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Thumbnail and image below, second from bottom - sculpture of Patwant Singh by Shenda Amery. Homepage image: courtesy, Torchappeal.

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Patwant Singh 1925-2009
An Aesthete Par Excellence

by ROOPINDER SINGH

 

Suave, handsome, charming and a truly multi-faceted personality, Sardar Patwant Singh was a polished face of the Sikhs in the later decades of his life.

He had, by that time, already earned a formidable reputation by writing on international affairs, the environment, the arts, and as a TV and radio commentator as well as a magazine editor.

Patwant Singh was born in New Delhi on March 28, 1925. He was educated in Delhi, after which he worked on construction sites. An urge to communicate his thoughts, and influence things around him, led to his becoming the publisher of the periodical The Indian Builder, in 1953, with which he started a career in writing and publishing.

He was always immaculately turned out and loved the good things of life. His house, in one of the nicest areas of Lutton's Delhi, was very well appointed, full of books on literature and art, and it was a delight to hear him speak impeccable English. No wonder, he was much in demand as an orator. He lived with his wife, Meher Dilshaw.

Design, a multidisciplinary journal edited and published by him, was a trailblazer when it came out in 1957. He wrote in various Indian newspapers, and his views were also published in The New York Times, Canada's Globe and Mail and the U.K.'s Independent.

His first book, India and the Future of Asia (1967), had the 1962 Sino-Indian War as a backdrop. The Struggle for Power in Asia (1971) sought to counter the biased Western perceptions.

He had a heart attack in 1977, but resumed normal life soon after.

Patwant Singh was the main person responsible for building the Kabliji Hospital and the Rural Health Centre [which, sadly, was burnt down by a Hindu mob in 1984 - but later rebuilt] near Gurgaon.

It was after 1984 and the destruction of his charitable project that he began to write on matters concerning the Sikhs and wrote the main article for the book Punjab: The Fatal Miscalculation (1985). The famous volume The Golden Temple (1989) was followed by Of Dreams and Demons (1994), a memoir and The Sikhs (1999).

Garland Around My Neck: The Story of Puran Singh of Pingalwara was co-written with Harinder Kaur Sekhon.

In The World According to Washington: An Asian View (2005), he returned to the relationship of the West with Asia as a whole.

Last year, he co-authored Empire of The Sikhs: The Life and Times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, with Jyoti M Rai.

With Patwant Singh's death at the age of 84 on Saturday, August 8, 2009, an aesthete presence has left 11 Amrita Shergil Marg, New Delhi, India.

But, Patwant Singh has left an elegant mark on the world around him.  

 

[Courtesy, The Tribune

August 9, 2009

Conversation about this article

1: Inni Kaur (Fairfield, CT, U.S.A.), August 09, 2009, 5:10 PM.

Patwant, I will miss you. You did not fear death. In your words: "This Khalsa is ready." Thanks for the memories. Rest in peace, my friend.

2: I.J. Singh (New York, U.S.A.), August 10, 2009, 9:21 AM.

A great friend of Sikhi and a valued friend personally has been lost. I had reviewed most of his books on or about Sikhs and Sikhi - starting with perhaps his first (co-authored with Harji Malik) - "Punjab: The Fatal Miscalculation" (1985). It could not find a recognized publication house in the India of those days, when the country was politically hypercharged with its anti-Sikh stance and rhetoric. Later, he reviewed three of my four books for major newspapers in India, and remained a most encouraging friend. He had evolved into a forceful voice for Sikhs in the area of human rights, yet his feeling for the Indian nation never wavered. His death will remain a major loss to us all.

3: Parvinder Singh (Delhi, India), August 12, 2009, 3:52 AM.

We have lost a great person and one of the great Sikh writers of the time.

4: Pashaura Singh (Riverside, California, U.S.A.), August 15, 2009, 11:07 PM.

Sardar Patwant Singh was an example of culture, courtesy and courage of conviction. What he did for the Sikhs after the assault on the Goldent Temple in 1984 was exemplary. He started the project of helping the families of the victims at Kabliji Hospital. We at the Sikh Society of Calgary got involved in that project and sponsored more than a hundred orphans and widows of 1984 at Kabliji Hospital. Dr. Gurcharanjit Singh Attariwala was the moving force behind this project. I had the chance to meet with Sardar Patwant Singh a number of times during his visits to Calgary and Toronto. He was always gracious and inspiring. May Akal Purakh bless his soul and provide comfort to the family.

5: Meena (Delhi, India), August 24, 2009, 2:42 AM.

Sardar Patwant Singh: in our darkest hour, you were there, your voice strong and fearless! You spoke up against injustice, wrote the true Sikh history, were a leading example of an educated, cultured and compassionate Sikh man. You never compromised your values, you were never 'for sale' ... you are our role model and hero. The world needs more men like you. Thank you!

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An Aesthete Par Excellence"









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