Flying Sikh, the autobiography in Punjabi language with Pash prose

“Garib ghar di paidaish, yatim bachpan te atyant mayoos jawani; ina teena unhealthy bakhtian ne jithe meri samartha nu kamzor kita uthe mere sahas nu saan chadan vich meri sahayayati vi kiti (Being from a poor household, orphaned childhood and really unhappy youth; on the one hand, these three misfortunes of life made my skill weakened, however, the identical issues helped my willpower to scale heights),” wrote Milkha Singh in his first memoir Flying Sikh launched in 1977.

The 131-page autobiography written in Punjabi, which has a foreword by Milkha Singh and the then Punjab sports activities minister Umrao Singh, has examples of such prose all through the e-book and it had emerged years later that Punjabi poet Pash whose actual title was Avtar Singh Sandhu had written this autobiography on the insistence of Milkha Singh. Whereas the autobiography is written as a first-person account, the e-book has many examples of prose and literary phrases in Punjabi.

The quilt of Milkha Singh’s autobiography which was ghost written by Pash. (Specific Archive)

“Milkha Singh was buddies with then UK-based journal Des Pardes editor Tarsem Purewal and it was on the insistence of Purewal and Milkhaji’s pal Punjab sports activities minister Umrao Singh that they approached Pash to put in writing this autobiography. Pash had earlier written the autobiography of Bollywood star and wrestler Dara Singhji and he accepted this supply of Milkha Singhji too,” mentioned Shamsher Singh Sandhu, who had made this revelation in his e-book Ek Pash Eh Vi launched in 2011.

Whereas Sandhu was a long-time pal of Pash, the 69-year-old would typically accompany Pash to Milkha Singh’s residence in Sector 7 in Chandigarh from Jalandhar. Whereas the poet spent hours with Milkha Singh, the legendary Indian athlete would additionally dictate or ship typed notes to Pash throughout many classes. “Milkhaji needed each element within the e-book and Pash would spend hours at Milkhaji’s residence or workplace earlier than going again to his village close to Nakodar. Later, Milkhaji additionally made preparations for Pash’s keep in a Chandigarh resort and despatched his automotive with a driver. We went to the Sukhna Lake however like a lot of the writers and poets, Pash wanted his personal time and house to put in writing such a e-book. Whereas there have been stories that Milkhaji needed the e-book to be printed as quickly as doable, he was by no means too adamant. Pash wanted to pay attention to each element in a number of particulars and wanted many sittings. Pash’s stamp and authority over the language and prose was seen in each web page of the e-book. Some say Milkhaji didn’t give Pash credit score as writer however Pash himself needed it talked about: as helped by Pash within the e-book’s foreword,” Sandhu added.

Pash’s youthful brother Sukhwinder Sandhu too shared his ideas on the legendary athlete’s demise. “I used to be very younger after I would see Milkhaji assembly my brother Pash. Studying this e-book brings me reminiscences of Pash too,” mentioned Sukhwinder. Pash was killed by Khalistani terrorists in 1988.

“The one who all the time wore damaged chappals and engaged in his personal world and ideas, Pash wrote the e-book with Milkhaji’s approval. Right now, when the information of Milkhaji has come, whereas saluting such a legend, we have to bear in mind Pash too,” mentioned Amlok Singh, president, Punjab Lok Sabhyacharak Manch.