Udham Singh
Udham Singh | |
---|---|
Executed | |
Conviction(s) | Murder |
Criminal penalty | Death |
Details | |
Victims | Michael O'Dwyer, 75 |
Udham Singh (born Sher Singh; 26 December 1899 — 31 July 1940) was an Indian revolutionary belonging to
Singh was a well-known figure of the Indian independence movement. He is also referred to as Shaheed-i-Azam Sardar Udham Singh (the expression "Shaheed-i-Azam" means "the great martyr").[3] A district (Udham Singh Nagar) was named after him as a homage by the Mayawati government in October 1995.[4]
Early life
Udham Singh was born ‘Sher Singh’ into a
In October 1907, whilst taking his sons by foot to Amritsar, their father collapsed and died at Ram Bagh Hospital.[5] The two brothers were subsequently handed to an uncle who being unable to keep them, gave them to the Central Khalsa Orphanage, where according to the orphanage register, they were initiated on 28 October.[5] Rebaptised, Sadhu became “Mukta”, meaning “one who has escaped re-incarnation”, and Sher Singh was renamed “Udham Singh”, Udham meaning “the upheaval”.[7] At the orphanage he was affectionately referred to as "Ude".[5] In 1917, Mukta died of an unknown sudden illness.[8]
Shortly thereafter, despite being below the official age of enrolment, Udham Singh persuaded authorities to allow him to serve in the
Massacre at Jallianwala Bagh
On 10 April 1919, a number of local leaders allied to the
Singh became involved in
Upon his release from prison in 1931, Singh's movements were under constant surveillance by the
Shooting at Caxton Hall
On 13 March 1940,
Murder, trial, and execution
On 1 April 1940, Singh was formally charged with the murder of Michael O'Dwyer, and remanded in custody at
"I did it because I had a grudge against him. He deserved it. I don't belong to society or anything else. I don't care. I don't mind dying. What is the use of waiting until you get old? ... Is Zetland dead? He ought to be. I put two into him. I bought the revolver from a soldier in a public house. My parents died when I was three or four. Only one dead? I thought I could get more."[21]
While in custody, he called himself Ram Mohammad Singh Azad: the first three words of the name reflect the three major religious communities of Punjab (Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh); the last word azad (literally "free") reflects his anti-colonial sentiment.[2]
While awaiting his trial, Singh went on a 42-day
I did it because I had a grudge against him. He deserved it. He was the real culprit. He wanted to crush the spirit of my people, so I have crushed him. For full 21 years, I have been trying to seek vengeance. I am happy that I have done the job. I am not scared of death. I am dying for my country. I have seen my people starving in India under the British rule. I have protested against this, it was my duty.[23]
Singh was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. On 31 July 1940, Singh was hanged at
Singh's speech
Following his conviction, he made a speech which the judge directed should not be released to the press.[18] However, political activists who had set up the Shaheed Udham Singh Trust and working with the Indian Workers Association (GB), ran a campaign to have the court record of his statement published along with other material.[22] This proved successful in 1996, when his speech was published along with three further files covering the trial, and the Ghadar Directory, a document compiled by British intelligence in 1934 detailing 792 people regarded as a threat including Udham Singh.[22]
He started the speech with a denunciation of
- "I say down with British Imperialism. You say India do not have peace. We have only slavery. Generations of so called civilisation has brought 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 blood thirsty way in which the so called intellectuals who call themselves rulers of civilisation in the world are bastard blood . . ."
At this point he was interrupted by the judge, but after some discussion he continued:
- "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. (He 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 the same as I am suffering through those dirty dogs and mad beasts. 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."
At this point, the judge refused to hear any more, but Singh continued:
- "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."
He then thrust his glasses back into his pocket, and exclaimed three words in Hindustani and then shouted:
- "Down with British Imperialism! Down with British dirty dogs!"
He turned to leave the dock, spitting across the solicitor's table.[22]
When this material was published, it was reported in both British and Asian press, the statement was translated into
Reactions
In its 18 March 1940 issue,
Singh had some support from the international press. The Times of London called him a "fighter for freedom", his actions "an expression of the pent-up fury of the downtrodden Indian people."[27] Bergeret from Rome praised Singh's action as courageous.[28] In March 1940,
Repatriation of remains
In 1974, Singh's remains were exhumed and repatriated to India at the request of MLA Sadhu Singh Thind and cremated in his home village of Sunam.[29] The casket was received by Indira Gandhi, Shankar Dayal Sharma and Zail Singh.[30] On 2 August 1974 his ashes were divided into seven urns and distributed; one each to Haridwar, Kiratpur Sahib, Rauza Sharif, Sunam and the museum at Jallianwala Bagh, and two urns to the library of the Shaheed Udham Singh Arts College in Sunam.[30]
Legacy
In 1999, during the tercentenary of the creation of the Khalsa and the centenary of Singh's birth, he was posthumously awarded the "Nishan-e-Khalsa" by the Anandpur Sahib Foundation.[31]
- A museum dedicated to Singh is located in Amritsar, near Jallianwala Bagh.
- Singh's ancestral house, in Sunam, has been converted into a museum. 30 letters and other objects are on display in the museum.[citation needed]
- The official name of his ancestral town Sunam was changed to 'Sunam Udham Singh Wala'.
- Singh has been the subject of a number of films: Shaheed Uddham Singh (2000) and the 2021 film Sardar Udham.[32]
- Udham Singh Nagar district in Uttarakhand is named after Singh.
- Singh is the subject of the 1998 track "Assassin" by Asian Dub Foundation.
- Frank Brazil, is named after an Alias of Singh, is a track by The Ska Vengers.[33]
- Shaheed Udham Singh Chowk in Anupgarh was named for him.
- The day of his death is a public holiday in Punjab[34] and Haryana.[35]
- A statue of him was installed by International Sarav Kamboj Samaj at the main entrance of Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar on 13 March 2018. The statue was unveiled by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.[36]
-
Ashes of Shaheed Udham Singh at Jallianwala Bagh museum
References
- ^ Swami, Praveen (November 1997). "Jallianwala Bagh revisited: A look at the actual history of one of the most shocking events of the independence struggle". Frontline. 22. Vol. 14. India. pp. 1–14. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-520-94764-1. Archivedfrom the original on 14 December 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Who was Sardar Udham Singh? Know interesting facts about the man who avenged Jallianwala Bagh massacre". Free Press Journal. 25 December 2021. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ^ Singh, Anand Raj (12 March 2015). "Mayawati may create new district to tame old foe". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-5011-9570-9. Archivedfrom the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
When the faint mewling of his son finally reached his ears, Tehal Singh might have allowed himself a moment of relief but nothing more. He could barely feed his existing family, let alone this new mouth. His little one was blissfully unaware that his tiny wriggling body was saddled with an invisible burden from the moment he arrived in the world. Like his parents, he was Khamboj, one of the lowest castes in India
- ProQuest 196819206.
According to general Sikh accounts, Udham Singh was born in Sunam in the Punjab's Sangrur district as Sher Singh into a Sikh family of the Kambojh caste. In 1907 after the early deaths of his parents he and his brother were admitted into the Central Khalsa Orphanage by an uncle
- ISBN 978-1-5011-9570-9. Archivedfrom the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
Born again, Sher and Sadhu were given new names, Sadhu became Mukta, which means "one who escaped the cycle of reincarnation." Sher Singh became Udham Singh. Whether the name was inspired by his behaviour, it would certainly prove to be prophetic. Udham translates into English as "the upheaval"
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4711-7424-7. Archivedfrom the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ Stanley Wolpert, "The postwar years", India, Encyclopedia Britannica, archived from the original on 6 April 2022, retrieved 11 March 2022
- ^ Sikander Singh (2002). Pre-meditated Plan of Jallianwala Massacre and Oath of Revenge, Udham Singh alias Ram Mohammad Singh Azad. p. 139.
- ISBN 978-81-291-0917-0.
- ^ Academy of Punjab in North America. "Shaheed Udham Singh (1899–1940)". Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
- ^ Dr. Fauja Singh (1972). Eminent Freedom Fighters of Punjab. pp. 239–40.
- ^ Singh, Sikander (1998). Udham Singh, alias, Ram Mohammed Singh Azad: a saga of the freedom movement and Jallianwala Bagh. B. Chattar Singh Jiwan Singh.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-854-71160-1p. 364
- ^ Pearce, Vanessa (2021). "Indian activists who helped change the face of modern Britain". BBC. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
- ^ Yashee (13 August 2022). "Udham Singh's English wife and other stories". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-854-71160-1p. 365
- ^ "Glasgow Herald 19 March 1940". Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ISBN 978-0-316-90332-5pp. 364–365
- ISBN 978-1-854-71160-1pp. 364–365
- ^ a b c d e f Singh Sahota, Teja; Singh Johal, Avtar; Singh Kirti, Karam (n.d.). Udham Singh's Last words "Down with British Imperialism". Shaheed Udham Singh Welfare Trust.
- ^ CRIM 1/1177, Public Record Office, London, p. 64
- ^ Vinay Lal (May 2008). "Manas: History and Politics, British India – Udham Singh in the Popular Memory". Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
- ^ a b Singh, Sikander (1998). Udham Singh, alias, Ram Mohammed Singh Azad: a saga of the freedom movement and Jallianwala Bagh. B. Chattar Singh Jiwan Singh. p. 300.
- ^ Manmath Nath Gupta (1970). Bhagat Singh and his Times. Delhi. p. 18.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ The Times. London. 16 March 1940.
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(help) - ^ Public and Judicial Department, File No L/P + J/7/3822. 10 Caxton Hall outrage. London: India Office Library and Records. pp. 13–14.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Udham Singh | Making Britain". www5.open.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 26 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4711-7424-7. Archivedfrom the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
- from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
- ^ Ramnath, Nandini (16 October 2021). "'Sardar Udham' review: A portrait of a man of history and mystery". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
- ^ "The Ska Vengers' new single 'Frank Brazil' releases today". The Indian Express. 31 July 2015. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
- ^ "Government of Punjab, India". Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
- ^ "Public Holidays 2016 and 2017". Archived from the original on 15 September 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
- ^ "Rajnath Singh unveils statue of Udham Singh at Jallianwala Bagh". The Times of India. 14 March 2018. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
Further reading
- Fenech, Louis E. (October 2002). "Contested Nationalisms; Negotiated Terrains: The Way Sikhs Remember Udham Singh 'Shahid' (1899–1940)". Modern Asian Studies. 36 (4): 827–870. S2CID 145405222. (subscription required)
- An article on Udham Singh—Hero Extraordinary in "The Legacy of The Punjab" by R M Chopra, 1997, Punjabee Bradree, Calcutta.
External links
- British Executions case file pertaining to Udham Singh