INQUILAB
ZINDABAD
Transcript from the trial of Shaheed Udham Singh
After completion of Udham Singh's evidence, Mr. McLure addressed the jury on
behalf of prosecution and then St. John Hutchinson spoke on behalf of Udham
Singh. After this the judge, Mr. Atkinson summed up the case. He argued that
it was not necessary to prove the intent of murder, but the damage done was
intentional. It was not accidental or even partly accidental. Udham Singh went
fully armed to the meeting, and with a grievance which he was frank enough to
admit. He hated British rule in India. He went to the meeting to protest by
firing his revolver. The Judge mentioned the Amritsar massacre
(Jallianwala bagh massacre of April 1919) and also stressed that Zetland was
another target because he was connected with Indian political affairs.
The jury found Udham Singh guilty of murder. The clerk of the court addressed
Udham Singh 'that he stood convicted of murder' and 'if he had anything to say
as to why the court should not give you the death penalty according to the law?'
Udham Singh said that he had a statement to make. He put on a pair of glasses,
whispered to the warders, and produced a sheet of paper and began to read. Facing
the Judge, he said:
"I say down with British Imperialism. You say India does not have peace.
We have only slavery. Generations of so called civilisation has brought for
us everything filthy and degrading known to the human race. All you have to
do is read your own history. If you have any human decency about you, you should
die with shame. The brutality and blood thirsty way in which the so called intellectuals,
who call themselves the rulers of civilisation in the world are of bastard blood…"
Atkinson: "I am not going to listen to a political speech."
U Singh: "You asked me if I had anything to say."
Atkinson: "If you have anything to relevant to this case, say it."
U Singh: "I say this - this is my case. I was going to protest and this
is what I am protesting."(He brandished the sheet of papers at the judge)
Atkinson: "Is it written in English?"
U Singh: "Yes."
Atkinson: "I shall understand it much better if you will hand it to me
to read."
U Singh: "No, I want it for myself, not for you."
Atkinson: "I can not make out what you are saying."
U Singh: "You will understand what I am reading now. Do you want me to
read it or not?"
Atkinson: "I shall understand much more of it if you give it to me to read."
U Singh: "Who will read it?"
Atkinson: "I will read it."
U Singh: "I want the jury and the whole lot to read it."(McLure reminded
the judge that under section six of the Emergency Powers Act, Udham Singh's
speech could not be reported or heard in the camera.)
Atkinson: "You may take it that nothing will be published of what you say."
U Singh: "Eh?"
Atkinson: "You must stick to the point, but go on."
U Singh: "I did it to protest and this is what I mean. I want to explain.
The jury was misled about the address. I shall read it now. Shall I read it
now?"
Atkinson: "Yes."
U Singh: "I shall like to read the lot, you know."
Atkinson: "You are only entitled to say why the death sentence should not
be passed upon you. You are not to entitle to make a political speech."
U Singh: (Shouting):"I DO NOT CARE ABOUT SENTENCE OF DEATH. IT MEANS NOTHING
AT ALL. I DO NOT CARE ABOUT DYING OR ANYTHING." (Thumping the rail of the
dock, he exclaimed): "WE ARE SUFFERING FROM THE BRITISH EMPIRE. (He continued
more quietly): "I am not afraid to die. I am proud to die. I want to help
my native land, and I hope when I have gone, that in my place will come others
of my countrymen to drive the dirty dogs. I am standing before an English jury
in an English court. You people go to India and when you come back you are given
prizes and put into the House of Commons, but when we come to England we are
put to death. In my case I do not care about it, but when you dirty dogs come
to India - the intellectuals they call themselves, the rulers - they are of
bastard blood caste, and they order machine guns to fire on Indian students
without hesitation… Machine guns on the streets of India now down thousands
of poor women and children wherever your so-called flag of democracy and Christianity
flies. I have nothing against the public at all. I have more English friends
in England than I do in India. I have nothing against the public. I have great
sympathy with the workers of England, but I am against the dirty British Government.
You people are suffering the same as I am suffering through those dirty dogs
and mad beasts. India is only slavery. Killing, mutilating and destroying. We
know what is going on in India, people do not read about it in the press. Hundreds
of thousands of people being killed by your dirty dogs…"
Atkinson: "I am not going to any more, you can put this paper away. I am
going to pass sentence upon you."
U Singh: "You do not want to listen any more because you are tired of my
speech, eh? I have a lot to say yet."
Atkinson: "I am not going to hear any more of that."
U Singh: "You asked me if I had anything to say."
Atkinson: "I am not going to hear…"
U Singh: "You people are dirty. You don't want to hear from us about what
you are doing in India. Beasts, Beasts, Beasts…"
The judge made the proclamation of the sentence of death on Udham Singh. When
the sentence was passed, thrusting his glasses back into his pocket, Udham Singh
thumped his clenched fist on the rail of the dock and shouted three words in
Hindustani:
"INQLAB, INQLAB, INQLAB"
and then:
"DOWN WITH BRITISH IMPERIALISM. DOWN WITH BRITISH DIRTY DOGS! AND LONG
LIVE INDIA!"