Kartar Singh was born on 24 May 1896 in the village of Sarabha, located in Punjab. He was the only son born in a humble Sikh household and was raised by his grandfather after the early death of his father. The undivided Punjab that Kartar Singh Sarabha was born into was wrecked by severe droughts. In search of better opportunities, Punjabis began migrating to places like Canada and the USA. By the first decade of the 20th century, thousands of Punjabis had moved to these countries. In July 1912, Sarabha reached San Francisco with the intent of pursuing his education at the University of California, Berkley. Whether he was actually educated there remains unclear. However, his experiences in California changed the course of his future.

The hostility of the Americans towards immigrants in general, and immigrants from colonies in particular, was very apparent. At this time, Sarabha was working in California as a labourer like many other immigrants. It was there that he fully realised the humiliation of coming from a colonised land. Indians in America often came together to discuss their problems and share their sorrows. It was through such associations and exchanges that Sarabha began to get agitated about his colonisers (the Britishers) in India. In 1913, the Ghadar Party was formed in Oregon. It was an organisation of Indians that wanted to restore the dignity of their people by overthrowing the British regime in India through an armed uprising. The headquarters of the organisation was in San Francisco. Sarabha began to take an active part in it. He took the initiative of putting together the Punjabi issue of the Ghadar newspaper, published to spread awareness amongst the Indians there.

Kartar Singh was born on 24 May 1896 in the village of Sarabha, located in Punjab. He was the only son born in a humble Sikh household and was raised by his grandfather after the early death of his father. The undivided Punjab that Kartar Singh Sarabha was born into was wrecked by severe droughts. In search of better opportunities, Punjabis began migrating to places like Canada and the USA. By the first decade of the 20th century, thousands of Punjabis had moved to these countries. In July 1912, Sarabha reached San Francisco with the intent of pursuing his education at the University of California, Berkley. Whether he was actually educated there remains unclear. However, his experiences in California changed the course of his future.

The hostility of the Americans towards immigrants in general, and immigrants from colonies in particular, was very apparent. At this time, Sarabha was working in California as a labourer like many other immigrants. It was there that he fully realised the humiliation of coming from a colonised land. Indians in America often came together to discuss their problems and share their sorrows. It was through such associations and exchanges that Sarabha began to get agitated about his colonisers (the Britishers) in India. In 1913, the Ghadar Party was formed in Oregon. It was an organisation of Indians that wanted to restore the dignity of their people by overthrowing the British regime in India through an armed uprising. The headquarters of the organisation was in San Francisco. Sarabha began to take an active part in it. He took the initiative of putting together the Punjabi issue of the Ghadar newspaper, published to spread awareness amongst the Indians there.