Punjab announces public holiday on July 31 on Udham Singh's martyrdom

Holiday on July 31: Punjab has declared a public holiday on July 31 to mark Udham Singh's martyrdom anniversary. The government has issued a notification declaring a shutdown in the state

31 July Holiday: On July 31, the Punjab government has announced a public holiday to observe Shaheed Udham Singh's martyrdom anniversary. Aman Arora, the cabinet minister and state president of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), announced that the vacation, which was previously restricted, has been proclaimed a gazetted holiday in remembrance of Shaheed Udham Singh.

Govt Office, Bank and Schools Closed on 31 July 2025

 

All government offices, boards, corporations, and educational institutions throughout the state will be closed on this day, according to a statement released by the state administration. 

 

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has written to the Centre to name the Patiala-Bhawanigarh section of the national highway after Shaheed Udham Singh, according to Arora, who was joined by AAP's Jalalabad MLA Jagdeep Kamboj Goldy. 

 

Arora on Shaheed Udham Singh

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state chairman and Punjab cabinet minister Aman Arora said at a news briefing that this step honours the martyr's legacy and satisfies a long-standing wish of the Kamboj community. He emphasised that Udham Singh's sacrifice continues to inspire Punjabis and the nation as a whole.

 

According to Arora, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann wrote to the central government to ask that the Patiala-Bhawanigarh portion of the national highway be named in honour of Udham Singh for his sacrifices. According to reports, the Bhawanigarh-Sunam-Bhikhi-Kot-Shamir route has already been renamed after the independence fighter. 

 

On July 31, the Punjab government will host a state-level ceremony in Sunam, Sangrur district, where Udham Singh was born, according to Arora. At Sunam, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal will co-preside over a state-level memorial service.

 

In Punjab and neighbouring Haryana, the Martyrdom Day of Udham Singh is typically commemorated with regional programs, public gatherings, and flower tributes. It is anticipated that this year's upgrade to a gazetted holiday will boost participation and formalise remembrance. 

Who is Shaheed Udham Singh?

Shaheed Udham Singh (now Sunam Udham Singh Wala) was born in Sunam on December 26, 1899, and in retaliation for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre on April 13, 1919, he killed Michael O'Dwyer in London in March 1940. After being hanged at Pentonville Prison on July 31, 1940, he rose to fame in the Indian independence struggle.

 

In 1940, Sardar Udham Singh killed Michael O'Dwyer in London as payback for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre that had taken place in 1919. Singh's rebellious actions have now come to symbolise resistance to colonialism.