Mistaken Honor

A City of Berkeley street has been named after the wife of a British colonial spy who betrayed members of the San Francisco based anti-colonial Ghadar movement for India's Freedom. The street is named after Kala Bagai, a socialite whose lifestyle was supported by the proceeds of her husband's work as a British informant. While Kala Bagai has publicly denied claims that her husband, Vaishno Das Bagai, was an "English spy," archival records reveal the truth about his espionage. This page displays publicly available records which reveal the true story of Kala Bagai and her family, in an attempt to correct the false public history being developed and commemorated, on the Bagais.

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Kala Bagai Way : Mistaken Honor

Kala Bagai

Kala Bagai Way, a street in the very heart of Berkeley, was, in 2020, named after the wife of a double-agent and traitor who betrayed India's freedom fighters of the Ghadar Movement he had "befriended."

The Ghadar Movement was initiated in Astoria, Oregon, and later headquartered in San Francisco during the early 1900s. Founded by expatriate Indians, its mission was to liberate India from British colonial rule.

Mr. Vaisno Das Bagai, Kala Bagai's husband, was an individual who pretended to work for the Ghadar Movement while secretly working as a spy for the British Empire in India.

As clearly revealed by British government documents, Bagai's primary purpose in arriving in San Francisco with his family was to gather intelligence for the British government on his fellow countrymen who were advocating for India's independence and equality for all.

Bagai played a crucial role in assisting the British in dismantling the Ghadar Movement because it posed a significant threat to the British Empire in India. He was paid handsomely for his spying by the British government.

As a result of Bagai's spying on his countrymen, many were jailed for extended periods of time, and Ghadar Party come to a screeching halt on Pacific Coast.

The role of Bagai as a double agent is well documented by historians and scholars ( with the exception of narratives curated by the Berkeley South Asian Radical Historians). The primary research documents -- written communications preserved in the UK National Archives in London -- referencing Bagai's employment as a British spy clearly indicate that he was very well known among high-ranking British officers who had admired his work for them.1

Why the Bagai Family Chose to Come to San Francisco

Arrival and Purpose

V.D. Bagai in San Francisco Examiner 1928 Vaishno Das Bagai came to San Francisco with his wife, Kala, and their three sons in 1915, bringing with them $25,000 in gold.2 Before coming here, Bagai offered his services as a paid informant to the British government. In San Francisco he worked closely with the British Consulate, spying on the activities of the revolutionary Gadar movement in California while simultaneously acting as a committed member of this organization.3 On July 8, 1917, the San Francisco Examiner reported, "Federal grand jury indicted 105 persons [Gadar members as well as German operatives] for plotting here a rebellion in India" with the help of Germany.4 The Indian revolutionaries were accused of violating U.S. neutrality laws by conspiring with Germany against Britain during World War I.5 During a police raid of the Gadar headquarters in San Francisco, all staff members were arrested. However, Mr. Bagai, who claimed to be a supporter of the Gadar Party, a salaried employee of the organization, and a close friend of the movement's leader, Ram Chandra, was never charged or mentioned by the prosecution during the trial, which took place from November 20, 1917, to April 24, 1918. Mr. Bagai played an instrumental role in helping the British crush the Gadar movement by identifying party members (including staff) and their roles and providing evidence that was used in court.6 The trial led to the convictions of 29 individuals. Among those found guilty were 14 Indian nationalists who were sentenced to lengthy periods of incarceration.7 These convictions ultimately broke the back of the Gadar movement's dream of freeing India from British rule.

A Brief History of the Ghadar Movement

Origins and Context
Historical Cartoon

The Gadar movement (also referred as the Indian Revolutionary Party) was born out of the realization by Indian pioneers in America and Canada that they were facing oppression in their homeland, as well as racism and exclusion abroad. These pioneers came to North America in search of opportunity and freedom, only to be met with exclusionary acts and racial discrimination. A well-known incident was one in which various white workingmen attacked the Bellingham East Indian millworker community on September 4, 1907. According to the Bellingham Reveille, "the Hindu riots were orchestrated with the intention of forcibly removing Indian workers from the town and instilling fear in them to prevent them from competing with white labor in the mills".8 To combat the Hindu immigration "problem," both the U.S. and Canada passed several laws to hinder immigration from Southeast Asia. The U.S. Congress passed the Immigration Act, also known as the Asiatic Barred Zone Act, intended to exclude such "undesirables".9

In 1908, Canada implemented the "continuous journey" law that barred immigrants who did not travel directly from their home country to Canada.10 In contrast with the Bagai family, the Indian pioneers were true victims of discrimination. They banded together to fight for equality here, and for the freedom of those who were unable to defend themselves under British rule in India. This, in turn, helped to nurture the cause and spurred the formation of the Gadar Party. The party began to publish a powerful weekly paper called the Gadar (Revolt) to propagate the cause of Indian independence. The British, alarmed at the sudden popularity of the Gadar movement, infiltrated the party and began to monitor its activities.

In his book Intelligence and Imperial Defence: British Intelligence and the Defence of the Indian Empire 1904-1924, Richard J. Popplewell detailed Vaishno Das Bagai's infiltration of the Gadar Party as an informant for the British Consulate in San Francisco.11 A letter regarding Bagai's services, sent on Jan 24, 1917 from Carnegie Ross, British Consul in San Francisco, to the Viceroy and Governor of India, reports that Bagai, a trusted confidant of Gadar leader Ram Chandra during their time in India, was given the responsibility of managing the finances of the Gadar Party.12 After Mr. Bagai had established intelligence operations between the British Consulate in San Francisco and the Gadar Party for several years, Kala wrote a letter to her son, Ram, in which she related, "Pandit Ji [Ram Chandra] called V.D. [Vaishno Das Bagai] that you are a English spy." 13 Bagai defended himself by stating that he had been tasked by Pandit Ram Chandra himself to carry out this intelligence work.14 Records (see attached) of written communications among British Empire officials, preserved in the U.K. National Archives, reference Mr. Bagai as an esteemed spy working for the British Raj.

Claims Passed Down in the Bagai Family

Despite the known allegations that Vaishno Das Bagai was a British spy, Kala Bagai, her son Ram Bagai, and granddaughter Rani Bagai maintained that Mr. Bagai was a "true patriot" of India's freedom and a member of the revolutionary Gadar Party in San Francisco. In the recording used by Berkeley activists in the campaign to rename the street in honor of Kala Bagai, Kala elaborates (@0:38.22) on why people believed Mr. Bagai was a British spy as follows:

"Some people were... not only mean but jealous because we had the money and they said Mr. Bagai was a spy, English spy. He was getting the money from English people, but it was not so..." 15

In a subsequent portion of the same recording, Kala discloses that she married Mahesh Chandra after Mr. Bagai's death. The stipulation for their union was that neither of their families should be made aware of the marriage. One has to wonder: if Kala was capable of concealing her second marriage from her family, why would she not also hide from her children the fact that their father had, in fact, been a British spy?

In a letter regarding Vaishno Das Bagai, Ram Bagai also rejected the allegation made by Ram Chandra that Vaishno Das Bagai was a British spy, dismissing it as mere rumor. Ram goes on to say that his father was used as a "tool in the hands of his so-called friend Pt. Ram Chandra."16

Rani Bagai has consistently portrayed her grandfather in online articles and videos as an Indian patriot who was deeply passionate about India's fight for freedom. One notable example is a video interview showcased on South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA), where she states:

"RB 2:09 So when my grandparents arrived… You know, my grandfather's, I think, main wish in coming here was to work for India's independence and to join the Ghadar party to help fight for India's freedom. That was something my grandfather very strongly believed in and wanted, and he felt frustrated. As a young man he was, you know, pursued by the British and, you know, he was kind of a rabble rouser, kind of militant, and he didn't feel he could do anything from India where, you know, he's constantly being oppressed. There was no free speech at that time, or freedom. And he thought in the United States, "I can do that. I can do what I can't do in India."17
Important Note: Records of written communications among British Empire officials, preserved in the Vaishno Das Bagai is identified as 'Informant No. 1' in a confidential memorandum issued by Carnegie Ross of the San Francisco British Consulate, reference Mr. Bagai as an esteemed spy working for the British Raj.

Bagai Family History In Berkeley

Examining the Claims About Berkeley Residence
Historical Fact Check: There is no historic evidence to support the claim that Kala Bagai was a pioneer, or that they were hounded away from Berkeley, where they, in fact, lived for at least two years.
Bagai WWI Registration Card 1917
Bagai WWI Registration Card 1917
Bagai Residences in Berkeley
Bagai Residences in Berkeley

These documents provide evidence of the Bagai family's residence in Berkeley and their integration into the community 18, contradicting claims of systematic discrimination or persecution during their time in the city.

The narrative surrounding Kala Bagai's time in Berkeley has been significantly embellished in recent years. Contrary to popular claims, there is no documented evidence that the Bagai family faced systematic discrimination or were "hounded away" from Berkeley during their residence there.

Historical records indicate that the Bagai family lived in Berkeley for at least two years.19 The claims of being pioneers or facing significant persecution in Berkeley appear to be later additions to the family narrative that lack supporting historical documentation.

Important Note: The lack of historical evidence for claims of discrimination in Berkeley raises questions about the accuracy of the broader narrative used to justify the street naming honor. This absence of documentation is particularly significant given the extensive British government records that document Vaishno Das Bagai's activities as an informant.

How was Kala Bagai Way "won"?

The campaign that led to the decision was based on a carefully crafted narrative, utilizing materials donated by Kala Bagai's granddaughter to an online website known as South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA). These family documents were instrumental in fueling the ambitions of certain local historians, supporters, and activists who advocated for the street renaming, while ignoring the real facts and history of the Bagai family and, most importantly, ignoring hundreds of Ghadarites, the real victims of the racial discrimination, exclusion acts, British Raj, and Mr. Bagai himself.

Key Concerns
  • Selective use of family documents
  • Ignoring documented historical evidence
  • Overlooking the real victims of the Ghadar movement
  • Creating a narrative that contradicts official records

Conclusion

In contrast, while Kala Bagai's experience of racial discrimination is often cited as central to her legacy, such claims—particularly regarding her time in Berkeley—remain unverified and are contradicted by historical records showing her family's residence and integration into the community. Meanwhile, the ethical breach committed by her husband, Vaishno Das Bagai—who not only misappropriated Ghadar Party funds donated by poor Indian immigrants fighting for freedom, but also operated as a British informant spying on his countrymen—represents a far more consequential betrayal.

Kala Bagai lived off the proceeds of her husband's espionage, yet publicly denied allegations that Vaishno Das Bagai was an "English spy," despite documented evidence from British archives and Ghadar Party leaders. Elevating her legacy without acknowledging this scandal risks sanitizing history and erasing the voices of those who were defrauded, imprisoned, and silenced as a result of her husband's actions.

The Berkeley South Asian Radical Historians, in their street renaming campaign, either failed to investigate or deliberately omitted this critical aspect of her story, thereby presenting a curated narrative that obscures the deeper truths of the Ghadar movement and its real victims. This selective memorialization not only distorts public memory but also dishonors the sacrifices of those who genuinely fought for India's liberation.

References

Primary Sources and Historical Documentation
  1. U.K. National Archives, FO 371/3065 (52534)
    This document details how Ridout and Petire considered Mr. Bagai (an Indian informant to British Intelligence) for infiltrating the German embassy at Peking, since he had done so well up to then.
  2. Russell Nauman, "Vault #9: The Restaurant | Angel Island Immigration Station—San Francisco," AIISF
    May 28, 2024. https://www.aiisf.org/vault/restaurant
  3. Letter from Consul Carnegie Ross to the Viceroy regarding Bagai's service to the British Government, 24 Jan 1916
    PRO FO115/2067, no. 23 (U.K. National Archives).
  4. San Francisco Examiner, July 8, 1917
    "S.F. Plot Suspects Indicted in Droves."
  5. Naidis, Mark. "Propaganda of the Gadar Party." Pacific Historical Review 20, no. 3 (1951): 251–60
    https://doi.org/10.2307/3635701
  6. National Archives, Special Agent-in-Charge Don S. Rathbun, BOI Report 'In re: US v. Crowley et al., Neutrality Investigation,' 14 March 1916
    San Francisco, 1, Box No. 20, RG 118, NA–PSR.

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