Khushwant Singh
Khushwant Singh was born in 1915 in British India’s Punjab Province. He crafted his own epitaph that captured his essence perfectly: “Here lies one who spared 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 of a gun.” His self-written farewell gives us a glimpse into the unfiltered candor that made him India’s most fearless writer during his remarkable 99-year experience. Singh’s transformation from a lawyer to a literary giant who wrote over 100 books was as extraordinary as his brutally honest commentary on society, politics, and religion.
Khushwant Singh’s biography reveals a renaissance man who mastered multiple domains, beyond his famous works like “Train to Pakistan” published in 1956. He built his foundation in law at Modern School, St. Stephen’s College, Government College in Lahore, and King’s College London. The horrors of Partition that he witnessed later inspired his most acclaimed writing. His career grew to include journalism, diplomacy, and politics. He served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from 1980 to 1986. His editorial leadership at “The Illustrated Weekly of India” saw circulation surge from 65,000 to 400,000 through his refreshingly direct approach to taboo subjects.
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Khushwant Singh’s steadfast dedication to authenticity earned him the prestigious Padma Vibhushan in 2007, yet he remained fiercely independent in his convictions. He returned his Padma Bhushan in 1984 to protest Operation Blue Star, which showed the principles that guided his personal life and professional work. Singh’s questioning of organized religion led him to declare, “One can be a saintly person without believing in God.” This authenticity made him both celebrated and controversial throughout his career until his death in 2014. He left behind a literary legacy rich with wisdom, wit, and uncompromising honesty.
Early Life and Education of Khushwant Singh
Childhood in Hadali and family background
Birth and heritage: Khushwant Singh was born on February 2, 1915, in Hadali, Khushab District, Punjab (now in Pakistan). He came from a wealthy Sikh family. His father’s name was Sir Sobha Singh, a leading builder in Lutyens’ Delhi, and his mother was Veeran Bai. His uncle Sardar Ujjal Singh served as the Governor of Punjab and Tamil Nadu. The family’s wealth came from his father’s thriving construction business.
Early village life: Life in Hadali shaped Singh’s earliest memories and outlook. His grandmother Lakshmi Devi played a vital role in raising him. She would wake up before dawn to finish household tasks while saying her prayers. The daily routine included going to the local Dharamsal-cum-school where Bhai Hari Singh worked as both granthi (priest) and teacher. Khushwant’s bond with Hadali stayed strong throughout his life. He wanted his ashes to be placed at Government High School Hudali after his death.
Changing his name and early schooling
Name transformation: His grandmother named him Khushal Singh, but he later picked “Khushwant” to match his elder brother Bhagwant’s name. This change happened after boys teased him with phrases like “Shalee Shoolee, Bagh dee Moolee”. Singh called his new name “self-manufactured and meaningless”.
Modern School days: Delhi Modern School became Singh’s home from 1920 to 1930. He did well only in English and geography. People knew him as an “incorrigible prankster.” Once, he and his brothers gave their chemistry teacher a cobra – a story that later inspired “The Mark of Vishnu”. Modern School sparked his passion for English and Urdu poetry. He also met Kaval Malik there, who later became his wife.
College years in Delhi and Lahore
Higher education beginnings: After school, Singh joined St. Stephen’s College in Delhi from 1930 to 1932. He completed his intermediate arts examination there. He then went to Government College, Lahore, and got his Bachelor’s degree in 1934 with a “third-class degree”.
Artistic inclinations: Singh loved painting and playing the sitar during his college years. This passion led him to Kala Bhavan at Vishva Bharati University in West Bengal. Poor health forced him back to Lahore. His talkative and argumentative nature made his parents push him toward law.
Studying law in London
Legal education: Singh studied law at King’s College, University of London, and earned his LL.B. in 1938. He chose King’s College because “it sounded quite grand”. The London Inner Temple called him to the bar that same year.
Personal connections: London reunited Singh with Kaval Malik, his former classmate. She was there studying a Montessori teaching course. Their friendship turned to love, and they married in 1939. They had two children: Rahul Singh and Mala Singh.
From Courtrooms to Conflict: His Legal and Diplomatic Journey
Practicing law in Lahore before Partition
Legal beginnings: Khushwant Singh started his professional career as a lawyer at the Lahore High Court in 1939. He worked in the Chamber of Manzur Qadir and Ijaz Husain Batalvi. His eight-year legal practice helped him build lasting friendships with colleagues like Akhtar Aly Kureshy and Raja Muhammad Arif.
Professional struggles: Singh’s privileged background didn’t shield him from career challenges. As a defense lawyer, he handled major cases including two murder trials. The first trial was in Abbottabad with two Hindu families, while the second in Gujranwala dealt with a British nurse’s robbery and murder on a train. The work left him feeling unfulfilled.
Witnessing the horrors of Partition
Escalating violence: Spring 1947 brought growing unrest to Punjab. Singh read reports about power transfer from British to Indian hands and the Boundary Commission’s plans to divide India and Pakistan. He thought these events would pass without forcing him to leave Lahore.
Forced exodus: The situation took a dark turn in early August 1947. Singh saw black smoke rising from bazaars one afternoon. He heard gunfire and women’s cries. Chris Everett, Punjab’s CID head and Singh’s former law school friend from London, warned him to leave Lahore a week before Independence.
Refugee journey: Singh and his wife packed what they could carry. They gave their house keys to their Muslim friend Manzur Qadir and joined other Hindu and Sikh refugees heading to India. Their path crossed with Muslim refugees moving the opposite way. They saw partition’s brutal aftermath. Delhi became their new home on August 13, 1947, just before Indian independence.
Joining the Indian Foreign Service
Diplomatic transition: Singh joined the Indian Foreign Service right after independence in 1947. This career change came after leaving his Lahore law practice. His family moved to New Delhi, where they owned property.
Roles in Canada, UK, and UNESCO
International postings: Singh’s diplomatic work began as India’s Information Officer in Toronto, Canada. He spent four years as Press Attaché and Public Officer at Indian High Commissions in London and Ottawa. Paris became his home from 1954 to 1956, where he worked in UNESCO’s Department of Mass Communications.
Departure from diplomacy: The diplomatic life offered great perks, but Singh didn’t enjoy the bureaucratic “babudom” lifestyle. He left the Ministry of External Affairs. This change led him to journalism, where he made his greatest contributions.
The Rise of a Fearless Voice in Indian Journalism
Joining All India Radio and early journalism
Career Pivot: Khushwant Singh changed his career path decisively in 1951. He left the Indian Foreign Service and became a journalist at All India Radio. His role as a producer of the English-language program brought him together with acclaimed Bengali author Nirad C. Chaudhuri.
Original Ventures: Singh’s early journalism career took shape when he founded and edited Yojana, an Indian government journal from 1951 to 1953. His work expanded internationally as he joined the Department of Mass Communications at UNESCO in Paris from 1954 to 1956.
Transforming The Illustrated Weekly of India
Revolutionary Editor: Singh revolutionized The Illustrated Weekly of India between 1969 and 1978. He found a publication with “a well-deserved reputation for dull respectability” and gave it new life. His editorial vision was straightforward yet bold—he wanted to “inform, amuse, and irritate” readers.
Dramatic Results: The Weekly’s circulation grew dramatically under Singh’s leadership from 65,000 to 400,000. He made his mark with his first piece about serial killer Raman Raghav’s trial, which set a bold new direction.
Editorial Philosophy: Singh broke down “the unwritten norms of gentility, both visual and linguistic”. His introduction of controversial subjects and American cultural elements changed Indian self-perception during that era.
Editorial stints at Hindustan Times and National Herald
Prominent Positions: Singh moved on from the Weekly in 1978 and took charge as editor of National Herald (1978-1979) and later Hindustan Times (1980-1983). Indira Gandhi personally recommended him for his position at Hindustan Times.
Political Context: Singh stood firm against censorship during the Emergency of 1975. This principled stance became a defining characteristic of his journalism.
The iconic column: With Malice Towards One and All
Lasting Legacy: Singh’s voice remained strong through his famous column “With Malice Towards One and All”. The column appeared in several publications including The Telegraph, Hindustan Times, and The Pioneer.
Column Structure: Each piece contained 3-4 essays that started with current events commentary and included his travel memories. Readers felt connected through their submitted jokes that ended each column.
Visual Identity: Mario Miranda’s distinctive cartoon captured Singh’s essence perfectly. The illustration showed him surrounded by books, scotch, and a magazine—visual elements that represented his motto of “sex, scotch, and scholarship” and showed his independent spirit.
Khushwant Singh the Writer: Books, Beliefs, and Boldness
Train to Pakistan and the Partition narrative
Literary milestone: “Train to Pakistan” (1956) made Khushwant Singh a distinguished writer of social realism. The novel paints a vivid picture of Partition’s human tragedy through the story of Mano Majra, a fictional border village that represents the larger events. The book first came out as “Mano Majra” but later got a new name to highlight Partition’s human side.
Critical recognition: Salman Rushdie called it “the only good book on the theme of Partition,” and Amitav Ghosh praised it as “a classic”. The novel won the Grove Press India Fiction Prize in 1956. Pamela Rooks adapted it into a film in 1998.
Learning about sexuality and society in his novels
Bold explorations: Singh was the first Indian novelist to write openly about sexuality. He wrote “The Company of Women” at 84, drawing from his father’s romantic life after his mother’s divorce. The story follows a divorced man’s sexual adventures while touching on globalization and pleasure-seeking among the newly rich middle class.
Unfiltered approach: “I’ve been called a dirty old man and it doesn’t bother me one bit,” Singh said in a 2010 interview. His novels treat sexuality as a natural part of human life, using these moments to show his characters’ true nature.
His agnosticism and critique of religion
Spiritual contradictions: Singh called himself an agnostic but kept visiting gurudwaras and never gave up his Sikh identity. He started his writing career by translating Japji Sahib verses from Sikh scriptures into English, yet he believed “One can be a saintly person without believing in God”.
Religious scholarship: Singh knew religions of all types—Sikhism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism—which let him critique them knowledgeably. His final book, “The Good, The Bad and The Ridiculous,” published in October 2013, kept up his criticism of religion, especially in India.
Autobiography and final reflections in Khushwantnama
Candid memoir: Singh’s 2002 autobiography, “Truth, Love and a Little Malice,” showed his raw point of view on life and relationships. He told his daughter he would write with complete honesty, even if it meant showing family members in a bad light.
Final wisdom: “Khushwantnama: The Lessons of My Life,” published just before he died, shared his thoughts on old age, death, sex, poetry, laughter, retirement, and religion. The book stays true to his style—”All this comes straight from Khushwant Singh—the most blatant truths of life”.
Awards, controversies, and public reactions
Recognition and principles: Singh got the Padma Bhushan in 1974 but gave it back in 1984 to protest Operation Blue Star. India honored him with its second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2007.
Polarizing figure: His controversial views came out at the 1962 International Writers Conference in Edinburgh, where he took a “puritanical” stance and said homosexuals couldn’t love. Singh never backed down from criticism, saying: “If you write fearlessly and candidly, you have to be prepared to pay the price”.
The Lasting Legacy
Khushwant Singh’s rise from a struggling lawyer to India’s most fearless writer marks one of the 20th century’s most remarkable literary transformations. His life stretched across nearly a century (1915-2014). He witnessed India’s partition, independence, and growth into a modern nation. Singh managed to keep his characteristic candor through these turbulent times. He wrote openly about sexuality, religion, politics, and social issues. His masterpiece “Train to Pakistan” shows his skill at capturing human tragedy with compassion and realism. His journalism changed how Indians consumed media.
The Unapologetic Trailblazer
Singh earned prestigious accolades like the Padma Vibhushan but never compromised his principles for popularity. He returned his Padma Bhushan award in 1984 to protest Operation Blue Star. This action reflected the same steadfast dedication that defined his writing and personal life. He transformed The Illustrated Weekly of India from a staid publication into a vibrant, controversial magazine. The circulation increased sixfold under his unique editorial vision. Critics often called him provocative or vulgar. Yet Singh stayed true to his mission – he wanted to inform, amuse, and sometimes irritate his readers.
The Multifaceted Mind
Khushwant Singh defied simple labels. He was a self-proclaimed agnostic who translated Sikh scriptures. He criticized organized religion yet regularly visited gurudwaras. He embraced “sex, scotch, and scholarship” with equal enthusiasm. Singh’s talents went beyond writing to diplomacy, politics, and cultural commentary. His work spans over 100 books, countless columns, and numerous editorial positions. These provide a unique chronicle of Indian society through its most unfiltered observer’s eyes.
The Enduring Voice
Singh’s self-written epitaph captures his essence perfectly: “Here lies one who spared neither man nor God.” His legacy shapes Indian writing today. He challenges new generations to choose honesty over politeness, substance over style, and authenticity over conformity. Singh passed away in 2014 at 99, but his fearless voice resonates through contemporary Indian literature, journalism, and cultural discourse. He remains more than a literary figure – he is a cultural institution that taught India to speak truth, whatever the consequence.
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FAQ
What is Khushwant Singh’s biography?
Khushwant Singh (1915–2014) was an eminent Indian writer, journalist, and lawyer. Born in Hadali, Punjab (now in Pakistan), he studied law at Government College, Lahore, and later at King’s College London. Singh initially practiced law but transitioned to journalism and writing. He served as editor of The Illustrated Weekly of India and Hindustan Times. His notable works include Train to Pakistan and A History of the Sikhs. Singh was awarded the Padma Bhushan and later the Padma Vibhushan for his literary contributions.
What are some famous books written by Khushwant Singh?
Khushwant Singh wrote numerous influential books. His most famous novel, Train to Pakistan (1956), depicts the Partition of India. Other notable works include I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale (1959), Delhi: A Novel (1990), and The Company of Women (1999). He also authored A History of the Sikhs, a two-volume study on Sikh heritage. Singh’s satirical essays and short stories continue to be widely read.
Who was Khushwant Singh's grandmother?
Khushwant Singh’s grandmother is famously described in his short story The Portrait of a Lady. He portrayed her as a deeply religious woman, devoted to prayer and traditional customs. Their bond changed over time as Singh grew older, but he fondly remembered her simplicity and spirituality. Her death marked a profound moment in his life, as symbolized by the sparrows mourning her loss.
When and how did Khushwant Singh die?
Khushwant Singh passed away on March 20, 2014, at the age of 99. His death marked the loss of one of India’s most iconic literary voices. His works continue to be celebrated for their wit, humor, and deep insights into Indian society.
What was Khushwant Singh's educational background?
Khushwant Singh studied at Government College, Lahore, where he earned a law degree. He then pursued further legal studies at King’s College London and The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple. Although he initially practiced law, his passion for writing led him to become a renowned journalist and author.
What is the summary of The Portrait of a Lady by Khushwant Singh?
The Portrait of a Lady is a personal narrative about Khushwant Singh’s relationship with his grandmother. He describes her as an old, religious woman who played a crucial role in his childhood. As he grows older, their bond weakens due to changes in lifestyle and education. The story ends with her peaceful death, with sparrows mysteriously gathering to mourn her loss.
Who was Khushwant Singh’s father?
Khushwant Singh’s father, Sir Sobha Singh, was a prominent civil contractor and builder in Delhi. He played a key role in constructing several landmark buildings during the British colonial period. His work greatly influenced the infrastructure of modern Delhi.
What is the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival (KSLF)?
The Khushwant Singh Literary Festival is an annual event held in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, to honor Singh’s literary legacy. It brings together renowned authors, journalists, and artists to discuss literature, politics, and contemporary issues. The festival reflects Singh’s passion for open dialogue and intellectual discussions.
What are some famous quotes by Khushwant Singh?
Khushwant Singh was known for his wit and sharp observations. Some of his famous quotes include:
- “India is beyond statement, for anything you say, the opposite is also true.”
- “We are a people with a sense of humor. God’s plenty.”
- “Freedom is for the educated people who fought for it. We need to train our masses before giving them freedom.”
His words continue to resonate with readers today.
Who was Khushwant Singh's wife?
Khushwant Singh was married to Kanwal Malik, his childhood friend. Their marriage lasted several decades, and Kanwal was a strong supporter of his literary career. She remained by his side throughout his life, providing personal and emotional support.
How did Khushwant Singh represent India in his works?
Khushwant Singh was deeply connected to Indian culture and history. His works, such as Train to Pakistan and A History of the Sikhs, vividly depict India’s political and social changes. Through satire, humor, and realism, he explored themes of Partition, secularism, and modern Indian identity.
