A City of Berkeley street has been named after the wife of a British colonial spy who betrayed members of the San Francisco and Berkeley 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.
Vaishno Das Bagai was identified as "Informant No. 1" in confidential British government documents. He worked as a paid informant for the British Empire, spying on the Ghadar Movement.
Bagai arrived in San Francisco with his family in 1915, bringing $25,000 in gold. His primary purpose was to gather intelligence for the British government on Indian independence activists.
Bagai infiltrated the Ghadar Party, gained the trust of leader Ram Chandra, and provided evidence that led to the convictions of 29 individuals, including 14 Indian nationalists.
Multiple documents from the UK National Archives confirm Bagai's role as a British informant, including correspondence from British Consul Carnegie Ross.
A letter dated January 24, 1916, from Carnegie Ross (San Francisco British Consulate) to the Viceroy and Governor-General of India documents Bagai's offer to serve as an informant. Bagai claimed to have been employed in India under Mr. J.R. Adam, Secretary of the Inspector General of Police at Peshawar, and stated he was an "intimate friend of Ram Chandra."
Source: UK Archives 24 Jan 1916. PRO FO115/2067, no. 23
A confidential memorandum issued by Carnegie Ross of the San Francisco British Consulate identifies Vaishno Das Bagai as "Informant No. 1." The document reveals that Bagai was providing intelligence on the activities of Indian revolutionaries, including information about Ram Chandra and other Ghadar Party members.
Source: UK National Archives, San Francisco British Consulate records
In his book "Intelligence and Imperial Defence: British Intelligence and the Defence of the Indian Empire 1904-1924," historian Richard J. Popplewell detailed Vaishno Das Bagai's infiltration of the Ghadar Party as an informant for the British Consulate in San Francisco.
Source: Popplewell, Richard J. Intelligence and Imperial Defence (1995), pp 246–247
During the 1917 trial in San Francisco, 105 persons were indicted for plotting a rebellion in India. While Ghadar Party staff members were arrested, Mr. Bagai—who claimed to be a supporter and finance manager—was never charged. He played an instrumental role in helping the British by identifying party members and providing evidence used in court.
Source: San Francisco Examiner, July 8, 1917; April 24, 1918
The Ghadar movement (also referred to as the Indian Revolutionary Party) 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.
Indian pioneers came to North America in search of opportunity and freedom, only to be met with exclusionary acts and racial discrimination. They banded together to fight for equality in America and for the freedom of those under British rule in India. The party published a powerful weekly paper called the Gadar (Revolt) to propagate the cause of Indian independence.
The British, alarmed at the sudden popularity of the Ghadar movement, infiltrated the party and began to monitor its activities. Vaishno Das Bagai was one of their key informants.
Despite documented evidence that Vaishno Das Bagai was a British spy, Kala Bagai, her son Ram Bagai, and granddaughter Rani Bagai have maintained that Mr. Bagai was a "true patriot" of India's freedom and a member of the revolutionary Ghadar Party.
In a recording, Kala Bagai stated: "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..."
However, official British government documents preserved in the UK National Archives clearly reference Mr. Bagai as an esteemed spy working for the British Raj, contradicting these family claims.
Historical records indicate that the Bagai family lived in Berkeley for at least two years. There is no documented evidence that the Bagai family faced systematic discrimination or were "hounded away" from Berkeley during their residence there, contrary to claims made in recent years.
Documents including WWI registration cards and property records provide evidence of the Bagai family's residence in Berkeley and their integration into the community, contradicting claims of systematic discrimination or persecution during their time in the city.
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.