Chattar Singh

Chatar Singh hailed from the village of Maneli in the Ambala district (now Fatehgarh Sahib). His family had moved to the canal colony of Lyallpur district because his father had received land from the British. He had a good education and taught at Sangla Hill School (Nankana Sahib, Pakistan). He was tall and attractive. Under the influence of the Ghadar movement, Chattar Singh attempted to murder Professor Duncliff with a chhawi (a sharp-edged weapon) on 16 December 1914 at Khalsa College, Amritsar. He was apprehended and charged under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to life in prison. In the Lahore jail, he joined other ghadarites, and his first agitation began when he refused to wear the jail cap instead of a turban. As a result of this agitation, he had to endure many hardships, but he did not give in to pressure. He was later imprisoned in Andaman alongside the Ghadar Party freedom fighters. Baba Wisakha Singh, an important Ghadar Party leader praised Chatar Singh’s commitment to the Indian motherland. In Cellular Jail, the superintendent insulted him. Chatar Singh openly challenged the superintendent of the jail to change his ways. Following that, Chatar Singh severely thrashed him and avenged his wrongdoings against the ghadarites. Later on, jail guards severely beat him. He was confined to a solitary cell and denied food for several days. He was kept in inhumane conditions for many years. Although he was not a member of the Ghadar Party and joined them only in jail, he was revered by Baba Wasakha Singh and other freedom fighters.