The Ghadar Party

“In the early twentieth century, many activists from then British-ruled India arrived in San Francisco, ideals of nationalism beating strongly in their hearts. This gave birth to and organizations called the Ghadar Party, who aimed to overthrow the British Empire’s rule in India. Out of the South Asian immigrants that made their way to San Francisco, the majority tended to be of the worker class. Even they arrived in small numbers. Strict immigration quotas and geographical barriers prevented easy immigration, but slowly and steadily, small South Asian communities began to make their presence along the West coast in the early twentieth century. These very communities comprised the crux of the Ghadar Party, whose internal turmoil eventually led to its demise only a few years after its birth.” – from India’s Ghadar Party Born in San Francisco, by Nishtha Bhatia

India’s Ghadar Party Born in San Francisco, by Nishtha Bhatia

The Ghadar Party by Seema Sohi

The Ghadar Party participated in WW1, as anti-colonial, anti-British partisans (in other words, they were opposed to the Allies, and got aid from Germany; they were thus implicated in the Hindu-German Conspiracy). After the war, the Party split into Communist and Indian Socialist factions. The Party formally dissolved in 1948.

Between the start and end, the Ghadar Movement expanded globally, with chapters in many countries and India.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghadar_Movement

The Ghadar Party Martyr’s Memorial was erected to honor the Ghadarites. Their website has information about these old revolutionists.

http://www.ghadarmemorial.net/index.htm

“Ghadar Party Martyrs Memorial at Jalandhar commemorates the sacrifices made by members of the Ghadr Party and other revolutionaries for the freedom of India.

“This monument, Desh Bhagat Yadghar was erected by the old Ghadrites to educate, propagate and inspire the common people to uphold the revolutionary heritage of the Ghadr Party heroes, Babbar Akalis, Kirti Kisan veterans and hundreds of Naujawan Bharat Sabha and other revolutionaries to fight for their democratic rights, ideals and social justice.”