The soldier who refused to fire unarmed civilians

I had the honor to pay my humble tribute to Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali (1891-1979) on his birthday on 25th December last at a function organized by a Delhi based social organization rooted in Uttarakhand. More than history, Govts have been grossly unkind to Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali, who ordered his soldiers not to fire at the satyagrahees at Peshawar in 1930, mindful of the fatal consequences. Rahul Sankrityayan, in his scholarly biography of Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali, writes that based on certain complaint, Chandra Singh was removed from the post of Hawaldar- Major and given the charge of Quarter Master Hawaldar of the Company ( of Royal Garhwal Rifles), an equivalent post but with the less arduous responsibility of looking after the rations, ammunitions and uniforms of the Company at Peshawar.

On 23 April, 1930, Pathans led by Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan were to hold demonstrations in Peshawar in support of Namak Satyagrah. Captain Ricket selected 72 soldiers and asked the remaining 36, including Chandra Singh, to stay back. Sensing the design of Captain Ricket, Chandra Singh asked Quarter Marshall B. Powell that his company had gone to city but in hurry they had forgotten to carry water with them. Permission granted, he loaded water in mules and with 6 guards joined the troops. Speeches were going on in Pasto and Urdu at the public rally with intermittent loud cries of “Allahu Akbar” and “Mahatama Gandhi kee jai” renting the air. The Garhwali soldiers were closely standing by. Captain Ricket warned the agitating Congress men to “run away, or face fire”. When the crowd did not budge, he ordered, “Garhwali three round fire”. Chandra Singh, standing on the left side of Ricket, at once shouted, “Garhwali cease fire”. Garhwali soldiers put their rifles on the ground. Bewildered, Ricket looked at him and grumbled, “Why, what this?” “ All these people are unarmed. How can we fire at them?”, Chandra Singh replied unhesitatingly, without fear. Ricket sent for additional white troops who reached within minutes and there were fires on the Congressmen who were demonstrating and distributing sachets or pudias of salt to the people, displaying solidarity with the Mahatma and his Civil Disobedience Movement. Hundreds, including a few British soldiers, were killed in the melee. The earth was spewing blood.

Next day, all Garhwali officers and rank holders were called in the Club and conveyed strong displeasure for their disobedience but were asked to be ready to go to the city again and fire at the Congress agitators. They forewarned that if they refused to fire, they would be shot dead then and there. After returning from the Club, he gathered all his fellow soldiers and heaped wholesome praise on them for safeguarding the honor of Garhwal by not firing in Peshawar yesterday. He told them that today they are being drafted to Peshawar again where Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan would be addressing the people and you will be ordered to fire at them. He said he was damn optimistic that, “You will not bring a blot on the forehead of Garhwal knowing well that eleven years back 6 Gurkha Battalion had fired at Jallianwala Bagh which is considered a blot on them. To fire at Congress men means a treachery with the nation. One day, we have to die, then why not die for the nation”.

Chandra Singh administered oath to 67 soldiers and signed a notice that their resignations might be accepted forthwith. They were asked to “Fall in” but they refused. A message was sent to British officers that the Company has become “baagi’ (rebel). They were requested to surrender their arms. Some soldiers were sceptical but Chandra Singh asked them to deposit the arms, pleading that Mahatma Gandhi had not given orders to take arms. These soldiers were taken to certain secret places but the much-suppressed news spread far and wide like wild fire. They were greeted by huge crowds on the way to Lahore and Rawalpindi. People were shouting, “Victory be to Garhwali warriors” and treated them with showers of flowers. The Britishers were shocked as it was a repetition of 1857.

On the way, when Chandra Singh made certain enquiry about his soldiers, he was told imperiously- “you are under arrest being a prisoner.” Although the entire Company had taken part in the rebellion, only 67 were charge sheeted who had signed the notice of resignation. The Britishers did not want it to spread as an event of armed rebellion. Court Martial-a military court- was set up. He was asked whether he would like to engage any officer as his counsel or will defend the case himself. He wanted a civil trial and the freedom to choose his lawyer. “If denied, he would better prefer to be shot dead than participating in a sham enquiry.” When his requests were turned down, he resorted to hunger strike. Britishers relented partially and allowed him to have his counsel outside the army at his own cost. He asked for Mukundi Lal, barrister and a member of UP Legislative Council which was accepted by Mukundi Lal at a fee of rupees one hundred per day from the day of his departure from Landsdowne till his return and rupees five hundred as travelling expenses, which was agreed upon by Chandra Singh and his soldiers to be paid out of their dues.

Uncannily, the Britishers did not chargesheet them for their rebellious conduct on 23 April, 1930 but for the rebellion of 24 April. Mukundi Lal during his meeting, informed Chandra Singh that “the people of Garhwal and even the DC of Garhwal are extremely worried and if any wrong is done to them, there is apprehension of bloodshed in Garhwal.” He was produced with both hands handcuffed whereas others were without handcuffs. The First charge of “ Arya samaji” was read out and the witness, a soldier, deposed that Chandra Singh is a vegetarian, tea-totaller and whatever happened in the Company was due to him. In his defense, he stated that “almost all Indians are Arya Samaji. If there was a true Arya Samaji, it was Swami Dayanand Saraswati. I do not have the strength to be an Arya Samaji.” The charge was discussed for two hours by the Court-Martial. The DC of the Hazara was called. While he was about to depose, the hand drawn fan fell on the DC and he started bleeding. Chandra Singh remarked in promptu, “It was a forewarning by the God to the witness to make a true statement”. The DC deposed that the Arya Samajis were doing good work and there was no threat from them to the Govt. The charge was dropped and the witness rebuked for wasting time. Mukundi Lal made powerful pleadings. The good outcome was, instead of a death sentence, he was awarded life imprisonment (Kaalapaani), all his property was confiscated, he was reduced to the rank of soldier, and his name was deleted even as soldier. Immediately, he was stripped of uniform and the 4 decorative medals. Lesser sentences were awarded to the rest. He was whisked to Attabad jail and confined to a dingy solitary cell.

A man of extraordinary courage and determination could bear such torture where he remained for 6 years chained in both the legs. Pt Madan Mohan Malviya was first to write a letter to Mukundi Lal extending the offer of financial support to the families of all soldiers imprisoned with Chandra Singh. In between he was asked to seek pardon, but he blatantly refused. In 1936, he was transferred to Baralie jail when fetters were removed from his legs after 6 years. Here he came in contact with communist revolutionaries like Yashpal, Shiv Verma, Vijay Kumar Singh and others. He was often addressed as Hawaldar or Garhwali, which he did not like. So, Yashpal decided to call him “Bada bhai” (elder brother) and he remained bada bhai to Nehru, Gandhi, Subhash, Govind Ballab Pant and others since then. It is here that Pt. Nehru came to meet him for the first time.

After a year he was shifted to Lucknow jail by which time there was Congress Govt. under the premiership of Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant and Rafi Ahmad Kidwai as Minister in charge of prisons. The Congress Govt. eased many restrictions and extended necessary facilities to the political prisoners. Subhash Chandra Bose came to meet, and tears trickled from his eyes after listening to the untold sufferings and tortures underwent by him and said, “Whatever be done for you, would be little. But the British Govt. would not agree to free you. I will give your letter (to free him) to Gandhi ji”. Kidwai also went to meet him and agreed to have him transferred to Almora jail for a month to facilitate a meeting with his old father and both the wives. After a month he was back in Lucknow jail. Nehru sent some books including his autography, but he returned the autobiography with the protest that it portrayed the Peshawar event in a lighter way. Nehru agreed to change that portion. In 1938, Nehru went to meet him in jail and assured him that he will write to the Govt. to free him. A month later Nehru also landed in the same jail where they stayed together for 42 days.

After serving prison for 11 years, 3 months and 18 days, he was set free but prohibited from visiting Garhwal. Nehru asked him to send his wife to Anand Bhawan, Allahabad where his daughter was born and he, on release, joined his family in Anand Bhawan. He became a national icon. Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya, presiding over a function in Allahabad University to felicitate him, said “Gandhi ji has the disease of Ahimsa. He is called Chandra Singh - Bagi. You will nowhere get such an example of Ahimsa”. When Nehru learnt that Bada bhai was not made comfortable in Anand Bhawan, he sent a letter scolding his sister Vijay Laxmi Pandit and suggested that Bada bhai may go to Bardoloi, before going to Wardha, to the farm of Sardar Patel and accordingly purchased rail tickets for them. His wife Bhagirathi was to stay in the Ashram of Mridula Sarabhai in Ahmedabad where she could read and learn.

Chandra Singh reached Bordoloi where Sardar Patel took him around his farmhouse. Then, on the invitation of Gandhi ji, he reached Wardha Ashram in 1942. He was happy to find Nehru and Pant there. Nehru made some lighter remark on his arrival and asked, “What will you do now? Bada Bhai, the rebel, pricked to the quick, said furiously, “I will go to Nagpur Cantonment, make the Army to revolt and receive a bullet in the chest and get liberation from life”. Nehru held him by hand and took inside the Aashram to have tea. Gandhi ji, on reading the letter of Bhagirathi to her husband, asked him to have Bhagirathi in his Aashram and arranged for rail tickets. Bhagirathi arrived with her daughter Madhuri and when Gandhi met them, he gave her the name- Madhvi.

In the Aashram, couples had to live separately. He was asked to vacate the room for Bhagirathi and stay in a room in Aashram hospital. But instead of going to unkempt Hospital room, he preferred to stay put under an adjoining tree. It started raining in the night and he shifted to the Veranda but due to heavy rain, he had to take shelter in the room of his wife. It was a breach of Aashram rules. Matter was reported to Gandhi. He told the ashramites that he had been separated from family for twenty years. He asked the ashramite to extend all cooperation to this family.

Once, there was shortage of milk. Madhvi could not get milk. When Kasturba Gandhi came to know, she restored milk supply to Madhvi. Bada bhai was tasked with the responsibility of cleaning the toilet of a leper patient, a duty he suffered gladly. Gandhi ji used to dress the leper daily. Gandhi asked him to deliver his parting speech. In his crisp but substantive speech he said that he learnt the lesson of self-dependence, equal respect for all religions and the importance of time as Bapu did two works at a time.

After six months, it was decided by Nehru and Acharya Narendra Dev, that Bada bhai move to Kashi as there was restriction on his going to Garhwal. But the rebel in him could not bear exploitation and injustice anywhere he came in contact with. He raised voice against injustice. He was arrested and sentenced to imprisonment of seven years. He was released in 1945 but continued to raise issues of the people, whether water supply, ration or hunger, wherever he went. He was tremendously influenced by communism and its ideal of equality. He contested election for the interim Govt. in 1946 but lost. For the parliamentary election, he sought Nehru’s support, but Nehru refused by saying that being the President of the Congress Party, he cannot extend support to the candidate other than of his own party.

Chandra Singh did not become a rebel by happenstance but due to the extremely discriminatory and exploitative policies of the British empire. After bringing victory to the British in the 1st World War, the number of soldiers and officers was cut to size drastically. Of the 1800 Garhwali soldiers, only 900 were retained and rest retired or dismissed. Chandra Singh was made sepoy from Hawaldar Major. Disgusted, he threw away his letter of resignation but the officer in charge refused, and instead, sent him on one month’s leave. Instead of going home, he went to Dehradun on hearing that Gandhi ji is coming there. But the news came that he is in Delhi. He reached Delhi where he was told that Gandhi ji is in Jagadhari, near Ambala. He reached there and learnt that instead, Pt. Moti Lal Nehru is on the stage. He expressed the desire to join the paltan (army) of Gandhi, but Pt. Moti Lal Nehru said, “First you delete your name from the Army and then join the Congress”.

Later, same year in 1929, he was fortunate to see Gandhi ji in Bageswar, Almora district. When Gandhi spotted a young man sporting a hat in the crowd, he enquired whether he was a spy, pointing towards his hat. Chandra Singh said if he gets a cap he will discard the hat. Somebody threw a cap, but he said he will wear it if the old man (Gandhi) gave it to him. Gandhi threw the cap towards him, and Chandra Singh leapt up, and wore it. For him it was no less than a crown. This kindled his patriotic spirit. In the Army, he started procuring and reading secretly the weeklies like Pratap, published from Kanpur and Vishwamitra from Kolkatta. He read books like Desh Darshan and Bharat Bharati and came in close contact with the Arya Samajis. He cared for his soldiers in all possible ways and rose in their esteem. He inculcated the indefatigable spirit of patriotism in them and steeled their resolve to disobey order to kill innocent unarmed civilians struggling for freedom.

But the fact remains that they were treated as rebels. When in 1948 after seeing the miserable plight of the families of the soldiers of Peshawar rebellion, he went to meet the Defence Minister Baldev Singh, he was not allowed to meet. He went to PM’s residence. Nehru invited him to his bedroom and after exchange of pleasantries, enquired, “What do you want?” “Let the Peshawar event be celebrated as a national festival, soldiers be given pension and those who are dead, their families be given financial assistance”, he said. Nehru, quick to irritate, said, “Recognition to you bagees!” Bada bhai retorted, “You were the General of the same Field Marshall and I was Orderly. You are now Prime Minister and I am a Bagee”. Govt. made relaxation. Some soldiers got pensions who had rendered certain minimum qualifying years of service, and the rest some gratuity. He continued to raise the issue and in 1954, he again met Nehru with a Memorandum containing the same demands but without any tangible result.

Unfortunately, despite all the tributes and adorations, Chandra Singh and his gallant soldiers, continued to be treated as ‘rebel”. This reminds of the interview of Gandhi to a French journalist that “disobedience by a sepoy is an offence and a violation of his oath. I cannot ask officers and sepoys to be disobedient. Tomorrow power will be in our hands, and we too will have to take work from them. If I teach them disobedience, I am afraid that they might do the same in my Govt.” He died on October 1, 1979, after a prolonged illness. In 1994, the Government of India did issue a postage stamp in his honor. Nehru had himself called Bada Bhai “veer/(brave)”. Though Nehru did extend help to the families of those soldiers, but the stringent service rules could not be relaxed to extend the financial help that these gallant soldiers rightly deserved from a grateful nation. However, it’s a matter of solace that at least at community level, the Garhwal Hiteshini Sabha, Delhi has instituted award in the memory of Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali.