SINGH ‘KANWAL’, JASWANT (1919 – )

Singh \’Kanwal\’, Jaswant was born at village Dhudike (Tehsil Moga and district Ferozepur) in 1919 in the family of S. Mahia Singh. Jaswant Singh is a well-known novelist in Punjabi literature. He did not complete his schooling and went to Malaysia, where he stayed for three years and took to employment. He returned to India with a developed literary taste. He took to his parental profession of farming and gained wide experience of life. He is a well-known novelist in Punjabi.

Though he has written short stories, he has excelled only in novel-writing. His important novels are: Puranmashi, Raat baqi hai. Civil Lines, Roop dhara, Haani, Mittar piare nun, Tarikh vekhdi hai, Jaira Bhawani, Laho di loe, Anean chon uthe soorma. His short story collections are Kande, Sandhoor, Zindgi door nahin, Ruh da haan, Roop de rakhe, Gora mukh sajna da, Mayi da lal. He has been a committed Marxist who developed a progressive point of view towards his life-problems.

He specializes in the delineation of realistic, rural and rustic life (Malwa region) with sufficient use of Malwai dialect. This brings in the element of local colour in abundance in his writings. He satirises the misdeeds of unscrupulous rich people and inspires the downtrodden to rise in strength and unity. He propagates a socialistic pattern of society with a fair use of sentimentality. Kanwal is considered to be the real successor of Nanak Singh in many respects.

References :

1. Amarjit Singh, Punjabi saint da itihas ”Qissa kal, Amritsar, 1981.
2. Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature, 6 Vols., Delhi, 1995.
3. Kohli, S.S., Punjabi Sahit da Itihas, Ludhiana, 1955.
4. Mohan Singh, A History of Punjabi Literature, Amritsar, 1956.
5. Ramdev, Jaginder Singh (ed.), Punjabi Likhari Kosh, Jullundur, 1964.
6. Sekhon, S.S. and K.S. Duggal, A History of Punjabi Literature, Delhi, 1992.
7. Singh, N.K., Encyclopaedia of Indian Biography, Delhi, 2000.