Son of Sardar Hushnak Singh Grewal and Sardarni Prem Kaur, Gurmukh Singh was born in 1888 at Lalton Khurd, District Ludhiana. He studied up to Marticulation at a Church Mission School of Ludhiana and was a schoolmate of Kartar Singh Sarabha. In 1914 he decided to go to America. When he reached Hong Kong, he learnt about the new restrictions imposed by the Canada Government. Fortunately, he got a seat in the Komagata Maru of Baba Gurdit Singh. When the ship reached Canada, its passengers, notwithstanding that they had fulfilled the condition of a through voyage from India to America, were not allowed to leave their ship and enter America. After a great deal of suffering the ship sailed back to India with all its passengers. At the Budge Budge Ghat (Calcutta) where they landed, a serious clash occurred between them and the police. In the melee many of them were injured and arrested. Gurmukh Singh was able to effect his escape, but only for a short time. Three days later, he was captured at Calcutta and confined in the Alipur jail. After three months he was brought to the Punjab and was let off with internment in his own village.
This was because the Maharaja of Kapurthala who was a member of the Inquiry Commission set up on this occasion was assured by somebody of his good conduct.
Though placed under orders of internment, Gurmukh Singh did not-change his attitude towards the Govern-ment. Kartar Singh Sarabha whom he had known from school days and Rash Bihari Bose had great influence upon his mind and on their advice he committed dacoities at Sanhewal and Mansuri, both in District Ludhiana, with a view to collecting money for political activities. He also made efforts to establish secret contacts with Indian soldiers in some of the Punjab cantonments. But all plans of Gurmukh Singh and his companions went away on account of betrayal of one of their colleagues.
Gurmukh Singh was among the many revolutionaries who were arrested after the disclosure of the plot. He was confined in the Lahore Central Jail and tried in the First Lahore Conspiracy Case along with others. On being sentenced to transportation for life, he was sent to Kala Pani (Andaman Islands). In 1919 he was transferred to the Madras jail for preaching sedition among the non-political prisoners of the Islands. The transfer created in his mind the idea of running away but he preferred to wait for a better opportunity. The desired opportunity came during his transfer from Madras to Manali (U.P.) in 1922. He jumped off a running train with his fetters on and escaped to the Punjab. From there, after some years, he proceeded to Kabul via Khybr Pass in company with Teja Singh Swatantar.
He carried on his political work from Kabul for a number of years. When the British Government learnt about his whereabouts, it exerted pressure on the Afghan King to surrender him. At this critical time Russia came to his rescue. Before he could be captured and surrendered,
He was secretly whisked away to Moscow. After a brief stay at Moscow, he planned to return to India via Italy and East Africa.
In 1934 he was rearrested on suspicion of being in correspondence with Ghadrites and transported to Kala Pani to complete the remainder of his incarceration which ‘was now enhanced by six months by way of penalty for his ‘misconduct’.
He remained in confinement on the Andaman Islands till 1945 or so. After that he was transferred to the Punjab and kept in the Multan jail. From there he was released in 1947 on the country’s attainment of freedom.
After Independence he enrolled himself in the Communist Party of India and in the All-India Kisan Sabha. As such he has taken part in many Kisan morchas. He is also a co-founder of the Deshbhagat Yadgar Committee, Jullundur.
References :-
- Eminent Freedom Fighters Of Punjab by Fauja Singh (1972)