Yes, Shaheed Udham Singh is belonged Chamar caste

Shaheed Udham Singh went to London and took revenge for Jallianwala Bagh, believing Bhagat Singh was ideal

What happened in Jallianwala Bagh on 13 April 1919, anger against the British was at its peak in the whole country, especially the youth of Punjab who had vowed to avenge this ruthless massacre. One of them was the young Sardar Udham Singh, who was so enraged by the incident that he took an oath to kill Colonel Reginald Dyer and Michael Francis O'Dwyer, the then Governor of Punjab, who ordered the firing by taking the soil of Jallian Wala Bagh in his hands. Was. After trying for a full 21 years, he was able to complete his revenge by killing Michael O'Dwyer in 1940. By then Colonel Reginald Dyer had died. After carrying out the incident, he did not try to run away and got himself arrested.

Born in Sunam of Punjab

Sardar Udham Singh was born on 28 December 1899 in village Sunam in Sangrur district of Punjab, his father's name was Tahal Singh and his mother was Narayan Kaur. They named him Sher Singh His mother passed away two years after his birth. A few years later, in 1907, his father also died. After this, he lived with his brother in an orphanage where he got the name, Udham Singh.

abandoned orphanage in 1919

Sardar Udham Singh's brother died in 1917. After this, he left the orphanage in 1919, during which time the Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place and he resolved to kill its culprits. For this, he joined the British Indian Army as a laborer and traveled abroad.

Went to many countries - changed many names

During foreign tours, Sardar Udham Singh went to many countries and changed many names, he named Frank Brazil, Uday Singh, Udham Singh, and Mohammad Singh Azad. Udham Singh joined the Ghadar movement in the early 1920s. He also joined the London-based Workers' Association, returned to India in 1927, and smuggled arms along with banned literature. On August 30 this year, he was arrested and sentenced to five years imprisonment.

England reached again in 1934

Sardar Udham Singh's sentence was reduced to one year due to good behavior in prison, he was released on 23 October 1931 after serving four years, but he remained on the police radar. However, he continued to carry out revolutionary activities in secret. In the meantime, after getting the opportunity, he went to Germany in 1933 and from there again reached London and patiently started looking for the opportunity which he had been waiting for years. In London, he joined the Indian Workers Association.

chance after six years

After reaching England in 1934, Sardar Udham Singh kept waiting for the right opportunity. On 13 March 1940, he got an opportunity to take his revenge at Caxton Hall in London. Here a meeting of the East India Association was going on in association with the Royal Central Asian Society. Sardar Udham Singh took away the revolver hidden in his diary.

Took revenge for the Jallianwala massacre

In the meeting, he fired five shots at Michael O'Dwyer, killing him on the spot, Dyer was the then Lieutenant Governor of Punjab when the Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place. Reginald Dyer, who ordered the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, died in 1927. In this way, the resolve of Udham Singh was fulfilled.

hanged in London

Sardar Udham Singh was tried for killing Michael O'Dwyer, he also went on a hunger strike while in jail. He was sentenced to death in the Central Criminal Court. Another appeal was filed in the court, which was dismissed. On 31 July 1940, Udham Singh, the heroic son of Mother India, hanged himself on the gallows in a London jail.

Bone remains were brought back to the homeland after 35 years

After the hanging, the body of Sardar Udham Singh was buried in the jail. In 1974, the then Chief Minister of Punjab, Giani Zail Singh brought the ashes of Udham Singh back to India with his efforts. 

His ashes were welcomed in India as a martyr. He was cremated on 2 August 1974 and several ashes were made. One urn was immersed in the Ganges, while one urn was kept in the Jallianwala Bagh memorial as a memorial to the martyr, the remaining three urns were buried at the holy places of Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs.

Used to keep the picture of Bhagat Singh in the purse

Sardar Udham Singh was crazy about freedom, despite being young in age, Bhagat Singh had the most influence on him, this was the reason why he used to keep Bhagat Singh's picture in his purse every time.

With due respect, we remember him for his significant contribution to the Indian freedom struggle.

Udham Singh's room in the Central Khalsa Orphanage in Amritsar has been turned into a museum

A charity is dedicated to Udham Singh on Soho Road, Birmingham. Singh’s knife, diary, and a bullet from the shooting at Caxton Hall are preserved in the Black Museum of Scotland Yard. 

In 1992, the Indian government released a stamp to honour Shaheed Udham Singh.

A chowk is named Shaheed Udham Singh in Anupgarh, Rajasthan. In 1995, the erstwhile Uttarakhand government named a district “Udham Singh Nagar” after him. The Asian Dub Foundation released a music track “Assassin” on Udham Singh in 1998. Many Bollywood and Punjabi movies have been made on the life of Udham Singh including Sarfarosh: The Story of Shaheed Udham Singh (1976), Jallianwala Bagh (1977), Shaheed Uddham Singh (1977), Shaheed Uddham Singh (2000), and Sardar Udham (2021). In January 2006, the Punjab government officially renamed Singh’s birthplace Sunam as ‘Sunam Udham Singh Wala.’ In 2015, the Indian band Ska Vengers released an animated music video called ‘Frank Brazil' dedicated to Udham Singh on his 75th death anniversary. On the Baisakhi of 2018, a 10ft tall statue of Udham Singh with his hand holding blood-soaked earth was commemorated at Jallianwala Bagh. 

Last Words

'I don't care, I don't mind dying. What Is the use of waiting till you get old? This Is no good. You want to die when you are young. That is good, that Is what I am doing'.

After a pause he added:

'I am dying for my country'.

In a statement given on March 13th, 1940 be said:

'I just shot to make protest. I have seen people starving In India under British Imperialism. I done it, the pistol went off three or four times. I am not sorry for protesting. It was my duty to do so. Put some more. Just for the sake of my country to protest. I do not mind my sentence. Ten, twenty, or fifty years or to be hanged. I done my duty.'

In a letter from Brixton Prison of 30th March, 1940, Udham Singh refers to Bhagat Singh in the following terms:

'I never afraid of dying so soon I will be getting married with execution. I am not sorry as I am a soldier of my country it is since 10 years when my friend has left me behind and I am sure after my death I will see him as he is waiting for me it was 23rd and I hope they will hang me on the same date as he was.'

The British courts were able to silence for long the last words of Udham Singh. At last the speech has been released from the British Public Records Office.

Shorthand notes of the Statement made by Udham Singh after the Judge had asked him if he had anything to say as to why sentence should not be passed upon him according to Law.

Facing the Judge, he exclaimed, 'I say down with British Imperialism. You say India do not have peace. We have only slavery. Generations of so called civilization has brought for us everything filthy and degenerating known to the human race. All you have to do is read your own history. If you have any human decency about you, you should die with shame. The brutality and bloodthirsty way in which the so called intellectuals who call themselves rulers of civilization in the world are of bastard blood...'

MR. JUSTICE ATKINSON: I am not going to listen to a political speech. If you have anything relevant to say about this case say it.

UDHAM SINGH: I have to say this. I wanted to protest.

The accused brandished the sheaf of papers from which he had been reading.

THE JUDGE: Is it in English?

UDHAM SINGH: You can understand what I am reading now.

THE JUDGE: I will understand much more if you give it to me to read.

UDHAM SINGH: I want the jury, I want the whole lot to hear it.

Mr. G.B. McClure (Prosecuting) reminded the Judge that under Section 6 of the Emergency Powers Act he could direct that Udham Singh's speech be not reported or that it could be heard in camera.

THE JUDGE (to the accused): You may take it that nothing will be published of what you say. You must speak to the point. Now go on.

UDHAM SINGH: I am protesting. This is what I mean. I am quite innocent about that address. The jury were misled about that address. I am going to read this now.

THE JUDGE: Well, go on.

While the accused was perusing the papers, the Judge reminded him 'You are only to say why sentence should not be passed according to law.'

UDHAM SINGH (shouting):

'I do not care about sentence of death. It means nothing at all. I do not care about dying or anything. I do not worry about it at all. I am dying for a purpose.' Thumping the rail of the dock, he exclaimed, 'We are suffering from the British Empire.' Udham Singh continued more quietly. '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.'

'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.'

'I never meant anything; but I will take it. I do not care anything about it, but when you dirty dogs come to India there comes a time when you will be cleaned out of India. All your British Imperialism will be smashed.'

'Machine guns on the streets of India mow down thousands of poor women and children wherever your so-called flag of democracy and Christianity flies.'

'Your conduct, your conduct - I am talking about the British government. I have nothing against the English people at all. I have more English friends living in England than I have in India. I have great sympathy with the workers of England. I am against the Imperialist Government.'

'You people are suffering - workers. Everyone are suffering through these dirty dogs; these mad beasts. India is only slavery. Killing, mutilating and destroying - British Imperialism. People do not read about it in the papers. We know what is going on in India.'

MR. JUSTICE ATKINSON: I am not going to hear any more.

UDHAM SINGH: You do not want to listen to any more because you are tired of my speech, eh? I have a lot to say yet.

THE JUDGE: I am not going to hear any more of that statement.

UDHAM SINGH: You ask me what I have to say. I am saying it. Because you people are dirty. You do not want to hear from us what you are doing in India.

Thrusting his glasses back into his pocket, Udham Singh exclaimed three words in Hindi and then shouted, Down with British Imperialism! Down with British dirty dogs!'

As he turned to leave the dock, the accused spat across the solicitor's table.

After Singh had left the dock, the Judge turned to the Press and said:

'I give a direction to the Press not to report any of the statement made by the accused in the dock. You understand, members of the press?'

Lalkar, July-August, 1996."