Sunny Dua
Busy making footprints on white sands of Bogmalo beach in Goa I strolled right up to ‘The Bogmallo Beach Resort’ only to meet a couple of traders from Kashmir who were selling Shawls and had also set up some makeshift shops there. During conversations, the traders from my native place mentioned about Khushwant Singh staying in the hotel. I seized the opportunity, went inside and left a message at the reception. The wait in the hotel lobby was worth it when I finally got to shake hands with ‘Dirty Old Man of India’ who was helped to reach me by a Gorgeous and caring lady, Kanwal Malik – his wife. The conversation lasted for about half an hour which I documented in a piece that was published in a local newspaper back home in Jammu. I was on cloud nine.
Though he was staying in the hotel for free to complete one of his works, he still had complaints of being charged exorbitant for coconut water as compared to the one available on the beach. “It was only yesterday that I went strolling on the beach and came to now that coconut water was far cheaper there what I was being charged in the hotel”, he had said amusingly but he actually meant it. In fact, like many others, he too loved ‘Free Sprees’. Yet the conversation we had on varied topics including coconut stands treasured.
Many of you might get me wrong or feel offended for writing ‘Bastard’ in the caption but this too has a story that’s known around the globe and is required to be retold.
Khushwant Singh was put on a hit list for criticising Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale who was on the rampage in Punjab during 80s. He wrote extensively against the very demand of Khalistan and even warned Sikhs against the move. Though Khushwant Singh didn’t get any bullet in his head yet his letter box continued to remain flooded with hate mails. One of his knockers from Canada sent Khushwant Singh the choicest of abuses and on the cover that was despatched by name wrote “Bastard Khush-want Singh, India”.
The story ends in Khushwant Singh’s own words who wrote in a piece. ‘I was most impressed by the efficiency of the Indian Postal Service in locating the address of the one and only bastard in the country. I showed it to all my friends with great gusto. Then in utter disgust my wife tore it up. What a loss’!
This was Khushwant Singh who giggled at his enemies, loved his contemporaries and lived on his own terms. A versatile writer, The Dirty Old Man of India, till his death remained a mentor to many, source of inspiration for his readers, witness of bloody partition of India and a man who never had any regrets from life. In fact he lived a complete life which everyone desires or dreams to live.
When for the second time I met him at Hotel Ashok, in Jammu he was heavily drunk and was being escorted to his room by his colleagues. I was sad for I could not make him remember our rendezvous at Goa and next day morning he was off to Delhi. That evening he was in bad shape and was resembling like any good old ‘Sharabi’ (drunkard) least bothered about his Pyjamas, Flowing Beard or Parna (Headgear). I didn’t like the scene but then it was his writings and not the frail looking Shabby Sikh I was fan of.
Khushwant Singh was widely read by not only in English but there were many fans of his syndicate columns that were translated in other languages as well. Belonging to a rich family, Khushwant was raised up in a joint family. He was born in a village located in between Hadali in Punjab, Lahore and India’s Rajasthan which he often used to narrate to his visitors and even mention in his works. Shot to fame from ‘A Train to Pakistan’, Khushwant Singh never looked back and kept writing till his death.
He belonged to such a great family that there’s a railway station in Lahore named after his grandfather Sardar Sujan Singh. Sujan Singh Park in Delhi is also named after Khushwant’s grandfather. Khushwant’s father Shoba Singh was a contractor who built South Block and finally settled in Delhi. Khushwant Singh was actually named Khushal Singh by his parents but since he didn’t like it he changed it to Khushhwant Singh.
An introvert, Khushwant Singh used to study in Modern School, Delhi and lived in Raisana Hills. Kerala House in Delhi once used to be his home which was sold by his grandfather. Thereafter he studied at St Stephens College but left his studies midway after jumping into freedom movement. He, however, completed his B.A from London University and later studied law.
Since he was not good at studies, he completed law in five years and got married to his primary school friend – Kanwal Malik. Mohammad Ali Jinnah was also in the guest list of his marriage. When Khushwant practised law at Lahore and failed to become a good lawyer, he returned to Delhi and then to Kasauli from where he started weaving magic with words and became to be known as a writer.
Mohammad Ali Jinnah had asked him to return to Lahore where he was tipped to the made judge of the high court. Since he was destined to become a writer, he didn’t accept the proposal and continued to work with different organisations only to leave everything and settle in Delhi and become a full time writer. He worked as Information officer in London and in Canada, news producer in Akashwani, edited Yojana a central Government’s magazine and remained editor at Hindustan Times and National Herald as well.
A good hockey player, Khushwant Singh also enjoyed swimming, playing tennis and driving. With his works, he had reached such a height that he used to get unwanted knocks on his doors by visitors. ‘Do not ring unless expected’ was finally out on the entrance which is still hanging there at Sujan Singh Park. His first book Mark of Vishnu and a story Portrait of a Lady are worth reading. Portrait of a Lady is part of children’s text books as well.
A Sikh by birth he was possessive about religion but never followed the practices. Recipient of Padam Bhushan Khushwant always remained in controversies but enjoyed every bit of it. He was the person who because of his wittiness and hard work took the circulation of Illustrated Weekly of India from 40,000 to 4 lakh only to be removed from the post unceremoniously. That was also the Khushwant Singh’s another side.
Khushwant always donated royalties he used to get from his publishers. His column ‘With Malice towards one and all’ had ceased to appear long back but my brief encounter with the versatile writer would continue to remain my Treasure. He was the person who returned Padam Bhushan as a mark of protest against siege of the Golden Temple but was again conferred Padam Vibhushan for his contribution.
His only mantra for successful journalism was Inform, amuse and provoke. Having remained a Rajya Sabha member Khushwant he was always dubbed as a womaniser and drunkard but women in his life never complained of him and instead enjoyed his company. Open hearted, straight forward, honest and possessing a good sense of humour, Khushwant was always held in high esteem.
Now that Khushwant Singh is no more in this world, he has left so much treasure with his, perhaps, last disciple, a friend and an avid admirer Dr Amrinder Bajaj who has compiled all the letters she has exchanged with ‘The Dirty Old Man of India’ in her memoir titles Afternoon Girl. The book gives an insight into the life of Khushwant Singh. Reading the communication between a failed lawyer turned writer and a doctor turned author is no less than stalking but for a reader it still would be like being right there to feel, experience and know ‘The Bastard’ who has left an indelible mark on millions of hearts never to be replicated or cloned ever.
Khushwant in his epitaph had written, ‘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.”
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