Gurmukh Singh Lalton
Baba Gurmukh Singh Lalton, Arrested on return from Canada on board the Komagata Maru Ship. Awarded life-imprisonment and actively participated in the struggle for jail reform. Escaped from running train. Organized the Communist Movement in India. First General Secretary of the Desh Bhagat Yadgar Committee. One of the founders of Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall. Source: Azadi Sangram De Suhi Latt Yadgar Committee 2001.
The life story of Baba Gurmukh Singh of Lalton Khurd village on the outskirts of Ludhiana presents responses and reactions to life and time of an age. It starts with a venture and runs through a rare chain of adventures. As a simple village youth he set out to seek fortune in foreign lands. Events took place, mostly unforeseeable. He was all energy, a human dynamo. He was active, restless for several decades. He turned a rebel, a revolutionary. No other contemporary of his saw as many places, visited as many countries and faced as many uncertain situations as he did. Gurmukh Singh Garewal was born in 1892 in Lalton Khurd village, Patti Himmat. His parents, Hushnak Singh and Nand Kaur, had two more sons elder to him, Charhat Singh and Atma Singh. The former died during the riots of 1947. The latter lived in the village, married and had only one daughter, Dalbir Kaur. This niece of the Baba, despite old age, pays respectful visit to her paternal village. Hushnak Singh had a small land holding which could not provide enough to the family to survive. He joined army. Gurmukh Singh was intelligent, gifted with self-confidence and good physique. He could easily dominate, even lead fellow students. He matriculated from Mission High School, Ludhiana. He liked Lal Singh of Nandpur who was then planning to go to the USA to study in Berkeley. He, later on, became the legendary specialist in horticulture and agriculture. With a meagre amount he, left home in 1913. He landed in Hong Kong to proceed to Canada. Met Gurdit Singh (Komagata Maru) and joined the desperate travellers. On May 23,1913, they were refused to land at the Vancouver port. The ship turned back to the Bay of Bengal to drop these persons at the Budge-Budge ghat instead of Calcutta docks. Gurmukh Singh and others were fired upon. He was arrested, taken to the Alipur jail. Undergoing mishaps and hard time, he kept his spirits high. He returned to Punjab. By this time he had tasted to bitter side of racialism, colonialism etc.
He turned his anger into rebellion. Kartar Singh Sarabha, Nidhan Singh Chugga, Uttam Singh Hans and Arjan Singh Jagraon planned to work to bring about a revolution for freedom. They hoped army would see their way. It was a desperate move resulting in the Lahore conspiracy case. Gurmukh Singh was arrested, tried and sent to Andamans. He saw real hell during 1917-22. Sensing trouble, he was sent to Trichy. Later, on way to Wardha, he jumped with handcuffs from the train near Nagpur. He met C. Rajagopalachari in Madras, who looked indifferent and kept silent. Not discouraged, he went to Hazur Sahib, could stay hardly for a week as he caused suspicion. Baba Nidhan Singh helped him with money and advised him to take to safety.
He returned to Punjab and stayed at Langeri village in Hoshiarpur district at the farm-house of Bhai Piara Singh. He was a pious person who visited Afghanistan to preach ideals of Sikhism. Teja Singh Sutantar, already doing this work, accepted Gurmukh Singh to join him. Master Udham Singh Kasel also joined them. Between 1922-24, Baba Gurmukh Singh stayed there. Meanwhile, Santokh Singh was busy with his Punjabi paper (^ÑKirti^Ò) and Rattan Singh Dabba with his hand-written press-adventure. They had returned from Russia after getting training in spreading socialism. Gurmukh Singh was much impressed. He, too, wanted to leave for Russia, which he did. He had Baba Prithvi Singh (Lalru) with him. Gurmukh Singh was dare devil, Prithvi Singh cautious and cool. He moved around in Soviet Russia, met many revolutionaries, attended camps, etc. On an impulse he left for America. It is surprising to learn how could a youth without much material means and devoid of professional training, could muster such courage! In California he made contacts, reviewed the post-Ghadar situation, raised funds, reorganised the broken chain and enthused patriots. The farm of Kishan Singh of Gahaur was central place. Hazara Singh Janetpura, Puran Singh, Niranjan Singh Pandori, Surat Singh Chetanpur, Hazara Singh Hamdam were of real help to him. The years from 1929 to 35 were most turbulent for this Ghadri Baba. He was arrested by the Federal government, patriotic activists got him released on bail. Later, he left for Europe. Moving through half of Europe, he reached Kenya on a fake passport. He came to India via West Asia. He watched the Karachi session of the AICC, met leaders and was disappointed with the poor pace of movement. Returned disappointed, but not disheartened. He liked an anti-British Afghan King Oman Ullah, who was replaced by Nadir Khan. Nadir Khan got Baba arrested. Through common friends, his flight to Russia was materialised. He visited several East-European countries and Soviet Republics. He met Oman Ullah at Rome. Ultimately finding favourable avenues, he staged a come back to Lahore by long sea and land routes. Here he worked incognito for Lal Dhandora. Living as rebel was playing with fire. He was arrested, tried and sentenced to jail. He was moved from one jail to another till February, 1946. Riots, Partition, post-Independence bloodbath and mass-uprooting disillusioned him. He remained underground from 1948 to 1952, turned more bitter. He activated the Kisan Sabha. He finally took to raising a memorial at Jalandhar: Desh Bhagat Yadgaar. He worked and died to realise this sentimental dream.
He passed away on March 13, 1977, and was duly cremated at his ancestral village, Lalton Khurd. He ranks among the pioneers of freedom movement.
