KAUR (CAUR), AJEET (1934 – )

Kaur (Cour), Ajeet is a person of unusual passion whether it is as a daughter, sister, wife, lover, mother, creative artist or a social activist. Primarily a fiction writer, she has nine collections of short stories and two novels to her credit. She was born in 1934 in Lahore and had her early education there. After the partition, she came to Delhi and completed her education with M.A. in Economics and B. Ed. She then took up journalism and edited two directories of trade.

For twenty-two years now she has been editing the Rupee Trade. But if she has been an economist or a journalist by profession, she seems to have been a writer both by choice and inclination. And she has made a mark as a short-story writer. In fact, she is one of the very best in the language. Her well-known works in the genre are Gulbano, Malik di Maut, Butshikan, Faitu aurat, Saviyan, Chirian and Maut All Babe di.

Her stories have been translated into many Indian languages and also broadcast and telecast over the years. She received many honours and awards from the Government and literary institutions. The Punjab Government honoured her for the collection of short stories, Gulbano in 1962. The same year Punjabi Sahitya Samikhya Board chose her as the Shiromani Sahitkar of the year.

In 1979 she was honoured by the Punjabi Arts Council and in 1983 by the Punjabi Academy, Delhi, as one of the nine distinguished writers living in Delhi and in 1984 she received both the international IAPX Award and the Baba Balwant Award. The Sahitya Akademi honoured her by giving her its annual award of 1985 for her autobiography, Khana Badosh. She writes in a racy and fluent style and her insight into the human situation is penetrating. She has enriched the language with her valuable creative work.

References :

1. Ramdev, Jaginder Singh (ed.), Punjabi Likhari Kosh, Jullundur, 1964.
2. Sekhon, S.S., A History of Punjabi Literature, Patiala, 19923.