Learn about the Ghadr Movement’s revolutionary aims and the pivotal Komagata Maru incident, which intensified the fight for India's independence during WWI.
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The Ghadr Movement: Ideology, Activities, and Impact
Formation and Objectives: The Ghadr Party was a revolutionary group established in 1913, headquartered at San Francisco and organized around the weekly newspaper *The Ghadr*. Its main goal was to bring about a national government through revolution, not terrorism.
Key Figures: Leading figures included LALA HARDAYAL, Ramchandra, Bhagwan Singh, Kartar Singh Saraba, Barkatullah, and Bhai Parmanand. They were central in rallying support and orchestrating revolutionary activities.
Initial Revolutionary Activities: Early activities involved figures like RAMDAS PURI and SOHAN SINGH BHAKNA. They established the ‘Swadesh Sevak Home’ in Vancouver and ‘United India House’ in Seattle. The Ghadr Party aimed to organize assassinations, publish revolutionary literature, and incite a revolt across British colonies.
Komagata Maru Incident: The *KOMAGATA MARU* was a ship carrying 370 passengers, mainly Sikh and Punjabi Muslim immigrants, from SINGAPORE to VANCOUVER. After being turned away by Canadian authorities, who were believed to be influenced by the British government, the ship anchored at Calcutta in September 1914. The passengers refused to board the Punjab-bound train, leading to a conflict with the police at Budge Budge near Calcutta, where 22 people were killed.
Political and Social Repercussions: The incident exacerbated tensions in Punjab, creating an explosive situation. This, coupled with the outbreak of World War I, galvanized the Ghadr leaders to launch a violent campaign against British rule in India. They mobilized fighters to India and sought to coordinate with Bengal revolutionaries, such as Rashbehari Bose and Sachin Sanyal, to lead the movement.
Revolutionary Plans and Actions: The Ghadr Party planned an armed revolt on February 21, 1915, targeting garrisons in Ferozepur, Lahore, and Rawalpindi. The plan was thwarted due to betrayal, leading to immediate repressive actions by the British authorities, including the disbanding of rebellious regiments, arrests, and executions of 45 leaders.
Outcome and Repression: The British government enacted the Defence of India Rules, 1915, to suppress the Ghadr movement. This involved large-scale detentions, special courts, severe sentences, and numerous court-martials. Leaders like RASHBEHARI BOSE fled to Japan, while SACHIN SANYAL was sentenced to life imprisonment. The repression also extended to Bengal revolutionaries and radical pan-Islamists, such as the ALI BROTHERS and MAULANA AZAD.
Repression: The British response to the Ghadr threat included some of the most severe repressive measures since 1857. The Defence of India Act passed in March 1915 was aimed directly at dismantling the Ghadr movement, leading to widespread detentions without trial and severe legal actions against suspected revolutionaries.
Evaluation: Despite its failure to achieve significant political or military outcomes, the Ghadr movement was influential ideologically, promoting militant nationalism with a secular approach. The movement's organizational and strategic shortcomings, including a lack of sustained leadership and inadequate preparation, contributed to its ultimate failure. LALA HARDAYAL’s role as an organizer was deemed unsuitable for the movement's goals.
Notable Quotes:
SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE: "Will you not see the writing that these terrorists are writing with their blood?"
M.K. GANDHI: "Neither rich nor able, a poor son like myself can offer nothing but his blood on the altar of mother’s deliverance... may I be reborn of the same mother and may I redie in the same sacred cause, till my mission is done and she stands free for the good of humanity and to the glory of God."
MADANLAL DHINGRA: "God has not conferred upon the foreigners the grant inscribed on a copper plate of the kingdom of Hindustan... Do not circumscribe your vision like a frog in a well; get out of the Penal Code and enter the extremely high atmosphere of the Srimat Bhagvad Gita and consider the actions of great men."
B.G. TILAK in Kesari (June 15, 1897): "First Phase of Revolutionary Activities (1907-1917)"
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