In 2020, the City of Berkeley named a street after Kala Bagai, presented as a symbol of immigrant resilience and progress against racism. This narrative, however, conceals an uncomfortable reality: based on extensive archival data, Kala Bagai’s family directly benefited from her husband’s paid work as a British colonial informant who actively undermined anti-colonial freedom fighters of the Ghadar Party right here in the Bay Area.[1]

Archival Evidence: The Historical Record

1. British government documents from the UK National Archives detail how Vaishno Das Bagai, Kala Bagai’s husband, was recruited by and received substantial payments from the British Empire to infiltrate the Ghadar movement—an anti-colonial revolutionary group headquartered in San Francisco.[1]
2. His espionage led to the imprisonment of South Asian immigrants fighting for Indian independence and severely crippled local anti-colonial networks.[1]
3.  Far from being an unwitting bystander, Kala Bagai directly benefited from the financial rewards of her husband’s collaboration. Despite these facts, she denied the charges in her oral history interviews, now used to justify public commemoration—without reckoning with documented harms.[3][1]

The Problem with Selective Storytelling

While some celebrate Kala Bagai’s experience with American racism, few recognize her family's privileged access—arriving in the U.S. with $25,000 in gold, a sum impossible for most Indian immigrants. Vaishno Das's proven effectiveness and lucrative service as a colonial double agent in India made him a valuable asset long before his arrival as colonial spy in San Francisco.[2] This wealth stemmed directly from colonial patronage and cooperation, reinforcing the divide between those South Asian immigrants who suffered for resistance and those who capitalized on cooperation with the colonial system.[3]

Current tributes erase the memory of actual Bay Area revolutionaries—like Kartar Kaur Dhillon and Kartar Singh Sarabha—who sacrificed everything for liberation and justice, only to be sidelined in public memory while collaborators are honored.

Reassessing Public Memory

The City's decision is not an act of anti-racist bravery, but rather a clear case of mistaken honor. Public memorials must reflect not just individual hardship, but communal values—especially when commemorating histories of imperial violence and resistance. Honoring Kala Bagai as a community hero amounts to rewarding proximity to colonial power at the expense of those silenced by it.[1]

What We Demand

- A transparent, public review of the naming process, with all archival evidence and scholarly perspectives considered.

- Community forums featuring experts in South Asian, Ghadar, and anti-colonial histories to correct public understanding.

-Renaming the street through community consensus in the city of Berkeley, with a focus on diversity and inclusion, OR, by reevaluating the original list of proposed names for the street, including stalwarts who have made actual contributions to the city of Berkeley. 

- A commitment from the City of Berkeley to support public history that prioritizes liberation over collaboration.

Conclusion: Monuments Must Reflect the Truth

Berkeley has an opportunity—and an obligation—to confront its own history and to resist the erasure of those who challenged oppression, not those who profited from it. Public commemoration must be anchored in ethical rigor and historical truth, not selective retellings or convenient mythmaking. We demand courage and accountability and call on the community to support a history that truly uplifts the silenced. [1]

For More Information Visit: http://TheRealKalaBagaiStory.org

**Sign this petition. Let monuments reflect what we hope to remember, and what we must never forget.**

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This revision provides a more detailed, critical analysis rooted in historical evidence and emphasizes the injustice of honoring a figure whose legacy is tied to collaboration with colonial power, while sidelining true anti-colonial activists. [2][3][1]

*This text was updated on October 6, 2025, to reflect community sentiments. The original text read “Renaming of the street after a genuine anti-colonial freedom fighter such as Kartar Singh Sarabha, Kartar Kaur Dhillon, or in honor of the Ghadar Party itself.”

Sources

[1] Mistaken Honor: Kala Bagai Way - The Real Story of British Spy ... http://therealkalabagaistory.org

[2] U.K. National Archives, FO 371/3065 (52534) This document details how Ridout and Petire considered Bagai (an Indian informant to British Intelligence) for infiltrating the German embassy at Peking, since he had done so well up to then.

[3] Kala Bagai | Rise Up for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders https://exhibits.stanford.edu/riseup/feature/kala-bagai