Role of Indian Diaspora in Indian National Movement

Role of Indian Diaspora in Indian National Movement

Subject: History

Context: The Indian diaspora’s endeavour in freedom struggle of India is less known. It is essential to recognise it’s efforts as a nation otherwise we shall fail in paying due homage to our freedom fighters in entirety.
Leadership of Indian Diaspora in Indian National Movement:

• Mahatma Gandhi
  • Mahatma Gandhi went to South Africa in 1893 as a lawyer. Many Indians were facing exploitation of the colonial government. Between 1894 and 1906, Gandhi led his movements in South Africa like moderates. But, in 1906, Gandhi started Satyagraha movement in South Africa against Black Act in which every Indian had to do registration. Gandhi successfully forced colonial government to give relaxation to the Indians from Black Act.
  • Gandhi formulated certain principles and new methods in his political life such as, satyagraha, ahimsa and non-cooperation. Gandhi used these new principles and methods for the first time in South Africa
• Lala Har Dayal
  • Lala Har Dayal was born in a Hindu Kaisth family of Delhi in 1884.
  • He published a newspaper which was titled ‘Bande Mataram’.
  • He motivated many students of California University to join Indian national movement. He had settled in the Western America and became the general secretary of the Ghadar party. He decided to lead Indians in America for the freedom of India.
  • In May, 1913, ‘Hindi Association’ was established in Portland. In the first meeting of this association Lala Har Dayal urged Indians to not fight against Americans but to fight against British.
  • Indian people accepted his suggestions and formed a committee and published a newspaper ‘Ghadar’. This newspaper became famous in different countries and motivated Indians to be unite and fight against colonial government.
  • Lala Har Dayal successfully led Indian nationalist movement from America but in March, 1914, he was arrested. Therefore, Ghadar movement became slow.
• Subhas Chandra Bose
  • Subhas Chandra Bose was one of the most important leaders of Indian freedom struggle. He joined the Indian National Congress in 1921.
  • He was soon elected as general secretary of Bengal presidency. He was elected as the president of the Indian National Congress in 1938 and 1939. But, when Mahatma Gandhi did not accept him as president in 1939, he left Indian National Congress and formed ‘Forward Block’.
  • Throughout his political career, Bose had only one goal that was India’s liberation from British rule. To fulfil his goal, Bose went to Singapore in July, 1943 and met with Rash Bihari Bose.
  • Rash Bihari Bose handed over him the control of Indian Independence League. Subhas Chandra Bose for the first time, lead the Indian national army with the help of thirteen thousand army personal
  • He met with many leaders from the different countries such as Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin and asked for their support for the freedom of India.
  • He addressed students of Tokyo University in 1944 where, he presented the real image of India. He said that India is a land of great culture and is known for its rich philosophy
• Swami Vivekananda
  • Narendranath Datta, commonly known as Swami Vivekananda was born on 12^th January, 1863 in Bengal.
  • He associated with Brahmo Samaj and met with Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa in 1881. Vivekananda is considered as the father of Indian spiritual nationalism.
  • He travelled in Asia, America and Europe. He participated in World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in the fall of 1893. On September 11, 1893, Vivekananda delivered his world’s famous lecture in the Parliament of Religions in Chicago. He stayed more than three years in United States of America and England. He delivered many lectures in these countries.
  • In 1897, he returned India. He founded Ramakrishan Mission and served Indian people. He again went to the West in 1899 for a year. He passed away in 1902 in the age of just 39.
  • Vivekananda taught the lesson of peace and spirituality to India as well as the world. Vivekananda introduced the world with the Indian spirituality. He provided moral and spiritual base to the Indian national movement.
• Mohan Singh
  • Mohan Singh was an officer of British Indian army.
  • He fought against Japanese army in the Second World War but when he saw that British army was about to defeat, he supported Japanese army. More than 45 thousand Indian soldiers were arrested by the Japanese army in the Second World War.
  • Mohan Singh organised these army personals and created Indian national army. Quit India movement provided a new energy to Indian national army because many young Indians joined it.
  • In December 1942, Mohan Singh was arrested. After him, Subhas Chandra Bose became the chief of Indian national army.
• Shyam ji Krishna Varma
  • Shyam ji Krishna Varmawas also one of the most important leaders among them who were contributing for the freedom of India from abroad. He belonged from
  • He led the Indian freedom struggle from Europe from 1893 to 1914.
  • He founded the India House in London in 1904 which became the centre for Indian revolutionaries like Savarkar, Madam Cama, and Madan Lal Dhingra
  • Shyam ji Krishna Varma was deeply influenced by Swami Dayananda Saraswati and became the first president of Bombay Arya Samaj. He worked as an assistant professor at Oxford University.
  • Shyam ji Krishna Varma published a monthly magazine named ‘Indian Socialist’ in 1905. This was the time when Swadesi movement was going on against colonial government in Bengal. Through his magazine, Krishna Varma published critical writings against British government in India.
  • An organization named ‘Indian Home Rule Society’ was formed by Krishna Varma.
  • He owned a house in Highgate which is known as ‘India House’. This house was mess-cumhostel for Indian students. Many revolutionary leaders like Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, were stayed in this India House.
• Madam Bhikaji Rustom Cama
  • Madam Bhikaji Rustom Cama was a revolutionary lady of Indian national movement. She was born on 24th September, 1861 in a rich Parsi family.
  • She received English education in her childhood. From her young age, she had nationalist thinking. Madam Cama was of the view that the British had cheated India and spread worst form of imperialism.
  • Madam Cama participated in several social activities. She hoisted Indian tricolour-flag in Germany in 1907 and said “This flag is of Indian Independence! Behold, it is born! It has been made sacred by the blood of young Indians who sacrificed their lives. I call upon you, gentlemen to rise and salute this flag of Indian Independence. In the name of this flag, I appeal to lovers of freedom all over the world to support this flag”
  • After Germany, she went to America and met with Indians. She introduced Indian disapora in America with the oppression of the voice of educated Indians in India. She visited in England and continued movements with the help of Shyam ji Krishna Varma.
• Maharani Jinda Rani Kaur
  • Maharani Jinda Rani Kaur is considered to be the first revolutionary queen of Punjab and due to her valour she was called at that time as the ‘Lioness of Lahore’.
  • She pledged that she would kill the British only by repulsing them. The biggest enemy of the British, was the youngest queen of Punjab Kesari Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
  • When Maharaja Ranjit Singh died on June 27, 1839, Empress Jinda came out of the screen, organized her army, gave a speech in front of it, encouraged it and declared her five-year-old son Dilip Singh as the king and took the reins of governance and organized and worked.
  • Lord Dalhousie, seeing her valour, had said, “Rani Jinda is more powerful than all the military power of the state”.
  • She was imprisoned but she escaped to Nepal in the form of a sanyasi and met Begum Hazrat Mahal and Nana saheb. Planned a detailed revolutionary action but the plan remained incomplete due to her death.

Role of Overseas Organizations/incidents in Indian National Movement:

• Ghadar Party
  • The idea of Ghadar party came in the mind of some Indians who settled in America and in Canada. In July 1912, Indian mill workers assembled at Portland. They decided to establish Pacific Coast Hindustan Association.
  • On 1st November, 1913, the Ghadar Party came into existence in San Francisco.
  • Ghadar party was mainly dominated by the Punjabis.However, it also included Indians from various parts of country.
  • Indian Muslims also joined the Ghadar party. Maulvi Barkatullah was an important active Muslim member of Ghadar party from central India.
  • The name ‘Ghadar’ became popular when Ghadar party published a journal with the same name ‘Ghadar’ (revolt). The headquarter of Ghadar party was known as ‘Ghadar Memorial’
  • Ghadar party primary goal was to inculcate Ghadar thinking in the mind of Indian people and attack on British establishments.
  • Ghadar movement in India failed because in February 1915, more than hundred members of Ghadar party were killed. Its hundred members were imprisoned for long term and were sent to the ‘Kalapani’
• Komagatamaru Incident
  • The Komagata Maru incident involved the Japanese steamship Komagata Maru, on which a group of people from British India attempted to immigrate to Canada in April 1914. Most of the ship passengers were denied entry and forced to return to Calcutta.
  • There, the Indian Imperial Police attempted to arrest the group leaders. A riot ensued, and they were fired upon by the police, resulting in the deaths of 22 people.
  • British Government passed orders that no passenger be allowed to disembark anywhere on the way, not even at the places from where they had joined the ship but only at Calcutta.
  • It triggered off a wave of resentment and anger among the Indian community and became the occasion for anti-British mobilization.
  • A number of Ghadar leaders, like Barkatullah and Tarak Nath Das, used the inflammatory passions surrounding the Komagata Maru incident as a rallying point and successfully brought many disaffected Indians in North America into the party’s fold.