Harnam Singh Saini

Harnam Singh Saini (died March 16, 1917) was a notable Indian revolutionary who participated in Ghadar Conspiracy and was hanged by British colonial government on 16 March 1917 in Lahore for instigating revolt against the empire. He was tried under third Lahore Conspiracy Case trial.[1][2]

Harnam Singh Saini
Born
Fategarh village, Hoshiarpur, Punjab
Died16 March 1917
Lahore, British India
OrganizationGhadar Party
MovementIndian Independence movement, Ghadar Conspiracy

Background

Harnam Singh Saini was the son of Gopal Saini. He was resident of village Fatehgarh in district Hoshiarpur.[3]

Involvement in Ghadar Conspiracy
Ghadar di Gunj, an early Ghadarite compilation of nationalist and socialist literature, was banned in India in 1913.
Ghadar Newspaper (Urdu) Vol. 1, No. 22, 24 March 1914

Harnam Singh visited Canada and USA which were the breeding ground of Ghadar Conspiracy. He became an active member of Ghadar Party and participated in sedition.

Arrest

Harnam Singh Saini was arrested in Batavia, a Dutch colony. Nothing incriminating was found on his person or on the ship Maverick in which he was travelling. In spite of this the Dutch authorities of Batavia heeded to the British request and handed him over to the Singapore police. He was taken to Calcutta and then to Lahore.[1][2]

Trial and execution

He was tried under Third Conspiracy Case at Lahore. The tribunal of this case consisted of Ellis, Major Frizelle, and Rai Bahadur Gopal Das Bhandari. The trial was held in Lahore Central Jail.[2]

The trial began on 8 November 1916 and ended on 5 January 1917. Harnam Singh Saini along with four other Ghadar revolutionaries, namely, Bhai Balwant Singh of Khurdpur, Babu Ram of Fatehgarh, Hafiz Abdullah of Jagraon and Dr. Arur Singh of Sanghowal, was charged with waging war against King Emperor and sentenced to death. Three other co-accused, namely, Karar Singh Nawan Chand, Fazal Din of Fategarh and Munsha Singh Dukhi of Jandiala were given life imprisonment.[2][3]

Saini, along with four of his other Ghadar Party comrades, was executed on 16 March 1917.[1] All of their properties were also confiscated.[2]

gollark: ↑
gollark: Or I could build then fire orbital lasers.
gollark: I'm going to unfollow Terra on twitter if this continues.
gollark: * feast on it
gollark: i installed potatOS on my brain to avoid hearing it

See also

References
  1. "..the second martyr of march 16 was Harnam Singh Saini of Fatehgarh, Hoshiarpur. He was arrested from Battavia by the Dutch." A day to remember Lahore's martyrs, 16 Mar 2002, KS Dhaliwal, Time of India
  2. Punjab Peasant in Freedom Struggle (Volume II), pp 71-72, Master Hari Singh, Published by People's Pub. House, 1984
  3. An account of the Ghadr conspiracy, 1913-1915, pp i , pp 161, F C Isemonger; J Slattery ,Publisher: Meerut : Archana Publ., 1998.

Other sources
  • Ghadar Party Da Itihas, Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Hall Committee, Jullundur
  • Unpublished Account of Ghadar Party Conspiracy Cases, 1914-1918 by Isemonger and Slattery
  • Sir Michael O'Dwyer, India as I knew it, London, 1925
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