Born on the Columbia River: The Origins of the Ghadar Movement

Words by Kamran Rahman

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Born on the Columbia River: The Origins of the Ghadar Movement by Kamran Rahman

“Sohan Singh Bhakna, second from the right, was arrested and jailed for his role in the Ghadar Party’s abortive revolt against British rule in India

Down the street from a Holiday Inn, in the sleepy town of Astoria, lies the birthplace of a movement that aimed to overthrow the British Raj - the Ghadar Movement. I’m referring to Suomi Hall, formerly known as the Finnish Socialist Hall. It was here that the early words of rebellion were planted, to rally all Indians to free themselves from their colonizers.

Today, Suomi Hall is an obscure site that houses a work uniform shop (M&N Stores) and a community centre aimed at preserving Scandinavian culture. More than a 100 years ago, it was the breeding ground for the rebellious Ghadar movement against British Imperialism. The word “Ghadar” comes from the Arabic word for “Revolt”.

Located two hours west of Portland, Oregon, USA - Astoria is a coastal town located near the mouth of the Columbia River. Regionally, it is known as the oldest city in the state of Oregon (City of Astoria). In terms of popular culture, cult classic movies like The Goonies, The Ring Two, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3, and many others, have been filmed in this small town of around 10,000 residents. However, the town’s history goes beyond the old American West and Hollywood cult classics. 

Suomi Hall (formerly known as Finnish Socialist Hall)

In the early 1900s, many people from British India came to Astoria to work manual labor jobs in the town’s canneries and mills. The influx of mostly Punjabis to the West coast of the United States was largely in response to the Asian Indian immigration ban that was implemented in 1908 in the nearby Canadian province of British Columbia. Many of these migrants  settled in Astoria. These early settlers included Sohan Singh Bhakna and Kanshi Ram, both key players in the birth of the Ghadar movement. As more Indians fled anti-Asian sentiment from places like Vancouver, B.C. and Bellingham, Washington, they continued to tread south into places such as Astoria (Binghamton University). Perhaps the relative remoteness of Astoria allowed the Indian labourers to be insulated from the radical violence and discrimination they faced further north.