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Sahitik Sawejiwani
Having made a name for himself as a distinguished short story writer and novelist, he has not allowed his pen to rest on the laurels and awards. Creativity continues to flow from it and plethora of articles and columns, he writes regularly for newspapers, has not been able to stilt it. No heavy philosophical moanings for him. And no unusual emotional outpourings or heavyduty jugglery of words. Instead short, crisp, sweet and simple sentences reamain Sandhu’s hallmark. And this skill is more than evident in the volume under review. As is obvious from the title, this volume primarily focusses on Sandhu’s literary journey. It starts from his childhood with his maternal grandparents and the influence of that environment in moulding his personality and creative process. Very poignantly he describes how the lyrical outbursts of his Nana (maternal grandfather) and closeness to nature enriched and invigorated his imaginative skill.
Pehla Din DELHI continues to harbour many a Punjabi literateur. And S. Saki is one of them. Despite having penned a dozen collections of short stories and five novels in Punjabi, he remains a bigger draw in Hindi, all thanks to his talented wife who has translated most of his works in that language. This , however, has not dampened his spirits. Serving his Ma- boli (mother tongue) remains his prime passion. This is again manifest from Pehla Din, his latest collection of short stories. This volume encompasses 25 short stories, mostly urbane in setting and characterisation. Some of these, such as Rabb Da Ghar, Pehla Din, Ki Kare Koyee, Shekhu etc. are both touching and engaging in treatment. Others just fit the bill.
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Penning
Having seen and imbibed
the pastoral best of Malwa and Doaba regions of Punjab, Sandhu reached
Delhi in the late 1950s. It was an opportune time. The national capital
was peaking as the Mecca of Punjabi literature. The proximity to the
literary giants of that age fired and honed the literary skills of young
Sandhu and enabled him to emerge as a writer of repute. It also opened
for him new vistas and avenues which continue to infuse fervour to his
endeavours even today. On the whole, a delightful and inspiring volume.