Puri Pays Tribute to Shaheed Udham Singh on Shaheedi Divas
Synopsis
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri paid solemn tribute to Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Udham Singh on his Shaheedi Divas, July 31 — the anniversary of the revolutionary's 1940 execution in London after he avenged the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by killing former Punjab Lt. Governor Michael O'Dwyer.
Key Takeaways
July 31 is observed as Shaheedi Divas — the martyrdom anniversary of Sardar Udham Singh , hanged at Pentonville Prison, London, in 1940 .
Udham Singh assassinated Michael O'Dwyer on 13 March 1940 to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919 , in which hundreds of unarmed civilians were killed.
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri paid tribute on X, calling Udham Singh's courage and sacrifice 'timeless.' Puri used the phrase 'Koti Koti Naman' — a salutation meaning reverence from a hundred million — to mark the occasion.
Tributes to Udham Singh on July 31 are observed across party lines as part of India's annual remembrance of independence-era martyrs.
On the anniversary of his martyrdom, Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Udham Singh is remembered across India — a revolutionary whose single act of retribution in a London hall echoed the anguish of an entire nation. Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri joined the national remembrance on Friday, July 31, honouring the immortal martyr with a solemn tribute on X.
Puri wrote: 'I pay humble tribute to Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Udham Singh Ji on the anniversary of his Shaheedi Divas. His unwavering courage, selfless sacrifice, and unshakeable commitment remain timeless. He faced the gallows with extraordinary resolve, leaving behind a legacy of patriotism that continues to inspire generations. Koti Koti Naman to the immortal martyr. Jai Hind!'
The Act That Defined a Legacy
Sardar Udham Singh was an Indian revolutionary who carried the wound of Jallianwala Bagh for over two decades. On 13 March 1940, he walked into Caxton Hall in London and shot dead Michael O'Dwyer — the former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab who had sanctioned General Reginald Dyer's order to open fire on an unarmed crowd gathered at Jallianwala Bagh on 13 April 1919. Hundreds were killed in that massacre. Udham Singh waited twenty-one years. He did not flee. He was arrested, tried, and hanged at Pentonville Prison on 31 July 1940 — the date India now observes as his Shaheedi Divas.A Martyrdom Observed Across Party Lines
Puri's tribute is part of a consistent, cross-party tradition in Indian public life: on every July 31, leaders from across the political spectrum pause to acknowledge Udham Singh's sacrifice. The observance carries no policy agenda. It is an act of collective memory — a nation returning, year after year, to a man who refused to let an atrocity go unanswered. The phrase 'Koti Koti Naman' — 'salutations from a hundred million' — captures the scale of the reverence. Udham Singh did not live to see independence. But his name is written into the freedom struggle's most defiant chapter.Point of View
Figures like Udham Singh carry additional resonance: they represent an assertive, retributive strand of the freedom struggle that complements the party's broader cultural-nationalist narrative. The tribute carries no immediate policy implication, but it signals the continued importance of anti-colonial iconography in Indian political communication. What endures is Udham Singh himself — a figure whose story, of patience, sacrifice, and defiance, needs no political framing to command attention.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Sardar Udham Singh and why is he famous?
Sardar Udham Singh was an Indian revolutionary who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer, former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, in London in 1940 to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919, in which hundreds of unarmed civilians were killed on O'Dwyer's watch.
When is Udham Singh's Shaheedi Divas observed?
Shaheedi Divas for Sardar Udham Singh is observed on July 31 every year, the date on which he was executed by hanging at Pentonville Prison in London in 1940.
What is the Jallianwala Bagh massacre?
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on 13 April 1919 in Amritsar, Punjab, when British Indian Army troops under General Reginald Dyer opened fire on a large unarmed gathering, killing hundreds. It became one of the most defining atrocities of British colonial rule in India.
Why did Udham Singh kill Michael O'Dwyer?
Udham Singh held Michael O'Dwyer responsible for sanctioning the Jallianwala Bagh massacre as Lieutenant Governor of Punjab. He waited over two decades before shooting O'Dwyer dead at Caxton Hall in London on 13 March 1940.
What did Hardeep Singh Puri say about Udham Singh?
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri called Udham Singh's courage 'timeless,' saying he 'faced the gallows with extraordinary resolve,' and offered 'Koti Koti Naman' — salutations from a hundred million — to the immortal martyr.
