Early Life and Jallianwala Bagh
Udham Singh was born as Sher Singh on December 26, 1899, in Sunam (Sangrur district, Punjab). Orphaned at an early age, he was raised in the Central Khalsa Orphanage in Amritsar. On April 13, 1919, during the Vaisakhi gathering at Jallianwala Bagh, Udham Singh was serving water to peaceful attendees when General Dyer opened fire under the administration of Lieutenant Governor Michael O'Dwyer. Surviving the carnage, he scooped blood-soaked earth in his palms, swearing a sacred vow to avenge the martyrs.
Global Revolutionary Journeys
Udham Singh traveled extensively across America, Europe, and Africa, joining the Ghadar Party and coordinating with Bhagat Singh and the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. Returning to India with arms in 1927, he was imprisoned for five years. After his release, he covertly escaped to London in 1934 to fulfill his pledge.
Assassination of Michael O'Dwyer
On March 13, 1940, Michael O'Dwyer was scheduled to speak at a meeting of the East India Association and Central Asian Society at Caxton Hall, London. Concealing a revolver inside a hollowed-out book, Udham Singh walked into the hall and fired two fatal shots into O'Dwyer. He made no attempt to flee, calmly surrendering to British authorities.
Trial and Martyrdom
At his trial at the Old Bailey, when asked his name, he declared:
"Ram Mohammad Singh Azad" — embodying Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh solidarity with freedom (Azad).
On July 31, 1940, Udham Singh was executed at Pentonville Prison in London. In 1974, his sacred mortal remains were repatriated to India and cremated with full national honors in his ancestral town of Sunam.