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They demonstrated that even ordinary villagers, dressed in simple white, could challenge
the might of the British Empire.
In the grand story of India’s freedom struggle, the Namdhari Movement stands as an early
chapter—one that combined faith with action, purity with protest, and spirituality with
nationalism. It reminds us that revolutions are not always born in battlefields; sometimes,
they begin in prayer halls, in spinning wheels, and in the quiet determination of people who
refuse to bow down.
6. Explain the origin and development of Gadhar Movement in Punjab.
Ans: The Origin and Development of the Ghadar Movement in Punjab
When we think of India’s struggle for freedom, we often picture leaders addressing huge
gatherings, peaceful protests filling the streets, or fiery speeches inside the legislative
assemblies. But there is another chapter—one less discussed yet extremely powerful—that
begins not in India, but thousands of miles away, in the farms, factories, and streets of
North America. This was the story of the Ghadar Movement, a revolutionary wave that
carried the voices of Indians living abroad, and later, swept back into Punjab with explosive
energy.
To understand how the Ghadar Movement began and developed, let’s imagine ourselves in
the early 20th century, when Punjab was alive with both hope and sorrow.
The Seeds of the Ghadar Movement
At the turn of the 20th century, Punjab had already seen immense transformation under
British rule. On one side, modern education, railways, and canals had opened new
opportunities. But on the other, heavy taxation, loss of land, and constant humiliation by
colonial officers created deep resentment among Punjabis. Many young men of Punjab,
especially Sikhs and peasants, looked for opportunities abroad because the British Indian
army could not absorb everyone, and farming alone could not sustain their families.
So, thousands migrated—first to Canada, then to the United States, especially the West
Coast. They became farm workers in California’s fields, lumber workers in Oregon, and
laborers in British Columbia. These migrants carried strong arms and hardworking spirits,
but they also carried the pain of discrimination.
Life abroad was not easy. Indians were treated as outsiders, insulted with racist slurs, and
denied basic rights. They were not allowed to own land, faced strict immigration rules, and
were often pushed into hard, low-paying jobs. The irony was unbearable: here were men
from India, serving in British regiments, fighting wars in distant lands for the empire, and yet
in countries under the same British crown, they were treated worse than second-class
citizens.