July 31 marks the death anniversary or the martyrdom day of freedom fighter and revolutionary Udham Singh. Born on 26 December 1899 in a Kamboj Sikh family as Sher Singh, Udham Singh was an Indian Revolutionary. After the death of both of his parents, Udham Singh along with his elder brother Mukta Singh lived in Central Khalsa Orphanage Putlighar in Amritsar. During his stay at the orphanage, Singh administered the Sikh initiatory rites and received the name of Udham Singh. Udham Singh was given the title of Shaheed-i-Azam, for his sacrifice for the country.
Freedom fighter Udham Singh was hung to death on July 31, 1940, after the Shaheed had killed General Michael O’ Dwyer, the former lieutenant governor of Punjab and took revenge of thousands of Indian families.
General Dwyer was responsible for the brutal Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Punjab of 1919 that killed hundreds and wounded thousands.
Assassination of O'Dwyer:
It is believed that he avenged the Jallianwala Bagh massacre single-handedly. After the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Udham Singh started planning to take revenge and planned the assassination.
On 13 March 1940, Michael O'Dwyer was at a meeting of the East India Association and the Central Asian Society (now Royal Society for Asian Affairs) at Caxton Hall, London.
In the premises, Udham Singh brought a revolver hidden inside a book. The pages of the book were cut in the shape of the gun to hide it properly.
When the meeting of O’Dwyer concluded, Udham Singh shot Dwyer twice while walking towards the speaking platform. The two bullets hit the heart and right lung of O’Dwyer and he died on the spot.
Here are some other lesser-known facts about Sardar Udham Singh:
After shooting O’Dwyer, Singh surrendered himself and was taken to Briston prison.
Udham Singh and Shaheed Bhagat Singh were great allies. Udham Singh considered him as his 'guru' and followed his teachings until the end.
Udham Singh became the immortal figure of the Indian Independence Movement and was referred as Shaheed-i-Azam Sardar Udham Singh.
Udham Singh, while in custody following the assassination of Michael O'Dwyer used the used Ram Mohammad Singh Azad, representing three major religions of India at the time.
There is a district named after the revolutionary freedom fighter in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, known as Udham Singh Nagar.
His mortal remains were handed over to India in 1974 and are kept at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar.
The weapons he used in killing General Dwyer have been kept in a Black Museum, Scotland Yard. His weapons included a knife, a diary and bullets. While awaiting his trial, Singh went on a 42-day hunger strike and had to be forcibly fed. Singh was hanged at Pentonville Prison on 31 July 1940.
