The brave four in UK

A QUESTION TO ALL INDIAN NATIONAL ALL OVER THE WORLD;

Whether the attack on Major General KS Brar in UK is to be condemned, if yes why do you honor Udham Singh as a martyre? He too killed Michel O’Dyer in UK on allegations of killings of nearly 1000 innocent Indians in Jalianwala Bagh in April 1919 whereas one step ahead General KS Brar is responsible for killing of more then 5000 innocent pilgrims present inside golden temple to commemorate martyrdom of their fifth Guru with their families?

It was moral duty of army Generals to provide security and make arrangements for their safe escape but they deliberately killed the helpless people in its custody? We have the eye witness accounts to give its details. If the operation Blue star is justified to suppress Sikhs then certainly the attack on general Brar and Vaidya also justified. The assassinators of Genral Vaidya were executed, that’s another thing. The Indian govt may arrest anyone and hang, it may be myself tomorrow but the hate to these generals was also reflected when on death of one more Sikh general RS Dayal, the Sikh priests refused to do Ardas and kirtan for the departed soul. The elected and authenticated body SGPC also approved it. Whole Sikh nation cheered on this decision.

This case is similar to murder of Dyre in UK by Udham Singh, he avenged the killing of innocent Indian nationals after 20 years. He was executed by British govt but he is given the status of a martyr by Indian govt. These four are legends of Sikh qaum and they too took the extreme step to avenge the atrocities and humiliation to Sikhs due to atrocities upon their fellow Sikh brothers and sisters in Operation Blue Star.

Udham Singh (26 December 1899 – 31 July 1940) was an Indian revolutionary, best known for assassinating Michel O’Dyre in March 1940 in what has been described as an avenging of the Jalianwala Bagh Massacre.

The opportunity came on 13 March 1940, almost 21 years after the Jallianwala Bagh killings: A joint meeting of the East India Association and the Central Asian Society (now Royal Society for Asian Affairs) was scheduled at Caxton Hall,[13] and among the speakers was Michael O’Dwyer. Singh concealed his revolver in a book specially cut for the purpose and managed to enter the hall. He took up his position against the wall. At the end of the meeting, the gathering stood up, and O’Dwyer moved towards the platform to talk to Zetland. Udham Singh pulled his revolver and fired. O’Dwyer was hit twice and died immediately. Then Udham Singh fired at Zetland, the Secretary of State for India, injuring him but not seriously. Incidentally, Luis Dane was hit by one shot, which broke his radius bone and dropped him to the ground with serious injuries. A bullet also hit Lord Lamington, whose right hand was shattered.[14] Singh did not intend to escape. He was arrested on the spot.

Back in India, there was a strong reaction to this assassination. While the Congress-controlled English speaking press of India condemned Singh’s action in general terms, independents like Amrit Bazar Patrika and New Statesman took different views. In its 18 March 1940 issue, Amrit Bazar Patrika wrote, “O’Dwyer’s name is connected with Punjab incidents which India will never forget”. New Statesman observed: “British conservatism has not discovered how to deal with Ireland after two centuries of rule. Similar comment may be made on British rule in India. Will the historians of the future have to record that it was not the Nazis but the British ruling class which destroyed the British Empire?”

Indians all over regarded Singh’s action as justified and an important step in India’s struggle to end British colonial rule in India. At a public meeting in Kanpur, a speaker stated that “at last an insult and humiliation of the nation had been avenged”. In 1940, Britain was in the midst of fighting for its survival in Europe and depended heavily on supplies from India to support the war effort. Nervous about any threat to their wartime supply lifelines from the heartlands of India, the British Government in India would receive fortnightly reports on the political situation sent from local administrators all over India. In several such reports, local administrators would quote local leaders (who were usually sympathetic to British rule) as saying “It is true that we had no love lost for Michael O’Dwyer. The indignities he heaped upon our countrymen in Punjab have not been forgotten”. Similar sentiments were expressed at numerous other places country-wide.

This groundswell of anti-British feeling, say many historians, served as the launch pad for Mahatma Gandhi’s Quit India movement launched two years later in 1942.

In a statement to the Press, Mahatama Gandhi had condemned the 10 Caxton Hall shooting saying that “the outrage has caused me deep pain. I regard it as an act of insanity…I hope this will not be allowed to affect political judgement”. A week later, Harijan, his newspaper further wrote: “We had our differences with Michael O’Dwyer but that should not prevent us from being grieved over his assassination. We have our grievances against Lord Zetland. We must fight his reactionary policies, but there should be no malice or vindictiveness in our resistance. The accused is intoxicated with thought of bravery”.

So what if Indian media and govt also praise the army and its Generals but in fact we should not regret on attack upon KS Brar. They may do their job and we should continue to highlight the atrocities we faced.

Ajmer Singh Randhawa.