Udham Singh - freedom fighter

 Udham Singh

Udham Singh (born Sher Singh; December 26, 1899–July 31, 1940), also known as Shaheed-i-Azam Sardar Udham Singh ("Great Martyr"), was an Indian revolutionary and freedom fighter affiliated with the Ghadar Party and the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA). He is best remembered for assassinating Michael O'Dwyer, the former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, on March 13, 1940, in London as revenge for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919—an atrocity Singh survived. His act symbolized unyielding resistance against British colonial rule, embodying the revolutionary spirit of India's independence struggle.

Early Life

• Birth and Family: Born into a poor Sikh farming family in Sunam village, Sangrur district, Punjab (then British India), Singh was the youngest of two sons to Tehal Singh (a railway watchman and farmer) and Narain Kaur. His mother died when he was an infant, and his father passed away in 1902, leaving the brothers orphaned. His elder brother, Sadhu Singh, died of smallpox in 1917.
• Orphanage and Renaming: The brothers were taken in by an uncle before being placed in the Central Khalsa Orphanage in Amritsar around 1907. There, Sher Singh was renamed Udham Singh (meaning "upheaval") following Sikh rites, while Sadhu became Mukta Singh. Affectionately called "Ude," Singh received a basic education and was exposed to Sikh values of justice and community service.
• Early Influences: Growing up amid colonial oppression, Singh witnessed poverty and discrimination. He briefly worked as a laborer and, despite being underage, enlisted in the British Indian Army during World War I (1914–1918), serving with the 32nd Sikh Pioneers in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) on railway restoration. This experience disillusioned him with British promises of self-rule for India's contributions to the war.

Involvement in the Freedom Struggle

• Witness to Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: On April 13, 1919, the 19-year-old Singh was in Amritsar distributing water to protesters at Jallianwala Bagh during the Baisakhi festival. British Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer ordered troops to fire on the unarmed crowd of over 10,000, killing at least 379 (official count; Indian estimates exceed 1,000) and wounding thousands. Singh was wounded and hid overnight amid the dying, an event that scarred him profoundly and ignited his revolutionary fervor. He later vowed revenge, targeting not Dyer (who died in 1927) but O'Dwyer, who had endorsed the massacre as necessary.
• Joining the Revolution: Influenced by the Ghadar Movement—a 1913 U.S.-based effort by expatriate Indians to overthrow British rule—Singh joined the Ghadar Party in 1924 while working as a laborer in East Africa and the U.S. He was inspired by Bhagat Singh (no direct relation) and his HSRA comrades, adopting their socialist ideals and commitment to armed resistance. In 1927, following Bhagat Singh's instructions, he returned to India with 25 associates and smuggled arms and ammunition to support revolutionaries.
• Arrests and Exile: Singh was arrested in 1927 for possessing banned literature and weapons but released in 1931. Evading surveillance, he fled to Germany in 1931 (using aliases like Frank Brazil) and then to the U.K. in 1934. He adopted multiple identities, including "Mohamed Singh Azad" (symbolizing Hindu-Muslim-Sikh unity), and worked odd jobs while plotting O'Dwyer's assassination. He traveled Europe, smuggling arms and connecting with Indian exiles.

The Assassination of Michael O'Dwyer

• Planning and Execution: O'Dwyer, who had defended the massacre in his 1925 book India as I Knew It, was speaking at Caxton Hall in London during a joint meeting of the East India Association and Royal Central Asian Society on March 13, 1940 (anniversary of the massacre). Singh, disguised and armed with a revolver hidden in a hollowed-out book (purchased from a pub soldier), waited patiently. As O'Dwyer exited the stage, Singh shot him twice at point-blank range, wounding four others. He surrendered calmly, declaring, "I am a soldier of the Indian freedom."
• Motive and Symbolism: Singh viewed O'Dwyer as the massacre's architect, more culpable than Dyer for authorizing repressive policies. The act was a deliberate 21-year quest for justice, disrupting British complacency and galvanizing Indian nationalists.

Trial, Imprisonment, and Execution

• Trial: Arrested immediately, Singh was charged with murder on April 1, 1940, at Old Bailey. He conducted his own defense, using the platform to indict British imperialism: "I do not care about the consequences... I am dying for my country. I have seen my people starving in India under British rule." He rejected appeals and a 36-day hunger strike in Brixton Prison.
• Execution: Convicted on June 21, 1940, Singh was hanged at Pentonville Prison on July 31, 1940. His last words: "Tell India I died for her freedom." His body was cremated secretly, ashes returned to India in 1974, and immersed in the Sutlej River near his birthplace.
• Immediate Reactions: Jawaharlal Nehru initially called it "senseless" in 1940 but praised Singh in 1962: "I salute Shaheed-i-Azam Udham Singh with reverence." The Times of London labeled him a "fighter for freedom," reflecting global sympathy for anti-colonial causes.

Personal Life

• Aliases and Identity: Singh used over 20 pseudonyms, including Ram Mohammad Singh Azad, to evade capture and promote unity. He never married and had no children, dedicating his life to revolution.
• Personality: Described as resolute, witty, and spiritually inclined, Singh drew strength from Sikhism and revolutionary literature. He was multilingual (Punjabi, English, Urdu) and skilled in mechanics, using these for smuggling.

Legacy and Recognition

• Posthumous Honors:
  • Monuments: A 10-foot statue was unveiled at Jallianwala Bagh in 2018 by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Udham Singh Nagar district in Uttarakhand was named after him in 1995.
  • Commemorations: July 31 is observed as Shaheed Udham Singh Martyrdom Day in India. His portrait hangs in the Indian Parliament's Central Hall since 2012.
  • Cultural Depictions: Featured in films like Sardar Udham (2021, starring Vicky Kaushal), Shaheed Udham Singh (2000), and books such as The Case That Shook the Empire by Pushpinder Singh. Recent X posts (as of October 2025) celebrate his sacrifice, with users calling him a "true freedom fighter" alongside Bhagat Singh, and sharing posters and tributes on his birth (December 26) and death anniversaries. Debates on X contrast his targeted revenge with other struggles, affirming his bravery.
• Historical Impact: Singh's assassination amplified global anti-colonial sentiment, pressuring Britain during World War II. It highlighted the human cost of empire, costing the British reputational damage amid India's independence push. In 2025, his story remains a rallying cry for justice, with calls for more recognition in education.
• Controversies: Some British contemporaries decried him as a "terrorist," but Indian views universally hail him as a martyr. Critics note the act's limited strategic impact, yet it inspired generations.

Key Characteristics

• Unyielding Resolve: Waited over two decades for vengeance, embodying patience and precision.
• Unity Advocate: His aliases symbolized interfaith solidarity in the freedom fight.
• Sacrifice: Gave his life without regret, prioritizing India's liberation over personal survival.