Bande Mataram (Paris), memorial page to Madan Lal Dhingra, 17 August 1909
Head of a sheet dated 17 August 1909 dedicated 'to the sacred and inspiring memory of the patriot Madan Lal Dhingra who died for his country', with an oval portrait and, as the lead, his own words: 'I am proud to have the honour to lay down my humble life for my country'. Tells: the condemned man's statement serves as testimony, and the 'sacred', 'patriot' and 'died for his country' vocabulary transfers martyr prestige onto the cause.
- Date
- August 17, 1909
- Period
- Pre-1914
- Made by
- Bande Mataram, Paris (Paris Indian Society, per Commons; no editor named on the sheet)
- Region
- Western and Central Europe
- Country
- France
- Medium
- Newspaper pages
- Issuer type
- Movement
- Regime
- Briand Government
- Leader
- Aristide Briand
- Audience
- Diaspora or minority
- Purpose
- Commemorate
- Theme
- Empire and colonialism
- Event
- Indian Independence Movement
- Techniques
- TestimonialTransfer
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- Wikimedia Commons, retrieved September 29, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (published in Paris, 1909, before 1931; Commons PD-1923 and PDM tags)
Bande Mataram (Paris Indian Society), 17 August 1909, via Wikimedia Commons
Text on the object
BANDE MATARAM AUGUST 17th 1909 TO THE SACRED AND INSPIRING MEMORY OF THE PATRIOT MADAN LAL DHINGRA WHO DIED FOR HIS COUNTRY on AUGUST 17th 1909 "I AM PROUD TO HAVE THE HONOUR TO LAY DOWN MY HUMBLE LIFE FOR MY COUNTRY" I admit that the other day I attempted to shed English blood as a humble revenge for the inhuman hangings and deportations of patriotic Indian youths. In this attempt I have consulted none but my own conscience, I have conspired with none but my own duty. I believe that a nation held down by foreign bayonets is in a perpetual state of war. Since open battle is rendered impossible to a disarmed race I attacked by surprise, since guns were [text cut off at the edge of the image]
The quoted line is set in two columns either side of the portrait ('I AM PROUD TO / TO LAY DOWN MY' at left, 'HAVE THE HONOUR / HUMBLE LIFE FOR' at right, 'MY COUNTRY' below); it is joined here in reading order. Low-resolution scan.
