Giriraj Singh pays tribute to Shaheed Udham Singh on death anniversary
Synopsis
Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh on 31 July 2026 paid tribute to revolutionary martyr Udham Singh on his death anniversary, honouring the man who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer in 1940 to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and calling his sacrifice an enduring inspiration.
Key Takeaways
Giriraj Singh , Union Textiles Minister and senior BJP leader, paid tribute to Udham Singh on his death anniversary, 31 July 2026 .
Udham Singh (1899–1940) assassinated former Punjab Lieutenant Governor Michael O'Dwyer in London on 13 March 1940 to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre .
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on 13 April 1919 in Amritsar , when British troops fired on an unarmed crowd, killing hundreds.
Udham Singh was hanged on 31 July 1940 , the date observed annually as his death anniversary.
Indian political leaders routinely issue public tributes on the death anniversaries of independence-era revolutionaries, keeping anti-colonial memory in public discourse.
A century after he walked into a London hall and pulled the trigger for Amritsar, Udham Singh still commands the conscience of a nation. On Friday, 31 July 2026, Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh honoured the revolutionary martyr on his death anniversary, calling him a symbol of self-respect and indomitable courage.
Posting in Hindi, the minister wrote: 'मां भारती के वीर सपूत, स्वाभिमान और अदम्य साहस के प्रतीक अमर शहीद ऊधम सिंह जी की पुण्यतिथि पर उन्हें शत-शत नमन!' — 'A hundred salutes to immortal martyr Udham Singh, brave son of Mother India, symbol of self-respect and indomitable courage, on his death anniversary.' He added that by punishing the man responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Udham Singh demonstrated an unbreakable resolve against injustice and colonial tyranny, and that his supreme sacrifice and patriotism would inspire every generation.
The act that history never forgot
Udham Singh, born in 1899, was a young witness to one of the darkest days of British India. On 13 April 1919, British troops under Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer opened fire on an unarmed crowd gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, killing hundreds of men, women, and children in minutes. The massacre became a wound that never fully closed — and for Udham Singh, it became a lifelong mission. Two decades later, on 13 March 1940, he shot and killed Michael O'Dwyer — the former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab who had approved Dyer's action — at Caxton Hall in London. He made no attempt to flee. Tried and convicted, Udham Singh was hanged on 31 July 1940, the date India now marks as his death anniversary.A ritual of remembrance, and what it signals
Indian political leaders across parties observe the anniversaries of independence-era revolutionaries through official social media tributes — a consistent practice that keeps anti-colonial memory alive in public discourse. For a senior BJP leader like Giriraj Singh, Lok Sabha MP from Begusarai, Bihar, the tribute also underscores the ruling party's sustained effort to centre figures of armed resistance alongside the mainstream freedom movement in the national narrative. Udham Singh's story — patient, purposeful, and ultimately fatal to himself — remains one of the most dramatic acts of anti-colonial retribution in modern history. Every 31 July, it is retold. And it still lands.Point of View
Giriraj Singh links colonial-era injustice to a narrative of nationalist resolve — a framing the party has consistently used to consolidate its identity as the inheritor of uncompromising patriotism. The annual cadence of such tributes from senior ministers signals that social-media remembrance has become a structured pillar of political communication, not an afterthought. Whether these gestures translate into substantive commemorative policy — beyond the digital — remains the more meaningful question.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Udham Singh and why is he remembered?
Udham Singh was an Indian revolutionary (1899–1940) who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer in London in 1940 to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919, in which British troops killed hundreds of unarmed civilians in Amritsar. He is remembered as a symbol of anti-colonial resistance and martyrdom.
When is Udham Singh's death anniversary?
Udham Singh's death anniversary falls on 31 July each year. He was hanged in London on 31 July 1940 after being convicted for the assassination of Michael O'Dwyer.
Who was Michael O'Dwyer and what was his role in Jallianwala Bagh?
Michael O'Dwyer was the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab in 1919 who approved Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer's decision to open fire on the crowd at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar. Udham Singh held him responsible for the massacre and assassinated him in London in 1940.
What did Giriraj Singh say about Udham Singh?
Giriraj Singh described Udham Singh as a 'brave son of Mother India' and a symbol of self-respect and indomitable courage, saying his act of punishing the man responsible for Jallianwala Bagh showed unbreakable resolve against colonial tyranny and that his sacrifice would inspire every generation.
What was the Jallianwala Bagh massacre?
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre occurred on 13 April 1919 in Amritsar, Punjab, when British troops under Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer opened fire on a large unarmed crowd, killing hundreds of people. It became a defining moment in India's independence movement.
