Udham Singh (Aged 41) born as Sher Singh was born on 26 December 1899 in the Sangrur district of Punjab, India. He faced a tough childhood as he lost his mother, and his father Tehal Singh passed away soon after migrating to Amritsar for better education for his children. At the age of five, Singh was taken to the Khalsa orphanage in Amritsar, where he had to learn to be self-sufficient.
Growing up, Punjab was in the midst of political turmoil, and Singh observed the intense political situations developing around him. He joined the British Indian Army as a manual laborer during the First World War, serving overseas. After returning to India in 1919, his life as a revolutionary began.
At the time, popular resentment was growing against the British in Punjab due to their recruitment practices and forced contributions towards World War I. Additionally, the British government passed the ‘Rowlatt Act’ to extend and strengthen repressive wartime measures. This act caused Mahatma Gandhi to call for a nationwide protest, which received immense support from Punjab, leaving the British administration in a state of panic.
To regain control, Lt. Governor Michael O’Dwyer handed the situation over to Brigadier-General Reginald Edward Harry Dyer, who immediately banned public gatherings, which he believed were fueling protests and riots.
Udham Singh’s life took a turn on April 13, 1919, during the Baisakhi festival in Amritsar. Around 20,000 unarmed people, including men, women, and children, gathered at Jallianwala Bagh, unaware of the ban on public gatherings. Singh and his friends were also present, celebrating the festival. However, General Dyer arrived with his troops, sealed the only exit, and without any warning, opened fire on the unarmed crowd. Panic ensued, but with no escape route, many lost their lives in the horrific massacre. According to official records, 400 people were killed and 1,200 injured, but unofficial records suggest a much higher death toll.
Singh, who was only 20 years old at the time, witnessed this brutality, which later made him a part of the armed resistance both inside and outside of India. The incident became a catalyst for his transformation from a faceless member of India’s oppressed masses to a man who would strike one of the most dramatic blows against the empire.
During the two decades of political activism that followed, spanning four continents and more than 20 countries, Udham Singh assumed various aliases and jobs. In 1927, he was requested to return to India by Bhagat Singh, whom he highly admired, to aid the revolution taking place there. Upon his return, Singh was imprisoned for four years for publishing the radical Ghadr party’s publication “Ghadr Di Gunj.”
Even after his release in 1931, he remained under constant police surveillance due to his connection to Bhagat Singh. He ultimately managed to evade the surveillance and made his way to Germany to plan independence events without further interference. For years, he plotted his vengeance against the perpetrators of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, never losing sight of his ultimate objective—the assassination of Dwyer. Finally, in March 1940, the moment arrived. He shot Michael O’Dwyer on the spot at Caxton Hall in London, killing him. Singh was subsequently tried and convicted of murder and hanged in July 1940 at Pentonville Prison. While in custody, he used the name Ram Mohammad Singh Azad. His remains were returned to India in 1974.
Udham Singh
(1899 – 1940) – (Punjab)
Udham Singh (Aged 41) born as Sher Singh was born on 26 December 1899 in the Sangrur district of Punjab, India. He faced a tough childhood as he lost his mother, and his father Tehal Singh passed away soon after migrating to Amritsar for better education for his children. At the age of five, Singh was taken to the Khalsa orphanage in Amritsar, where he had to learn to be self-sufficient.
Growing up, Punjab was in the midst of political turmoil, and Singh observed the intense political situations developing around him. He joined the British Indian Army as a manual laborer during the First World War, serving overseas. After returning to India in 1919, his life as a revolutionary began.
At the time, popular resentment was growing against the British in Punjab due to their recruitment practices and forced contributions towards World War I. Additionally, the British government passed the ‘Rowlatt Act’ to extend and strengthen repressive wartime measures. This act caused Mahatma Gandhi to call for a nationwide protest, which received immense support from Punjab, leaving the British administration in a state of panic.
To regain control, Lt. Governor Michael O’Dwyer handed the situation over to Brigadier-General Reginald Edward Harry Dyer, who immediately banned public gatherings, which he believed were fueling protests and riots.
Udham Singh’s life took a turn on April 13, 1919, during the Baisakhi festival in Amritsar. Around 20,000 unarmed people, including men, women, and children, gathered at Jallianwala Bagh, unaware of the ban on public gatherings. Singh and his friends were also present, celebrating the festival. However, General Dyer arrived with his troops, sealed the only exit, and without any warning, opened fire on the unarmed crowd. Panic ensued, but with no escape route, many lost their lives in the horrific massacre. According to official records, 400 people were killed and 1,200 injured, but unofficial records suggest a much higher death toll.
Singh, who was only 20 years old at the time, witnessed this brutality, which later made him a part of the armed resistance both inside and outside of India. The incident became a catalyst for his transformation from a faceless member of India’s oppressed masses to a man who would strike one of the most dramatic blows against the empire.
During the two decades of political activism that followed, spanning four continents and more than 20 countries, Udham Singh assumed various aliases and jobs. In 1927, he was requested to return to India by Bhagat Singh, whom he highly admired, to aid the revolution taking place there. Upon his return, Singh was imprisoned for four years for publishing the radical Ghadr party’s publication “Ghadr Di Gunj.”
Even after his release in 1931, he remained under constant police surveillance due to his connection to Bhagat Singh. He ultimately managed to evade the surveillance and made his way to Germany to plan independence events without further interference. For years, he plotted his vengeance against the perpetrators of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, never losing sight of his ultimate objective—the assassination of Dwyer. Finally, in March 1940, the moment arrived. He shot Michael O’Dwyer on the spot at Caxton Hall in London, killing him. Singh was subsequently tried and convicted of murder and hanged in July 1940 at Pentonville Prison. While in custody, he used the name Ram Mohammad Singh Azad. His remains were returned to India in 1974.
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