CM Majhi pays tribute to Sardar Udham Singh on martyrdom anniversary
Synopsis
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi marked the martyrdom anniversary of Sardar Udham Singh on 31 July, honouring the revolutionary who was executed in London in 1940 after avenging the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by assassinating Michael O'Dwyer.
Key Takeaways
Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi offered a public tribute to Sardar Udham Singh on his martyrdom anniversary, 31 July .
Sardar Udham Singh was executed on 31 July 1940 at Pentonville Prison, London, after assassinating Michael O'Dwyer .
Udham Singh's act was a direct response to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919 , which he had witnessed as a young man in Amritsar .
Majhi's tribute was posted in Odia , invoking Udham Singh's 'indomitable courage, unwavering patriotism, and supreme sacrifice'.
Annual tributes to Udham Singh on 31 July are observed by political leaders across parties and states throughout India.
On the 85th martyrdom anniversary of Sardar Udham Singh, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi offered a heartfelt tribute to the revolutionary who gave his life in the fight against British colonial rule. The date — 31 July — marks the day in 1940 when Udham Singh was hanged in London, cementing his place among India's most revered freedom fighters.
Paying homage in Odia, CM Majhi wrote: 'ମହାନ ସ୍ୱାଧୀନତା ସଂଗ୍ରାମୀ ସହିଦ ସର୍ଦ୍ଦାର ଉଦ୍ଧମ ସିଂଙ୍କ ବଳିଦାନ ଦିବସରେ ଭକ୍ତିପୂତ ଶ୍ରଦ୍ଧାଞ୍ଜଳି' ('Devout tribute on the martyrdom day of the great freedom fighter Shaheed Sardar Udham Singh'). He added that Udham Singh's 'indomitable courage, unwavering patriotism, and supreme sacrifice' would continue to inspire generations on the path of national service and devotion to the country.
The act that made Udham Singh immortal
Sardar Udham Singh was born on 26 December 1899 in Sunam, Punjab. He was a witness to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 13 April 1919, when British troops under the command of General Dyer opened fire on an unarmed gathering in Amritsar, killing hundreds. That day branded itself into his conscience and set the course of his life.
Two decades later, on 13 March 1940, Udham Singh walked into Caxton Hall in London and shot Michael O'Dwyer — the former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab who had sanctioned Dyer's action. He made no attempt to flee. Tried and convicted, he was executed at Pentonville Prison on 31 July 1940. His final words expressed not hatred, but a fierce love for his country.
A revolutionary remembered across party lines
Tributes to Udham Singh on 31 July have become a fixture of India's political calendar, observed by leaders across states and parties. The act of public commemoration — especially by a state Chief Minister — reinforces the shared national consensus around anti-colonial martyrs as foundational figures of the republic.
For CM Majhi, who took office in 2024 as Odisha's first BJP Chief Minister in the state's recent history, the tribute also signals a deliberate effort to connect Odisha's governance culture to the broader nationalist memory of India's freedom struggle.
Point of View
Invoking martyrs of Udham Singh's stature is also a soft exercise in political legitimacy-building. The tribute carries no controversy, but its framing — 'path of national service and devotion' — subtly aligns historical sacrifice with contemporary governance rhetoric.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 31 July significant for Sardar Udham Singh?
31 July 1940 is the day Sardar Udham Singh was executed by hanging at Pentonville Prison in London after being convicted of assassinating Michael O'Dwyer, the former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab who had approved the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Who was Sardar Udham Singh and what did he do?
Sardar Udham Singh was an Indian revolutionary and freedom fighter born in 1899 in Punjab. On 13 March 1940 , he shot and killed Michael O'Dwyer in London to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919 , which he had witnessed as a young man.
What did Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi say about Udham Singh?
CM Majhi paid tribute in Odia, stating that Udham Singh's 'indomitable courage, unwavering patriotism, and supreme sacrifice' would always inspire people on the path of national service and love for the country.
What was the Jallianwala Bagh massacre?
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on 13 April 1919 in Amritsar, Punjab , when British troops commanded by General Dyer opened fire on a peaceful, unarmed crowd, killing hundreds of people. It became one of the most defining atrocities of British colonial rule in India.
Who is Mohan Charan Majhi?
Mohan Charan Majhi is the Chief Minister of Odisha and a senior BJP leader who assumed office in 2024 , becoming one of the prominent faces of the party's governance in eastern India.
