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From Oregon to Punjab: How Desi immigrants fueled Indian freedom struggle
Despite physical distance, a revolutionary party with its roots in the United States had a profound effect on the fight for independence in India.
Ghadar Party members and logo. / Wikipedia Commons
Independence was not only sought after by freedom fighters from the Indian subcontinent, but by others as well. It ignited a passion in the hearts of Indians living far from home, creating an unwavering connection to their homeland despite being geographically distant.
Standing out among these major rebellions was the Ghadar Movement, which was started by Indian expats, primarily from Punjab, with the aim of removing the British from power in India.
How the Ghadar Party came to be
The Ghadar Party was formally established in Astoria, Oregon, USA, on July 15, 1913. Nevertheless, the foundation of this groundbreaking movement was laid years ago by Indian intellectuals and activists living overseas. Lala Har Dayal, a key figure born in 1884 in Delhi, emerged as the movement's ideological leader.
He, along with other leaders like Sant Baba Wasakha Singh Dadehar, Baba Jawala Singh, and Sohan Singh Bhakna, brought together expatriate Punjabis in the United States, Canada, East Africa, and Asia under the banner of the Pacific Coast Hindustan Association, which later became the Ghadar Party.
The party's leadership was a diverse coalition of Punjabis, including Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims, who were united by a common objective of putting an end to British rule in India. The masthead of their newspaper, The Ghadar, bore the names "Ram, Allah, and Nanak," symbolizing the unity of different religious communities in this revolutionary cause.
Gadar Party Heroes. / WikipediaMovement motivation: anti-colonialism and anti-discrimination
Both anti-colonial feelings and the racial prejudice that Indians in North America endured served as fuel for the Ghadar Movement.
Indian immigrants, predominantly from Punjab, faced severe racial prejudice in the United States and Canada during this period. This discrimination, along with their exposure to American democratic ideals, motivated them to support the cause of Indian independence.
A pivotal moment that galvanized the movement was the Komagata Maru incident in 1914. The Japanese steamship, carrying nearly 300 Punjabi passengers, was denied entry into Canada due to discriminatory immigration laws. The ship was forced to return to India, and many of its passengers were arrested. This incident, coupled with other forms of racial injustice, strengthened the resolve of Indian expatriates to fight against British rule in India.
Revolutionary activities and setbacks
Revolutionary in nature, the Ghadar Party sought to inspire armed uprising in India. Members of the party, who were mostly Punjabis living abroad, held meetings, printed leaflets, and solicited donations to fund revolutionary causes. The party's newspaper, The Ghadar, declared itself an "Enemy of British Rule" and called for brave soldiers to join the fight for India's freedom.
With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the Ghadar Party saw an opportunity to strike against the British. The group's members went back to India to plan the Ghadar Mutiny, an armed rebellion. Their goal was to spark a revolt among the Indian soldiers serving in the British Army.
However, the mutiny was harshly suppressed by the British, leading to the execution of 42 mutineers following the Lahore Conspiracy Case trial. Despite this setback, the Ghadar Party continued its revolutionary activities from 1914 to 1917, with support from Germany and the Ottoman Empire.
The British government's response to the Ghadar Movement was severe. The "Hindu Conspiracy" trial in San Francisco in 1917–18 marked a significant moment in the movement's history. The trial received sensational coverage in the American press, leading to increased suspicion and hostility towards Indian immigrants.
Despite these challenges, the Ghadar Party reorganized in the 1920s and continued to serve as a focal point for Punjabi and Sikh identity until India's independence in 1947.
On this, India's Independence Day, we must not forget the Ghadar Party and the Indian expats who were instrumental in the independence movement of their homeland. Their selflessness and commitment to the cause are a sobering reminder of how interconnected the Indian freedom movement was and how it brought together Indians from all over the world.
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