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{{short description|Indian revolutionary (1899–1940)}}
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{{other people|Udham Singh}}
{{cleanup-date|January 2006}}
{{redirect|Shaheed Udham Singh|the 2021 film|Sardar Udham|the 2000 film|Shaheed Udham Singh (film)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox criminal
| name = Udham Singh
| image = Sardar_Udham_Singh.jpg
| caption =
| birth_name = Sher Singh
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1899|12|26}}
| birth_place = ], ], ]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1940|07|31|1899|12|26}}
| death_place = ], ]
| death_cause = ]
| nationality = ]
| occupation = ]
| organization = ]<br/>]<br/>]
| other_names = Ram Mohammad Singh Azad, Ude Singh
| movement = ]
| criminal_penalty = ]
| criminal_status = ]
| parents =
| spouse = Lupe
| children = 2 sons
| conviction = ]
| victims = ], 75
| known_for = Assassinating ] in retaliation for the ]
}}
{{Infobox postage stamp|image=Stamp of India - 1992 - Colnect 164314 - Udham Singh Patriot - Commemoration.jpeg|alt=SARDAR UDHAM SINGH|caption=SARDAR UDHAM SINGH|stamp_type=Commemorative|country_of_issue=India|date_of_issue=31 Jul 1992|face_value=INR 1.00}}
'''Udham Singh''' (born '''Sher Singh'''; 26 December 1899 – 31 July 1940) was an Indian revolutionary belonging to ] and ], best known for assassinating ], the former lieutenant governor of the ] in ], on 13 March 1940. The assassination was done in revenge for the ] in ] in 1919, for which O'Dwyer was responsible and of which Singh himself was a survivor.<ref name="auto">{{cite news|author=Swami, Praveen|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1422/14220500.htm|title=Jallianwala Bagh revisited: A look at the actual history of one of the most shocking events of the independence struggle|newspaper=Frontline|location=India|volume=14|series=22|pages=1–14|date=Nov 1997|access-date=23 May 2014|archive-date=23 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523230732/http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1422/14220500.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Singh was subsequently tried and convicted of murder and hanged in July 1940. While in custody, he used the name 'Ram Mohammad Singh Azad', which represents the three major religions in India and his anti-colonial sentiment.<ref name="Farina_2010"/>


Singh was a well-known figure of the ]. He is also referred to as ''Shaheed-i-Azam Sardar Udham Singh'' (the expression "Shaheed-i-Azam" means "the great martyr").<ref>{{cite news |title=Who was Sardar Udham Singh? Know interesting facts about the man who avenged Jallianwala Bagh massacre |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/who-was-sardar-udham-singh-know-interesting-facts-about-the-man-who-avenged-jallianwala-bagh-massacre |access-date=8 April 2022 |work=Free Press Journal |date=25 December 2021 |language=en |archive-date=8 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408164754/https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/who-was-sardar-udham-singh-know-interesting-facts-about-the-man-who-avenged-jallianwala-bagh-massacre |url-status=live }}</ref> A district (]) was named after him as a homage by the ] in October 1995.<ref name="Singh 2015">{{cite news |last=Singh |first=Anand Raj |date=12 March 2015 |title=Mayawati may create new district to tame old foe |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/article398789.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604045449/http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/article398789.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 June 2016 |work=The New Indian Express |access-date=14 May 2016}}</ref>
]

'''Udham Singh''' (], ] &ndash; ], ]), born '''Sher Singh''' and also known as '''Ram Mohammed Singh Azaad''', was a ] revolutionary, considered to be one of the most famous ]s of the Indian freedom struggle. For this reason, he is often referred to as '''Shaheed Udham Singh''' (the word ''shaheed'' means "martyr"). He is also believed by many to be one of the earliest ]s in India. He was known at various stages in his life by the following names: Sher Singh, Udham Singh, Udhan Singh, Ude Singh, Uday Singh, Frank Brazil, and Ram Mohammed Singh Azaad. Whilst living in ] in ], Singh ] Sir ], former Governor of the Punjab. This was in revenge for the ], which happened under O'Dwyer's rule, and which O'Dwyer had defended. Although condemned at the time, many Indians regard the assassination as an important step in India's struggle to end British colonial rule.<!--Source?-->


==Early life== ==Early life==
Udham Singh was born ‘Sher Singh’ into a ] on 26 December 1899 in the neighbourhood of Pilbad in ], around 130 miles south of ], ], to Tehal Singh, a ], low-skilled low-paid manual labourer and his wife Narain Kaur.<ref name="Anand3">{{cite book |last=Anand |first=Anita |author-link=Anita Anand (journalist) |title=The Patient Assassin: A True Tale of Massacre, Revenge, and India's Quest for Independence |year=2019 |publisher=] |isbn=978-1-5011-9570-9 |page=31 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AoCaDwAAQBAJ&dq=Sher&pg=PA31 |quote=When the faint mewling of his son finally reached his ears, Tehal Singh might have allowed himself a moment of relief but nothing more. He could barely feed his existing family, let alone this new mouth. His little one was blissfully unaware that his tiny wriggling body was saddled with an invisible burden from the moment he arrived in the world. Like his parents, he was '''Khamboj''', one of the lowest castes in India |access-date=15 April 2022 |archive-date=3 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203171559/https://books.google.com/books?id=AoCaDwAAQBAJ&dq=Sher&pg=PA31 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Fenech |first=Louis E. |editor-last=Johnson |editor-first=Gordon |editor-link=Gordon Johnson (historian) |title=Contested Nationalisms; Negotiated Terrains: The Way Sikhs Remember Udham Singh 'Shahid' (1899–1940) |journal=] |year=2002 |volume=36 |issue=4 |page=830 |doi=10.1017/S0026749X02004031 |jstor=3876476 |id={{ProQuest|196819206}} |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi-broken-date=2 November 2024 |s2cid=145405222 |quote=According to general Sikh accounts, Udham Singh was born in Sunam in the Punjab’s Sangrur district as Sher Singh into a Sikh family of the '''Kambojh caste'''. In 1907 after the early deaths of his parents he and his brother were admitted into the Central Khalsa Orphanage by an uncle}}</ref> He was their youngest, with a two-year difference between him and his elder brother, Sadhu.<ref name=Anand3/> When they were around age three and five respectively, their mother died.<ref name=Anand3/> The two boys subsequently stayed close to their father while he worked in the village of ] carrying mud from a newly constructed canal, part of ].<ref name=Anand3/> After being laid off he found work as a railway crossing watchman in the village of Upali.<ref name=Anand3 />


In October 1907, while taking his sons by foot to Amritsar, their father collapsed and died at Ram Bagh Hospital.<ref name="Anand3" /> The two brothers were subsequently handed to an uncle who being unable to keep them, gave them to the ], where according to the orphanage register, they were ] on 28 October.<ref name="Anand3" /> Rebaptised, Sadhu became “Mukta”, meaning “one who has escaped re-incarnation”, and Sher Singh was renamed “Udham Singh”, Udham meaning “the upheaval”.<ref name="Anand6">{{cite book |last=Anand |first=Anita |author-link=Anita Anand (journalist) |title=The Patient Assassin: A True Tale of Massacre, Revenge, and India's Quest for Independence |year=2019 |publisher=] |isbn=978-1-5011-9570-9 |page=36 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AoCaDwAAQBAJ&dq=Sher&pg=PA36 |quote=Born again, Sher and Sadhu were given new names, Sadhu became Mukta, which means "one who escaped the cycle of reincarnation." '''Sher Singh''' became '''Udham Singh'''. Whether the name was inspired by his behaviour, it would certainly prove to be prophetic. Udham translates into English as "the upheaval" |access-date=4 December 2023 |archive-date=4 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204101932/https://books.google.com/books?id=AoCaDwAAQBAJ&dq=Sher&pg=PA36 |url-status=live }}</ref> At the orphanage he was affectionately referred to as "Ude".<ref name="Anand3" /> In 1917, Mukta died of an unknown sudden illness.<ref name="Anand5">{{Cite book|last=Anand|first=Anita|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AoCaDwAAQBAJ&dq=Mukta&pg=PA55|title=The Patient Assassin|publisher=Simon and Schuster|year=2019|isbn=978-1-4711-7424-7|author-link=Anita Anand (journalist)|chapter=5. Name, rank and serial failure|pages=55–61|location=London|access-date=5 December 2021|archive-date=4 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204100532/https://books.google.com/books?id=AoCaDwAAQBAJ&dq=Mukta&pg=PA55|url-status=live}}</ref>
Sher Singh was born in a village called Sunam in the ] of ] to a farming family led by Sardar Tehal Singh, known as Chuhar Singh before taking ]. He belonged to ] family of the Jammu gotra subcaste. Tehal Singh was at that time working as a watchman on a railway crossing in the neighbouring village of Upall. He died in 1907. Sher Singh's mother followed soon after.


Shortly thereafter, despite being below the official age of enrolment, Udham Singh persuaded authorities to allow him to serve in the ] during the ].<ref name="Anand5" /> He was subsequently attached to the lowest ranking labour unit with the ] to work on restoration on the field railway from the coast up to ].<ref name="Anand5" /> His young age and conflicts with authority led him to return to Punjab in less than six months.<ref name="Anand5" /> In 1918, he rejoined the army and was despatched to Basra and then ], where he carried out carpentry and general maintenance of machinery and vehicles, returning after a year to the orphanage in Amritsar in early 1919.<ref name="Anand5" />
]


==Massacre at Jallianwala Bagh==
Sher Singh and his elder brother, Mukta Singh, were admitted to the Centre Khalsa Orphanage Pultighar in ] on ], ] with the help of Bhai Kishan Singh Rogi. Both boys were administered the ] initiatory rites at the orphanage and received new names; Sher Singh becoming Udham Singh and Mukta Singh became Sadhu Singh. Sadhu Singh died in 1917, which came as a great shock to his brother. Singh trained in various arts and crafts and the orphanage and started up a painting shop, listing his name on the sign as "Ram Mohammed Singh Azaad", a sign that he believed in ] over caste and religion.<!--Reference?--> Udham Singh passed the matriculation examination in 1918 and left the orphanage.
{{main|Jallianwala Bagh massacre}}
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| image1 = Jallianwala Bagh Bullet Marked Wall.JPG
| caption1 = Bullet marks, visible on preserved walls, at present-day Jallianwala Bagh
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}}


On 10 April 1919, a number of local leaders allied to the ], including ] and ], were arrested under the terms of the ]. A military picket fired on a protesting crowd, precipitating a riot which saw numerous European-owned banks attacked and several Europeans attacked in the streets.<ref>{{citation|author=Stanley Wolpert|title=India|chapter-url=https://www.britannica.com/place/India/Anti-British-activity#ref47051|series=Encyclopedia Britannica|chapter=The postwar years|author-link=Stanley Wolpert|access-date=11 March 2022|archive-date=6 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220406031655/https://www.britannica.com/place/India/Anti-British-activity#ref47051|url-status=live}}</ref> On 13 April, over twenty thousand unarmed people were assembled in ], ] to celebrate the important ] festival of ], and to peacefully protest the arrests. Singh and his friends from the orphanage were serving water to the crowd.<ref name="auto1">{{cite book|title=Pre-meditated Plan of Jallianwala Massacre and Oath of Revenge, Udham Singh alias Ram Mohammad Singh Azad|year=2002|page=139|author=Sikander Singh}}</ref> Troops under the command of Colonel ] opened fire on the crowd, killing several hundred; this became known variously as the Amritsar Massacre or the ].<ref name="Tully 2006 p. 29">{{cite book |last=Tully |first=Mark |title=Amritsar : Mrs Gandhi's last battle |publisher=Rupa |publication-place=New Delhi |year=2006 |isbn=978-81-291-0917-0 |page=29}}</ref>
==Jallianwala Bagh Massacre and Udham Singh==


Singh became involved in ] politics and was deeply influenced by ] and his revolutionary group.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apnaorg.com/articles/udhamsingh/|author=Academy of Punjab in North America|title=Shaheed Udham Singh (1899–1940)|access-date=23 May 2014|archive-date=24 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140524003643/http://www.apnaorg.com/articles/udhamsingh/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1924, Singh became involved with the ], organising Indians overseas towards overthrowing colonial rule. In 1927, he returned to India on orders from Bhagat Singh, bringing 25 associates as well as revolvers and ammunition. Soon after, he was arrested for possession of unlicensed arms. Revolvers, ammunition, and copies of a prohibited Ghadar Party paper called "Ghadr-di-Gunj" ("Voice of Revolt") were confiscated. He was prosecuted and sentenced to five years in ].{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}
It was the fateful Baisakhi Day, 13th April 1919 when thousands of unarmed, innocent & peaceful sitting Indians had assembled in ], ] to register a peaceful protest against the misdeeds of Britishers, British Imperialism and the arrest and deportation of Dr. Satya Pal, Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and other under the infamous Rowlatt Act. Udham Singh was present in the ] and serving water to the assembled people along with his friends from Centre Khalsa Orphanage.


Upon his release from prison in 1931, Singh's movements were under constant surveillance by the ]. He made his way to ], where he was able to evade the police and escape to Germany. In 1934, he reached London, where he found employment. Privately, he formed plans to assassinate Michael O'Dwyer.<ref>{{cite book|title=Eminent Freedom Fighters of Punjab|year=1972|pages=239–40|author=Dr. Fauja Singh}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Udham Singh, alias, Ram Mohammed Singh Azad: a saga of the freedom movement and Jallianwala Bagh|year=1998|author=Singh, Sikander|publisher=B. Chattar Singh Jiwan Singh}}</ref> In Singh's diaries for 1939 and 1940, he occasionally misspells ] surname as "O'Dyer", leaving a possibility he may have confused O'Dwyer with ].<ref name="ReferenceA">''The Murders of the Black Museum: 1870–1970'' {{ISBN|978-1-854-71160-1}} p. 364</ref> However, ] had died in 1927, even before Udham Singh had planned the revenge. In England, Singh was affiliated to the ] in Coventry and attended their meetings.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Pearce|first=Vanessa|date=2021|title=Indian activists who helped change the face of modern Britain|work=]|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-58627849|access-date=15 November 2021|archive-date=15 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115181201/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-58627849|url-status=live}}</ref>


==Shooting at Caxton Hall==
General ] accompanied by two armoured cars on which machine guns were mounted reached the Bagh. General Dyer immediately upon entering the Bagh and without warning the crowd, ordered his men to open fire, concentrating on the areas where the assembled crowd was thickest. The firing started at 17:50 and lasted for about ten to fifteen minutes. Within no time, thousands of innocent defenseless peaceful sitting civilians were massacred and wounded.
On 13 March 1940, ] was scheduled to speak at a joint meeting of the ] and the ] (now ]) at ], ]. Singh had entered the event with a ticket in his wife's name.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Yashee |date=13 August 2022 |title=Udham Singh's English wife and other stories |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/udham-singhs-english-wife-history-dalit-freedom-fighters-8088011/ |access-date=13 August 2022 |work=The Indian Express |archive-date=13 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813094017/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/udham-singhs-english-wife-history-dalit-freedom-fighters-8088011/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Singh concealed a revolver inside a book, which had pages cut in the shape of a revolver. This revolver was purchased by him from a soldier in a pub.<ref name="ReferenceB">''The Murders of the Black Museum: 1870–1970'' {{ISBN|978-1-854-71160-1}} p. 365</ref> Then he entered the hall and found an empty seat. As the meeting concluded, Singh shot O'Dwyer twice as he moved towards the speaking platform. One of these bullets passed through O'Dwyer's heart and right lung, killing him almost instantly.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Others wounded in the shooting were Sir ]; ];<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19400319&id=P3ZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5525,7388166 |title=''Glasgow Herald'' 19 March 1940 |access-date=3 February 2018 |archive-date=15 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211015222957/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19400319&id=P3ZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5525,7388166 |url-status=live }}</ref> and ]. Singh was arrested immediately after the shooting and the pistol (now in the ]) seized as evidence.<ref name="ReferenceC">''The Black Museum'' {{ISBN|978-0-316-90332-5}} pp. 364–365</ref>


==Personal life==
Singh married a Mexican woman, Lupe Hernandez, in the 1920s, by whom he fathered two sons. In 1927 he left the United States, leaving Hernandez and their two sons behind. Many other Indian men in the States ] due to the ], as they would otherwise have been expelled.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lal |first1=Vinay |title=The Enigma of Udham Singh |url=https://openthemagazine.com/essays/the-enigma-of-udham-singh/ |access-date=20 June 2024 |work=Open The Magazine |date=5 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Odintz |first1=Molly |date=26 June 2019 |title=Udham Singh: Orphan, Assassin, Hero, Spy |url=https://crimereads.com/udham-singh-orphan-assassin-hero-spy/ |work=CrimeReads |access-date=20 June 2024 |archive-date=20 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240620085658/https://crimereads.com/udham-singh-orphan-assassin-hero-spy/ |url-status=live }}</ref> According to some of his relatives, Singh later took an English wife as well. It is not known if he had children with her too.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yashi |date=15 August 2022 |title=Udham Singh's English wife and other stories: What history remembers, misses about Dalit freedom fighters |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/udham-singhs-english-wife-history-dalit-freedom-fighters-8088011/ |work=The Indian Express |access-date=20 June 2024 |archive-date=13 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813094017/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/udham-singhs-english-wife-history-dalit-freedom-fighters-8088011/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


==Murder, trial, and execution==
Udham Singh held O’Dwyer responsible for the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh which became a turning point in his life. The incident prompted Udham Singh to took a vow and solemn pledge to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. After this he entered in active ]ary politics.<!--Source?-->
] after the assassination of ]]]


On 1 April 1940, Singh was formally charged with the murder of Michael O'Dwyer, and remanded in custody at ]. Initially asked to explain his motivations, Singh stated:<blockquote>"I did it because I had a grudge against him. He deserved it. I don't belong to society or anything else. I don't care. I don't mind dying. What is the use of waiting until you get old? ... Is Zetland dead? He ought to be. I put two into him. I bought the revolver from a soldier in a public house. My parents died when I was three or four. Only one dead? I thought I could get more."<ref>''The Murders of the Black Museum: 1870–1970'' {{ISBN|978-1-854-71160-1}} pp. 364–365</ref></blockquote>While in custody, he called himself '''Ram Mohammad Singh Azad''': the first three words of the name reflect the three major religious communities of Punjab (Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh); the last word ''azad'' (literally "free") reflects his anti-colonial sentiment.<ref name="Farina_2010">{{cite book |author=Farina Mir |title=The Social Space of Language: Vernacular Culture in British Colonial Punjab |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0cG7AgAAQBAJ&pg=PT16 |year=2010 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-94764-1 |page=16 |access-date=16 March 2019 |archive-date=14 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231214171429/https://books.google.com/books?id=0cG7AgAAQBAJ&pg=PT16#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Journey to Revolutionary Politics==


While awaiting his trial, Singh went on a 42-day ], before finally being ]. On 4 June 1940, his trial commenced at the ], Old Bailey, before Justice ], with ] and ] representing him. G. B. McClure was the prosecuting barrister.<ref name="SUSWT">{{cite book |last1=Singh Sahota |first1=Teja |last2=Singh Johal |first2=Avtar |last3=Singh Kirti |first3=Karam |title=Udham Singh's Last words "Down with British Imperialism" |date=n.d. |publisher=Shaheed Udham Singh Welfare Trust}}</ref> When asked about his motivation, Singh explained:
After the massacre, Udham Singh left the orphanage and moved from one country to another to achieve the secret objective of his life. He then managed to reach Africa in the year 1920 and reached Nairobi in 1921. From there he managed to reach ] in the year 1924 and has worked with freedom fighters of ], an Indian group known for its revolutionary politics and Lala Hardyal.
<blockquote> I did it because I had a grudge against him. He deserved it. He was the real culprit. He wanted to crush the spirit of my people, so I have crushed him. For full 21 years, I have been trying to seek vengeance. I am happy that I have done the job. I am not scared of death. I am dying for my country. I have seen my people starving in India under the British rule. I have protested against this, it was my duty.<ref>CRIM 1/1177, Public Record Office, London, p. 64</ref></blockquote>


Singh was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. On 31 July 1940, Singh was hanged at ] by ]. His remains are preserved at the Jallianwala Bagh in ], ]. On every 31 July, marches are held in ] (Singh's hometown) by various organisations and every statue of Singh in the city is paid tribute with flower garlands.


===Singh's speech===
On the orders of ], Udham Singh returned to India in 1927 with a consignment of revolvers. Upon arrival, however, he was arrested in Amritsar<!--by whom? The British?--> under the Arms Act, apparently given up by a fellow revolutionary.<!--Source?--> Singh stayed in jail for four years, missing the peak of India's revolutionary period and the actions of men like ] and ].
Following his conviction, he made a speech which the judge directed should not be released to the press.<ref name="ReferenceB"/> However, political activists who had set up the Shaheed Udham Singh Trust and working with the ], ran a campaign to have the court record of his statement published along with other material.<ref name="SUSWT"/> This proved successful in 1996, when his speech was published along with three further files covering the trial, and the ''Ghadar Directory'', a document compiled by British intelligence in 1934 detailing 792 people regarded as a threat including Udham Singh.<ref name="SUSWT"/>


He started the speech with a denunciation of ]:


:"I say down with British Imperialism. You say India do not have peace. We have only slavery. Generations of so called civilisation has brought us everything filthy and degenerating. known to the human race. All you have to do is read your own history. If you have any human decency about you, you should die with shame. The brutality and blood thirsty way in which the so called intellectuals who call themselves rulers of civilisation in the world are bastard blood . . ."
] was hanged with his fellow comrades Raj Guru and Sukhdev on March 23, 1931 for the murder of Mr. Saunders while Udham Singh was still in jail.


At this point he was interrupted by the judge, but after some discussion he continued:


:"I do not care about sentence of death. It means nothing at all. I do not care about dying or anything. I do not worry about it at all. I am dying for a purpose. Thumping the rail of the dock, he exclaimed, We are suffering from the British Empire. (He continued more quietly) I am not afraid to die. I am proud to die, to have to free my native land and I hope that when I am gone, I hope that in my place will come thousands of my countrymen to drive you dirty dogs out; to free my country."
On release in 1932 from the jail, he returned to his native Sunam, but harassed by the local police, he once again returned to Amritsar and opened a shop as a signboard painter, assuming the name of Ram Mohammed Singh Azaad. This name, which he would use later in England, emphasized the unity of all the religious communities in India in their struggle for political freedom.<!--Reference?-->


:"I am standing before an English jury. I am in an English court. You people go to India and when you come back you are given a prize and put in the House of Commons. We come to England and we are sentenced to death."
==Metropolitan Police Report, file MEPO 3/1743, dated 16 March 1940==
]
Being orphaned at the age of three, he was brought up in the Sikh orphanage attached to Khalsa College, Amritsar. He was issued with a passport on 20 March 1933 in Lahore in the name of Udham Singh. In a '''''Metropolitan Police report, file MEPO 3/1743, dated 16 March 1940''''' (3 days after Udham Singh had been charged with the murder of Sir Michael O'Dwyer), we find information concerning his life, which reveals him to be a highly active, well-travelled, politically motivated, secular-minded young man with some great purpose in his life, a supporter of Bolshevism and driven by an ardent hatred of British rule in India. This is how the report runs:


:"I never meant anything; but I will take it. I do not care anything about it, but when you dirty dogs come to India there comes a time when you will be cleaned out of India. All your British Imperialism will be smashed."


:"Machine guns on the streets of India mow down thousands of poor women and children wherever your so-called flag of democracy and Christianity flies."
''Udham Singh served in the Army in Basra for a year and a half and in British East Africa for two years. He returned thereafter to India for a few months and then proceeded to London in the company of one PRITAM SINGH. The two sailed for the United States via Mexico. He worked for two years in California and for some months in Detroit and Chicago, whence he moved to East New York where he lived for five years. Thereafter he shipped for voyages in various vessels of the US Shipping Line according to his own account as a Porto Rican, because no Indians were allowed to be employed on US vessels. (He is known to have held a seaman's certificate in the name of FRANK BRAZIL of Porto Rico). From New York he made a trip to Europe, landing in France, and thereafter visiting Belgium, Germany and going as far as Vilna in Lithuania, returning via Hungary, Poland, Switzerland, Italy and France, embarking there for America. After another few months in the USA, he took employment on vessels plying to most of the Mediterranean ports and thereafter secured employment on the S.S. Jalapa as a carpenter. He arrived in this vessel at Karachi in July, 1927, and deserted from her in Calcutta.''


:"Your conduct, your conduct – I am talking about the British government. I have nothing against the English people at all. I have more English friends living in England than I have in India. I have great sympathy with the workers of England. I am against the Imperialist Government."


:"You people are suffering the same as I am suffering through those dirty dogs and mad beasts. Everyone are suffering through these dirty dogs; these mad beasts. India is only slavery. Killing, mutilating and destroying – British Imperialism. People do not read about it in the papers. We know what is going on in India."
''While in America he appears to have come under the influence of Ghadar Party and to have been affected by its teaching. He used to read seditious literature published by this party. On 27 July 1927 he was fined at Karachi for having in his possession a large number of obscene postcards.


At this point, the judge refused to hear any more, but Singh continued:
''On 30 August 1927 he was arrested at Amritsar as it was suspected that he was in possession of unlicensed Arms. Two revolvers, one pistol, a quantity of ammunition and copies of the prohibited paper, Ghadr-i-Gunj , were recovered from him. He was prosecuted under section 20 of the Arms Act and was sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment. He stated that he had intended to murder Europeans who were ruling over Indians and that he fully sympathised with the Bolsheviks, as their object was to liberate India from foreign control. He was released from gaol on 23 October 1931.''


:"You ask me what I have to say. I am saying it. Because you people are dirty. You do not want to hear from us what you are doing in India."


He then thrust his glasses back into his pocket, and exclaimed three words in Hindustani and then shouted:
''He visited his village for a short time in 1933 and then proceeded to London where in 1934 he was known to be living at 9 Alder Street, Commercial Road.''


:"Down with British Imperialism! Down with British dirty dogs!"
''On 5 July 1934, as Udham Singh, he applied in London for endorsements to his passport no. 52753, issued in Lahore: he gave his address as 4, Best Lane, Canterbury, Kent, and said he had a business as a sports outfitter in India, but that he had not worked since his arrival some nine months previously. (There is, however, evidence to show that he had been pursuing the calling of a peddler). He announced that he wished to travel by motor-cycle via Germany, Belgium and Poland to Russia, across Russia to Odessa, where he would take ship for Constantinople en route for India. This was considered rather strange, in view of the fact he had recently broken his arm, but as he had not at that time been identified as an Indian of extremist views no objections could be raised.''


He turned to leave the dock, spitting across the solicitor's table.<ref name="SUSWT"/>


When this material was published, it was reported in both British and Asian press, the statement was translated into ] script and distributed at the Sikh ] Festival in Birmingham, April 1997.<ref name="SUSWT"/> ], the British ] at that time, remarked: "The Amritsar Massacre was an unhappy episode in Indo-British relations which was controversial in both countries. Today I am glad to say, our relationship is excellent. India is an important partner and a close friend of this country."<ref name="SUSWT"/>
''On 12 May 1936, he applied in London for endorsements for Holland, Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary and Italy, giving the address 4, Duke Street, Spitalfields, E. The application was granted.''


==Reactions==
In its 18 March 1940 issue, '']'' wrote, "O'Dwyer's name is connected with ] incidents which India will never forget".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/British/popular_memory.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120805181653/http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/British/popular_memory.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 August 2012|author=Vinay Lal|title=Manas: History and Politics, British India – Udham Singh in the Popular Memory|access-date=23 May 2014|date=May 2008}}</ref> The Punjab section of Congress in the Punjab Assembly led by Dewan Chaman Lal refused to vote for the Premier's motion to condemn the assassination.<ref name="auto2">{{cite book|title=Udham Singh, alias, Ram Mohammed Singh Azad: a saga of the freedom movement and Jallianwala Bagh|year=1998|page=300|author=Singh, Sikander|publisher=B. Chattar Singh Jiwan Singh}}</ref> In April 1940, at the Annual Session of the All India Congress Committee held in commemoration of 21st anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, the youth wing of the Indian National Congress Party displayed revolutionary slogans in support of Singh, applauding his action as patriotic and heroic.<ref>{{cite book|title=Bhagat Singh and his Times|location=Delhi|year=1970|page=18|author=Manmath Nath Gupta}}</ref>


Singh had some support from the international press. '']'' of London called him a "fighter for freedom", his actions "an expression of the pent-up fury of the downtrodden Indian people."<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Times|location=London|date=16 March 1940}}</ref> ''Bergeret'' from Rome praised Singh's action as courageous.<ref>{{cite book|author=Public and Judicial Department, File No L/P + J/7/3822|title=10 Caxton Hall outrage|publisher=India Office Library and Records|location=London|pages=13–14}}</ref>
''On 16 May 1936 he applied in Berlin for further endorsements including the Eastern European countries and the USSR. In view of the fact that he had not asked for these at the time of his application in London four days earlier, he was informed that his case would have to be referred to London, where upon he withdrew his application.''
In March 1940, ] leader ], condemned the action of Singh as senseless, however, in 1962, Nehru reversed his stance and applauded Singh with the following published statement: "I salute Shaheed-i-Azam Udham Singh with reverence who had kissed the noose so that we may be free."<ref name="auto2" />


==Repatriation of remains==

In 1974, Singh's remains were exhumed and repatriated to India at the request of ] ] and cremated in his home village of Sunam.<ref>{{cite web |title=Udham Singh {{!}} Making Britain |url=https://www5.open.ac.uk/research-projects/making-britain/content/udham-singh |website=www5.open.ac.uk |access-date=20 September 2023 |archive-date=26 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926233450/https://www5.open.ac.uk/research-projects/making-britain/content/udham-singh |url-status=live }}</ref> The casket was received by ], ] and ].<ref name=Anand.25>{{Cite book|last=Anand|first=Anita|title=The Patient Assassin, A True Tale of Massacre, Revenge and the Raj|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AoCaDwAAQBAJ&dq=Shaheed+Udham+Singh+Arts+College&pg=PA313|publisher=Simon and Schuster|year=2019|isbn=978-1-4711-7424-7|chapter=25. The return|pages=313–314|location=London|access-date=20 March 2023|archive-date=4 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204100532/https://books.google.com/books?id=AoCaDwAAQBAJ&dq=Shaheed+Udham+Singh+Arts+College&pg=PA313|url-status=live}}</ref> On 2 August 1974 his ashes were divided into seven urns and distributed; one each to ], ], ], Sunam and the museum at Jallianwala Bagh, and two urns to the library of the ] in Sunam.<ref name=Anand.25/>
''On 25 June 1936 he was reported as arriving in London from Leningrad, and in the following November it was reported that he was living with a white woman in the West End of London and was working at intervals on crowd scenes at film studios. On several occasions he is reported to have expressed extreme views and he is known to have boasted that he had smuggled arms into India.''


''In August, 1938, UDHAM SINGH was charged in London with demanding money with menaces. The Jury disagreed at the first trial and he was acquitted at the second trial.''


''He has not come under notice at meetings organised by Indian extremist movements in London.''


''On National Registration day he registered in the name of AZAD Singh, under Serial No. EACK/305/7, giving his occupation as carpenter, and stating that he was born on 23 October 1905. His address was given as: 581 Wimborne Road, Bournemouth.''


''A further record of antecedents was supplied by the prisoner to Detective Sergeant Lisney and this is also attached.''


''It appears his last employment terminated on 7th November, 1939, since when he has been receiving 17/-per week unemployment benefit in the name of SINGH AZAD.''

==Assassination of O'Dwyer==

Udham Singh escaped from the prison<!--when?--> and left India. He traveled widely in countries like Egypt, Russia, France and Germany, making contact with the revolutionaries there. He eventually arrived in England in 1933 and assumed the name Ram Mohammed Singh Azad. By this time he had decided to assassinate Sir ], whom Singh viewed as the main perpetrator of the ]. (O'Dwyer had been governor of Punjab at the time). Singh moved to ], where O'Dwyer lived, and took a job as a bus driver. He then waited for the right moment to strike so as to make the biggest political statement.

On 13 March 1940, Sir Michael was one of a distinguished company at a joint meeting in the Tudor Hall, Caxton Hall, Westminster, of the East India Association and the Royal Central Asiatic Society.

]

As the meeting was breaking up Udham Singh fired all 6 rounds of a .45 Smith & Wesson revolver into a group of people on the platform of whom O'Dwyer was a part. O'Dwyer was was hit twice in the back, and killed instantly. One bullet passing through his heart and right lung. Another bullet passed through both kidneys.

Lord Zetland, Secretary of State for India, was hit twice although he was only slightly injured, as were Lord Lamington and Sir Louis Dane. The numbers of people killed were not as large as could have been expected, as Udham Singh used 30 year old, poor fitting .44 bullets.

Udham Singh was overpowered before he left the room. His hatred had not been diminished by killing O'Dwyer:

]


''"I did it because I had a grudge against him, he deserved it. I don't belong to any society or anything else. I don't care, I don't mind dying. What is the use of waiting until you get old? That is no good ... Is Zetland dead? He ought to be, I put two in him. I bought the revolver from a soldier in a public house. My parents died when I was 3 or 4 ... Only the one dead, eh? I thought I could get more."''

]

On 1 April 1940, Udham Singh was formally charged with the murder of Sir Michael O'Dwyer. On 4 June 1940, he was committed to trial, at the Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, before Justice Atkinson, who sentenced him to death. An appeal was filed on his behalf which was dismissed on 15 July 1940. On 31 July 1940, Udham Singh was hanged at Pentonville Prison. As with other executed prisoners, he was buried later that afternoon within the prison grounds.

==Memorials of Shaheed Udham Singh==

Shaheed Udham Singh’s and Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra’s death certificate have been recently obtained from England and have been placed at Ghadar Martyrs Museum in Jalandhar and can now be seen by public. During the trial, Udham Singh had made a request that his remains be sent back to India, but this was not allowed. In 1973, however, the Government of India, at the instance of the Punjab Government, asked for the return of Udham Singh's remains. Their request was allowed by the UK Government, and his exhumed remains were handed over to representatives of the Indian Government. The ashes of Shaheed Udham Singh were brought to India on 19th July 1974 and were taken to his birth place Sunam (Punjab) after huge procession at various places i.e. Delhi, Haryana and Punjab. After cremation at Sunam on 31st July 1974, the ashes were emerged on 2nd August 1974 in the water of river Sutlej at Kiratpur Saheb and in the river Ganges at Haridwar.

Many memorials in the shape of statues, Dharamshalas ( at Delhi, Sunam , Chandigarh , Sirsa) Educational Institutes ,Libraries , Orphanages and Hospitals have been erected /constructed . Government of India has issued a commemorative postage stamp in the memory of Shaheed Udham Singh on the 52nd Martyrdom Day.

State government of Punjab, UP has also declared public Holiday on 31st July and in Haryana on 26th December.

UP Government have names a small town on the name of Udham Singh as Udham Singh Nagar.


==Legacy== ==Legacy==
In 1999, during the tercentenary of the creation of the ] and the centenary of Singh's birth, he was posthumously awarded the "]" by the ].<ref name="Fenech2002">{{cite journal |last1=Fenech |first1=Louis E. |title=Contested Nationalisms; Negotiated Terrains: The Way Sikhs Remember Udham Singh 'Shahid' (1899–1940) |journal=Modern Asian Studies |date=2002 |volume=36 |issue=4 |pages=827–870 |doi=10.1017/S0026749X02004031 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3876476 |publisher=University of Northern Iowa |location=Cambridge |doi-broken-date=2 November 2024 |jstor=3876476 |s2cid=145405222 |issn=0026-749X |url-access=subscription |access-date=30 October 2021 |archive-date=30 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030082738/https://www.jstor.org/stable/3876476 |url-status=live }}</ref>


* A museum dedicated to Singh is located in Amritsar, near Jallianwala Bagh.
* Shaheed Udham Singh Samarak Trust (Regd.), Administrative Office: AE - 199-200, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi, ] - 110052
* Singh's ancestral house, in Sunam, has been converted into a museum. 30 letters and other objects are on display in the museum.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}

* The official name of his ancestral town ] was changed to 'Sunam Udham Singh Wala'.
* Shaheed Udham Singh Memorial Bhawan Society(Regd.), Sector 44-D, ], India.
* Singh has been the subject of a number of films: ], Shaheed Uddham Singh (1977), ] and the 2021 film ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramnath |first=Nandini |title='Sardar Udham' review: A portrait of a man of history and mystery |url=https://scroll.in/reel/1007747/sardar-udham-review-a-portrait-of-a-man-of-history-and-mystery |access-date=31 January 2023 |website=Scroll.in |date=16 October 2021 |language=en-US |archive-date=7 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307011626/https://scroll.in/reel/1007747/sardar-udham-review-a-portrait-of-a-man-of-history-and-mystery |url-status=live }}</ref>

* ] in ] is named after Singh.
* Shaheed Udham Singh Educational and Charitable Trust (Regd.), Sector 53, S.A.S. Nagar ], ]
* Singh is the subject of the 1998 track "Assassin" by ].

* Frank Brazil, is named after an Alias of Singh, is a track by ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 July 2015 |title=The Ska Vengers' new single 'Frank Brazil' releases today |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/music/indie-story/ |access-date=31 January 2023 |website=The Indian Express |language=en |archive-date=31 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131152150/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/music/indie-story/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Shaheed Udham Singh Welfare Centre, 346, Soho Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, B21 8EG.
* Shaheed Udham Singh Chowk in ] was named for him.

* The day of his death is a public holiday in ]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://punjab.gov.in/list-of-holidays|title=Government of Punjab, India|access-date=12 July 2016|archive-date=6 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206090837/http://punjab.gov.in/list-of-holidays|url-status=live}}</ref> and ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://publicholidays.in/|title=Public Holidays 2016 and 2017|access-date=22 July 2016|archive-date=15 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915080834/http://publicholidays.in/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* The ] located in ], India is named after Singh.
* A statue of him was installed by International Sarav Kamboj Samaj at the main entrance of Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar on 13 March 2018. The statue was unveiled by Union Home Minister ].<ref>{{Cite web|date=14 March 2018|title=Rajnath Singh unveils statue of Udham Singh at Jallianwala Bagh|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amritsar/rajnath-unveils-statue-of-udham-singh-at-jallianwala-bagh/articleshow/63291694.cms|access-date=7 August 2021|website=The Times of India|language=en|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803150046/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amritsar/rajnath-unveils-statue-of-udham-singh-at-jallianwala-bagh/articleshow/63291694.cms|url-status=live}}</ref>

<gallery>
* ] popular music group ] wrote a song celebrating Mohammed Singh Azad called 'Assassin'.
Ashes of Shaheed Udham Singh.jpg|Ashes of Shaheed Udham Singh at Jallianwala Bagh museum

</gallery>
==Notes==

#{{note|last}} * http://www.revolutionarydemocracy.org/rdv2n2/singh.html


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist}}


==Further reading==
* Various articles written by Nanak Chand Kamboj, which were published in magazines like Kamboj Hiteshi, Vishal Kamboj and Sourverniers of All India Kamboj Maha Sabha (Regd.).
*{{cite journal |title=Contested Nationalisms; Negotiated Terrains: The Way Sikhs Remember Udham Singh 'Shahid' (1899–1940) |first=Louis E. |last=Fenech |journal=Modern Asian Studies |volume=36 |issue=4 |date=October 2002 |pages=827–870 |jstor=3876476 |doi=10.1017/s0026749x02004031|doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 |s2cid=145405222 }} {{subscription required}}
* http://www.kambojsociety.com/udham_biography.asp (Website developed by Deepak Kamboj and Nanak Chand Kamboj)
* An article on Udham Singh—Hero Extraordinary in "The Legacy of The Punjab" by R M Chopra, 1997, Punjabee Bradree, Calcutta.
* A Saga of the Freedom Movement and Jallianwala Bagh Udham Singh by Prof. Sikandar Singh
* http://www.lalkar.demon.co.uk/
* Emergence of The Image by Avtar Singh Jouhl and Navtej Singh

==Sources==


==External links==
* http://allaboutsikhs.com/martyrs/udham4.htm
* British Executions
* http://kambojsociety.com/udham_biography.asp
{{Indian Revolutionary Movement}}
* http://www.suscet.ac.in/Udham.php
{{Ghadar Conspiracy}}
* http://www.revolutionarydemocracy.org/rdv2n2/singh.html
{{Indian independence movement}}
{{Sikh politics}}
{{Authority control}}


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Latest revision as of 06:17, 12 January 2025

Indian revolutionary (1899–1940) For other people named Udham Singh, see Udham Singh (disambiguation). "Shaheed Udham Singh" redirects here. For the 2021 film, see Sardar Udham. For the 2000 film, see Shaheed Udham Singh (film).

Udham Singh
BornSher Singh
(1899-12-26)26 December 1899
Sunam, Punjab, British India
Died31 July 1940(1940-07-31) (aged 40)
Pentonville Prison, London, England
Cause of deathExecution by hanging
NationalityIndian
Other namesRam Mohammad Singh Azad, Ude Singh
OccupationRevolutionary
Organization(s)Ghadar Party
Hindustan Socialist Republican Association
Indian Workers' Association
Known forAssassinating Michael O'Dwyer in retaliation for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre
MovementIndian independence movement
Criminal statusExecuted
SpouseLupe
Children2 sons
Conviction(s)Murder
Criminal penaltyDeath
Details
VictimsMichael O'Dwyer, 75
Udham Singh
SARDAR UDHAM SINGHSARDAR UDHAM SINGH
TypeCommemorative
Country of issueIndia
Date of issue31 Jul 1992
Face valueINR 1.00

Udham Singh (born Sher Singh; 26 December 1899 – 31 July 1940) was an Indian revolutionary belonging to Ghadar Party and HSRA, best known for assassinating Michael O'Dwyer, the former lieutenant governor of the Punjab in India, on 13 March 1940. The assassination was done in revenge for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar in 1919, for which O'Dwyer was responsible and of which Singh himself was a survivor. Singh was subsequently tried and convicted of murder and hanged in July 1940. While in custody, he used the name 'Ram Mohammad Singh Azad', which represents the three major religions in India and his anti-colonial sentiment.

Singh was a well-known figure of the Indian independence movement. He is also referred to as Shaheed-i-Azam Sardar Udham Singh (the expression "Shaheed-i-Azam" means "the great martyr"). A district (Udham Singh Nagar) was named after him as a homage by the Mayawati government in October 1995.

Early life

Udham Singh was born ‘Sher Singh’ into a Sikh family on 26 December 1899 in the neighbourhood of Pilbad in Sunam, around 130 miles south of Lahore, British India, to Tehal Singh, a Kamboj, low-skilled low-paid manual labourer and his wife Narain Kaur. He was their youngest, with a two-year difference between him and his elder brother, Sadhu. When they were around age three and five respectively, their mother died. The two boys subsequently stayed close to their father while he worked in the village of Nilowal carrying mud from a newly constructed canal, part of Punjab Canal Colonies. After being laid off he found work as a railway crossing watchman in the village of Upali.

In October 1907, while taking his sons by foot to Amritsar, their father collapsed and died at Ram Bagh Hospital. The two brothers were subsequently handed to an uncle who being unable to keep them, gave them to the Central Khalsa Orphanage, where according to the orphanage register, they were initiated on 28 October. Rebaptised, Sadhu became “Mukta”, meaning “one who has escaped re-incarnation”, and Sher Singh was renamed “Udham Singh”, Udham meaning “the upheaval”. At the orphanage he was affectionately referred to as "Ude". In 1917, Mukta died of an unknown sudden illness.

Shortly thereafter, despite being below the official age of enrolment, Udham Singh persuaded authorities to allow him to serve in the British Indian Army during the First World War. He was subsequently attached to the lowest ranking labour unit with the 32nd Sikh Pioneers to work on restoration on the field railway from the coast up to Basra. His young age and conflicts with authority led him to return to Punjab in less than six months. In 1918, he rejoined the army and was despatched to Basra and then Baghdad, where he carried out carpentry and general maintenance of machinery and vehicles, returning after a year to the orphanage in Amritsar in early 1919.

Massacre at Jallianwala Bagh

Main article: Jallianwala Bagh massacre Bullet marks, visible on preserved walls, at present-day Jallianwala Bagh

On 10 April 1919, a number of local leaders allied to the Indian National Congress, including Satyapal and Saifuddin Kitchlew, were arrested under the terms of the Rowlatt Act. A military picket fired on a protesting crowd, precipitating a riot which saw numerous European-owned banks attacked and several Europeans attacked in the streets. On 13 April, over twenty thousand unarmed people were assembled in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar to celebrate the important Sikh festival of Baisakhi, and to peacefully protest the arrests. Singh and his friends from the orphanage were serving water to the crowd. Troops under the command of Colonel Reginald Dyer opened fire on the crowd, killing several hundred; this became known variously as the Amritsar Massacre or the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

Singh became involved in revolutionary politics and was deeply influenced by Bhagat Singh and his revolutionary group. In 1924, Singh became involved with the Ghadar Party, organising Indians overseas towards overthrowing colonial rule. In 1927, he returned to India on orders from Bhagat Singh, bringing 25 associates as well as revolvers and ammunition. Soon after, he was arrested for possession of unlicensed arms. Revolvers, ammunition, and copies of a prohibited Ghadar Party paper called "Ghadr-di-Gunj" ("Voice of Revolt") were confiscated. He was prosecuted and sentenced to five years in prison.

Upon his release from prison in 1931, Singh's movements were under constant surveillance by the Punjab Police. He made his way to Kashmir, where he was able to evade the police and escape to Germany. In 1934, he reached London, where he found employment. Privately, he formed plans to assassinate Michael O'Dwyer. In Singh's diaries for 1939 and 1940, he occasionally misspells O'Dwyer's surname as "O'Dyer", leaving a possibility he may have confused O'Dwyer with General Dyer. However, General Dyer had died in 1927, even before Udham Singh had planned the revenge. In England, Singh was affiliated to the Indian Workers' Association in Coventry and attended their meetings.

Shooting at Caxton Hall

On 13 March 1940, Michael O'Dwyer was scheduled to speak at a joint meeting of the East India Association and the Central Asian Society (now Royal Society for Asian Affairs) at Caxton Hall, London. Singh had entered the event with a ticket in his wife's name. Singh concealed a revolver inside a book, which had pages cut in the shape of a revolver. This revolver was purchased by him from a soldier in a pub. Then he entered the hall and found an empty seat. As the meeting concluded, Singh shot O'Dwyer twice as he moved towards the speaking platform. One of these bullets passed through O'Dwyer's heart and right lung, killing him almost instantly. Others wounded in the shooting were Sir Louis Dane; Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland; and Charles Cochrane-Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington. Singh was arrested immediately after the shooting and the pistol (now in the Crime Museum) seized as evidence.

Personal life

Singh married a Mexican woman, Lupe Hernandez, in the 1920s, by whom he fathered two sons. In 1927 he left the United States, leaving Hernandez and their two sons behind. Many other Indian men in the States took Hispanic wives due to the Johnson-Reed (Immigration) Act of 1924, as they would otherwise have been expelled. According to some of his relatives, Singh later took an English wife as well. It is not known if he had children with her too.

Murder, trial, and execution

Singh (second from the left) being taken from Caxton Hall after the assassination of Michael O'Dwyer

On 1 April 1940, Singh was formally charged with the murder of Michael O'Dwyer, and remanded in custody at Brixton Prison. Initially asked to explain his motivations, Singh stated:

"I did it because I had a grudge against him. He deserved it. I don't belong to society or anything else. I don't care. I don't mind dying. What is the use of waiting until you get old? ... Is Zetland dead? He ought to be. I put two into him. I bought the revolver from a soldier in a public house. My parents died when I was three or four. Only one dead? I thought I could get more."

While in custody, he called himself Ram Mohammad Singh Azad: the first three words of the name reflect the three major religious communities of Punjab (Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh); the last word azad (literally "free") reflects his anti-colonial sentiment.

While awaiting his trial, Singh went on a 42-day hunger strike, before finally being force fed. On 4 June 1940, his trial commenced at the Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, before Justice Cyril Atkinson, with V.K. Krishna Menon and St John Hutchinson representing him. G. B. McClure was the prosecuting barrister. When asked about his motivation, Singh explained:

I did it because I had a grudge against him. He deserved it. He was the real culprit. He wanted to crush the spirit of my people, so I have crushed him. For full 21 years, I have been trying to seek vengeance. I am happy that I have done the job. I am not scared of death. I am dying for my country. I have seen my people starving in India under the British rule. I have protested against this, it was my duty.

Singh was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. On 31 July 1940, Singh was hanged at Pentonville Prison by Albert Pierrepoint. His remains are preserved at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab. On every 31 July, marches are held in Sunam (Singh's hometown) by various organisations and every statue of Singh in the city is paid tribute with flower garlands.

Singh's speech

Following his conviction, he made a speech which the judge directed should not be released to the press. However, political activists who had set up the Shaheed Udham Singh Trust and working with the Indian Workers Association (GB), ran a campaign to have the court record of his statement published along with other material. This proved successful in 1996, when his speech was published along with three further files covering the trial, and the Ghadar Directory, a document compiled by British intelligence in 1934 detailing 792 people regarded as a threat including Udham Singh.

He started the speech with a denunciation of British Imperialism:

"I say down with British Imperialism. You say India do not have peace. We have only slavery. Generations of so called civilisation has brought us everything filthy and degenerating. known to the human race. All you have to do is read your own history. If you have any human decency about you, you should die with shame. The brutality and blood thirsty way in which the so called intellectuals who call themselves rulers of civilisation in the world are bastard blood . . ."

At this point he was interrupted by the judge, but after some discussion he continued:

"I do not care about sentence of death. It means nothing at all. I do not care about dying or anything. I do not worry about it at all. I am dying for a purpose. Thumping the rail of the dock, he exclaimed, We are suffering from the British Empire. (He continued more quietly) I am not afraid to die. I am proud to die, to have to free my native land and I hope that when I am gone, I hope that in my place will come thousands of my countrymen to drive you dirty dogs out; to free my country."
"I am standing before an English jury. I am in an English court. You people go to India and when you come back you are given a prize and put in the House of Commons. We come to England and we are sentenced to death."
"I never meant anything; but I will take it. I do not care anything about it, but when you dirty dogs come to India there comes a time when you will be cleaned out of India. All your British Imperialism will be smashed."
"Machine guns on the streets of India mow down thousands of poor women and children wherever your so-called flag of democracy and Christianity flies."
"Your conduct, your conduct – I am talking about the British government. I have nothing against the English people at all. I have more English friends living in England than I have in India. I have great sympathy with the workers of England. I am against the Imperialist Government."
"You people are suffering the same as I am suffering through those dirty dogs and mad beasts. Everyone are suffering through these dirty dogs; these mad beasts. India is only slavery. Killing, mutilating and destroying – British Imperialism. People do not read about it in the papers. We know what is going on in India."

At this point, the judge refused to hear any more, but Singh continued:

"You ask me what I have to say. I am saying it. Because you people are dirty. You do not want to hear from us what you are doing in India."

He then thrust his glasses back into his pocket, and exclaimed three words in Hindustani and then shouted:

"Down with British Imperialism! Down with British dirty dogs!"

He turned to leave the dock, spitting across the solicitor's table.

When this material was published, it was reported in both British and Asian press, the statement was translated into Gurmukhi script and distributed at the Sikh Vaisaki Festival in Birmingham, April 1997. John Major, the British prime minister at that time, remarked: "The Amritsar Massacre was an unhappy episode in Indo-British relations which was controversial in both countries. Today I am glad to say, our relationship is excellent. India is an important partner and a close friend of this country."

Reactions

In its 18 March 1940 issue, Amrita Bazar Patrika wrote, "O'Dwyer's name is connected with Punjab incidents which India will never forget". The Punjab section of Congress in the Punjab Assembly led by Dewan Chaman Lal refused to vote for the Premier's motion to condemn the assassination. In April 1940, at the Annual Session of the All India Congress Committee held in commemoration of 21st anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, the youth wing of the Indian National Congress Party displayed revolutionary slogans in support of Singh, applauding his action as patriotic and heroic.

Singh had some support from the international press. The Times of London called him a "fighter for freedom", his actions "an expression of the pent-up fury of the downtrodden Indian people." Bergeret from Rome praised Singh's action as courageous. In March 1940, Indian National Congress leader Jawaharlal Nehru, condemned the action of Singh as senseless, however, in 1962, Nehru reversed his stance and applauded Singh with the following published statement: "I salute Shaheed-i-Azam Udham Singh with reverence who had kissed the noose so that we may be free."

Repatriation of remains

In 1974, Singh's remains were exhumed and repatriated to India at the request of MLA Sadhu Singh Thind and cremated in his home village of Sunam. The casket was received by Indira Gandhi, Shankar Dayal Sharma and Zail Singh. On 2 August 1974 his ashes were divided into seven urns and distributed; one each to Haridwar, Kiratpur Sahib, Rauza Sharif, Sunam and the museum at Jallianwala Bagh, and two urns to the library of the Shaheed Udham Singh Arts College in Sunam.

Legacy

In 1999, during the tercentenary of the creation of the Khalsa and the centenary of Singh's birth, he was posthumously awarded the "Nishan-e-Khalsa" by the Anandpur Sahib Foundation.

  • A museum dedicated to Singh is located in Amritsar, near Jallianwala Bagh.
  • Singh's ancestral house, in Sunam, has been converted into a museum. 30 letters and other objects are on display in the museum.
  • The official name of his ancestral town Sunam was changed to 'Sunam Udham Singh Wala'.
  • Singh has been the subject of a number of films: Jallian Wala Bagh (1977), Shaheed Uddham Singh (1977), Shaheed Uddham Singh (2000) and the 2021 film Sardar Udham.
  • Udham Singh Nagar district in Uttarakhand is named after Singh.
  • Singh is the subject of the 1998 track "Assassin" by Asian Dub Foundation.
  • Frank Brazil, is named after an Alias of Singh, is a track by The Ska Vengers.
  • Shaheed Udham Singh Chowk in Anupgarh was named for him.
  • The day of his death is a public holiday in Punjab and Haryana.
  • A statue of him was installed by International Sarav Kamboj Samaj at the main entrance of Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar on 13 March 2018. The statue was unveiled by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
  • Ashes of Shaheed Udham Singh at Jallianwala Bagh museum Ashes of Shaheed Udham Singh at Jallianwala Bagh museum

References

  1. Swami, Praveen (November 1997). "Jallianwala Bagh revisited: A look at the actual history of one of the most shocking events of the independence struggle". Frontline. 22. Vol. 14. India. pp. 1–14. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  2. ^ Farina Mir (2010). The Social Space of Language: Vernacular Culture in British Colonial Punjab. University of California Press. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-520-94764-1. Archived from the original on 14 December 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  3. "Who was Sardar Udham Singh? Know interesting facts about the man who avenged Jallianwala Bagh massacre". Free Press Journal. 25 December 2021. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  4. Singh, Anand Raj (12 March 2015). "Mayawati may create new district to tame old foe". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  5. ^ Anand, Anita (2019). The Patient Assassin: A True Tale of Massacre, Revenge, and India's Quest for Independence. Scribner. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-5011-9570-9. Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2022. When the faint mewling of his son finally reached his ears, Tehal Singh might have allowed himself a moment of relief but nothing more. He could barely feed his existing family, let alone this new mouth. His little one was blissfully unaware that his tiny wriggling body was saddled with an invisible burden from the moment he arrived in the world. Like his parents, he was Khamboj, one of the lowest castes in India
  6. Fenech, Louis E. (2002). Johnson, Gordon (ed.). "Contested Nationalisms; Negotiated Terrains: The Way Sikhs Remember Udham Singh 'Shahid' (1899–1940)". Modern Asian Studies. 36 (4). Cambridge University Press: 830. doi:10.1017/S0026749X02004031 (inactive 2 November 2024). JSTOR 3876476. S2CID 145405222. ProQuest 196819206. According to general Sikh accounts, Udham Singh was born in Sunam in the Punjab's Sangrur district as Sher Singh into a Sikh family of the Kambojh caste. In 1907 after the early deaths of his parents he and his brother were admitted into the Central Khalsa Orphanage by an uncle{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)
  7. Anand, Anita (2019). The Patient Assassin: A True Tale of Massacre, Revenge, and India's Quest for Independence. Scribner. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-5011-9570-9. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023. Born again, Sher and Sadhu were given new names, Sadhu became Mukta, which means "one who escaped the cycle of reincarnation." Sher Singh became Udham Singh. Whether the name was inspired by his behaviour, it would certainly prove to be prophetic. Udham translates into English as "the upheaval"
  8. ^ Anand, Anita (2019). "5. Name, rank and serial failure". The Patient Assassin. London: Simon and Schuster. pp. 55–61. ISBN 978-1-4711-7424-7. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  9. Stanley Wolpert, "The postwar years", India, Encyclopedia Britannica, archived from the original on 6 April 2022, retrieved 11 March 2022
  10. Sikander Singh (2002). Pre-meditated Plan of Jallianwala Massacre and Oath of Revenge, Udham Singh alias Ram Mohammad Singh Azad. p. 139.
  11. Tully, Mark (2006). Amritsar : Mrs Gandhi's last battle. New Delhi: Rupa. p. 29. ISBN 978-81-291-0917-0.
  12. Academy of Punjab in North America. "Shaheed Udham Singh (1899–1940)". Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  13. Dr. Fauja Singh (1972). Eminent Freedom Fighters of Punjab. pp. 239–40.
  14. Singh, Sikander (1998). Udham Singh, alias, Ram Mohammed Singh Azad: a saga of the freedom movement and Jallianwala Bagh. B. Chattar Singh Jiwan Singh.
  15. ^ The Murders of the Black Museum: 1870–1970 ISBN 978-1-854-71160-1 p. 364
  16. Pearce, Vanessa (2021). "Indian activists who helped change the face of modern Britain". BBC. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  17. Yashee (13 August 2022). "Udham Singh's English wife and other stories". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  18. ^ The Murders of the Black Museum: 1870–1970 ISBN 978-1-854-71160-1 p. 365
  19. "Glasgow Herald 19 March 1940". Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  20. The Black Museum ISBN 978-0-316-90332-5 pp. 364–365
  21. Lal, Vinay (5 November 2021). "The Enigma of Udham Singh". Open The Magazine. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  22. Odintz, Molly (26 June 2019). "Udham Singh: Orphan, Assassin, Hero, Spy". CrimeReads. Archived from the original on 20 June 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  23. Yashi (15 August 2022). "Udham Singh's English wife and other stories: What history remembers, misses about Dalit freedom fighters". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  24. The Murders of the Black Museum: 1870–1970 ISBN 978-1-854-71160-1 pp. 364–365
  25. ^ Singh Sahota, Teja; Singh Johal, Avtar; Singh Kirti, Karam (n.d.). Udham Singh's Last words "Down with British Imperialism". Shaheed Udham Singh Welfare Trust.
  26. CRIM 1/1177, Public Record Office, London, p. 64
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  28. ^ Singh, Sikander (1998). Udham Singh, alias, Ram Mohammed Singh Azad: a saga of the freedom movement and Jallianwala Bagh. B. Chattar Singh Jiwan Singh. p. 300.
  29. Manmath Nath Gupta (1970). Bhagat Singh and his Times. Delhi. p. 18.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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  31. Public and Judicial Department, File No L/P + J/7/3822. 10 Caxton Hall outrage. London: India Office Library and Records. pp. 13–14.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  32. "Udham Singh | Making Britain". www5.open.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 26 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  33. ^ Anand, Anita (2019). "25. The return". The Patient Assassin, A True Tale of Massacre, Revenge and the Raj. London: Simon and Schuster. pp. 313–314. ISBN 978-1-4711-7424-7. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  34. Fenech, Louis E. (2002). "Contested Nationalisms; Negotiated Terrains: The Way Sikhs Remember Udham Singh 'Shahid' (1899–1940)". Modern Asian Studies. 36 (4). Cambridge: University of Northern Iowa: 827–870. doi:10.1017/S0026749X02004031 (inactive 2 November 2024). ISSN 0026-749X. JSTOR 3876476. S2CID 145405222. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)
  35. Ramnath, Nandini (16 October 2021). "'Sardar Udham' review: A portrait of a man of history and mystery". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  36. "The Ska Vengers' new single 'Frank Brazil' releases today". The Indian Express. 31 July 2015. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
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  39. "Rajnath Singh unveils statue of Udham Singh at Jallianwala Bagh". The Times of India. 14 March 2018. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.

Further reading

  • Fenech, Louis E. (October 2002). "Contested Nationalisms; Negotiated Terrains: The Way Sikhs Remember Udham Singh 'Shahid' (1899–1940)". Modern Asian Studies. 36 (4): 827–870. doi:10.1017/s0026749x02004031 (inactive 1 November 2024). JSTOR 3876476. S2CID 145405222.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link) (subscription required)
  • An article on Udham Singh—Hero Extraordinary in "The Legacy of The Punjab" by R M Chopra, 1997, Punjabee Bradree, Calcutta.

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