Delhi with Khushwant Singh

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Delhi with Khushwant Singh

Portraying India

Perceptions of India, inspired by the lives of those who embody its most authentic spirit
In this edition, we revisit India’s modern history through the sharp, unsparing voice of Khushwant Singh
In a country constantly torn between tradition and change, few things are as unsettling as the truth. And few have wielded that truth with as much sharpness and humour as Khushwant Singh. He was a lawyer, diplomat, editor, and chronicler of modern India, but always, above all, a writer. As India navigated its post-Independence identity, he observed with biting sarcasm and occasional introspection how a nation grappled with its past, its people, and its shifting values.
The twentieth century reshaped India—its borders, identities, public life. And Khushwant Singh documented it with irreverence. His range was vast, but his focus remained steady: human behaviour, with all its messiness and charm. His work did not claim to heal or to uplift. It chose instead to observe, question, and document. In doing so, it captured the contradictions of a country remaking itself in real time.
Borderlines of Memory

In his later years, Khushwant Singh often remembered the quiet of his childhood village – the slow afternoons, the fragrance of earth after rain, the sound of the Persian wheel turning in the fields. Hadali, where he was born in 1915, was a small Sikh-majority village in colonial Punjab, where oral storytelling, folk music, and close community life shaped early imagination far more than formal education did. His family, though rooted in this rural world, was on the cusp of change. His father, Sir Sobha Singh, would go on to become a celebrated builder in Delhi, involved in the construction of landmarks like India Gate, Connaught Place, and Sujan Singh Park.


This transition from village fields to the polished boulevards of New Delhi, shaped Khushwant Singh’s upbringing as one lived across two Indias: one rooted in tradition, the other looking toward modernity. He studied in Delhi, Lahore, and London, but always described pre-partition Lahore as his true alma mater. Its cafes, literary salons, and mingling of languages left a lasting imprint. Partition, when it came, shattered that world. His family fled Lahore, leaving behind their home, and with it, a sense of permanence.

Writing Against the Grain
When Khushwant Singh sat down to write Train to Pakistan in 1956, he did not aim to craft a historical document; he sought to capture the raw, human stories left in the wake of one of the greatest upheavals in modern history. He chose to focus on a single village caught in the crossfire. Through its characters, Khushwant Singh presented the confusion, fear, and unexpected friendships that defined that turbulent period. The novel’s raw portrayal of human frailty made it one of the earliest works to tackle Partition without idealism or sentimentality.
Parallel to his several notable works of fiction was a formidable journalistic career. As the editor of The Illustrated Weekly of India (1969–78), he revitalised the publication and broadened its readership. Later, he led The National Herald and Hindustan Times. But it was his long-running newspaper column With Malice Towards One and All, known for its biting wit and political irreverence. Working alongside cartoonists R.K. Laxman and Mario Miranda at the Bombay office, Mario designed a logo of Khushwant Singh inside a light bulb with a glass of Scotch whisky in hand. Khushwant Singh’s goal for the column was simply to “inform, amuse, and irritate” readers with his bold opinions about India.

“I write because I want to be remembered as someone who told the truth. Not always politely, but without lies.”

— Khushwant Singh

Built by One, Remembered by Another

Khushwant Singh’s legacy intertwines with the monuments his father raised and the narratives he penned in their shadow. While his father gave Delhi its structure, Khushwant Singh gave it its voice. Through his sharp, candid writing, he not only captured the complexities of modern India but also laid bare its contradictions. His novels and essays, particularly A History of the Sikhs, continue to be benchmarks of realism and scholarship, while his commitment to secularism and free speech shaped the intellectual landscape of his time. His prose was plainspoken, sometimes caustic, and always aware of the fault lines running through modern Indian society.


He sought the everyday wisdom of those around him, whether a boatman or a friend. This deep empathy informed his work, which, despite stirring controversy, was always grounded in truth and a quiet warmth. His passing in 2014 was widely mourned across the country with tributes acknowledging his unparalleled ability to see India as it truly was: clear-eyed, full of humor, and never simple. Today, to read him is to encounter an India still grappling with its identity, ever-evolving, and always alive.

Discovering Delhi
To walk through Delhi is to walk through centuries of ambition, erasure, memory, and reinvention. From the ruins of Tughlaqabad to the cultured Mughal streets and the wide boulevards of British-era New Delhi, each layer tells a different story. It’s in the quiet corners where Persian poetry meets Sufi music, and Mughal cuisine blends with colonial architecture. Delhi holds onto its past without clinging to it as it continuously evolves while still carrying its history in every conversation. The city feels alive, not just in what it shows, but in what it remembers.
Indulge in Flavours of Old Delhi
A swirl of aromas marks the entrance – blend of spices, slow-cooked meat, crushed coriander. Tucked in the lanes near Jama Masjid, a handful of stalls have quietly perfected their craft over generations. Savour crisp Aloo Tikki, Kachoris with spiced lentils, Mughlai cuisine or a plate of sweet jalebis fresh from the pan.
A Ride Through Lutyens’ Delhi
Named after the British architect Edwin Lutyens, this area in New Delhi can be explored on a scenic drive or bike ride along its grand avenues. The ride often follows Rajpath, the main avenue leading to the Presidential Palace and India Gate, where the streets hold stories of India’s post-colonial transformation.
Seek Spirituality at Bangla Sahib Gurudwara
A prominent place of worship in Sikhism, this shrine offers tranquility amid Delhi’s chaos. One can reflect by the holy pond, listen to soothing sermons, and experience the Sikh tradition of langar, a community meal served to all. Partake in the vibrant community kitchen, where visitors are welcome to help prepare and serve meals.
Heritage Walk Through Mehrauli
Mehrauli Archaeological Park is a living museum, where centuries of history unfold. Stroll past the Qutub Minar, ancient tombs, and mosques that tell stories of Delhi’s Sultanate and Mughal past. Each corner reveals layers of history, from the medieval to the Mughal era, offering a quiet retreat into the heart of the city’s legacy.
Recommendations for Further Exploration
To Read
Truth, Love and a Little Malice: an autobiography
Interview with Khushwant Singh by Michigan State University
Not a Nice Man to Know: The Best of Khushwant Singh
A Bride for the Sahib and Other Stories by Khushwant Singh
To Watch
An Interview With Khushwant Singh
The Mysteries of India – An interview of late Khushwant Singh

At Tushita, we marvel at India with you. After 45 years of travelling the country, we’re still enamoured by its beauty every day. From Ladakh, where Tushita was anointed by a Buddhist monk in 1977, to Tamil Nadu, where we worked with locals to showcase one of the oldest cultures in the world, we are partners in your journey to discover our part of the world.

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