Kishan Reddy pays tribute to Shaheed Udham Singh on martyrdom day
Synopsis
Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy marked the martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed Sardar Udham Singh on 31 July, honouring the revolutionary who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer in 1940 to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Udham Singh was hanged at Pentonville Prison on this day in 1940.
Key Takeaways
Shaheed Sardar Udham Singh was executed on 31 July 1940 at Pentonville Prison, London, after assassinating Michael O'Dwyer.
O'Dwyer was the former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab who sanctioned the troops responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919 , in which over 300 civilians were killed.
Udham Singh waited 21 years after the massacre before carrying out the assassination at Caxton Hall, London, on 13 March 1940 .
His remains were repatriated to India in 1974 and interred at his birthplace, Sunam, Punjab .
Union Coal and Mines Minister G.
Kishan Reddy offered tributes on 31 July 2026, describing Singh as a 'fearless patriot' whose courage continues to inspire generations.
Eighty-six years after he walked calmly to the gallows at Pentonville Prison, Shaheed Sardar Udham Singh is still being called to mind — this time by Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy, who on Friday, 31 July offered his tribute to the revolutionary on the anniversary of his execution.
The act that made Udham Singh immortal
On 13 March 1940, Udham Singh walked into Caxton Hall in London and shot dead Michael O'Dwyer — the former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab who had sanctioned the troops under General Dyer on the day of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 13 April 1919. Over 300 unarmed civilians were killed in that Amritsar courtyard; hundreds more were wounded. Udham Singh had witnessed it. He waited 21 years to answer it. Arrested at the scene, he was tried, convicted, and hanged on 31 July 1940. He was 40 years old. His remains were repatriated to India in 1974 and interred at his birthplace, Sunam in Punjab.Why July 31 is marked across the political spectrum
Udham Singh occupies a rare place in India's freedom-struggle memory — claimed with equal fervour by the left, the right, and regional parties in Punjab and beyond. His martyrdom day draws tributes from ministers, chief ministers, and opposition leaders alike, making it one of the few anniversaries that genuinely cuts across party lines. Minister Reddy's post — 'His extraordinary courage, resilience, and unwavering love for the motherland continue to inspire generations' — follows that established tradition. For a BJP leader who also serves as Telangana state president, invoking Udham Singh on this day reinforces the party's broader nationalist messaging while honouring a figure whose story needs no political colouring to land with force.Point of View
Two-decade resolve, and sacrifice in a foreign land is too powerful to be owned by any single ideology. For the BJP, invoking him fits a broader pattern of reclaiming revolutionary nationalist figures for the mainstream. The tribute also reflects how martyrdom anniversaries function as soft political calendar events, reinforcing patriotic credentials with minimal controversy. What is notable is how consistently Udham Singh's memory travels across party lines, from Punjab's regional parties to national leaders — a testament to the enduring grip of the Jallianwala Bagh wound on Indian political consciousness.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Shaheed Sardar Udham Singh?
Shaheed Sardar Udham Singh was an Indian revolutionary who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer — the former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab — in London on 13 March 1940, to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919. He was hanged on 31 July 1940.
Why did Udham Singh kill Michael O'Dwyer?
Udham Singh held O'Dwyer responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 13 April 1919, in which over 300 unarmed civilians were killed in Amritsar. Singh, who had witnessed the massacre, waited 21 years before carrying out the assassination at Caxton Hall, London.
When is Udham Singh's martyrdom day?
Udham Singh's martyrdom day is observed on 31 July, the date he was executed by hanging at Pentonville Prison in London in 1940.
Where are Udham Singh's remains?
Udham Singh's remains were repatriated from the United Kingdom to India in 1974 and interred at his birthplace, Sunam, in Punjab.
What did G. Kishan Reddy say about Udham Singh?
Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy described Udham Singh as a 'fearless patriot' and said his 'extraordinary courage, resilience, and unwavering love for the motherland continue to inspire generations.'
