Shaheed Udham Singh Proudly Avenger

(1899- 1940)

Though Shri Udham Singh was a practically patriotic Indian, he remembered and didn't allowed the "time" to dilute his intention to avenge for the British man's in human cold blooded massacre of "Jalian Wala Bagh" during 1919. Though the remarks from contemporary personalities of those times are perplexing. 

"He is a mad man" - Mahatma Gandhi...! 

"His act was a senseless deed" - "Shri Jawaharlal Nehru" 

"We condemn his act of terror and apologise and hope we are not punished for it" - Congress

Who was this man and what did he do to attract such huge condemnation from all the top leaders of Freedom Movement. 

He was "Shaheed Udham Singh" and the senseless deed he did was that he killed "Michael Dwyer". 

"Michael Dwyer" was the monster who massacred 1526 innocent unarmed peaceful Indians in Jalian wala Bagh in 1919.

"Shaheed Udham singh" was 19 year old volunteer who was serving water to the 20,000 people gathered in the garden on festival of Baisakhi.

They were brutally massacred by Gen Dwyer and Udham singh was live witness to it.

He wanted to avenge the brutality and get some sense of justice to these martyrs. 

British GOVT didn’t take any action.

Congress couldn't get british to act on Dwyer. So "Micheal Dwyer" happily retired to England and lead a peaceful rich life.

Meanwhile, Udham singh joined Gadhar Party and fought for freedom.

He was jailed for 5 years and there he was inspired by death and martyrdom of Bhagat Singh who wanted to take action on Dwyer.

After release, he escaped from India through  Kashmir. He went to Germany and then to London.

He joined as engineer and pursued Dwyer for 6 years. He procured a gun, learnt shooting and then found that on 13, March, 1940 Dwyer was speaking in Caxton hall, London.

He hid a gun in a book in which he had carved a place for gun. Sat in front row and shot two bullets into heart and lung of "Michael Dwyer". 

He died instantly. He didn’t escape. He bravely courted arrest. He told these words to the judge:

"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. What greater honour could be bestowed on me than death for the sake of my motherland?”

He was sentenced to death in the court. 

He fasted for 42 days in the jail and was brutally tortured and hanged on July 31, 1940

Meanwhile in India congress condemned his act. Gandhi and Nehru abused him for making british angry and they forced congress to pass a resolution against killing of Dwyer.

They were very busy those days helping British recruit Indian soldiers for World War  - II and they didn’t want Punjab to get upset wirh british.

This is our great freedom fighting party which condemned killing of a monster like Dwyer who massacred 1526 people in Punjab.

Udham Singh was buried in London and like other freedom fighter's,  he is forgotten in India.

No textbooks talk about him. Few people know about him.

I am happy that they are making a movie on this patriot and coincidently it will be released on Gandhi birthdays on Oct 2. His story is a great and inspiring one.

Mayawati named a District in Uttarakhand after him in 1995, perhaps the only good deed she has done in her life and during 1974 his remains were exhumed and brought to Bharat and he was cremated here.

His ashes are in 'Urn' in "Jalian Wala Bagh". 

Vande Mataram. Bharat Maata Ki Jai.

Information collected from various reliable sourses by Sudesh DJV 

Sudesh DJV writes on contemporary subjects in the form of Articles and poems which is in the interest of the Nation in particular and for the Mankind in general.