Khushwant Singh As A Columnist

Khushwant Singh as a columnist, a writer of columns, Talks broadcast over not, but columned, A journo mixing literature with news columns, Is first of all a fictionist, A novelist and a short story writer Before being an editor and a journalist. A Jack of all trades, but master of none, He takes to in his style, As if someone were talking, chatting, gossiping, conversing with On the countryside guard walls of the hamlets And the guest failing to slip, Held by the charm of the narratives In the forms of lively talks, chit-chats and discussions. His chit chats, talks, discussions, warm and lively gossips and conversations, None but an oldie Can give the perfume and spray of that dispersed meditations, Scholars worldly and practical, classical and learned, Dealing with practical wisdom and wordliness, With a litter of these all, meditations dispersed around. Holding the hands, says he the tales of his, the gossips of his On the farm-house floor And on the guard wall of the villagerly mud house, To take you there, to old and bygone times and ages Rolled by and gone away, A narrator of that time and age, Telling about society, sect, custom, language, tour and travel. A turbaned Punjabi, he is first of the Punjab, The verve and vigour of the lands Where he grew up, got schooled before moving to foreign And returning back from To choose a career of his own.