Kejriwal pays tribute to Udham Singh on martyrdom anniversary
Synopsis
AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal on 31 July 2026 paid homage to Sardar Udham Singh, the revolutionary who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer in 1940 to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, calling his sacrifice an immortal inspiration for every generation.
Key Takeaways
Arvind Kejriwal posted a tribute to Sardar Udham Singh on his martyrdom anniversary, 31 July 2026 .
Udham Singh assassinated Michael O'Dwyer in London on 13 March 1940 to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 13 April 1919 .
He was executed on 31 July 1940 , and is commemorated annually by political leaders across party lines.
Kejriwal described him as a 'true son of Mother India' whose 'unbreakable resolve' is an immortal inspiration for national service.
Tributes to independence-era revolutionaries on martyrdom anniversaries are a long-standing fixture of Indian public life.
Eighty-six years after Sardar Udham Singh walked to the gallows in a London prison, his name still electrifies the Indian conscience. On 31 July 2026, AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal marked the revolutionary's martyrdom day with a tribute on X, calling him a 'true son of Mother India' whose sacrifice lifted every Indian's head with pride.
Kejriwal wrote — 'असीम देशभक्ति और अद्भुत हौसले की मिसाल' ('a symbol of boundless patriotism and extraordinary courage') — saluting Udham Singh's 'unbreakable resolve and love for the motherland' as 'an immortal inspiration for national service for every generation.' The post closed with Jai Hind.
The act that defined a revolution: Udham Singh and the Jallianwala Bagh oath
Sardar Udham Singh was present at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar on 13 April 1919, when British troops under orders fired into a crowd of unarmed civilians, killing hundreds. The massacre became the defining atrocity of colonial rule in India — and for Udham Singh, a lifelong oath.
More than two decades later, on 13 March 1940, he shot and killed Michael O'Dwyer — the former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab who had approved the Amritsar operation — at a public meeting in London. He made no attempt to flee. Tried and convicted, he was executed on 31 July 1940. His last words framed the act not as murder but as justice for the dead of Jallianwala Bagh.
A martyrdom anniversary that crosses party lines
Tributes to Udham Singh on 31 July have become a fixture of Indian political life, observed by leaders across ideological lines. The ritual reflects a broader national consensus: that the revolutionaries of the independence era — distinct from the mainstream Congress leadership — deserve a permanent place in public memory.
Kejriwal's tribute fits squarely within this pattern, channelling the anniversary into a message about national service and generational inspiration rather than any specific policy or partisan frame.
A man who waited twenty-one years to keep his promise to the dead. That kind of resolve, Kejriwal suggests, is the standard every generation inherits.
Point of View
Distinct from Gandhian constitutionalism, now commands mainstream political legitimacy. For AAP, invoking Udham Singh reinforces a patriotic identity that is neither aligned with the ruling establishment's ideological lineage nor with the older Congress tradition. The framing of his sacrifice as 'inspiration for every generation' subtly universalises the legacy, keeping it above factional ownership. In a political climate where historical memory is frequently contested, choosing a figure of near-universal reverence is itself a calibrated act.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Sardar Udham Singh and why is he remembered?
Sardar Udham Singh was an Indian revolutionary 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 defiant anti-colonial patriotism.
When was Udham Singh executed?
Udham Singh was executed on 31 July 1940 in London, following his conviction for the assassination of Michael O'Dwyer. This date is observed annually as his martyrdom day in India.
What was the Jallianwala Bagh massacre?
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on 13 April 1919 in Amritsar, Punjab, when British troops fired on a crowd of unarmed civilians gathered in an enclosed garden, killing hundreds. It became a turning point in India's independence movement.
Why did Arvind Kejriwal pay tribute to Udham Singh?
AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal posted a tribute on 31 July 2026 , Udham Singh's martyrdom anniversary, calling him a symbol of boundless patriotism and an immortal inspiration for national service — a practice common among Indian political leaders across parties on this date.
Who was Michael O'Dwyer?
Michael O'Dwyer was the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab who approved the military operation at Jallianwala Bagh in 1919. Udham Singh shot and killed him at a public meeting in London on 13 March 1940 .
