Right from childhood, Madan Lal was good at sports as well as studies. He had his early schooling in Lahore and Amritsar. As a boy he used to dream that he would one day go to England to become an engineer. Madan Lal passed his B.A examination from the Punjab University but he would not ask his father for money for further studies abroad. He therefore decided to work in order to earn the money he needed to go abroad. He was married by then and had a child too. So Dhingra went to Kashmir and got a job in a Government department. He worked at Simla and Kolkatanga and was able to earn enough money to be able to go to England. Much against his father's will, Dhingra sailed for England in July 1906.

After several days of sea travel he reached England and joined a University for the engineering degree in the month of October. Dhingra was overjoyed to be in England and indulged in merrymaking. He was a happy-go-lucky man and used to take pleasure in wearing costly, smart suits; he used cosmetics and scents, and spent hours together before the mirror combing his hair. He liked to go for long walks in the streets of London in the evenings and spent much time in the company of friends. 

Dhingra was a highly emotional young man and was greatly attracted by the heroic deeds of Khudiram Bose and Kanailal. He came in contact with the great revolutionary Vinayak Damodar Savarkar by whom he was greatly inspired. He also formed close contacts with Shyamji Krishna Verma, Har Dayal, Gian Chand and Kore Gakar, who were all revolutionaries and associated with the ‘India House’ in London. He was present at a meeting which was addressed by Lala Lajpat Rai during his stay in London. He was also associated with the Indian Home Rule Society and the Abhinava Bharat Society. His mind dwelt, during this period, on the British atrocities in India.

Dhingra hated idle talk, he believed in actually doing things. One day he and his friends had gathered in the India House and were discussing the heroic qualities of the Japanese, their courage and fortitude. Dhingra was put off by the praise and said that Hindus were in no way inferior and that at the right time the Hindus will show their mettle to the whole world. Challenged by his friends, his bravery was put to test by piercing and passing a thick needle through his palm. Dhingra did not utter a sound, instead there was smile on his face. Savarkar was impressed with his sense of dedication and determination. 

When he went to India House, he did not attend any lecture other than Savarkar's. One evening when an important meeting was going on in India House, Dhingra brought a gramophone and placing it near the window facing the road, started playing a record. Hearing the music some girls gathered in the street near the window and started clapping rhythmically and dancing to the tune. Dhingra joined them.

Disturbed by the noise, Savarkar rushed out of the meeting and was furious on seeing Dhingra amidst the merriment. He scolded Dhingra while the latter hung his head in shame.

Two months passed by and Dhingra did not turn up at India House. One evening Dhingra walked in all of a sudden and stood before Savarkar. Looking straight into his eyes, Dhingra asked, "Savarkar, tell me now, has the time come for me to sacrifice myself?"

"Madan Bhai, if the person ready to sacrifice himself feels the time has come, it means it has!" replied Savarkar. 

"Then, Savarkar, I am ready," s Dhingra.

Savarkar took him inside his room. They had a long discussion. The stage was set for a great event in Dhingra's life.

National Indian Association was an association in London which tried to attract the Indian youths who went to England for higher studies to the British and one Miss Emma Josephine Beck was its secretary. Dhingra visited the office of the National Indian Association in the month of March 1909. He made friends with Emma Beck and expressed a desire to become a member. The very next month he enrolled himself as a member.

The British Government had formed a committee to poison the minds of the Indian youths about their own nation. Sir William Curzon was one of the three important members of this committee. He was an adviser in the office of the Secretary of State for India.

This Curzon Wyllie was a good friend of Dhingra's father as well as of his brother. His father used to write to Wyllie asking him to take care of Dhingra. Accordingly Wyllie met Dhingra off and on and pretended to take interest in his welfare. Dhingra, in return, pretended to have faith in him. Gradually Wyllie started persuading Dhingra to tell him all the secrets of the India House.

Dhingra's revolutionary tendencies came to be known back home in India. His brother wrote to Curzon Wyllie to dissuade Dhingra from nationalist activities. Dhingra greatly resented this move on part of his father and brother. 

Dhingra used to meet Savarkar quite often and tell him all that was going on. He even told Wyllie a few important things about the India House with Savarkar's permission. Letting on the secrets to Wyllie was just a bit of play-acting.

With the help of Savarkar he bought a revolver in London and another Belgian pistol from a private person. He started regular shooting practice and recorded his practice in his note-book. To his mind Sir Curzon Wylie represented the die-hard British ruling community. 

On 1 July 1909, the National Indian Association was to celebrate its annual day. The venue chosen for the annual day celebrations was the Jehangir hall of the Imperial Institute. Dhingra collected information from Emma Beck and discussed his plans with Savarkar.

Wearing a sky-blue turban in the Punjabi style and a smart suit, a necktie and dark glasses,  Dhingra filled up his coat pockets with a revolver, two pistols and two knives. 

Dhingra reached the party at eight. He went around talking to people there for some time. It was past ten when Curzon Wyllie and his wife arrived. Their arrival added zest to the merriment. It was about eleven when the proceeding ended. Wyllie got down from the dais. Then there was some music. Wyllie was moving around talking to people informally.

Dhingra approached Wyllie who raised his eyebrows and said, "Hullo." Dhingra drew nearer. He stood quite close to Wyllie and pretended to tell him something in confidence. He lowered his head in order to hear Dhingra's secret.

Suddenly Dhingra took out his revolver from his pocket. Aiming at Willie’s chest, he fired two shots. With a scream Wyllie fell to the ground. Dhingra fired two more shots at him. Curzon lay dead on the floor. A Parsi gentleman called Cowasjee Lalkaka rushed to the aid of Wyllie. Dhingra fired a shot at him and Cowasjee fell to the ground too. He died in the hospital a few days later.

There was utter chaos in Jehangir Hall. Everybody was stunned. People stood shocked and shivering. But Dhingra was calm and collected. He was smiling. "Just a moment, let me wear my glasses," he said, and put them on. The Police arrested him.

Dhingra became a household name in England and India. Patriotic Indians regarded him as a great hero. But some Indians disapproved of Dhingra's act. They openly condemned what he had done. Even his father, Sahib Ditta, sent a cable from India: "I disown Madan as my son. He has disgraced my fair name." His brother declared that he had nothing to do with Dhingra any more, since what Dhingra had done was a serious crime. He was thus let down by his own family. 

There were some Indians who were puppets in the hands of the British. They wanted to hold a meeting to condemn Dhingra's conduct. They decided to meet in Caxton Hall in London on 5 July for the purpose.

When Savarkar and Dhingra's friends learnt about this they were furious. A brave Indian youth had performed a heroic feat, had practically sacrificed his life for his motherland, and these Indians were out to condemn him. This was shameful. It was decided to see that the resolution condemning Dhingra's deed was not passed without opposition.

Savarkar went to attend the meeting accompanied by a few friends. They all sat near the dais. The meeting started. Aga Khan, who presided over the meeting, rose to read out the resolution, "This meeting has unanimously passed the resolution condemning the conduct of Dhingra....". 

"No, the resolution is not unanimous!"  thundered a voice. The whole gathering was stunned.

"Who is that?" the Aga Khan shouted.

"It is me, Savarkar, and I oppose it!" was the reply. A young Englishman rushed towards Savarkar and hit him hard in the face with his fist. "Just have a taste of an Englishman's anger!" he said. Savarkar's spectacles were broken to pieces. Blood started flowing down his face. "Happen what may, I oppose this resolution," he insisted. Thirumalacharya, a revolutionary who had accompanied Savarkar, raised his lathi. Rushing towards the English youth, and saying, "Just have a taste of an Indian's anger!" he thrashed him soundly.

Dhingra was put in the Brixton Jail and was tried in the London High Court. When Savarkar went to see him there, he told Savarkar that after his death, the funeral rites should be performed in the Hindu way, no non-Hindu should touch his body and to auction his belongings and donate the money to the National Fund.

Dhingra's statement in the court on the 10 July was thus: "Just as the Germans have no right to occupy England, so the Britons have no right to occupy India. It is legal to kill the Englishmen, who have set their unholy feet on our motherland. Do sentence me to death! That is what I ask for. For that will fan the fire of revenge in the hearts of my countrymen!"

The evening newspapers contained Dhingra's statement. "Dhingra's statement is strange," the papers commented; "He says he is a patriot who is sacrificing his life for the good of his motherland, and his Indian brethren will avenge his death!"

The trial was over on 25 July. Dhingra was sentenced to death, to be hanged on 17 August 1909 in the Pentonville Jail.

In fact, the Police had stolen and hidden the statement prepared by Dhingra. When Dhingra asked for the statement to be read in the court they pretended as if they knew nothing about it. Savarkar had a copy of the statement. Savarkar called a revolutionary friend of his, Gyan Chand Varma and told him to get the statement printed in all the important papers of European countries. Gyan Chand Varma took it and went to Paris secretly. There he printed thousands of copies of the statement. He sent it to the leading newspapers of several important countries like Germany, Italy and America.

‘The Daily News’ was an important newspaper published from London. An English friend of Savarkar’s was working in the ‘Daily News’. While the paper was being printed at night, he inserted Dhingra’s statement. So on the 16th of August, a day before Dhingra’s death, the statement appeared in the ’Daily News. Dhingra was overjoyed when he came to know of it. 

The following is the gist of Dhingra’s statement:

It is true I tried to shed the blood of an Englishman. It is a small measure of revenge against the British who are torturing the Indian youths. I alone am responsible for my action.

My country is enslaved. We are struggling hard to achieve independence. We are not allowed to have arms. We are not allowed to carry guns. So I had to attack with a pistol!

I am a Hindu. I believe an insult to my Nation is an insult to my God. I am not intelligent. I am not mighty. What can I offer to my Mother except my blood? Therefore I am shedding my blood in the service of my Motherland. To me the service of Lord Bharat Mata is the service of Sree Rama. Service of my Mother is service of Lord Krishna. Therefore I am sacrificing my life for her sake, and I am proud of it. I wish to be born-again and again in India until she achieves independence. I wish to sacrifice my life again and again for India! May God grant me this one wish of mine!

Vande Mataram!

Savarkar and his friends were not idle on that day. They printed a handout, stood in the streets and distributed copies of the handout to passers-by pleading them to read it. It read thus:

"Today is the 17th of August, 1909. This is a date that should be written in the heart of every patriotic Indian in blood. Today will Dhingra, our best friend and greatest patriot, be hanged in the Pentonville Jail. His spirit will guide us. His sacred name will adorn the pages of history. Our enemies will kill him. But they cannot kill our struggle for freedom. Let them never forget this!"

Seldom in the annals of the world’s revolutionaries, do we come across a young man who gave away his life for his country in the flower of his manhood and died smilingly for the cause. Dhingra had inner spiritual strength and his ideal of service to the motherland was deeply rooted in his religious faith. His whole concept of sacrifice for the sake of the nation came out in sharp relief, when during the period of his trial he summed up the great ideal of his life: “The only lesson required in India at present is to learn how to die and the only way to teach it is by dying ourselves. Therefore, I die and glory is my martyrdom”.