Shaheed Udham Singh Martyrdom Day, Significance and Contribution

Shaheed Udham Singh was sentenced to death for the assassination of Michael O’Dwyer and hanged on July 31, 1940. This day was announced by the Haryana Government to be observed as Shaheed Udham Singh Martyrdom Day on July 31 every year. This declaration includes the closure of all government and private schools throughout the state, including Gurgaon and Faridabad.

Shaheed Udham Singh is recognised and remembered in India for assassinating Michael O’Dwyer on March 13, 1940. Michael O’Dwyer was the mastermind behind the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919 and was granted a clean chit by the British parliament.

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Martyrdom Day of Shaheed Udham Singh

Shaheed Udham Singh was a freedom fighter, belonging to the Ghadr Party, who is credited with the assassination of Michael O’Dwyer in London in 1940. Michael O’Dwyer was considered the main culprit in India behind the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919. The Haryana Government announced the celebration of the martyrdom day of Shaheed Udham Singh as a gazetted holiday all across the state on July 31. 

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Shaheed Udham Singh Biography

Shaheed Udham Singh was born on December 26, 1899, in the Sangrur district of Punjab. He was born to father Sardar Tehal Singh Jammu and mother Mata Narain Kaur. Tehal Singh Jammu was a farmer by profession and also worked as a railway crossing watchman in Punjab’s Upali village.

• After the death of his father, Udham Singh, along with his elder brother Mukta Singh, was raised at the Central Khalsa Orphanage, Putlighar in Amritsar.
• Udham Singh passed his matriculation in 1919 and left the orphanage.
• Udham Singh became involved in revolutionary politics in the aftermath of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre on April 13, 1919, and was highly influenced by Bhagat Singh.
• In 1924, Udham Singh joined the Ghadr Party, which aimed to overthrow British rule in India and organised Indians to achieve their objective overseas. 
• In 1927, on the orders of Bhagat Singh, Udham Singh returned to India with 25 other associates and ammunition. However, he was soon arrested and sent to 5 years in prison.
• Udham Singh was released in 1931, and his movements were then closely monitored by the Punjab Police. However, he dodged the Punjab Police and escaped to Germany via Kashmir. 
• In 1935, he reached London and was employed as an engineer. He started making plans to kill O’Dwyer, who was responsible for the death of hundreds of innocents at the Jallianwala Bagh.
• On March 13, 1940, Michael O’Dwyer was assassinated by Udham Singh at Caxton Hall, London. Apart from O’Dwyer, other officers injured at the event included Louis Dane, Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquee of Zetland, and Charles Cochrane-Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington.
• Shaheed Udham Singh was subsequently given a death sentence and was hanged on July 31, 1940, at Pentonville Prison in London.

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Shaheed Udham Singh Legacy

Shaheed Udham Singh’s mortal remains were exhumed and repatriated to India in 1974 on the request of the then MLA Sadhu Singh Thind. His casket was received in India by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the then President Shankar Dayal Sharma.

• A Charity is dedicated in the name of Udham Singh, operating on Soho Road, Birmingham. A museum is also created in his name near Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar.
• Shaheed Udham Singh’s weapons, including his knife, diary, and a bullet from the assassination, are kept at the Black Museum of Scotland Yard.
• Several films have also been picturised on the life and events of Shaheed Udham Singh.
• As announced by the Haryana Government in 2024, the martyrdom day of Shaheed Udham Singh is now to be observed as Shaheed Udham Singh Martyrdom Day all across the state of Haryana, including Gurgaon and Faridabad.
• Shaheed Udham Singh’s courage and patriotism inspire the generation even today. 
• Shaheed Udham Singh was born on December 26, 1899, and this day is observed as the Shaheed Udham Singh Jayanti Day.

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