Jaswant Singh Neki (27 August 1925 – 11 September 2018) was a leading Indian
Sikh scholar, significant neo-
metaphysical
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, the first principles of being, identity and change, space and time, causality, necessity, and possibility. It includes questions about the nature of conscio ...
Punjabi language
Punjabi (; ; , ), sometimes spelled Panjabi, is an Indo-Aryan language of the Punjab region of Pakistan and India. It has approximately 113 million native speakers.
Punjabi is the most widely-spoken first language in Pakistan, with 80.5 ...
poet
[ and former Director of ]PGI Chandigarh
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) is a public medical university in Chandigarh, India. It is an ' Institute of National Importance'. It has educational, medical research, and training facilities for its stude ...
and Head of the Psychiatry Department at All India Institute of Medical Sciences
The All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is a group of autonomous government public medical universities of higher education under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare , Government of India. These institutes ha ...
(AIIMS), Delhi.
As a poet he is known mostly for his poetry collections, ''Asle to Ohle Tak'' (Illusion and Reality, 1955) and autobiographical, ''Koi Naon Na Jane Mera'' (2000). He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award
The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...
in Punjabi in 1979 for his work, ''Karuna Di Chuh Ton Magron''. His long autobiographical poem ''Simriti De Kiran Ton Pehlan'' (Before Shedding Memory) published in 1975, is considered among the masterpieces of Indian literature. His works as a scholar of Sikhism
Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...
include, ''Ardaas: Darshan Roop Te Abhiyas'', ''Sada Vigas'', ''Achetan di Leela'', ''Divine Intimations'', ''Prophet of Devotion'' and ''Pilgrimage to Hemkunt''.
Early life and education
He was born in the village of Murid, District of Jhelum (in present-day Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
). His father was S. Hari Gulab Singh and his mother was Smt. Sita Wanti. When he was still an infant, his parents moved to Quetta
Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه) is the tenth most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in south-west of the country close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is the capital of ...
in ( Baluchistan) in present-day Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
.
Education
It was in Quetta
Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه) is the tenth most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in south-west of the country close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is the capital of ...
that he joined Khalsa High School whence he matriculated in 1941 securing the highest marks in Baluchistan and setting up a new record. He joined the Forman Christian College
Forman Christian College is an private liberal arts university in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It was founded in 1864 and is administered by the Presbyterian Church. The university follows an American-style curriculum.
Founded in 1864 by America ...
, Lahore, for his premedical studies.
There he enjoyed two merit scholarships – one granted by the University and the other by the college. In his FSc (Medical) exam, he stood second in the university. For his graduate course in medicine and surgery, he joined King Edward Medical College
King Edward Medical University (KEMU) () is a public medical university located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Founded in 1860, the university is named after King Edward VII.
Established by the British Raj, named as Lahore Medical School. In 1868 ...
, Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...
, where he also received a merit scholarship granted by the Government of Baluchistan.
In 1947 when the country was partitioned, he left Lahore and joined Government Medical College, Amritsar, where he completed his medical studies to graduate in 1949. He worked first as a House Physician, then as an Assistant Registrar, and then as a Demonstrator in Medical College, Amritsar, with a short stint, in between, as Demonstrator in Christian Medical College Ludhiana. While teaching there, he passed his M.A. (Psychology) exam as a teacher candidate from Aligarh Muslim University, securing First Division and first position in the University. He passed his DPM exam from All India Institute of Mental Health
The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences is a medical institution in Bangalore, India. NIMHANS is the apex centre for mental health and neuroscience education in the country. It is an Institute of National Importance operates ...
, Bangalore
Bangalore (), List of renamed places in India, officially Bengaluru (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan area, metropolitan population of a ...
, and Mysore University
The University of Mysore is a public state university in Mysore, Karnataka, India. The university was founded during the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore. The university is recognised by the University Grants Commission ...
, in 1958 with double distinction and setting up a new record. Thus he qualified as a psychiatrist.
Professional career
As a psychiatrist, rising through the ranks, he became Professor & Head of Psychiatry Department at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences
The All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is a group of autonomous government public medical universities of higher education under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare , Government of India. These institutes ha ...
, New Delhi and occupied that chair for about a decade (1968–1978). He was then appointed Director of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) is a public medical university in Chandigarh, India. It is an ' Institute of National Importance'. It has educational, medical research, and training facilities for its stude ...
, Chandigarh (PGI) where he spent three years (1978–1981). From there, he was picked up by the World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...
, Geneva, as a consultant for a project in Africa where he served for over four years (1981–1985). He came back home in 1985, and then engaged in private practice. In between, he had a short engagement with the United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
and United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse (South-East Asia).
He also served as Chairman of the Board of Consultants constituted by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee
The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) is organization in India responsible for the management of Gurdwaras, Sikh places of worship in Delhi. It also manages various educational institutions, hospitals, old age homes, librar ...
for setting up of an Institute of Medical Sciences. In 1974, he was elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences and in 1989, he received Kohli Memorial Award for being the Best Professional of the Year.
Literary activities
He is a well-recognized metaphysical poet in Punjabi who has contributed ten volumes of original verse. His opus magnum is his autobiography in verse. He also wrote powerful, inspiring prose as evidenced by his books Achetan di Leela, Meri Sahitak Swaijeevani and Ardas. He has won several prestigious awards in literature. These include: Sahitya Akademi Award
The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...
, Asan Memorial Award, Shiromani Sahitkar Award (Languages Deptt.), Sarvotam Sahitkar Award (Punjabi Akademy, Delhi) in 2009 for ''Sada Vigaas'' (prose)., Bhai Vir Singh Award, KS Dhaliwal Award, Puran Singh Memorial Award. Guru Nanak Dev University conferred on him Ph.D. honorous causa for his contribution to literature. He has been a member of the jury (Punjabi) for Sahitya Akademy Awards and member of the Advisory Committee (Punjabi) for Jnan Peeth Award. He was one of the past Chairmen of Punjabi Academy, Chandigarh.
He also served as Honorary General Secretary of Bhai Vir Singh Sahitya Sadan, New Delhi.
Religious activities
Belonging to a devout religious family, Dr Neki always evinced keen interest in religion. Like his family, he also observed unbigoted, liberal views. During his student life, he became President of the All India Sikh Students Federation and organised training camps for the Sikh youth in the Sikh lore. He produced two authentic books. One is ''Ardas – Darshan'', ''Roop te Abhias'' which has been evaluated as an 'all-time classic'. The second one, ''Vishva Ardas'', is a collection of over 300 prayers from different religious groups, tribes and communities of different times and places, translated into Punjabi verse. This has been called "a landmark piece of work". Commissioned by Guru Nanak Dev University
The university is Entitled by University Grants Commission to offer higher studies degree courses online. Guru Nanak Dev University's campus is spread over near village of Kot Khalsa, nearly west of the Amritsar, next to Khalsa College, A ...
, he wrote The Spiritual Heritage of the Punjab which traces the evolution of spiritual thought and practice from the pre-Aryan times up to Guru Gobind Singh. Lately, he has produced an exquisitely produced book Pilgrimage to Hemkunt
Hemkund Sahib (also spelled Hemkunt), formally known as ''Gurudwara Shri Hemkund Sahib Ji'', is a Sikh place of worship and pilgrimage site in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India. It is devoted to Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708), the tenth ...
that compares with high international standards.
For several years, he was a member of the Dharam Prachar Committee of Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee ( SGPC; "Supreme Gurdwara Management Committee") is an organization in India responsible for the management of Gurdwaras, Sikh places of worship in states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and the unio ...
, the elected body that administers Sikh shrines. He was honoured with the 'Order of the Khalsa' Award on the 300th Anniversary of the Khalsa, celebrated in Anandpur Sahib
Anandpur Sahib, sometimes referred to simply as Anandpur (lit. "city of bliss"), is a city in Rupnagar district (Ropar), on the edge of Shivalik Hills, in the Indian state of Punjab. Located near the Sutlej River, the city is one of the most ...
on 13 April 2000. He represented his community at various international forums including The Parliament World Religions 1993, Unesco Conference on Religion and World Peace 1998, Unesco Center Catalunya Conference on Universal Ethics 1998, World Thanksgiving Conference 1999
In 2001, he received the Giani Lal Singh memorial award for his work in the field of poetry.
Personal life
In 1955, he married Kanwerjit, the eldest daughter of his own Professor, Lt. Col. Dr. Gurbuxsh Singh. He had two children, both of whom live in the United States. Neki died on September 11, 2015 In New Delhi.
Publications
References
Vedamsbooks: Pilgrimage to Hemkunt/text by Jaswant Singh Neki. Photographs by Sondeep Shankar. Reprint. New Delhi, UBSPD, 2002, 96 p., (pbk).
External links
Dr. Jaswant Singh Neki, website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Neki, Jaswant Singh
Punjabi-language poets
1925 births
2015 deaths
Poets from Punjab, India
People from Jhelum
Forman Christian College alumni
University of Mysore alumni
Indian psychiatrists
Punjabi-language writers
Punjabi people
Indian Sikhs
Scholars of Sikhism
Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Punjabi
20th-century Indian scholars
King Edward Medical University alumni
Fellows of the National Academy of Medical Sciences
Indian spiritual writers
20th-century Indian medical doctors
20th-century Indian poets
Indian social sciences writers
Scholars from Punjab, India
Medical doctors from Punjab, India