On the 104^th anniversary of the brutal Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, Arindam pays tribute to the martyr Udham Singh in this poem – exclusively for Different Truths.

In India's land, where the sun's bright light,
And history's etched with struggles and strife,
There exists a tale of a heinous slaughter,
That rocked the nation and fuelled the fervour.
 
Jallianwala Bagh, the name we all know,
Where innocent lives were taken in one go,
The British rule had shown its ugly face,
And a spark was ignited in the Indian race.
 
Udham Singh, a young man filled with rage,
Had witnessed the brutality and the carnage,
He knew that justice had to be served,
And the oppressors would get what they deserved.
 
He left his home and travelled afar,
To avenge the bloodshed and the scars,
He took an oath to fight till the end,
And to make sure his people could stand.
 
With a heart full of determination,
And a mind focused on retribution,
He planned and plotted with utmost care,
To strike the enemy, to make them beware.
 
He waited patiently for many a year,
To execute his plan, to make it clear,
That the British would pay for their crimes,
And their rule would end in due time.
 
At last, the awaited day arrived, the stage all prepared,
Udham Singh resolved, his heart unimpaired,
Approaching the man, he was destined to slay,
Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger without delay.
 
He knew what he had done and what it would mean,
His own life would end as a price to redeem,
But he was content, for he had fulfilled his aim,
And had struck a blow for his people's gain.
 
The sacrifice of Udham Singh, we must recall,
For it reminds us of our duty to stand tall,
Against oppression, injustice, and hate,
And to fight for what is right till it's too late.
 
In the land of India, where the sun still shines,
Udham Singh's legacy's forever enshrined,
As a symbol of freedom, courage, and grit,
A man who gave his all and never quit.

Photo by Arindam Roy

Arindam Roy

Arindam Roy has over four decades of experience in various newsrooms of renowned media houses. He is the Founder, Publishing Director, Editor-in-Chief of Different Truths, and Kavya Kumbh Publishing Consultant (KKPC). He has co-authored ten chapters in six Coffee Table Books (CTBs) of national and international repute and is the sole author of four forthcoming CTBs (Times Group). He has also published four international poetry anthologies as the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, participated in several poetry and literary festivals, and won awards and accolades. Arindam co-authored the novel Rivers Run Back with an American writer. He stays in Bangalore and Prayagraj.