Today is the birth anniversary of the man who avenged the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre – Udham Singh. He was an Indian revolutionary and Freedom fighter who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer, the former lieutenant governor of Punjab in India, on 13 March 1940. 1/10
#UddhamSingh
#UddhamSingh
Michael Francis O'Dwyer was an Irish ICS officer and later the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, British India, between 1913 and 1919. He is often confused with Reginald Dyer — British officer responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. However, O’Dwyer shares the blame too! 2/10
It must be noted that the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre happened during his O’Dwyer’s administration. Infact, his order to arrest Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr Satyapal was what led to the crowd gathering in Amritsar’s Jallianwala Bagh. 3/10
The brutal massacre even drew condemnation from Winston Churchill (then Secretary of State for War) and British PM H.H. Asquith. Churchill termed it as ‘unutterably monstrous’ but O’Dwyer had endorsed Reginald Dyer's action at Jallianwala Bagh! 4/10
Udham Singh, an eyewitness to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre was deeply affected by it. The incident filled him with a deep hatred of ‘British Imperialism’ and an eternal thirst for revenge. 5/10
He escaped India and British surveillance via Kashmir, making it to Germany and reached London in 1934. On 13 March 1940, Michael O'Dwyer was scheduled to speak at Caxton Hall. Udham Singh hid a revolver inside a book, which had pages cut in the shape of a revolver. 6/10
As the meeting concluded, he shot O'Dwyer twice as he moved towards the speaking platform. One of these bullets passed through O'Dwyer's heart and right lung, instantly killing him. 7/10
The aftermath of O’dwyer’s assassination saw nationwide and even international support for Uddham Singh but the Indian political elite including M.K. Gandhi and Nehru criticised him. Gandhi termed it ‘an act of insanity’. 8/10
While in the trial when he was asked about his motivation he said, “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…” 9/10
Udham Singh was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. On 31 July 1940, Singh was hanged at Pentonville Prison. In 1974, his remains were exhumed and repatriated to India. 10/10
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