Litterateur and parliamentarian Shankar Dayal Singh (Hindi: डा० शंकर दयाल सिंह) was twice elected to the Parliament of India. He was one of the youngest members of the Fifth Lok Sabha, in which he represented the Chatra parliamentary constituency in Bihar (now in Jharkhand). Contesting his maiden Lok Sabha election in 1971, he defeated Smt. Vijaya Raje, the wife of Sri Kamakhya Narayan Singh, Raja of Ramgarh.Lok Sabha Results 1971 Page 101 He was again elected to the upper house, the Rajya Sabha, in 1990 from Bihar.Alphabetical List of All Members of Rajya Sabha Since 1952
Dr. Singh was a prolific author and a popular columnist. He authored more than thirty books and edited many more. He was a staunch supporter of Hindi and the Indian Languages. He was the Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Languages from 7 June 1994 until his demise on 26 November 1995 List of Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Languages As the Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Languages, he promoted the use of Hindi and other Indian languages in official work and also encouraged various Public Sector Enterprises (PSE) to come out with their house magazines in vernacular. As a mark of respect for his untiring services several PSEs have instituted annual awards in his memory.News on Hindi Home Page Singh was equally admired and loved by all across the party line. Obituary references in the Parliament of India He died of cardiac arrest during a train journey from Patna to New Delhi in the midway at Tundla on 26 November 1995.
75th Birth Anniversary
His 75th Birth Anniversary was celebrated from 27 December 2011 to 27 December 2012 as Amrit Mahotsav (Hindi : अमृत महोत्सव) in the country with much fanfare and enthusiasm. The celebrations started with a grand program at New Delhi on 27 December 2011. Programs were held at Goa (February 2012: organized by the Gomantak Rashtrabhasha Vidyapeeth), Indore (July 2012; organized by Sri Madhya Bharat Hindi Sahitya Samiti News in Nai Dunia, Indore and by Shankar Amrit Mahotsava Samiti, Aurangabad [Bihar]). Salasar (Rajasthan), Chennai, Rishikesh and Patna. To mark the Shankar Amrit Mahotsava, Singh's 75th birth anniversary, the Government of Bihar named an important road stretch from NH2 near Deo More (Hindi : देव मोड़) to Bhawanipur in Aurangabad district after the famous Hindi laureate.News in Times of India, Patna A Felicitation Volume entitled Shankar Dayal Singh: Rajniti Ki Dhoop; Sahitya Ki Chhanv (Hindi : शंकर दयाल सिंह : राजनीती की धूप; साहित्य की छाँव ) was also released on the occasion of his 75th Birth Anniversary and a copy of it was presented to the President of India Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.Press Information Bureau
Memorial awards About a dozen Public Sector Enterprises of India, including the State Trading Corporation of India (New Delhi), HL Life Care Limited (Thiruvanantpuram), NHDC (Bhopal), Securities and Exchange Printing Construction Corporation Limited, Container Corporation of India (New Delhi), PEC Limited (New Delhi), Drazing Corporation of India (Vishakhapattanam), India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (New Delhi), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (Bangalore) and National Seeds Corporation (New Delhi) have instituted various annual awards in the memory of the great scholar and Hindi patriarch. An award by the name of Dr. Shankar Dayal Singh Jan Bhasha Samman (डा० शंकर दयाल सिंह जन भाषा सम्मान) has been instituted in his memory by the Shankar Sanskriti Pratishan. The first award was presented to International Hindi Association of the USA by Honorable Speaker, Lok Sabha Smt. Meira Kumar in a function held at New Delhi on 27 December 2012.Lok Sabha Website The second and third Dr. Shankar Dayal Singh Jan Bhasha Samman was presented to Dr. Ashok Chakradhar and Balendu Sharma Dadhich respectively.
Early life He was born in Bhawanipur village of Aurangabad, Bihar into a Rajput family to Sri Kamta Prasad Singh 'Kam'. He lost his mother at a very early age and was brought up by his grandmother and paternal aunts. He was a brilliant student of exceptional merit right from his early childhood.
Father His father Sri Kamta Prasad Singh 'Kam' was a freedom fighter and was close to Shri Sri Krishna Sinha, the first Chief Minister of Bihar. He himself was a writer of extraordinary merit and authored more than a dozen books. He was also a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) in Bihar.Literature and Culture, Aurangabad, Bihar district official site
Education Singh got his primary education at home and went on to study at the Rajghat Besant School in Benaras. He received his B.A. degree from the Banaras Hindu University, followed by M.A. degree from the Patna University. Later, he was awarded D.Litt. by the Vikramshila University.
Career Singh was a prolific writer and a published author of over 30 books. His memoirs and travelogues found place in almost all the esteemed periodicals of the times, such as the Dharam Yug, Saptahik Hindustan, Kadambini, Dinmaan, Ravivaar etc. besides various news papers like the Nav Bharat Times, Hindustan, Lokmat Samachar, Jansatta, Dainik Jagran, Prabhat Khabar etc. He was also the editor of Mukta Kantha, a literary Hindi magazine. He founded Parijat Prakashan in Patna that became one of the premier Hindi publication houses in eastern India. He was conferred with the title of Bihar Ratna in 1990 and was felicitated with the Anant Gopal Shevade Hindi Samman in 1993, for his contributions to the society and literature.
Indian National Congress Besides being one of the youngest MPs in the Fifth Lok Sabha, he was also an elected member of the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the ruling Indian National Congress. He was a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC). Up against a popular anti-Indira wave in 1977, he lost to Sri Sukhdev Prasad Verma of BLD.Lok Sabha Results 1977 Page 103
Janata Party In 1984, he joined the Janata Party and unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary election from Aurangabad, Bihar, but still he was able to shake the bastion of the Rajput Supremo Sri Satyendra Narayan Sinha as he had to trail in one of the assembly segments for the first time.Lok Sabha Results 1984 Page 85
Janata Dal Singh was one of the founder members of the Jan Morcha with Sri Vishwanath Pratap Singh and raised it in Bihar almost solely. Jan Morcha later merged into the Janata Dal. Thereafter, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1990, the office that he held until his death.
Parliamentary committees He served as a Member on various Parliamentary Committees. His contribution as the Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Languages deserves special mention. Later, he rose to become its Deputy Chairman (07.06.1994 to 26.11.1995).Official Report of the Department of Official Languages, GOI He was also on the Panel of Vice-Chairmen of the Rajya Sabha (1990–92). Biographical Sketches of Rajya Sabha Members 1952-2003
Services He also served as the Deputy Chairman of the Delhi Public LibraryDPL-List of Chairmen and the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan (en. Central Hindi Institute). Earlier, he was a Director on the Board of Samachar Bharti, a news agency for vernacular languages; and went on to become its Chairman. He authored more than thirty books and edited many others. He was a columnist for Hindi dailies and periodicals.
Personal life A true humanitarian, he was a friend of all and a foe of none. Even being in politics, he did not let himself be bound in the shackles of the party that he represented. He was equally admired and loved by all across the party line. His sudden demise in the night of 26 November 1995, in a train journey between Patna and New Delhi at Tundla, left his family of friends, admirers and followers shocked and surprised. He was survived by his wife Kanan Bala Singh, an educationist, and three children: viz Ranjan Kumar Singh, a journalist, Rajesh Kumar Singh and Rashmi Singh, both in the civil services.Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Award to Rashmi Singh His wife, Kanan Bala Singh published her reminiscence on the life of her husband titled Mere Sahchar (English: My Co-partner) in 2001.Vice President Sri Krishna Kant presented with a copy of Mere Sahchar
Published works Yudh Ke Chaurahe TakParijat Prakashan 1970 Patna Yudh Ke Aas PassStar Pocket Books 1972 Delhi Gandhi Ke Desh Se, Lenin Ke Desh MeinStar Pocket Books 1974 Delhi Kitna Kya AnkahaParijat Prakashan 1974 Patna Emergency: Kya Sachh, Kya JhoothDelhi Printers 1977 Delhi Emergency: Fact and FictionDelhi Printers 1978 Delhi Kuchh Batein, Kuchh LogPoorvodaya Prakashan, 1978 Patna Ek Din Apna Bhi 1980 Hindi Sahitya Katipaya More (Hindi), 1980 Samaya; Asamaya (Hindi), 1980 Baat Jo Bolegi, (Hindi), 1982 Paas Se Dekhne Ka Sukh (Hindi)Parijat Prakashan 1983 Patna Jo Chhor Gaye Veh Bhi Rahenge (Hindi)Anurag Prakashan 1986 Delhi Bheegi Dharti Ki Sondhi Gandh (Hindi)Parijat Prakashan 1990 Patna Parivesh Ka Sukh (Hindi)Parijat Prakashan 1991 Patna Rajniti Ki Dhoop, Sahitya Ki Chhanva (Hindi)Parijat Prakashan 1992 Patna Dhara Ke Is Par, Dhara Ke Us Par (Hindi)Prabhat Prakashan 1994 Delhi Surbhit Smritiyan (Hindi)Prabhat Prakashan 1994 Delhi Yeh Kahani Nahin (Hindi)Prabhat Prakashan 1994 Delhi Gandhi's First Step: Champaran MovementB.R. Pub. Corp. 1994 Delhi Mahatma Gandhi: Pratham Darshan, Pratham Anubhuti (Hindi) Mahatma Gandhi: Satya Se Satyagrah Tak (Hindi)Abhiruchi Prakashan 1994 Delhi Gandhi Aur Ahinsak Andollan (Hindi)Kitab Ghar 1995 Delhi Hindi: Rashtra Bhasha; Raj Bhasha; Jan BhashaKitab Ghar Delhi Khile Gulab Ki Pankhuri (Hindi)Sri Almora Book Depot 1995
Edited works Pandit Motilal Nehru, a Great Patriot, with D. C. Goswami, R. K. Nayak. National Forum of Lawyers and Legal Aid, 1976 Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi Smriti Dharohar (Hindi), Muktakantha Prakashan, 1979 Dr. Karan Singh: Ek Saumya Vyaktitva (Hindi), 1981 Yaad Ek Yayavar Ki (Hindi), Parijat Prakashan, 1988 Bihar : Ek Sanstkritik Vaibhav (Hindi) Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd. 1999 Delhi Bihar : Ek Sanstkritik Vaibhav
Further reading Mere Sahchar (Hindi) by Kanan Bala Singh. Pārijat Prakashan, Patna, 2001. Indradhanushi Yaden (Hindi). Prabhat Prakashan. 1998. . Shankar Dayal Singh : Rajniti Ki Dhoop; Sahitya Ki Chhanv (Hindi) Parijat . Smritiyon ke Ilake Mei: Shankar Dayal Singh par Ekagra (Hindi) Anamika Prakashan . Shankar Dayal Singh ki Sahitya Sadhana (Hindi) Sahitya Bhumi .
References
Shankar Dayal Singh at Open Library
External links Shankar Dayal Singh at World Catalogue