BATHINDA – Bhagat Singh’s pistol has reached Hussainiwala border museum in Ferozepur, but the revolver of another freedom fighter, Udham Singh, is still in custody of Metropolitan Police, UK. That’s not all. It’s unlikely to ever come back to India, as the United Kingdom had declined to return the belongings of the martyr to Punjab government, in a communique sent in 2004, by claiming that these were part of evidence, an RTI reply by the Union ministry of exernal affairs revealed in September 2016.
The 77th death anniversary of Udham Singh was observed on Monday. In its reply to RTI activist Jatinder Jain on September 26, 2016, the Europe west division of the MEA said a communication from the government of UK had made it clear that Udham Singh’s diaries, cobbler knife, revolver and ammunition were in the possession of Metropolitan Police, London.
On March 13, 1940, Udham Singh had killed Michael O’ Dwyer — during whose tenure as the lieutenant governor of Punjab the Jallianawala Bagh massacre took place — with the said revolver at Caxton Hall, London. He was hanged on July 31, 1940, at Pentonville prison for the assassination.
Every year on Udham Singh’s death anniversary, authorities make promises to get back the belongings of Udham Singh from the UK. Udham Singh was born in Sunam town, Punjab, on December 26, 1899.
Jain told TOI that “as per the communication sent by the ministry of external affairs’ Europe west division, which deals with the UK and Spain, the high commission of India in London had shared a list of items proclaimed to be in custody of UK and requested that they be returned”. “The government of UK confirmed that these items were in possession of Metropolitan Police, but these cannot be returned to the Punjab government, since these items were used as evidence. This has been conveyed to the Punjab government, but the copies of communication cannot be shared as these are classified in nature,” he said.
Jain said it had also been mentioned that the government of Punjab had written to the MEA in 2004, requesting that the return of articles of Udham Singh be taken up with the UK. “The matter was taken up by the high commission upon this communication,” he said.
RTI activist Jatinder Jain, who had filed the RTI plea seeking information about the return of articles freedom fighter Udham Singh, said politicians cutting across party made claims every year on his death anniversary, July 31, that efforts should be made to bring back the martyr’s belongings, but the Indian government had made no such effort since 2004.
