Back to Directory

Karam Singh

Village: Dhut

City: Kapurthala

Karam Singh, son of Ganga Singh, of Dhut, Kapurthala State. He left for abroad about thirty years ago and is said to have reached America from China on 13th March 1913. Came to notice in 1916 as having frequented the Ghadr Ashram. A revolutionary at Stockton, where he associated with a number of Germans. Known to Sant Tara Singh (dead), Dr. Bishan Singh (village Mattubhanoki, district Gujranwala), a former member of the Ghadr Party, and Hari Singh Ghalli (H-22). A persistent opponent of the late Ramchandra of Peshawar, a leader of the Ghadr Party. Name and address found in the note-book of Tarak Nath Das (formerly connected with the Ghadr Party) after the latter's arrest in America. Gave valuable evidence in the San Francisco Case. Proposed with two others at a Ghadr meetings at Lodi on 12th August 1918, that the India Home Rule League, the Ghadr Party and other organisations should be amalgamated in order to carry on the work more effectively. Deplored the Muhammadan policy of keeping aloof from other national elements, at a meeting at Sacramento on 25th January 1920. Reported early in 1922 as a leader or close adherent of the Ghadr Party. On 12th January 1924 was elected a member ofthe "Ghadr State Committee" with headquarters at Stockton. Early in 1926 headed a deputation offive men including Harjap Singh ofMahilpur (H-32), Pritam Singh ofDhand Kasel (P-29), and Santa Singh of Gandiwind (S-18), to Moscow for training in Soviet propaganda methods. A Gurmukhi letter written early in 1927 by Harjap Singh to Santok Singh of village Dodher, district Amritsar (since dead) of the "Kirti" Amritsar, gave proof of the important position held by Karam Singh and others along with M. N. Roy, in the Ghadr- Communist campaign of which the headquarters were in Hankow in 1927. Karam Singh and Harjap Singh (H-32) were in Moscow in March 1928. They met Gurmukh Singh (G-54) and Rattan Singh (R-36) in Ramnagar (a disguised term for Tashkent). Left Moscow for India in July 1928 with Harjap Singh, and on crossing the Afghan border both ofthem were arrested and subsequently released on bail. Was employed as a mali in the Arq at Kabul till the end of 1930 and was believed to be in correspondence with Maulvi Fazal Ilahi of Chamarkand, and in touch with the Russian Legation. Was expelled from Kabul by the Kotwal but was recalled at the intervention of Allah Niwaz Khan, an employee ofthe Amir. Left Kabul and reached his village on 14th April 1931. Was arrested under Regulation III of 1818 on 22nd May 1931, and is at present confined in the Multan jail.