Madan Lal Dhingra (1887 - 1909) was an Indian political activist studying in England, where he murdered Sir Curzon Wylie, a British MP, which is hailed as one of the first acts of revolution in the Indian independence movement in the 20th century.

Early life

Madan Lal Dhingra was born in 1887 to a prosperous Hindu family in the province of Punjab. His father was a wealthy civil surgeon. In 1906, Madan Lal departed for England to join the University College, London, to study Mechanical Engineering.

Dhingra's family were loyalists of the British, and disowned him after his expulsion from college in Lahore owing to illicit political activities. Dhingra had to work as a clerk, a tonga (rickshaw) puller, and a factory laborer. Dhingra attempted to organize a union there, but was sacked. He worked for sometime in Bombay, before acting upon the advice of his elder brother and going to England for higher studies. He was supported by his elder brother and some nationalist activists in England.

With Savarkar

Dhingra came into contact with noted Indian political activists Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and Krishna

During this period, Savarkar, Dhingra and other student activists were enraged by the execution of freedom fighters such as Khuddi Ram Bose, Kannai Dutt, Satinder Pal and Kanshi Ram in India. It is this event that is attributed by many historians as having led Savarkar and Dhingra scheme of exacting direct revenge upon the British.

Curzon Wylie's murder

On the evening of July 1, 1909, a large number of Indians and Englishmen had gathered to attend the annual day function of the Indian National Association. When Sir Curzon Wyllie, a prominent British member of Parliament entered the hall with his wife, Dhingra fired five shots right at his face. Cowasji Lalkaka, a Parsee doctor who tried to save Sir Curzon, died of Madan Lal's sixth bullet, which he fired in self-defence because Lalkaka caught hold of him.

Dhingra did not resist arrest.

Trial

Dhingra was tried in Old Bailey Court on July 23. He stated that he did not intend to kill Cowasji Lalkar, which was purely accidental. Nevertheless, he was sentenced

Dhingra was hanged on August 17, 1909.

Reactions

While most of the British press, and liberal and moderate Indians condemned Dhingra's act, it nevertheless excited the Indian community in England and back in India. Dhingra's actions also evoked some sympathy from the Irish, who were fighting their own struggle at the time.

Modern historians claim that the trial was grossly unfair and biased. Dhingra was not even given a defense counsel, and the entire process lasted barely 20 mintues. Some legal experts claim that it was not the business of the court at the time to decide the time and location of execution.

Remembrance

At the time, Dhingra's body was denied Hindu rites and was buried by British authorities. His family having disowned him, the authorities refused to turn over the body to Savarkar.

Dhingra's body was accidentally found while authorities search for the remains of Shaheed Udham Singh, and re-patriated to India on December 13, 1976.

Dhingra is widely remembered in India today, and was an inspiration at the time to revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad.

See also

• Indian nationalism, Indian independence movement