Shankar Dayal Singh
Encyclopedia
An eminent litterateur and parliamentarian Dr. Shankar Dayal Singh (Hindi
: डा० शंकर दयाल सिंह) was twice elected to the Parliament of India
. He was one of the youngest members of the Fifth Lok Sabha, in which he represented the Chatra
parliamentary constituency in Bihar (now in Jharkhand
). Contesting his maiden Lok Sabha election in 1971
, he defeated Smt. Vijaya Raje, the wife of Sri Kamakhya Narayan Singh
, Raja of Ramgarh. He was again elected to the upper house, the Rajya Sabha, in 1990 from Bihar.
A prolific author and humanitarian, he was equally admired and loved by all across the party line. He died of cardiac arrest during a train journey from Patna
to New Delhi
in the midway at Tundla
on 26th November, 1995.
to Sri Kamta Prasad Singh 'Kam'. He lost his mother at a very early age and was brought up by his grand-mother and paternal aunts.
, the first Chief Minister of Bihar
. He himself was a writer of extra-ordinary merit and authored more than a dozen books. He was also a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) in Bihar.
in Benaras. He received his B.A. degree from the Banaras Hindu University
, followed by M.A. degree from the Patna University. Later, he was awarded D.Litt. by the Vikramshila University.
.He was a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC). Up against a popular anti-Indira wave in 1977, he lost to Sri Sukhdev Prasad Verma of BLD.
and unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary election from Aurangabad, Bihar
, but still he was able to shake the bastion of the Rajput leader Sri Satyendra Narayan Sinha
as he had to trail in one of the assembly segments for the first time.
with Sri Vishwanath Pratap Singh and raised it in Bihar almost solely. Jan Morcha later merged into the Janata Dal
. Thereafter, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1990, the office that he held till his death.
. He was also associated with many other academic institutions like the Balika Vidyapeeth, Lakhisarai; Deogarh Vidyapeeth, Deogarh and Madhustahli, Madhupur. He also served as the Deputy Chairman of the Delhi Public Library
and the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan (en.Central Hindi Institute). Earlier, he was a Director on the Board of Samachar Bharti, a news agency for vernacular languages; and went on to become its Chairman. He authored more than thirty books and edited many others. He was a popular columnist for Hindi dailies and periodicals.
and New Delhi
at Tundla
, left his family of friends, admirers and followers shocked and surprised. He was survived by his wife Kanan Bala Singh, an educationist, and three children: viz Ranjan Kumar Singh, a journalist, Rajesh Kumar Singh and Rashmi Singh, both in the civil services. His wife, Kanan Bala Singh published her reminiscence on the life of her husband Shankar Dayal Singh titled as Mere Sahchar (en.my co-partner) in the year 2001.
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
: डा० शंकर दयाल सिंह) was twice elected to the Parliament of India
Parliament of India
The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
. He was one of the youngest members of the Fifth Lok Sabha, in which he represented the Chatra
Chatra
Chatra is a genus of Moth in the family Lasiocampidae....
parliamentary constituency in Bihar (now in Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
). Contesting his maiden Lok Sabha election in 1971
Indian general election, 1971
India held general elections to the 5th Lok Sabha. This fifth general elections, which were conducted for 518 seats from 518 constituencies, represented 27 Indian states and union territories. Indira Gandhi steered the Congress to a landslide victory in 1971...
, he defeated Smt. Vijaya Raje, the wife of Sri Kamakhya Narayan Singh
Raja Bahadur Kamakhya Narain Singh
Raja Bahadur Kamakhya Narain Singh of Ramgarh, Jharkhand entered politics in 1946 following the formal accession of the Ramgarh state into the Indian Republic. In the Bihar Assembly Elections of 1967, serious opposition was offered by the Raja Bahadur's Swatantra Party to the ruling Congress...
, Raja of Ramgarh. He was again elected to the upper house, the Rajya Sabha, in 1990 from Bihar.
A prolific author and humanitarian, he was equally admired and loved by all across the party line. He died of cardiac arrest during a train journey from Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
to New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
in the midway at Tundla
Tundla
Tundla is a town and a municipal board in Firozabad district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.- Geographic :Tundla is located at 27.2° N 78.28° E[1]. It has an average elevation of 168 metres . Tundla is 24 km away from the city of Taj Mahal, Agra...
on 26th November, 1995.
Early life
He was born in Bhawanipur village of Aurangabad, BiharAurangabad, Bihar
Aurangabad is a city and a municipality in Aurangabad district in the state of Bihar, India. Aurangabad is the district headquarters of the Aurangabad district. It is situated on the Grand Trunk Road. The people of this region primarily speak Magahi. Due to lack of industrialization, people are...
to Sri Kamta Prasad Singh 'Kam'. He lost his mother at a very early age and was brought up by his grand-mother and paternal aunts.
Father
His father Sri Kamta Prasad Singh 'Kam' was a freedom fighter and a close aide of Shri Sri Krishna SinhaSri Krishna Sinha
Sri Krishna Sinha , known as Bihar Kesari, was the first Chief Minister of the Indian state of Bihar . Along with the nationalists Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Dr. Anugrah Narayan Sinha, Sinha is regarded among the Architects of Modern Bihar...
, the first Chief Minister of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. He himself was a writer of extra-ordinary merit and authored more than a dozen books. He was also a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) in Bihar.
Education
Dr. Shankar Dayal Singh got his primary education at home and went on to study at the Rajghat Besant SchoolRajghat Besant School
Rajghat Besant School in Varanasi is one of the reputed resident-cum-day school of India, established in 1934 by Jiddu Krishnamurti. It is named after Dr. Annie Besant and located near Rajghat Railway Station on other side of river Ganges & Varanasi city.The school was founded and is run by...
in Benaras. He received his B.A. degree from the Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University is a public university located in Varanasi, India and is one of the Central Universities of India. It is the largest residential university in Asia, with over 24,000 students in its campus. BHU was founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya under the Parliamentary...
, followed by M.A. degree from the Patna University. Later, he was awarded D.Litt. by the Vikramshila University.
Career
Dr. Shankar Dayal Singh was a prolific writer and a published author of over 30 books. His articles featured in almost all the leading dailies and periodicals of Hindi. He was also the editor of Mukta Kantha , a literary Hindi magazine. He founded Parijat Prakashan in Patna that became one of the premier Hindi publication houses in eastern India. He was conferred with the title of Bihar Ratna in 1990 and was felicitated with the Anant Gopal Shevade Hindi Samman in 1993, for his contributions to the society and literature.Indian National Congress
Besides being one of the youngest MPs in the Fifth Lok Sabha, we was also an elected member of the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the ruling Indian National CongressIndian 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...
.He was a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC). Up against a popular anti-Indira wave in 1977, he lost to Sri Sukhdev Prasad Verma of BLD.
Janata Party
In 1984, he joined the Janata PartyJanata Party
The Janata Party was an amalgam of Indian political parties opposed to the state of emergency imposed by the government of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her Indian National Congress...
and unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary election from Aurangabad, Bihar
Aurangabad, Bihar
Aurangabad is a city and a municipality in Aurangabad district in the state of Bihar, India. Aurangabad is the district headquarters of the Aurangabad district. It is situated on the Grand Trunk Road. The people of this region primarily speak Magahi. Due to lack of industrialization, people are...
, but still he was able to shake the bastion of the Rajput leader Sri Satyendra Narayan Sinha
Satyendra Narayan Sinha
Satyendra Narayan Sinha was an Indian statesman, participant in the Indian independence movement, and a former Chief Minister of Bihar...
as he had to trail in one of the assembly segments for the first time.
Janata Dal
Shankar Dayal Singh was one of the founder members of the Jan MorchaJan Morcha
The Jan Morcha was founded by V. P. Singh when he was dismissed from his post of Defence Minister and subsequently left the Congress Party in 1987.Together with Arun Nehru, Arif Mohammed Khan, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, V. C...
with Sri Vishwanath Pratap Singh and raised it in Bihar almost solely. Jan Morcha later merged into the Janata Dal
Janata Dal
Janata Dal is an Indian political party which was formed through the merger of Janata Party factions, the Lok Dal, Congress, and the Jan Morcha led by V. P...
. Thereafter, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1990, the office that he held till his death.
Parliamentary Committees
He served as a Member on various Parliamentary Committees. His contribution as the Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Languages deserves special mention. Later, he rose to become its Deputy Chairman (07.06.1994 to 26.11.1995). He was also on the Panel of Vice-Chairmen of the Rajya Sabha (1990-92).Manifold Services
A widely travelled person, he made valuable contribution in the fields of literature, education, culture, social work and labour welfare. He served as the secretary of B.D. College, Patna for almost a decade and held this post till the collage became a constituent collage of the Magadh UniversityMagadh University
Magadh University is a university in the state of Bihar, India. It is recognized by the University Grants Commission . The university is now governed by Bihar State University Act 1976. It is located at Bodh Gaya where Lord Buddha got enlightenment. Magadh University is situated in a lush green and...
. He was also associated with many other academic institutions like the Balika Vidyapeeth, Lakhisarai; Deogarh Vidyapeeth, Deogarh and Madhustahli, Madhupur. He also served as the Deputy Chairman of the Delhi Public Library
Delhi Public Library
Delhi Public Library is a national depository library in Delhi, India, it has over 35 branches across the state.The one of the branches of the library is located on S.P. Mukherjee Marg, opposite the Old Delhi Railway Station.-History:...
and the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan (en.Central Hindi Institute). Earlier, he was a Director on the Board of Samachar Bharti, a news agency for vernacular languages; and went on to become its Chairman. He authored more than thirty books and edited many others. He was a popular columnist for Hindi dailies and periodicals.
Personal life
A true humanitarian, he was a friend of all and a foe of none. Even being in politics, he did not let himself be bound in the shackles of the party that he represented. He was equally admired and loved by all across the party line. His sudden demise in the night of 26 November 1995, in a train journey between PatnaPatna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
and New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
at Tundla
Tundla
Tundla is a town and a municipal board in Firozabad district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.- Geographic :Tundla is located at 27.2° N 78.28° E[1]. It has an average elevation of 168 metres . Tundla is 24 km away from the city of Taj Mahal, Agra...
, left his family of friends, admirers and followers shocked and surprised. He was survived by his wife Kanan Bala Singh, an educationist, and three children: viz Ranjan Kumar Singh, a journalist, Rajesh Kumar Singh and Rashmi Singh, both in the civil services. His wife, Kanan Bala Singh published her reminiscence on the life of her husband Shankar Dayal Singh titled as Mere Sahchar (en.my co-partner) in the year 2001.
Obituary references
- P.V. Narasimha Rao, the then Prime Minister of IndiaPrime Minister of IndiaThe Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
expressed his sentiments: "I express my deep sense of loss and pay my condolences at the passing away of Shri Shankar Dayal Singh, a distinguished parliamentarian and noted author and lover of Hindi. He had been a former Member of this House and presently a sitting Member of the other House. On a personal note, I would like to say that we were members of the Congress Working Committee before 1980 and we found Shri Shankar Dayal Singh as one of the most thorough-going members of the Working Committee. He would not come to the Working Committee without reading every word of the agenda. That was not the case with other Members. So, all of us always looked to him to start the discussion on any point because he was absolutely thorough with the papers and he was quite fearless in expressing his views. And he was also ready to listen to the views of others. On the whole, he is one of the remarkable persons I have come across. His loss will be felt by all of us, and a large number of his friends and admirers".
- Somnath ChatterjeeSomnath ChatterjeeSomnath Chatterjee is an Indian politician who had been associated with the Communist Party of India for most of his life, though he is currently an independent...
, CPM leader said: "Mr. Shankar Dayal Singh who was a sitting Member of the other House and who was a man with lively personality and always we had the best of relationship. We know of his contribution in different spheres of activity."
- Indrajit GuptaIndrajit GuptaIndrajit Gupta was a Communist leader who became Indias Union Minister for Home Affairs in the United Front government from 1996 to 1998...
, CPI leader said: "Shri Shankar Dayal Singh was a very affectionate and warm friend of so many Members both in this House and the other House. Irrespective of parties and all that, he was always regarded as a very affectionate personality".
- P.G. Narayanan, from AIADMK spoke: "In the demise of Shri Shankar Dayal Singh, we have lost an honest and distinguished Parliamentarian. He was a good social worker. He has participated in social organisations at the national level. His contributions to culture and education are also remarkable."
- Chitta BasuChitta BasuChitta Basu was an Indian politician and a leader of the All India Forward Bloc. He was born in Dhaka, now the capital of Bangladesh, in 1926. In his obituary, The Indian Express described Basu as belonging to the rare tribe of politicians who did politics for a cause and practiced what they...
, of the Forward Block said: "I want to refer to Shri Shankar Dayal Singhji with whom I had the privilege and opportunity to work together in a Committee and I was very much influenced by the broadness of his mind and his erudite scholarship on many subjects. He was a great author of Hindi language. He immensely contributed for the enrichment of Hindi literature. In that course he also showed much interest in other literatures of other languages and he felt that there should be some concerted efforts for translation of books written in many Indian languages and opportunities should be created for exchange of those books through certain mechanism and through certain modalities."
Published Works
- Yudh Ke Chaurahe Tak
- Yudh Ke Aas Pass
- Gandhi Ke Desh Se, Lenin Ke Desh Mein
- Kitna Kya Ankaha
- Emergency: Kya Sachh, Kya Jhooth
- Emergency: Fact and Fiction
- Kuchh Batein, Kuchh Log
- Ek Din Apna Bhi 1980
- Hindi Sahitya Katipaya More (Hindi), 1980
- Samaya; Asamaya (Hindi), 1980
- Baat Jo Bolegi, (Hindi), 1982
- Paas Se Dekhne Ka Sukh (Hindi)
- Jo Chhor Gaye Veh Bhi Rahenge (Hindi)
- Bheegi Dharti Ki Sondhi Gandh (Hindi)
- Parivesh Ka Sukh (Hindi)
- Rajniti Ki Dhoop, Sahitya Ki Chhanva (Hindi)
- Dhara Ke Is Par, Dhara Ke Us Par (Hindi)
- Surbhit Smritiyan (Hindi)
- Yeh Kahani Nahin (Hindi)
- Gandhi's First Step: Champaran Movement
- Mahatma Gandhi: Pratham Darshan, Pratham Anubhuti (Hindi)
- Mahatma Gandhi: Satya Se Satyagrah Tak (Hindi)
- Gandhi Aur Ahinsak Andollan (Hindi)
- Hindi: Rashtra Bhasha; Raj Bhasha; Jan Bhasha
- Khile Gulab Ki Pankhuri (Hindi)
- Bihar : Ek Sanstkritik Vaibhav(Hindi)
Edited Works
- Pandit Motilal Nehru, a Great Patriot, with D. C. Goswami, R. K. Nayak. National Forum of Lawyers and Legal Aid, 1976
- Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi Smriti Dharohar (Hindi), Muktakantha Prakashan, 1979
- Dr. Karan Singh: Ek Saumya Vyaktitva (Hindi), 1981
- Yaad Ek Yayavar Ki (Hindi), Parijat Prakashan, 1988
Further reading
- Mere Sahchar (Hindi) by Kanan Bala Singh. Pārijat Prakashan, Patna, 2001.
- Indradhanushi Yaden (Hindi). Prabhat Prakashan. 1998. ISBN 8173152284.
External links
- Shankar Dayal Singh at World Catalogue