Unsung Heroes | History Corner | Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Ministry of Culture, Government of India

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Paying tribute to India’s freedom fighters

Jagat Singh Binjhal

Ludhiana, Punjab

August 05, 2022

A staunch Ghadar Party revolutionary, Jagat Singh Binjal hailed from the Ludhiana district of Punjab. His father’s name was Sada Singh, a peasant of modest means. He was related to Nidhan Singh Chugga, Kanshi Ram, Rehmat Ali, and Gandha Singh’s group. After the return of emigrant ghadarites, the police administration was on high . Governor Michael O’Dwyer issued orders to arrest or shoot the suspicious persons. During this time, ghadarites planned to attack the Ferozepur Cantonment. On November 26, 1914, sixty Ghadar Party members gathered outside the Ferozepur Cantonment. However, Kartar Singh Sarabha informed them that British authorities had got wind of their plan and had disarmed the sympathetic soldiers. The plan was abandoned, and the ghadarites dispersed. On their way back to Moga, a police party in Ghal Kalan Village intercepted Jagat Singh and other ghadarites. In the ensuing clash, Bisharat Ali, a police sub-inspector, and Jawala Singh, a Zaildar were killed. Villagers mistook ghadarites for thieves and surrounded them. Meantime, more reinforcements came. Ghadarites ran towards the nearby reeds to hide. Police set on fire the entire area. Ghadarites were trapped in the reeds. They found themselves surrounded by a large number of policemen and village folk. Jagat Singh and six other ghadarites were apprehended. On February 2, 1915, he was tried by Ferozepur Session Judge under sections 149, 302, 114, 307, 402, and 399. The judge noted that there were seven charges against him; he was the man who murdered Basharat Ali, an offence under section 302, Indian Penal Code. The court sentenced him to death in less than a month, making a mockery of the entire legal process. On 27 March 1915, Jagat Singh was hanged in the Montgomery Jail. The British did not allow family members to meet him for the last time. He was either buried inside the jail or his death was never revealed to his family members.

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