Who avenged Jallianwala Bagh massacre? Here's what we should know about Udham Singh
Even after more than a century, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre is the darkest incident in the history of the Indian Freedom Movement. The incident happened during the celebration of Baisakhi on April 13, 1919. Today, the people of the country are remembering the 103 years of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.
What had happened in Jallianwala Bagh on April 13, 1919?
Thousands of people had assembled at the Jallianwala Bagh to commemorate Baisakhi and to march peacefully for the two leaders, Satyapal and Saifuddin Kitchlew’s detention. There were also many other reasons for the gathering. However, the locals were unaware that public meetings and rallies were prohibited.
General Dyer walked into the Jallianwala Bagh with his soldiers and ordered his forces to open fire on the defenseless citizens without issuing a warning. Thousands of people, who had gathered in Amritsar’s Jallianwala Bagh to protest against the British on the occasion of Baisakhi, were shot dead after General Dyer ordered his forces to fire on the defenseless and peacefully protesters. The incident had led to the detention of two leaders, Satyapal and Saifuddin Kitchlew.
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In the incident, more than a thousand people died and over 1200 were injured. Shingara Singh, the last known survivor of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, died on June 29, 2009, in Amritsar. He was 113 years old.
Later, General Dyer was defended by Lieutenant Governor Michael O’Dwyer.
Who avenged Jallianwala Bagh Massacre?
A youth named Udham Singh, who was also present during Jalianwala Bagh massacre, had been impacted to such an extent that he made the purpose of his life to kill Governor Michael O’Dwyer. For which he had to wait for 21 years to complete it.
It is believed that Udham Singh was present in the garden during the firing but some historians claimed that he had gone to the garden as a worker of the orphanage.
The entire life of Udham Singh was spent taking revenge. He vowed to teach a lesson to General Dyer and the then Punjab Governor Michael O’Dwyer, but General Dyer died of illness in July 1927. Now Udham Singh’s target was Michael O’Dwyer.
After his release from prison in 1931, Udham Singh went to England and contacted revolutionary brothers present in many countries including France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Japan and Burma.
On March 13, 1940, Michael O’Dwyer was invited as the speaker in a meeting at Caxton Hall in London. Udham Singh reached in that meeting hiding his revolver inside a book and opened up fire on Dyer as soon as he got the opportunity. He fired 6 shots at Dyer, two bullets hit him badly and Dyer died on the spot.
Following his arrest, Udham Singh was sentenced to death for murdering Michael O’Dyer on July 31, 1940.
