What makes Khushwant Singh tick? Is it his irreverence towards well-established shibboleths? Is it his posturing as the ‘sultan of sleaze’, whereas he is, in reality, a scholar in his own right? Is it his uncanny ability to debunk godmen, astrologers and other assorted types of so-called ‘spiritual gurus’? Is it his charisma that has created an aura around him? Whatever be the reason, the indisputable fact remains that his name has become synonymous with success. Book after book, he remains one of the highest selling Indian authors.
In the tenth decade of his life, he stands out as a colossus among Indian writers. He is a novelist, journalist, historian, short story writer, political commentator and translator all rolled into one! His admirers are legion and so are his detractors. But he holds no malice towards the latter. In fact, he takes his critics seriously.
He has been described as ‘a consummate artist; a conscious craftsman; and a master of his medium’. He has to his credit a vast corpus of work, which includes a variety of literary genres. Some of his books are considered classics. He himself is self-deprecatory; he has never laid claim to being a great writer and holds the view that ‘self-praise is the utmost form of vulgarity’.
As a publisher, I can take credit for publishing the maximum number of Khushwant Singh’s books under various imprints. If Khushwant Singh has forgotten the number of books he has written (more than a hundred at the last count), I too cannot remember how many of his books I have published over the last three decades and more!
Khushwant Singh, undoubtedly, is a publisher’s dream and is exceptionally easy to work with. He is quick to accept editorial suggestions and answer the numerous queries that an editor invariably raises. His oeuvre has stood the test of time and many of his books continue selling even decades after they were first published, despite the onslaught of 24x7 TV channels and despite the spectacular reach of the Internet, not to mention the proliferation of CDs and DVDs all around.
My relationship with Khushwant Singh has been both professional and personal. I met him for the first time in 1970, when I was cutting my teeth in journalism. But it was in June 1978, when he had shifted back to Delhi from Bombay (Mumbai), that I got to know him well. He threw open his doors for me and, ever since, has been always very generous with his time. By that time, I had switched over from journalism to book publishing. I have travelled with him to various parts of the country and spent many a convivial evening with him in Delhi and Kasauli (a hill station in Himachal Pradesh). Over the years, whenever I called him to fix an appointment, he responded: ‘Come over right away.’
True to form, Khushwant Singh begins this volume with his characteristic élan by injecting elements of controversy. He underscores the fact that, over the ages, religion has turned out to be more divisive than cohesive. He also questions the relevance of God in his inimitable style.
However, he acknowledges the fact that religion cannot be wished away and has come to stay. He points out that holy books such as the Bhagvad Gita, the Quran and the Granth Sahib contain not only wisdom but also a lot of poetry and music. He provides relevant excerpts to drive home his point. The author next attempts to clear the cobweb of prejudices held by many non-Muslims against Muslims.
Khushwant Singh’s study of the Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh eras and his in-depth analysis of the Granth Sahib reveal new aspects of a turmoil-filled phase in India’s history. There’s much more in this book that the reader can savour and relish. The menu is varied enough to tickle the palate! (The reader may find some repetitive matter, but such repetition is necessary to ensure that each chapter is complete in itself.)
I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to N. Krishnamurthy of Chennai, a diehard fan of Khushwant Singh, who has collected all the articles written by him over the decades in numerous publications. He has been kind enough to offer me his entire collection to pick and choose from.
I would also like to record my sincere thanks to Mustafa Quraishi, who opened up his treasury of Khushwant Singh photographs to select whatever I wanted.
Finally, a word of thanks to my Hay House colleagues: Rajalakshmi for painstakingly typing the entire mansuscript; Aeshna Roy for designing the cover of this book and also that of the earlier volume, Khushwant Singh on Women, Sex, Love and Lust; Rakesh Kumar for the page layout and design; and K. J. Ravinder for fine-tuning the text. Without them, this book would not have been possible!
– A. C.