Shaheed Udham Singh ( Rajput Soorme )

Shaheed Udham Singh was born on December 26, 1899, in the city of Sunam, Punjab (India). He belonged to the revolutionary Ghadar Party. On April 13, 1919, thousands of innocent people were massacred by General Michael O’Dwyer. For charge of assassination of O’dwyer Udham Singh was hanged till death on March 13, 1940.

Udham Singh was born in town Sunam in Sangrur district of Punjab in a poor family of Sardar Tehil Singh and his Mother was Harnam Kaur. Inthese days people are in race to adopthim as their ascrtor, someone say he was a Rajput, other says Kamboj and some othere says he wasChmar. But the martyrs have no caste. These daysdays, his descendants live in the Sunam, they have no property. They make a living by their daily living.

It is said that Udham Singh's birth name was Sher Singh. His brother's name was Mukta Singh. His father, Sardar Tehil Singh, was working as a watchman on the railway at the nearby village Upal. Sher Singh's mother died in 1901 when he was only 2 years old, followed by his father's death in 1907.

With the help of Bhai Kishan Singh Ragi, Sher Singh and his older brother, Mukta Singh, both were admitted to the Putlighar Orphanage in Amritsar on October 24, 1907. In the orphanage, Sher Singh was named Udham Singh and his brother Mukta Singh was named as Sadhu Singh. Unfortunately Mukta Singh died in 1917. Sardar Udham Singh was left alone in the world. After the loss of his mother and father, his brother's loss became in a major shock. In the orphanage, Udham Singh learned various arts. He passed his matriculation exam in 1918 and left the orphanage in 1919.

On April 13, 1919, on Baisakhi, some freedom fighters announced a massive gathering against the growing oppression of the British government. On that day, from the part of orphanage, Sardar Udham Singh and his associates wer assigned to serve watering to people in gathering.

In front of these children, a group of about 100 soldiers armed with rifles and machine guns entered and began firing blindly. The group was led by an English officer named Michael O,dwyer, and he ordered the killing of innocent people. Witnesses at the scene said that the firing started around three o'clock in the evening and the attack lasted for about 15 minutes. ‘’The Jallian Wala Bag’’ had only way to get in and out, as we have all seen today, till today it is same. Which was blocked by the soldiers. People also tried to climb the garden’s walls, but all was in vain. Within minutes, hundreds of people died. Some people jumped in the well to escape from bullets but could not escape. Even today, the plate on the well says that 120 dead bodies were removed from this well.

Hundreds were killed and thousands were injured. The government said 379 were killed (337 men, 41 boys and a six-week-old baby) and 200 were injured, but other reports have estimated the death toll as different. According to Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya and Lala Girdhari Lal, the deaths were more than 1000, Swami Sharadanand said more than 1,500. Amritsar's civil surgeon counts 1,800. The exact figures for the casualties were not fully determined as curfew was imposed in the city. Statistics show that about 1700 bullets were used. This too is in line with government sources. But after these happenings, O’dwyer was also invited for mealsof honour by sikh leaders and was given a siropao on the Akal Takht Sahib.

The incident had a devastating effect on the mind of Shaheed Udham Singh. Because everything was in sight. He left the orphanage and decided for a revenge. He introduced himself to Lala Hardiyal, Bhagat Singh, Gadar Party leaders and other freedom fighters. From one country to the other, he was traveling around to achieve his goal. Sometimes Sher Singh, Udham Singh, Udan Singh, Uday Singh, Frank Brazil, and sometimes Ram Mohammad Singh Azad, he was changing his names time to time. Arrived in Africa in 1920, moved to Nairobi in 1921. Udham Singh tried to go to America but he failed. He returned to India in 1924. Again he arrived in the US in same year. He started working with the freedom fighters of Gdr party. He spent three years in revolutionary activities in the United States. He returned to India in July 1927 at the call of Bhagat Singh. Along with his 25 allies from the United States,he arrived India with some revolvers and other ammunition.

On August 30, 1927, Udham Singh was arrested in Amritsar on charges of possessing unlicensed weapons. Some ammunitions and copies of the Gadar party paper "Ghadar-e-Goonz" ("The Voice of the Revolution") were recovered from him. Accusing him of having illegal weapons and sedition, he made a statement in court that he was fighting to liberate his country. Udham Singh was sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment. During this time Bhagat Singh, his comrades Raj Guru and Sukhdev were hanged on March 23, 1931, for the murder of Sandrs while Udham Singh was in jail.

Udham Singh was released from jail on 23 October 1931. He returned to his native village Sunam, but because of his revolutionary activities, the local police also harassed his close relatives. Frustrated, he returned to Amritsar. There he opened a shop as painter, renaming Muhammad Singh Azad. For three years, Udham Singh continued his revolutionary activities in the Punjab. The Punjab Police was constantly monitoring his activities. He returned to his native village in 1933 and fled to Kashmir for a secret revolutionary mission. He then succeeded in moving to Germany. Arriving in London in 1934, the police in London was also monitoring to all Indians. For a short time he continued to operate in countries such as Italy, France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, to deceive the police. He finally returned to England in same year 1934, where he purchased a secondhand car to achieve his goals. In the meantime, he bought a .455 bore revolver and a lot of amunition. Now he was looking for the right opportunity to take renenge.

Eventually, opportunity came to fulfill his desire. He received the news that on 13 March 1940 a joint meeting of the East India Association and the Royal Central Asian Society was to be held at Caxton Hall London. Michael O’dwyer, the killer of the ‘’Jallian Wala Bag’’, is also to come. Even after 21 years, he remembers well the massacre of innocent people. Udham Singh bought a thick book that had to be cut from the size of his revolver, so that the revolver could be hidden inside. At last he managed to enter meeting hall. At the end of the meeting, Michael O’dwyer went towards platform to talk with his friend Lord Jetland, who was also Secretary for State of India. Udham Singh, who had been searching this chance since last 21 years, gone towards them, Immediately pulled out his revolver from the book and fired 2 shots at Michael O’dwyer. He died on the spot. Then he shot Lord Jetland, who was seriously injured. A bullet hit Sir Lewis and his arm was broken. A bullet hit Lord Lamington that left his hand broken. Udham Singh did not try to escape. He had no intention of running away. He was arrested on the spot. Udham Singh was a jolly man. He even smiles on the photo during his appearance in the court.

This incident was condemned by the English and Congress press in India. Many Indians applauded Udham Singh's action. But the roots English government were shaken.

At a public meeting in Kanpur, a speaker said that "finally the humiliation and humiliation of the country was avenged".

<Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru criticized Udham Singh.

<Nehru said: "We regret for the assassination but we hope that England will not go far beyond India's political future. "

<Mahatma Gandhi said, "This action has caused me great pain. I consider it an act of insanity. "

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was the only important public leader of great importance who approved the action of Om Singh.

<Some writers wrote that Udham Singh's courage and action blew the trumpet for India's new struggle for independence.

<The Times of London called it "Fight for Freedom" and "the expression of the anger of the crushed Indian people".

<Foreigner freedom fighters also call it the "torch of Indian independence" Woke up.

German radio reported that the operation "shot through the cry of the persecuted people" and said that "like elephants, Indians never forget their enemies." They kill them even after 20 years. Like they have proven to kill O’dwyer. "

During the course of the lawsuit, he stated that I did this because I was angry with Michael O’dwyer. He was the real culprit of the massacre. He wanted to crush the feelings of my countrymates. So I have punished him. For the past 21 years I have been trying to get revenge. I'm glad, I did it. I'm not scared to death. I am sacrificing for my country. I have seen my people starve to death in India under British rule. I opposed it. It was my duty. What more privilege can I have than to die for the sake of my motherland?

On April 1, 1940, Udham Singh was charged with the murder of Michael O’dwyer. On June 4, 1940, Justice Atkinson asked his name. He replied ‘’Ram Mohammad Singh Azad’. Finally, on July 31, 1940, Udham Singh was hanged in the Pentonville Jail. At that time nobody was there to claim his dead body. So like other prisoners, he was buried in the jail grounds.

His revolver, a knife, his diary and a moving pellet are still kept in the Museum of the London, New Scotland.

After a lot of efforts in 1974, Udham Singh's dead body was brought back to India and cremated at his birth place Sunam. His ashes were dissolved in the Sutlej. Some of his ashes were not dissolved. Even today we can find at Jallianwala Bag.These are kept in a urn and ben visible to see.

But today it is sad to say that the condition of his descendants today is pathetic. But our governments are limited to themselves. No one remembers people who were martyred in the battle for freedom. But they are ours. ‘’ ਸ਼ਹੀਦੋਂ ਕੀ ਚਿਤਾਓਂ ਪਰ ਲਗੇਂਗੇ ਹਰ ਬਰਸ ਮੇਲੇ’’ but it doesn’t happens.