Udham Singh Image

Udham Singh, originally named Sher Singh, was born on 26 December 1899 in Sunam, Punjab. After losing his parents, he was raised in the Central Khalsa Orphanage in Amritsar, where he received the name Udham Singh. On 13 April 1919, Udham witnessed the horrific Jallianwala Bagh massacre, where General Dyer ordered his troops to fire on a peaceful gathering, killing thousands of men, women, and children. Deeply affected, Udham Singh vowed to avenge the tragedy.

He joined the revolutionary Gadar Party in 1924 and was involved in freedom activities both in India and abroad. After being arrested in 1927 for possessing ammunition and publishing revolutionary materials, he was released but continued his fight for India’s freedom. In 1940, Udham Singh tracked General Dyer to London. On 13 March 1940, he shot Dyer at Caxton Hall, avenging the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Udham Singh was arrested, tried, and hanged on 31 July 1940 in London. His ashes are preserved at Jallianwala Bagh as a tribute to his sacrifice.

Trivia : 31 July, the Martyrdom Day of Shaheed Udham Singh, is observed as a public holiday in Punjab and Haryana.

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