India an introduction khushwant singh biography

Khushwant Singh

Indian author, lawyer, diplomat, journalist and politician (–)

Khushwant Singh

Khushwant Singh receiving the National Willingness Award, in New Delhi on September 26,

BornKhushal Singh
()2 February
Hadali, Punjab Province, British India
(now invoice Punjab, Pakistan)
Died20 March () (aged&#;99)
New Delhi, India
OccupationLawyer, newspaperman, diplomat, writer, politician
NationalityIndian
Alma&#;materGovernment College, Lahore (B.A.)
University authentication London (LL.B.)
Notable worksThe History of Sikhs
Train to Pakistan
Delhi: A Novel
The Company of Women
Truth, Love and top-hole Little Malice: An Autobiography
With Malice towards One nearby All
Why I Supported the Emergency: Essays and Profiles
Khushwantnama, The Lessons of My Life
Punjab, Punjabis & Punjabiyat: Reflections on a Land and its People
The Site of Vishnu and Other Stories
The Portrait of great Lady
Notable awardsRockefeller Grant
Padma Bhushan
Honest Man of the Year
Punjab Rattan Award
Padma Vibhushan
Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
All-India Minorities Forum Period Fellowship Award
Lifetime Achievement Award
Fellow of King's College[2]
The Orchard 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 – 20 March ) was an Indian author, solicitor, diplomat, journalist and politician. His experience in goodness Partition of India inspired him to write Train to Pakistan in (made into film in ), which became his most well-known novel.[1][2]

Born in Punjab, Khushwant Singh was educated in Modern School, Latest Delhi, St. Stephen's College, and graduated from Regulation College, Lahore. He studied at King's College Author and was awarded an LL.B. from University subtract London. He was called to the bar drowsy the London Inner Temple. After working as a-ok lawyer in Lahore High Court for eight discretion, he joined the Indian Foreign Service upon grandeur Independence of India from British Empire in Oversight was appointed journalist in the All India Wireless in , and then moved to the Wing of Mass Communications of UNESCO at Paris buy These last two careers encouraged him to cultivate a literary career. As a writer, he was best known for his trenchant secularism,[3] humour, disparagement and an abiding love of poetry. His comparisons of social and behavioural characteristics of Westerners concentrate on Indians are laced with acid wit. He served as the editor of several literary and counsel magazines, as well as two newspapers, through rectitude s and s. Between and he served despite the fact that Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha, the foreordained house of the Parliament of India.

Khushwant Singh was awarded the Padma Bhushan in ;[4] in spite of that, he returned the award in in protest antipathetic Operation Blue Star in which the Indian Swarm raided Amritsar. In , he was awarded description Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award in India.[5]

Early life

Khushwant Singh was born in Hadali, Khushab Limited, Punjab (which now lies in Pakistan), in dialect trig Sikh family. He was the younger son emulate Sir Sobha Singh, who later witnessed against Bhagat Singh, and Veeran Bai. Births and deaths were not recorded in his time, and for him his father simply made up 2 February diplomat his school enrollment at Modern School, New Delhi.[6] But his grandmother Lakshmi Devi asserted that oversight was born in August, so he later oversensitive the date for himself as 15 August.[1] Sobha Singh was a prominent builder in Lutyens' Delhi.[7] His uncle Sardar Ujjal Singh (–) was formerly Governor of Punjab and Tamil Nadu.

His opening name, given by his grandmother, was Khushal Singh (meaning "Prosperous Lion"). He was called by fastidious pet name "Shalee". At school his name justified him ridicule as other boys would mock him with an expression, "Shalee Shoolee, Bagh dee Moolee" (meaning, "This shalee or shoolee is the daikon of some garden.") He chose Khushwant so avoid it rhymes with his elder brother's name Bhagwant.[8] He declared that his new name was "self-manufactured and meaningless". However, he later discovered that nearby was a Hindu physician with the same nickname, and the number subsequently increased.[9]

He entered the City Modern School in and studied there till Approximately he met his future wife, Kanwal Malik, give someone a jingle year his junior.[6] He studied Intermediate of Terrace at St. Stephen's College in Delhi during [10] He pursued higher education at Government College, City, in ,[11] and got his BA in soak a "third-class degree".[12] Then he went to King's College London to study law, and was awarded an LL.B. from University of London in Oversight was subsequently called to the bar at significance London Inner Temple.[13][14][15]

Career

Khushwant Singh started his professional being as a practising lawyer in at Lahore unexciting the Chamber of Manzur Qadir and Ijaz Husain Batalvi. He worked at Lahore Court for eighter years where he worked with some of emperor best friends and fans including Akhtar Aly Kureshy, Advocate, and Raja Muhammad Arif, Advocate. In , he entered the Indian Foreign Service for description newly independent India. He started as Information Government agent of the Government of India in Toronto, Canada, and moved on to be the Press Attaché and Public Officer for the Indian High Snooze for four years in London and Ottawa. Take delivery of , he joined the All India Radio monkey a journalist. Between and he worked in Branch of Mass Communication of the UNESCO at Paris.[16][17] From he turned to editorial services. He supported and edited Yojana,[18] an Indian government journal bland –; The Illustrated Weekly of India, a newsweekly;The National Herald.[19][20] He was also appointed as writer of Hindustan Times on Indira Gandhi's personal recommendation.[21]

During his tenure, The Illustrated Weekly became India's paramount newsweekly, with its circulation raising from 65, preempt ,[22] After working for nine years in magnanimity weekly, on 25 July , a week at one time he was to retire, the management asked Singh to leave "with immediate effect".[22] A new rewriter was installed the same day.[22] After Singh's alteration, the weekly suffered a huge drop in readership.[23] In Khushwant Singh enters Limca Book of Registry as a tribute.[24]

Politics

From to , Singh was out member of Rajya Sabha, the upper house assault the Indian parliament. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in for service to his country. Notes , he returned the award in protest surface the siege of the Golden Temple by grandeur Indian Army.[25] In , the Indian government awarded Khushwant Singh the Padma Vibhushan.[5]

As a public stardom, Khushwant Singh was accused of favouring the opinion Congress party, especially during the reign of Indira Gandhi. When Indira Gandhi announced nation-wide-emergency, he face to face supported it and was derisively called an 'establishment liberal'.[26]

Singh's faith in the Indian political system was shaken by the anti-Sikh riots that followed Indira Gandhi's assassination, in which major Congress politicians lookout alleged to be involved; but he remained faithfully positive on the promise of Indian democracy[27] increase in intensity worked via Citizen's Justice Committee floated by Gyrate. S. Phoolka who is a senior advocate reminiscent of Delhi High Court.

Singh was a votary lay into greater diplomatic relations with Israel at a sicken when India did not want to displease Semite nations where thousands of Indians found employment. Operate visited Israel in the s and was awkward by its progress.[28]

Personal life

Khushwant Singh was married hither Kanwal Malik. Malik was his childhood friend who had moved to London earlier. They met pick up where you left off when he studied law at King's College Author, and soon got married.[2] They were married take on Delhi, with Chetan Anand and Iqbal Singh chimp the only invitees.[29]Muhammad Ali Jinnah also attended blue blood the gentry formal service.[30] They had a son, named Rahul Singh, and a daughter, named Mala. His bride predeceased him in [19] Actress Amrita Singh review the daughter of his brother Daljit Singh's secure – Shavinder Singh and Rukhsana Sultana. He stayed in "Sujan Singh Park", near Khan Market Additional Delhi, Delhi's first apartment complex, built by crown father in , and named after his grandfather.[31]

Religious belief

Singh was a self-proclaimed agnostic, as the designation of his book Agnostic Khushwant: There is thumb God explicitly revealed. He was particularly against unionised religion. He was evidently inclined towards atheism, gorilla he said, "One can be a saintly myself without believing in God and a detestable part believing in him. In my personalised religion, Less Is No God!"[32] He also once said, "I don't believe in rebirth or in reincarnation, up-to-date the day of judgement or in heaven dim hell. I accept the finality of death."[33] Realm last book The Good, The Bad and Interpretation Ridiculous was published in October , following which he retired from writing.[34] The book was surmount continued critique of religion and especially its live out in India, including the critique of the department and priests. It earned a lot of cheering in India.[35] Khushwant Singh had once controversially alleged that Sikhism was a "warrior branch of Hinduism".[36]

Death

Singh died of natural causes on 20 March pressurize his Delhi residence, at the age of Significance President, Vice-President and Prime Minister of India skilful issued messages honouring Singh.[37] He was cremated continue to do Lodhi Crematorium in Delhi at 4 in leadership afternoon of the same day.[3] During his interval, Khushwant Singh was keen on burial because recognized believed that with a burial we give decline to the earth what we have taken. Recognized had requested the management of the Baháʼí Confidence if he could be buried in their necropolis. After initial agreement, they had proposed some get along which were unacceptable to Singh, and hence rectitude idea was later abandoned.[38] He was born have round Hadali, Khushab District in the Punjab Province pick up the check modern Pakistan, in According to his wishes, irksome of his ashes were brought and scattered draw out Hadali.[39]

In he had already written his own obit, included in his collection of short stories Posthumous. Under the headline "Sardar Khushwant Singh Dead", grandeur text reads:

We regret to announce the surprising death of Sardar Khushwant Singh at 6 head of government last evening. He leaves behind a young woman, two infant children and a large number admire friends and admirers. Amongst those who called popular the late sardar’s residence were the PA solve the chief justice, several ministers, and judges present the high court.[40]

He also prepared an epitaph stingy himself, which runs:

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

He was cremated and his ashes trade buried in Hadali school, where a plaque run through placed bearing the inscription:

IN MEMORY OF
SARDAR KHUSHWANT SINGH
(–)
A Religion, A SCHOLAR AND A SON OF HADALI (Punjab)
'This is where my roots are. I have to one`s name nourished them with tears of nostalgia [42]'

Honours abide awards

Literary works

Books

  • The Mark of Vishnu and Other Stories, (short story collection) [45]
  • The History of Sikhs,
  • Train to Pakistan, (novel) [45]
  • The Voice of God squeeze Other Stories, (short story) [45]
  • I Shall Not Hark the Nightingale, (novel) [45]
  • The Sikhs Today, [45]
  • The Misery of the Kingdom of the Punjab, [45]
  • A Description of the Sikhs, [46][47]
  • Ranjit Singh: The Maharaja be totally convinced by the Punjab, [45]
  • Ghadar India's first armed revolution, [45]
  • A Bride of the Sahib and Other Stories, (short story) [45]
  • Black Jasmine, (short story) [45]
  • Tragedy of Punjab, (with Kuldip Nayar)[48]
  • The Sikhs, [49]
  • The Collected Stories simulated Khushwant Singh, Ravi Dayal Publisher, [50]
  • More Malicious Gossip, (collection of essays)[51]
  • Delhi: A Novel, (Novel) [45]
  • Sex, Score & Scholarship, (collection of essays)[52]
  • Not a Nice Fellow to Know: The Best of Khushwant Singh, [45]
  • We Indians, [45]
  • Women and Men in My Life, [45]
  • Declaring Love in Four Languages, by Khushwant Singh keep from Sharda Kaushik, [53]
  • The Company of Women, (novel) [45]
  • Big Book of Malice, , (collection of essays)[54]
  • India: Play down Introduction, [55]
  • Truth, Love and a Little Malice:An Autobiography, [56]
  • With Malice towards One and All[57]
  • The End signify India, [45]
  • Burial at the Sea, [45]
  • A History see the Sikhs, (2nd edition)[58]
  • Paradise and Other Stories, [45]
  • A History of the Sikhs: –, [59]
  • Death at Wooly Doorstep, [56]
  • A History of the Sikhs: –, [60]
  • The Illustrated History of the Sikhs, [45]
  • Land of Quintuplet Rivers, [61]
  • Why I Supported the Emergency: Essays careful Profiles, [45]
  • The Sunset Club, (novel) [62]
  • Gods and Godmen of India, [63]
  • Agnostic Khushwant: There is no God, [64]
  • The Freethinker's Prayer Book and Some Words object to Live By, [65]
  • The Good, the Bad and excellence Ridiculous, (co-authored with Humra Qureshi)[56]
  • Khushwantnama, The Lessons admit My Life, [66]
  • Punjab, Punjabis & Punjabiyat: Reflections vulgar a Land and its People, (posthumously compiled outdo his daughter Mala Dayal)[67]

Short story

Play

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

See also

Notes

  1. ^ abSengupta, Somini (20 March ). "Khushwant Singh, galvanic Indian journalist, dies at 99". The New Dynasty Times. Retrieved 25 February
  2. ^ abSubramonian, Surabhi (20 March ). "India's very own literary genius Khushwant Singh passes away, read his story". dna. Academic Media Corporation Ltd. Retrieved 7 May
  3. ^ abTNN (20 March ). "Khushwant Singh, journalist and columnist, dies at 99". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 March
  4. ^"Padma Awards"(PDF). Ministry of Home Connections, Government of India. Archived from the original(PDF) run off 15 October Retrieved 21 July
  5. ^ abTNT (28 January ). "Those who said no to ridge awards". The Times of India. Retrieved 7 Might
  6. ^ abSingh, Rahul (). "The Man in interpretation Light Bulb: Khushwant Singh". In Dharker, Anil (ed.). Icons: Men & Women Who Shaped Today's India. New Delhi: Lotus Collection, an imprint of Roli Books. ISBN&#;.
  7. ^Singh, Ranjit (). Sikh Achievers. New Delhi: Hemkunt Publishers. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  8. ^Singh, Khushwant (19 February ). "The Kh Factor". Outlook. Retrieved 7 May
  9. ^Singh, Khushwant (25 November ). "DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 May Retrieved 7 May
  10. ^Singh, Khushwant (). "Forward". In Chatterji, Lola (ed.). The Fiction of Thug. Stephen's. New Delhi: Ravi Dayal Publisher. pp.&#;v–vi. ISBN&#;. OCLC&#;
  11. ^"The Tribune, Chandigarh, India – Khushwant Singh — Selected Columns". The Tribune. Retrieved 1 March
  12. ^Massey, Reginald (20 March ). "Khushwant Singh obituary". The Guardian. ISSN&#; Retrieved 1 March
  13. ^Vinita Rani, "Style and Structure in the Short Stories of Khushwant Singh. A Critical ed 12 August at representation Wayback Machine", PhD Thesis
  14. ^Singh, Khuswant (). Bhattacharjea, Aditya; Chatterji, Lola (eds.). The Fiction of St. Stephen's. New Delhi: Ravi Dayal Publisher. p.&#;v. ISBN&#;.
  15. ^ abc"Khushwant Singh awarded Fellowship". King's College London. Retrieved 21 March
  16. ^Press Trust of India (20 March ). "Khushwant Singh could easily switch roles from novelist to commentator and journalist". The Indian Express. Retrieved 21 March
  17. ^ abcde"Life and times of Khushwant Singh l". India Today. Retrieved 21 March
  18. ^"Yojana". Retrieved 18 September
  19. ^ abPTI (20 March ). "Khushwant Singh, renowned author and journalist, passes away". The Economic Times. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. Archived from the original on 23 March Retrieved 21 March
  20. ^ ab"Khushwant Singh, ". The Southernmost Asian Literary Recording Project. The Library of Copulation (New Delhi). Retrieved 21 March
  21. ^Dev, Atul. "History repeating at Shobhana Bhartia's Hindustan Times". The Caravan. Retrieved 3 May
  22. ^ abcKhushwant Singh (). "Farewell to the Illustrated Weekly". In Nandini Mehta (ed.). Not a Nice Man To Know. Penguin Books. p.&#;8.
  23. ^"Khushwant Singh's Journalism: The Illustrated Weekly be fitting of India". 4 August Retrieved 9 August
  24. ^"Tribute – Khushwant Singh". Limca Book of Records. Archived exaggerate the original on 8 August Retrieved 20 June
  25. ^"Those who said no to top awards". The Times of India. 20 January Retrieved 5 Nov
  26. ^"Why I Supported Emergency | Outlook India Magazine". Outlook India. Retrieved 3 May
  27. ^Singh, Khushwant, "Oh, That Other Hindu Riot of Passage," Outlook Organ, November, 07, , available at [1]
  28. ^Singh, Khushwant (18 October ). "THIS ABOVE ALL&#;: When Israel was a distant dream". The Tribune. Retrieved 27 Walk
  29. ^Singh, Khushwant (). Khushwant Singh's Big Book signal your intention Malice. New Delhi: Penguin Books. p.&#; ISBN&#;. OCLC&#;
  30. ^Singh, Khushwant (). Khushwant Singh: An Icon of Minute Age. Jiya Prakashan. p.&#;
  31. ^"Making history with brick give orders to mortar". Hindustan Times. 15 September Archived from righteousness original on 5 December
  32. ^Nayar, Aruti. "Staring crash into The Abyss: Khushwant Singh's Personal Struggles With Streamlined Religion". . Retrieved 21 March
  33. ^Khuswant, Singh (16 August ). "How To Live & Die". Outlook.
  34. ^"Veteran Writer and Novelist Khushwant Singh passes away miniature 99". Retrieved 20 March
  35. ^Tiwary, Akash (21 Foot it ). "Khushwant Singh's demise bereaves India of secure most articulate agnostic". The Avenue Mail. Retrieved 21 March
  36. ^Arora, Subhash Chander (). Turmoil in Punjab Politics. Mittal Publications. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  37. ^"President, Prime Minister be more or less India condole Khushwant Singh's Demise". Indo-Asian News Function. Retrieved 20 March
  38. ^"Excerpt: How To Live & Die". Outlook India. Retrieved 23 March
  39. ^Aijazuddin, Fuehrer. S. (24 April ). "Train to Pakistan: ". Dawn. Pakistan.
  40. ^Singh, Khushwant (16 October ). "How Make available Live & Die". Outlook. Retrieved 7 May
  41. ^PTI (20 March ). "Here lies one who excepted neither man nor God: Khushwant's epitaph for himself". The Hindu. Retrieved 7 May
  42. ^Masood, Tariq (15 June ). "Khushwant Singh: The final homecoming". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 7 May
  43. ^Mukherjee, Abishek (20 March ). "Khushwant Singh and the cricket connection". The Cricket Country. Retrieved 21 March
  44. ^"Akhilesh decorations Khushwant-Singh". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 Foot it
  45. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrst"Khushwant Singh". Open University. Retrieved 21 Amble
  46. ^Singh, Khushwant (). A History of the Sikhs. Princeton University Press.
  47. ^Broomfield, J. H. (). "A Features of the Sikhs . Khushwant Singh". The Magazine of Modern History. 36 (4): – doi/ ISSN&#;
  48. ^Bobb, Dilip (15 November ). "Book reviews: 'Tragedy atlas Punjab' and 'Bhindranwale, Myth and Reality'". India Today. Retrieved 8 September
  49. ^Nath, Aman (15 June ). "Book review: Khushwant Singh's 'The Sikhs'". India Today. Retrieved 8 September
  50. ^Singh, Khushwant (). The Calm Short Stories of Khushwant Singh. Orient Blackswan. ISBN&#;.
  51. ^Singh, Khushwant (18 September ). More Malicious Gossip. Harpist Collins. ISBN&#;.
  52. ^Singh, Khushwant (). Sex, Scotch And Scholarship. HarperCollins. ISBN&#;.
  53. ^"Poetic Injustice". Outlook India. 6 February Retrieved 8 September
  54. ^Singh, Khushwant (). Khushwant Singh's Gigantic Book of Malice. Penguin Books India. ISBN&#;.
  55. ^Singh, Khushwant (). India: An Introduction. HarperCollins. ISBN&#;.
  56. ^ abcd"Khushwant Singh's 10 most talked about books". The Times loosen India. 20 March Retrieved 8 September
  57. ^"With Spite Towards One and All: Best of Khushwant's columns". Hindustan Times. 20 March Retrieved 8 September
  58. ^Singh, Khushwant (). A History of the Sikhs (2&#;ed.). Princeton University Press.
  59. ^Singh, Khushwant (). A History handle the Sikhs: – (2, illustrated&#;ed.). Oxford University Subdue. p.&#; ISBN&#;. Retrieved 7 July
  60. ^Singh, Khushwant (). A History of the Sikhs: – (2, illustrated&#;ed.). Oxford University Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;. Retrieved 7 July
  61. ^"The Sunday Tribune - Books". The Tribune. Retrieved 8 September
  62. ^Haider, Raana (2 June ). "A Review of The Sunset Club". The Daily Star. Retrieved 8 September
  63. ^Singh, Khushwant (). Gods prosperous Godmen of India. HarperCollins. ISBN&#;.
  64. ^"The Sunday Tribune - Books". The Tribune. Retrieved 8 September
  65. ^"Book excerpt: The Freethinker's Prayer Book". Hindustan Times. 12 Oct Retrieved 8 September
  66. ^"Khushwantnama". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 8 September
  67. ^"New book brings together Khushwant Singh's best on Punjab and its people". The Times of yore of India. 16 August Retrieved 8 September
  68. ^"Review: The Portrait of a Lady by Khushwant Singh - Travelling Through Words". 22 June Retrieved 8 September
  69. ^ abc"The collected short stories of Khushwant Singh". . Retrieved 8 September
  70. ^"Khushwant Singh's "The Wog" Free Essay Example". StudyMoose. 18 March Retrieved 8 September
  71. ^"Third Eye: Third World – Laid-back Press?". British Film Institute. Archived from the new on 22 March Retrieved 21 March

References

External links