Tributes on 31st July

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On this day I remember three of the legends in their respective fields. 

Hindi literature is incomplete without the occurrence of the name of "Upanyas Samrat" Munsi Premchand. Munsi Premchand was born on 31st July 1880 and his real name was Dhanpat Rai Srivastav. Till date in the Hindi heartland of India, the school going children studies his classic writings and tries to understand the reality of socio economic life of India under the British rule. His novels and short stories such as "Godaan", "Namak ka daroga", "Nirmala" and "Seva Sadan" reflect the stark realities of those times.  

Ask any one in India to name his/her favourite playback singer in Hindi films and in the most probability you will hear this gentleman’s name i.e Mohammed Rafi.  Mohammed Rafi passed away on 31st July 1980 in Mumbai.  His association with legendary music directors like Naushad, S D Burman, Shankar-Jaikishan, O.P. Nayyar, Ravi, Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Roshan gave birth to evergreen songs that are played till date with the same enthusiasm.  My tribute to the legendary playback singer with one of his own classic. Indeed he was Muqqadar ka Sikandar.

“Zindagi to bewafa hai ek din thukraegi
maut mehbooba hai apne sath le kar jayegi
mar ke jine ki ada jo duniya ko sikhlagea
Wo muqadar ka sikandar jane man kahlega”
  
Muqadar ka Sikandar (1978)


British general Michael O'Dwyer ordered his troops to fire without warning on the peaceful crowd assembled on Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar on 13th April 1919. In the aftermath of firing 379 people were killed and 1200 people were wounded. The only exit from the place was guarded by armed soldiers. Many of the civilian jumped in to a well to protect themselves from the firing. Udham singh was a boy serving water to the crowd in 1919. He luckily survived the massacre and was deeply influenced by the massacre and wanted revenge on the general. In his youth he was an active participant in Indian revolutionary movement and was jailed for 5 years. After getting out of jail, he escaped to Germany in 1934 and then moved to London. During his stay abroad he called himself Ram Mohammad Singh Azad. On 13th March 1940, Michael O'Dwyer was speaking at Caxton Hall, London. Udham singh concealed a revolver and entered the hall. As the meeting concluded, he shot O'Dwyer which killed him instantly. Udham singh surrendered on site. He was charged with murder and after a trial he was convicted and sentenced to death. On 31st July 1940 he was hanged till death at Pentonville prison and buried inside the prison ground. In 1974 Udham singh's mortal remains were exhumed and repatriated to India at the request of a MLA of Punjab Mr. Sadhu Singh Thind. The casket carrying the mortal remains of Udham singh was received by Ms. Indira Gandhi, Shankar Dayal Sharma and Zail Singh. Udham singh was cremated in his birthplace (sunam, Punjab) and his ashes were scattered in the sutlej river.

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