Khushwant Singh Biography, Education, History, Awards

Wiki/ Bio

One of the most well-known writers and journalists in India, Khushwant Singh is renowned for his political criticism, witty writing, and literary accomplishments. Singh, who was born on February 2, 1915, in Hadali, Punjab, British India (now in Pakistan), had a noteworthy life that was distinguished by his contributions to public service, political commentary, and literature.

Early Years
Born on February 2, 1915, in Hadali, Khushab District, Punjab, Khushwant Singh was initially called Khushal Singh by his grandmother. Currently, Pakistan includes this area. His father, Sir Sobha Singh, was a well-known builder in Lutyens' Delhi, and his uncle, Sardar Ujjal Singh, was the Governor of Tamil Nadu and Punjab. He was from a Sikh family.

Singh eventually chose August 15 as his birthdate, but his grandmother insisted that he was born in August. His own choice, Khushwant, means "Prosperous Lion," and he meant it to rhyme with the name of his older brother, Bhagwant.

Singh spent his first ten years of school at Modern School in New Delhi. He met Kanwal Malik, his future wife, there. Later, he attended Government College in Lahore and St. Stephen's College in Delhi. He obtained his LL.B. from the University of London after studying at King’s College London.

Personal Life
One of the enduring highlights of Khushwant Singh's personal life was his relationship with Kanwal Malik, a childhood buddy. After reuniting during Singh's legal studies in London, the couple married in a modest wedding in Delhi not long after. Rahul and Mala were their two children together. Kanwal predeceased Singh in 2001.

Apart from his direct family, some of his noteworthy relatives were the actress Amrita Singh, who was his niece, and the TV and film actress Tisca Chopra, who was his grandniece.

Career

Singh's professional career was noteworthy and has several facets. He first worked for eight years as a lawyer in the Lahore High Court, where he met several of his longtime supporters and friends. Singh joined the Indian Foreign Service when India gained its independence in 1947, which allowed him to work as a journalist for All India Radio and the UNESCO Department of Mass Communications in Paris.

 Yojana, The Illustrated Weekly of India, and The National Herald are just a few of the literary and news journals he has edited. 

Singh also had a seat in the Rajya Sabha, the Indian Parliament's upper house, from 1980 to 1986.

Author and editor Khushwant Singh, who is well-known for his book "Truth, Love, and a Little Malice," clarifies the reasons behind India's Emergency decreed during the time of Indira Gandhi. Singh, with his strong contacts to the Gandhi family, presents a thorough description of the circumstances preceding to the statement. He discloses that it was Siddharth Shankar Rai, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, who convinced Indira Gandhi not to resign as Prime Minister. Rai's suggestion that an internal emergency was the only way forward resulted in President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed's late-night acceptance. The next day, the cabinet ministers had to sign backdated documents due to the plan's secrecy.

Age
Singh was 99 years old on March 20, 2014, the day of his passing.