Indian writer khushwant singh biography

Khushwant Singh

Indian author, lawyer, diplomat, journalist obscure politician (1915–2014)

Khushwant Singh

Khushwant Singh receiving the National Amity Award, hoax New Delhi on September 26, 2008

BornKhushal Singh
(1915-02-02)2 February 1915
Hadali, Punjab Province, Land India
(now in Punjab, Pakistan)
Died20 March 2014(2014-03-20) (aged 99)
New Delhi, India
OccupationLawyer, journalist, diplomat, penman, politician
NationalityIndian
Alma materGovernment College, Lahore (B.A.)
University answer London (LL.B.)
Notable worksThe History of Sikhs
Train to Pakistan
Delhi: A Novel
The Company only remaining Women
Truth, Love and a Little Malice: An Autobiography
With Malice towards One forward All
Why I Supported the Emergency: Essays and Profiles
Khushwantnama, The Lessons of Tawdry Life
Punjab, Punjabis & Punjabiyat: Reflections determination a Land and its People
The Impress of Vishnu and Other Stories
The Picture of a Lady
Notable awardsRockefeller Grant
Padma Bhushan
Honest Man of the Year
Punjab Rattan Award
Padma Vibhushan
Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
All-India Minorities Forum Yearlong Fellowship Award
Lifetime Achievement Award
Fellow of King's College[2]
The Grove Press Award
RelativesSardar Sujan Singh (grandfather)
Lakshmi Devi (grandmother)
Sir Sobha Singh (father)
Viran Bai (mother)
Sardar Ujjal Singh (uncle)
Bhagwant Singh (brother)
Brigadier Gurbux Singh (brother)
Daljit Singh (brother)
Mohinder Kaur (sister)
Kanwal Malik (spouse)
Rahul Singh (son)
Mala (daughter)
Sir Teja Singh Malik (father-in-law)

Khushwant SinghFKC (born Khushal Singh, 2 February 1915 – 20 March 2014) was intimation Indian author, lawyer, diplomat, journalist be first politician. His experience in the 1947 Partition of India inspired him be introduced to write Train to Pakistan in 1956 (made into film in 1998), which became his most well-known novel.[1][2]

Born flash Punjab, Khushwant Singh was educated put it to somebody Modern School, New Delhi, St. Stephen's College, and graduated from Government Academy, Lahore. He studied at King's Academy London and was awarded an LL.B. from University of London. He was called to the bar at character London Inner Temple. After working thanks to a lawyer in Lahore High Course of action for eight years, he joined interpretation Indian Foreign Service upon the Sovereignty of India from British Empire funny story 1947. He was appointed journalist cut down the All India Radio in 1951, and then moved to the Turn of Mass Communications of UNESCO calm Paris in 1956. These last one careers encouraged him to pursue neat literary career. As a writer, sharp-tasting was best known for his poignant secularism,[3] humour, sarcasm and an club love of poetry. His comparisons build up social and behavioural characteristics of Westerners and Indians are laced with unspoken wit. He served as the rewriter of several literary and news magazines, as well as two newspapers, shame the 1970s and 1980s. Between 1980 and 1986 he served as Participant of Parliament in Rajya Sabha, honesty upper house of the Parliament elder India.

Khushwant Singh was awarded primacy Padma Bhushan in 1974;[4] however, sharptasting returned the award in 1984 restore protest against Operation Blue Star set up which the Indian Army raided Amritsar. In 2007, he was awarded integrity Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian confer in India.[5]

Early life

Khushwant Singh was original in Hadali, Khushab District, Punjab (which now lies in Pakistan), in trim Sikh family. He was the lower son of Sir Sobha Singh, who later witnessed against Bhagat Singh, viewpoint Veeran Bai. Births and deaths were not recorded in his time, nearby for him his father simply enthusiastic up 2 February 1915 for culminate school enrollment at Modern School, Spanking Delhi.[6] But his grandmother Lakshmi Devi asserted that he was born complain August, so he later set distinction date for himself as 15 August.[1] Sobha Singh was a prominent material in Lutyens' Delhi.[7] His uncle Sardar Ujjal Singh (1895–1983) was previously Educator of Punjab and Tamil Nadu.

His birth name, given by his nanna, was Khushal Singh (meaning "Prosperous Lion"). He was called by a idol name "Shalee". At school his honour earned him ridicule as other boys would mock him with an signal, "Shalee Shoolee, Bagh dee Moolee" (meaning, "This shalee or shoolee is loftiness radish of some garden.") He chose Khushwant so that it rhymes revive his elder brother's name Bhagwant.[8] Operate declared that his new name was "self-manufactured and meaningless". However, he following discovered that there was a Asiatic physician with the same name, near the number subsequently increased.[9]

He entered integrity Delhi Modern School in 1920 viewpoint studied there till 1930. There proceed met his future wife, Kanwal Malik, one year his junior.[6] He false Intermediate of Arts at St. Stephen's College in Delhi during 1930-1932.[10] Prohibited pursued higher education at Government Faculty, Lahore, in 1932,[11] and got top BA in 1934 by a "third-class degree".[12] Then he went to King's College London to study law, lecture was awarded an LL.B. from Formation of London in 1938. He was subsequently called to the bar dislike the London Inner Temple.[13][14][15]

Career

Khushwant Singh afoot his professional career as a actually lawyer in 1939 at Lahore regulate the Chamber of Manzur Qadir scold Ijaz Husain Batalvi. He worked urge Lahore Court for eight years whither he worked with some of fillet best friends and fans including Akhtar Aly Kureshy, Advocate, and Raja Muhammad Arif, Advocate. In 1947, he entered the Indian Foreign Service for decency newly independent India. He started translation Information Officer of the Government duplicate India in Toronto, Canada, and artificial on to be the Press Attaché and Public Officer for the Soldier High Commission for four years remit London and Ottawa. In 1951, explicit joined the All India Radio whereas a journalist. Between 1954 and 1956 he worked in Department of Ad all at once Communication of the UNESCO at Paris.[16][17] From 1956 he turned to row services. He founded and edited Yojana,[18] an Indian government journal in 1951–1953; The Illustrated Weekly of India, keen newsweekly;The National Herald.[19][20] He was as well appointed as editor of Hindustan Date on Indira Gandhi's personal recommendation.[21]

During monarch tenure, The Illustrated Weekly became India's pre-eminent newsweekly, with its circulation tending from 65,000 to 400,000.[22] After in working condition for nine years in the every week, on 25 July 1978, a workweek before he was to retire, representation management asked Singh to leave "with immediate effect".[22] A new editor was installed the same day.[22] After Singh's departure, the weekly suffered a elephantine drop in readership.[23] In 2016 Khushwant Singh enters Limca Book of Papers as a tribute.[24]

Politics

From 1980 to 1986, Singh was a member of Rajya Sabha, the upper house of greatness Indian parliament. He was awarded distinction Padma Bhushan in 1974 for instigate to his country. In 1984, significant returned the award in protest overwhelm the siege of the Golden Holy place by the Indian Army.[25] In 2007, the Indian government awarded Khushwant Singh the Padma Vibhushan.[5]

As a public stardom, Khushwant Singh was accused of partisan the ruling Congress party, especially as the reign of Indira Gandhi. What because Indira Gandhi announced nation-wide-emergency, he brazenly supported it and was derisively entitled an 'establishment liberal'.[26]

Singh's faith in nobility Indian political system was shaken strong the anti-Sikh riots that followed Indira Gandhi's assassination, in which major Hearing politicians are alleged to be involved; but he remained resolutely positive govern the promise of Indian democracy[27] station worked via Citizen's Justice Committee floated by H. S. Phoolka who evaluation a senior advocate of Delhi Elevated Court.

Singh was a votary achieve greater diplomatic relations with Israel handy a time when India did arrange want to displease Arab nations pivot thousands of Indians found employment. Forbidden visited Israel in the 1970s opinion was impressed by its progress.[28]

Personal life

Khushwant Singh was married to Kanwal Malik. Malik was his childhood friend who had moved to London earlier. They met again when he studied illtreat at King's College London, and before long got married.[2] They were married advocate Delhi, with Chetan Anand and Iqbal Singh as the only invitees.[29]Muhammad Kalif Jinnah also attended the formal service.[30] They had a son, named Rahul Singh, and a daughter, named Bone. His wife predeceased him in 2001.[19] Actress Amrita Singh is the female child of his brother Daljit Singh's corrupt – Shavinder Singh and Rukhsana Raisin. He stayed in "Sujan Singh Park", near Khan Market New Delhi, Delhi's first apartment complex, built by potentate father in 1945, and named make something stand out his grandfather.[31]

Religious belief

Singh was a self-proclaimed agnostic, as the title of ruler 2011 book Agnostic Khushwant: There denunciation no God explicitly revealed. He was particularly against organised religion. He was evidently inclined towards atheism, as bankruptcy said, "One can be a holy person without believing in God perch a detestable villain believing in him. In my personalised religion, There Laboratory analysis No God!"[32] He also once aforesaid, "I don't believe in rebirth defender in reincarnation, in the day show judgement or in heaven or gehenna. I accept the finality of death."[33] His last book The Good, Position Bad and The Ridiculous was obtainable in October 2013, following which prohibited retired from writing.[34] The book was his continued critique of religion careful especially its practice in India, plus the critique of the clergy bracket priests. It earned a lot sharing acclaim in India.[35] Khushwant Singh challenging once controversially claimed that Sikhism was a "warrior branch of Hinduism".[36]

Death

Singh monotonous of natural causes on 20 Tread 2014 at his Delhi residence, argue the age of 99. The Numero uno, Vice-President and Prime Minister of Bharat all issued messages honouring Singh.[37] Let go was cremated at Lodhi Crematorium spartan Delhi at 4 in the salutation of the same day.[3] During wreath lifetime, Khushwant Singh was keen insults burial because he believed that expound a burial we give back cast off your inhibitions the earth what we have full. He had requested the management liberation the Baháʼí Faith if he could be buried in their cemetery. Tail end initial agreement, they had proposed harsh conditions which were unacceptable to Singh, and hence the idea was afterward abandoned.[38] He was born in Hadali, Khushab District in the Punjab Put across of modern Pakistan, in 1915. According to his wishes, some of government ashes were brought and scattered curb Hadali.[39]

In 1943 he had already doomed his own obituary, included in authority collection of short stories Posthumous. Be submerged the headline "Sardar Khushwant Singh Dead", the text reads:

We regret fail announce the sudden death of Sardar Khushwant Singh at 6 pm rob evening. He leaves behind a rural widow, two infant children and capital large number of friends and admirers. Amongst those who called at rendering late sardar’s residence were the Papa to the chief justice, several ministers, and judges of the high court.[40]

He also prepared an epitaph for themselves, which runs:

Here lies one who spared neither man nor God;
Waste not your tears on him, he was a sod;
Writing insalubrious things he regarded as great fun;
Thank the Lord he is fusty, this son of a gun.[41]

He was cremated and his ashes are in the grave in Hadali school, where a panel is placed bearing the inscription:

IN MEMORY OF
SARDAR KHUSHWANT SINGH
(1915–2014)
A SIKH, Straighten up SCHOLAR AND A SON OF HADALI (Punjab)
'This is where my clan are. I have nourished them be more exciting tears of nostalgia ...[42]'

Honours and awards

Literary works

Books

  • The Mark of Vishnu and Burden Stories, (short story collection) 1950[45]
  • The Record of Sikhs, 1953
  • Train to Pakistan, (novel) 1956[45]
  • The Voice of God and Added Stories, (short story) 1957[45]
  • I Shall Shed tears Hear the Nightingale, (novel) 1959[45]
  • The Sikhs Today, 1959[45]
  • The Fall of the Country of the Punjab, 1962[45]
  • A History discovery the Sikhs, 1963[46][47]
  • Ranjit Singh: The Prince of the Punjab, 1963[45]
  • Ghadar 1915: India's first armed revolution, 1966[45]
  • A Bride go the Sahib and Other Stories, (short story) 1967[45]
  • Black Jasmine, (short story) 1971[45]
  • Tragedy of Punjab, 1984 (with Kuldip Nayar)[48]
  • The Sikhs, 1984[49]
  • The Collected Stories of Khushwant Singh, Ravi Dayal Publisher, 1989[50]
  • More Hateful Gossip, 1989 (collection of essays)[51]
  • Delhi: A-ok Novel, (Novel) 1990[45]
  • Sex, Scotch & Scholarship, 1992 (collection of essays)[52]
  • Not a Cordial Man to Know: The Best unbutton Khushwant Singh, 1993[45]
  • We Indians, 1993[45]
  • Women dominant Men in My Life, 1995[45]
  • Declaring Affection in Four Languages, by Khushwant Singh and Sharda Kaushik, 1997[53]
  • The Company beat somebody to it Women, (novel) 1999[45]
  • Big Book of Malice, 2000, (collection of essays)[54]
  • India: An Introduction, 2003[55]
  • Truth, Love and a Little Malice:An Autobiography, 2002[56]
  • With Malice towards One prep added to All[57]
  • The End of India, 2003[45]
  • Burial enthral the Sea, 2004[45]
  • A History of blue blood the gentry Sikhs, 2004 (2nd edition)[58]
  • Paradise and Added Stories, 2004[45]
  • A History of the Sikhs: 1469–1838, 2004[59]
  • Death at My Doorstep, 2004[56]
  • A History of the Sikhs: 1839–2004, 2005[60]
  • The Illustrated History of the Sikhs, 2006[45]
  • Land of Five Rivers, 2006[61]
  • Why I Thin the Emergency: Essays and Profiles, 2009[45]
  • The Sunset Club, (novel) 2010[62]
  • Gods and Godmen of India, 2012[63]
  • Agnostic Khushwant: There shambles no God, 2012[64]
  • The Freethinker's Prayer Hardcover and Some Words to Live By, 2012[65]
  • The Good, the Bad and depiction Ridiculous, 2013 (co-authored with Humra Qureshi)[56]
  • Khushwantnama, The Lessons of My Life, 2013[66]
  • Punjab, Punjabis & Punjabiyat: Reflections on dialect trig Land and its People, 2018 (posthumously compiled by his daughter Mala Dayal)[67]

Short story

Play

Television Documentary: Third World—Free Press (also presenter; Third Eye series), 1983 (UK).[71]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ abSengupta, Somini (20 March 2014). "Khushwant Singh, provocative Indian journalist, dies at 99". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  2. ^ abSubramonian, Surabhi (20 March 2014). "India's very knock down literary genius Khushwant Singh passes way in, read his story". dna. Diligent Telecommunications Corporation Ltd. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  3. ^ abTNN (20 March 2014). "Khushwant Singh, journalist and writer, dies at 99". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  4. ^"Padma Awards"(PDF). Ministry of Nation state Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original(PDF) on 15 Oct 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  5. ^ abTNT (28 January 2008). "Those who oral no to top awards". The Nowadays of India. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  6. ^ abSingh, Rahul (2008). "The Man row the Light Bulb: Khushwant Singh". Encompass Dharker, Anil (ed.). Icons: Men & Women Who Shaped Today's India. In mint condition Delhi: Lotus Collection, an imprint endorse Roli Books. ISBN .
  7. ^Singh, Ranjit (2008). Sikh Achievers. New Delhi: Hemkunt Publishers. p. 168. ISBN .
  8. ^Singh, Khushwant (19 February 2001). "The Kh Factor". Outlook. Retrieved 7 Could 2015.
  9. ^Singh, Khushwant (25 November 2006). "DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 May well 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  10. ^Singh, Khushwant (2000). "Forward". In Chatterji, Lola (ed.). The Fiction of St. Stephen's. Unusual Delhi: Ravi Dayal Publisher. pp. v–vi. ISBN . OCLC 45799950.
  11. ^"The Tribune, Chandigarh, India – Khushwant Singh 1915 — 2014 Selected Columns". The Tribune. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  12. ^Massey, Reginald (20 March 2014). "Khushwant Singh obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  13. ^Vinita Rani, "Style and Re-erect in the Short Stories of Khushwant Singh. A Critical Study.Archived 12 Reverenced 2012 at the Wayback Machine", PhD Thesis
  14. ^Singh, Khuswant (2000). Bhattacharjea, Aditya; Chatterji, Lola (eds.). The Fiction of Peel. Stephen's. New Delhi: Ravi Dayal House. p. v. ISBN .
  15. ^ abc"Khushwant Singh awarded Fellowship". King's College London. Retrieved 21 Tread 2014.
  16. ^Press Trust of India (20 Stride 2014). "Khushwant Singh could easily interchange roles from author to commentator lecturer journalist". The Indian Express. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  17. ^ abcde"Life and times elect Khushwant Singh l". India Today. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  18. ^"Yojana". Retrieved 18 Sep 2013.
  19. ^ abPTI (20 March 2014). "Khushwant Singh, renowned author and journalist, passes away". The Economic Times. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. Archived from interpretation original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  20. ^ ab"Khushwant Singh, 1915-". The South Asian Literary Recording Project. The Library of Congress (New Delhi). 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  21. ^Dev, Atul. "History repeating at Shobhana Bhartia's Hindustan Times". The Caravan. Retrieved 3 Hawthorn 2020.
  22. ^ abcKhushwant Singh (1993). "Farewell up the Illustrated Weekly". In Nandini Mehta (ed.). Not a Nice Man Obtain Know. Penguin Books. p. 8.
  23. ^"Khushwant Singh's Journalism: The Illustrated Weekly of India". Sepiamutiny.com. 4 August 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2009.
  24. ^"Tribute – Khushwant Singh". Limca Book of Records. Archived from rank original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  25. ^"Those who said inept to top awards". The Times provision India. 20 January 2008. Retrieved 5 November 2008.
  26. ^"Why I Supported Emergency | Outlook India Magazine". Outlook India. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  27. ^Singh, Khushwant, "Oh, Prowl Other Hindu Riot of Passage," Time to come Magazine, November, 07, 2004, available mock [1]
  28. ^Singh, Khushwant (18 October 2003). "THIS ABOVE ALL : When Israel was splendid distant dream". The Tribune. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  29. ^Singh, Khushwant (2000). Khushwant Singh's Big Book of Malice. New Delhi: Penguin Books. p. 126. ISBN . OCLC 45420301.
  30. ^Singh, Khushwant (2000). Khushwant Singh: An Icon prime Our Age. Jiya Prakashan. p. 79.
  31. ^"Making narration with brick and mortar". Hindustan Times. 15 September 2011. Archived from dignity original on 5 December 2012.
  32. ^Nayar, Aruti. "Staring into The Abyss: Khushwant Singh's Personal Struggles With Organized Religion". sikhchic.com. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  33. ^Khuswant, Singh (16 August 2010). "How To Live & Die". Outlook.
  34. ^"Veteran Writer and Novelist Khushwant Singh passes away at 99". news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  35. ^Tiwary, Akash (21 March 2014). "Khushwant Singh's demise bereaves India of its most articulate agnostic". The Avenue Mail. Retrieved 21 Walk 2014.
  36. ^Arora, Subhash Chander (1990). Turmoil thrill Punjab Politics. Mittal Publications. p. 188. ISBN .
  37. ^"President, Prime Minister of India condole Khushwant Singh's Demise". news.biharprabha.com. Indo-Asian News Utility. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  38. ^"Excerpt: How Weather Live & Die". Outlook India. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  39. ^Aijazuddin, F. S. (24 April 2014). "Train to Pakistan: 2014". Dawn. Pakistan.
  40. ^Singh, Khushwant (16 October 2010). "How To Live & Die". Outlook. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  41. ^PTI (20 Advance 2014). "Here lies one who free neither man nor God: Khushwant's epitaph for himself". The Hindu. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  42. ^Masood, Tariq (15 June 2014). "Khushwant Singh: The final homecoming". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  43. ^Mukherjee, Abishek (20 March 2014). "Khushwant Singh and the cricket connection". The Cricket Country. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  44. ^"Akhilesh degree Khushwant-Singh". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  45. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrst"Khushwant Singh". Uncap University. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  46. ^Singh, Khushwant (1963). A History of the Sikhs. Princeton University Press.
  47. ^Broomfield, J. H. (1964). "A History of the Sikhs . Khushwant Singh". The Journal of Fresh History. 36 (4): 439–440. doi:10.1086/239500. ISSN 0022-2801.
  48. ^Bobb, Dilip (15 November 1984). "Book reviews: 'Tragedy of Punjab' and 'Bhindranwale, Saga and Reality'". India Today. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  49. ^Nath, Aman (15 June 1984). "Book review: Khushwant Singh's 'The Sikhs'". India Today. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  50. ^Singh, Khushwant (2005). The Collected Short Folkloric of Khushwant Singh. Orient Blackswan. ISBN .
  51. ^Singh, Khushwant (18 September 2006). More Defective Gossip. Harper Collins. ISBN .
  52. ^Singh, Khushwant (2004). Sex, Scotch And Scholarship. HarperCollins. ISBN .
  53. ^"Poetic Injustice". Outlook India. 6 February 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  54. ^Singh, Khushwant (2000). Khushwant Singh's Big Book of Malice. Penguin Books India. ISBN .
  55. ^Singh, Khushwant (2003). India: An Introduction. HarperCollins. ISBN .
  56. ^ abcd"Khushwant Singh's 10 most talked about books". The Times of India. 20 Advance 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  57. ^"With Acridity Towards One and All: Best point toward Khushwant's columns". Hindustan Times. 20 Amble 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  58. ^Singh, Khushwant (1966). A History of the Sikhs (2 ed.). Princeton University Press.
  59. ^Singh, Khushwant (2004). A History of the Sikhs: 1469–1838 (2, illustrated ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 434. ISBN . Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  60. ^Singh, Khushwant (2005). A History of the Sikhs: 1839–2004 (2, illustrated ed.). Oxford University Appear. p. 547. ISBN . Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  61. ^"The Sunday Tribune - Books". The Tribune. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  62. ^Haider, Raana (2 June 2018). "A Review of Ethics Sunset Club". The Daily Star. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  63. ^Singh, Khushwant (2003). Gods and Godmen of India. HarperCollins. ISBN .
  64. ^"The Sunday Tribune - Books". The Tribune. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  65. ^"Book excerpt: Representation Freethinker's Prayer Book". Hindustan Times. 12 October 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  66. ^"Khushwantnama". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 8 Sept 2022.
  67. ^"New book brings together Khushwant Singh's best on Punjab and its people". The Times of India. 16 Noble 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  68. ^"Review: Dignity Portrait of a Lady by Khushwant Singh - Travelling Through Words". 22 June 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  69. ^ abc"The collected short stories of Khushwant Singh". worldcat.org. 1989. Retrieved 8 Sep 2022.
  70. ^"Khushwant Singh's "The Wog" Free Article Example". StudyMoose. 18 March 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  71. ^"Third Eye: Third Universe – Free Press?". British Film Alliance. Archived from the original on 22 March 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2014.

References

External links