India observes 80th Martyrdom day of Shaheed Udham Singh, one of the renowned freedom fighters of India, on July 31. Shaheed Udham Singh avenged the Jallianwala Massacre by killing former Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab General Michael O’Dwyer on March 13, 1940. Shaheed Udham Singh was born as Sher Singh on December 26, 1899, at Sunam in the Sangrur district of Punjab to Sardar Tehal Singh Jammu.

Singh’s father was a railway crossing watchman in the village of Upalli. He along with his elder brother stayed at the Central Khalsa Orphanage Putlighar in Amritsar. Sher Singh was renamed as Udham Singh at the orphanage. He completed his matriculation in 1918 and left the orphanage in 1919. Udham Singh First Look: Vicky Kaushal Experiments His Look to Portray Sardar Udham Singh, and It Is Highly-Convincing – See Pics.

Here Are Facts About Udham Singh:

  1. During the peaceful gathering at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar in 1919, Udham Singh and his friends from the orphanage were serving water to the crowd.

  2. In 1924, Udham Singh got himself involved with the Ghadar Party.

  3. In 1927, he returned to India on orders from Bhagat Singh, bringing 25 associates as well as revolvers and ammunition.

  4. Udham Singh was arrested soon and was sentenced to five years of imprisonment.

  5. After his release, he escaped to Germany from where he reached London in 1934.

  6. Shaheed Udham Singh was employed as an engineer in London. Singh started forming plans to kill O’Dwyer.

  7. On March 13, 1940, Shaheed Udham Singh took revenge of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre by killing O’Dwyer at a joint meeting of the East India Association and the Central Asian Society.

  8. On April 1, 1940, Udham Singh was formally charged with the murder of Michael O'Dwyer and remanded in custody at Brixton Prison.

  9. While in custody, he called himself "Ram Mohammad Singh Azad”.

  10. His remains are preserved at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar.

Singh went on a 42-day hunger strike in Jail. His trial commenced at the Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey. Udham Singh was hanged on July 31 in 1940. Mahatma Gandhi expressed disappointed on the revolutionary’s action of Udham Singh. However, Punjab section of the Indian National Congress and the youth applauded him.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 31, 2020 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).