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Udham Singh
Sardar Udham Singh was born on 26.12.1899 at Sunam, District Sangrur. He was orphaned at avery early age and got shelter in the Sikh Orphanage, Putlighar, Amritsar. He received education and crafts training there. He set up a painters shop with the signboard of Ram Mahammad Singh Azad. The Massacre at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, on the day of Baisakhi on 13th April, 1919 by General Dyer changed the course of Sardar Udham Singh life.
He resolved to wreck vengeance on the perpetrators of this heinous crime, General Dyer, Sir Michael O'Dwyer the Lieutenant Governor, Punjab and Lord Zetland Secretary of State of India. Sardar Udham Singh moved from on country to another country to shoot the murderers of his countrymen. He was arrested in 1928 and imprisoned for four years. He was released in 1932. He reached London through Germany where he joined a training course to hoodwink his activities to trace General Dyer, Sir Michael O' Dwyer and Lord Zetland. It tookhim twenty years to meet Sir Michael O'Dwyer and Lord Zetland. The third culprit General Dyer had already expired. After 21 years, it was on the 13th March. 1940 when Sir Michael O' Dwyer and Lord Zetland had come to attend ameeting in the Caxton Hall in London, that Sardar Udham Singh entered there with his revolver. Sardar Udham Singh gunned Sir Michael O'Dwyer down with his revolver. There ws great panic and pandemonium in the Hall.
Sardar Udham Singh stood firm. He was chained. On April 2, 1940, when produced before the Magistrate, he said 'I did the deed because Sir Michael O'Dwyer wanted to cresh all our aspirations for freedom. I had been after him for full 21 years. I am happy that I have fulfilled my job. I am not afraid of death'.
He was sentenced to death. He kissed the gallows smilingly and was hanged on the 31st July, 1940, in the Pantone Vila Jail London. India is proud of the sacrifices done by this Great Martyr, Sardar Udham Singh.
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