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Margins of Peace
South Asians in
America
Dr. Amrik Singh
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Jacoby's
book owes to efforts of Dr. Amarjit Singh Bal, a Ph.D. in
Education from University of California Berkeley. The two shared
a lifelong understanding. Jacoby looks from outside and gives a
value-neutral account of the times as he compares migrants with
the natives and highlights their socio-economic disparities,
unequal educational opportunities. |
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 Today,
South Asia is flashing all signs of turning into a battlefield for
the most horrific war, the humanity has ever seen. The leadership of
India
and Pakistan has mostly been on the edge of escalation of a major
armed conflict. It is feared that the third World War maybe fought
in the
Indus
Valley.
The nuclear rivals though share a common culture, language and
lifestyle, but still are bent upon exterminating each other. The
last strand of hope may be found in probing the history of the
region, and analyzing the handling of social andpolitical life in
the last 100 years.
Is it the legacy
of Mahatma Gandhi or the British that made South Asia so vulnerable?
The partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 had deeply upset the
Punjabi Pioneers in North America because their struggle was said to
be for complete emancipation from the colonial kitsch.
Dreams, hopes
and aspirations of Ghadar movement influenced the freedom struggle
of the region that has been well brought up in Harold S. Jacoby's
book History of East Indians in
America.
It is a profound, thought-provoking and well researched study of
Indian Diaspora in 1900-1950. Jacoby was a very popular professor in
the Department of Sociology, University of Pacific Stockton,
California. The book under review has seen the light solely due to
efforts of Dr. Amarjit Singh Bal, a Ph.D. in Education from
University
of
California Berkeley.
The chance meeting of Bal and Jacoby matured into an association of
lifelong relationship of mutual empathy and trust. Jacoby couldn't
get his research published during his lifetime as he fell seriously
ill.
 While
working for War Relocation Authority in World War II for
repositioning of Japanese American internees, Jacoby was appalled by
his total ignorance about social and political life of East Indians.
The story of Ghadar fascinated him and he thought he would make an
important contribution to document Punjabi Pioneers' arrival, pains
they went through, life they built, struggles they made, martyrdom
they achieved, and alienation they suffered at the hands of new
rulers of free India.
Forwarding
Harold Jacoby's book, Dr. Bal records circumstances and bouts of
factional politics rampant in historical Sikh Gurdwara at Stockton
during which Jacoby completed his book. Jacoby wonders how the Sikh
community's tendency to remain aloof, separate and uninformed
actually made it susceptible to bias, misunderstanding and racial
attacks. A systematic promotion of religious, cultural and
historical understanding requires a different line of actions. Bal
concurs that exhibitionistic tendencies as shown in organizing
religious processions, fairs and other cultural shows can be more
effective if a meaningful dialogue is continued with the American
mainstream through participation in social and political life.
Jacoby questions
appellation of "Hindoos" to a majority of Sikhs and Muslims as
inappropriate because Hindus comprised not more than ten percent of
theentire group.
Bellingham,
Everett and Vancouver rioting against Sikh immigrants were testament
of their faith. Driven from their temporary settlement, they tried a
number of options but with dismal results. Among the early immigrant
there was only one Christian, no member of Jain, Parsee and Buddhist
faith. Hindus were just 5% of the whole population of immigrants who
were mainly from urban areas with affluent background. Muslim and
Sikhs shared almost a similar background. Sikhs comprised 78% of the
entire immigrant population.
Though they were
not homogenous group, they were united as a community for the
achievement of freedom for their country. Punjabi was the common
language, though Urdu and Hindi were also used very selectively. The
book can be divided in three sections. The first deals with the
trials and tribulations of East Indians and their response and
resilience to adapt to circumstances of both adversity and
prosperity. The institution of Khalsa Diwan Society in 1912 paves
the way for the Hindu Association of the Pacific Coast in 1913.
Extreme
discrimination in
Canada
and America had already brought together revolutionaries like Kartar
Singh, Kanshi Ram, Udham Singh, Sohan Singh and Harnam Singh
Tundilat to carry out propaganda against the British. Patriotic
sentiments impel them to devise ways to free their country from the
foreign rule through an armed conflict. The unstinted financial and
sentimental support of Sikhs and Muslims, and the intellectual and
administrative support of urban-bred educated Hindus had succeeded
in building up a revolutionary movement with sufficient resources.
Radical literature was published to carry out a popular rebellion to
oust British from
India.
The single factor that united three communities was the fervor for
freedom. All other differences of religion, region, caste and
language were relegated to the background.
Activists like
Babu Mangoo Ram Mugowalia, though a low caste, were equal partners
in revolutionary activities. In the second part, the relationships
of the three communities start deteriorating as the British
succeeded in discrediting their freedom movement through covert
operations. A wide surveillance network was spread and a huge amount
of money pumped to diffuse the explosive situation.
Fissiparous
tendencies start appearing to the fore as the British bust their
plan. Religion and caste that were insignificant in the first part
started dividing people. The incident of Lala Hardayal's arrest by
American authorities, his release and disappearance confounded the
Ghadarites. Ram Chandra assumed the leadership and got popular
support of all initially. Lala Hardyal's departure was coupled with
the Komagata Maru tragedy. Later, shooting in Calcutta at Budge
Budge had shaken the morale of leaders who were fantasizing total
freedom from the British rule. The outbreak of First World War and
the involvement of Berlin committee further complicated the problem.
The prosecution of leaders of Ghadar movement in California had
given the setback that broke the movement before its complete birth.
Recipient of
secret transactions with Germans, Ram Chandra stopped taking his
party into confidence. His leadership touched the lowest point as he
started misleading his own executive. He bought property in his own
name. All this resulted into his murder in the court by Ram Singh.
Suspicion suggested that Ram Chander was in collusion with Germans
on the one hand and the British on the other. The inclusion of his
name immediately among heroes of Indian ndependence in 1930 by the
National Congress created resentment. The evidence was that he
handled Annie Larsen incident in such a way that five Sikhs
accompanying the ship were executed for smuggling arms to
India.
In the meanwhile, Lala Hardyal had become totally reconciled to the
British which also meant that he later worked for Indian National
Congress.
 In
the third part, Jacoby points out how a large number of
organizations for the freedom of
India
had collapsed after independence was achieved. The only Khalsa Diwan
Society and Ghadar party continued to function and monitor the new
leadership. The desire to serve their country on getting freedom,
Ghadrites went to India. However, they became disillusioned with the
new government and declared that India had not achieved any change.
The same people who had colluded with the British were now manning
position in the new administration. Frustrated and sidelined, many
joined the communist ranks. Partition of
India
had the most devastating effect on them. The sense of unity that
existed among East Indians in North America had evaporated.
Jacoby indeed
makes an important contribution to Ghadar research that will go a
long way to reconstruct authentic narratives of forgotten freedom
fighters.
24 December
2008
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