Shaheed Udham Singh Jayanti: Birthday and Significance in Indian History

Sardar Udham Singh, who wrote his name in the history books after killing the former lieutenant of the British Government, Michael O'Dwyer, to avenge the massacre of Jallianwala Bagh, Later, on July 31, 1940, he was hanged to death after he was found guilty of the murder. There is a saying that "for every O’Dwyer, there is a Shaheed Udham Singh."

Let’s delve into the life of Udham Singh:

Udham Singh was born on December 26, 1899, in Sunam, district Sangrur, Punjab, India. His father’s name was Sardar Tehal Singh Jammu, and his mother’s name was Mata Narain Kaur. His father was a farmer and also worked as a railway crossing watchman in Upali village. After his father’s death, he was raised by the Central Khalsa Orphanage in Putlighar, Amritsar. In 1918, he completed his matriculation examination and left the orphanage in 1919.

The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, where he and his friends were serving water to the protestors, left a big scar on his mind. More than 20,000 unarmed people were protesting when General O'Dwyer and his troops entered the Jallianwala Bagh, blocked the entrance, and, without warning, opened fire at the protestors for about 10 minutes till the guns got empty.

After this incident, in 1924, Udham Singh joined the Ghadar Party to remove British rule from India. In 1927, Udham Singh received orders from Bhagat Singh. Udham Singh returned to India, bringing 25 associates and ammunition. However, he was soon arrested by the 25 associates.

At the time he was arrested, some revolvers, ammunition, and multiple copies of "Ghadr-i-Gunj," the Ghadar Party paper, were found, leading him to five years of imprisonment.

The Assassination Plans of Michael O'Dwyer:

After getting released in 1931, Udham Singh’s movement was tracked by the Punjab Police, but somehow he managed to escape and reach Germany via Kashmir. In the year 1935, he went to London and was employed as an engineer. He was constantly making plans to kill O'Dwyer. And finally, he got the chance. On March 13, 1940, Michael O'Dwyer was going to attend and speak at a joint meeting of the East India Association and the Central Asian Society (at present, the Royal Society for Asian Affairs) at Caxton Hall, London.

Udham Singh reached the location with a revolver hidden in his jacket. As the meeting started, he started moving towards the stage and managed to shoot at Michael O'Dwyer twice, which killed him instantly. He was immediately arrested by the officials, and after almost 20 days, on April 1, 1940, he faced some formal charges and remained in custody at Brixton Prison.

He called him Ram Mohammad Singh Azad while in custody. And on July 31, 1940, he was hanged to death at Pentonville Prison.

The Undied Legacy of Sardar Udham Singh:

The remains of Sardar Udham Singh, requested by the then MLA Sandhu Singh Thind, were sent to India in 1974. The casket was received by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Shaeed-i-Azam Udham Singh was cremated at Sunam, and his ashes were scattered in the Sutlej River. Moreover, some of his ashes were retained and kept inside a sealed urn at the Jallianwala Bagh. 

1. A charity was dedicated to Udham Singh, and it operates at Soho Road in Birmingham.
2. A museum is also dedicated to his life, which is located near the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar.
3. His knife (karpan), weapon, diary, and a shooted were kept in his honour in the Black Museum of Scotland Yard.
4. His life was also recorded in films multiple times, like Jallian Wala Bagh (1977), Shaheed Uddham Singh (1977), and Shaheed Uddham Singh (2000).
5. There is a district called Udham Singh Nagar named after him in Uttarakhand. 
6. A chowk named Shaheed Udham Singh Chown was built in his respect in Anupgarh, Rajasthan.
7. Punjab and Harayan have holidays on the day of his execution.
8. A 10-foot-tall statue was installed by International Sarv Kamboj Samaj on March 13, 2018 at the entrance of Jallianwala Bagh and unveiled by then Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.