Born: 15th May 1907
Died: 23rd March 1931
Shri Sukhdev Thapar was born on 15th May 1907, in Ludhiana, Punjab to Ramlal Thapar and Ralli Devi. After the death of his father, he was brought up by his Uncle Lala Achintram.
Sukhdev was a member of HSRA (Hindustan Socialist Republican Association), several organized revolutionary cells in Punjab and other North Indian areas. He was the chief of HSRA, Punjab unit, and was involved in taking important decisions.
He participated in various revolutionary activities such as a prison hunger strike in 1929. Sukhdev is best known for his strikes in the Lahore Conspiracy Case and was the prime accused in the case. He is best remembered for his involvement in the assassination of J. P. Saunders (Assistant Superintendent of Police), which was on 17 December 1928, by Bhagat Singh and Shivaram Rajguru, which was planned in response to the violent death of Shri Lala Lajpat Rai.
After the Central Assembly Hall bombings on 8th April 1929, in New Delhi, Sukhdev, and his associates were arrested and sentenced to death. On 23rd March 1931, Sukhdev was hanged at Lahore’s Central Jail, along with Bhagat Singh and Shivaram Rajguru. Their cremation was done secretly at the banks of the River Sutlej. National Martyrs Memorial is located at the place of their cremation. Shaheed Diwas (Martyrs’ Day) is observed on March 23rd every year in their memory.
