“Poor in wealth and intellect, a son like myself has nothing else to offer to the mother but his own blood. And so I have sacrificed the same on her altar”.

- Madan Lal Dhingra

    Madan Lal Dhingra was born on 18 February 1883 in Amritsar, India. Dhingra studied at Amritsar in MB Intermediate College until 1900. He then went to Lahore to study at the Government College University. In 1904 he led a student protest against the principal's order to have the college blazer made of cloth imported from England. Dhingra was expelled from the college.

    He studied the literature concerning the causes of Indian poverty and famines extensively and felt that the key issues in seeking solutions to these problems lay in Swaraj and Swadeshi. Upon the advice of his elder brother, Dr. Bihari Lal, he left to England to continue his higher education. In 1906, Dhingra departed for England to enroll at University College, London, to study mechanical engineering.

    The ‘India House' organization established by Shyamji Krishna Varma was a meeting place for many Indian revolutionaries located in Highgate. Dhingra came into contact with noted Indian independence and political activists V.D. Savarkar and Shyamji Krishna Varma. In those days, freedom of motherland was not particularly on Madan Lal’s mind. In one of the meetings at India House, Savarkar was delivering an impassioned speech on India’s freedom. Madan Lal and his friends were creating a ruckus in the adjacent room. The din forced Savarkar to interrupt his speech and peep into the adjacent room. There he saw Madan Lal and his friends enjoying themselves. “What’s the matter, Madan? Is this the bravery you keep talking about?” reprimanded Savarkar. After several days when he mustered the courage to enter India House again, people started making fun of him. Emboldened, Dhingra asked, “I want to prove my blood that belongs to Mother India. Give me any work in accordance with that”. Savarkar replied, “If you really want to prove your blood, then kill the British officer Curzon Wyllie, who inhumanly sent the Indian revolutionaries to Kalapani jail”. Dhingra was clueless about the usage of the guns and other weapons. Savarkar allegedly gave Dhingra arms training. He joined and had a membership in, a secretive society, the Abhinav Bharat Mandal founded by Savarkar and planned to kill Curzon Wyllie.

    On the evening of 1 July 1909, Dhingra, along with a large number of Indians and Englishmen had gathered to attend the annual 'At Home' function hosted by the Indian National Association. When Sir Curzon Wyllie, was leaving the hall with his wife, Dhingra fired five shots right at his face, which hit their target. He was arrested immediately by the police.

    Dhingra represented himself during his trial. He stated that he did not regret killing Curzon Wyllie, as he had played his part in order to set India free from the inhumane British rule, and as revenge for the inhumane killings of Indians by the British Government in India. “If it is patriotic of an Englishman to fight against the Germans if they were to occupy this country, it is much more justifiable and patriotic in my case to fight against the English. I hold the English people responsible for the murder of the Indian people. Just as the Germans have no right to occupy this country, so the English people have no right to occupy India. You can pass sentence of death on me. I do not care”.

    Madan Lal Dhingra was hanged on 17 August 1909 at Pentonville Prison. He also made a further statement, “Poor in wealth and intellect, a son like myself has nothing else to offer to the mother but his own blood. And so I have sacrificed the same on her altar”.

    Today, the Independence that we see is an outcome of the fight put up by such brave hearts. Mother India is proud to have seen such brave warriors.