Day 316: Ghadar Memorial Hall, San Francisco, California
📌APIA Every Day (316) - The Ghadar Memorial Hall in San Francisco once served as the Ghadar Party’s headquarters circa 1913 to 1917. This political movement, founded mainly by North American Punjabi Sikh immigrants, along with Hindu and Muslim East Indians, sought to free India from British colonial rule. The term "ghadar" translates to "mutiny" or "revolution," reflecting the party's mission. From the San Francisco Hall, Ghadar activists spread word of their cause through an international newspaper.
San Francisco’s sizable Indian population, combined with the influence of party leader Har Dayal in the area, made the city a natural base for the Ghadar Movement. The party’s first headquarters, also referred to as Yugantar Ashram, was established in 1913 and the organization published the first edition of their newspaper that same year. Titled “The Ghadar,” the publication highlighted the struggle and need for Indian independence. Some unspecified time later, the headquarters was moved to the current location of the Ghadar Hall at 5 Wood Street. The three-story building, also known as the Ghadar Ashram, provided space for party members to organize secret meetings and run their printing press.
The start of World War I in 1914 marked the beginning of the Ghadar Conspiracy which encouraged Indians abroad to return and start a rebellion in British India. However, British intelligence learned of these plans, and most of the 150 Ghadarites on the first mission were arrested. Over the years, more attempts were made, but many of the 8,000 North American Indian immigrants involved were arrested, and some were hanged by the British Raj. In 1917, American officials tried Ghadar Party members in the District Court of San Francisco for disrupting the United States’ neutrality with Britain. Known as the Hindu-German Conspiracy Trial, it was the longest and most expensive trial in U.S. history at the time.
After the trial, with many of the remaining U.S. members serving prison sentences, the Ghadar Party slowly subsided. When India eventually did achieve independence in 1947, the U.S. Consulate transferred the San Francisco Ghadar Ashram over to the Indian government in 1949. Restoration efforts began in 1952 as the local Indian community and the Indian government raised funds for the building’s repairs. In 1975, the Ghadar Memorial Hall was inaugurated. A Memorial Library was added the following year, dedicated by India's Minister of External Affairs, Yashwantrao Chavan.
Today, the Ghadar Memorial Hall stands as a testament to the sacrifices made by North American Ghadar activists in their fight for Indian independence. The Indian Consulate occasionally organizes events at the Hall to commemorate holidays like Indian Independence Day and Republic Day. In 2019, the Consulate signed an agreement to restore and transform the Memorial into a museum, though significant progress has yet to be made.
Written by Avneet Dhaliwal
LEARN MORE:
Consulate General of India, San Francisco, California : Gadar Memorial Hall
Dr. Bhagat Singh Thind: Memorial Hall San Francisco
FoundSF: India's Ghadar Party Born in San Francisco
IndiaPost NewsPaper: Consultancy pact to restore Gadar Memorial signed
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