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This week’s topic: Legacy of the Ghadarites
Looking Back:
The term “Ghadar” means revolt, to overthrow power by force.
The scene is early 20th century America. The people had been enjoying the fruits of freedom for over a century now as they had overthrown their colonial masters , the British, as far back as in 1776. But it was not the same for the communities of color as they had to struggle for another 100 years plus to get it close to where we are today. Nonetheless, the United States of America was indeed a new world
with stories of dreams come true abound. As the saying goes that workers home is where work takes them, USA the great country of ours  today, had already become a magnate for workers all over the world.
Across the seven seas and thousands of miles away hopelessness drove hoards of workers from India to the United States, especially Punjabis, many of whom were predominantly Sikhs. Although the United States was affectionately known as a nation of immigrants, they were not welcome here. None of the Asians were, but Indians, being ruled by the British, were subject to even more ridicule. They were discriminated against every which way. They were addressed as ‘coolies,’ ‘Hindu slaves’ and to add injury to the insult a nation of a cowards, a population of millions ruled by a few hundred British who came 10,000 miles away. One of the horrendous stories I heard from Baba Sohan Singh Bhakna, straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak, was that in a restaurant in Sanfrancisco, the manager refused to serve them meals when he visited the restaurant with a friend. There were writings displaced at certain premises that said,”Indians and dogs not allowed”. These Indian immigrants, majority of whom were not that highly educated, not only read the writings on the wall but their wisdom, integrity and foresight enabled them to read between the lines also. These were the kinds of straw which instead of breaking camel’s back turned these ordinary workers in to Ghadrites.
Baba Bhakna who was pretty young at that time, along with other Indians working in North America helped found the Ghadar Party in America and became its president along with Dr. Lala Hardyal as its general secretary. Baba Ji had a profound influence on my life as I graduated from Janta High School Bhakna, also founded by him  . It was here in Sacramento-California in December 1913, a second meeting was held as a follow up from Astoria- Oregon in which more members in the executive committee were included and they vowed to free India at any cost, which was better known as ’Ghadar’, perhaps taking the name after the Ghadar news paper which began to publish in Sanfrancisco. As the history bears witness, its members were all Indian workers, regardless of what language they spoke or the religion they practiced (or didn’t practice). As an organization, Ghadar party was a model of Indianness which stood the test of time through thick and thin as they returned to India to free their motherland. They not only talked the talk but also walked the walk as they went to the gallows together while fighting to overthrow the British Rule from India. True to the spirit of the word which JFK said many years later to his own country men here in America,” Ask not what the country can do for you, ask what you ca do for the country,” the Ghadrites gave it all to the freedom movement without asking anything in return.
Although the Indian government  did not give it its due place after the independence, the Ghadar Movement is generally considered to be the first potent freedom fighter movement against the British Rule in India, which shook the sleeping Indian giant into its yearning  for freedom, some 15 years before the Indian National Congress Resolution of 1928 was adopted by the INC. There was an armed uprising in 1857 against the British, which is also referred to as Ghadar. Brutally crushed by the British however, it was considerd by many to be an uprising to regain the the lost princely states rather than the complete freedom for the Indian populace as a whole.
The price these Ghadarites paid as a movement and the role it played for Indian Independence is history now. It is another matter, however, that their dreams of prosperity for all countrymen still remains unfulfilled and the vision incomplete.
Looking Forward:
Ghadar Memorial Punjabi Conference 2010
Dedicated to the Ghadar Movement, the Ghadar Memorial Foundatiion of America held a Ghadar Memorial Punjabi Conference and 10th cultural fair in Sacramento on July 10, 2010. If you can read Punjabi and are interested in the poem I wrote for Preet Lari, click here.
This was the first conference of its kind  in which half a dozen stalwarts of sorts from Punjab also participated. They came all the way from Punjab to take part in this unique conference and to help pave the way forward.
Kuldip Nayar at Ghadar Memorial Conference, Sacramento, CA
Paying a tribute and sharing his vision at a place where it all began some 97 years ago, Kuldip Nayar, a vetern journalist and widely respected diplomat from India, presiding over the conference attended mostly by Punjabis said in his address that in order to build Punjab of the Ghadrites dreams, we need to be Punjabis first and then reclaim self confidence of being Indians. He added that because of the Ghadarites, India is now a democratic country and as Indians we have the right to criticize her as much as we like but never turn our backs on our mother country.
Dr. Sucha Singh, a reknowned economist from the Punjabi University Patiala read an exhaustive research paper on the economy of Punjab. He concluded with the remarks that the dreams of the Ghadrites can be fulfilled only if the economic prosperity reaches all sections of its countrymen. Each and every citizen becomes a partner in the progress and prosperity, cultivating a society which does not discriminate based on religion, caste , gender or ethinicity or geographic location of its citizenry.
Your Thoughts?
What do you think? Can Indians ever be united again to fix its moral compass as did the Ghadrites and fight against the corruption and decadence in all walks of Indian society or is it inevitable that we quibble over non issues made into issues such like language, region, religion, and caste? How can we move forward in the 21st century?
Punjab Assembly Elections are here one more time at Punjab’s doorsteps. In the spirit of “freedom,†there will be candidates and party propagandists from the parties in power and aspiring for power, selling their new slogans and others repackaging or coining new phrases to sell the old ones, all in the hopes of getting our votes and becoming elected in the 2012 Elections. The voter, on the other hand, is also getting smarter and shrewder if not totally fatigued and frustrated over this seasonal drama recurring every 5 years since 1952. The voter is expected to look and listen more carefully this year before casting his or her vote. As far as the NRIs in the Diaspora are concerned, since they have no vote or have no bowl of rice directly at stake one way or the other, it is big community news and the subject of gossip and discussion anywhere Punjabis congregate: at Gurdwaras, Mandirs, and Masjids all over the world, including California, where I and many other Punjabis, live.
Pashaura Singh Dhillon is a poet and singer based in the Central Valley of California. He writes and sings in Punjabi about a variety of social issues ranging from human rights to the environment, and Sikh philosophy. He is the author of a collection of poetry, Diva Bale Sumundaron Paar (The Lamp Still Burns Across the Sea) and is currently a radio host in Fresno for Punjab News and Views. In addition to live performances, his poems have been featured on television programs, online media sites, and published in leading newspapers and magazines both in the United States and abroad. He is also a radio host with KBIF 900 AM where he is on air every Sunday from 3-4pm.