Shaheed Udham Singh on his martyrdom day

• On July 31, 1940 the Indian freedom fighter Udham Singh was hanged at London's Pentonville prison.
• Singh was hanged for assassinating British general Michael O’Dyer, the Lt. Governor of Punjab, who caused the Jallianwala massacre.
• It is said that the freedom fighter was present at the public meeting at Jalianwalla Bagh on that fateful day on April 13, 1919 to commemorate Baisakhi Day.

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

• The Britishers had banned gatherings at the time and to punish civilians for their 'disobedience'
• A crowd of thousands of unarmed Indians who had come together at Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab's Amritsar to celebrate the festival of Baisakhi were unaware of the order.
• Several hundreds of people were killed in the incident in 1919 as a result of indiscriminate firing by the colonial forces ordered by Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer.
• The colonial troops entered the bagh and blocked the main entrance behind them to ensure nobody could flee before opening fire on the crowd for about 10 minutes.
• Many jumped into a well in a desperate attempt to save themselves as the soldiers showered bullets at them.

Ram Mohammed Singh Azad

• After killing the British general, Udham Singh was brought for trial where he gave his name as 'Mohammad Singh Azad' which was inscribed on his hand.
• Singh believed that India could be liberated only by the collective and united efforts of all Indians.
• The first three words in his name signified the three different religions prevalent in Punjab and Azad meant free.
• Today, a statue of Udham Singh stands at Jalianwallah Bagh with his hand holding blood-soaked earth.