Many people associate the Ghadar Party with California, but this radical organization was actually formed at the Finnish Socialist Hall in Astoria, Oregon, in May 1913. Astoria is situated on the banks of the Columbia River, just before it merges with the Pacific Ocean. I visited this location twice this summer to learn more about the history of the Ghadar uprising.
With my keen interest in Punjabi migration across the world, I have read many books and articles on the Ghadar (revolution or rebellion) Party struggle. However, this book by Ms. Ogden is arguably the most comprehensive and best work on the genesis of the party. It thoroughly explores how the interplay between the U.S.’s denial of equal rights to migrant workers from British India and the abusive colonial rule by the British shaped the minds of ordinary laborers from Punjab. These laborers were influenced by radical intellectuals to wage a violent struggle to overthrow the British colonial subjugation.
