Udham Singh was brought up in an orphanage. Both his parents passed away by the time he was seven. On April 13, 1919 Udham Singh was serving water to a peaceful gathering of around 20,000 Indians at Jalianwala Bagh, Amritsar, when on the orders of General Dyer, around 90 armed soldiers opened fire on the unarmed civilians who had assembled there to listen to the speeches of their leaders. The Jailanawala Bagh massacre had occurred with full connivance of the Governor of Punjab Michael O’ Dwyer.
Udham Singh who survived the killings, then vowed to take revenge in the Golden temple.
Udham Singh was involved in revolutionary politics and was deeply influenced by Bhagat Singh and his revolutionary group.
For 21 years he continued with his revolutionary struggle and waited for the right moment to hit the main culprit until on March 13, 1940 he got the opportunity to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. At Caxton Hall London, he killed Michel O’ Dwyer with a revolver. He did not try to escape, was caught and tried. During the proceedings, when the court asked his name, he replied “Ram Muhammad Singh Azad” An unprecedented transcendence of caste and creed rarely witnessed in the history of mankind.
Udham Singh was convicted and sentenced to death. On 31 July 1940, Singh was hanged at Pentonville Prison.
