In July 96, the Indian Workers Association (GB) held a Commemoration Rally in Southall, London, to honour the Indian patriot and anti-imperialist fighter Udham Singh. Comrade Adolfo Olaechea, spokesman for Committee Sol Peru accepted the invitation of this important workers organisation to address that rally. We publish here the text of that speech.
In order to inform the members of this list about this theme, we reproduce here an article on the subject in the IWA's official magazine, LALKAR in its July/ August 96 edition.
July 31 this year marks the 56th Anniversary of the execution of Udham Singh by British imperialism. On 4 June 1940 he was arraigned before Mr. Justice Atkinson at the Central Criminal Court charged with the murder of Sir Michael O'Dwyer, the butcher notorious for the Amritsar (Jallianwalla Bagh) massacre, which claimed the lives of several hundred innocent and unarmed Indian men, women and children, whose only crime had been to attend a peaceful protest meeting. Udham Singh pleaded not guilty. The trial lasted two days, at the end of which Udham Singh was found guilty and given the death sentence.
On 15 July the Court of Criminal Appeal heard and dismissed Udham Singh's appeal against the death sentence, and he was hanged at Pentonville Prison on 31 July.
Prior to passing sentence, Mr. Justice Atkinson asked Udham Singh if he had anything to say, to which the latter replied in the affirmative and proceeded to read from prepared notes. Throughout he was repeatedly interrupted by the Judge, who ordered the press not to report Udham Singh's statement, which has remained buried for56 years in the dark rooms reserved for secret government documents.
At long last it has been released to the Public Records Office, file MEPO 3/1743. The IWA-GB and LALKAR proudly report this statement, which clearly brings out Udham Singh's intense hatred of British imperialism, his ardent love for India and his burning desire to see it free, and also his internationalism, his love for the international proletariat, including the British proletariat.
It is time that he was honoured as a staunch anti-imperialist and unswerving internationalist, not only by people of Indian origin but also by the British proletariat which remains mainly ignorant of this remarkable man.
after the Judge had asked him if he had anything to say as to why sentence should not be passed upon him according to Law. Facing the Judge, he exclaimed: "I say down with British Imperialism. You say India does not have peace. We have only slavery. Generations of so called civilization has brought us everything filthy and degenerating known to the human race. All you have to do is to read your own history. If you have any human decency in you you should die with shame. The brutality and bloodthirsty way in which the so called intellectuals, who call themselves rulers of civilization in the world are of bastard blood.........
MR JUSTICE ATKINSON: I am not going to listen to a
political speech.
If you have anything relevant to say about this case say it.
UDHAM SINGH: I have to say this. I wanted to protest.
THE ACCUSED BRANDISHED THE SHEAF OF PAPERS FROM WHICH HE HAD
BEEN
READING.
THE JUDGE: Is it in English?
UDHAM SINGH: You can understand what I am reading now.
THE JUDGE: I will understand much more if you give it to me
to read.
UDHAM SINGH: I want the Jury, I want the whole lot to hear
it.
MR. G.B. MC CLURE (Prosecuting) reminded the Judge that
under Section
6 of the Emergency Powers Act he could direct that Udham
Singh's
speech be not reported or that it could be heard in camera.
THE JUDGE (To the accussed): You may take it that nothing
will be
published of what you say. You must speak to the point. Now
go on.
UDHAM SINGH: I am protesting. This is what I mean. I am
quite
innocent about that address. I never understood about that
address.
I am going to read this now.
THE JUDGE: Well, go on.
While the accused was perusing the papers, the Judge
reminded him
";You are only to say why sentence should not be passed
according to
law".
UDHAM SINGH (shouting): "I do not care about sentence of
death. It
means nothing at all. I do not care about dying or anything.
I do not
worry about it at all. I am dying for a purpose".
Thumping the rail of the dock, he exclaimed: "We are
suffering from
the British Empire!."
Udham Singh continued more quietly: "I am not afraid to die.
I am
proud to die, to have to free my native land and I hope that
when I am
gone, I hope than in my place will come thousands of my
countrymen to
drive you dirty dogs out, to free my country".
"I am standing before an English jury. I am in an English
court. You
people go to India and when you come back you are given a
price and
put in the House of Commons. We come to England and we are
sentenced
to death".
"I never meant anything; but I will take it. I do not care
anything
about it, but when you dirty dogs come to India there comes
a time
when you will be cleaned out of India. All your British
Imperialism
will be smashed".
"Machine guns on the streets of India mow down thousands of
poor women
and children wherever your so called flag of democracy and
Christianity flies."
"Your conduct, your conduct - I am talking about the
British
government. I have nothing against the English people at
all. I have
more English friends living in England that I have in India.
I have
great sympathy with the workers of England. I am against
the
Imperialist government.
"You people are suffering workers. Everyone are suffering
through
these dirty dogs; these mad beasts. India is only slavery.
Killing,
mutilating and destroying - British Imperialism".
"People do not read about it in the papers. We know what is
going on
in India".
MR JUSTICE ATKINSON:
I am not going to hear any more.
UDHAM SINGH:
You do not want to listen to any more because you are tired
of my
speech, eh? I have a lot to say yet.
THE JUDGE:
I am not going to hear any more of that statement.
UDHAM SINGH:
You asked me what I have to say. I am saying it. Because you
people
are dirty. You do not want to hear from us what you are
doing in
India.
THRUSTING HIS GLASSES back into his pocket, Udham Singh
exclaimed
three words in Hindustani and then shouted: "Down with
British
Imperialism! Down with British dirty dogs"!
AS HE TURNED TO LEAVE THE DOCK, the accused spat across the
solicitors table.
AFTER SINGH had left the dock the Judge turned to the press
and said:
"I give direction to the Press not to report any of the
statements
made by the accussed in the dock. You understand, members
of the
press?"
ANYONE WHO WISHES TO look at the file on Udham Singh, which
has at
last been released, are welcomed to come to the Udham Singh
Centre,
346 Soho Road, Birmingham B21 9LQ (Telephone: 0121 551
4679)
CENTER>Committee Sol Peru
International Relations Commission
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