Shaheed Udham Singh Birth Anniversary – 26 December
Millions of people sacrifice their lives to make India what it is today. While we remember the few well-known names there were others who are rarely mentioned. One such revolutionary was Shaheed Udham Singh Kamboj. Born on December 26, 1899, in Sunam, today is his birth anniversary, here are a few things you need to know about this freedom fighter.
Also Read: Biography of Shaheed Udham Singh Kamboj
1. Birth and Childhood:
Born as Sher Singh, he and his younger brother, Mukta Singh were orphaned at a young age and taken in by the Central Khalsa Orphanage Putlighar. Singh spent his entire childhood in the orphanage and left after completing his matriculation.
2. Jallianwala Bagh massacre:
Singh was present at the Jallianwala Bagh when the brutal massacre occurred. The event deeply affected young Singh who developed a feeling of vengeance and hatred against the then governor of Punjab, Michael O’Dwyer and thereby went on to plan his assassination.
3. Ghadar Party:
After the massacre, Singh entered revolutionary politics and joined the Ghadar Party in 1924. He was responsible for organizing Indians overseas and was in the United States of America before being called back to India by his idol and role model, Bhagat Singh.
4. The Escape:
Singh was arrested and sentenced to 5 years in confinement not long after his entry into India. He was released in 1931 but still kept under surveillance. However, Singh managed to get away and escaped to Germany which was ruled by the Nazis at the time.
5. London:
In the years that followed, this brave revolutionary managed to stay out of reach from the British and entered London in 1934. Here he began the planning of the assassination of Michael O’Dwyer.
6. The Assassination:
On 13th March 1940, Micheal O’Dwyer was speaking at Caxton Hall where Singh entered with a revolver in his jacket and shot him twice. After the assassination, Singh did not try to flee and left with a smile on his face.
7. Trial and execution:
Singh was charged for the assassination of Michael O’Dwyer and was in Brixton Prison. Here he went on a hunger strike for 42 days. He was hanged to death on 31st July 1940.
