Martyr Udham Singh is one of the great patriots of India. He is also referred to as Shaheed-i-Azam (Great martyr) Sardar Udham Singh.
He was born as Sher Singh on December 26, 1899 at Sunam , Sangrur, Punjab. His father, Tahal Singh, was a watchman on a railway crossing in the neighboring village of Upall. He lost his parents before he was seven years old.
He was admitted to the Central Khalsa Orphanage at Amritsar along with his brother Mukta Singh on October 24, 1907. Both brothers were administered the Sikh initiatory rites (amritpan) at the Orphanage. After initiation, their names were changed. Sher Singh became Udham Singh and Mukta Singh’s name was changed to Sadhu Singh. Udham Singh’s brother died in 1917. Thus he was left lone in the world. He left the Orphanage after passing the matriculation examination in 1918.
He was present in the Jallianvala Bag on the fateful Baisakhi day on April 13, 1919. On that day, a peaceful assembly of people was fired upon by General Reginald Edward Harry Dyer, killing over one thousand people. That event changed the life of Udham Singh and he became a revolutionist.
Soon after, he left India and went to the United States of America. He came to know about the militant activities of the Babar Akalis in the early 1920′s. Therefore, he returned home.
He had secretly brought some revolvers with him and was arrested by the police in Amritsar. He was sentenced to four years imprisonment under the Arms Act.
On release in 1931, he returned to his native place Sunam, but, he was harassed by the local police at that place.
Therefore, he went to Amritsar and opened a shop as a signboard painter. He changed his name to Ram Muhammad Singh Azad. He used this name later in England to emphasize the unity of all the religious communities of India in their struggle for freedom of India.
Udham Singh was deeply influenced by the activities of Bhagat Singh and his revolutionary group. In 1935, when he was on a visit to Kashmlr, he was found carrying Bhagat Singh’s portrait. He invariably referred to Bhagat Singh as his guru (guide).
He loved singing political songs. He liked Ram Prasad Bismal, a leading revolutionary poet of that time. After staying in Kashmir for a few months, Udham Singh left India.
He went around the continent for some time and reached England by the mid-thirties.
He was on a lookout to avenge the Jalliavala Bagh tragedy. The long-waited moment at last arrived on March 13, 1940. On that day, a meeting of the East India Association was held in the Caxton Hall, London at 4.30 p.m. During the meeting, Udham Singh fired six shots at Sir Michael O’Dwyer, who was governor of the Punjab when the Amritsar massacre had taken place. O’Dwyer was hit twice and died on the spot. Lord Zetland, the Secretary of State for India, who was presiding over the meeting, was also injured.
Udham Singh made no attempt to escape and said that he had done his duty to his country. He was arrested.
On April 01, 1940, Udham Singh was formally charged with the murder of Sir Michael O’Dwyer. He was tried at the Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey in the court before Justice Atkinson. He was awarded death penalty on June 4, 1940. An appeal was filed on his behalf. It was dismissed on July 15, 1940.
Udham Singh was hanged in Pentonville Prison in London on July 31, 1940.
Udham Singh was a man of action and great courage. He considered himself as a guest of His Majesty King George, and looked upon death as a bride which he was going to wed. He remained cheerful till his death and went to the gallows with full enthusiasm. He followed the foot steps of Bhagat Singh, who had been his role model. During the trial, Udham Singh requested that his ashes be sent back to his country, but this was not accepted. In 1975, however, the Government of India finally succeeded in bringing his ashes to home. Lakhs of people gathered on that occasion to pay homage to their great hero.