S. R. Rana

Sardar Singhji Rewabhai Rana(1878-1957) , popularly known as Sardar Singh Rana or S.R. Rana, was an Indian political activist, founding member of the Paris Indian Society and the vice-president of the Indian Home Rule Society.Harvnb|Sareen|1979|p=38] Harvnb|Pathak|1958|p=518] cite web
author = Chaturvedi, J. P.
publisher = All India Congress Committee
url=http://www.aicc.org.in/role_of_press_in_india%E2%80%99s_struggle_for_freedom.htm
title= Role of Press in India's struggle for freedom
accessdate=2007-11-04] S.R. Rana was born to a highcast Rajput family in the Kathiawar district, and was a claimant to the throne of the princely state of Limbdi.Harvnb|Chopra|1988|p=145] He was educated at Elphinstone College, graduating with a BA from Bombay University in 1898. In 1899, Rana left for Paris, where he began a jewellery buisness trading in Pearls. He is known to have lived with a German woman after sometime, who came to be known as Mrs. Rana, though she was not married to him. It was at this time that Rana came in association with Indian nationalist politicians, including Lala Lajpat Rai who is known to have visited Paris and stayed at the Rana house.Harvnb|Bakshi|1990|p=288] Harvnb|Radhan2002|p=714] In 1905, Rana became one of the founding-members of the Indian Home Rule Society, of which he was the vice president. Also that same year he, along with B.H. Godrej and Bhikaji Cama, founded the Paris Indian Society as an extension of the IHRS in the European continent. Similar to Shyamji Krishna Varma, he announced three scholarships in memory of Rana Pratap Singh for Indian student, each then worth Rs 2000.Harvnb|University of Calcutta|1921|p=295] Harvnb|Brown|1975|p=67] Also along with Cama, he came to develop close links with the French and Russian Socialist movements.Harvnb|Gupta|1972|p=54] and visitied the second Socialist Congress at Stuttgart in 1907. His other works at the time inlude the publications of "Bande Mataram" from Paris and "Talvar" from Berlin.Harvnb|University of Calcutta|1921|p=296]

The clouds of World War I was however the turning point for Rana's personal and political life. The activities of the PIS were curtailed under pressure from the French political police Surete. In 1911 he was, along with his dying son Ranjit and his German Wife, expelled by the French Government to the Martinique isles.His wife was also refused permission to enter France for cancer operation.Harvnb|Popplewell|1995|p=221]

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