore Conspiracy Case and was sentenced todeath, the sentence being later reduced to transportation for life.

Parma Nand was in the first batch of Gadarite prisoners who were sent to Cel-lular jail, Andaman. The jailor assigned harsh work of coir pounding which ParmaNand could not complete. He warned Perma Nand that if next day he did not finishthe assigned task, he would face punishment. Parma Nand while pounding coirhad blisters on his hands and was unable to finish work. The jailor called him forfailing to complete the job and tried to hit him. Parmanand hit the jailor back inself-defense. In retribution, Parmanand was beaten unconscious by the wardensand thrown into a cell. The next day, Parmanand bleeding and in rags, was carriedout of his cell and flogged mercilessly under the orders of the prison superinten-dent. In sympathy, Parmanand’s comrades struck work. �

Parma Nand

Bishan Singh, son of Jowala Singh, of Dideher, Sirhali, district Amritsar, firstleft India for Manila and then had attempted to reach Canada on the ill-fatedKomagata Maru. He participated in the revolutionary activities in the Punjab

in the early months of 1915. He was convicted in the Lahore Conspiracy Case of1915 and sentenced to transportation for life, but was released conditionally underthe Royal Amnesty in 1920. Subsequently he took part in the Akali agitation. Heserved as a "Sewadar" in the Golden Temple, Amritsar from 1929. �

Bishan Singh

Kirpa Singh, son of Jawahar Singh, of Lang Majari, Hoshiarpur, was a soldierin the British Indian Army. He was a sepoy in the 26th Punjab and wasposted in Hong Kong. Here he came under the influence of the revolution-

aries and because of his disaffection with the British, he was dismissed from serv-ice. He returned to India and was involved in the 19 February 1915 uprising atFerozepur. He was arrested and tried in the Lahore Conspiracy case and sen-tenced to transportation for life. He was released from jail on 3 June 1932 afterseveral decades and kept confined to his village. �

Kirpa Singh


Madan Singh

ASikh preacher in Lahore Cantonment, Madan Singhwas an active intermediary between the revolu-tion¬aries and disaffected troops in the Canton-

ment. He was sentenced to transportation for life in thefirst Lahore Conspiracy Case. He was noticed smugglingAkali newspa¬pers into the Sabarmati jail with the help of

a prison official in February 1927. He was transferred to the Karachi Central Jailbut there too he remained in touch with Akalis at Amritsar. He continued to dis-patch ar¬ticles for publication in the "Kirti" and the "Asli Qaumi Dard". In view ofhis in¬volvement with Akalis and Kirti, the Government refused to release himwhen he completed his jail term. �

Hafiz Abdulla son of Nizam Din, was born in Jagraon,Ludhiana. He was the President of the Manila branchof the Gadar Party. He returned to India on the same

ship on which Jawala Singh and several Gadarites were alsopassengers. He was arrested on landing and sent to Cam-

belpur jail. He was tried in the Second Supplementary Lahore Conspiracy caseand even though he had not set foot on Indian soil, he was awarded the death sen-tence and forfeiture of property on Janunary 5, 1917. �

Hafiz Abdullah

Kartar Singh was born in Patiala to Bishan Singh. When the Gadaris came toIndia and spread their message, Kartar Singh was among the youth to beinspired. He was among the Gadaris who took part in the Ferozepur raid

and was also active in procuring arms. He was arrested, and sentenced to trans-portation for life in the Second Supplementary Lahore Conspiracy case. In 1920,he was released as part of the Royal Amnesty but was confined to the limits ofthe Patiala State. �

Kartar Singh


Kesar Singh, son of Bhup Singh of Tatgarh, Tarn Taran,Amritsar, was at the forefront of the Gadar Move-ment in the US. He was the first Vice President of the

Gadar Party and the President of the Indian Association atAstoria. At the launch of the revolution, he left for India onboard the SS Korea on 29 September 1914. When they

reached Hong Kong, a meeting was held of all the Gadaris who had reached thereon different ships, and Kesar Singh was elected as a member of the Central Man-aging Committee. His task was to launch a vigorous campaign for the revolt onreaching India. However, he was arrested as soon as his ship reached India andjailed in Punjab. He was tried in the Lahore Conspiracy case and sentenced todeath. This sentence was, however, commuted to one of transportation for life.He spent several decades in jail and his health suffered immensely as a result. In1931, the authorities offered him a release on medical grounds if he agreed to cer-tain conditions. Kesar Singh refused to adhere to any conditions and preferred toremain in jail instead. After he was eventually released, he got involved in thepeasant movement. At the first meeting of the Punjab Kisan Committee, he waselected President and Rur Singh and Bhagat Singh Bilga were named Vice Presi-dent and General Secretary respectively. Their first resolution was to intensifytheir agitation for waiver of debts and assessment of land revenue on the basis ofincome tax. Baba Kesar Singh kept up his activities till his death. �

Kesar Singh

Lal Singh was born in Bhoore village in Amritsar. Heplayed an important role in the Gadar activities andone of his biggest contributions was the organization

of the public meeting at Jhar Sahib. For his activities, he wasarrested on 21 March 1915. He was tried in the Lahore Con-spiracy case and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was

transported to the Cellular Jail in the Andaman. Lal Singh’s revolutionary spirit re-fused to be cowed down even under the indignities that were heaped on him in thejail. He was at the forefront of protests against the ill treatment being given to them.His protest against the ill treatment to Gadari Bhan Singh Sanet is well documented.He suffered greatly because of his protest as he too was then subjected to the sameill treatment by the jail authorities. When the jail term of the Gadaris was over andthe authorities were wary of releasing them, he led another agitation against theauthorities. He just wouldn’t accept injustice. �

Lal Singh


Khushal Singh, son of Suchet Singh Jat of Padari Kalan, Tarn Taran, was oneof the Gadar movement’s soldiers that joined the revolution in India. Forhis Gadar activities, he was sentenced to death but this was later commuted

to life imprisonment. �

Khushal Singh

Bishan Singh was born to Kesar Singh in Didehar, Amritsar. Like most menwho were to later join the Gadar Movement, he left for the USA at an earlyage. He was one of the first to join the Gadar Party and returned to India

when the call was given to overseas Indians to take on the British through anarmed uprising. The British machinery proved too much for many Gadarites, in-cluding Bishan Singh. He was arrested, tried and sentenced to life in the LahoreConspiracy Trial. As a further punitive measure, his property was confiscated.After being released from jail, he engaged himself in work in India, but soonenough got embroiled in an agitation to release Baba Chuhar Singh, a leadingGadarite, from prison. Once again for being at the forefront of the agitation, he,along with four others, was arrested. But Bishan Singh didn’t seem to mind goingbehind bars since living in free India is all he dreamt of. �

Bishan Singh

Prem Singh, son of Jiwan Singh of Sursingh (Amritsar),was an active Gadari. He was assigned some villagesto carry out the Gadar propaganda and to prepare the

people to join the revolution. He was also given the respon-sibility of trying to persuade the military units in Mian Mir,Lahore, to take part in the mutiny for overthrowing the

British. He was very angry at the police informers and traitors who got someGadarites arrested. He settled scores with Zaildar Kapur Singh, one of the policeinformers, and killed him. One of the legends associated with him is that he hiredfour donkeys, loaded them with Gadar literature and distributed it to people onhis way from Ludhiana to Delhi. �

Prem Singh


Indar Singh was born in Malla village in district Ludhiana. His father, Ala Singh,was a farmer. To look for better prospects, Indar Singh left his country for HongKong and worked there for some time before eventually heading for California.

In California, he played an important social role as the Granthi of the Gurudwaraat Stockton. When the Gadar party was formed, he was one of its early membersand in turn helped recruit others of his congregation. In 1914 when the GadarParty announced the launch of the revolution, he left for India on the SS Koreaandlater shifted to the SS Tosha Maru. When the ship landed in India, he was searchedand found in possession of Gadar literature. He was immediately arrested and puton a train for Punjab. Here he was put on trial in the Lahore Conspiracy case andsentenced to transportation for life in the Andaman. After several years in thecellular Jail, he was released under the Royal Amnesty in 1920. He returned to hisvillage and did not involve himself in political activities. �

Indar Singh

Harnam Singh, son of Arura of Bhatti, Goraya inSialkot, was an active Gadari in the area. He was oneof the Gadaris involved in the famous Anarkali Mur-

der case. On the date of the revolution, 19 February 1915,he was among the soldiers of the cause who were ready tolaunch the mutiny at Ferozepur. He was arrested and tried

in the Lahore Conspiracy case. He was sentenced to death by hanging and all hisproperty was also forfeited. �

Harnam Singh

Bishan Singh Jandiala

He was employed with the 93rd Infantry and later as aconstable in the Shanghai Police. He returned fromShanghai by the S.S. Nam Sang on 13th October 1914

and attended the Jhar Sahib meeting. He was sent for trialin the Supplementary Lahore Conspiracy Case and sen-tenced to transportation for life. �


Budha Singh, son of Ishar Singh of village Sursingh, was in Canada when hebecame motivated to join the Gadar party. He was among the first lot of In-dians to return at the call of the Gadar party to launch the revolution against

British rule. He reached Calcutta on 29 October 1914 and wholeheartedly threwhimself into the party work. He was arrested with the other Gadarites and put ontrial in the Second Supplementary Lahore Conspiracy case. He was awarded thelife sentence and forfeiture of property. He was transported to the Andaman andNicobar Islands and imprisoned in the Cellular Jail. From this jail, he was trans-ferred to Madras and then to Maharashtra. In 1930, he was sent to Rawalpindi jailand despite the bone-chilling cold weather, he was not provided even the basicamenities like a single blanket. He soon contracted pneumonia which worsenedand he never recovered. He died on 24 January 1931. �

Budha Singh

Arjan Singh was born in Jagraon village in Ludhiana. His father Lal Singh Jatwas a simple farmer. But Arjan Singh was greatly impressed by Gadari BantaSingh of Sanghewal whom he met at Dhudike. He soon became a Gadar prop-

aganda worker. After the main revolt failed, he continued to work for the party torevive the movement. In March 1915 he delivered a lecture about the Gadar Move-ment at a fair at Killi village, under the jurisdiction of Moga police station in dis-trict Ferozepore. His speech greatly inspired the local village youth. He was a keenparticipant in the meetings near Dudher and at Kapurthala, when in June 1915, itwas decided to attack the State Magazine. He was arrested and sent up for trial inthe Lahore Supplementary Case and was sentenced to transportation for life. Onthe 9th March 1918, he escaped from the Hazari Bagh Central Jail, arrested shortlyand given a sentence of 2 years rigorous imprisonment. He was, however, condi-tionally released in 1927. �

Arjan Singh

Bhagel Singh, son of Bal Singh Jat of Bur Chand, Amritsar, is an inspirationfor others. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the Gadarmovement. He suffered 24 years in various jails before he was released from

Multan Central Jail. He was given a hero’s welcome by the people of Multan onhis release and a warm send off for his native village. However, this brave son ofthe revolution was unable to share the joy of his release with his near and dearones because during the years he spent in incarceration, his father, mother, wifeand son had all died and no one had bothered to inform him. His home in his vil-lage was in ruins and he himself was in bad physical health. He spent his last yearsin his village. �

Bhagel Singh


Ganda Singh, son of Jawala Singh of village Sur Singh,Amritsar, was working in Shanghai as a watchmanwhen he came in contact with the Gadar leaders

there. He soon became an active party worker and when itwas time to return to India, he was among the first lot ofpeople to do so. He was arrested and tried in the Second

Supplementary Lahore Conspiracy case and sentenced to life imprisonment withforfeiture of property. He was imprisoned in Hazari Bagh jail where he died. �

Ganda Singh

Maharaj Singh, alias Baju, son of Nihal Singh, of Kasel, District Amritsar wasattracted to the Gadar Movement while working for the army in LahoreCantonment. He deserted the army to attend Gadar Party meetings at Jhar

Sahib. He started taking active role in Gadar Party activities but got arrested onDecember 2, 1915 and was sent up for trial in the Supplementary Lahore Conspir-acy Case. He was sentenced to transportation for life, but was released in Februaryof the same year under the orders of the Local Government. His movements wererestricted to his village for a period of 3 years. In March 1927, he went to live withhis brother Nadir Singh of district Montgomery and worked as a farmer. �

Maharaj Singh

Harnam Singh, son of Narain Singh, of Gujarwal, P. S.Dehlon, district Ludhiana, was one of the ill-fatedpassengers of the Komagata Maru. On his return, he

became a Gadar activist and took active part in the Fer-ozepur and Doraha Bridge Guard incidents. He was ar-rested on June 25, 1915 and sent for trial in the

Supplementary Lahore Conspiracy Case. He was convicted and sentenced totransportation for life and forfeiture of property in March 1916. He was orderedto be released conditionally in May 1930 subject to police surveillance for threeyears and his movements were restricted to within his village. �

Harnam Singh


Kehar Singh, alias K S Sidhu, son of Bhagel Singh Jat ofSanewal, Ludhiana, studied at the Mission College,Lahore. He changed his name and joined C.I.D, Bom-

bay. He was given life imprisonment with forfeiture of prop-erty in Second Supplementary Lahore Conspiracy Trial. InHazari Bagh jail, he contracted T.B from which he could not

recover and died in 1919. �

Kehar Singh

Balwant Singh, son of Mir Singh Jat of Sathiala village in Beas, District Amrit-sar, left India as a youth and went to Singapore where he worked as a watch-man. He returned to India in November 1914 and got involved with the Gadar

Movement. He was arrested at the Gadar headquarters at Lahore in February 1915.He was convicted in the Lahore Conspiracy Trial and sentenced to death and for-feiture of property. The sentence was later commuted to transportation for life.He was released from jail on 24th October 1932, and restricted to his village fortwo years. �

Balwant Singh

Mangal Singh, son of Sarmukh Singh Jat of Lalpur, P. S. Tarn Taran, DistrictAmritsar, joined the British Indian army as a youth and after working forfive or six years, he resigned and went to Hong Kong. He joined the Police

Force in Hong Kong. After a few years, he went to the US where he became greatlyinfluenced by the Gadar party after attending their meeting in Sacramento. He re-turned to India with the other Gadaris on board the Korea and Tosha Maru. AtPenang, he was entrusted the task of going to the city and obtaining arms fromthe sepoys posted there. On arrival in India, he was arrested and subsequentlyput on trial in the Lahore Conspiracy case. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.After several years in jail, he was released under the Royal amnesty in 1919. �

Mangal Singh


Hari Singh, son of Amar Singh of Village Kakar, P. S. Lopoke, district Amritsar,had left India to seek a livelihood. He was working as a watchman on therailway in Shanghai when he came in contact with the Gadar activists. He

was greatly influenced by them and returned to India on their call to revolt. Hedevoted himself to spreading Gadar mission of obtaining independence for Indiaby overthrowing the British regime. He addressed crowds at fairs in Nankana andTarn Taran. His activities brought him to the notice of the authorities and he wasarrested when a village headman – lambardar – informed about his presence tothe police. Shortly after his arrest, an automatic pistol was found buried in Kakarvillage and it was surmised that it belonged to Hari Singh. He was tried in the La-hore Conspiracy Case and sentenced to transportation for life. He returned fromthe Andaman in March 1929 and stayed for 2 years with a relative in districtLyallpur. He managed the landed property of a village landlord and played an ac-tive role in Akali Party. �

Hari Singh

Ram Saran Dass, son of Sant Ram Khatri, of KapurthalaState, was closely associated with the Gadarites andwas one of the main revolutionaries working in the

background. He was tried in the Lahore Conspiracy Caseand sentenced to death. The sentence was afterwards re-duced to one of transportation for life. He was released in

September 1927 and restricted to his village for three years on a security bond ofRs. 3,000 on account of good behaviour. On February 23, 1929, he attended theNaujawan Bharat Sabha Conference in Lahore at which he read a poem on the firstday and delivered a lecture describing jail life on the following day. In view of hisactivities, he was again ordered to furnish security for Rs. 5,000 to keep the peacefor two years and to refrain from leaving Kapurthala without permission. He dis-obeyed the order and was sent to jail for two years where he went on hungerstrike. He was released subsequently. In January 1931, he paid a visit to Calcuttawhere he stayed with his brother Durga Dass. On his return to Lahore in March ofthat year, he was appointed office secretary of the Bhagat Singh Memorial Com-mittee. He lived in Lahore and seldom visited Kapurthala. �

Ram Saran Dass

BUrMa COnsPiraCy

Trials

he Gadar Party, through Gadar journal and emissaries spread its mes-sage far and wide. Some Gadarites were sent to Hong Kong, Singapore,Siam (now Thailand) and Burma (then part of India) to mobilize Indi-

ans for revolt against the British. Indian army units comprising mostly of Punjabisand Muslims were stationed in that region. Thus, the region was considered im-portant for the spread of Gadar mission among Indians and in the army units foran uprising.

In 1910, Sohan Lal Pathak of Patti, a teacher in Punjab, went to Siam where heworked for some time before going to USA in 1912. He joined Corvallis University,Oregon, the State where Gadar Party was formed in 1913.

Sohan Lal, who was involved with Gadar Party activities in the US, was askedto go to Burma via Siam where he knew Indians. Santokh Singh General Secretaryof Gadar Party was responsible to provide necessary support from the Gadarheadquarters for promoting Gadar mission in Siam, Singapore, Malaya andBurma. Bhagwan Singh was involved with activities in Manila, Tokyo and Shang-hai. Sohan Lal reached Bangkok in September 1914 and put his heart and soul inspreading the Gadar message. A month later, Santokh Singh along with two otherGadarites from Shanghai joined Sohan Lal. Harnam Singh Sahri, a Gadar leaderfrom Canada, also reached Bangkok. They spread the Gadar activities and pre-

T


pared people to go to Burma.

From Siam, Gadarites started going to Burma in February 1915. Sohan Lal andHarnam Singh Sahri, a Gadar leader from Canada, left for Burma in February andreached Rangoon in March 1915. Shortly thereafter, Santokh Singh also joinedthem in Rangoon. Two Gadarites, Hussain Khan (district Ambala) and Chet RamVerowal (district Sialkot) had already been directed to find a place in Rangoon forGadar work. Mustaba Hussain, Gadari leader from Manila, also reached Rangoon.He used to receive Gadar literature from the USA. He travelled extensively in theFar Eastern countries and circulated Gadar literature widely among Indian peopleincluding Indian soldiers. Collectively, the Gadar leadership infused new blood inthe party in the area. After sometime, Sohan Lal, Harnam Singh and Santokh Singhleft for Mandalay to promote Gadar activities among the military units. Mandalayand Rangoon in Burma, were the two important cities where an all out attemptwas to be made for major mobilization. However, any future uprising was depend-ent on German support.

Sohan Lal made inroads to military police which comprised Muslims and Sikhsfrom Punjab. Sohan Lal’s schoolfellow, Kirpa Ram Mangat who was a teacher inthe army school, became a member of the Gadar Party. Bhai Kala Singh Naik andBhai Partap Singh, both teachers, also became members of the party. Chet Ramopened the Gadar centre in Rangoon. Ali Ahmed Sadiqui also joined the GadarParty and he actively distributed Gadar literature. After the attempt to startmutiny in Punjab had failed, Sohan Lal and Santokh Singh went back to Siam toexpand and strengthen the Party there, leaving Harnam Singh Sahri to lead thegroup in Rangoon.

In Siam, Pandit Sohan Lal and Santokh Singh consulted with Babu Amar Singhand local Gadarites and decided to make Bangkok as the headquarter for Gadaractivities in the region. Some more people including Hardit Singh Lame, KapurSingh Mohi, Niranjan Singh Sangatpur joined them from America. Darisi Chenchiahand Jodh Singh who later turned approver, were also sent from USA. Sohan Laland six others went to Burma to intensify Gadar activities. Arrangements weremade for the printing and distribution of Gadar literature.

However, after the failure of Gadar Movement in India, scrutiny and checkingwas reinforced everywhere in Burma and around its borders. In April, 1915, Gadarliterature was captured at the border from which Burma police got informationabout Gadar activities. Chalia Ram Sahnewal (Ludhiana) was arrested. More po-lice was posted on the border between Burma and Siam and Indians crossing theborder were arrested. Chet Ram and Mustaba Hussain were arrested by Siam po-lice while Hardit Singh Lame, Kapur Singh Mohi, Niranjan Singh Sangatpura andAtma Singh were arrested after they crossed border to Burma. The border policealso arrested seventeen more Indians including Babu Amar Singh.

Sohan Lal Pathak had already established contacts with some Indians in anarmy unit and shared with them about the revolt at the appropriate time. On Au-gust 14, 1915, Sohan Lal and Narain Singh Ballo met with one Jemadar who turned


out to be a traitor and got him arrested. Sohan Lal was carrying two loadedBrowning automatic pistols and a number of cartridges and two pages of formu-lae for the manufacture of bombs, some money, a watch and a few other articles.A few days later, Narain Singh was also arrested from an eatery where Sohan Laland his Gadarite comrades used to meet the turncoat Jamedar. On hearing aboutthese arrests, Niranjan Singh, Pala Singh and Lachman Singh left for Siam butwere arrested. Several more Gadarites were also arrested and incarcerated inMoulmein jail.

Sohan Lal was tried under the Defense of India Act on December 14, 1915, bythe Sessions Judge, Mandalay and was given death sentence. He was hanged tilldead on February 10, 1916, in the Mandalay Jail.

MANDALAY CONSPIRACY TRIALSAll the arrested Gadarites were tried in Burma in two cases, known as Mandalay

Conspiracy Cases. A Special Tribunal was set up in Mandalay, under the Defenseof India Act, as it was done in Lahore Conspiracy Trials. The accused were chargedof waging war against the King.

In the first Mandalay Conspiracy Case, seventeen Gadarites were tried. On Sep-tember 22, 1916, six were given death sentence, five life imprisonment and six ei-ther lesser punishment or discharged.

In the Mandalay Supplementary Conspiracy Case, four Gadarites, namelyMustaba Husain, Amar Singh, Ram Rakha and Ali Ahmad Sadique were tried. Thetrial commenced on March 28, 1917 and the judgment was delivered on July 6,1917. Mustaba Hussain alias Mul Chand, alias Mohammad Jaffar was given deathsentence. Amar Singh and Ali Ahmed Sadiqi were given death sentence, which wascommuted to life imprisonment. Ram Rakha was given life imprisonment. All prop-erty belonging to the accused was confiscated to the State.

Ram Rakha was sent to the Andaman Cellular Jail to serve out his sentence. Inthe jail, he did not submit to the humiliating conditions and resisted the inhumantreatment to which the prisoners were subjected. He was mercilessly assaulted.He died in 1919 after prolonged hunger strike. �

GADAR NUGGETGadarites were tried in Burma duringthe Mandalay Conspiracy Trials. Thoseaccused and sentenced were chargedwith waging war against the king.


Harnam Singh Sahri aliasIshar Singh

n any other lifetime Babu Harnam Singh Sahri alias Ishar Singh could havebeen a great army man, a well-known cartoonist or even an educationist.However, being born in a country that was subjugated by a foreign power,

he ended up being a fair mix of all three without getting to specialize in any onefield. Above all, he became a martyr for his motherland.

Born in 1884 in village Sahri, Hoshiarpur, to Labh Singh Judge and Chand Kaur,he joined the British Indian army after completing his middle school. He later im-migrated to Canada and started a school there to teach English to other immi-grants. His political cartoons in the Gadar newsletter lampooned the British to noend. But it was his work in Burma, which eventually led to his earning the “award”of “death by hanging”. An eventful life was cut in its prime with death coming whenBabu Harnam Singh Sahri was still shy of his 40th birthday.

Married at 16 to Raa Kaur of Kotli, Jullundur, he was happily soldiering in theBritish Indian army when the opportunity to go abroad presented itself. Only 18months old in the army, he decided to take the opportunity and moved to HongKong. Spending three years as a storekeeper for the electric tram company there,he then headed out to Canada in 1907.

In Vancouver, he came in touch with G D Kumar, Tarak Nath Das, Bhai BhagSingh, Bhai Balwant Singh and others. Like others before him, Harnam Singh hadalso come to Canada lured by better prospects. But seeing the poor and unequaltreatment meted out to him and his compatriots, he understood that the root ofthis lay in their slave status as a nation. His nationalism aroused, he became apart of the Hindustan Association in 1909.

I

harnaM singh sahri



harnaM singh sahri

His friendship with G D Kumar developed into a lifelong bond and the twostarted the Swadesh Sewak Home in 1909. This was a place where the Indian im-migrants met after work and learned the intricacies of the English language. Har-nam Singh and G D Kumar had realized that for their countrymen to surviveamong the white men, they had to master their language. Along with lessons inEnglish, the immigrants were also given a heavy dose of nationalism. The SwadeshSewak Home grew into a home where revolutionary thought was nurtured. At theHome they received copies of Bande Mataram brought out by Madam Cama. In-spired by it, they also started a newsletter called Swadeh Sewak, which was writ-ten in both English and Gurmukhi. This became the first Gurmukhi newspaper ofCanada. The paper highlighted the problems that plagued the Indian immigrantsand also made them aware of their rights as humans and contributing citizens ofa country. The newsletter went a step further and advocated mutiny for the Sikhsoldiers fighting in the British Indian army. Such was its impact and the threatthat the newsletter was banned by the British Empire in 1911.

Harnam Singh had to suffer more than just the banning of his paper. Earlier, inJuly 1910 while he was returning to Canada from a fund-raising trip to Seattle, hewas denied permission to re-enter Canada. The authorities hid behind the cruelrule that only those Indians could immigrate who had come to Canada directly.They said that Harnam Singh was not a legally “landed immigrant” of Canada. Out-raged, the Indian community in Canada appealed to the Home Minister againstthis travesty of the letter of the law, but this appeal was rejected. Harnam Singhwas forced to adopt Seattle as his new home. When their paper was banned, G DKumar also came to Seattle. Not one to waste his time, Harnam Singh joined theUniversity of Washington in Seattle to educate himself further during 1911-1912.Meanwhile, he succeeded in getting permission to return to Canada in 1913, re-joined his old colleague Bhai Bhag Singh, and restarted his political activitiesthere. Nineteen-thirteen was also the birth year of the Gadar party and HarnamSingh became an active member of the party in Canada, motivating several othersto join as well. His skill with the pen and his ready wit found an outlet in politicalcartoons depicting how the British were exploiting India. Inside the Gadar journal,these found pride of place.

When the ill-fated Komagata Maru landed in Canada, Harnam Singh was a keymember of the shore committee set up to help the passengers on board. When itbecame apparent that despite their best efforts the passengers would not be al-lowed to disembark, it was decided to arm the passengers for the fight that awaitedthem in India. Harnam Singh went with Bhai Bhag Singh and Bhai Balwant Singh tothe US to procure arms for them. On July 17, 1914, when they were trying to return,they were arrested. But since there is no restriction on the purchase and posses-sion of firearms in the US, they could not be detained for long and were released.However, the Canadian authorities refused them permission to re-enter Canada.

While all this was going on, they also searched the store Babu Harnam Singhran. Here they stumbled upon enough evidence to implicate him. They found let-


harnaM singh sahri

ters from G D Kumar, Tarak Nath Das and Surunder Mohan Bose. Surinder Mohanwas a bomb expert and had explained in detail on how to make bombs. They alsofound the manuals he had sent to Harnam Singh from a Russian bomb maker inParis on how to assemble bombs. In Harnam Singh’s store, they also found enoughexplosive material that was to be used to make bombs. This was enough for theauthorities to arrest Harnam Singh and deport him to India.

The First World War had already started and several Indian immigrants weremaking their way back to India in response to the call by the Gadar leaders to re-turn and start the revolt. On 26 September 1914, Harnam Singh was also on hisway back to India, albeit as a prisoner being deported. But as luck would have it,Harnam Singh was able to escape while his ship was docked in Japan. He immedi-ately established contact with the local Gadar chapter and even met Chineseleader Sun Yet San.

MOVE TO BANGKOKKnowing the fate that awaited him in India, he decided to go to Bangkok and

reached Thailand by the end of January 1915. The Gadar unit there was beingtrained by German officers and equipped with arms and ammunition. The planwas to strike at the British in Burma. Burma had about 15,000 Sikh and Muslimpolice officials as well as a large Indian army contingent. The Gadari Babas wantedto incite these Indians to mutiny against the British and weaken the British in thispart of their empire as well.

Harnam Singh, Pandit Sohan Lal Pathak and Santokh Singh were in charge ofthe Burma-Siam plan. All three reached Rangoon and went about their task. Theywould approach any Indian military man they found and tried to incite him to re-volt. They would hand out literature and motivate them with their fiery speeches.In the meanwhile, the Gadar plan in Punjab failed and the top leadership was ei-ther in jail or scattered. However, Harnam Singh and his colleagues continued withtheir mission, hoping that they would succeed where their counterparts had failedand inject a new lease of life into the Gadar movement.

DEATH SENTENCEBut their luck ran out as well. In April 1915, a Gadar worker was arrested while

crossing the border between Siam and Burma. He carried with him incriminatingdocuments that revealed the plan of the party to incite rebellion in Burma andthen march victoriously into India. The Gadar leaders in Burma were exposed andsoon the arrests began. Harnam Singh managed to escape from Rangoon but wasarrested while trying to cross the border. He, however, managed to escape fromjail but not for long. He was rearrested and was soon back in the same jail fromwhich he had escaped not long ago.

Harnam Singh was tried in the First Burma Conspiracy case and was sentencedto death by hanging. On 14 November 1916, Harnam Singh was hanged to deathin Mandalay Prison in Burma. �


Bhai hardiT singh laMe

Bhai Hardit Singh Lame

ardit Singh’s story is similar to that of several of the Sikhs who par-ticipated in the Gadar movement. They started out as hard workingindividuals who were only interested in living a decent life and making

the most of the opportunities that came their way. However, the ill-treatmentmeted out by the British and the racism they were subjected to forced them toawake to their patriotic duties.

Hardit Singh was born on 2 October 1869 in village Lame of district Ludhianato Bhagwan Singh Tatla and Partap Kaur. Oppressed by the British economic poli-cies, both he and his elder brother, Gurdit Singh, left to seek their fortune in for-eign lands. While his elder brother went on to Canada, Hardit Singh settled in HongKong in 1902, getting a job as a policeman in the British Police there.

While working for the British Police Hardit Singh soon realised that even afterputting in the same hours, Indians like him were paid far less. The injustice madehis blood boil and he soon allied with local leader Dr Bhagat Singh and with hishelp organised a strike of the Indians working in the British Police in Hong Kong.This strike ensured that the Indians were eventually given their due and their paywas increased.

HONG KONG TO VANCOUVER Soon Hardit Singh realised that there was not much of a future for him in Hong

Kong and in 1906, he too went to Vancouver to be with his brother. Here he startedworking in the lumber mills.

His enterprising spirit blossomed in Canada. He soon was actively involved in

H




the purchase of land and fundraising for a gurudwara. He then diversified intocontracting work from other businesses. With his friend Kapur Singh Mohi, helanded a contract for loading lumber on to the trains. This contract proved ex-tremely profitable for them.

In 1911, Hussain Rahim started the United India League and Hardit Singh be-came an active member. His forte was fund raising and he did this for funding thefight to ensure the rights of the Indian immigrants are protected and also for hisreligion. In 1912, he donated a substantial amount of money for the AbbotsfordGurudwara.

By 1914, the Gadar Party had several committed members in Canada. Whenthe call to return to India for the revolt was sounded, several Canadian Indiansanswered it. They first went to San Francisco. Hardit Singh and Kapur Singh wereamong those who spent time in the Gadar Ashram in San Francisco before leavingfor India.

On 19 January 1915, Hardit Singh reached Hong Kong. He stayed here for threeweeks. During this time, he spread the Gadar message among the Indians there,especially those in the various military units. His next stop was Bangkok. Hestayed there in the gurudwara for three weeks and used that as a platform fortelling people about the imminent Gadar revolt.

By the time, he left Bangkok, the Gadar revolt in India had been betrayed bytraitors and so instead of heading for India as planned earlier, he decided to go toBurma. The new Gadar plan was to incite the Indian members of the British armyin Burma to revolt and then march with them to India to restart the revolt.

ARREST IN BURMAOn 24 April, 1915, he was arrested in Burma. His jail mate was Vancouver

Gadari Harnam Singh Sahri who had been arrested earlier. They both planned toescape from jail. They made friends with the local Burmese prisoners. These localprisoners would leave the jail daily to work on labour gangs. Hardit Singh andHarnam Singh managed to escape using their help and sought refuge in a pagoda.They were on their way to Siam when they were arrested again while trying tocross the border on 9 September 1915 and again put in the same jail they had es-caped from.

On 3 March 1916 all Gadar prisoners in Burma were taken to Mandalay andtried in the First Burma Conspiracy Case. Hardit Singh and Kapur Singh were givenlife imprisonment and their property was seized. In August 1916, he was taken tothe Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands.

Hardit Singh took advantage of the government offer of freedom in exchangefor settling in the Andaman Islands permanently. He borrowed money from hisbrother who was a Canada resident and leased 100 acres and started a dairy farm.



The hardworking Hardit Singh leased another 40 acres and started a coconut plan-tation. Soon he was employing 18 labourers.

But his total commitment to his farming business did not end his troubles withthe law. When movement to free India became active in the 1930s, he was againarrested and his farm and dairy were taken over by the government. However, hewas released on March 27, 1937 from Port Blair and two weeks later, he reachedhis village. His brother Gurdit Singh had also come back from Canada and joinedhim with his wife and daughter. When Gurdit Singh died a year later, Hardit Singhmarried his widow as was the custom and had two sons with her.

In the beginning of 1963, Hardit Singh fell sick and due to lack of proper treat-ment, he breathed his last on September 9, 1963. �

GADAR NUGGETKartar Singh Sarabha and VishnuGanesh Pingle convinced the wellknown Bengal revolutionary

Ras Behari Bose and he came to Punjab in January, 1915.

GADAR NUGGETThe Indians referred to the AndamanIslands and its prison as Kala Pani

("black water"). The number of prison-ers who died in this prison is estimated

to be in thousands.

GADAR NUGGETDuring Hindu German Conspiracy

trials, Ram Chandra, Gadar Party leaderwas shot dead by fellow defendant Ram Singh inside the courtroom.

An American marshal shot Ram Singh immediately.


Sohan Lal Pathak

xtraordinary mortals are immortalized in the flash of a moment. SohanLal Pathak was such a mortal, an inspiring patriot, a brave-heart lionthat refused to be tamed by the British. This is how he was immortal-

ized, moments before he died.

He was offered a chance to live by the British and escape hanging by tenderingan apology for having conspired to overthrow the empire. Sohan Lal Pathak, braveand belligerent, chose instead to walk to the gallows. With a smile on his face, andno fear visible, he uttered these famous words, “with tyranny and injustice all ontheir side, it is they who should beg forgiveness, not I.”

He willfully gave up the opportunity to live by refusing to tender an apology.But then heroes are made of such stellar stuff, the kind that inspires for genera-tions to come. In reverence to this inspirational figure, even the hangman at thejail refused to hang him. He felt he would let the country down by hanging such adaring patriot. The jailor faced a dilemma that he hadn’t encountered ever before.He looked around for a volunteer who could put the noose around Sohan Lal’sneck. Eventually, to martyr one of India’s bravest sons, the assistant jailor cameforward. He was eventually hanged. The day was 10 February, 1916.

He had earlier been convicted in the Burma Conspiracy case.

EARLY LIFE Sohan Lal was born on 7 January, 1883 into a Brahmin family that was accus-

tomed to seeing penury. Realizing that his father, Pandit Chanda Ram would notfind easy to pay for his education, Sohan Lal studied very hard to win scholarships

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sOhan lal PaThak


sOhan lal PaThak

that would support his school education. But tragedy befell the young man whenhis mother, a victim of bubonic plague, passed away. The setback shook him upbadly. Sohan Lal quit studying and joined the Irrigation Department. But he re-mained in a state of restlessness. Education was his way out of his misery, he re-alized. He trained to be a teacher at the Normal Training School at Lahore. Andsoon, he became a school teacher.

It was during his time at the Normal Training School at Lahore that he came incontact with leaders such as Lala Lajpat Rai and Lala Har Dayal. He dived into thenational movement. But the school headmaster would have none of his patrioticfervor. He advised him to keep away from his activities, in particular warning himagainst developing any contacts with Lala Lajpat Rai. The advise did not go downwell. Sohan Lal resigned his job at the school, pledging to step up his nationalisticactivities.

STINT AT BANDE MATARAM He joined Bande Mataram, the newspaper being brought out by Lala Har Dayal

in Lahore. While with the newspaper, Sohan Lal’s involvement in the nationalmovement to free India became deeper with each passing day. But another shat-tering personal tragedy struck—Sohan Lal lost his young wife and infant son. Fol-lowing this, Sohan Lal immersed himself in his mission and moved to Siam in 1910to spread the revolutionary message. By this time Lala Har Dayal had moved tothe US and he too reached San Francisco in 1912. The Gadar Party was born andSohan Lal was one of its earliest members.

When the First World War broke out in 1914, hardly 20,000 of the 2,00,000 strongBritish Indian army remained there-----the rest had been shipped to different frontsto fight for the British. The Gadar leadership perceived this as just the right op-portunity to launch the revolution in India by inciting the remaining Indian troopsto mutiny and overthrow the British with the aid of the local population.

ASSIGNED TO BURMASohan Lal was assigned to work on the India troops in Burma. He planned to

head for Burma and began recruiting his team and raising funds. He made Siamhis base as he had already spent some time there in 1910 and had earned the re-spect of the substantial Sikh community living there. Amar Singh became histrusted lieutenant.

Prior to leaving for Burma, he sent two associates there to do the groundworkand find suitable premises to house the Gadar Pilgrims, as he called his fellow rev-olutionaries. He had a conference which was attended by many. Here Sohan Lalannounced the plan and selected his team commissioning special assignmentsand duties. An unfortunate fall out of this meeting was that one of the men se-lected by him turned out to be weaker than the rest and when Sohan Lal was ar-rested, he became a Crown witness and ensured that Sohan Lal was hanged whilehe himself managed to save his life. This man was sent to Yunnan and Chipintin


sOhan lal PaThak

to meet the German officers who had been training about 200 Indians to launchthe invasion of Burma.

Sohan Lal left for Burma with Mujtaba Hossain and Amar Singh in the early partof 1915. He immediately began trying to establish contact with the Indian troopsbased there. So committed was he to his cause that often he would get carriedaway and throwing caution to the winds, he would talk openly about overthrowingthe British. He would openly exhort the Indian troops there to pick up armsagainst their British bosses.

On August 14, 1915, he met one Jamadar and three other junior soldiers fromthe Darajat Mountain Battery stationed at Maymyo. Exchanging greetings withthem, he asked which part of India they came from and slowly led the conversa-tion towards the planned mutiny.

The British authorities had been on the look-out for him since his Siam days.But had not had any luck since he knew the local language and moved around indisguise. However, when he exposed himself like this, it was only a matter of timebefore he was done in. During one of his daily rounds one of the soldiers grabbedhim and even before he could realize what had happened, he was placed beforethe Commanding Officer. He was searched on the spot and several incriminatingdocuments as well as two loaded Browning automatic pistols and a number of car-tridges and a bomb making manual were recovered from his person.

TRIED, EXECUTED Sohan Lal was put on trial on December 14, 1915, in the court of the Sessions

Judge, Mandalay, under Rule 2 of Section 2 of the Defence of India Act, 1915; 124,124-A, 131 LP.C. (spreading inflammatory reports to assist the King's enemies, sedi-tion, attempting to seduce soldiers from the allegiance to the King). He was furtheraccused of circulating statements with the intention of promoting feelings of en-mity and hatred between different sections of His Majesty's subjects; attemptingto seduce the soldiers of the Mountain Battery, Maymyo, from their duty by dis-tribution of highly inflammatory and anti-government literature.

He was sentenced to death on December 15, 1915. Sohan Lal was executed onFebruary 10, 1916, in the Mandalay Jail. He was only 33 years old. �

GADAR NUGGETRash Behari Bose brought the work

of the Gadar Party under centralized control. The headquarter

was established in Lahore.


Bhai Kapur Singh Mohi

hai Kapur Singh was born in village Mohi in Ludhiana district in 1869.His father was Mit Singh Thind and his mother was Fateh Kaur. Badlyaffected due to the oppressive economic policies of the British, Kapur

Singh was forced to leave his ancestral village and seek work outside.

Kapur Singh joined the British Indian army and worked there for four years.During the years he spent in the army, he came to learn of several of his formercolleagues who had gone to Hong Kong and Canada to work for the British there.Enticed by the stories of better prospects there, he too decided to leave forCanada in 1907.

MOVE TO CANADA In Vancouver, where he decided to settle, he first worked for an electric rail com-pany. Soon he moved to working in a lumber mill where he worked for some years.Given his experience in a rail company and in the lumber industry, he saw a goodbusiness opportunity in obtaining a contract for loading lumber on the trains. Thiscontract proved extremely profitable for him and his friend and partner BhaiHardit Singh Lame.

Along with their shrewd business acumen and ability to put in hard work, bothpartners were also unwavering patriots. They joined the United India League in1911 and helped raise funds for it to fight for the rights of the Indian immigrants.They also contributed to the Abotsford Gurudwara.

In 1913, he joined the Gadar Party and when it was time to return to India andexecute the plan for throwing out the British, he too, boarded a ship for India.

B

Bhai kaPUr singh MOhi



Bhai kaPUr singh MOhi

In January 1915, he reached Hong Kong and spent three weeks there spreadingthe Gadar message. From Hong Kong he reached Bangkok and incited the Indiansoldiers there to mutiny against the British.

JAILED IN MANDALAYBy this time the Gadar Party had suffered a major setback in India with several

of their leaders being arrested and their revolt plan failing because of traitors.The plan now was to start the revolt from Burma and march to India. Conse-quently, Kapur Singh headed for Burma. He was arrested with Hardit Singh whiletrying to enter Burma in April 1915. They were sent to jail.

In March 1915, all the Gadar prisoners were taken to Mandalay and tried in theFirst Burma Conspiracy case. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and his prop-erty was seized.

In August 1916 he was taken to Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands. After a fewyears in jail, he was offered freedom in return for settling down permanently inthe Andaman Islands. He took up the offer and started a dairy farm and a coconutplantation.

But the years in jail had taken a toll and he soon developed chest cancer in1935. He was sent to Rangoon for treatment but did not recover completely. Hewas sent to Punjab and confined to his native village in Ludhiana. He got some re-lief from cancer but left for his heavenly abode in 1942. �

GADAR NUGGETGadar was started at Yugantar Ashram at 436 Hill Street in San

Francisco, California. Later, the GadarParty headquarters moved to 5, Wood Street in the same city.


Amar Singh was born in Sherpur Kalan village in theJagraon area of Ludhiana to Wariam Singh Jat. Likemany others from his village, he too left for foreign

shores to earn a better livelihood. In 1903, he went to Siamand found work as a surveyor for a railroad company. Sincethe Gadar Party began its activities in Siam, Amar Singh be-

came an important member. He was a poet and his revolutionary verses inspiredseveral others to join the movement for the liberation of their motherland. Healso contributed all his savings to the Gadar activities. He was active in Siam andBurma and was arrested in Burma. He was tried in the Second Mandalay Conspir-acy and sentenced to death. But his sentence was later commuted to Life Impris-onment. He also played a major role in the formation of the Azad Hind Fauj duringthe Second World War. �

Amar Singh

Naranjan Singh was born to Jawala Singh of Sangatpur village in Jagraon, dis-trict Ludhiana in 1890. After he finished his basic education in his village,he was sent to work with his uncle, Kala Singh, in Siam. He found employ-

ment in a railroad construction site as an overseer. Here he came in contact withAmar Singh Surveyor and Pala Singh of Sherpur village. They were leading theGadar activities in Siam. Influenced by them, Naranjan Singh too joined the Gadarmovement. The Gadaris in Siam were waiting for word from their leader SohanLal Pathak who was at work in Burma as to when they should act. But the newsthey got was not good. Pathak was arrested on 14 August 1915. On learning ofthis, Pala Singh left for Burma with Naranjan Singh and another associate, Lachh-man Singh. Lachhman Singh was arrested even before they could reach the border.Pala Singh and Naranjan Singh were also unlucky and were arrested at the Burma-Siam border. They were tried in the First Mandalay Conspiracy case. NaranjanSingh was sentenced to death by hanging on 22 September 1916. �

Naranjan Singh

hindU-gerManCOnsPiraCy

oon after World War I started on July 28, 1914, Britain started pressuringthe United States government to suppress Gadar Party activities in theUSA. Majority of soldiers fighting the war against Germany for Britain

were Indians. Spread of Gadar message among these soldiers or in India could re-sult in grave threat to the British. American authorities, however, were not fullyconvinced about acting against Gadarites or their revolutionary activities as theywere not in violation of any US law.

The British did succeed in getting Har Dayal arrested. After Har Dayal left USAin April 1914, Ram Chandra took over the responsibility as editor of the Gadarmagazine. From August 1914, several Gadar Party leaders including presidentSohan Singh Bhakna and hundreds of Gadarites started leaving for India to liberatetheir motherland from the British. Ram Chandra filled in the vacuum and assumedthe role of leadership of the Gadar Party. He assured the departing Gadarites thatthey would get arms and money when they reached India.

PACT WITH GERMANY In October 1914, Germany agreed to provide funding to the Gadar Party for

publishing and distributing anti-British literature worldwide and for the pur-chase of arms and ammunition and its transportation to India. A sailing shipAnnie Larsen was rented but was not considered suitable for a trans-Pacific voy-age. Another ship SS Maverick was arranged to carry the load to South EastAsia. SS Maverick was to meet the fully loaded Annie Larsen which had left SanDiego on March 8, 1915. By then, the Gadar Movement had already collapsed inIndia on February 19, 1915. No arms, ammunition or money ever reached

S


Gadarites in Punjab.

America joined its allies – Britain, France, and Russia – on April 6, 1917 to fightthe World War I against Germany. The British government claimed that the con-tinuation of Gadar activities on American soil and Germany’s conspiring withGadarites for the promotion of anti-British activities violated the neutrality lawsof America. This time, the Americans acted promptly and arrested one hundredand five people of various nationalities including several Indians. However, onlythirty-five people – seventeen Indians, nine Germans and nine Americans – weretried for conspiracy.

USD 3 MILLION TRIAL The trial commenced in the District Court in San Francisco on November 20,

1917 and lasted until April 24, 1918. Over 100 witnesses from around the worldwere brought to testify. On the last day of the trial, April 24, 1918, Ram Chandrawas shot to death in the courtroom by fellow defendant, Ram Singh, who wasimmediately shot dead by a U.S. Marshal. The judge found the remaining fifteenIndian defendants and sixteen Germans and others guilty of violating the neu-trality of the United States. On April 30, 1918, Indians were sentenced to servefrom twenty-two months to sixty days in various prisons. In a separate trial inChicago, Heramba Lal Gupta was also convicted and sentenced to 18 months im-prisonment.

Hindu German Conspiracy Trial, described at the time as the longest and mostexpensive trial in American legal history. Its cost ran as high as three million dol-lars. The US cost was estimated to be $450,000 while Britain spent over $2,500,000.

The British authorities hoped that the conviction of the Indians would resultin their deportation from the United States to India. The British were aware ofthe active role that the Gadarites had played in San Francisco. After deportationto India, the British could try them again and give them death sentence or life im-prisonment in the Andaman, as they did with other Gadarites. Deportation pro-ceedings were started against some Gadar leaders after their release from jail.However, due to relentless work by some community activists, deportation pro-ceedings were stopped and lives of those Gadar heroes were saved. �

GADAR NUGGETLala Har Dayal was a polyglot. He was fluent in Urdu, Sanskrit, English, French, German and

Swedish languages.


Bhai BhagWan singh gyanee

Bhai Bhagwan SinghGyanee

n 1914, when Bhai Bhagwan Singh Gyanee reached San Francisco, his famepreceded him. For the Indian immigrant community, he was a revolutionaryand a fiery orator. For the British, he was a seditionist. He had recently been

deported from Canada and had escaped to Japan from the ship taking him to India.In Japan, he sought out Maulvi Barkatullah, another well-known revolutionaryleader, and together they landed in San Francisco, heading for Stockton. His arrivalat Stockton, the headquarters of the Gadar Party, could not have been timed bet-ter. Lala Har Dayal, one of the founders of the Gadar Party had been forced to fleethe US and most of the leadership was planning to head to India to take an activepart in the revolution. The party needed a strong leader to keep the Gadar Party’swork going on in the US. Bhai Bhagwan Singh Gyanee was named President andMaulvi Barkatullah became the Vice President of the Gadar Party.

CLASH IN CANADABhai Bhagwan Singh had been instrumental in reorganizing the United India

League and the Guru Nanak Mining Company. He exhorted the Indian communityto rise against the British and the exploitation they were facing even in Canadafrom the gurudwara as well as the Vancouver Hall. He openly clashed with the au-thorities in Canada and within just a few months of his arrival, he was arrested.The local community collected the $ 2,000 bail money and secured his release.However, a special order was secured from the Governor General of Canada andhe was deported. In the middle of the night, he was picked up and forced to boarda Japanese ship headed for India. It was from this ship, the Empress of Japan, thathe managed to escape. Maulvi Barkatullah was a professor of languages at the Im-perial University in Tokyo and Bhai Bhagwan Singh sought refuge in his house.From Japan, Bhai Bhagwan Singh set out for Germany to secure arms and ammu-

I



nition. Though disguised, he was spotted by the British in Shanghai and a warrantfor his arrest was waiting at Hong Kong. But when the ship reached Hong Kong,the police were unable to find him. He had managed to give them the slip with thehelp of the captain who disguised him as a Japanese. Returning to Japan, BhaiBhagwan Singh again met with Maulvi Barkatullah. At this time, the KomagataMaru was heading towards Canada and had docked at Yokohama. Bhai BhagwanSingh met the passengers of the ship and told them about the conditions inCanada and what they could expect.

AILAAN-E-JUNGWhen Bhai Bhagwan Singh and Maulvi Barkatullah were heading the Gadar Party,

they took it upon themselves to declare war on the British. Shortly after the FirstWorld War started, Bhai Bhagwan Singh wrote the Ailaan-e-Jung or Declaration ofWar. They declared an open war against the British and proclaimed India as a freeand sovereign republic. While Maulvi Barkatullah headed for Persia and Afghanistan,Bhai Bhagwan Singh once again set off for Japan, China, Korea and the Philippines.These were places where he had worked earlier. Before working as a granthi in HongKong, Bhai Bhagwan Singh had preached sedition all over the region. It was duringthe years from 1907 to 1910 that he had earned his reputation as a fiery speaker andnationalist. In Japan, Bhai Bhagwan Singh met Rash Behari Bose who had fled fromIndia following the expose of the Gadar plans. Bhai Bhagwan Singh sent him to Ger-many on a secret mission. While in Nanking, he wrote a booklet, Jung or Azaadi, Waror Freedom. Two lakh copies of this booklet were printed and distributed among In-dians in Malaya, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Philippines. These were also sent to thethirty-five thousand Indian war prisoners held in Germany, most of whom were Sikhs.Arrest warrants were issued for him in Hong Kong and Philippines.

DISGUISE He, however, tried to return to San Francisco on board a cargo ship loaded with

cowhides. He reached Panama without any legal documents and was denied entry.He boarded a fruit ship headed for Texas but was spotted and detained in Havana.From there, he was sent back to Panama. Eventually, he was able to gain legalentry into the US with the help of the governor of Panama. But only a few monthsafter he reached New York, he was arrested in the San Francisco Hindu-Germanyconspiracy case. With bail set at US$ 25,000, he remained in custody for the dura-tion of the trial and his sentence, a total of two years. He served time at McNeillIsland Federal Penitentiary. Besides doing hard labor, Bhai Bhagwan Singh usedhis time in jail to read books on various subjects. Just before he was to be re-leased, he was again arrested for deportation but was released on a US$ 10,000bail. He fought his own case and in 1920 deportation proceedings were dropped.

The young man who had grown up in a small village in Amritsar, who had stud-ied under the guidance of his grandfather Baba Rattan Singh, and who went on toobtain three degrees in 11 months at the Updeshak College in Gujranwala, wasnow an old man at 36. He had spent his youth as a teacher and lecturer of Sikhism.He had given speeches alongside Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s uncle, Sardar Ajit Singh.



His nationalistic fervor had earned the wrath of the British and forced him to fleehis motherland. He had travelled through Burma, Siam, Malay Straits, Java, Suma-tra, Borneo, and Singapore, everywhere preaching nationalism, mostly to Armysoldiers. He gave revolutionary speeches while he was a Granthi at Penang Gurd-wara. Hong Kong became his place of work for three years from 1910 to 1913 asgranthi before he decided to head for Canada.

RETURN TO MOTHERLANDExiled from his motherland at 25, he had to wait for two years after Independ-

ence before he could return. “After nearly fifty years in exile in foreign lands, I'mhome. I left incognito-under an assumed name to work for freedom, I returned afree man on an Indian ship under own flag.” He returned to India to a rousing re-ception. When he landed at Bombay harbor, thousands had come to receive him.When he went down on his knees to kiss the motherland and utter the patrioticwords Bande Matram, not even one person present could control his tears.

Kuli Kuli Pukarda Jag Saanun We are called coolies in countries abroad

Saada Jhulda Kitey Nishan Kiyon Nahin We do not have a flag of our own

Kikoon Bachangey Sada Ghulam Rahkey Will we always live the life of slaves?

Saanun Rajniti Wala Giyan Kiyon Nahin Why do we not know the science of politics?

Dhayi Totru Kha Gaye Khet Sada A handful of people have taken control of our land

Hindustan da Koi Kisan Kiyon Nahin Why is there not a caretaker of Hindustan?

(A few lines from one of Bhai Bhagwan Singh's very popular revolutionary poems)

Jagjit Singh published his book, Gadar Party Lehar in 1956. Bhai Bhagwan Singhread the book and wrote a letter to the author on August 19, 1956, about Lala HarDayal as follows:

“The Gyanic and enlightening leadership of Dr Har Dayal at that critical periodwas both a stroke of genius and our good fortune. We had plenty of josh but fewof us had Har Dayal’s hosh. In the same letter, he wrote, “It would be an act of un-gratefulness not to pay tribute to a great patriot and intellectual genius; it is un-thinkable not to acknowledge the debt we all owe to him of giving us theinspiration and leadership when it was most needed.” �


Gobind Behari Lal

n 1937, a group of journalists were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Jour-nalism for their reporting of the Harvard Tercentenary in the San Fran-cisco Examiner. Among them was Gobind Behari Lal who had made a

name for himself as a science editor and reporter. What few people knew wasthat this “diminutive giant” stood tall in fields other than journalism as well.Before he joined the Hearst Group of newspapers in 1925, he had alreadydone time in jail as a revolutionary leader. He had been a part of the GadarParty and was arrested, tried and convicted in the German-Hindu ConspiracyTrial in San Francisco. The gentlemanly demeanor of this mild-mannered re-porter hid a lava of burning patriotism that burst forth in his work with theGadar Party.

FORMATIVE INFLUENCESGobind, as he liked to be called, got indoctrinated into the patriotic move-

ment at the hands of Lala Har Dayal. An alumni of St Stephen’s College inDelhi, Har Dayal was five years senior to Gobind. But Har Dayal’s associationwith Gobind came through the latter’s elder brother. Gobind, the youngestson of a high official of the Royal State of Bikaner, was largely home-schooledby his eldest brother and was greatly influenced by him. When the time camefor Gobind to go to college, it was but natural that his brother should intro-duce him to his own friends in Delhi. Thus Gobind came under the influenceof Lala Har Dayal, who had already earned a great name for himself as an in-tellectual. He had been awarded a Government scholarship to go to Englandfor higher studies. However, when Lala Har Dayal came under nationalistic in-fluences in UK and gave up his scholarship, Gobind, too, was motivated to fol-low in his footsteps.

I

gOBind Behari lal


gOBind Behari lal

ARRIVAL IN THE UNITED STATESLala Har Dayal established himself in the United States as an intellectual, na-

tionalist leader and through him, an Indian farmer Jawala Singh – known as thePotato King of California – established the Guru Gobind Singh Scholarships. Gob-ind was among the six students to be awarded this scholarship. He reached theUnited States in 1912 for further studies at University of California, Berkeley. Gob-ind came from a privileged background; he had spent his early life in the royalcourt of Bikaner. He attended college in Delhi at St Stephen’s. His liberal educationwhere he interacted with the likes of Charles Andrews, enacted Shakespeare, per-formed readings of Dickens gave him the kind of personality that made it easy forhim to mix with American students and intellectuals. His interactions with themprovided a fertile ground in which he could create a pro-India independence mind-set. He was also associated with the president of University of California, Berkeley,who in turn introduced Gobind to the Hearst family, with whom he worked till hisdeath at the age of 92. One of the major influences on Gobind at Berekely wasArthur Upham Pope, professor of Philosophy, who was later an accused, like Gob-ind, in the German-Hindu Conspiracy Trial.

GADAR MOVEMENTShortly after Gobind reached San Francisco, an event took place in India that

impacted his future. This was the assassination attempt on the Viceroy in Delhi.The assassination attempt showed that the invincible British empire was not re-ally that invincible and fired the passions and imaginations of patriots all over.Lala Har Dayal and Gobind were similarly enthused by this attempt. But whatforced their hand was the fact that though they had nothing to do with the actualconspiracy, since they were in the United States, their names came up in the in-vestigations. The people who had carried out the attack were a part of their socialcircle in Delhi. Their return to India was thus completely out of the question. Sothey decided to use whatever resources they had in the United States to fuel thecause of India’s independence. Gobind also contributed to the revolutionaryweekly publication, Gadar.

The revolutionary activities very much came under the radar of the British se-cret service. After the arrest and subsequent departure of Har Dayal from USA,Gobind became a close aide of Ram Chander, who took over from Har Dayal. ByAugust 1914, as the British became embroiled in the First World War, the Gadarmovement also gained momentum. Most of the Gadar leaders from San Franciscoleft for the motherland to start the revolution. Gobind and the others who stayedbehind in the US supplied them with propaganda material. They were coordinatingwith the Germans for this effort.

Gobind’s work in fraternizing with the Americans had also created a bank ofsympathizers who included faculty members of the University of California likeThomas Harrison Reed, Fritz Konrad Krueger, Arthur Ryder and Arthur UphamPope. Pope was very close to Gobind. He was instrumental in introducing Gobindto Phoebe Hearst of the Hearst newspapers. Through her, other sympathizers to


gOBind Behari lal

the Indian cause from the American intelligentsia were journalists like FremontOlder, John D Barry, Sara Barb Field and Walter Lippman.

HINDU-GERMAN CONSPIRACY TRIALIn 1917, when America entered the World War, the authorities cracked down

on the Gadar leaders in the United States. All the information was given to themby the British and special mention was made of Gobind Behari Lal. In a weekendswoop, Federal marshals arrested Gobind from the Berkeley campus. He wascharged with violating the Neutrality Act by participating in a “conspiracy to setafoot a military expedition against an ally of the United States”.

Gobind underwent trial in the “longest and most expensive” trial in Americanhistory. There are over 60 entries in the trial transcripts devoted to his role in theHindu-German Conspiracy. On 30 April 1918, over a year after his arrest, he wassentenced to one year in jail. He served his sentence in the Alameda County Jail.

After his release, he went to work with the Daily News and from there to theHearst Group of publications. Gobind Behari Lal went from being the youngestson of an official in a small Indian principality to being a revolutionary leader whounderwent a jail term to eventually becoming a leading science journalist andPulitzer Prize winner. He died at the age of 92. �

GADAR NUGGETGadarites were tried in Lahore CentralJail in Punjab during the Lahore Con-spiracy Trials. Kartar Singh Sarabha

and Vishnu Ganesh Pingle were hangedamong many others.

GADAR NUGGETThe legal cost of the Hindu GermanConspiracy trials in San Francisco was US$ 3 million. Britain coughed up US$ 2.5 million. The balance was

borne by the USA.


Tarak naTh das

Tarak Nath Das

arak Nath Das was born into a middle class family in 1884 in the 24 Par-ganas district of West Bengal. At the tender age of 16, Das was quick toimpress the noted barrister P Mitter with his style while taking part in

an essay-writing contest on the one burning and overarching theme of the time—patriotism. Mitter, himself a committed nationalist, happened to be judging thecontest. Spotting the spark in the young man, Mitter had him recruited into hisorganization, Anushilan Samiti. Those days, the Samiti was a platform for revolu-tionaries who constantly dreamt about freeing their motherland from the British.

EARLY DAYS IN BENGAL AND ESCAPESince he had a way with words, Das’ writings in several platforms usually hit

home the message with clarity and aroused plenty of passion. His written exhor-tations, though, vexed the British, and they kept a close watch on him. Well-wish-ers worried by his confrontationist ways, advised him to get away, lest he bearrested. He was advised to visit countries that were sympathetic with the causeof Indian independence, places where his voice would have more impact andmeaning. Das was even advised to undergo military training, such that in futurehe could organize an armed revolution to overthrow the British. Das understoodwell that it was better to be safe, than sorry. India would benefit more if he re-mained free, rather than incarcerated. Dressed as a wandering beggar to escapeattention, he left Bengal and found his first pit-stop at Madras. Speech after fieryspeech later, he was hailed as the new Bipin Chandra Pal. Some even put him inthe league of Swami Vivekananda for his ability to inspire. As his reputation grew,so did the risks of arrest. Once again, disguised, he set sail for Japan, but not be-fore the British were somehow alerted. Instructions were issued to the British am-bassador in Japan to seek his extradition upon his arrival. Getting wind of an

T


Tarak naTh das

impending arrest, Das hoodwinked port authorities, instead finding a way to reachthe USA. In 1906, he was in Seattle, a city that is home today to giant softwarefirms.

INDIAN VOICETo make ends meet, Das began initially as a farm hand in Seattle. At the end of

the farming day, he would ask his Indian colleagues, the majority of whom wereSikhs, to collect together. He would then motivate them to take up the cause ofIndian nationalism, and freeing India from being a state ruled by the British. Buthe was clearly not going to remain content as a farm hand. He had great intellec-tual capability and proven writing skills. On the lines on which he had been ad-vised by his well-wishers in Calcutta, Das set up a mouth-piece journal called FreeHindustan. The name said it all—India needed to be free, and the readers wereurged to take up that cause in no uncertain terms. The journal fed its readers withnews about atrocities and injustices being committed by the British in India. It fu-elled passions, and the Indian community in the USA and Canada was ready to re-volt. It helped that Das was also in regular contact with leading thinkers of thetime such as Tolstoy, Hyndman and Madam Cama. Apart from the journal, Dasalso set up the Hindustan Association in Vancouver. Within no time, Das becamethe voice of the Indian immigrant community.

A NEW MOVESomewhere along the line, Das also landed himself a job as an interpreter with

the Department of Immigrations in Canada and was posted at Vancouver. His jobwas to ensure that no Indians gained entry into Canada. But the job actually pro-vided him an opportunity to help Indians. Secretly by tutoring and coaching them,he began to ensure that they had the skills to safely negotiate the interrogators atImmigration and get into Canada. But the good times were not to last. A formermember of the Calcutta Police Information Service, William C Hopkinson was ap-pointed as Immigration Inspector by the Canadian Government. Hopkinson’s pri-mary role was to keep an eye on Das, and other Indian radicals. It wasn’t longbefore the secrets were out. Das’ anti-British activities threw him straight into thehot water. After all, his enemies were ubiquitous, and the eyes and ears of the Gov-ernment seemed present at all times.

EXPELLED FROM CANADAEmbarrassed by his anti-British activities, his employers gave him a choice—

stop the journal or resign. Das chose the latter option and resigned from his job.And instead of stopping his activities, he became more organized. He opened ahome for the children of the Indian immigrants which also doubled up as anevening school for adults to teach them English and Mathematics apart from na-tionalism. His growing influence within the migrant community made him an eye-sore for the authorities and Hopkinson was able to get him expelled from Canada.Das returned to Seattle in 1908 and continued to bring out the Free Hindustan. Bynow, the journal was widely read not only by the Indian community, but also byrevolutionaries like Irishman George Freeman.


Tarak naTh das

LIFE IN THE USADas was now ready for the next part of his training. He joined the Norwich Uni-

versity, Vermont, to obtain military training. He completed his training and appliedfor enlistment with the Vermont National Guard. But diplomatic pressure from theBritish forced the authorities to ask him to leave the training program. By 1909,Das returned to Seattle. He enrolled at the University of Washington and com-pleted his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. He was active in student politicswhile continuing with his education. He was awarded the UW’s first graduate fel-lowship in political science to conduct independent research on employers’ lia-bility law. Das obtained an M.A. and teaching certificate in 1911.

Alongside his nationalist agenda, Das was involved in activities like the Cos-mopolitan Club of his university. One of the members of the club was a professorwho helped serve as a reference for him when he applied for US citizenship. Daswas also instrumental in founding the Hindusthan Association of America, a non-political organization intended to support Indian students in the U.S. After gradu-ating from the UW, Das went to Berkeley, where he enrolled in a doctoral programbut never finished. Instead, he continued his revolutionary activities. During thisperiod, Das came in contact with Lala Har Dayal and they shared their commonobjective – the overthrow of the British from Indian soil and armed revolt wastheir chosen method. Soon after, in 1914, Das finally got his US citizenship. Thiscould not have happened at a more opportune time. Das was now out of the reachof the British government. He travelled to Germany, now on the brink of war, tosecure funds for an armed revolt in India. In the meantime, he received the dis-heartening news of the failure of the Gadar movement because of the betrayalfrom within.

In 1917 Das returned to the USA to face the charge of conspiring to violate theNeutrality Act. He and other conspirators were convicted in the Hindu-GermanConspiracy case in San Francisco and Das was sentenced to 22 months in the pen-itentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. After his release in 1924, Tarak married his long-time friend and benefactress Mary Keatinge Morse. He went on an extended tourof Europe with his wife and made Munich his headquarters for his activities. Itwas there that he founded the India Institute, that awarded scholarships to meri-torious Indian students who pursued higher studies in Germany. On his return tothe United States, Tarak was appointed as the professor of political science at theColumbia University and also a Fellow of the Georgetown University. With his wife,he opened Tarak Nath Das Foundation in 1935 which has been offering academicfellowships to Indian students in the US.

Das visited India a few years after Independence. His happiness at seeing Indiafree was dampened by the partition of the country.

Das taught at various universities till he died in 1958. �


Santokh Singh

Santokh Singh was the secretary general of the GadarParty at the time of the failed 1915 revolt. Born in Sin-gapore in 1892, he did his early schooling there. His fa-

ther was in the British army and was stationed there witha British colonel. In 1903, the family returned to India and he continued his edu-cation in his village Dhardeo in Amritsar. He joined the Khalsa College in Amritsarfor his graduation and passed the FA (Faculty of Arts) in 1910. He was married toKesar Kaur in 1909 while still pursuing his studies. After completing his collegehe went to England in 1911 and then on to Canada before finally settling down inthe US in 1911. He started working at Jawala Singh’s farm in Holtville, near Stock-ton in California.

In December 1913, at a major meeting in Sacramento where several leaders ofthe local community were present, the Gadar Party was expanded to include Cal-ifornia Indian community. The party made Sohan Singh Bhakna of the Hindi Asso-ciation of Pacific Coast its president, Lala Har Dyal became General Secretary andPt. Kanshi Ram the Treasurer while Jawala Singh became Vice President and San-tokh Singh was made a member of the executive committee. Thus, Santokh Singhbecame part of the leadership of the Gadar party from the beginning. After LalaHardyal’s four-month brief tenure as a founder general secretary of the party, San-tokh Singh succeeded him and became general secretary of the association and apart of the editorial board of the Gadar newspaper.

Santokh Singh was sentenced in the Hindu German Conspiracy Trial for 21months. During his jail term, he read some books on Marxism and wanted to learnmore about the success of socialism in Russia even while the attempt by theGadaris to overthrow colonialism in India had failed. Santokh Singh and someGadarites in America decided that he and another associates would go to Russiato learn firsthand about the factors that contributed to the success of the Octoberrevolution in Russia. They spent eight months there and moved to Afghanistanwhere there was a Gadar branch.

From Afghanistan, Santokh Singh tried to enter India. While returning to India,he was arrested and jailed. He was suffering from tuberculosis and after sixmonths, he was released. On February 19, 1926, he started publishing “Kirti”, apopular newspaper of pre-Independence Punjab. He died on May 19, 1927. �

sanTOkh singh


TraVesTy Of JUsTiCe

t was November 26, 1914. Gadar Party members were meeting at a place out-side the city of Ferozepur, on Jalalabad Road. The next day, a large group ofGadarites boarded a train to Ludhiana. Among them was Kartar Singh

Sarabha.

Not all though could make it on time to catch the train. They hopped on to ton-gas as horse-driven carts are called. On their way, they came across a small groupat Misri Wale Canal Bridge, near Ferozeshahr. The group comprised local area za-ildars, lambardars, villagers and police inspector Busharat Ali. They were await-ing the local superintendent of police.

Seeing the men on the tonga, the policemen signaled them to stop. The pas-sengers were asked to alight, and sit on the ground. The police inspector derivedparticular pleasure in showing off his authority, and started misbehaving withthose on the ground. At this, an agitated Rehmat Ali Shah, a Gadarite, questionedthe inspector’s reason for being discourteous. Instead of answering the inspectorslapped Ali Shah, driving him to tears at this uncalled for insult.

Gandha Singh, part of the tonga entourage now sitting on the ground could nothold back his temper. He pulled out his gun and shot the inspector dead. Anotherzaildar also succumbed to his bullet. There was commotion, and people began torun helter-skelter. The Gadarites, though, mostly hid in the bushes. A police rein-forcement that arrived shortly after surrounded them. Two of the Gadarites wereshot, seven were arrested while six escaped but arrested later. Gandha Singh, the

I


man who’d pulled the trigger, escaped arrest. He was to later tell his friends thathe had gone up a tree in the cover of darkness and had run away the followingmorning. He, in fact, managed to evade arrest for an entire year.

The murder case was tried in the court of the Ferozepur sessions judge whosentenced seven Gadarites—Kanshi Ram, Rehmat Ali Shah, Jewan Singh, BakshishSingh, Lal Singh, Dhian Singh, and Jagat Singh—to death. The executions tookplace in March 1915. Three of the accused were executed on March 25 at Mont-gomery Jail, two on March 26 at the same place, and another two on March 27 inLahore Jail. Gandha Singh had absconded but on arrest, he too received a deathsentence. A handful got away with lesser punishment, few years in jail. KartarSingh Dukki, a returnee from USA got three years of rigorous imprisonment. Hewas the one who ran the Gadar Press in San Francisco and was sent to India tofind a place for a printing press for the Gadar newspaper.

JUSTICE, BUT REALLY INJUSTICEGandha Singh, although provoked by the police inspector, was the only person

who could be accused of committing a crime. In that case, why did the others re-ceive death sentence? What crime did they commit except being in the tongas andfinding the police party? Did the Judge abuse his powers or was he prejudiced?This clearly was British system of justice at its lowest ebb. After all, seven inno-cents had been hanged. For what? For being asked to sit on the ground and thenbeing insulted? Gandha Singh who had pulled the trigger received the death sen-tence. But why the others?

While announcing his sentence, the judge remarked, “the seven who were givendeath sentence earlier were not the culprits. The real culprit’s been awarded deathsentence now.”

The mockery couldn’t have been more absolute.

French philosopher Voltaire famously wrote, “Injustice in the end produces in-dependence.”

Indeed, India’s history turned out to be that way.

Reference: Gadar Party da Ithas (Punjabi), page 192-93


kanshi raM MaraUli

Kanshi Ram Marauli

anshi Ram was born at in Marauli, Ropar in 1883. He passed his 10thclass from Patiala, and started working in Ambala. Going by the trendthose days, Kanshi Ram was married at the age of 10. Later he got a

job in Delhi but left it and went to Hong Kong from where he went to America.While abroad, he learnt that his wife had passed away.

Even though he started out in America as a laborer, he quickly worked his wayup to becoming a labor contractor. He was successful, but his success was neverovertaken by greed. He contributed thousands of dollars to the Gadar Party forthe cause of freeing India from the clutches of the British Empire.

PIVOTAL FIGUREKanshi Ram's home in California became the centre of conversations and dis-

cussions for freedom-seeking leaders. They would discuss the revolutionary lit-erature sent by Madam Koma. On occasions he would have meetings with BabaSohan Singh Bhakna and other Gadri Babas such as the intellectual Lala Har Dayal.In was during such meetings that the seeds of forming the Gadar Party were sown.Kanshi Ram became the treasurer of the party and was sworn to secrecy. TheParty’s goal was to establish an India independent of British rule. To help themfulfill their goal, it was decided to publish a newspaper entitled Gadar that wouldspread the word of freedom. They sent the publication throughout the world.

Once Kanshi Ram realized the magnitude of the affairs in India, he departedfor India in 1914 to help fight for the cause of independence from British. It wasduring a chance encounter with a police party at Ferozeshahr in Punjab that Kan-shi Ram and others in his group found their destiny quickly altered. Even though

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kanshi raM MaraUli

it was Ganda Singh who shot an inspector and a zaildar, the entire group had topay the ultimate price. Kanshi Ram was hanged with others in 1915 for what wasrecorded as treasonous acts against the British Empire. But the hanging reallyturned out to be a mockery. (see separate chapter on Travesty of Justice, page153).

As a mark of respect to the martyred Gadarite, the Shaheed Kanshi Ram Me-morial College was established at Bhagoo Majra in 1974. �

Source: Interview of Khushwant Rai Joshi, advocate, with T.S. Sibia, August2001 – Sikhpioneers.com and others

Jagat Singh was born to Sada Singh and Kishan Kaur in1894. In 1912 he joined the India Army but two yearslater quit and left for Shanghai. From there he went to

Philippines, but returned to Shanghai shortly.

It was towards the last quarter of 1914 that he metSohan Singh Bhakna, then the president of the Gadar party who was motivatingoverseas Indians to join up to take part in an armed resistance against the Britishcrown. Unhesitatingly, Jagat Singh joined the party along with some others. He re-turned almost immediately from Shanghai to India and started to work activity tofulfill the Gadarites’ aim, that of freeing India.

He was part of a group that encountered a police party near Ferozeshahr (seeTravesty of Justice and Kanshi Ram Marauli). Destiny then took over. Even thoughinnocent he was hanged in 1915 inside the Montgomery Jail, a month prior to thestart of the Lahore Conspiracy Trial. �

Source: Sikhpioneers.com

Jagat Singh Wanjhal


Bhagat Singh alias Gandha Singh, born in villageKacharbhan, left for the USA at a young age. He wasone of the Gadar Party’s most active members after

its formation in 1913. When Gadar Party gave a call to over-seas Indians to return to India and give up their economicactivities for the cause of freeing the nation from British

rule, Gandha Singh was one of the first to pay heed.

While returning from the USA, he heard about the Komagata Maru incident andthe firing on Indians after the ship docked at Budge Budge near Calcutta. He wentto Hong Kong and started impressing upon overseas Indians to avoid going to Cal-cutta, and instead take ships to Bombay or Madras. He felt landing in Calcuttawould jeopardize the chances of the Gadarites and they would be arrested. Hisplans helped many Indians avoid arrest as they took ships to Bombay and Madras.Eventually, these men who avoided arrest were able to keep the Gadar fight on inPunjab and elsewhere in India.

Then the incident in Ferozeshahr happened (see chapter on Travesty of Jus-tice, page 153). Gandha Singh who was deeply involved in Gadar activities in Pun-jab was travelling in a group in horse-driven carts. On their way they came acrossa group of villagers along with a police inspector waiting for a senior police official.The police inspector asked all the men to embark and made them sit on theground. The inspector started showing authority and even slapped one of theGadarites. An incensed Gandha Singh pulled out his gun and shot the inspectordead. Another zaildar also succumbed to his bullet.

In the pell-mell that ensued, people ran helter-skelter and most of the Gadariteshid behind bushes to avoid detection. Gandha Singh himself climbed up a treeand remained there, evading arrest. He disappeared the next morning. Eventuallyhe was sentenced to death after being caught one year later. �

Gandha Singh Kacharbhan

GADAR NUGGETIn the USA, 29 Indians and Germanswere convicted following the San Francisco Hindu German Conspiracy Trial in 1918.


karTar singh dUkki

Kartar Singh Dukki

artar Singh Dukki hailed from village Latala in Ludhiana district. Hewas an orphan and studied in the Ludhiana Mission School. On com-pleting his middle school, he joined the British Indian army or

“Rasala”, as the Cavalry was known then. Several soldiers from his Rasala resignedand left for America. In 1907, Kartar Singh also resigned and left for San Franciscofrom Madras with eight others.

On reaching the US, Kartar Singh and his friends tried to find work but in vain.For a year, they remained without work. During this time, he came in contact withpioneers like Baba Wasakha Singh and Jawala Singh. Staying in close proximity withthese community leaders, he saw the birth of the Gadar Party from close quarters.When Lala Har Dayal met with Baba Wasakha Singh and Jawala Singh and soughttheir help in propagating the message of seeking freedom from foreign rule, KartarSingh was also present. With their help, Lala Har Dayal was able to get financialcommitment from Jawala Singh to institute four scholarships for Indian studentsto come and study in the US. Further, using Baba Wasakha Singh’s farm as a base,Lala Har Dayal was also able to recruit fresh members for the Gadar Party.

STINT AT YOLO GARDENEventually, Kartar Singh found work in a farm in Yolo Garden. Bhai Roor Singh

was foreman there but after he left, Kartar Singh became a foreman. Two majorpublic meetings were held at Yolo Garden, one in 1912, the second in 1913. It wasat the second meeting, attended by about 200 people, that the idea of the GadarParty was born. It was suggested that a newspaper was necessary to propagatethe message of the Gadar Party. So nine volunteers were recruited and KartarSingh was one of them. They were told that the only condition for joining the party

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karTar singh dUkki

was that they have to be prepared to sacrifice everything for the cause.

The nine volunteers then headed for San Francisco to help bring out thenewsletter which used cyclostyle printing. In 1913, a big printing press was pur-chased by the Gadar Party. Lala Har Dayal prepared the matter for the newspaper.Bhai Jagat Ram worked on Urdu and Kartar Singh Sarabha worked on Punjabi. Kar-tar Singh Dukki was trained as the press operator. Such was the impact of thenewspaper that everywhere it went, people sent contributions to the Gadar cause.

As the popularity of the Gadar newsletter increased, so did the British interest.On the repeated requests of the British, Lala Har Dayal was finally arrested by theAmericans. He, however, fled to Germany and Switzerland and Ram Chander be-came editor in his place. It soon became evident that the British were burningcopies of the Gadar newspaper in India. Kartar Singh Dukki and another Gadari,Bhagat Singh alias Gandha Singh Kacharbhann, were told to go to India and printthe paper there. The matter for the newspaper would be sent to them through aRussian girl, a British old man and an American labor union leader.

But when they reached India in August, 1914 the First World War had alreadystarted. They managed to evade the police by hiding their weapons with someChinese co-passengers while their belongings were being searched, retrievingthem later. Kartar Singh and Bhagat Singh went to Gwalior and scouted aroundand found a suitable place where press could be installed. At this time, the Koma-gata Maru incident occurred. They realized that anyone coming to Calcutta wouldnow get arrested. So Bhagat Singh went to Hong Kong to warn returning Gadaristo avoid Calcutta. Two shiploads of Indians were on their way. They exchangedtickets with other passengers and changed their port of entry from Calcutta toColombo, Bombay or Madras. With all that went on, printing press plan fell apart.

FEROZESHAHR INCIDENTKartar Singh Sarabha came to see Dukki in Ludhiana. As news of Kartar Singh

Dukki’s Gadar connections became known he was arrested. One day, he was trav-elling with several other Gadaris when the numbardar intercepted the Gadarisnear Ferozeshahr with a police party. The police inspector slapped one of theGadaris, Rahmat Ali. This infuriated Gadari Gandha Singh who shot the inspectorand killed him. In the ensuing firing, two people were killed. While six Gadaris man-aged to escape, seven were arrested. Kartar Singh Dukki, who was already underarrest, was pulled out of the earlier case and charged in the Ferozeshahr en-counter case and sentenced to three years imprisonment in this case.

After his release, he was placed under house arrest. But in 1925, he again be-came active in politics in the Patriot Family Help Society. He started a newspaper,“Asli Kaumi Dard” and also contributed to other patriotic papers. He worked inthe Kirti Kisan Committee and also became the president of the Naujawan BharatSabha in 1928. He continued his social and political activities till India became in-dependent. He died in 1967. �

Lal Singh was born in 1886 in village Sahbana in Ludhi-ana, Punjab. He was born to Daya Singh and ParkashKaur. He studied at a school in Dhandari Kalan and left

for Manila. While in the Philippines capital, he met G.D.Kumar who had come down from America in 1914 to raisethe tempo of the Gadar Movement. Kumar established a

Gadar branch in Manila and appointed Hafiz Abdulla of Jagraon as its president.Lal Singh also became an integral part of the Gadar Party in Manila itself.

Lal Singh returned to India, keeping in tune with thousands of overseasbrethren who were responding to the Gadar call of freeing the nation from Britishrule. The British espionage network was in the know of the arrival of Lal Singhand others, and on arrival they were put through intensive interrogation. Laterthey were sent packing to Punjab on a train bound for Ludhiana.

In Punjab, Lal Singh continued to be an integral part of Gadar activities. Hewas part of the Gadar group that was on horse-driven carts on November 26,1914 when they were intercepted near Ferozeshahr (see chapter on Travesty ofJustice). A police inspector was shot dead by a Gadarite, Ganda Singh, a fellowtraveller. It triggered a commotion. Lal Singh was arrested, tried swiftly andhanged on March 25, 1915. But the reality was that he had nothing to do withthe shooting of the inspector. It ended the life of a brave heart who had stakedhis all for the nation. �

Lal Singh Sahabana

lal singh sahaBana


GADAR NUGGETThe first batch of 18 Gadarites to besent to Kala Pani included those whowere sentenced to death in the First

Lahore Conspiracy Case.

The OTher PiOneers

They may not have been incarcerated or tried for conspiring against the kingdom, but they played no less

an important part in the movement

� Maulvi Barkatullah

� Pandurang Sadashiv Khankhoje


MaUlVi BarkaTUllah

Maulvi Barkatullah

everal years before India became independent and Pandit JawaharlalNehru was sworn in as the country’s first prime minister, another mantook oath to the same office, albeit in a foreign land. Maulvi Mohammad

Barakatullah became the first Prime Minister of the Provincial Government of Indiaon 1 Dec 1915. The government in exile of Free Hindustan was formed inAfghanistan with Raja Mahendra Pratap as President. The Maulvi’s contacts in theIslamic world ensured that this government was recognised by Turkey, Egypt andGermany among several others. From their base in Kabul, Maulvi Barakatullahcontinued the fight for Indian sovereignty even after most of the Gadar leaderswere arrested and their rebellion had fallen because of treason.

EARLY LIFEBarakatullah was born on 7 July 1854 in the state of Bhopal. His father, Munshi

Shaikh Kadratukkah, worked for the Nawab of Bhopal. He, however, died whenBarakatullah was only 12. Barakatullah managed to complete his religious trainingand qualified as an Alim, working in the same Madrasa as his father. From Bhopal,he soon moved to Khandwa to teach the princes there and thence to Bombay. AtBombay, he joined an elementary school despite his age in order to get a formaleducation and within three years he had qualified to take the university entranceexamination.

LIFE IN ENGLANDHis score enabled him to move to London in 1887 where he studied and also

worked as private tutor teaching Arabic, Persian and Urdu. He worked for sometime at the Muslim Institute in Liverpool with British convert Abdullah Quilliam.Here he met Sirdar Nasrullah Khan, younger brother of the Amir of Kabul. He be-

S


MaUlVi BarkaTUllah

came the eyes and ears of the Amir in London, sending weekly updates on the ac-tivities of the British to the Amir through his agents in Karachi.

He also came in contact with the radical intellectuals of India House in London.He made an acquaintance with Lala Har Dayal among others there. Barakatullahwas put under watch by the British secret service for his fiery writings criticizingthe racist comments of the then British Prime Minister Gladstone. To escape theBritish, he left for New York in 1899.

NEW YORKBarakatullah spent the next six years in New York, earning his keep by teaching

Arabic while channelling his revolutionary thought into his writings. His writingsearned him a lot of fame among the Indian community and he was well respectedfor his views which appeared in mainstream newspapers like the Forum. His as-sociation with the intellectuals who later formed the Gadar Party continued duringthis phase. But in 1909, he moved to Japan.

JAPANIn Japan, where Barakatullah went as a Professor of Oriental Languages at the

University of Tokyo, he started a journal, Islamic Fraternity. The tone of the journalwas anti-colonial and became progressively aggressive. In 1911, he visited Con-stantinople, Cairo and Petrograd. The issue of the Islamic Fraternity that hebrought out after his return shows the purpose of his trip. He wrote of how CentralAsia will be the birth place of a pan-Islamic alliance with Afghanistan at the centreand that this alliance would be the signal for all Islamic nations to come togetheragainst the colonial forces.

Another major achievement for Barakatullah was the first Islamic conversionin Japan. His assistant, his wife and her father became the first Japanese to con-vert to Islam under Barakatullah’s influence.

By 1912, the British banned the import of the journal from Japan. But unde-terred, he brought out another journal, El Islam, which was also banned in 1913.But not to be stopped, Barakatullah continued his writing, this time in anotherform. His anti-British writings forced the Japanese government to act and in 1914,his appointment at the University of Tokyo was terminated.

RETURN TO THE USBarakatullah now returned to the United States with Gadariite Bhagwan Singh

Gyanee and joined the Yugantar Ashram. As the First World War broke out,Barakatullah, along with the other Gadar leaders spoke at several public meetingsin order to raise funds for the revolution and also to motivate the immigrant pop-ulation to return to India to participate in the revolt.

GADARAs the Gadar revolt became a reality and several front line leaders left for India,

MaUlVi BarkaTUllah

Barakatullah went to Berlin where the exiled revolutionary leaders like Lala HarDayal were meeting to decide the future course of action. Barakatullah was madea part of the Mission to Kabul with Raja Mahendra Pratap. Their role was to keepbuilding world opinion in their favour and seeking the active support of countries.While in Germany, Barakatullah played a significant role in indoctrinating the Indiasoldiers of the British army who were prisoners of war.

LATER YEARSBarakatullah continued to build world opinion in favour of Indian independ-

ence all over the world. In 1927, he, accompanied by Raja Mahendra Pratap, wason one such visit to the United States when he suffered a heart attack at a publicmeeting in San Francisco. On 20 September 1927, he passed away. His last wordsto Raja Mahendra Pratap were of regret that he was unable to see his belovedmotherland free but also satisfaction that he was able to motivate several othersto follow his path.

He is buried in a Muslim cemetery in Sacramento, California. �


GADAR NUGGETSohan Lal Pathak was hanged at theMandalay Jail in February 1916.

GADAR NUGGETIn December 1915, Raja Mohinder

Pratap formed a Free Hindustan Gov-ernment-in-exile in Kabul, Afghanistan.

He himself became President.

GADAR NUGGET“The time will soon come when rifles and blood will take the

place of pen and ink.”—Gadar slogan.


PandUrang sadashiV khankhOJe

Pandurang SadashivKhankhoje

andurang Sadashiv Khankhoje was born to fight for India’s freedomfrom the British. And he found several ways to do so, visited severaloverseas destinations in order to keep that dream of freedom alive in

his heart. Eventually, he became one of the few Gadarites who lived to see theirdream of a free India come true.

Khankhoje did his initial schooling in Wardha and then moved to Nagpurfor higher education. He was greatly inspired by the life of Bal Gangadhar Tilakwho he met in Pune. They both agreed that military training was required tofree India. But this was going to be only possible outside India. Tilak recom-mended Japan.

ESCAPES MARRIAGELegend goes that Khankhoje’s father wanted to settle his son by marrying him

off. Khankhoje had dreams of freeing his country, and he successfully planned anescape from his own marriage ceremony. His mother was sympathetic, and wantedto sell her jewelry to help him out. When Khankoje did not agree with the idea,his mother gave him sweets, asking him to take them whenever he felt homesickor encountered a difficult situation. Later Khankhoje was to discover that eachsweet contained a gold coin.

He did odd jobs on ships on way to the USA in the early part of the 20th cen-tury. That was a good way to travel those days, finding a job on a ship. A Frenchflag vessel provided him meals, and Khankhoje reached Colombo, then Saigon,and eventually Yokohama. He took a train to Tokyo, and doubled as an industrialworker and English teacher while in Japan.

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PandUrang sadashiV khankhOJe

Very soon he reached the USA. During his initial days he found jobs as a waiter,a road labour, and porter. Many of his fellow laborers were Mexican, a good manywere revolutionaries. He met Tarak Nath Das, revolutionary from Bengal who hadescaped, and the two bonded well. Khankhoje enrolled himself at the Oregon Agri-cultural College (modern day Oregon State University) and also the Mount Tamal-pais Military Academy. While here, he founded along with Pandit Kashi Ram theIndian Independence League at Oregon.

TIES WITH MEXICANS In 1911, he met Lala Har Dayal. He became one of the founding members of

the Pacific Coast Hindustan Association, later to be renamed the Gadar Party. Itseems the party’s activities were in the hands of two units, the propaganda groupand action group. Khankhoje belonged to the latter. He liked being where the ac-tion was.

Khankhoje built ties with the Mexican revolutionaries and the Germans. WhenWorld War I broke out, several Gadarites headed towards Germany and Japan tofight the British. Khankhoje himself headed towards Europe, and was a key mem-ber of the secret Berlin Committee. He worked with troops of the Indian expedi-tionary force, urging them to join the movement to overthrow the British. Hespread the message right across Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Balochistan. Thenthe visit to Soviet Union took place. Khankhoje met with Lenin along with Indiancommunist leaders, urging the Russian leader to help them fight the British.

Khankhoje did not return to India. Instead he headed towards Mexico in 1920s,concentrating now on agricultural research. He earned his name as an agriculturalscientist. In 1936, nearly thirty years after he’d dodged his father and escaped themarriage ceremony, Khankhoje tied the knot with Jean Alexandrine Sindic, a Bel-gian lady in Mexico, and had two daughters. In 1947 he returned to India, settlingin Nagpur, where he’d studied as a child. He once said that if he’d been arrestedby the British—who considered him very dangerous because of his ability to pre-pare explosives—he’d never seek their pardon. After all, he was just serving hismotherland, and was doing nothing wrong.

At age 82, he passed away. �

GADAR NUGGETThe normal components of Indian society in America are the Sikhs, the

swamis and the students, with the spiesas an abnormal gang.

—Indians in America by Lala Hardyal,The Modern Review for July 1911

andaMan Jail –tHe livinG Hell

he Andaman Islands are associated with memories of sufferings andsacrifices of the brave freedom fighters of India. The Indians referredto the Andaman Islands and its prison as Kala Pani ("black water").

The number of prisoners who died in this prison is estimated to be in the thou-sands. Many died of brutal treatment and the harsh living and working conditionsin this prison.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a group of islands at the juncture of theBay of Bengal and Andaman Sea. It is a Union Territory of India with a total landarea approximately 3,070 square miles and Port Blair as its capital. The CellularJail at Port Blair, designed for solitary confinement of prisoners, was completedin 1910 and had seven wings. Each wing had three stories and a total of 693 cells.Each cell was 13.5 feet by 7.5 feet in size with a ventilator located at a height of 10feet. The tower at the centre was used by guards to keep watch on the inmates.

DREADED PLACE During War II, Japan drove the British out of the Andaman islands in 1942 and

used the Cellular Jail to house the British prisoners. The Japanese also demol-ished two wings of the prison. At the end of World War II, the British resumed thecontrol of the islands. After India achieved independence, two more wings of thejail were demolished. However, several former prisoners and political leadersprotested against the erasing of tangible evidence of their persecution. The cellu-lar jail held a prime place in the history of India’s struggle for independence. Thegovernment stopped further demolition and converted the remaining three wings

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and the central tower into a National Memorial in 1969.

The first batch of 18 Gadarites comprised those who were sentenced to deathin the First Lahore Conspiracy Case. The death sentence was later commuted tolife imprisonment at Cellular Jail at Andaman Islands and forfeiture of their prop-erties. On December 10, 1915 they reached the Andaman Islands, handcuffed andfettered in twos. The rules at Cellular Jail at Andaman Islands specified that noone above the age of forty years could be incarcerated in that prison. However, incase of Gadarites whose ages varied from 22 years to 60 ears, this rule was con-temptuously violated. The prisoners knew that life in the Andaman meant hell forthem. Indignities were frequently heaped on political prisoners; physical and men-tal torture was routinely administered; food supplied to the inmates was not onlyinadequate but was unfit for human consumption.

INHUMAN PUNISHMENTSFrom the very first day, the Gadarite prisoners were assigned work at the kohlu

(oil press to crush coconut to produce oil) which was an extremely punitive type ofhard labor. They refused to work at the kohlu as they were human beings and notbullocks, normally used to work the kohlu. It was an open defiance. The jailor know-ingly assigned “far easier” labor of coir pounding which was equally hard labor.Gadarite prisoner Parmanand of Jhansi was punished for failing to complete the job.The despot jailor Barry abused him and tried to hit him but Parmanand hit back inself-defense. In retribution, Parmanand was beaten unconscious by the wardens andthrown into a cell. The next day, Parmanand bleeding and in rags, was carried out ofhis cell and “flogged mercilessly under the orders of the prison superintendent MajorMurray.” Parmanand’s comrades struck work. The Chief Commissioner of Andamanand Nicobar Islands came and callously ordered, "6 months solitary confinement,chain from head to foot, penal diet, and standing handcuffs for a week."

The Gadarite prisoners tasted the inhuman treatment at Cellular Jail rightfrom the beginning. When other batches of the prisoners of the Gadar Conspir-acy reached the Andaman, they also joined in the struggle. The prisoners were“deliberately starved, the sick remained uncared for and the thirsty were re-fused water.” News of the excesses and atrocities committed on the prisonersreached the Indian Government, but it did not intervene. The treatment of theprisoners became more horrifying, inhuman and despotic. Gadarite prisoners’refusal to work on Sundays was "disobedience" and complaints of injustice wereconsidered "baseless allegations against responsible jail officials." Punishmentfollowed in each case; “standing handcuffs, fetters, bar-fetters, reduced diet,one after the other were inflicted on them.” They were given solitary confine-ments and deprived of water. They were flogged for non-fulfillment of theirquota of hard labor. The prisoners fought against this inhumanity more deter-minedly and unwaveringly but the jailor did not change his ways. Gadarite pris-oner, 60-year-old Baba Bhan Singh was severely beaten and he died two dayslater. Other Gadarite prisoners Budha Singh, Ram Rakha, Rullia Singh, NandSingh, Kehar Singh, Natha Singh, Roda Singh, all fell one after another. Theseabandoned and forgotten heroes fought against cruelty and inhumanity for aslong as they could.


UNABATED CRUELTYWith the death of all these Gadarite prisoners, unwarranted torture of Gadarites

did not end. Sohan Singh Bhakna resorted to hunger strike at three different times;Prithvi Singh hunger-struck for 155 days and spent 20 months in solitary confine-ment; Jwala Singh lived imprisoned in cages for years; Rur Singh stood chained tothe walls for weeks on end; Gurmukh Singh defied all these grueling tortures. Sep-arately confined in their cells, they all fought jail brutalities bravely, and they allsuffered. It was an epic saga of superhuman endurance, of matchless heroism, butthey survived. Gadarite prisoner 60-year-old Baba Bhan Singh was severely beatenand he died two days later. Other Gadarite prisoners Budha Singh, Ram Rakha, Rul-lia Singh, Nand Singh, Kehar Singh, Natha Singh, Roda Singh, all fell one after an-other. These, abandoned and forgotten, heroes fought against cruelty andinhumanity for as long as they could. With the death of all these Gadarite prisoners,unwarranted torture of Gadarite prisoners did not end. Sohan Singh Bhakna re-sorted to hunger strike at three different times; Prithvi Singh went on a hunger-strike for 155 days and spent 20 months in solitary confinement; Jawala Singh livedimprisoned in cages for years; Rur Singh stood chained to the walls for weeks onend; Gurmukh Singh defied all these grueling tortures. Separately confined in theircells, they all fought jail brutalities bravely and they all suffered. It was an epicsaga of superhuman endurance, of matchless heroism, but they survived.

The news of inhuman treatment reached India through some Punjabi soldiers.A huge storm of protest swept over the land. The prisoners were ordered to berepatriated to India and in July 1921, the homeward journey began. While the sur-viving Gadarite prisoners were returned to India, the cold ashes of eight of theircomrades remained in the Andaman. The prisoners were sent to different jails:Hazaribagh, Yerawada, Nagpur, Vellore, Coimbatore. It was during these transfersthat Gadarite prisoners Prithvi Singh and Gurmukh Singh escaped from runningtrains. The inhuman treatment even in Indian jails was quite common. Baba JwalaSingh shared his food with some starving prisoners in Coimbatore jail and wasgiven 30 lashes for this simple act of humanity. In Yerawada Jail, Gadarite prison-ers went on hunger strike to get turbans for Sikh prisoners who refused to wearcaps as head gear. Upon completion of the usual 14 years of life term by severalGadarites, the government refused to release them. Sohan Singh Bhakna began afast unto death. After three months, the government agreed to release him uncon-ditionally in 1930. Nand Singh and Chuhar Singh also started a fast unto death. Thelatter died only a few days after his release. Several more Gadarites were releasedafter serving as many as 20 years. Many of them had become permanently invalidfor the rest of their lives. The Gadarites audaciously gave their all in the fight forIndia's freedom. They were men of whom any country would be proud. �

Sources:� THE GHADAR HEROES – Forgotten Story of the Punjab Revolutionaries of 1914-

15 by Randhir Singh, Bombay: People's Pub. House, 1945� Kale Pania di Dastan, Editors Prof Dilbir Kaur and Dr. Prem Singh, Publisher

Desh Bhagat Yadgar Committee, Jalandhar� www.andamanonline.in and other websites


rOle Of arMyUniTs

uccess of the planned Gadar revolt was dependent on the support ofarmy units. Since many Gadarites were retired military soldiers, theyplanned to incite the soldiers to revolt and become part of the rebellious

force to liberate India.

Several Gadar leaders were allocated areas to infiltrate into army units. KartarSingh Sarabha was assigned Ferozepur Cantonment, Bhai Hirde Ram was sent toJalandhar, Bhai Harnam Singh Kahuta to Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Mar-dan, and Piara Singh Langari to frontier stations of Banu Kohat. Vishnu GaneshPingle took responsibility for Meerut Cantonment. Kartar Singh Sarabha also vis-ited Ambala, Meerut, Kanpur, Agra, Allahabad, Dinapur, Benaras, Lucknow andFaizabad military cantonments for motivating the military personnel to join India’sstruggle for liberation. Gadar leaders were successful in engaging some army peo-ple from Ferozepur and Lahore Cantonments. Some of these contacts were ac-tively involved and attended meetings at Jhar Sahib.

Gadar leaders not only tried to penetrate army regiments in India but alsooverseas. Leading Gadarites, while returning to India, halted at the ports on theway and addressed soldiers stationed at Hong Kong, Singapore, Penang, Ran-goon, and exhorted them to join forces for liberation of India and not fight forcontinuing foreign rule in India. Sohan lal Pathak and some other Gadarite lead-ers were assigned responsibility for revolt by army units stationed in Siam andBurma.

When it was decided to launch revolt on the night of 21st February 1915, it wasbased on the uprising by the army people from the Mian Mir and Ferozepur Can-

S


tonments. At the same time, two army units were to rise in revolt and to take pos-session of Meerut. From there, they were to go to Delhi with V. G. Pingle. KartarSingh Sarabha from Ferozepur was to join Pingle and declare the establishmentof the Indian Republic. Then the army people from different army units were torise up in revolt in their own areas.

But success eluded the Gadar leaders as the spies had leaked out the plan inadvance to the British police. The date was advanced to 19th February 1915,which again reached the British police. The spies shattered the dreams ofGadarites. India was not liberated; large-scale arrests of Gadarites put them injails. The failed attempt prevented army units which had promised to join the re-volt, to come out in the open. Some units did revolt but were subdued.

There is incomplete information available about servicemen who revolted orwere suspects and were court-martialed. The following information, however,based on Appendix XVIII, Lahore Conspiracy Case I and II by Malwinderjit SinghWaraich and Harinder Singh is given below:

23 Cavalry 12 people were hanged in Ambala jail on September 3, 1915.6 people were transported for life.

5th Native Light Infantry7 people were sentenced to death on March 2, 1915.

Malaya State Guides5 people were sentenced to death on March 23, 1915.

105 Light Infantry41 people were executed and 125 were given varying terms of imprisonment.

12 Cavalry3 people were hanged in Meerut jail on April 24, 1915.

128 Pioneers2 people were hanged in Meerut jail on April 24, 1915.

Roorkee Sappers and Miners1 person was hanged to death.

7th Rajputs1 person hanged in Delhi jail on March 11, 1916. �


appendix i: Martyrs

1. Kanshi ram (Pandit) of Marauli, Police Station Morinda (ropar)

2. rahmat ali Faqir of Wazidke (Patiala)

3. Bakhshish Singh son of dewa Singh of Khanpur (ludhiana)

4. Jewan Singh son ofWazir Singh of dhulesinghwala (Patiala)

5. lal Singh son of daya Singh of Sahabana, Sahnewal (ludhiana)

6. dhian Singh son of Karam Singh of umarpura, ajnala (amritsar)

7. Jagat Singh ofWanjhal, raikot (ludhiana)

8. Gandha Singh alias Bhagat Singh son of Jawala Singh of Kacharbhan, Zira (Ferrozepur)

9. Surjan Singh son of Butra of Fatehgarh (Hoshiarpur)

10. Babu ram son of Gandhi of Fatehgarh (Hoshiarpur)

11. nama son of Gopal of Fatehgarh (Hoshiarpur)

12. arjan Singh alias Sajjan Singh of Khokrana, Moga (Ferozepur)

13. Balwant Singh alias Banta Singh son of Buta Singh of Sangwal, Kartarpur (Jalandhar)

14. Harnam Singh son of arura of Bhatti, Goraya (Sialkot)

15. Bakshish Singh son of Santa Singh of Gilwali (amritsar)

16. Jagat Singh alias Jai Singh son of arur Singh of Sursingh (amritsar)

17. Kartar Singh Saraba raikot (ludhiana) Joined uc Berkley at age 16, hanged todeath at 19.

18. vishnu Ganesh Pingle son of Ganesh Pingle of talagaon dhamdhera (Pune)

19. Surain Singh son of Bur Singh of Gilwali (amritsar)

20. Surain Singh son of ishar Singh of Gilwali (amritsar)

21. Bir Singh alias vir Singh son of Buta Singh of Bahowal (Hoshiarpur)

22. ishar Singh alias Puran Singh son of Sajjan Singh of dhudike (Ferozepur)

23. ranga Singh alias roda Singh son of Gurdit Singh of Khurdpur, Kartarpur (Jalandhar)

24. rur Singh alias arur Singh son of Pal Singh of Sangwal, Kartarpur (Jalandhar)

25. rur Singh son of Samand Singh of talwandi dosanjh, Moga (Ferozepur)

26. uttam Singh alias ragho son of Jita Singh of Hans, Jagraon (ludhiana)

27. Balwant Singh son of Budh Singh of Khurdpur, adampur (Jalandhar)

28. Hafiz abdulla son of nizam din of Jagraon (ludhiana)

29. Mathra Singh alias Shamsher Singh son of Hari Singh of dhudial, chakwal (Jhelum)

30. Jawand Singh son of narain Sing of nangal Kalan, Mahilpur (Hoshiarpur)


31. Prem Singh son of Jiwan Singh of Sursingh (amritsar)

32. inder Singh son of Gurmukh Singh of Padri Kalan, tarn taran (amritsar)

33. Kala Singh alias Pritam Singh of Jagatpur, Sirhali (amritsar)

34. chanan Singh son of Bal Singh of Bal chand, Patti (amritsar)

35. Harnam Singh son of Sant Singh of thathi Khara, tarn taran (amritsar)

36. atma Singh of Jhanda Singh of thathi Khara, tarn taran (amritsar)

37. Buta Singh son of Sher Singh of akalgarh Khurd, raikot (ludhiana)

38. Harnam Singh alias ishar das son of labh Singh of Sahri (Hoshiarpur)

39. challia ram son of Shankar das of Sahnewal (ludhiana)

40. Wasawa Singh son of Jhanda Singh ofWara, nakodar (Jalandhar)

41. narain Singh alias ram Singh son of abalu Singh of Balo, Bhatinda

42. naranjan Singh son of Jawal Singh of Sangatpur, Jagraon (ludhiana)

43. Pala Singh son of Jaimal Singh of Sherpur, Jagraon (ludhiana).

44. Mustaba Hussain alias Mul chand so of Sajjad Hussain of Jaunpur (u.P.)

45. Sohan lal Pathak, Patti district amritsar

appendix ii: saved from the gallows“death sentence commuted to life

imprisonment in andaman”

1. Balwant Singh

2. Harnam Singh

3. Hirday ram

4. Jagat ram

5. Kala Singh

6. Kesar Singh

7. Khushal Singh

8. nand Singh

9. nidhan Singh

10. Bhai Parmanand

11. Shri Parmanand

12. Pirthvi Singh

13. ram Suran das

14. rulia Singh

15. Sawan Singh

16. Sohan Singh Bhakna

17. Basawa Singh


appendix iii: life long Torture

1 ali ahmed Sadiqi

2 amar Singh

3 arjan Singh

4 Bishan Singh

5 Bhagel Singh

6 Bishan Singh

7 Bishan Singh

8 Budha Singh

9 chuhar Singh

10 chet ram

11 Gurmukh Singh

12 Ganda Singh

13 Gujjar Singh

14 Hazara Singh

15 Hari Singh

16 Harnam Singh

17 Harnam Singh

18 Harnam Singh

19 Hira Singh

20 Hardit Singh

21 i Sidhu

22 inder Singh

23 Jiwan Singh

24 Jawala Singh

25 Kehar Singh

26 Kapur Singh

27 Karan Singh

28 Kartar Singh

29 Kartar Singh

30 Kehar Singh

31 Kirpa ram

32 Kirpa Singh

33 labh Singh

34 lal Singh

35 lal Singh

36 Madan Singh

37 Mangal Singh

38 Maharaj Singh

39 Mian Jawahar Singh

40 Munsha Singh

41 Pakhar Singh

42 Piara Singh

43 roda Singh

44 ram rakha

45 randhir Singh

46 roor Singh

47 Sajjan Singh

48 Sant Wasakha Singh

49 Sher Singh

50 Sucha Singh

51 Sundar Singh

52 udham Singh

53 Wir Singh

appendix iV: incarcerated in american Jails

1. Gobind Behari lal

2. Bhagwan Singh

3. tarak nath das

4. Bishan Singh Hindi

5. chandra Kanta chakravarty

6. dhirendra Kumar Sarkar

7. Godha ram

8. Gopal Singh

9. iman din

10. Mahadeo abaji nandedkar

11. Munshi ram

12. naranjan das

13. nidhan Singh

14. Santokh Singh

15. Sundar Singh Ghalli

16. H.l. Gupta


appendix V: Books, references Consulted

1. Ghadar Movement, Harish K. Puri, 1993 edition

2. Ghadar Movement – a Short History, Harish K. Puri, 2011

3. canada de Gadari yodhe, Sohan Singh Pooni, 2009

4. Gadar Party lehar by Jagjit Singh, 2nd edition 1979

5. Sikhs, Swamis, Students, and Spies by Harold Gould

6. indian immigrants in uSa by Premdatta varma

7. the role of the Ghadar Party in the national Movement by G.S. deol, 1969

8. Hindustan Gadar Party by Sohan Singh Josh, desh Bhagat yadgar committee,Jullunder, 2007

9. Haj to utopia by Maia ramnath, 1973

10. the Ghadr directory, compiled by the director, intelligence Bureau, Home de-partment, Government of india, new-delhi, 1934, reprint by Punjabi univer-sity Patiala, 1997.

11. War against King emperor – Ghadr of 1914-15, Malwinderjit Singh Waraichand Harinder Singh, 2001

12. lahore conspiracy cases i and ii, Malwinderjit Singh Waraich and HarinderSingh, 2008

13. an account of Ghadr conspiracy, F.c. isemonger & J. Slattery, indian Police,Punjab, lahore, 1919, reprinted 1998

14. various issues of virsa (Punjabi), published by desh Bhagat yadgar commit-tee, Jullunder

15. Gadarian di Shauni – Jhar Sahib by charanji lal Kanganiwal, 2012

16. Ghadar Party da itihas (Punjabi), Part 1, 1912-1917, desh Bhagat yadgar com-mittee, Jullunder, 1969, p.99.

17. Kale Panian di dastan (Punjabi) by Prof. dalbir Kaur and dr Prem Singh, deshBhagat yadgar committee, Jullunder, 2012

18. chand Phansi ank (Punjabi), edited by Harish Jain, 2006

19. lahu Bhinan yadan by Baba Harbhajan Singh chaminda, 3rd edition 2011

20. atamkatha – Gadari Baba Harnam Singh, edited by Malwinderjit SinghWaraich and Sita ram Bansal, 2011

21. atamkatha – Baba Sajjan Singh narangwal, edited by Malwinderjit SinghWaraich and Sita ram Bansal, 2011

22. Jeewani Gadar Baba Shaheed udham Singh Kasel (Punjabi) by charanji lalKanganiwal, desh Bhagat yadgar committee, Jullunder, 2010

23. Gadari Babe Gurmukh Singh dee Jeewani by Bhagat Singh Bilga, 2004

24. Gadari yodha Bhai Santokh Singh, desh Bhagat yadgar committee, Jullunder, 2003

25. Meri ram Kahani – Sohan Singh Bhakna, rajvinder Singh rahi, 2012

26. Sikhpioneers.com

27. the encyclopedia of Sikhism, Panjabi university, Patiala

BHUPINDER S. MAC

Bhupinder S. Mac is a businessman cur-rently settled in Hidden Hills, California. Borna Sikh in Hyderabad, India, Bhupinder movedto London, England in 1969, where he studiedbusiness management. In England, Bhupindergraduated from the Institute of Certified Ac-countants and became a qualified CertifiedPublic Accountant.

In 1981, Bhupinder moved to Los Angeles where he owns and operatesan extensive chain of Chevron and other branded gasoline stations. Bhupin-der is married to Amarjit Mac and has four children, all of whom are estab-lished in various fields.

JAGDISH KHANGURA

Jagdish or Jack as he is known to many is anelectrical engineer-turned-businessman. Heowns several gas stations and car washes. Hecomes from the family of Gadar heroes. Hisgrandfather, Kartar Singh Dukki (see profile inbook), was a well known Gadarite.

Jack started the Baba Kartar Singh DukkiHigher Secondary School in village Latala, dis-trict Ludhiana, Punjab. He created Baba Kartar Singh Dukki EducationalTrust with large endowment amounts to meet the needs of students in var-ious ways, such as cash for books, bikes, clothes and scholarships. Jacklives in Los Angeles area and is a well respected businessman and a philan-thropist.

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