Khushwant Singh
Encyclopedia
Khushwant Singh is a prominent India
n novelist and journalist. Singh's weekly column, "With Malice towards One and All
", carried by several India
n newspapers, is among the most widely-read columns in the country.
An important Indo-Anglian novelist, Singh is best known for his trenchant secularism, his humor, and an abiding love of poetry. His comparisons of social and behavioral characteristics of Westerner
s and Indians are laced with acid wit. He served as editor of several well-known literary and news magazines, as well as two major broadsheet newspapers, through the 1970s and 1980s.
District Khushab
, Punjab
(which now lies in Pakistan
), in a Sikh
family. His father, Sir Sobha Singh, was a prominent builder in Lutyens' Delhi
.
He was educated at Modern School, New Delhi, Government College, Lahore
, St. Stephen's College
in Delhi
and King's College, London, before reading for the Bar at the Inner Temple
.
, a newsweekly; and two major Indian newspapers, The National Herald and the Hindustan Times
. During his tenure, The Illustrated Weekly became India's pre-eminent newsweekly. After Singh's departure, it suffered a huge drop in readership.
From 1980 through 1986, Singh was a member of Rajya Sabha
, the upper house of the Indian parliament. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan
in 1974 for service to his country. In 1984, he returned the award in protest against the siege of the Golden Temple
by the Indian Army. In 2007, the Indian government awarded Singh the Padma Vibhushan
.
Singh is said to wake up at 4 am each day and write his columns by hand. His works range from political commentary and contemporary satire to outstanding translations of Sikh
religious texts and Urdu
poetry. Despite the name, his column "With Malice Towards One and All" regularly contains secular exhortations and messages of peace. In addition, he is one of the last remaining writers to have personally known most of the stalwart writers and poets of Urdu
and Punjabi language
s, and profiles his recently deceased contemporaries in his column. One of the most striking aspects of his weekly writings is his outright honesty; he will openly admit to his weaknesses and mistakes, along with an acceptance of his declining health and physical abilities in more recent times.
As a public figure, Singh has been accused of favoring the ruling Congress party
, especially during the reign of Indira Gandhi
. He is better viewed as an establishment
liberal
. Singh's faith in the Indian political system has been shaken by events such as anti-Sikh riots that followed Indira Gandhi's assassination, in which major Congress politicians are alleged to be involved. But he has remained resolutely positive on the promise of Indian democracy and worked via Citizen's Justice Committee
floated by H. S. Phoolka
who is a senior advocate of Delhi High Court
.
. He stays in "Sujan Singh Park", near Khan Market
New Delhi, Delhi's first apartment complex, built by his father in 1945, and named after his grandfather.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n novelist and journalist. Singh's weekly column, "With Malice towards One and All
With Malice towards One and All
With Malice towards One and All was the weekly column series published by celebrated Indian author and journalist Khushwant Singh in the leading English daily of India, occupying two full length columns on the editorial page of the Saturday edition....
", carried by several India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n newspapers, is among the most widely-read columns in the country.
An important Indo-Anglian novelist, Singh is best known for his trenchant secularism, his humor, and an abiding love of poetry. His comparisons of social and behavioral characteristics of Westerner
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
s and Indians are laced with acid wit. He served as editor of several well-known literary and news magazines, as well as two major broadsheet newspapers, through the 1970s and 1980s.
Early life
He was born in HadaliHadali
khushab is a town of Khushab District in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. The town is administratively subdivided into two Union Councils and is located at 32°17'32N 72°11'32E with an altitude of 177 metres ....
District Khushab
Khushab
Khushab is a city of Khushab District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The city serves as the headquarters of Khushab Tehsil an administrative subdivision of the district....
, Punjab
Punjab (British India)
Punjab was a province of British India, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British rule. With the end of British rule in 1947 the province was split between West Punjab, which went to Pakistan, and East Punjab, which went to India...
(which now lies in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
), in a Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
family. His father, Sir Sobha Singh, was a prominent builder in Lutyens' Delhi
Lutyens' Delhi
Lutyens' Delhi is an area in Delhi, specifically New Delhi, India, named after the leading British architect Edwin Lutyens , who was responsible for much of the architectural design and building when India was part of the British Empire in the 1920s and 1930s...
.
He was educated at Modern School, New Delhi, Government College, Lahore
Government College University
Government College University, Lahore is a co-educational public university located on The Mall in Lahore, Pakistan...
, St. Stephen's College
St. Stephen's College, Delhi
St. Stephen's College is a constituent college of the University of Delhi located in Delhi, India. The college admits both undergraduates and post-graduates, and awards degrees under the purview of the University. Famous for its rich history and many traditions, St...
in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
and King's College, London, before reading for the Bar at the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
.
Career
Singh has edited Yojana, an Indian government journal; The Illustrated Weekly of IndiaThe Illustrated Weekly of India
The Illustrated Weekly of India was an English language weekly newsmagazine publication in India. It started publication in 1880 and ceasing publication in 1993...
, a newsweekly; and two major Indian newspapers, The National Herald and the Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
. During his tenure, The Illustrated Weekly became India's pre-eminent newsweekly. After Singh's departure, it suffered a huge drop in readership.
From 1980 through 1986, Singh was a member of Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
, the upper house of the Indian parliament. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
in 1974 for service to his country. In 1984, he returned the award in protest against the siege of the Golden Temple
Operation Blue Star
Operation Blue Star ) 3– 6 June 1984 was an Indian military operation, ordered by Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India, to remove Sikh separatists from the Golden Temple in Amritsar...
by the Indian Army. In 2007, the Indian government awarded Singh the Padma Vibhushan
Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India. It was established on 2 January 1954. It ranks behind the Bharat Ratna and comes before the Padma Bhushan...
.
Singh is said to wake up at 4 am each day and write his columns by hand. His works range from political commentary and contemporary satire to outstanding translations of Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
religious texts and Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
poetry. Despite the name, his column "With Malice Towards One and All" regularly contains secular exhortations and messages of peace. In addition, he is one of the last remaining writers to have personally known most of the stalwart writers and poets of Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
and Punjabi language
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
s, and profiles his recently deceased contemporaries in his column. One of the most striking aspects of his weekly writings is his outright honesty; he will openly admit to his weaknesses and mistakes, along with an acceptance of his declining health and physical abilities in more recent times.
As a public figure, Singh has been accused of favoring the ruling Congress party
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, especially during the reign of Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
. He is better viewed as an establishment
The Establishment
The Establishment is a term used to refer to a visible dominant group or elite that holds power or authority in a nation. The term suggests a closed social group which selects its own members...
liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
. Singh's faith in the Indian political system has been shaken by events such as anti-Sikh riots that followed Indira Gandhi's assassination, in which major Congress politicians are alleged to be involved. But he has remained resolutely positive on the promise of Indian democracy and worked via Citizen's Justice Committee
Citizen's Justice Committee
Citizen's Justice Committee is an umbrella organization of various human rights organizations and is known for pro bono representing the 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims in their legal battle to gain justice.-Formation:...
floated by H. S. Phoolka
H. S. Phoolka
Harvinder Singh Phoolka, commonly known as H. S. Phoolka, is a senior advocate of Delhi High Court, Human Rights activist, and author. He is known for spearheading one of the longest and most tortuous legal "crusades" to gain justice for the victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots and fighting individual...
who is a senior advocate of Delhi High Court
Delhi High Court
The High Court of Delhi was established on 31 October 1966. The High Court of Delhi was established with four judges. They were Chief Justice K. S. Hegde, Justice I. D. Dua, Justice H. R. Khanna and Justice S. K. Kapur.-History:...
.
Personal life
He has a son, named Rahul Singh, and a daughter. He is the maternal grandfather of actress Amrita SinghAmrita Singh
Amrita Singh is an Indian film actress.-Early life:Amrita is the daughter of Rukhsana Sultana. Mohinder Kaur was the daughter of Sir Sobha Singh, who was a noted civil contractor, and made a substantial fortune during the building of New Delhi in the early decades of the 20th century...
. He stays in "Sujan Singh Park", near Khan Market
Khan Market
Khan Market , named in honour of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan , it is the costliest market strip in New Delhi. It has been ranked as the costliest retail location in India...
New Delhi, Delhi's first apartment complex, built by his father in 1945, and named after his grandfather.
Honors and awards
- Padma BhushanPadma BhushanThe Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
, Government of India (1974)[He returned the decoration in 1984 in protest against the Union government's siege of the Golden Temple, Amritsar) - Honest Man of the Year, Sulabh InternationalSulabh InternationalSulabh International is an Indian based social service organization which works to promote human rights, environmental sanitation, non-conventional sources of energy, waste management and social reforms through education. The organization counts 50,000 volunteers. Sulabh International is the...
(2000) - Punjab Rattan AwardPunjab Rattan AwardThe Punjab Rattan Award, is an award given by the Government of Punjab for exceptional excellence and achievement in the service of Punjab or international level in the field of art, literature, culture, science, technology, politics and achievements at the international level. The award consists...
, The Government of PunjabPunjab GovernmentPunjab Government may refer to:*Government of Punjab *Government of Punjab...
(2006) - Padma VibhushanPadma VibhushanThe Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India. It was established on 2 January 1954. It ranks behind the Bharat Ratna and comes before the Padma Bhushan...
, Government of India (2007) - Sahitya academy fellowship award by Sahitya academy of India (2010)
Books
- The Mark of Vishnu and Other StoriesThe Mark of Vishnu and Other StoriesThe Mark of Vishnu and Other Stories is a book written by Khushwant Singh It was published in 1950. Its titular story is an integral part of primary school curricula in India.The book comprises mostly ironic tales about faith and religion....
, 1950 - The History of Sikhs, 1953
- Train to PakistanTrain to PakistanTrain To Pakistan is a historical novel by Khushwant Singh, published in 1956. It recounts the Partition of India in August 1947.Instead of depicting the Partition in terms of only the political events surrounding it, Singh digs into a deep local focus, providing a human dimension which brings to...
, 1956 - The Voice of God and Other Stories, 1957
- I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale, 1959
- The Sikhs Today, 1959
- The Fall of the Kingdom of the Punjab, 1962
- A History of the Sikhs, 1963
- Ranjit Singh: The Maharajah of the Punjab, 1963
- Ghadar 1915: India's first armed revolution, 1966
- A History of the Sikhs, 1966 (2nd edition)
- A Bride for the Sahib and Other Stories, 1967
- Black Jasmine, 1971
- Tragedy of Punjab, 1984
- Delhi: A NovelDelhi: A NovelDelhi: A Novel is a historical novel by Indian writer Khushwant Singh.-Text:The book moves backwards and forwards in time through the history of Delhi...
, 1990 - Sex, Scotch and Scholarship: Selected Writings, 1992
- Not a Nice Man to Know: The Best of Khushwant Singh, 1993
- We Indians, 1993
- Women and Men in My Life, 1995
- Uncertain Liaisons; Sex, Strife and Togetherness in Urban India, 1995
- Declaring Love in Four Languages, by Khushwant Singh and Sharda Kaushik, 1997
- The Company of WomenThe Company of Women.The Company of Women is a novel by Indian author Khushwant Singh.-Plot introduction :Khushwant Singh, one of India's most well-known and widely read authors, commenced writing The Company of Women when he was eighty-three and finished at age eighty-five...
, 1999 - Truth, Love and a Little Malice (an autobiography), 2002
- With Malice towards One and AllWith Malice towards One and AllWith Malice towards One and All was the weekly column series published by celebrated Indian author and journalist Khushwant Singh in the leading English daily of India, occupying two full length columns on the editorial page of the Saturday edition....
- The End of India, 2003
- Burial at the Sea, 2004
- Paradise and Other Stories, 2004
- A History of the Sikhs: 1469-1838, 2004
- Death at My Doorstep, 2005
- A History of the Sikhs: 1839-2004, 2005
- The Illustrated History of the Sikhs, 2006
- Why I Supported the Emergency: Essays and Profiles, 2009
- The Sunset Club, 2010
Short stories
- The Mark of Vishnu and Other Stories. London, Saturn Press, 1950.
- The Voice of God and Other Stories. Bombay, Jaico, 1957.
- A Bride for the Sahib and Other Stories. New Delhi, Hind, 1967.
- Black Jasmine. Bombay, Jaico, 1971
- The Collected Stories. N.p., Ravi Dayal, 1989.
- The Portrait of a Lady
Play
Television Documentary: Third World—Free Press (also presenter; Third Eye series), 1982 (UK).External links
- At 96, Khushwant Singh pens new book
- Panjab University honour to come home to Khushwant Singh
- Interview with Khushwant Singh in 2009
- Essay on Khushwant Singh on Literary Encyclopedia
- Interview with Khushwant Singh
- India today Interview: "We've Had So Many Donkeys as PM"
- Outlook India Interview: "I Don't Know One Editor In India Who Is Well-Read"
- Biography: Khushwant Singh