Kartar Singh Sarabha, an Indian Sikh revolutionary was one among the popular accused, in the Lahore conspiracy trial.

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60
FREEDOM FIGHTER
In 1912, when he was just 16
years old, he travelled to San
Francisco (U.S.A), and joined
the University of California
at Berkeley, and pursued a
degree in chemistry.
Kartar’s patriotic sentiments
were roused, after he was
associated with Nalanda
club of Indian students at
Berkeley. He was moved by
the bad treatment, Indian
immigrants are getting, in the
United States.
Political entry
In 1913, Ghadr (revolt) party
was founded by Sohan
Singh, a Sikh peasant from
Bhakna village in Amritsar
district. While Sohan was the
president, and Hardyal was
been the secretary, Kartar
Singh stopped his university
deals and joined hands with
Hardyal and supported him
in running the revolutionary
newspaper Ghadr (revolt).
Kartar undertook the
responsibility for printing
the Gurmukhi edition of the
paper. He even composed
patriotic poetry and wrote
several articles. Not stopping
there, he even reached out
to the Sikh farmers, and
inspired them for the united
action against British.
One of the most revolutionary
feet of Kartar was, in 1913,
at a meeting at Sacremento,
California, he jumped to the
stage and began to sing:
“chalo chaliye desh nu
Yuddha karen, eho aakhiri
vachan te farman ho gaye”
(come! let us go and join the
battle of freedom; the final
call has come, let us go!”
Kartar Singh in India
Kartar Singh left the USA
on 15th September 1914,
and returned to India via
Colombo. He resolved to
set up a centre in his village,
as per the model of Ghadr
party’s ‘Yugantar Ashram in
San Francisco.
In December 1914, Bhai
Parmanand arrived in India
to lead the movement and it
was then, Kartar Singh was
charged with spreading the
network in Ludhiana district.
Regarding this connection,
Kartar went to Bengal to
secure the weapons, and
made contacts with the
revolutionaries like Rash
Bihari Bose, Vishnu Ganesh
Pingley and Sachindra Nath
Sanyal.
Sikh revolutionary leader
Kartar Singh
Sarabha
Kartar Singh Sarabha, an Indian Sikh revolutionary
was one among the popular accused, in the Lahore
conspiracy trial.
Childhood and Education
Kartar Singh Sarabha, was born in 1896 in the Sarabha
village, in Ludhiana district, Punjab. His father
Mangal Singh, was a farmer.
Kartar’s primary education was completed in his
village and he then entered the Malwa Khalsa High
school at Ludhiana, for pursuing the matriculation.
While Kartar was studying 10th class, he went to
Orissa and stayed in his uncle’s house and he even
joined the college over there.

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FREEDOM FIGHTER
Kartar Singh visited
cantonments in Meerut,
Agra, Allahabad, Rawalpindi,
Benaras, Ambala and Lahore,
along with Pingley, to inspire
the soldiers.
Kartar Singh and all his
associates succeeded in
manufacturing bombs on a
small scale at Jhabeval and
later at Lohtbaddi, both in
Ludhiana district,
In order to procure funds
for his party, in January
1915, Kartar Singh organized
and participated in raids on
Mansuran and Sahneval
villages.
A police informer, Kirpal,
joined Ghadr and disclosed all
the issues of the party. Is was
through his sketch, in February
1915, Ghadr leaders are
rounded up by the police.
However, Kartar Singh,
Jagat Singh of Sursingh,
and Harnam Singh Tundilat,
escaped to Kabul. After a
gap, they again came back to
Punjab and were seized on
2nd March 1915 at Wilsonpur,
in Shahpur district.
The trial of the arrested
leaders in the 1915-1916
Lahore conspiracy cases,
highlighted Kartar Singh’s role
in the movement.
Death sentence to
Kartar Singh
Out of the 63 arrested
Gadharites, 24 were
sentenced to death, among
whom Kartar was one.
Giving the judgment, the court
said, “He is very proud of the
crimes committed by him. He
does not deserve mercy and
should be sentenced to death”.
On 16th November 1915,
when Kartar has been just 19
years old, he was hanged in
the Lahore Central Jail.
Kartar Singh,
Jagat Singh of
Sursingh, and
Harnam Singh
Tundilat, escaped
to Kabul. After a
gap, they again
came back to
Punjab and were
seized on 2nd
March 1915 at
Wilsonpur, in
Shahpur district.
In December 1914,
Bhai Parmanand
arrived in India
to lead the
movement and
it was then,
Kartar Singh
was charged
with spreading
the network
in Ludhiana
district.