In Punjab, scholars fight for unsung patriots' place in history at event dedicated to martyrdom of Shaheed Udham Singh
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Patiala: Punjabi University on Saturday commemorated the martyrdom of Shaheed Udham Singh with a symposium aimed at spotlighting his legacy and urging the preservation of lesser-known freedom fighters' histories.
Held under the aegis of the Shaheed Udham Singh Chair, established in the university's political science department, the event was themed 'Shaheed Udham Singh: An Embodiment of Self-Respect and Freedom'. The symposium featured keynote speaker Sukhdev Singh Sohal, a retired academic from Guru Nanak Dev University, and writer Lakhwinder Singh Johal as chief guest. Vice-chancellor Jagdeep Singh presided over the gathering, joined by faculty of social sciences dean Jaswinder Singh Brar.
The VC said in his presidential address: "We are fortunate to be born in a free country, and we owe this to the sacrifices of our martyrs." He directed the institute to prepare a consolidated volume using Shaheed Udham Singh's diaries, letters, and related documents. He also extended gratitude to Paramjit Kaur Gill, chair in-charge, for leading the initiative. Sohal criticised the neglect of Shaheed Udham Singh in post-independence Sikh historiography.
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"Preserving the history of martyrs is a major responsibility of our generation," he said, stressing the need to study Shaheed Udham Singh through interdisciplinary lenses— history, philosophy, politics, literature, and culture.
Echoing the concern, Lakhwinder Singh Johal noted that figures like Madan Lal Dhingra, Meva Singh Lopoke, and Udham Singh — all of whom laid down their lives in the freedom struggle — have often been overlooked in public memory.
Citing the Caxton Hall assassination, he reminded attendees that Udham Singh's killing of Michael O'Dwyer — who had justified the Jallianwala Bagh massacre — was an act of historic retribution.
In her welcome remarks, Gill outlined the chair's ongoing research efforts and announced plans to collect additional archival materials relating to Udham Singh's life and legacy. The event concluded with a vote of thanks from dean Brar.
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