It was a very honest gesture and homage paid by residents of The Forest Society to remember the cruel massacre of Jallianwala Bagh Shaheeds by organizing a Langar, on 13 April
from 11 am to 3 pm at The Forest gate. It was a tribute paid to an Indian, Sardar Udham Singh, on Baisakhi Day for a revenge taken by him for killing of more than thousand innocent people.
Shaheed Udham Singh belonged to a very poor Kamboj family of a small city Sunam of Patiala State (now in Sangrur district of Punjab). He started his patriotic journey at the young age of 18, with determination to take revenge for killings of few thousand unarmored, peaceful and innocent people assembled in Jallianwala Bagh of Amrisar (near Golden Temple) in Punjab in 1919. It was massacre by British Lt. Governor Dwyer and British army blocking the only entrance/exit gate for children, girls, ladies, old and young public who came to listen their leaders on the auspicious occasion of Baisakhi, a famous Punjabi festival.
Udham Singh secretly initiated his patriotic journey taking guidance and the blessings of Diwan Kundan Singh duly financed by his son Mubarak Singh meeting them in Panchvati. Very well knowing death to be certain, he was not shaken or disturbed; he moved on through various countries despite most difficult situations and conditions. He reached London and entered in an attire of a priest into Britain’s Caxton Hall Assembly and shot General MO Dwyer moving very close to him on 13 April 1940 to his ultimate end when he was glorifying his action of Jallianwala Bagh.
It is a real heroic story which must delve deeper in the memories of our children so they must know the prices paid to achieve the freedom and preserve it whole-heartedly instead of reading comics or video games. Sadly it was a policy of appeasement that we named Roads, Stadiums and other institutions in the name of political personalities, but did not much glorify these Martyrs. Let us have meetings, seminars, charities and add to our text books for all times to come about larger than life sacrifices!
There was every possibility to escape, but Udham Singh surrendered to British police to set an example of rare bravery: Indians are not cowards but gave “Head for Head” reply.
by Neelam Vishal Malik (201 Ridgewood, The Forest; 98713 00971)
