Shaheed Udham Singh Martyrdom Day

• 31 Jul 2024

Why in News?

Recently, The Haryana government has announced that July 31^st will be a gazetted holiday in honor of Shaheed Udham Singh Martyrdom Day.

Key Points

• Holiday Declaration: The Haryana government has declared July 31^st, as a gazetted holiday to observe Shaheed Udham Singh Martyrdom Day.
• School Closures: This declaration results in the closure of all government and private schools throughout the state, including in Gurgaon and Faridabad.
• Public Holidays Announcement: In December of the previous year, the Haryana government announced the public holidays for 2024, which included the closure of all public offices, schools, and colleges on July 31, 2024, to honor Shaheed Udham Singh and other martyrs.
• Significance of Shaheed Udham Singh: Shaheed Udham Singh is recognized for avenging the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by assassinating its mastermind, Michael O'Dwyer.

Udham Singh

• Born in Sunam in Punjab’s Sangrur district in 1899, also referred to as Shaheed-i-Azam Sardar Udham Singh which means ‘Great Martyr’.
• He is regarded as one of the foremost revolutionaries of the Indian Freedom Struggle.
• Following the Jallianwala Massacre on 13^th April 1919, he got profoundly involved in revolutionary activities and politics. He was deeply influenced by Bhagat Singh.
• He joined the Ghadar Party in 1924 to organize overseas Indians with the purpose of overthrowing colonial rule.
• In 1927, while returning to India with associates and weapons to carry out revolutionary activities, he was arrested for illegal possession of firearms and sentenced to five years in prison.
• On 13^th March, 1940, Singh shot Michael O’Dwyer instead of General Dyer at a meeting of the East India Association and the Royal Central Asian Society at Caxton Hill.
• He was sentenced to death and was hanged on 31^st July, 1940 at Pentonville Prison in London.