British Intelligence On Dr. Bhagat Singh Thind
As early as June 1916, the British Intelligence Agency described Dr. Thind to be teaching sedition against the British occupation of India and thus, began a 24-year surveillance on his activities. While in Astoria, Oregon, Dr. Thind was an original member of The Gadar Movement, which stood for a Free and Independent India. While Dr. Thind did lecture for Indians to stand for freedom, at no instance did he ever advocate force or illegal activities.
This section outlines the yearly surveillance by the British Intelligence Agency on Dr. Thind, including his association amongst the founders of the Gadar movement.
The below text is an example of what may have prompted British Intelligence Agency to draw the conclusion that Dr. Thind was being an Indian “extremist.”
After reading the below text, please click here to view the British Intelligence Agency documents.
British Intelligence On Dr. Bhagat Singh Thind
Salt Lake City, 18th December, 1925
Salt Lake Visitor (Dr. Thind) Says People Are Tired of Oppression at Hands of British.
India will call her 300,000,000 people to arms against British oppression unless London makes satisfactory terms granting governmental liberty to India, it was affirmed Friday by Dr. Bhagat Singh Thind of Amritsar, India, who is visiting in Salt Lake.
There is a growing feeling of distrust toward the British among the people of India, and while it is India’s policy to be peaceful, continued submission to unjust rule will not be tolerated, and all of India will rise against it unless Britain makes immediate reconciliation, said the visitor.
Peace is the spirit of India, and force is the method of Europe, and if India must, she will adopt the European method of gaining her freedom, he added.
The doctor said India’s idea of freedom is a government that will permit her people to develop spiritually, and they ask nothing more. They do not wish to oust the British, they welcome them if they will grant India her rights, he continued. A status similar to that of Canada or Australia under Britain would be acceptable to India, he said, asserting that India is well able to handle her own affairs, and is as much civilized as any nation, her growth being spiritual, while that of the West is material.
It is India’s aim to spiritualize the entire world, and there is no suggestion of nationalism other than the brotherhood of all men, he said. In his opinion, a call to arms will hardly be necessary, for he believes England will compromise.

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- British surveillance on the activities of Dr. Bhagat Singh Thind: Marking him as an extremist as early as 1916.
- Letter from the Secretary of State (G.R. Warner)
Topic: “Naturalization” has not affected the British nationality of the persons concerned. - Ineligibility of India British Subjects for naturalization in the United States of America
(Feb, 1926) - Letter from British Intelligence agent in surveillance on Dr. Thind’s Detroit lectures (Feb, 1926)
- Letter from British Intelligence agent in surveillance on Dr. Thind’s St. Louis lectures
(Feb 6, 1926) - Letter from British Intelligence (Feb, 1926)
- Top Secret memorandum from British Intelligence official regarding a confusion between
Dr. Thind and another Sikh. (June 22, 1936) - Letter declaring the “Ineligibility of Indian British Subjects for Naturalization in the USA” – February, 1926 (parts of document are not legible)
- Report on Dr. Thind’s speech in Detroit, “British Role in India” (March 15, 1927)
- Letter from British Intelligence agent in surveillance on Dr. Thind’s Omaha lectures
(May 6, 1926) - Letter from British Intelligence with excerpts of Dr. Thind’s speech in Detroit (Feb, 1927)
– Part I - Letter from British Intelligence with excerpts of Dr. Thind’s speech in Detroit (Feb, 1927)
– Part 2 - Letter from British Intelligence with excerpts of Dr. Thind’s speech in Detroit (Feb, 1927)
– Part 3 - Letter from British Intelligence with excerpts of Dr. Thind’s speech in Detroit (Feb, 1927)
– Part 4 - Letter to Deputy Secretary to the Government of India suggesting the deportation of Indians in America on the “Black List” (July 4, 1929)
- Top Secret Letter concerning Sikh students in Moscow against British oppression
(Oct 28, 1932) - Revised list of Indian Extremist, 1936 and 1939