“I am standing before an English jury. I am in an English court. You people go to India and when you come back you are given a prize and put in the House of Commons. We come to England and we are sentenced to death.” – Sardar Udham Singh
April 13, 1919. Shots fired. Hundreds of rounds of British ammunition tore through the bodies of over 10,000 unarmed Sikhs, Punjabis, and other Indians gathered at Jallianwala Bagh located in Punjab, India. The crowd had come together in celebration of Vaisakhi, a historically important Sikh holiday, but also to protest the unjust treatment of Indians by the British. Public gatherings at this time were banned due to the rising fear of revolt against the British, but this did not justify the violent loss of life at the hands of Colonel R. E. H. Dyer and Michael O’Dwyer. Dyer sealed all exits, and without warning, had his troops shoot into the crowd of thousands of unarmed civilians until they ran out of ammunition: over 1000 wounded and over 300 dead. After running out of ammunition, the troops withdrew, leaving the dead to rot, and leaving the people of Punjab helpless.
O’Dwyer, the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab at the time, had approved Dyer to go through with this heinous attack and is said to be the mastermind behind this massacre that left holes in the hearts of Indians across the country. A post-massacre Punjab was plagued by the implementation of martial law, resulting in public beatings, torture, and countless other human rights violations committed by the British. This event lit a spark across India that triggered the birth of a nation of revolutionaries, including Sardar Udham Singh.
Sardar Udham Singh grew up in Punjab, India as a member of the Sikh faith (fifth largest religion in the world, third largest in India). His parents died when he was a child, resulting in him and his brother residing in an orphanage for the majority of their childhoods. On the day of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Udham Singh had been serving water to the crowd of civilians prior to the shooting. He became a first-hand witness to his family, his neighbors, his people being brutally murdered, one by one at only the age of 19. After this incident, he vowed to bring justice to the people of India, to fight for the Motherland until he was killed. He soon came into the aura of famous revolutionary Bhagat Singh, a man seen as a hero of the independence movement, who devoted his life to the cause, even credited with the coining of the phrase “Inquilab Zindabad” which translates to “Long Live the Revolution.” Together, this dynamic duo worked to free their people.
In 1924, Udham Singh joined the Ghadar Party after his move to the United States. The Ghadar Party was made up of Indians living outside of the country who would plan and execute events and actions to aid the struggle for Indian independence. Udham Singh returned to Punjab upon the request of Bhagat Singh with ammunition, arms, and 25 other members of the party. He was soon arrested for the possession of unlicensed firearms and sentenced to five years in prison; however, being jailed wouldn’t stop him from achieving his goal: freedom. After being released from prison in 1931, Udham Singh’s movements were constantly under surveillance. He made it to Kashmir, India where he escaped police and made it to Germany. The ultimate goal for him: London. London was where he would avenge those who died at the hands of Michael O’Dwyer and send a message to the British.
He made it to London in 1934 and became affiliated with the Indian Workers’ Association while planning the assassination of a man who was behind the murder and mistreatment of countless Indians: O’Dwyer. On March 13, 1940, O’Dwyer was scheduled to speak at the meeting of the East India Association and the Central Asian Society. Udham Singh managed to conceal his gun and find a seat in the venue. He shot O’Dwyer twice, killing him almost instantly. Immediately after achieving his goal, Udham Singh turned himself in to the police. He was charged with the murder of Michael O’Dwyer and was arrested.
While in jail, instead of using his real name, Sardar Udham Singh took on the alias Ram Mohammad Singh Azad. Ram represented the Hindu faith (first largest religion in India), Mohammad represented the Islamic faith (second largest religion in India), Singh represented the Sikh faith (third largest religion in India). The final part of this alias was the word Azad, meaning free. This false identity that Udham Singh took on in prison represented the unity of India towards the common goal of achieving liberation from the British. This name spoke volumes across the globe, highlighting Udham Singh’s dedication to a sovereign India.
He went on a 42-day hunger strike while awaiting his trial which resulted in him being brutally force-fed. Udham Singh was sentenced to death and was hanged on July 31, 1940, dying as a martyr and monumental hero for the Indian independence movement. As he was led out of the courtroom, his last words were, “Inquilab! Inquilab! Inquilab!” meaning “revolution,” repeated until he could no longer be heard.
After his conviction, he had given a speech that the judge had demanded be kept under wraps; however, countless activists and supporters of Sardar Udham Singh campaigned for his speech to be released and were successful in 1996, about 56 years after his death. His speech was distributed on Vaisakhi day at a festival in Birmingham, England in 1997. I will end with a portion of this speech; the speech of a man that achieved his goal and inspired thousands of Indians to continue to fight for what we as human beings hold dearest: liberty.
“I am not afraid to die. I am proud to die, to have to free my native land and I hope that when I am gone, I hope that in my place will come thousands of my countrymen to drive you dirty dogs out; to free my country.” - Udham Singh
Sources: