Bhagat Singh Thind:
The Legacy of an Indian Pioneer
Los Angeles, October 13, 2006
Inder Singh
In the annals of Asians’ struggle for US citizenship, Bhagat
Singh Thind’s fight for citizenship occupies a prominent
historical place. His US citizenship was rescinded four days after
it was granted. Eleven months later, he received it for the second
time but the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) appealed
to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals which sent the case to the
next higher court for ruling. Thind valiantly fought his case
in the US Supreme Court, but the judge revoked his citizenship
simply due to the color of his skin. The Court verdict in Thind’s
case, United States v. Thind confirmed that the rights and privileges
of naturalization were reserved for “Whites” only.
At that time, Indians in the United States were commonly called
“Hindoos” (“Hindus”) irrespective of their
faith. Thind’s nationality was also referred to as "Hindoo”
or “Hindu" in all legal documents and in the media
although he was a Sikh by faith and preserved his religious beliefs
by keeping a beard and long hair on his head and wore turban.
Bhagat Singh was born on October 3, 1892 in the state of Punjab,
India. He came to the US in 1913 to pursue higher education. On
July 22, 1918, while still an Indian citizen, he joined the US
Army to fight in World War 1. A few months later, on November
8, 1918, Bhagat Singh, a turban wearing “Hindu”, was
promoted to the rank of an Acting Sergeant. He had not even served
for a month in his new position when the war was declared ended.
He received an “honorable discharge” on 16th of December,
1918, with his character designated as "excellent".
[Rashmi Sharma Singh: Petition for citizenship filed on September
27, 1935, State of New York].
The U.S. citizenship conferred many rights and privileges but
only “free white men” were eligible to apply. In the
United States, many anthropologists used Caucasian as a general
term for "white.” Indian nationals from the north of
the Indian Sub-Continent were also considered Caucasian. Thus,
several Indians were granted US citizenship in different states.
Thind also applied for citizenship in the state of Washington
in July 1918. He received his citizenship certificate on December
9, 1918 wearing military uniform as he was still serving in the
US army. However, the INS did not agree with the district court
granting the citizenship. Thind’s citizenship was revoked
in four days, on December 13, 1918, on the grounds that he was
not a “free white man.” Thind, as a soldier in the
US army, had all the rights and privileges like any “white
man” and was worthy of trust to defend the US but America
would not trust him with citizenship rights due to the color of
his skin.
Thind was disheartened but was not ready to give up his fight.
He applied for citizenship again from the neighboring state of
Oregon on May 6, 1919. The same INS official who got Thind’s
citizenship revoked first time, tried to convince the judge to
refuse citizenship to a “Hindoo” from India. He even
brought up the issue of Thind’s involvement in the Gadar
Movement, members of which campaigned for the independence of
India from Britain. But Thind contested this charge. Judge Wolverton
believed him and observed, “He (Thind) stoutly denies that
he was in any way connected with the alleged propaganda of the
Gadar Press to violate the neutrality laws of this country, or
that he was in sympathy with such a course. He frankly admits,
nevertheless, that he is an advocate of the principle of India
for the Indians, and would like to see India rid of British rule,
but not that he favors an armed revolution for the accomplishment
of this purpose.” The judge took all arguments and Thind’s
military record into consideration and declined to agree with
the INS. Thus, Thind received US citizenship for the second time
on November 18, 1920.
The INS had included Thind’s involvement in the Gadar Movement
as one of the reasons for the denial of citizenship to him. Gadar,
which literally means revolt or mutiny, was the name of the magazine
of Hindustan Association of the Pacific Coast. The magazine became
so popular among Indians, that the association itself became known
as the Gadar party.
The Hindustan Association of the Pacific Coast was formed in
1913 with the objective of freeing India from the British rule.
The majority of its supporters were Punjabis who had come to the
US for better economic opportunities. They were unhappy with racial
prejudice and discrimination against them. Indian students, who
were welcomed in the universities, also faced discrimination in
finding jobs commensurate with their qualifications, upon graduation.
They attributed prejudice, inequity and unfairness to their being
nationals of a subjugated country. Har Dyal, a faculty member
at Stanford University, who had relinquished his scholarship and
studies at Oxford University, England, provided leadership for
the newly formed association and channelized the pro-Indian, anti-British
sentiment of the students for independence of India.
Soon after the formation of the Gadar party, World War I broke
out in August, 1914. The Germans, who fought against England in
the war, offered the Indian Nationalists (Gadarites) financial
aid to buy arms and ammunition to expel the British from India
while the British Indian troops would be busy fighting war at
the front. The Gadarite volunteers, however, did not succeed in
their mission and were taken captives upon reaching India. Several
Gadarites were imprisoned, many for life, and some were hanged.
In the United States too, many Gadarites and their German supporters,
were prosecuted in the San Francisco Hindu German Conspiracy Trial
(1917-18) and twenty-nine “Hindus” and Germans were
convicted for varying terms of imprisonment for violating the
American Neutrality Laws. [www.sikhpioneers.org]
Thind like many other Indian students had joined the Gadar movement
and actively advocated independence of India from the British
Empire. Judge Wolverton granted him citizenship after he was convinced
that Thind was not involved in any “subversive” activities.
The INS appealed to the next higher court – the Ninth Circuit
Court of Appeals which sent the case to the US Supreme Court for
ruling on the following two questions:
"1. Is a high caste Hindu of full Indian blood, born at
Amrit Sar, Punjab, India, a white person within the meaning of
section 2169, Revised Statutes?"
"2. Does the act of February 5, 1917 (39 Stat. L. 875, section
3) disqualify from naturalization as citizens those Hindus, now
barred by that act, who had lawfully entered the United States
prior to the passage of said act?"
Section 2169, Revised Statutes, provides that the provisions
of the Naturalization Act “shall apply to aliens, being
free white persons, and to aliens of African nativity and to persons
of African descent.”
In preparing briefs for the Ninth Circuit Court, Thind’s
attorney argued that the Immigration Act of 1917 barred new immigrants
from India but did not deny citizenship to Indians who were legally
admitted like Thind, prior to the passage of the new law. He argued
that the purpose of the Immigration Act was “prospective
and not retroactive.”
Thind’s attorney gave references of previous court cases
of Indians who were granted citizenship by the lower federal courts
on the grounds that they were ``Caucasians. (U.S. v. Dolla 1910,
U.S. v. Balsara 1910, Akhay Kumar Mozumdar 1913, Mohan Singh,
1919). Judge Wolverton, in granting citizenship to Thind, also
said, “The word “white” ethnologically speaking
was intended to be applied in its popular sense to denote at least
the members of the white or Caucasian race of people.” Even
the U.S. Supreme Court, in 1922, in the case of a Japanese immigrant,
US vs. Ozawa, officially equated “white person” with
“a person of the Caucasian race.”
Thind was convinced that based on Ozawa's straightforward ruling
of racial specification and many similar previous court cases,
he would win the case and his victory will open the doors for
all Indians in the United States to obtain US citizenship. Little
did he know that the color of his skin would become the grounds
for denial of the right of citizenship by the highest court in
the US.
Justice George Sutherland of the Supreme Court delivered the
unanimous opinion of the court on February 19, 1923, in which
he argued that since the "common man's" definition of
“white” did not correspond to "Caucasian",
Indians could not be naturalized. The Judge, giving his verdict,
said, “A negative answer must be given to the first question,
which disposes of the case and renders an answer to the second
question unnecessary, and it will be so certified.”
Shockingly, the very same Judge Sutherland who had equated Whites
as Caucasians in US vs. Ozawa, now pronounced that Thind though
Caucasian, was not “White” and thus was ineligible
for US citizenship. He apparently decided the case under pressure
from the forces of prejudice, racial hatred and bigotry, not on
the basis of precedent that he had established in a previous case.
The decision, in essence, reinterpreted the proclamation, “Liberty
and Justice for all” to mean “Liberty and Justice
for Whites.”
The Supreme Court verdict shook the faith and trust of Indians
in the American justice system. The economic impact for land and
property owning Indians was devastating as they again came under
the jurisdiction of the California Alien Land Law of 1913 which
barred ownership of land by persons ineligible for citizenship.
Some Indians had to liquidate their land holdings at dramatically
lower prices. America, the dreamland, did not fulfill the dream
they had envisioned.
The INS issued a notification in 1926 canceling Thind’s
citizenship for a second time. The INS also initiated proceedings
to rescind American citizenship of other Indians. From 1923 to
1926, the citizenship of fifty Indians was revoked. The Barred
Zone Act of 1917 had already prevented new immigration of Indians.
The continued shadow of insecurity and instability compelled some
to go back to India. The Supreme Court decision further lead to
the decline in the number of Indians to 3130 by 1930. [From India
to America; Garry Hess, p 31]
There probably was little sympathy for treating “Hindu
Thind” shabbily but there was a concern for the poor treatment
of “US Army Veteran Thind.” Thus in 1935, the 74th
US Congress passed a law allowing citizenship to US veterans of
World War I, even those from the 'barred zones'. Dr. Thind finally
received his U.S. citizenship through the state of New York in
1936, taking oath for the third time to become an American citizen.
This time, no official of the INS dared to object or appeal against
his naturalization.
Thind had come to the US for higher education and to “fulfill
his destiny as a spiritual teacher.” Long before his arrival
in the US or that of any other religious teacher or yogi from
India, American intellectuals had shown keen interest in Indian
religious philosophy. Hindu sacred books translated by the English
missionaries had made their way to America and were the “favorite
text” of many members of the Transcendentalists’ society
which was started by some American thinkers and intellectuals
who were dissatisfied with spiritual inadequacy of the Unitarian
Church. The society flourished during the period of 1836-1860
in the Boston area and had some prominent and influential members
including author and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882),
poet Walter Whitman (1819 – 1892), and writer Henry David
Thoreau (1817-62). [Pradhan:India in the United States]
Emerson had read Hindu religious and philosophy books including
the Bhagvad Geeta, and his writings reflected the influence of
Indian philosophy. In 1836, he expressed "mystical unity
of nature" in his essay, "Nature." In 1868, Walt
Whitman wrote the poem "Passage to India." Henry David
Thoreau had considerable acquaintance with Indian philosophical
works. He wrote an essay on "Resistance to Civil Government,
or Civil Disobedience" in 1849 advocating non-violent resistance
against unethical government laws. Years later, Gandhi Ji adopted
similar methodology, satyagraha, or non-violent protest to defy
the law to gain Indian rights in South Africa in 1906. He quoted
Thoreau many times in his paper, Indian Openion.
In 1893, Vivekananda came to Chicago to represent Hinduism at
the World Parliament of Religions. He spoke very eloquently and
made a lasting impact on the delegates. For four years, he lectured
at major universities and retreats and generated significant interest
in yoga and Vedantic philosophy. He also started the Vedantic
centre in New York City. In 1897, he published his book “Vedanta
Philosophy: lectures on Raja Yoga and other subjects.” The
first part of his book included lectures to classes in New York
and the second part contained translation and commentary of “Patanjali.”
[Pradhan:India in the United States]
Swami Vivekananda’s constant teaching, lecturing and addressing
retreats increased the number of Americans who became receptive
to learn about India, Hindu religion and philosophy. Some publishers
brought out books to meet the growing interest of the American
people. Scribner, Armstrong and Co. published India and Its Native
Princes, a 580-page illustrated coffee-table book. C.H. Forbes-Lindsay
of Philadelphia in October, 1903 published “India –
Past and Present” in two volumes. The Yogi Publication Society
of Chicago published many books such as The Hindu-yogi science
of breath (1905), A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga (1906), Bhagavad
Gita (1907), etc.
After Swami Vivekananda left, other religious leaders came to
fill the void. In 1920, Paramahansa Yogananda came as India’s
delegate to International Congress of Religious Leaders in Boston.
The same year, he established Self-Realization Fellowship and
continued to spread his teachings on yoga and meditation in the
East coast. In 1925, he established an international headquarters
for Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles. He traveled widely
and lectured to capacity audiences in many of the largest auditoriums
in the country such as New York's Carnegie Hall. (www.yogananda-srf.org)
Thind had started delivering lectures in Indian philosophy and
metaphysics even before Yogananda came here. He was influenced
by the spiritual teachings of his father whose “living example
left an indelible blueprint in him.” During his formative
years in India, Thind read the literary writings of Emerson, Whitman,
and Thoreau and they too had deeply impressed him. After graduating
from Khalsa College in Amritsar, Punjab, and encouraged by his
father, he left for Manila, Philippines where he stayed for a
year. He resumed his journey to his destination and reached Seattle,
Washington, on July 4, 1913.
Bhagat Singh Thind had gained some understanding of the American
mind by interacting with students and teachers at the university
and by working in lumber mills of Oregon and Washington during
summer vacations to support himself while at the University of
California, Berkeley. His teaching included the philosophy of
many religions and in particular that contained in Sikh Scriptures.
During his lectures, discourses and classes to Christian audience,
he frequently quoted the Vedas, Guru Nanak, Kabir, and others.
He generously shared India’s mystical, spiritual and philosophical
treasures with his students but never converted or persuaded any
of them to become Hindu or Sikh. He also made references to Ralph
Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman, and Henry David Thoreau to which
his American audience could easily relate to.
Dr. Thind gave new “vista of awareness” to his students
throughout the United States and initiated “thousands of
disciples” into his expanded view of reality – “the
Inner Life, and the discovery of the power of the Holy Nãm.”
One of his devoted disciples was Rose Elena Davies who started
following Dr. Thind’s teachings in the mid 1930’s.
In 1938, she introduced her daughter Vivian to her spiritual teacher,
Dr. Thind. Vivian and Bhagat Singh got married in 1940.
Thind who had earned a Ph.D, became a prolific writer and was
respected as “spiritual guide.” He published many
pamphlets and books and reached “an audience of at least
five million.” The list of his books include Radiant Road
to Reality, Science of Union with God , The Pearl of Greatest
Price, House of Happiness, Jesus, The Christ: In the Light of
Spiritual Science (Vol. I, II, III), The Enlightened Life, Tested
Universal Science of Individual Meditation in Sikh Religion, Divine
Wisdom in three volumes. [www.Bhagatsinghthind.com]
In RADIANT ROAD TO REALITY, Dr. Thind reveals to the seeker how
to connect the soul with the Creator. "There are many religions,
but only one Morality, one Truth, and one God. The only Heaven
is one of conscious life and fellowship with God," explains
Dr. Thind. He wrote, JESUS, THE CHRIST: In the Light of Spiritual
Science in three volumes for those, “who have freed themselves
of orthodox religious thinking. The books serve as a springboard
to greater spiritual heights, wherein we appreciate more than
ever the message of the Sat Gurus, the Saviors, the Avatars, the
Christs, of whom Jesus Christ was one.”
Dr. Thind was working on some books when suddenly he died on
September 15, 1967. He was survived by his wife, Vivian, daughter,
Rosalind and son, David, to whom several of his books are dedicated.
He never established a temple, Gurdwara or a center for his followers
but lived for a long time in the hearts of his numerous followers.
David Thind has established a website www.Bhagatsinghthind.com
to promote and propagate books and the philosophy for which Dr.
Bhagat Singh Thind spent his entire life in the US. He has also
posthumously published two of his father’s books, Troubled
Mind in a Torturing World and their Conquest, and Winners and
Whiners in this Whirling World and is working on some others.
Dr. Bhagat Singh Thind said, “You must never be limited
by external authority, whether it be vested in a church, man,
or book. It is your right to question, challenge, and investigate.”
And he lived his life by that statement. He was a man of indomitable
spirit and waged a valiant struggle for citizenship. He extended
the boundaries of his fight by challenging the forces of race
and color. Unfortunately, even the highest US court could not
rise above the low level of skin color, yet his legacy lives on
in his dream land that refused to acknowledge him at first.
Inder Singh is chairman of Indian American Heritage Foundation,
president of Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO
International), former president of NFIA and founder president
of FIA of Southern California. He can be reached by email at indersingh-usa@hotmail.com
or by telephone at 818 708-3885.
Other articles on Indian American heritage from the same author:
Struggle of Indians for US Citizenship
Dalip S. Saund, The First Asian in U.S. Congress
Gadar – Overseas Indians Attempt to Free India from British
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