Chirag Paswan pays tribute to Sardar Udham Singh on death anniversary
Synopsis
Union Food Processing Minister Chirag Paswan on 31 July 2026 paid tribute to Sardar Udham Singh on his death anniversary, honouring the revolutionary who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer in 1940 to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Key Takeaways
Union Food Processing Minister Chirag Paswan posted a tribute to Sardar Udham Singh on his death anniversary, 31 July 2026 .
Udham Singh assassinated Michael O'Dwyer in London on 13 March 1940 in retaliation for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre .
He was executed by British authorities on 31 July 1940 , aged 40 .
Paswan described Udham Singh as an 'immortal revolutionary' whose courage and patriotism remain 'an eternal source of inspiration.' Tributes to Udham Singh on his death anniversary are observed across party lines in Indian political life.
A revolutionary who crossed oceans to avenge the blood of Jallianwala Bagh — Union Food Processing Minister Chirag Paswan paid homage to Sardar Udham Singh on his death anniversary on Friday, 31 July 2026, calling him an immortal son of Mother India whose courage and sacrifice remain an eternal source of inspiration.
Posting in Hindi, Minister Paswan wrote: 'मां भारती के वीर सपूत, अमर क्रांतिकारी सरदार उधम सिंह जी की पुण्यतिथि पर उन्हें विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि' — 'Humble tribute to the brave son of Mother India, immortal revolutionary Sardar Udham Singh, on his death anniversary.' He added that Udham Singh's 'indomitable courage, sacrifice, and patriotism for the freedom of the nation will always remain a source of inspiration.'
The man behind the mission: Udham Singh and Jallianwala Bagh's long shadow
Sardar Udham Singh's place in India's freedom struggle is singular and searing. On 13 April 1919, British forces under the command of General Dyer opened fire on a peaceful gathering at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar — a massacre that killed hundreds and scarred a generation. Udham Singh, who witnesses say was present that day, carried the wound for two decades. On 13 March 1940, he walked into Caxton Hall, London, and shot dead Michael O'Dwyer — the former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab who had sanctioned Dyer's actions. Arrested on the spot, Udham Singh was tried and executed by British authorities on 31 July 1940 — the date that marks today's remembrance. He was 40 years old.A commemoration that cuts across party lines
Tributes to Udham Singh on his death anniversary have become a near-universal ritual in Indian political life, with leaders from across the ideological spectrum invoking his memory each year. For a ruling-coalition minister like Paswan — national president of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and a member of the NDA government — the homage also signals continuity with a broader nationalist commemoration of the pre-Independence revolutionary tradition. Udham Singh's legacy belongs to no single party; it belongs to the idea of a nation that refused to forget. That, perhaps, is why his name still detonates something real, 86 years after the gallows at Pentonville Prison.Point of View
Rooted in Bihar where Udham Singh's memory resonates strongly among communities that venerate armed resistance to colonial rule, such commemorations carry both symbolic and electoral undertones. The tribute also reflects how social media has institutionalised the death-anniversary homage cycle, turning historical remembrance into a daily rhythm of political signalling. What endures beneath the ritual, however, is a genuine public reverence for Udham Singh that no amount of routine posting can fully dilute.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Sardar Udham Singh?
Sardar Udham Singh was an Indian revolutionary who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer in London in March 1940 to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919. He was executed by British authorities on 31 July 1940 and is remembered as a martyr of India's freedom struggle.
Why is 31 July significant for Sardar Udham Singh?
31 July marks the death anniversary of Sardar Udham Singh, who was executed by British authorities on this date in 1940 after being convicted for the assassination of Michael O'Dwyer.
What was Udham Singh's connection to Jallianwala Bagh?
Udham Singh is widely believed to have witnessed the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar on 13 April 1919, in which British forces killed hundreds of unarmed civilians. He spent two decades planning his response before shooting Michael O'Dwyer — the official who had sanctioned the massacre — in London in 1940.
Who is Chirag Paswan?
Chirag Paswan is India's Union Minister of Food Processing Industries and the national president of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), a constituent of the NDA ruling coalition.
Why do Indian politicians pay tribute to Udham Singh every year?
Udham Singh's death anniversary on 31 July is observed as a day of national remembrance for his sacrifice in the freedom struggle. Political leaders across parties pay tribute to honour his legacy and connect with the broader public sentiment around India's independence movement.
