ECHOES OF GHADAR: A DIASPORA’S PIONEERING ROLE IN INDIA’S FREEDOM STRUGGLE
Zafar Iqbal, Ph.D.
The Ghadar Party, founded in 1913 in San Francisco, California, played a trailblazing role in India’s struggle for independence, long before the Indian National Congress formally adopted the goal of complete freedom. Formed primarily by Punjabi immigrants, especially Sikhs, alongside other Indian communities, the Ghadar Party was the first organized movement among the Indian diaspora to advocate for armed revolution against British colonial rule.
Operating from the relative freedom of the United States, far from British surveillance, the party published its newspaper Hindustan Ghadar in Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi. The Urdu edition, titled simply Ghadar (???), meaning “revolt” or “rebellion,” carried defiant slogans like “Enemy of British Rule” and reached diaspora communities and Indian soldiers alike. The publication served as both a rallying cry and a symbol of radical resistance.
With the outbreak of World War I, the Ghadarites saw an opportunity to spark an insurrection in India. Hundreds returned to their homeland to incite revolt, particularly among Indian soldiers in the British army. However, the plan was betrayed, leading to widespread arrests, trials, and executions, most notably in the Lahore Conspiracy Case.
Although the Ghadar Party failed in its immediate revolutionary goals, it laid vital groundwork for India’s eventual independence. It awakened political consciousness, spread the idea of self-rule, and challenged the might of the British Empire from foreign soil. Visionaries like Kartar Singh Sarabha, Lala Har Dayal, Maulana Barkatullah, Rash Behari Bose, Sohan Singh Bhakna, Syed Haider Raza, and Syed Rahmat Ali remain icons of this early resistance.
To mark the centennial of this historic movement, the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) organized a series of commemorative events across the United States during 2012–2013. The Washington, DC Metro Chapter, under the leadership of Dr. Zafar Iqbal (then President of GOPIO-Washington) and Dr. Renuka Misra (National Coordinator), played a pivotal role in initiating and coordinating the campaign.
Highlights included a formal seminar at the National Press Club, a centennial celebration at the Embassy of India hosted by Ambassador Nirupama Rao, and a community gathering featuring historical presentations, the distribution of the commemorative volume “Gadar Heroics,” and screenings of a GOPIO-produced documentary. The Ghadar Centennial Conference was inaugurated by former President of India Dr. K. R. Narayanan, with notable speakers including Ambassador Rao, Dr. Ashook Ramasaran, Professor Basdeo Mangru, Dr. Joy Cherian, Sandip Mallick, Professor Harbans Lal, Dr. Inder Singh, Professor I.S. Saluja, and G.A.S. Yazdani.
Drs. Misra and Iqbal were instrumental in uniting GOPIO chapters from DC, Maryland, and Virginia, and bringing together historians, Indian American community leaders, and descendants of Ghadar heroes. Their efforts not only revived the legacy of the Ghadar movement but also showcased the diaspora’s enduring contributions to India’s freedom struggle.
Beyond the centenary, this spirit of remembrance has continued through initiatives such as the annual Yaum-e-Azadi Mushaira–Kavi Sammelan, co-organized with the Aligarh Alumni Association of Washington, DC, and Washington Metro GOPIO. These events celebrate Urdu and Hindi poetry, promoting communal harmony and a shared cultural heritage.
In Reflection:
India’s independence was won through the shared sacrifices of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and others, at home and abroad. The Ghadar Party, forged in the diaspora with an inclusive and revolutionary spirit, lit the torch of liberty in 1913. A hundred years later, GOPIO-Washington, led by Drs. Renuka Misra and Zafar Iqbal ensured that the Ghadar legacy was honored and remembered. Their work keeps alive the enduring story of courage, sacrifice, and unity that helped shape a free India.
Here is a front‑page scan of the Hindustan?Ghadar Urdu edition (???),?Vol.?1?No.?22 (March?28,?1914), showing the Urdu masthead at the top and densely packed Urdu text below. It offers a clear example of how the paper looked in Nastaliq script.
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