One of the front-ranking Ghadrites, Sher Singh was born in 1880 at village Wain Poin, District Amritsar. Hist father, Sardar Kesar singh, was an agriculturist by progession.

Sher Singh was a prominent figure of the Ghadar movement in America. In 1914 he formed his own band of revolutionaries and left for India by Canada Maru. At Hong Kong he met the members or other revolutionary hands who had left America earlier by Korea, Maru and a few other ships. Volunteers from Shanghai and Manila soon joined them, so that they became a sizable crowd. In the gurudwara of Hong Kong a number of secret and open meeting were held to consider the problems before them. As a result of these deliberations a Central Committee was formed to plan and coordinate the programs of revolutionaries after their arrival in India. Sher Singh was selected a member of this committee. He was also appointed a group leader and as such was required to guide and supervise the activities of his followers.

After Singapore the port of Penang was their principal halting place. Here also attempts were made to get into touch with Indian Regiments and to instigate them for a rising against the authorities. Sher Singh was one of the representative leaders who met the Resident at Penang and successfully pleaded with him for grant of necessary facilities for the Ghadrite passengers.

When the ship by which Sher Singh was travelling reached the port of Budge Budge (Calcutta), he was immediately arrested with many other leading figures such as Jawala Singh Thathian and Nidhan Singh Chugha.

On being brought to Lahore he was confined in the First Lahore Central jail. Here he was tried in the First Lahore Conspiracy Case and sentenced to transportation for life and forfeiture of property.

After remaining in confinement for a period of 18 years in various jails, mostly in the Andaman Islands (Kala Pani), he was released in 1933.

When the second World War broke out, he together with other Communist leaders was arrested and detained at the Deoli Camp jail (Rajasthan) in 1940. From there he was finally released in 1943.

But he did not stop his activities. Both before and after Independence he zealously carried on his work in the Kisan movement and took part in a number of morchas organized by the Kisan Sabha.

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