History
of the Ghadar Movement
by Jaspal Singh
The British View
"The
word Ghadar means mutiny...it is aimed at bringing about a revolution in India
in order to secure liberation from British Control. The headquarters of the
Ghadar Party were established in San Francisco and the Party published their own
paper known as the Ghadar, and founded an institution known as the
Yugantar Ashram, the object of the institution being to instill patriotic
feelings in young Indians and train them for a rising in India."
-
Director of the Intelligence Bureau,
Home
Department, New Delhi 1934
"The
Ghadar, or Mutiny, conspiracy derived its origin from the Pacific Coast of
America, its centre being at San Francisco...the object of the paper (Ghadar)
was to bring about a rising in India within few years because the people could
no longer bear the oppression and tyranny practiced under English rule. It was
stated that the Yugantar Ashram had been founded in San Francisco, and that in
this institution books would be compiled, young preachers trained, and
preparations for a rising would be taken in hand. The paper amply fulfilled the
worst anticipations that could have been formed from such an introduction. It
was violently anti-British in nature, playing on every passion that it could
possibly excite...and urging all Indians to go to India with the express
intention of committing murder, causing revolution and expelling the British
Government by any means."
-
Account of Ghadr Conspiracy
Punjab
Police, Lahore 1919
"...That
these defendants in the year 1914, about the beginning of the European war,
entered into a conspiracy the object of which was to produce mutiny and
rebellion and the overthrow of the British Government in India...that in order
to produce this rebellion and mutiny in India, these defendants did certain
things in the United States of America... that these defendants conspired to
recruit men in America, to give them training in the use of arms and explosives
in America, to dispatch them to India to places on the border line of the Indian
territory, there to be assembled and trained further by officers in part at
least sent from America; that likewise in this country funds were
provided,...that men were to be dispatched from here to carry these funds that
were to be expanded in other places than America; that these men were to go
themselves, some of them, and engage in this rebellion; that arms and
ammunitions were to be purchased and shipped from our shores and from our
borders; that passage was to be engaged in large numbers for returning persons
desiring to enter into this military enterprise."
-
Prosecution of Gadharites in the US
San
Francisco 1917
(The
British government spent $2.5 million on this trial, an enormous sum indicating
the degree to which the Empire feared this movement.)
The
Ghadar Movement was a movement of patriotic, progressive, democratic, and
enlightened Indians living abroad, working for the emancipation of India from
the yoke of British colonialism and the birth of a new India based on national
and social emancipation. They organized themselves in 1913 among communities
throughout the world, adopting the following goals and means:
1.
To liberate India with the force of arms from British servitude and to establish
a free and independent India with equal rights for all.
2.
To establish their headquarters in San Francisco, that would serve as a base to
coordinate all the activities for achieving these aims and objectives.
3.
To publish a weekly paper, Ghadar, in Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi and in other
languages of India.
4.
To hold organisational elections every year to elect a coordination committee
from the different committees to carry out all the work.
5.
To organize cells amongst Indian railway, industrial, and farm workers, as well
as students who would be directly linked to the centre.
6.
The coordination committee would elect a three-member commission to supervise
the political and underground work.
7.
Revenue would be drawn from each member through a monthly contribution of one
dollar.
8.
No discussion or debate was to take place on religion within the organization.
Religion was considered a personal matter and that it had no place in the
organization.
9.
Every member was duty bound to participate in the liberation struggle of that
country in which they were resident.
At
the initial gathering in Astoria in 1913, Sohan Singh Bhakna was elected
President, Kesar Singh Thathgarh, Vice President, Lala Hardayal, General
Secretary, Lala Thakur Das Dhuri, Joint Secretary, and Pandit Kanshi Ram
Mardauli, Treasurer.
In
a conference held in Sacramento, California in December 1913, new members were
included in the executive committee: Santokh Singh, Kartar Singh Sarabha, Arur
Singh, Pirthi Singh, Pandit Jagat Ram, Karm Singh Cheema, Nidhan Singh Chugha,
Sant Vasakha Singh, Pandit Munshi Ram, Harnam Singh Kotla, Nodh Singh. To carry
out the secret and underground work of the party, a three-member commission was
also constituted by Sohan Singh Bhakhna, Santokh Singh and Pandit Kanshi Ram.
Publication
of Ghadar also began after this conference. On its masthead the paper had
inscribed in bold letters - Enemy of the British Rule in India. It
included articles on the conditions of the people of India under British
hegemony, and it also dealt with the problems that confronted Indians abroad
such as racial attacks and discrimination. It called upon the Indian people to
unite and rise up against British rule and throw the British out of India. Ghadar
was published in Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi and in other languages of India.
Besides Ghadar, the Yugantar Ashram, the headquarters of the Ghadar
Party, also brought out various publications to raise the consciousness of the
people and organize them to revolt against the British. A poster entitled,
"Jang Da Hoka" (Declaration of War), which was distributed
widely, read as following:
Clarion
Call for the Ghadar Army
The
British have occupied our dear land. Our commerce and industry has been ruined.
They have plundered and looted the wealth of Hindustan and brought famine and
plague. More than 90 million Hindustanis do not even have one square meal a day.
Thirty million have died due to famine and plague. They are sending all our
produce and grains to England. It is due to these conditions of misery that
Hindustanis have started going to far off lands such as Australia, Canada,
America, and Africa and when they have begun to fill their stomachs, it has
poked needles and pins in the heart of the British. Because it has opened the
eyes of the Hindustanis and they are understanding all the schemes of the
British, these British strangle us in India. And when we come abroad here they
also make our lives miserable. They have closed Australia and Canada for us. Our
mothers, sisters and children are treated like animals in Africa by the British.
Now
the British are pressuring the American government to stop us from coming to the
shores of America. The American government has said that if the British
government is stopping the Hindus from coming to their own-ruled countries,
Australia and Canada, why should we allow them to come here. This bill is in
their parliament (Congress). If this bill is passed we will be ruined. Other
countries will also make such laws. Now is the time to do something about this
condition.
Brave
Hindis! Awaken from your sleep. The British are getting you thrown out from
everywhere. Let us unite and fight so such laws are not passed here. We should
also think about, whether or not these laws pass, what should we do? What is our
duty at this time? Our duty at this time is to prepare an army to fight against
British rule in India which is the root of all our problems. This is not the
time for talk. This is the time for war. How long will you wait? How long will
the world keep calling you slaves? On Sunday, February 15, a huge gathering will
take place in Stockton. All Hindus and Muslims of America are called upon to
join. No more petition to the oppressors. Now we have to take our rights with
sword. AN ARMY WILL BE RECRUITED FOR THE
GHADAR IN INDIA.
Come brothers, you have earned plenty of dollars! Take the ship back to our motherland! Come let us go back to our motherland and raise the banner of revolt! Come to the gathering in Stockton and take a vow to go back to Hindustan and fight in the Ghadar! Just as this call is written in blood in the same fashion the letter of freedom will be written in ours and the blood of the British on the soil of Hindustan. For this oath, this call is being sent out from the Yugantar Ashram. This is not a paper, but a declaration of war! Stop everything and come! Do not delay! ONLY HE IS A BRAVE FIGHTER WHO FIGHTS FOR HIS COUNTRY. EVEN IF HE IS CUT INTO PIECES, HE DOES NOT LEAVE THE BATTLEFIELD.
_______________
AN
OPEN LETTER TO THE PEOPLE OF INDIA
Dear
Friends,
We
do not have to remind you; you all know how much we have suffered under the
British rule. We all wish to get rid of this foreign tyrant who has been
bleeding us white. The time is coming when our united efforts will be able to
throw off the yoke of this aggressor.
Another world war is approaching. We must take advantage of this opportunity. England is sure to get involved in the coming war. Political wisdom demands that we must utilize this rare opportunity for our good. We must put forward our demand for complete independence when our enemy, British imperialism, is engaged in a life and death struggle.
To
save her life, Britain will need India's friendship more than anything else. We
must demand complete independence as the price of our friendship.
We
must let the British rulers know in clear terms right that if they care for the
friendship of India, they must be prepared to give India full independence at
once. Otherwise India will resist to limit their effort to get any help from
India. It is beside the point how we will resist, but resist we will.
Complete
independence means India's control over treasury, foreign affairs, and military
forces. Nothing short of that will do.
We
must remember that we can no longer trust any more promises from the British
imperialists. To our sorrow, we have found out many times that we can not rely
upon their words. We must stand pat on our demands; we must one way or another
unite until our demands are met.
The
world situation is such that the British will think twice before refusing
India's demand. We must not miss this golden opportunity.
To
get full advantage of the situation, we must put up a strong united front. All
those Hindustanis who really work for independence must come together in a
united front. Personal differences must be forgotten. Unity of purpose is
essential for our cause. All of us who hold India's freedom dear to us, must
work to establish a formidable united front. Our demands backed by our united
front will have a telling effect.
Our
demands must be popularized among our countrymen. Our people must be made to act
in case our demands are not met.
Now
is the time to educate our people: tomorrow may be too late. During the war,
martial law will make things difficult. Unless the masses are made ready to act,
our demands will not have much weight. The British imperialists care little for
empty resolutions unless they are backed by united might of the masses.
War
may start any day. We have not a moment to lose. We must do our best to educate
and organize the Indian masses while we have time. Our slogans must be such as:
Complete
Independence or Non-cooperation! Freedom or Nothing Else! No Freedom, No
Soldiers from India! No Freedom, No Money from India! Freedom or Resistance!
Yours
for the cause
Soldiers of Independence
_______________
FACTS
AND FIGURES - THE BALANCE SHEET
(Bilan, Complete Rendu, Translated from the Hindustan Ghadar)
SOME
MAIN ITEMS
(1)
Englishmen drain from India and take to England every year 50 crore rupees ($167
million); consequently the Hindus have become so poor that the daily average
income per capita is only 5 paise (2.5 cents).
(2)
The land tax is more than 65% of the net produce.
(3)
The expenditure on the education of 240 million persons is about 0.02 percent
per head per annum,
about
$40,000,000
on
sanitation $6,000,000
but
on the army $330,000,000
(4)
Under the British rule, the famines are ever on the increase and in the last ten
years 20 million men, women, and children have died of starvation.
(5)
From the plagues that have occurred, during the sixteen years past, 8 million
deaths have resulted. And the death rate during the last thirty years has
steadily increased from 24 per mile to 34 per mile.
(6)
Means are employed to spread disunion and disorder in the native states and to
increase British influence there.
(7)
Englishmen are not punished for murdering Hindus or for insulting Hindu women.
(8)
With money taken form the Hindus, aid is given to English Christian priests.
(9)
Attempt is always made to create enmity between people of different religious
denominations.
(10)
The arts and crafts (Industries) of India have been destroyed for England's
benefit.
(11)
Employing India's money, and sacrificing the lives of the Hindus as soldiers,
China, Afghanistan, Burma, Egypt and Persia have been conquered.
(12)
For the sake of the almighty dollar, the British government has forced poppy
cultivation in India, thereby creating the drug menace for India and the world.
The
Ghadarites wanted to establish a Democratic Republic of India in which all
peoples, irrespective of their race, religion, gender, language, or national
origin, would have equal rights. They envisioned a United States of India as a
federation of all the nations, nationalities and tribal people of Hindustan.
This was illustrated by the poster of United States of India issued by the
Ghadar Party (see illustration). According to Bhagat Singh Bilga one of the few
Ghadarites still alive, Ghadarites were influenced by the First War of India's
Independence of 1857 (the oiriginal Great Ghadar), and the American, French, and
Bolshevik Revolutions. They wanted a completely independent, secular, and
democratic India in which there would be no exploitation of man by man.
A
precursor of Ghadar, The Talvar, which was printed in Berlin, had
on its front page in a April-May 1910 issue a couplet from Bhadur Shah Zafar,
one of the leaders of the Ghadar of 1857, and the lead article was dedicated to
May 10, 1857, the date of the uprising. The article concludes:
In
memory of
Rani
Lakshmi Bai and her comrades
Mandar
and Kashi
Rana
Kunwar Singh
Maulvi
Ahmad Shah
Tantia
Tope
Kuar
Khuda Baksh
Ghulam
Ghose Khan
Mangal
Pandey
and
of those tens of thousand men and women who perished in 1857 in the sacred
attempt to wrench the mother from the hands of the Faranghi.
A
March 19,1917 issue of Ghadar proclaimed in bold letters "RUSSIA HAS
BECOME FREE, SOON INDIA WILL BE FREE", following the fall of the Czarist
regime in Russia and the beginning of the revolution there.
In
their publications, the Ghadarites dealt with the problems and issues of the
day. In Nia Zamana, they urged all Indians to unite and fight for a new
India and spare no sacrifice for the freedom of their land and work tirelessly
for liberty and the rights of all. They also engaged in polemics against various
organisations and tendencies that they regarded as diversions from the most
important task at hand, namely revolution:
It
is the duty of all to use every endeavor to improve the condition of India, but
it is also necessary to act intelligently...there are several wrong movements in
the country which are of no value upon which money, time and moral power are
being wasted. The founders of these movements are fools or selfish men, who hope
to obtain a reward from Government by misleading the young men of the
country...The following are some of the movements:
The
Congress: All
wise men know that the Congress is an official assembly. The founder of this
assembly of ignorant persons was an Englishman named Mr. Hume. Almost every year
an Englishman is appointed as its president. Mr. Gokhale, who takes a great part
in it, is a titled man and member of the Imperial Legislative Council. Messrs.
Mehta and Nauroji are also titled men...In short, all its members are flatterers
and timid men. They do not think of measures for the prevention of famine and
plague. They have learnt certain sentences which they repeat every year...They
beg government to give them their rights merely by begging...These empty shows
can not result in preventing famines, reducing taxes, spreading industry,
introducing administration of real justice, filling the stomachs of cultivators
and removing plague. The appointment of a few young men to Legislative councils
can not result in any good to the country, even though they may be able to
deliver very eloquent speeches. The acceptance of government service by able
Indians only causes great harm to the nation...This is not the way to free
country from the calamities which are devastating it...great courage and wisdom
are required to awaken the country. The flattery of Englishmen can be of no
avail...Congress is in the hands of Englishmen and conducted by them from
London...Avoid it...
Religious
Movements--Several new creeds and religious associations are coming into
existence in India, everyone of which boasts of liberating India from
Slavery...Religious disputes among different sections are considered by some as
signs of the activity and energy of the Hindu nation...They think that when
there is one religion throughout India no foreign nation can aspire to become
her ruler. But this is not borne out by history and is opposed to common sense.
Every person can have his/her own philosophical or religious principles. Nobody
should be compelled to act upon a particular principle and thought...Social
organisations should not be based upon religion...India has produced patriots
like Ram Singh, Nana Sahib, Tantia, The Rani of Jhansi, Mr. Tilak, Amba Prasad
Sufi, and Ajit Singh, but the religion of these men was not the same. So it is
not necessary that there should be one religion throughout the country...It is
foolish to think that a single religious association would be sufficient for all
purposes. Education and social reform should not be based on religion...The
prosperity and happiness of a people does not depend on a particular creed...To
abandon efforts for liberty and equality and to devote one's entire zeal to
religion is to degrade one's self below the status of man. Duty, knowledge and
happiness depend on liberty and equality and upon these also depends the
deliverance of a country, and in fact of the whole world.
Hindu
Sabha--An
association called by this name exists in Northern India. Its business is to
celebrate certain festivals and to send congratulatory messages to the
Lieutenant Governor. The members of this society are rich and titled
sycophants...As the supporters of this movement are mostly flatterers and
sycophants who have no idea of liberty it can not be conducive to any good to
the country.
Temperance--This
movement is also unnecessary, for a very low percentage of Hindus drink liquor.
It is a foolish movement, for drink is not ruining India. It is not the cause of
famine or plague. It does not rob people of their money, nor is it the cause of
injustice being done to them. If you really want to do some work, you should
work against the British Government: otherwise do not make useless noise.
Protection
of Cows--This
also is a useless movement, for the Hindus do not kill cows and they have no
control over the Muhammadans or the Christians who do so...To obtain liberty
should be the first aim of every person and one must have a greater regard for
the rights and interests of human beings than for those of the cow...
Education--When the Hindus have nothing else to do they turn their attention to establishing colleges and universities...True education can not be imparted in any country before it has acquired liberty, for in such country all schools of the people possess no rights, their education will be wholly under the control of the government...
Social
Reforms--Some
Hindus lay great stress upon such minor matters as the age of marriage, the
re-marriage of widows, the raising of the depressed classes and so on. These
reforms are good but do not limit great movements to these objects...It is not
due to any social custom that 75 Lakhs of men have died and that plague and
famine visit the country so frequently...Try to include liberty and equality in
the politics of your country and then you will find true knowledge and happiness
everywhere...
Spread
of Hindi Language--The Urdu-Hindi controversy misleads many lovers of the
nation. As regards such movements it should be remembered that the proper time
for them will be when we have obtained our goal...It is childish to ask
government to introduce Hindi in courts or to have Hindi inscriptions on coins
and currency notes. Do you consider government courts permanent that we ask
government to introduce Hindi there?...whilst there is so much clamour against
Urdu, why is there none against English, which is a foreign language?"
The
Ghadarites saw social and national emancipation of the peoples of India as the
most decisive condition for a prosperous and happy life. Therefore they
concentrated all their efforts and energies and urged all the peoples of
Hindustan to do so irrespective of their creed, colour, language, or caste. They
wanted dignity and honour for all in and outside of Hindustan, and the necessary
condition for this was the liberation of India from the rule of the British and
their collaborators. To liberate India from the shackles they called upon all
the Indians to return to India and overthrow the British rule.
Through
the pages of Ghadar Di Goonj they spread their message in poetic form. Ghadar
Di Goonj was published in Shahmukhi and Gurmukhi. This poetry was hard
hitting and simple:
Kuli
Kuli Pukarda Jag Saanun
Saada
Jhulda Kitey Nishan Kiyon Nahin
Kikoon
Bachangey Sada Ghulam Rahkey
Saanun
Rajniti Wala Giyan Kiyon Nahin
Dhayi
Totru Kha Gaye Khet Sada
Hindustan
da Koi Kisan Kiyon Nahin
(We
are called coolies in countries abroad
We
do not have a flag of our own
Will
we always live the life of slaves?
Why
do we not know the science of politics?
A
handful people have taken control of our land
Why
is not there a caretaker of Hindustan?)
Marna
Bhala Ghulami di Zindagi Ton
Nahin
Sukhan eh Man Bhulaavney Da
Mulk
Jaagyaya Cheen Jo Ghook Suta
Dhol
Vajyaya Hind Jagaawanney Da
Saanun
Lord Na Panditan Kazian Di
Nahin
Shok Hai Berda Dubavaney Da
Jap
Jaap Da Waqt Bateet Hoya
Vella
Aa Giya Teg Uthavney Da
Pardhkey
Ghadr Akhbar Nun Khabar Lagi
Vela
Aa Giya Ghadr Machavaney Da
(It
is better to die than live a life of servitude
We
should never forget this saying
China
has awakened from its sleep
Battle
drums of Hindustan's awakening are raging
We
do not need Pandits or Kazis
As
we do not want our ship to sink
The
time for prayers and Puja is past
This
is the time to pick up the sword
The
Ghadar paper is proclaiming
That
the time for revolt is here)
It
also stated which organisational steps people must take:
Khufiya
Raj Societiyan Karo Kaayam
Rall
Marhatey Bengali De Yaar Ho Jayo
Hindu
Sikh Te Momno Karo Jaldi
Ik
Dusrey De Madadgar Ho Jayo
(Establish
secret political organizations
Bengalis
and Marathis all should get together
Hindu,
Sikh and Muslims all should unite
And
stand together with each other)
Ghar
Ghar Gupti Sabha Banayo
Logan
Ko Mantar Sikhlayo
Har
Aik Dil Main Jot Jagayo
Binan
Joot Yeh Bhoot Na Jaayi
Jaldi
Ghadar Macha Diyo Bhai
(Form
secret societies in every household
Arouse
the people with the Mantra of freedom
Start
the spark in every heart
Without
force the scourge of British colonialism will not leave
Hurry
to the call of revolution)
They
described the conditions of Hindustan:
Bhukhey
Marnn Bacchey Kaall Vich Sadey
Khatti
Khann Saadi Englistan Walley
Kannak
Beejkey Khann Nun Jaun Mildey
Paisa
Chhadadey Nahin Laggan Valley
Laayiya
Tax Firangiyan Bahut Yaaro
Bhukhey
Marann Gharib Dukaan Valley
Karo
Paltan Nun Khabardar Jaakey
Sutey
Payey Kiyon Teg Chalaan Valley
Musalmaan
Pathan Balwan Dogar
Singh
Soormey Yudh Machaann Valley
Hindustaniyan
Morchey Fatey Keetey
Burma,
Misar Te Cheen Sudan Valley
(Our
children are dying in famines
The
English are enjoying the fruit or our toil
We
sow wheat but we get barley to eat
We
are not left with a penny, all is taken by the tax collectors
The
English have levied heavy taxes
Poor
shopkeepers are dying of hunger
Go
and arouse the army
Why
those who wield the sword are asleep?
Brave
Muslims, Pathans and Dogras
Valiant
Sikhs in the battlefield
Hindustanis
fighting on fronts in
Burma,
China, Egypt and Sudan)
They
exposed the so-called leaders of the Hindustanis, the collaborators of the
British:
Jattan
Sidhiyan Nun Koi Dosh Nahin
Sadey
Leaderan Da Manda Haal Singho
Rai
Bandran Mulk Veeran Kita
Piyar
Rakhdey Bandran Nal Singho
Sanun
Paas Angrez De Bechaya Hai
Aap
Mulk De Banney Dalal Singho
(The
common folk is not to be blamed
Our
'leaders' are traitors
Rai
Bhadurs, copy cats of the British, have ruined our land
They
have sold us to the British
And
have become pimps of the British)
They
called upon the people of Hindustan to see through the illusions spread by the
leaders of Indian National Congress such as Gandhi, Nehru and others:
Ghairat
Annakh Wala Je Khoon Hunda
Dehli
Takht Zaalam Saathon Khasade Naan
Banner,
Bipin, Gandhi, Madanmohan Varge
Eh
Firangiyaan De Boot Jhasde Naan
(If
our leaders had fought for our self respect
We
would not have lost our country and rule
The
kind of Bannerji, Bipin Chander Pal, Gandhi
And
Madanmohan Malviya would not
Have
Licked the Boots of the British)
Deputationaan
Te Resolutionaan Te
Muft
Dhan Kharab Karaaya Kiyon
Naram
Dil Congressi Leadraan Nun
Tusin
Sutiyo Leader Banyaya Kiyon
(Deputations
and resolutions are waste of money
These
leaders of Congress who have soft corner
for
the British have become leaders
Because
you are asleep and not conscious)
They
also pointed out the old Indian tradition:
Kade
Mangyian Milann Azadiyan Na
Hunde
Tarliyan Naal Na Raj Loko
(Freedom
is not obtained by begging
By
appeals political power is not won)
Karo
Na Minnat Ainwe Bano Na Kaiyar
Fardo
Talwar Ehnan Nahin Rahnna
Agge
Veero Arjiyan Ne Ki Banna Liya
Zalam
Firangyian Ne Desh Kha Liya
(Do
not petition like cowards
Take
the sword and they will run
What
have all the petitions done?
Brutal
British have plundered our land)
They
called upon the Hindustani soldiers to revolt:
Tusin
Lardo Jaa Key Khaatar Goriyan De
Singho
Bholiyo Karde Khyal Kiyon Nahin
Desan
Dujiyan Te Nit Karo Dhaavey
Mulk
Apna Laindey Sambhaal Kiyon Nahin
Tibet,
Cheen, Africa Nun Fateh Kardey
Dita
Dushmanan Hath Dakhal Kiyon Nahin
Utho
Azadi Da Lavo Jhaaka
Ralke
Kheddey Kiyon Gulal Nahin
(You
go and fight for the British
You
brave lions just think about it
You
fight in far and distant lands
Why
not take charge of your own land?
You
have subdued Tibet, China, Africa for the British
Why
not show your valor to our enemy the British?
Arise
and breathe the fresh air of Freedom
Why
do you not play Holi with the blood of British?)
Faujan
Waliyo Tusaan Di Matt Maari
Lokaan
Waste Karo Lardayian
Vairi
Tusan Da Gheriya Vich Europe
Vaila
Saanbh Layo Dheriyan Dhayian Kiyon
(Soldiers
awaken and come to your senses
Why
are you fighting for the others, the British
Our
enemy is caught in Europe
Take
advantage of this situation and revolt)
They
also exposed those 'religious leaders' who collaborated with the British in
dividing the people on the basis of religion:
Kazi,
Pandatan , Ate Giyaniyan Ne
Yudh
Karan Da Vachan Sunawnna Na
Bhaunkan
Raat Diney Bhukhye Tukrdiaan De
Khali
Rahannge Dhidh Bharavanna Na
Haddi
Pun Pai Ju Thode Khalsa Ji
Marda
Dhan Puja Wala Khawna Na
Vaja
Mominan Di Kam Luchyian De
Deel
Dol Nun Vaikh Bhul Jawana Na
Saanun
Lord Na Amayan Afayan Di
Ilam
Ragard Forde Uttey Lawnna Na
(Kazis,
Pandits and Giyanis of Gurudwara
Will
not speak of fighting the British
They
bark like dogs day and night
Looking
for the crumbs from the British
If
you listen to them your bellies will remain empty
Your
bones will be eaten by cancer
If
you eat the crumbs that they give
They
wear garb of holy men but
Their
deeds are those of devil
Do
not be fooled by their garb
We
do not need useless degrees of BA and MA
We
want solutions to our problems)
To
organize the Hindustanis abroad and in India for revolution was the chief aim of
the Ghadar Party. Ghadar, and other publications of the Yugantar Ashram
became tools for this organizing activity. Soon there were Ghadar Party branches
in China, Malaya, Siam, Europe, the Philippines, Africa, Hongkong, Singapore,
Panama, Argentina, Brazil, Iran, Afghanistan, Japan, Russia, amongst other
locations. Wherever there were Hindustanis, there were Ghadar Party branches. By
1916, it is estimated that one million copies of Ghadar were published
per week.
Special
issues of Ghadar were also printed in Nepali, Bengali, Pashto, Gujrati, as well
as many other languages. The British government used every means to stop the
circulation of Ghadar and other publications of the Yugantar Ashram,
mainly to stop it from reaching India, but they were not successful. The
Ghadarites always found ways and means of distributing their publications in
India in spite of proscription and efforts by the British to stop the
distribution of Ghadar.
The
British Government also tried with all its might to slander, suppress, and
eradicate the Ghadar Movement abroad by conniving with the Governments of Canada
and the USA and by recruiting spies and their agents such as Hopkinson and
others to closely watch the activities of the Ghadarites. For this purpose they
also recruited a temple priest in San Francisco and some Granthis in Gurudwaras.
As a result of this pressure, Lala Hardyal was arrested on March 25, 1914.
Because of Hopkinson's reposts, he was forced to leave the USA in April 1914.
Return
to India.
The
Ghadarites decided that the time was ripe to organize a revolt in the army
against the British, as the first world war was approaching and it was only
through armed force that the British were able to subjugate Hindustan. With men
and materiel flowing out of India to aid in the war effort, the forces of
occupation were perched precariously, depleted and vulnerable to attack.
Therefore they decided to organize and return to Hindustan. In August 1914 huge
rallies and public meetings were organized, where it was decided that all the
Hindus abroad should return to Hindustan and participate in the armed revolt
against the British. The Executive Committee of the Ghadar Party met and decided
to call upon all the Ghadarites everywhere to return to India and organize the
revolt. Kartar Singh Sarabha, one of the youngest Ghadarites, was a student at
Berkeley and left right away with other Ghadarites. The president of Ghadar
Party, Sohan Singh Bhakhna, who was in Japan, also organized to return home with
others. Similarly, the Ghadarites planned to return from other parts of the
world. They left a few organizers abroad to carry on the work. They worked out
the following plan:
1.
To contact all the revolutionary groups in India on their return and unite with
them.
2.
The Ghadarite organizers should travel from village to village and prepare the
people for the revolt against the British.
3.
To propagate amongst the soldiers in the cantonments and arouse them to revolt
against the British. A special committee was elected for this work.
4.
For acquisition of weapons, a special group was organized.
5.
A special group to carry on the work of publishing literature to distribute
amongst the people and soldiers.
6.
To further strengthen relations with all those movements who were fighting
against colonialism for their national liberation and seek their help.
7.
To seek possibilities of help from Germany and Turkey who were fighting against
the British.
To
get help from enemies of the British, Barakatullah was sent to Kabul to organize
this work. Kapur Singh Mohi met with Sun Yat Sen to seek the help of the Chinese
revolutionaries. Sohan Singh Bhakhna also met with the German Counselor in Tokyo
in this regard. Teja Singh Sutantar had joined the Turkish Military Academy for
military training to prepare for the revolutionary storms. Ghadarites returned
to India through sea and land. The Komagata Maru, SS Korea, and
the Namsang were some of the ships on which thousands of Ghadarite
returned home:
"The
most important vessel to leave San Francisco was the SS Korea, which left
for Hong Kong on the 29th August...Before the ship left San Francisco Maulvi
Barkatullah, Ram Chand and Bhagwan Singh came aboard and gave the following
advice, 'your duty is clear. Go to India and stir up rebellion in every corner
of the country. Arms will be provided for you on your arrival in India."
It
is estimated that close to 8000 Ghadarites returned to Hindustan to aid in the
revolt by 1916. In a speech in Dehra Dun Bhai, Parmanand declared that five
thousand Ghadarites had returned with him.
The
British authorities knew about the plans of the Ghadarites. They had also seen
the Declaration of War in Ghadar and also had information through their
agents. They issued an ordinance in September 1914, according to which
provincial governments were empowered to intern people entering India from
abroad even if they were Indian citizens. Bengal and Punjab governments were
given these powers first because a great deal of ships on which the Ghadarites
were returning were to dock at Calcutta. They also established a detention
centre in Ludhiana where those passengers who were suspected of being Ghadarites
were interned. The passengers of Komagatu Maru were the first victims of
this ordinance. Sohan Singh Bhakhna and others were arrested from the ship Namsang
and brought to Ludhiana. Ghadarites traveling in Tosha Maru were also
arrested and taken to different jails such as Montgomery and Multan. But the
Ghadarites made it through Colombo, Madras, and Bombay.
In
India the Ghadarites developed close working relationships with other
revolutionary groups such as the revolutionaries of Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, etc.,
who later formed the Revolutionary Party of India which declared in 1917:
"The
immediate object of the revolutionary party in the domain of politics is to
establish a Federal Republic of the United States of India by an organized armed
revolution. The final constitution of this Republic shall be framed and declared
at a time when the representatives of India shall have the power to carry out
their decisions. But the basic principles of this Republic shall be universal
suffrage, and the abolition of all systems which make the exploitation of man by
man possible;...In this Republic the electors shall have the right to recall
their representatives if so desired, otherwise the democracy shall become a
mockery. In this Republic, the legislature shall have the power to control the
executives and replace them whenever necessity will arise.
The
Revolutionary Party is not national but international in the sense that its
ultimate object is to bring harmony in the world by respecting and guaranteeing
the diverse interests of the different nations; it aims not at competition but
at cooperation between the different nations and states, and in this respect it
follows the footsteps of the great Indian Rishis and of Bolshevik Russia in the
modern age. Good for humanity is no vain and empty word for Indian
revolutionaries."
Vishnu
Ganesh Pingley, Kartar Singh Sarabha, Ras Bihari Bose, Bhai Parmanand, Hafiz
Abdullah, Sachinder Nath Sanyal, and others played very important roles in
developing these close relationships with other revolutionary groups. They aimed
to overthrow the British rule by force of arms and build a new society. For this
aim they were willing to unite and work together with all those forces that were
working for this common aim of liberating Hindustan.
Amritsar
was established as the control centre for the activity of the Ghadar party which
had to be changed to Lahore on February 6,1915 due to security considerations.
After analyzing all the reports from the organizers amongst the army and
civilians, it was decided on February 12,1915 that the date of uprising will be
February 21,1915. The plan was to occupy the cantonments of Mian Mir, Ferozepur,
Meerut, Lahore, and Delhi and proclaim the Republic of India. Garrisons in Kohat,
Bannu and Dinapur were also to revolt on the same day. Kartar Singh Sarabha was
to take control of Ferozepur and Pingle to march to Delhi from Meerut with the
128th Battalion.
Dr.
Mathura Singh was sent to the frontier areas of the Northwest to organize the
Afridis and others. Nidhan Singh Chugha, Gurmukh, Singh and Harnam Singh were
sent to Jhelum, Rawalpindi, and Hoti Mardan. Parmanand went to Peshawar. Others
were sent to Ambala, Meerut, Lucknow, Allahabad, Benares, Dinapur, and Faizabad
to raise the banner of revolt. They also decided that the flag of this revolt
and republic would be a tricolor of Red, Green and Yellow with two swords
crossing in the centre. The organization of revolt in the eastern part of India,
such as in Bengal and Assam, was to be coordinated by the Bengali
revolutionaries. The rebellion was to engulf the British Empire from Peshawar to
Hongkong.
Unfortunately
the British government got wind of the uprising through their agents. The
Ghadarites changed the date of uprising to February 19 instead of February 21,
after they determined that the authorities knew of their plans. But the British
authorities acted swiftly and disarmed the Indian troops in the above mentioned
garrisons and interned them. Several leaders of Ghadar Party and organizers were
arrested and imprisoned in Lahore; 82 of them were charged for sedition in
Lahore Conspiracy Case on April 26,1916 and 17 Ghadarites were declared
absconding and international non-bailable warrants for their arrest were issued.
Michael
O'Dwyer, the governor of Punjab, asked the British government to remove all
provisions of appeal in the legal provisions of the courts. The British
government brought in "Defence of India Rule" to carry out summary
trials of the Ghadarites. This ordinance was opposed by all the Indian members
of the legislative assembly. A special tribune was set up which held its
hearings in camera in a Lahore jail. On September 13,1915, 24 Ghadarites were
sentenced to death and the rest were given life imprisonment. This judgment of
the tribunal raised a wave of protest and demonstrations against the British all
over India. As a result the Viceroy Lord Hardinge himself intervened and
converted the death sentence of 17 Ghadarites into life imprisonment and reduced
the term of imprisonment for 7 Ghadarites. On November 16, seven Ghadarites were
hanged.
After
Lahore, arrests took place in Benaras and Delhi. Sachinder Nath Sanyal was
exiled to Andaman jail known as Kala Pani and others were given varying
rigorous sentences by the special tribunal. The Tribunal declared that they were
all part of the same movement with its centre in Lahore.
The
Ghadarites did not get disheartened by this set back and continued carrying on
their work. Arrests and imprisonments followed them. In the second Lahore
Conspiracy case, 102 Ghadarites were tried. This case began on October 25, 1915
and sentences were handed down on March 30, 1916. Seven Ghadarites were
sentenced to death, 45 were given life sentences and the rest were given
rigourous imprisonment varying from 8 months to four years. Eleven were let
free.
Several
Ghadarites were hanged, sentenced for life and given rigorous imprisonment in
the third, fourth and fifth Lahore Conspiracy Cases. According to one estimate,
a total of 145 Ghadarites were hanged, 308 were given sentences longer than 14
years.
Outside
India the Ghadarites had organized revolts amongst the Indian soldiers. They
started organizing the soldiers of the 26th Punjabi regiment in Hongkong. This
regiment had been brought in 1912 to suppress the Chinese democratic revolution
led by Sun Yat Sen. The British officer could go home on vacations but the
Hindustani soldiers had to remain on duty. Besides the 26th Punjabi, the 25th
Punjabi, 126th Baluchi and 50th Artillery was also stationed here. The Ghadar
Party had carried out work amongst them. Especially after the Komagata Maru
incident, they had a great deal of anti-British sentiment and Ghadar was
regularly distributed amongst them. On June 14, several of the soldiers in these
regiments were arrested and court-martialed for distributing Ghadar and
sent back to India and imprisoned.
In
Singapore two regiments, Fifth Holly Light and Malaya State Guide, were
garrisoned. The Ghadarites started their work in 1914 in Singapore and through Ghadar,
called upon the soldiers to revolt against the British and not participate in
the war on the British side. The British authorities, suspecting something was
amiss, transferred the Malaya State Guide to Penang. On the night of February
15,1914, the soldiers were ordered to deposit their ammunition and arms in the
depot. As a result the officers refused to obey this order and shot several of
the officers. The British reinforcements arrived by the 18th of February and
crushed this rebellion. Two leaders of the mutiny were hanged and 38 were shot
dead, and on the side of the British 8 officers, 9 soldiers and 17 civilians
were killed.
In
Rangoon in January 1915, the 130th Baluchi regiment revolted. They did not want
to fight in the war for the British. On January 15, 200 soldiers of this
regiment were court-martialed. Four soldiers were hanged, 69 were given life
imprisonment and 126 were given rigorous imprisonment for varying terms. Pandit
Sohan Lal Pathak, one of the outstanding leaders of the Ghadar Party was hanged
on February 10,1916 in Mandalay jail for inciting rebellion against the British
rule. At his martyrdom another Ghadarite Amar Singh wrote:
Chadha
Mansoor Phansi Par Pukara Ishk Bazon Ko
Yeh
Beeda Hai Tabahi Ka Uthaye Jiska Ji Chaahey
(From
the Gallows Mansoor called those who dared to love
This
path of self-sacrifice, those who march on it, should do so with complete free
will)
Burma
had also become an important centre of the Ghadarites. Several Ghadarites were
tried and sentenced in two Mandalay Conspiracy Cases.
In
December 1915, a government-in-exile of Free Hindustan was established in Kabul,
Afghanistan, with Raja Mohinder Pratap as President, Maulavi Barkatullah, Prime
Minister, Maulavi Abaidullah Sindhi, Home Minister, Maulavi Bashir, War Minister
and Champakaran Pillai, Foreign Minister. All of them were members of the Ghadar
Party except Raja Mahendra Pratap. This government-in-exile carried on work on
various fronts including the diplomatic fronts by establishing relationships
with anti-British governments such as Turkey, Germany, Japan, China, etc.
The
Ghadarites also organized the Hindustani prisoners of war in Turkey, Germany,
Mesopotamia, and the Middle East. The Ghadarites in Turkey fought against the
British in Iran, Baluchistan and Turkey. In Constantinople, they decided that
they will attack the British soldiers in Iran, move on to Baluchistan and then
enter Punjab from there. They also worked amongst the Hindustani soldiers in the
British army in Iran and Iraq, especially in Basra and Bushahir. It is here that
the Indian Independence Army was organized by the Ghadarites to invade British
India from Iran. Amba Prasad Sufi was the leader of the Ghadar Party in Shiraz.
He was joined by Kedar Nath, Rishi Kesh Letha and Amin Chaudhry. This army of
the Ghadarites reached the borders of Baluchistan where the British army was
very weak. General Sykes tried to recruit the help of the Baluchi tribal chiefs.
This Ghadarite army attacked the frontier city of Karman and arrested the
British Counsel and turned Karman into its base of operations.
The
British pressed into their service the Aga Khan and his brother. Aga Khan's
brother was captured by the Ghadarite army and shot dead. The army of the
Ghadarites also defeated the British forces in the province of Sistan in
Afghanistan. The Ghadar army chased the British forces into the Karamshir area
of Baluchistan. Here they heard the news and declaration of the Free Hindustan
by the government-in-exile headed by Mohendra Pratap. From here the Ghadar army
advanced towards Karachi and took over the coastal towns of Gawador and Dawar.
The Baluch chief of Bampur declared his independence from the British rule and
joined the Ghadar forces. Meanwhile, however, the war in Europe took a turn for
the better for the British. Turkey was defeated and Baghdad came under British
control, cutting the supply lines of for the Ghadar army, which finally led to
its defeat. They retreated to regroup in Shiraz. The British army, reinforced by
their victory in Turkey and Iraq, attacked Shiraz. The Ghadar army fought very
bravely but was defeated. Amba Prasad Sufi, the leader of the Ghadarites was
killed in this battle. The Ghadarites carried on Guerrilla warfare along with
the Iranian partisans but when the Iranian patriots were defeated, they left
Iran in 1919.
Ghadar
was sent through China to Russia and then through Russia, it used to go through
Iran and Mesopotamia to the Indian troops stationed there. The 15th Lancers,
stationed in Basra revolted and 64 soldiers were court-martialed. Similarly, the
24th Punjabi and 22nd Pahari also revolted.
Before
returning to India in 1914-15, the Ghadar Party had elected a new collective to
carry on the work. The following were elected to the executive committee:
1.
Bhai Bhagwan Singh---President
2.
Bhai Santokh Singh---General Secretary
3.
Munshi Ram---Treasurer
4.
Ram Chand---Manager of the paper
5.Gobind
Bihari Lal---Editor
6.Godha
Ram---Urdu Editor
7.Gopal
Singh Sohi---Punjabi Editor
8.Hari
Singh Fakir---Assistant Editor
9.Sundar
Singh Ghali---Office Secretary
10.
Ram Singh Dhuleta---Staff
11.Mahadev
Aboj---Staff
12.Imamdin---Staff
13.
Nidhan Singh---Staff
14.
Bishan Singh Hindi---Staff
As
it has been mentioned, one million copies of the Ghadar were published every
week by 1916. On January 22,1917, the movement was officially registered as the
Hindustan Ghadar Party in San Francisco to comply with the American law, with
its headquarters at 5 Wood Street.
The
Ghadarites were defeated but they were not crushed. They regrouped and decided
to carry on their work to fight another battle and yet another until Hindustan
was free. On the international scene, the defeat of Turkey and Germany had
created new difficulties and an unfavorable situation. The end of war had also
given rise to another event of great international significance: the Bolshevik
revolution in Russia, which had tremendous effect on the Ghadar Party's work and
direction. The news of the triumph of the workers' and peasants' revolution in
Russia inspired the people of Hindustan tremendously. There was great enthusiasm
on the part of workers, peasants, intellectuals, and enlightened individuals to
find out more and in detail about the achievements of this revolution. The
Ghadarites had been working closely with all the revolutionaries internationally
such as the Irish revolutionaries, the Chinese revolutionaries, the Russian
revolutionaries, as well as with the Egyptian, African, Latin American, and
Algerian revolutionaries. They had also been influenced by socialist ideas and
movements, and had close working relations with the trade union movement. In
North America they had aclose association with the IWW. Agnes Smedley, Emma
Goldman, Mary Lyon Howzer, Mrs. Carrington Lewis, Freida Birch, and Chas Lester
were some of the famous socialist and trade union leaders with whom the
Ghadarites had good working relations. These leaders of the working class and
democratic public opinion had assisted the Ghadarites tremendously in their
fight in the courts of Seattle and San Francisco. Agnes Smedley and her friends
including Tarak Nath Das, formed Friends of Freedom of India in 1919, to
popularize and support the cause of the Ghadarites in North America. Friends
of Freedom of India, had many socialists, communists, and labor organizers
as well as well-known writers and artists such as Upton Sinclair. Tarak Nath's
paper, Free Hindustan, which was published in Seattle in 1907, declared
in bold letters on its masthead, "Workers of the World Unite, You Have
Nothing to Lose But Chains."
The
triumph of the Bolshevik revolution naturally attracted their attention and drew
them to the Soviet Union and its experience, just as the French revolution,
American revolution, and the Mexican revolution of 1911 had drawn their
attention earlier. They were anxious to meet and learn from the leaders of the
October revolution who had overthrown the rule of exploiters, and who had
established a state of the exploited and the oppressed. The Ghadarites called
the Russian revolutionaries the Russian Ghadarites and considered them as their
Ghadarite brothers fighting for the same cause of national and social
liberation. In turn the Bolsheviks and the newly formed Soviet state had
declared unconditional support for the people of Hindustan in their struggle
against the British colonialism. Several Ghadarites had been in Russia during
the period of the Bolshevik revolution and the Russian revolutionaries had
assisted them in distributing Ghadar. By now these revolutionaries had
succeeded in overthrowing their oppressors and formed their own state and were
charting a new path hitherto unknown. Ghadarites were greatly excited by these
prospects.
The
Ghadar Party sent Rattan Singh and Santokh Singh as its representatives to the
Soviet Union to learn from the Bolsheviks. Talso attended the 4th Congress of
the Communist International (Comintern) as the Hindustani representatives:
"The IV Congress of the Communist International, which met in Moscow in November 1922, was attended by two representatives deputed by the Ghadar Party in California, one being Santokh Singh as a 'delegate from India' and the other Rattan Singh. Both of these men were thorough going Ghadar supporters."
..."Santokh
Singh it may be said , had also attended the Second World Congress of the
R.I.L.U., held in Moscow in November 1922...at a formal meeting of the Ghadar
Party to welcome him, he said that Russia, America and Turkey had secured
freedom through revolution, and that India would have to do the same."
The
fourth congress of the Comintern sent a telegram to the All Indian Trade Union
Congress, Lahore, and had advised them;
"No
amelioration of living conditions is possible while imperialist exploitation
exists. It is for this reason that you will play an important part in the
struggle for national independence. Prepare for this historic role. The advanced
proletariat of fifty-two countries represented at this Congress is entirely on
your side. Beware of the false friendship and the misleading advice of labour
leaders that are subservient to imperialism."
Comintern
also pointed out:
"Only
an agrarian revolution committed to the expropriation of the great landowners
can arouse the vast peasant masses, who will be a key factor in the struggle
against imperialism. The bourgeois nationalists fear of agrarian demands and
their efforts to water them down in every possible way (as in India, Persia,
Egypt) are an indication of the close connection between the native bourgeoisie
and the great feudal bourgeois landowners, and the former's intellectual and
political dependence on the latter. The revolutionary forces must use these
hesitations and uncertainties to make a thorough, ongoing criticism and exposure
of the compromises made by the bourgeois leaders of the nationalist movement. It
is precisely these compromisers that hinder the organization and rallying of the
working masses, as is shown by the bankruptcy of the tactic of passive
resistance."
Rattan
Singh and Santokh Singh had the opportunity to exchange opinions and views with
the Bolshevik leaders including Lenin. They were deeply and profoundly
influenced by the fight that the Soviet Union was waging to consolidate the
gains of revolution and the fight that it was carrying on against the 18
imperialist countries including, the US, Britain, Canada, France, and Germany,
who had invaded the Soviet Union. They visited various parts of Soviet Union,
met with workers, peasants, and intellectuals, and were convinced that the path
that was being charted out in the Soviet Union would be helpful in the national
and social emancipation of India. They were deeply moved by the unconditional
support of the Soviet Union and Soviet Ghadarites (Bolsheviks) for the
emancipation of Hindustan.
In
India after the war, a great revolutionary upsurge had gained momentum. This
movement had become a forest fire in Punjab and Northwestern Provinces due to
the repression of the Rowlatt Act and Crawling orders. The British government
had carried out massacres in Jalianwala Bagh in Amritsar and strafed with Royal
Air Force planes in Gujjranwala, killing hundreds of people and injuring
thousands. In Afghanistan, Ammanullah had declared Afghanistan's independence
from the British and the anti-colonial movement of Khilafat in Turkey stirred
them a great deal. Barkatullah, a Ghadarite, and Ammanullah had collaborated
greatly in their anti-British activities in Afghanistan. With Ammanullah at the
head of Independent Afghanistan, gave tremendous boost and status to the work of
Ghadar Party. The news of the Bolshevik revolution and the state of workers and
peasants had tremendously inspired these insurgent people. They were not cowed
down by the repression of the British. After the British had killed several
people in a firing in Lahore one of the poets expressed the sentiments of this
movement in the following lines:
Shahid
ki jo maut hai wo kaum ki hayat hai
Shahid
ka jo hai lahu wo kaum ki zakat hai
Katain
jo chand daaliyan to chaman ho hara bhara
Katain
jo chand gardanain to kaum ki hayat hai
(The
death of the martyrs is life of the nation
The
blood of the martyrs is the offering of the nation
Few
branches fall so that the garden can bloom
Few
heads fall so that the nation can have life)
Rattan
Singh, Santokh Singh and Barkatullah were representatives of the Ghadar Party
who traveled in various countries to consolidate and strengthen the work of the
Ghadar Party. Rattan Singh traveled to India, America, Latin America, Europe,
Russia and the Middle East. Teja Singh Sutantar was leading the Ghadar Party in
Turkey. Santokh Singh undertook the work of organizing the Kirti group of
Communists in India and the publication of the paper Kirti, "Rattan
Singh while still in America, had suggested the starting of the Kirti and
in his first letter wrote...'business could only be successful if the Kirti
was successful...we are trying to send money soon for this paper.'" In
January 1926 the Kirti was advertised as follows:
"This
journal will be the voice of Indian workers in America and Canada and will be
dedicated to the sacred memory of those heroes and martyrs who awakened sleeping
India...In February following the first issue appeared, bearing on its title
page the picture of a dead labourer lying on his funeral pyre, amidst factories,
fields, etc.,...the sense of his labours when alive and surrounded by tools such
as the hammer and pickax, the whole obviously intended to convey the idea that
the deceased had succumbed to the hard tasks he had to perform during his
lifetime. The paper has ever since its appearance consistently advocated the
cause and ideals of the Ghadar conspirators of 1914 and 1915, it has glorified
the Babbar Akalis as martyrs and heroes...The magazine has been welcomed by the Hindustan
Ghadar, which issued an appeal for subscriptions for it."
Another
intelligence report points out:
"the
Ghadar Party in 1925 established a Workers and Peasant Party (Kirti Kisan Party)
in the Punjab. Its organ, the Kirti, a purely communistic production, was
subsidized by the Ghadar Party in America. The aims of the Kirti Kisan Party
were (1) to achieve complete independence from British Imperialism by every
possible method in order to liberate the workers and peasants from political,
economic and social serfdom and to establish their democratic power; and (2) to
organize the workers and peasants. The Kirti Kisan Party was a counter part in
India of the Ghadar Party organization in America and it professed communist
creed."
The
Kirti Party also organized the youth and had close relations with Naujawan
Bharat Sabha, with Bhagat Singh as one of its leaders. Bhagat Singh also worked
for some time on the Kirti Urdu edition. Bhagat Singh's uncle, Ajit Singh, who
was in exile was very closely connected to the Ghadarites in Argentina and
Brazil. At one time it was intended by the Ghadar Party to invite Ajit Singh to
be the editor of Ghadar. In Britain the Ghadar Party could not exist legally
because the British had outlawed it in their empire. Therefore Rattan Singh
founded the Indian Workers Association with the same aims of the Ghadar Party.
Barkatullah
played a very important role in the Muslim parts of the Soviet Union working
with the Hijris, and also cooperating with the Bolsheviks. After the declaration
of Afghanistan's independence, Ammanullah sent an official delegation with
Barkatullah at its head to Soviet Union. This mission known as the Barkatullah
mission was received very warmly by the Soviet government. A treaty of peace and
friendship was signed between the two governments. Barkatullah went to the
Soviet Union during the civil war, and exposed the dastardly deeds of the
British and the French amongst the eastern regions of the Soviet Union, where
the colonial powers were using their tested weapon of divide and rule on the
religious basis by inciting the Muslim inhabitants against the gains of the
revolution and the Soviet Union. Barkatullah's work in the Soviet Union in
support of the revolution and its gains was an expression of the Ghadar Party's
deep-seated internationalism. As a result of their internationalism, they had
developed close ties with other revolutionaries and revolutionary governments
such as the government of Ammanullah in Afghanistan, Fakhri Pasha in Turkey and
the Soviet government. Barkatullah also attended the congress of the League
Against Imperialism in Brussels in 1928 as a delegate, which passed a resolution
on India stating:
"The
general council of the League against Imperialism declares its complete
solidarity with the Indian peoople in the latter's opposition to the British
government's proposal of a commission of the British Parliament to investigate
India's fitness for self government.
The
appointment of this commission of the exploiters to the grant 'reforms' to the
peoples whom they exploit is nothing but an impudent farce, and the general
council heartily supports the Indian national movement's resolve to boycott the
commission.
The
general council notes with disgust that the British Labour party leaders and
members of parliament have made common cause with the British imperialists on
this question, by supporting the conservative government's proposals of a
commission an by endorsing without any but the weakest support to comrade
Saklatvala in Parliament, the participation of two labour representatives.
The
general council declares that this open united front of the British capitalists
and British labour leaders in defence of British imperialism which has no
parallel since the black days of August 1914, is as harmful to the workers of
the oppressor countries, since they are exploited by the same ruling class.
The
league against Imperialism pledges the wholehearted support of all its adherent
organisations and sections to the Indian national movement in this struggle. At
the same time it urges all genuine enemies of imperialist oppression in India to
concentrate on rallying the masses around the positive slogan of complete
independence for India - the sole real threat to the power of British
imperialism...and on election of a constituent assembly to consider the entire
question of the political future of India, which should be prepared by the
creation of local committees, mass demonstrations and the widest possible
participation of the masses of people generally."
Rattan
Singh in this period traveled on an Afghan passport issued by the Afghan
government as the British government had impounded his passport. During his
travels Rattan Singh visited the branches of Ghadar Party in Mexico, Cuba,
Central America, Panama, Brazil and Argentina and met with Bujha Singh and
Bhagat Singh Bilga. After his visit to Argentina, it was decided that Bujha
Singh would take the first group of Ghadarites from Argentina back to India via
Moscow. They were to receive political training and education in Moscow. The
Ghadar Party had issued a second "Return to India Call" and said that
the Ghadarites should return to India via Moscow. The intelligence bureau
reported that, "there are at present 35 students of the Ghadar Party
undergoing training in Moscow."
The
Kirti Party had its independent and separate organization from other communist
groups in India and had direct links with the Comintern. They also published Lal
Jhanda and Lal Dhandora papers besides Kirti. They assigned
Kisan Sabhas to organize the peasantry and the trade unions of workers in towns
and cities. Overseas the Hindustan Ghadar propagated the cause of the
liberation of India and popularized the work of the Kirti Party and other
revolutionaries. To lead the work of the Kirti Party, a revolutionary committee
was elected with Santokh Singh its secretary, Karam Singh Cheema, Rattan Singh,
Udham Singh Kasel and Gurmukh Singh as members. The last three members were in
exile and could not enter India and were based abroad. One by one they would
come to India secretly while others traveled to the Ghadar Party headquarters in
San Francisco, as well as other parts of the world including the Soviet Union.
On
the first anniversary of the Kirti paper this revolutionary committee
pointed out in its report:
1.
The objective for which the publication of Kirti was started, we have made all
the efforts to fulfill that goal.
2.
The objective of Kirti is neither Swaraj or Home Rule but complete independence
of Hindustan and rule of workers and peasants. We stand on this unwaveringly and
will stand for these objectives in future.
3.
India can achieve complete independence by those means only by which other
enslaved countries have gained their independence. It can not be achieved by any
other means such as boycott, Satyagrah etc. We stand for revolutionary methods
and will do so in future.
4.
In Kirti's view the struggle of the people of Hindustan for liberation and
socialism is a link in the chain of the struggle of all the peoples of the world
for liberation. Therefore we will inform all the revolutionaries of the world
about the struggles of Hindustan's people and inform the people of Hindustan of
their struggles as we are part of one struggle. In the past one year we have
been writing about the liberation struggle of the people of China and
Afghanistan.We have written about the coal miners struggle in Britain, danger of
fascism in Italy and the invasion of Abyssinia by fascist Italy and other
international events. In future we will continue to do so.
5.
A workers' and peasants' state has come into being in Russia and the people of
Russia are building a new system and are marching towards socialism. We have
provided full information to our readers about these matters and we will
continue to do so in future.
6.
Martyrs of a nation are its fundamental heritage. We have been writing about
their deeds and life. In coming times we will continue to write about the
Ghadarite martyrs of 1914-1916, including Babbar Akali and other young
revolutionaries who have sacrificed their lives for our nation.
In
1929 a great wave of peasant unrest gripped Hindustan from Kanya Kumari to
Kashmir. Also, many workers strikes were taking place at this time.
Demonstrations and rallies against British rule were being organized all over
the country. Bhagat Singh and his comrades had thrown a bomb in the Assembly to
awaken the masses. The Army refused to open fire on a demonstration in Peshawar.
The whole country was in fervor. The Ghadarites of the Kirti Party tirelessly
organized against the British rule and guided the people. They were also
instrumental in organising the Naujawan Sabha led by Bhagat Singh. The
constitution of the Naujavan Bharat Sabha defined the main aims and objectives
of the Sabha as follows:
1.
To establish a complete independent republic of labourers and peasants
throughout India.
2.
To inspire in the hearts of the young men of the country the feelings of
patriotism and spirit of sacrifice for forming a united nationality in India.
3.
To create the spirit of general toleration among the public considering religion
as a matter of personal belief of man's and to act upon the same fully.
4.
To show interest for and help every economic and social movement which is quite
free from communal feelings and which is calculated to take us near our goal to
establish a complete independent republic of labourers and peasants throughout
India.
5.To
organise labourers and peasants
Along
with Kisan Sabhas, Naujawan Sabha, workers and other people were in the front
ranks of these agitations and struggles. They published in Kirti the full
text of the statement issued by Bhagat Singh and Dutt in their defence. Kirti
fully supported the revolutionary youth and at the same time it advised them
through its pages against the dangers of individual terrorism. In 1928 Abdul
Majid started Mahnatkash which was also an organ of the Kirti Party.
In
March 1931, Rajguru, Sukhdev, and Bhagat Singh were hanged by the British. This
further fueled the fire against the British. The Kirti Party decided to bring
out a weekly paper Mazdoor Kisan (Workers and Peasants) in Hindi and
Urdu. It organized conferences and rallies along with Nau Jawan Sabha in
Shekhupur, Multan, Gujaranwala, Layalpur, Rohtak, Jullundhur and other places.
The writings of Ferozuddin Mansur and Munshi Ahmed Din, dealt with the burning
questions of the day. Mazdoor Kisan also published the statements and speeches
of communists arrested in the Meerut Conspiracy Case and also exposed all those
who collaborated with the British. They openly opposed the Communal Suffrage.
In 1942 the Kirti party merged with the Communist Party of India feeling the need for unity of all the communists. After the partition of the Hindustan and transfer of the power to the Congress government, the Nehru government declared the Communist Party illegal. The communists had to go underground. This was the reward that the workers, peasants and communists had harvested. The communists had to go underground, and they thought about the wisdom of policy that the leadership of the CPI was following by supporting the Congress and Nehru government. In 1948, the Ghadarites who had joined the CPI in 1942 formed their own Lal Party (Red Party), because they did not feel that the leadership of the CPI was revolutionary, instead of revolution they felt that the leadership of the CPI was tailing behind the leadership of Congress. The Ghadarites wanted national liberation with social revolution. The leaders of both Congress and the CPI were interested in national liberation without social revolution. They were on the social democratic path. They wanted to manage the British system with Indian faces. Ghadarites were also opposed to the partition of the country on a religious basis, whereas both Congress and CPI were in the favour of dividing the country on the basis of religion and the creation of Pakistan. The Kirti party had vehemently opposed the Pakistan Resolution of the CPI in 1944, which divided the country on the basis of religion.
They
also supported the Telangana uprising and the peasants uprising in Punjab and
Eastern Punjab States Union (PEPSU), while the leadership of CPI was opposed to
both of these struggles.
In
1952 the Ghadarites of the Lal Party once again rejoined the CPI after the
change of the leadership of CPI, hoping that the new leadership would carry out
the social revolution to the end and not tail behind Congress and Nehru. But
these hopes were to be dashed to the ground. In 1958, the communists were
elected in Kerala and formed the government and attempted to carry out serious
land reforms. The Congress government headed by the Nehru government dissolved
the Kerala government in 1959 at the insistence of the Landlords of Kerala. The
period of 1960-1964 saw one of the worst famines in India with millions of
people starving to death. It created a great wave of discontent in the country
leading to the defeat of the Congress party in the 1967 general elections in
many states. A peasant uprising broke out in Naxalbari, which found its
resonance in many parts of the country. Baba Sohan Singh Bhakhna, the first
president of the Ghadar Party declared that the aims and objectives for which
the Ghadar Party had been formed in 1913 and for which the Ghadarites had made
countless sacrifices. Those aims, namely the social revolution in India had not
been carried out. Baba Bujha Singh, a Ghadarite who was one of the leaders of
the Ghadar Party in Argentina had returned to India via Moscow, echoed his
sentiment and threw his full support behind the Naxalbari uprising. And when the
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) was formed, he was elected its
leader in Punjab at the age of 78.
The
Indian patriots, democrats and enlightened people abroad also echoed Baba Sohan
Singh Bhakhna's call and fully supported the Naxalbari uprising. In Britain the
Indian Workers Association had continued its work. A meeting was held in London
around the time of the "Necessity for Change Conference" in November
1967 and it was decided to reactivate the Hindustani Ghadar Party in support of
Naxalbari. An ad hoc committee was formed to reorganize the Ghadar Party for the
social revolution in India. Manchanda was elected its president and Hardial
Bains was elected to be in charge of work in North America. When the Communist
Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) was formed in 1969, the Ghadar Party became
its external wing. The Ghadarites were advised by CPI(M-L) and Charu Mazumdar,
its General Secretary, to propagate the cause of the Indian revolution in the
countries where they were resident. Ghadarites defended the cause of the Indian
revolution through their paper Chingari and also organized people against
racist attacks in Canada and Britain in close connection with the Canadian and
British working class:
"There
were two reasons why the Ghadar Party was founded in 1913; first to achieve the
true aspirations of the Indian people to defeat the British Colonialism in India
and to build a free and prosperous India, and secondly to fight racial
discrimination in North America and other places where fascists organized by the
British Colonialists were bullying the Indian residents...The two reasons on
which the Ghadar Party was founded still remain. India is yet to gain her true
independence and the Indians residing in the USA, Canada, Britain and other
places have yet to achieve racial equality. It is for this that we have
organized the new Ghadar Party."
The
Ghadarites once again raised the slogan, "Blame the Canadian State for
Racist Attacks", "Unite with the Canadian People to Fight Against
Racist Attacks" and they also followed the slogan "Self-Defence is the
Only Way." Amongst the students and intelligentsia the Indian Progressive
Study Groups came into being in Canada and the US as part of this trend. At the
time of the founding of the Ghadar Party, resolutions were passed in support of
the Palestinian people, people of Indo-China, against US Imperialism, black
people in their struggle against racism in the USA, and the people of Canada and
Quebec in their struggle against the domination of USA. They also developed
close working relations with the revolutionaries from Asia, Africa, and Latin
America where great uprisings had taken place. Ghadarites considered liberation
of India as an integral part of the liberation of the world's people and
supported the just struggles of all the peoples for liberation, dignity and
honour whether in the Eastern or Western blocks. They participated in
international gatherings and conferences to exchange views and learn from the
experience of other revolutionaries. In this context the Internationalist Rally
held in Montreal in April1978 was very important in which revolutionaries from
all continents participated. The new Ghadarites like their earlier predecessors
were harassed, persecuted and attacked for their views, convictions and
activities. The diplomatic offices of the Indian government also collaborated
with the Canadian government in their persecution. Harsh Chaddha, a young man in
his twenties was deported from Canada for his political activities. Hardial
Bains was not given Canadian citizenship for more than two decades because of
his political views, was denied entry into the United States, and the Indian
government withdrew his Passport in 1975 which was never reinstated, while they
were giving calls for his deportation to India. Like the old Ghadarites, the new
Ghadarites were not frightened by these threats and attacks. They carried on
doing their work.
After
the assassination of Charu Mazumdar and other revolutionary leadership of the
CPI(M-L), the CPI(M-L) split into various factions. The Ghadar Party worked
closely with all the groups who aimed to bring about social revolution. A
delegation of the Ghadar Party participated in a conference of CPI(M-L) in India
in 1973 to discuss various problems of the Indian revolution. The Ghadarites
emphasized the need for all revolutionaries to unite for the cause of Indian
revolution.
In
1973 the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, came to visit Britain and
North America. The Ghadarites organized rallies and demonstrations against her
visit in cooperation with several other organizations and groups condemning the
torture and killing of thousands of youth branded as terrorists and extremists
in false police encounters in Punjab, Bengal, Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh, Kashmir, etc. The Ghadarites through the pages of Chingari, Lok
Awaz, and other publications brought to light the violation of human rights,
political persecution, killing and torture of the Naxalites, youth, and others.
In
1975, Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency, which resulted in the
dissolving of Parliament. A widespread movement in India and abroad started
against this naked dictatorship. Workers, women, peasants, students, shopkeepers
all were galvanized into a big storm. The CPI supported the declaration of
emergency while there were others who wanted to oppose Emergency in order to
come to power themselves. The Ghadarites pointed out that the Emergency was one
of the symptoms of colonial rule without colonialists. They believed that the
Indian people should not be fooled by this or any party that would come into
power and preserve the same rule under a different name. The Ghadarites hoped
that Indians would develop a people's movement against this rule. They called
upon the people to develop their unity and not be fooled by the "United
Front" of Jan Sangh, CPI(M) and others because they all wanted to preserve
the old rule. They brought the truth of the matter under the slogan "Indira
Gandhi, Morarji Desai, Chor Chor Mauserey Bhai," that both Indira Gandhi
and Morarji Desai represented the same forces and that they were brother and
sister in preserving neo-colonial rule. Congress and Indira Gandhi were
thoroughly defeated in the elections held in 1977 and a coalition of several
other parties came to power in the centre. One of the first acts of this
coalition government of "restoring democracy" was the firing of
striking workers of Kanpur in which several workers were killed. This act
revealed how the new coalition was not interested in the social transformation
of Indian society, but were perpetuating the rule of the ruling elites with hook
or crook.
In
October 1977 the Ghadarites held a congress in which they issued a call to all
Ghadarites to return to India to further consolidate and strengthen the unity of
the revolutionary forces who wanted to take up the problems of India and search
for real solutions.This was the third return of the Ghadarites to India since
1913. The Ghadarites started a paper People's Voice in India to develop
discussion for the unity of the revolutionary forces. Like the old Ghadarites,
they built ties and working relations with other revolutionary, democratic, and
progressive organizations and forces. As a result of this work the Communist
Ghadar Party of India came into being in 1980. Communist Ghadar Party declared
at its founding that only the people of India, workers, peasants, women, youth,
students, all the nations, and nationalities by their united forces can liberate
India from medieval darkness and bring about prosperity, freedom, enlightenment
and dignity to India. They would have to rely on their own forces to carry out
such a transformation. They must all unite irrespective of their religious,
political, ideological, caste, linguistic, and regional differences. Only they
could establish a democratic India in which the rights of all the peoples will
be respected and honoured. It called upon all the people of India to support the
just struggles of all the oppressed and exploited abroad such as the struggle of
the Palestinian people, South African people, workers struggle in Europe and
Latin America, etc. It also condemned the racist attacks on the Indian people
residing abroad in Britain, Canada, Australia, the US, and other places. They
called upon the Indian residents in these countries to unite with the people of
their countries to fight against the racist and fascist attacks.
On
the cultural front, the Ghadarites also took various initiatives. Along with
other organizations, they helped to organize the International Sports and
Cultural Festivals in Canada, Britain and India, which were attended by
thousands of people. The first international sports and cultural festival took
place in Vancouver in 1981 and was attended by more than 40,000 people. It was
during this festival that the first World Cup Kabbadi matches were held. In 1982
the festival was held in India and in 1983 it was held in Britain. These
festivals were held under the slogan of 'Sports and Culture in service of the
people." Thousands of people participated and supported these festivals,
which helped to develop friendly relations between the people of South Asia as
well as with South Asians living abroad. Kabbadi teams and other sportsmen from
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the USA, Canada, etc. participated in these
festivals. Cultural personalities and performers from different parts of South
Asia also participated. They also organized annual sports tournaments and
cultural events to honour heroic martyrs such as Bhagat Singh, Mewa Singh, Udham
Singh, etc., in cooperation with other groups and associations such as the East
Indian Defence Committee and the Desh Bhagat Sports and Cultural Society. Just
like the old Ghadaries, the new Ghadarites also conveyed their message through
poems, songs, plays, dramas, stories, etc., in the various languages of India
such as Hindustani, Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, and Marathi.
The
Ghadarites concluded the need for the renovation of Indian society and presented
democratic renewal of India as the agenda of the day. They concluded that this
renewal and renovation could only be achieved by the empowerment and affirmation
of the people, and it can only be built by the people themselves. They analyzed
that the present political process, representative democracy, actually
disenfranchises the people. Political parties have become gatekeepers of power
and have usurped the power of the people, often in the people’s name:
"The
parliamentary system is in deep crisis not only in India but all over the world.
The party in power, Congress (I) and the party in opposition, the BJP, openly
declare they will abide by nothing and they are a law unto themselves. There are
other political parties who think in the same way. How else is it possible to
have riots, disappearances, murders and false encounters if these parties were
not a law unto themselves? The present system, besides not solving any of the
problems for the benefit of the people, also appears unable to provide a smooth
transfer of governance from one political party to the other. The main cause of
this is not that the Congress (I) or BJP are deviants, but that the system
demands the existence of such parties for its perpetuation. People are putting
forward their demands and all sections of the people are discontented with the
situation, but the system can not satisfy them. There is a real pressure for the
creation of a new kind of party, a party which would ensure that these political
parties do not keep the people out of power."
It
further analyzed:
"The
origin of the political system that exists in India and the roots of the crisis
of this system can be traced to the Government of India Act of 1935, the
transfer of power that took place in 1947 and the constitution that was adopted
in 1950...While the democracy that came into being was objectively and advance
for the Indian people, it did not lead to their empowerment. This was because
this democracy was based on the theory of concentrating power in the executive,
in order to deprive the masses of power. The role of the president of India, the
frequent declaration of President's Rule at the advice of the cabinet, the
ruling party's power to define and redefine state boundaries, the very notion of
'cabinet rule', are all different features of this concentration of power in the
hands of the executive."
On
the present social development, they state:
"Today,
on the eve of the 21st century, nobody can deny that people are born to society
and society has a responsibility to look after their well being. This
corresponds to the modern definition of rights and is also one of the central
aspects of Indian political thought. However according to present day 'Western'
ideologues, society has no obligation to anyone except to the financial
oligarchy. The so-called individual interest is given primacy over the
collective interest and the general interest of society. This imposition of
imperialist theories on the soil of India is creating grave complications. It is
contributing to the further deepening of the capitalist crisis and causing great
resentment amongst the people. The big capitalists and big landlords are using
these theories to create serious danger to the very well-being of the people and
the future of society."
Following
the tradition of the old Ghadarites, they seek the unity of all the peoples to
deal with problems facing the society:
"The
critical task is to build the political unity of all workers and people of the
middle strata who are opposed to the existing state of affairs, especially to
the criminalisation of the polity; to the use of state terrorism; to all the
attacks on the freedoms of the people; and most importantly who stand for the
economic well being of he workers and broad masses of the people. Declaration of
this or that phrase from the classics of Marxism-Leninism, without seeking the
same afresh from the objective and subjective conditions that confront the
people will not contribute to progress whatsoever."
They
also point out the reason for the miserable conditions of the people of India;
"Tragically
for the working class and the toiling masses of India, emancipation has eluded
them. This has happened because the propertied classes have bound them hand and
foot to capitalism and to the remnants of feudalism. More importantly, the
communist and workers movement has been undermined by social democracy. The fact
that European social democracy presents itself in the colours of socialism and
communism in India. The aspirations of the propertied classes created by
colonialism and imperialism have dug their poisonous claws into the healthy body
of the working class movement for emancipation…"
In
the realm of theoretical considerations, the Ghadarites point out the necessity
of Indian theory rather than Eurocentric ideas and theories for the liberation
of India from hunger and starvation, oppression and exploitation, because these
Eurocentric ideas and theories had only served to enslave India, mentally,
politically, and economically:
"The
starting point, the first step, the most immediate question and the long-term
task that appears in India for the victory of the revolutionary movement is that
of theory. It expresses itself most succinctly in the necessity for Indian
theory, a theory emerging out of the conditions of India..."
The
British colonialists attacked the Indian philosophy to the point of denying its
existence or distorting it to serve their own ends by imposing irrationalism on
Indian philosophy. The Ghadarites point out:
"The
stagnation of the philosophy of Darshan is inextricably linked with the
stagnation of Indian thought, and of the economic and political theories in our
country. The Darshandharis, ensconced within the comfortable walls of Indian,
America and British universities, pontificate about Indian philosophy, as if it
has no relevance or link with the present conditions in India, with the
illumination of the road to progress for the Indian people at this time in
history. Idealist and religious interpretations are given of Darshan, to make it
lifeless and useless for the Indian people. Meanwhile, deprived of philosophy
and outlook to deal with the problems of today, the Indian people are left
floundering helplessly, at the mercy of the bourgeoisie and imperialism."
On
the task of Democratic Renewal and completing the anti-colonial revolution the
Ghadarites point out:
"A
thorough going anti-colonial revolution necessarily means ending the capitalist
system and its democracy, which has deprived people of their economic and
political power. An anti-colonial revolution, which is merely a matter of formal
independence and not a social revolution has become anachronistic.
The
entire experience from the time of 'transfer of power' to the Indian bourgeoisie
in 1947, with the division of the Indian subcontinent, especially Bengal and
Punjab, has proven that this has not led to deep-going transformations. On the
contrary, the bourgeoisie has completely obstructed the social revolution. It
has been proven that it is capitalism that is the defender of the remnants of
feudalism; it is capitalism that is protecting imperialists and colonialist
interests; it is capitalism that is the motor behind bourgeoisie in its
globalisation of capital and production. Furthermore it is capitalism that has
caused disaster in the countryside, deepening the agrarian problems, and
trampling underfoot the slogan of the patriotic forces of ' Land to the Tiller'.
Festering
at the base of Indian society at this time are capitalism and remnants of
feudalism, with the superstructure of imperialism and colonial domination. This
has made the conditions of life and work for the working classes and toiling
masses extremely miserable. More than fifty percent of Indian people live in
abysmal conditions of poverty, victims of malnutrition, ill health, illiteracy
and every kind of disease. The government of India's entire program of 'poverty
alleviation' has concentrated on juggling the figures prove that the percentage
of the Indian people living below the poverty line has been decreasing. Official
figures now claim that it is less than 20% of the population. This juggling
itself shows the callousness of the Indian state and its rulers, who define
poverty levels on the basis of whether people receive a certain amount of
calories a day. It distorts the reality that human beings can not exist on the
basis of minimum amount of staple food alone. They need other necessities to
ensure against malnutrition such as pulses, vegetables, milk and meat; they need
potable water, sanitation, health care, proper accommodation and clothes, and a
clean, healthy, peaceful and stable environment conducive to living. They need
education and culture, and the satisfaction of working for their ever increasing
material and cultural needs."
Ghadarites
point out the need for creating and building a new system or a new society in
which the needs and claims of all the members of the Indian society will be
attended to and honoured:
"The
Indian system needs to be renovated with a new system at the base, a system
consistent with the aspirations of the working class and the toiling masses, in
step with the aspirations of the working class and peoples of the world. Such a
system would put the well-being of the masses at the foundation of society as
the aim of the economy. Far from making this aim a policy objective, it will
become the fundamental law of the land. This new system will not only be modern,
and the most up to date, it will also give rise to a confederal state in which
all nations and tribal peoples will enjoy full equality and freedom. They will
enjoy their right to self-determination up to and including secession, without
which self-determination is reduced to a mere phrase. This new system will
provide full opportunity to all the nations divided by colonialism to unite if
they so desire. The new system will put a complete end to the colonial legacy
and India will enter the family of nations as a most progressive force."
The
Ghadar movement that started in 1913 amongst the patriotic, progressive and
enlightened Indians abroad has gone through a great deal of changes based on the
needs of time, but continues to inspire the people. Eighty-five years of
struggle have not disheartened them. They still want solutions to their
problems. Shaheed Bhagat Singh, who was greatly inspired by the Ghadarites,
particularly Kartar Singh Sarabha, wrote prophetically, "Our struggle will
continue as long as a handful of men, be they foreign or native, or both in
collaboration with each other, continue to exploit the labour and resources of
our people. Nothing shall deter us from this path."
The
history of Ghadar Movement clearly bears out the truth of Bhagat Singh's
statement. It is also a reflection of the deep love that the South Asians
resident abroad have for their countries, and that they are second to none in
making sacrifices for the cause of freedom, dignity and prosperity. Although
they may be resident abroad, due to the conditions back home, the flame of
liberty of their lands is lit in their hearts and they do not hesitate to make
any sacrifice for the liberation of their countries and a life of honour and
dignity. The Ghadar Movement shows that they will carry on seeking solutions to
the problems that plague them both at home and abroad. It also shows that the
South Asians are part of their nations no matter where they are resident and
they are moved by the concerns of their nations.
Literature
Cited
The
Ghadr Directory, compiled by the Director, Intelligence Bureau, Home Department,
Government of India, New-Delhi, 1934. p.1
An
Account of Ghadr Conspiracy, F.C. Isemonger & J. Slattery, Indian Police,
Punjab, Lahore, 1919, p. 14-15.
United
States of America vs. Franz Bopp, et al., in the District Court of the United
States for Southern Division of the Northern District of California, First
Division, volume 1, 1917
Agnes
Smedley, Janice and Stephen R. Mackinon, University of California Press,
Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1988 p.58
Ghadar
Party Da Itihas (Punjabi), Part 1, 1912-1917, Desh Bhagat Yadgar Committee,
Jullunder, 1969, p.99.
Ibid,
p.101
Ibid,
p.102
United
States of India, A Monthly Review, San Francisco, September 1923
Bhagat
Singh Bilga, Interview with Jaspal Singh and Jagdip Mann, June 30,1997,
Birmingham, U.K
An
Account of Ghadr Conspiracy, F.C. Isemonger & J. Slattery, Indian Police,
Punjab, Lahore,1919, p.44
Ghadr
Di Gunj, OR MIC 11599/28,OIOC London
Ghadar
Party Da Itihas (Punjabi), Part 1, 1912-1917, Desh Bhagat Yadgar Committee,
Jullundhur, 1969, p.106
An
Account of Ghadr Conspiracy, F.C. Isemonger & J. Slattery, Indian Police,
Punjab, Lahore,1919, p.44
Ibid,
p.172
Political
and Judicial Report, L/P&J/7/1059/1717, India Office Library, London
Terrorism
in India 1917-1936,compiled in the Intelligence Bureau, Home Department,
Government of India Press, Simla, 1937, p.192
Home
(Political) April 1916, 471, Banaras Conspiracy Case (Judgement)
Ghadar
Party Da Itihas(Punjabi), Part 1, 1912-1917, Desh Bhagat Yadgar Committee,
Jullundhur, 1969, p.279
Ibid,
p. 244
Ibid,
p. 264-268
Ibid,
p. 248
Communism
In India, 1924-1927, Compiled in the Intelligence Bureau, Home Department,
Government of India, Calcutta,1927 (Confidential) p.150
Ibid,
p. 41
Theses,
Resolutions and Manifestos of the First Four Congresses of the Third
International, Pluto Press London, 1980 p.327.
Ibid,
p. 413
Ibid,
p. 158
The
Ghadr Directory, compiled by the Director, Intelligence Bureau, Home Department,
Government of India, New-Delhi, 1934. p. 2
The
Trial of Bhagat Singh, A.G. Noorani, Konark Publishers Pvt. Ltd., Delhi, 1996
Documents
of the History of the Communist Party of India, volume III B, Peoples Publishing
House, New Delhi, 1979.p.155
Ibid,
p.3
Ghadar
Lehar De Unfole Warkey, Bhagat Singh Bilga,Desh Bhagat Yadgar Committe,
Jullundhur,1989, p.180
Documents
of the History of the Communist Party of India, volume III C, Peoples Publishing
House, New Delhi, 1979.p.94-95.
Bhagat
Singh Bilga, Interview with Jaspal Singh and Jagdip Mann, June 30,1997,
Birmingham, U.K
Hindustani
Ghadar Party Formed, Chingari, Organ of the Hindustani Ghadar Party,November
1970. Toronto
What
Kind of Party, Discussion, Spring 94, Vol1. No.1, National Publications Centre,
Toronto, 1994.
Ibid,
p. 49
Whither
India, Lok Awaz Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi, 1996, p.16
Ibid,
p. 25
Ibid,
p. 41
Ibid,
p. 54
Ibid,
p. 57
Ibid,
p. 98
Ibid,
p. 109
A
Tribute to Udham Singh, Hind Mazdoor Lehar, London, 1990 p.21