The Ghadar Party was a political revolutionary organization founded in the United States of America by migrated Indians. The formation of the Ghadar Party was primarily the work of Sikhs. Sohan Singh, Kartar Singh, Abdul Mohamed Barakatullah, and Rashbehari Bose were among the prominent leaders who laid the groundwork for the establishment of an Indian political organization in the United States and Canada. The Ghadar Movement was a pivotal event in the history of the Indian freedom struggle. In this article, we will discuss the Ghadar Party (1913) which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Ghadar Party

Who were Ghadar Revolutionaries?

• The Ghadar Revolutionaries were mainly Punjabi immigrants settled in the West Coast of North America since 1904, particularly USA and Canada.
• Many of them were landless, debt ridden peasants mainly from Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur.
• Many of them were also ex-soldiers who had also served in the British Indian Army and had acquired the confidence for emigration.
• As they were pushed out of their homeland by the economic crisis and lured by the promise of better life, they had set out to these foreign lands.
• By 1908, effective restrictions on Indian immigration into Canada had been put in place. Another disabling legislation was the Alien Land Law which prohibited Indians from owning land in the US.
• Such discriminatory policies of host countries moved the Indian emigrants into a flurry of political activity.
• Hence, they decided to organize themselves with the aim of securing India’s freedom from British Rule.

Ghadar Party - Background

• At the turn of the twentieth century, the burgeoning Indian Independence Struggle sparked a surge in nationalist sentiments not only in the Indian subcontinent but also among students and emigrants from the same region all over the world.
• Revolutionary intellectuals such as Lala Har Dayal and Taraknath Das attempted to organize these students while instilling nationalist ideas in them.
• Earlier activists had established a 'Swadesh Sevak Home' in Vancouver and a 'United India House' in Seattle to carry out revolutionary activities. Finally, in 1913, the Ghadr was founded.
• The Ghadar Party, originally known as the Pacific Coast Hindustan Association, was founded on July 15, 1913 in the United States by Lala Har Dayal, Sant Baba Wasakha Singh Dadehar, Baba Jawala Singh, Santokh Singh, and Sohan Singh Bhakna.
• The Ghadar party drew a sizable following among Indian expatriates in the United States, Canada, East Africa, and Asia.

Ghadar Party - Features

• The Ghadar Party was an Indian revolutionary organization founded primarily by Indians. The party was multi-ethnic, but mostly Punjabi, with Sikh, Hindu, and Muslim members, but mostly Sikh leaders.
• In the first decade of the twentieth century, revolutionary and terrorist activities began to occur with some regularity in Bengal.
• However, until the planned Ghadar uprising of 1915, a small group of terrorists were active in Madras and the Poona region.
• Bengal rose to prominence as the most important center of revolutionary activity.
• The revolutionary appeal was strongest in Bengal among the bhadralok, the province's western educated elite.
• The Ghadar party, with headquarters in San Francisco and roots in the Punjab immigrant community of rural California, was also committed to achieving India's independence through revolution.
• Unlike in Bengal, the impetus for terrorism and revolutionary violence in Punjab came not from a disgruntled and underemployed educated elite, but from punjabi peasants who had emigrated to the United States and Canada.

Ghadar Party - Activities

• The Ghadr programme aimed to organise assassinations of officials, publish revolutionary and anti-imperialist literature, work with Indian troops stationed abroad, obtain arms, and spark a simultaneous revolt in all British colonies.
• When the First World War broke out in 1914, some members of the Ghadar Party arrived in Punjab to foment an armed revolution for India's independence.
• They were also successful in smuggling weapons and inciting mutiny among Indian soldiers in the British Army.
• The ensuing uprising, now known as the Ghadar Mutiny, was brutally suppressed by the British, who executed 42 mutineers following the Lahore Conspiracy Case trial.
• Nonetheless, the Ghadar Party fought against colonialism from 1914 to 1917, with the support of Imperial Germany and the Ottoman Empire, both of which were Central Powers opposed to the British.
• The party was organized around the weekly newspaper The Ghadar, which featured the masthead caption: Angrezi Raj Ka Dushman (an enemy of British rule). "Wanted brave soldiers to stir up rebellion in India," the Ghadar declared.
• Following the Komagata Maru Incident in 1914, which was a direct challenge to Canadian anti-Indian immigration laws, thousands of Indians living in the United States sold their businesses and homes in order to drive the British out of India, bolstering the ranks of the Ghadar Party.

Ghadar Party - Causes of Failure

• A large number of Ghadar leaders were arrested even before they set foot on Indian soil, and they were imprisoned after they disembarked.
• Some of those who escaped arrest, including Kartar Singh Saraba, Pandit Kanshi Ram, and G. Pingale, gathered in Punjab to carry out the revolution. Micheal O' Dwyer was the Lieutenant-General of Punjab at the time.
• Different strategies were used by Ghadar leaders in Punjab. The British branded them as dacoits, and the native Punjabi population did not welcome them either. A section of Punjabi Sikhs labelled the Ghadar leaders as apostates.
• Sikhs were the most loyal men in the British Army at the time, and they had reaped enough benefits from these jobs.
• The Ghadar leaders were appalled by their countrymen's devotion to the British. Winning over native Punjabis became critical to the revolution's success.
• One of the many strategies they used to carry out operations within India was to recruit Indian soldiers from the British Army.
• They accomplished this by secretly crossing cantonments and conversing with well-trained soldiers in the lines. Kartar Singh Saraba, 19, was the most involved in this operation.
• The bombings caused widespread unrest, prompting the British-Indian government, led by Micheal O'Dwyer, to launch an aggressive crackdown on them.
• O'Dwyer ordered the incarceration of all Ghadar members, whether legally or illegally.

Evaluation of Ghadar Party

• The Ghadr movement's achievement was in the realm of ideology. It preached militant nationalism while remaining completely secular.
• However, it failed to achieve much politically and militarily because it lacked organized and sustained leadership, underestimated the extent of preparation required at every level—organizational, ideological, financial, and tactical strategic—and perhaps Lala Hardayal was unsuited for the job of an organizer.

Conclusion

Although the Ghadarites expected their successful efforts to recruit Indians in the United States to generate the same level of enthusiasm in India, they discovered that India was not as ready for revolution as they had hoped. The Indian National Congress, priests of several important Sikh gurdwaras, and many other nationalist leaders in India strongly condemned the Party. While Ghadarites in North America were successful in mobilizing thousands along the Pacific Coast by emphasizing the interconnectedness of colonialism, racial subjugation, and economic exploitation, they were unable to persuade their Indian counterparts to join them.

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Discuss the formation, objectives, and activities of the Ghadar Party in the context of India’s freedom struggle.

Answer: The Ghadar Party was formed in 1913 by Indian expatriates in the United States and Canada, with its headquarters in San Francisco. Its founding members included leaders like Lala Har Dayal, Sohan Singh Bhakna, and Kartar Singh Sarabha. The party aimed to overthrow British colonial rule in India through armed rebellion and organized various revolutionary activities to incite Indians, particularly soldiers, to rise against the British. The party published a revolutionary newspaper, "The Ghadar," to inspire Indians to join the cause. Although their attempts to incite an uprising during World War I were largely foiled, the Ghadar Party played a crucial role in spreading the spirit of nationalism among Indians living abroad and laid the groundwork for future revolutionary activities in India.

Q2: Analyze the impact of World War I on the revolutionary activities of the Ghadar Party. How successful were they in their attempts to incite rebellion in India?

Answer: World War I had a significant impact on the revolutionary activities of the Ghadar Party. The party believed that the British would be vulnerable during the war, creating an opportunity to incite rebellion in India. Ghadar leaders aimed to mobilize Indian soldiers serving in the British army and civilian populations to rise against colonial rule. However, their plans were thwarted by British intelligence, which preemptively arrested many leaders and sympathizers. Despite the failure to launch a successful rebellion, the Ghadar Party’s efforts highlighted the growing revolutionary sentiment among Indian expatriates, and their activities helped inspire future independence movements.

Q3: Evaluate the contribution of the Ghadar Party to the Indian freedom struggle. How did it influence later revolutionary movements?

Answer: The Ghadar Party made significant contributions to India’s freedom struggle by instilling a revolutionary spirit among Indians, particularly expatriates and soldiers. Although their rebellion during World War I was unsuccessful, their efforts helped ignite nationalist fervor both abroad and in India. The Ghadar Party’s emphasis on armed revolt and direct action influenced later revolutionary movements, including the activities of leaders like Bhagat Singh and Rashbehari Bose. The party also demonstrated the potential for Indian expatriates to contribute to the independence movement, and their example inspired future diasporic efforts to support India’s freedom struggle.

Previous Year Questions on  Ghadar Party

1. UPSC CSE 2016

Question: Discuss the role of the Ghadar Party in India’s struggle for independence. 

Answer: The Ghadar Party played a critical role in India's struggle for independence by advocating for armed revolt against British rule. Formed in 1913 by Indian expatriates in the United States and Canada, the party sought to incite rebellion in India through its revolutionary activities. The party's leaders, including Lala Har Dayal and Kartar Singh Sarabha, organized efforts to mobilize Indian soldiers and civilians to rise against British colonialism. Although their plans to incite a large-scale rebellion during World War I were foiled by British intelligence, the Ghadar Party's efforts laid the foundation for future revolutionary movements. Their emphasis on armed struggle influenced later revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh and continued to inspire anti-colonial sentiments among Indians living abroad.

2. UPSC CSE 2018

Question: Analyze the failure of the Ghadar Party’s uprising during World War I. How did British intelligence thwart their plans? 

Answer: The Ghadar Party’s planned uprising during World War I was largely unsuccessful due to the effective countermeasures taken by British intelligence. The party sought to take advantage of Britain’s involvement in the war, believing that it would weaken British control over India. Their plans involved inciting Indian soldiers in the British army and civilian populations to revolt. However, British intelligence was able to intercept their communications and infiltrate the organization, leading to the arrest of many key leaders and supporters. Additionally, the British government introduced stricter surveillance and enacted laws to suppress revolutionary activities. This preemptive action by the British significantly undermined the Ghadar Party's efforts and led to the failure of the planned rebellion.