Remembering Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha on his martyrdom day today.
Kartar Singh was born in Sarabha, Ludhiana in 1896. He was the only son of his parents.

Shaheed Bhagat Singh writes about Kartar Singh Sarabha in his diary. Bhagat Singh was influenced by Kartar Singh.

Source- Ved Prakash Vatuk from Gadar Heritage Foundation, Berkeley.

Kartar Singh was the only son of his parents. He was still very young when his father died. His grandfather brought him up with great care. After passing the ninth grade, he went to Orissa to live with his uncle. He completed his high school and began college while there.

It was the year 1910-1911, when he had the opportunity to read a lot of books outside the narrow range of school or college text books. This was also the time of nationalist movement. It was then that he decided that he must travel to America.

He arrived in San Francisco in 1912. Having arrived in the "free nation" his tender heart was subjected to blows and humiliation at every step. He would be very upset when he heard himself being called a damn Hindu or black man by the whites.

At every step he felt his country's dignity and respect in jeopardy. With the memory of home, he also visualized India - helpless and in chains. His tender heart began to harden gradually and his determination to sacrifice his life for the freedom of country began to harden

This question began to haunt him. How would the country become free if peaceful means failed. Without wasting much time in thinking, he began to organize Indian laborers. Passion for freedom began to grow in them.

He would sit with a worker for hours and explain to him how death is thousand times preferable to life of slavery filled with humiliation. Many persons joined him when the work progressed. A special meeting of these people took place in May 1912.

Meantime the exiled Punjabi patriot Bhagwan Singh reached there. Meetings began to take place in a great number.
Intensive teaching became the name. Work was increased. The file was prepared. Then the need for a paper was felt. A paper named Gadar was launched.

Its first issue was published in November 1913. Kartar Singh was also a member of its editorial board. His pen was very powerful. Members of the editorial board printed the paper on a hand press. Kartar Singh was a carefree young man who loved revolution. He often used to sing

The dedication with which Kartar Singh worked gave courage to all others. Whether anyone else knew how to make India free or not, whether anyone else ever thought about it or not, Kartar Singh had given a lot of thought. He learnt flying in the meantime as well.

Kartar Singh along with Kranti Priya Gupta and an American anarchist named Jack went to Japan. He met Baba Gurdit Singh in Kobe and held consultations with him.

From Yugantar Ashram, San Francisco, copies of Gadar, Ghadar di gunji & many other publications were printed & distributed regularly. Propaganda was increasing every day. In a public meeting held in Stockton in February 1914, Indian freedom flag was unfurled.

Singh forcefully advocated for returning to India. Then he himself sailed for Colombo. Singh was everywhere-if there was a secret meeting in Moga, he was there, next day, message was to be spread among the students in Lahore, he would be the first to be there.

Next, the efforts were being made to have an alliance with Ferozepur Cantonments soldiers or there was a need to go to Calcutta for acquiring the arms. He would go everywhere. But there was no money. For that Kartar Singh suggested armed robbery.

Singh was against any sort of disrespect to females. This incident is recorded by Bhagat singh about singh.

In the first week (of Feb. 1915) he along with Pingle and some other friends went to Agra, Kanpur, Allahabad, Lucknow, Meerut and other places to meet people and consult them about the coming revolt. Finally the day for which they waited so long was drawing near.February 21, 1915

Kartar Singh reached Ferozepur with his fifty or sixty colleagues according to the place. He met with his friend soldier Havaldar and talked to him about the revolt. But Kirpal Singh had already spoiled everything. Indian soldiers were disarmed. Arrests were made on a mass scale.

Disappointed he went to Lahore. He stayed with Ras Behari Bose in Lahore. Ras had escaped spree of arrests in Punjab. Their only desire was that the way would prolong and they arrived in barrack number 5 near Sargodha and talked about the revolt again. There they were caught.

The trial proceeded. He was only 18 & half at that time. But the judge wrote about him, "he is one of the most dangerous among the defendants. During his stay in America and then in India there is not a single part of this conspiracy in which he has not played an important role."

Singh admitted it all in court. “Kartar Singh, as yet your testimony has now been recorded. Please give your testimony lead to? Eye-witnesses tell us that Singh replied to the judge in a carefree tone, "you can only hang me, what more can you do? We are not afraid of that.”

Kartar Singh was locked in his death cell. The case lasted for a year and a half. On November 16, 1915 he was hanged. That day too he was happy as always. His weight too increased. He embraced the hanging rope with the words, "Victory to Mother India."

Extra- a rare medical certificate of Kartar Singh