Saquib Salim / New Delhi,

It was 29 October 1914. In a courtroom at Vancouver (Canada), Judge Morrison pronounced his verdict: “You (Mewa Singh) have confessed having killed William Hopkinson. The court pronounces you as GUILTY of murder of first degree, and sentences you to death by hanging. The sentence will be executed on January 11th.1915. To which Mewa Singh smiled and replied, “Thank you God, for accepting my sacrifice, for the weak people of the world.”

Who was William Hopkinson and why did Mewa Singh kill him?

William Hopkinson was a British Police officer who was investigating revolutionaries in India and following them reached the shores of Canada in 1908. He can be credited as the originator of organising Indian Sikhs in killing other Indians on the soil of Canada. As someone who could speak Indian languages fluently he organised a gang of informers among the Indians living in Canada.

The plans of Hopkinson took a major beating when a Gujarati Indian revolutionary, Hussain Rahim, reached Vancouver to lead the Indians into the freedom struggle. Rahim was active in India since 1905 and wanted by the British police there. He lived briefly in Japan before moving to Canada in 1910. Just two years before Canada had passed a law restricting Indians from entering her. Hussain Rahim in an unprecedented manner challenged the law in court and won himself the right to live in Canada.

Hussain Rahim

Two years later, in 1912, he again challenged a law which barred Indians from voting in elections. He created a sensation by voting in the Mayor election. Rahim was no ordinary man. He was there on a mission, which is often known as the Ghadar Party in history. On 27 December 1913, a branch of Ghadar Party was formed at the Gurudwara of Vancouver under the presidency of Hussain Rahim. At this meeting he asked people to fight against British imperialism and poems from Ghadar (magazine which started its publication from San Francisco in November 1913).

According to an intelligence report, “He (Rahim) also became a leader of the agitation against the immigration laws, and took a prominent part in stirring up discontent in the Hindu community.” In May 1914, when Indian revolutionaries reached Vancouver in Komagata Maru (a ship) the movement to let them in was led by Rahim and Bhag Singh (head of Gurudwara). With the help of Germans Indian revolutionaries started procuring arms and as leaders apart from Rahim names of Mewa Singh, Balwant Singh, Bhag Singh and Harnam Singh were prominent.

Meanwhile Hopkinson employed Bela Singh to get information from Gurudwara. Harnam Singh caught him spying and told him to mend his ways. A few days later Harnam’s dead body was found in a jungle. Arjan Singh, who vowed to avenge the killing of Harnam, was shot dead by one Ram Singh, another ally of Bela.

Bela and his men knew that Bhag Singh (head of Gurudwara) had this information that they were informers. Bela went to Gurudwara the next day and killed Bhag Singh and Battan Singh. On 21 October 1914, Hopkinson was in the court to testify that Bela killed Bhag on his orders when Mewa Singh shot him dead. It must be noted Bela was acquitted of murder charges.

Mewa Singh after martyrdom

Indian revolutionaries attacked Bela Singh on 18 March 1915. Jagat Singh with revolvers in both of his hands attacked him but Bela escaped while his gang member Rattan Singh got killed. A month later, Bela’s house was bombed but again his associate died while he escaped.

Harnam Singh and Balwant Singh both left Canada to join Ghadar Party revolutionaries in India, were caught and hanged.Ram Singh who killed his Ghadar Party associate Ram Chandra during the famous Hindu German Conspiracy trial also lived in Vancouver for eight years.

Rahim was also charged for conspiring to kill Hopkinson. Natha Singh appeared as a first witness against Rahim and said, It was Saturday, Rahim was the president. First Sohan Lall spoke then Bhag Singh, then Mit Singh spoke a little too. Sohan Lall gave the names of them to me "go and kill these men." Sohan Lall said that Mr. Hopkinson, Baboo Singh, Bela Singh and Ganga Ram, those are the dogs we should kill. After that Rahim got up and said, whatever Sohan Lall says is correct. We must all abide by it and until it is done our work cannot go on".

Bela Singh was sent to India to lead a gang of informers. He and his informers were the main reason behind failure of Ghadar Party uprising. Hundreds of revolutionaries were hanged because of him. It was not until 1933 when a group of patriotic Indians killed Bela for his treachery.

Almost a century ago Canada had weakened the Indians by pitching Indians against the Indians. It all seems deja vu.