Punjabi writer Dr Niranjan Singh Tasneem passes away at 91

Bhartiya Sahitya Akademi and Punjabi Sahit Rattan awards, novelist Dr Niranjan Singh Tasneem passed away at his house in Vishal Nagar in Ludhiana.

Ludhiana Recipient of Bhartiya Sahitya Akademi and Punjabi Sahit Rattan awards, novelist Dr Niranjan Singh Tasneem passed away at his house in Vishal Nagar in Ludhiana on Saturday. He was 91. The cremation will take place on Sunday at Model Town Extension cremation ground.

Dr Tasneem had received Bhartiya Sahitya Akademi award in 1999 for his novel ‘Gwache Arth’ and Punjabi Sahit Rattan Award in 2015. (HT photo)

Who’s who of the Punjabi literature fraternity has condoled the demise of the writer. Former president of Punjabi Sahit Akademi Prof Gurbhajan Singh Gill said the vacuum created by Dr Tasneem’s death cannot be fulfilled. GIll said he had a long collaboration with Dr Tasneem and besides a celebrated writer, he was a good human being.

Dr Tasneem had retired from SCD Government College as a professor of English. Initially, he had started writing in Urdu and later opted for Punjabi at the age of 35. Dr Tasneem had received Bhartiya Sahitya Akademi award in 1999 for his novel ‘Gwache Arth’ and Punjabi Sahit Rattan Award in 2015.

‘Ik Hor Nawan Saal’, ‘Jadon Saver Hoi’, ‘Ret Chhal’, ‘Talaash Koi Sadeevi’, ‘Hanera Hon Tak’, ‘Parchhawein’ and ‘Gwache Arth’ were some of the Punjabi novels penned by him. Dr Tasneem had also written 12 books in English and two novels in Urdu. A delegation of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur International Foundation also paid homage to the novelist. Tarlochan Singh, author, director and president of Rangmanch Rangnagri, said Dr Tasneem was an institute in himself.