By Gurpreet Singh

     November 16 is the martyrdom day of a great Indian revolutionary, Kartar Singh Sarabha, who was hanged in 1915 by the British Empire that occupied his motherland until 1947. Although it's a matter of sheer chance that his martyrdom day coincides with that of Louis Riel, the Métis hero of Canada, the two men had one thing in common: they challenged colonialism at different times and in different forms.

     Kartar Singh Sarabha was born in 1886 in Punjab, when India was under the British rule. He migrated to the USA in 1912 for studies at the University of California, where he came in contact with Indian revolutionaries who believed in armed rebellion to free India from the foreign invaders. He became an active member of the Gadar Party that was founded in 1913 and helped in running the party newspaper.

     He later went to India to participate in an armed revolution and tried to incite Indian soldiers who worked for the British Empire to revolt. He had also participated in robberies to raise funds for arms and ammunition. While the planned rebellion failed, he was later arrested by the police with the help of an informer and hanged.

     Louis Riel was born on October 22, 1844. Known as a founder of the province of Manitoba, he led two resistance movements, the first one being the Red River Rebellion, which established a provisional government that later negotiated the terms under which Manitoba entered the Canadian confederation. He was executed on November 16, 1885, after the second Métis resistance was defeated at Batoche. Although Riel was not the only person hanged for struggling for Aboriginal rights, he symbolizes the continued indigenous resistance in Canada.

     The two men set an example for those who believed in social justice and equality. Their sacrifices have made some difference, but there is still a long way to go. The imperialist wars and the plunder of resources are still going on in the world. Colonialism in the garb of globalization is still posing a threat to the life and liberty of people, especially those belonging to economically weaker sections. And above all the exploitation of indigenous peoples continues shamelessly both in India and Canada.

     Known as the world's largest democracy, India has witnessed systematic discrimination against the so-called untouchables or dalits, who are the First Nation of that country. In south India, the dalits were allowed to enter a Hindu temple after 100 years last month, and that too under the police protection. They were declared untouchables by the priest class centuries ago and are still not allowed to enter many temples. The Indian communists have now launched a campaign in support of the dalits seeking social equality. Ironically, Kartar Singh Sarabha's Gadar Party had denounced caste discrimination, yet this social ill is prevalent in free India.

     In Canada, Aboriginal peoples are still struggling to retain the rights over their lands, rivers and cultural heritage. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has apologized for the abuse of the students in the residential schools, and US President Barack Obama has opened dialogue with First Nations on the other side of the border. Instead of making tokenistic gestures, these leaders should check institutional racism.

     In both the secular and culturally diverse countries, right- wing thinkers and historians have always tried to demonize the First Nations as savages one way or the other. The Indo-Canadian pioneers used to call the natives Tae Ke (those belonging to the elderly uncle's family). This informal sense of association should be popularized to strengthen relations between the two communities. Progressive groups can make some beginning by organizing a commemorative event to mark the martyrdom of both these men.