On July 31, the death anniversary of Udham Singh, a prominent freedom fighter and revolutionary, is commemorated. Born as Sher Singh in a Kamboj Sikh family on December 26, 1899, he later became an Indian Revolutionary. After the passing of his parents, Udham Singh and his elder brother Mukta Singh resided in the Central Khalsa Orphanage Putlighar in Amritsar. During his time there, he underwent the Sikh initiatory rites and adopted the name Udham Singh. His sacrifice for the country earned him the title of Shaheed-i-Azam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Udham Singh was executed on July 31, 1940, after assassinating General Michael O’Dwyer, the former lieutenant governor of Punjab, as an act of revenge for the horrific Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds and injuries to thousands of Indians. Udham Singh planned the assassination as a lone avenger of the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On March 13, 1940, during a meeting at Caxton Hall in London, Udham Singh concealed a revolver within a book and shot General O’Dwyer twice, killing him instantly. After the assassination, Singh surrendered and was imprisoned in Brixton. Throughout his incarceration, he followed the teachings of his ally, Shaheed Bhagat Singh, whom he considered his guru. Udham Singh became an immortal symbol of the Indian Independence Movement, revered as Shaheed-i-Azam Sardar Udham Singh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n