Gurdial Singh | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1933-01-10)10 January 1933 |
| Died | 16 August 2016(2016-08-16) (aged 83) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupations |
|
| Known for | Marhi Da Deeva (1964) |
Gurdial Singh Rahi (Gurdi'āl Sigh; 10 January 1933 – 16 August 2016) was an Indian writer and novelist who wrote inPunjabi.[1][2] He started his literary career in 1957 with a short story, "Bhaganwale."[1][2] He became known as a novelist when he published the novelMarhi Da Deeva in 1964.[3] The novel was later adapted into the Punjabi filmMarhi Da Deeva in 1989, directed by Surinder Singh. His novelAnhe Ghore Da Daan was also made into afilm of the same name in 2011 by directorGurvinder Singh.[4] Singh was honoured with thePadma Shri in 1998[5] andJnanpith Award in 1999.[6][2]
Gurdial Singh was born on 10 January 1933 in the village of Bhaini Fateh nearJaitu[3] inBritish Punjab.[2] His father, Jagat Singh, was a carpenter, and his mother, Nihal Kaur, took care of the household.[1] The young Singh began working as a carpenter at the age of 12 to support his family's poor financial conditions.[2][7] By his own admission, Singh worked 16 hours a day when he took on various jobs such as making wheels forbullock carts andmetal sheet forming for water tanks. Together, he and his father earned₹20 (23¢ US) a day from hard labour.[1]
In childhood, Singh was interested in painting but gradually he applied himself to a formal education. After successfully persuading Singh's father that his son was worthy of more schooling, Madan Mohan Sharma,[2] the headmaster of a middle school that Singh attended in Jaito, encouraged the young boy to stick with his studies, even though his father thought it was futile. Singh completed his Matric examination while he worked in various day time jobs. At the age of 14, he married Balwant Kaur. In 1962, he took the job of school teacher in Nandpur Kotra which paid him₹60 (69¢ US) in monthly salary. Meanwhile, Singh continued his own education, went on to receive his B.A. in English and History, and followed that up with a M.A. in 1967.[1]
Singh started his literary career in 1957 with a short story, "Bhaganwale", which was published inPanj Darya, a magazine edited byMohan Singh.[2] His later stories were published inPreetlari, edited byGurbaksh Singh.[1] His major work,Marhi Da Deeva, established his reputation as a novelist. Singh wrote four different versions of the novel over the course of four years, before he decided to publish the fourth and final one in 1964. The various characters Singh portrayed in the novel were recreations of real-life people woven into a fictitious storyline.[1] It was translated into English byAjmer Rode asThe Last Flicker.[8] The first edition of the translation was published in 1991 by the Sahitya Akademi. A revised edition ofThe Last Flicker appeared in 2010, published by the National Book Trust.[9]
Singh's other notable works included the novelsAnhoe (1966),Addh Chanani Raat (1972),[2]Anhe Ghore Da Daan (1976) andParsa (1991); collections of short stories, includingSaggi Phull (1962),Kutta Te Aadmi (1971),Begana Pind (1985) andKareer Di Dhingri (1991); and autobiographiesNeean Mattiyan (1999) andDojee Dehi (2000) published in two parts.[1] The novelsAddh Chanani Raat andParsa have been translated into English asNight of the Half Moon (published by Macmillan) andParsa by theNational Book Trust, respectively.[8]
Singh's favourite works includedLeo Tolstoy'sAnna Karenina,Irving Stone'sLust for Life,John Steinbeck'sThe Grapes Of Wrath,Phanishwar Nath Renu'sMaila Anchal,Prem Chand'sGodaan andYashpal'sDivya.[1]
Singh received various awards over the course of his life, including theSahitya Akademi Award in Punjabi in 1975 for the novelAdh Chanani Raat,[2][10] the Soviet Land Nehru Award in 1986,[2] the Bhai Veer Singh Fiction Award in 1992, the Shiromani Sahitkar Award in 1992,[1] theJnanpith Award in 1999[2] and thePadma Shri in 1998.[5][1] He shared the Jnanpith Award with Hindi language authorNirmal Verma.[6]
Singh suffered from aheart attack earlier in 2016 after which he was partiallyparalysed. On 13 August 2016 he fell unconscious at his home in Jaitu and was admitted into a private hospital atBathinda where he was kept onventilator support. He died on 16 August 2016, when he was taken off life support systems, after it was determined that Singh had shown no signs of recovery.[4] He is survived by his wife, Balwant Kaur, a son and two daughters.[11]
Singh has published various novels, short story collections, plays, children's literature and also an autobiography in two parts.[1]
| Year | Title | Genre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Bakalam Khud | Children's literature | |
| 1962 | Saggi Phull | Short stories | |
| 1963 | Tuk Kho Laye Kawan | Children's literature | |
| 1964 | Chan Da Boota | Short stories | |
| 1964 | Marhi Da Deeva | Novel | English translation:The Last Flicker Adapted as filmMarhi Da Deeva (1989) |
| 1966 | Upra Ghar | Short stories | |
| 1966 | Anhoe | Novel | Adapted as the television showAnhoyee byDD Punjabi.[12] |
| 1967 | Rete Di Ikk Mutthi | Novel | |
| 1968 | Kuwela | Novel | |
| 1971 | Kutta Te Aadmi | Short stories | |
| 1971 | Likhtam Baba Khema | Children's literature | |
| 1972 | Adh Chanini Raat | Novel | English translation:Night of the Half-Moon (1996) |
| 1974 | Aathan Uggan | Novel | |
| 1976 | Anhe Ghore Da Daan | Novel | Adapted as filmAnhe Ghore Da Daan (2011) |
| 1982 | Pauh Phutale Ton Pehlan | Novel | |
| 1982 | Masti Bota | Short stories | |
| 1982 | Farida, Ratin Wadian | Play | |
| 1982 | Vidayagi De Pichhon | Play | |
| 1982 | Nikki Moti Gal | Play | |
| 1984 | Rukhe Misse Bande | Short stories | |
| 1985 | Begana Pindh | Short stories | |
| 1988 | Chonvian Kahanian | Short stories | |
| 1988 | Baba Khema | Children's literature | |
| 1989 | Gappian Da Pio | Children's literature | |
| 1990 | Pakka Tikana | Short stories | |
| 1990 | Mahabharat | Children's literature | |
| 1991 | Kareer Di Dhingri | Short stories | |
| 1992 | Meri Pratinidhi Rachna | Short stories | |
| 1993 | Tin Kadam Dharti | Children's literature | |
| 1993 | Khate Mithe Lok | Children's literature | |
| 1999 | Parsa | Novel | English translation:Parsa (1999) |
| 1999 | Neean Mattiyan | Autobiography | Part 1 |
| 2000 | Dojee Dehi | Autobiography | Part 2 |
Sapno Ke - Se Din was one of his works, talking about his childhood days and is included in CBSE class 10 Hindi course B.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
