Martyrs of Punjab:Harnam Singh Kamari (Baba) |
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Harnam Singh Kamari (Baba) |
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He was born at village Kahari-Sahari of District Hoshiarpur and was
son of Sardar Labh Singh. After passing the Middle examination at the
age
of 16, be joined military service in Risala No. 30 at a salary of eleven
rupees per month. While in service he carne in close contact with Balwant
Singh Shaheed and the two became fast friends. After serving in the
army foe about a year and a half be resigned his service and came beck
to his village to partake of his father's burden. In 1907 he decided
to go abroad and actually left for Canada the same year in December.
On
the completion of his course he got employment in the India Trading
Company which had floated by some Indian settlers over there. The Ghadr
movement was yet to start in America when he took up the work of promoting
national consciousness among his countrymen. For this purpose was brought
out an English newspaper called Hindustan. The Government of Canada
disapproved of his political activities and ordered him to quit Canada
within 48 hours failing which he was threatened with immediate deportation.
So, he had to leave the country but after sometime. when the orders
of externment were rescinded by the Canadian Government, he returned
to Canada.
From there he proceeded to California and got admitted in the Berkeley
University for higher studies in 1911. In 1913 when the Ghadr paper
was brought out, he completely identified himself with its aims and
objects and frequently contributed articles to it. liabu Ilarnam Singh
was one of those people who worked actively to help the passengers
of Komagata Maru in their distress and was taken in custody along
with some of his friends while holding secret parleys with them. Immediately,
he was sentenced to deportation under Emigration Laws. At this critical
time his countrymen in California came to his rescue and got him released
on bail by making a deposit of 2,500 dollars as security money. Later
on. when it appeared that the case was going against him, the security
money was quickly withdrawn and he was sent off to India with a view
to helping the cause of revolution in his own country. On his way back,
after passing through Japan, China, Siam (now Thailand) and Burma he
reached India. Here he resumed his national work enthusiastically and
tried to win over Indians. both in the army and outside, to the cause
of revolution. In this work he was helped by one Sham Lal Pathak.
While working for a revolt against the British in Burma, he was suddenly
arrested and detained in the Mandalay Jail. A special court was created
to try the case, which sentenced him to death. Before he could be executed,
he managed to run away from the Jail but only to be recaptured soon
after. He was hanged on July 14, 1914.
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