Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL) Vol.1.Issue.4.;2013 A Peer Reviewed International Journal - http://www.rjelal.com ISSN 2321 – 3108 RESEARCH ARTICLE KUSHWANTH SINGH: AMULTIFACETED PERSONALITY 1 2 SK. KHAMAR JAHAN , Dr. S. PRAKASH RAO 1Research Scholar, J N T U H, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India 2Professor, PMV D and PG College, Osmania University, A P, India ABSTRACT The most widely read post-colonial writer in the English language, an accomplished historical novelist, outstanding journalist, prominent columnist, political commentator and a social critic, Kushwanth Singh, needs no introduction. He enjoys a prominent place not only in Indian contemporary literature but also in journalism as he rendered most of his fruitful years as an editor to different newspapers like The Illustrated Weekly of India, TheNational Herald and The Hindustan Times. His witty and humorouswritings are widely read till date. He has an average of hundred fiction, non-fiction, historical novels, short stories and joke books to his credit.At the ripe age of 98, he comes out with another book Khushwantnama: The Lessons of MyLife. The main objective of this article is to SK. KHAMAR JAHAN honourhim as a multifaceted personality and an accomplished writer with a brief discussion on his most popular select writings. Key Words: authentic writer, partition novels, historian, multifaceted Article Info: Article Received:19/11/2013 Revised on:01/12/2013 Accepted for Publication:6/12/2013 Kushwanth Singhacquires an iconic status Padma Bhushan in 1974, but returned the as one of the finest historians and novelists in Indian decoration in 1984 in protest against the storming of literary history. His vast oeuvre includes fiction, the Golden Temple by the Indian Army. historical novels, translations,joke books, books on Delhi, women, nature and current affairs. He has Born on Feb. 2, 1915 at a village Hadali in been founder-editor of Yojna, and editor of The Khushab district Sargodha, Punjab - now in Pakistan, Illustrated Weekly of India, The National Herald and Kushwanth Singh was highly influenced by the place. The Hindustan Times.He has spent time in a number His parents, Lady VaryamKaur and Sir Sobha Singh of other professions, including law, diplomacy, radio migrated to Delhi leaving him behind in Hadali in his broadcasting and teaching. He is admired and parental grandmother’s care. After passing his lambasted in equal measure because of his matriculation in 1930 he joined St. Stephen's College irreverent and controversial views. His biggest in Delhi run by the Cambridge Mission, regarded as attribute is that he speaks his mind, straight forward one of the best colleges in India. Though and ever lastingly impressive. He iseminently academically he was poor, Singh was probably readable and his literary reputation is instigated towards his literary aspirations during this legendary.Khushwant Singh was a Member of time. The Bible classes interested him immensely Parliament from 1980 to 1986. He was awarded the because he loved the sonorouslanguage of the Old 120 SK. KHAMAR JAHAN et al Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL) Vol.1.Issue.4.;2013 A Peer Reviewed International Journal - http://www.rjelal.com and the New Testaments of The Bible. He set off for editor made him multifaceted personality and England in 1934 as he planned to qualify for the Bar. brought him undiminished fame in the respective He returned home in 1939 with the outbreak of the circles. Second World War, started his career as a practicing lawyer and married his lady love,kaval.He left In 1969 Khushwant Singh reached Bombay Pakistan after 1947 as violence had broken out. to join The Illustrated Weekly as an editor. He also Ashe did not make any virtual progress as a edited Indira Gandhi's National Herald and took up lawyer,he applied for a job in the Ministry of the editorship of New Delhi, a fortnight magazine External Affairs.He was appointed as an information launched by the Anada Bazaar Group of officer in the High Commission in London. From Publications. He was offered the choice of becoming there he was transferred to Ottawa, Canada where either the High commissioner in London, or a he met different journalists like: Kingsley Martin, member of the RajyaSabha as well as the editor of Harold Evans, William Clarke, David Astor; writers The Hindustan Times and he chose the latter. In like: C.P. Snow, Prof. C.E.M.Joad; and poets: Auden, 1980 he became a member of the Parliament and, Louis MacNeice, Dylan Thomas; all frequented his also the editor of the largest circulating newspaper place. of Delhi. Singh continued writing his weekly column "With Malice towards One and All" that enjoys a In the summer 1951, he began living all faithful readership to this day. alone in the house and worked every morning on his first novel based upon the Partition of India, P.P.Mehta remarks that his “achievement completed the rough draft of Mano Majra(Train in the field of novels is no doubt significant but his toPakistan) in three months. He took a job with All short stories are superbly chiseled artistic India Radio and became the in charge of the English pieces”.The Mark of Vishnu and Other Stories is the overseas programmer. Here he met eminent writers first book written in 1950 comprises mostly ironic like Nirad C. Chaudhari and Ruth PawarJhabalvala. tales about faith and religion. This selection includes Singh accepted an offer to take over as the ten of his best, bearing testimony to the author's deputyhead of The Mass Communication Division of remarkable range and his ability to create UNESCO in Paris.Therehe spent most of his time in unforgettable characters out of everyday lives. It writing letters and attending various conferences conveys with a fatality, the foolishness of stubborn and receptions in different parts of the world like beliefs. Kushwanth Singh has mostly written about Madrid, Geneva and London. He returned to India what he is personally acquainted with, his personal and took up a job as the chief editor of Yojana, a experiences, closeassociation and intimate weekly publication (in both Hindi and English) knowledge about thesubject taken up, and always brought out by the Planning Commission of India. He comes through in all his fiction. His first collection was asked by the Encyclopedia Britannica to write ofshort storieswas the result of his briefless days as on Sikhs and theirhistory. He delivered a series of a lawyer inLahore. Almost all of them are based on lectures on Sikhism at the Spalding Trust of Oxford real life experiences or those related byfriends with and taught ComparativeReligion at Princeton the autobiographical elements of his school University. Simultaneously several of his short days.Ultimately he concludes the fact that a man's stories and articles appeared inAmerican, British, superstitious beliefs leads to his doom. and Indian journals likeThe New YorkTimes and The Observer(London). After a short period at Princeton Kushwanth Singh’s profound knowledge and Hawaii, Singh began to teach IndianReligious and vast understanding of India's history, political and Contemporary Indian Politics at Swarthmore systems, and literary heritage is reflected in his College and these teaching were published under prose works. His novels are deeply rooted in the the titleVision of India. Though he was not so recent history and political situation of successful as a lawyer, his journey as an contemporary India. Train to Pakistan (1956), administrator, writer, teacher, journalist and an Khushwant Singh’s first novel brought him instant 121 SK. KHAMAR JAHAN et al Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL) Vol.1.Issue.4.;2013 A Peer Reviewed International Journal - http://www.rjelal.com fame, is considered as one ofthe most compelling human skulls said to be those of Muslims killed in accounts of the Partition of India in 1947.I Shall Not Bihar”. (p.3) Hear the Nightingale (1961), hissecond novel, deals with the conflict in a prosperous Sikh family living in In Train to Pakistan, Khushwant Singh Punjab in the mid-1940s between a magistrate brings out the unobserved, unnoticed and ignored father who works for the British and the son dreams voices throughhis characters from three religious of becoming the leader of a terrorist group rebelling communities: Hindu, Sikh and Muslim. He doesn’t against foreign rule. Delhi (1990), a picaresque blame anyone but emphasizes the agonizing tale of history of India's capital extending over six hundred the people who got caught in the tempest of yearsnarrated by a eunuch has intervened the partition.“I am sure no one in Mano Majra even historical perspective. His book, "A History of Sikhs" knows that the British have left and the country is is a classic well researched two-volume book on Sikh divided into Pakistan and Hindustan. Some of them History. know about Gandhi but I doubt if anyone has ever heard of Jinnah” (p. 21). The story begins with a Train to Pakistan (1956) is a magnificent vivid description of how the village, Mano Majra was novel where Khushwant Singh tells the tragic tale of like a peaceful and harmonious place until the seeds the most lethal incident in the history of India that of hatred and suspicion grew. Ram Lal, the village left an indelible mark on the psyche of every Indian. money lender is killed dramatically by a The brutality, inhumanity and genocide and the neighboringvillage’s dacoit, Malli.Juggut Singh events that followed with human history are breath portrayed as local badmaash of the village who loves taking. During the partition of India thousands fled Nooran, the only daughter of a blind mulla of the from both sides of the border seeking refuge village, is arrested as murder suspect by the police.