Qadian’s ‘king of the written word’

In the town of Qadian, where the spiritual legacy of the Ahmadiyya community and the historic Sikh National College loom large, one man has carved a name for himself through the sheer power of the written word. Bhagwan Singh, an octogenarian scholar and philosopher, is revered as Qadian’s “walking lighthouse” who is “forever radiating knowledge and decency.”  For over three decades, he has poured his thoughts into eloquent letters to The Tribune, earning him a reputation that stretches far beyond his hometown.

It is said that Qadian is known for three things to the outside world — the Ahmadiyya community, the decades-old Sikh National College and Bhagwan Singh.

Such is his fame that till some months ago he regularly used to receive calls from abroad with people often asking him for his help in translating Urdu and Persian couplets. He is now a frail old man, barely able to walk. His reputation has travelled far and wide turning him into a celebrity of sorts.

He remains humble, is wary of praise and considers it anathema. Whenever he feels strongly about some issue, he picks up his pen and starts jotting down his feelings on the left side of the paper, reminiscent of Urdu writing.

He has written hundreds of letters and each one is pasted in blue files, saved for posterity. His first letter was published in The Tribune on July 20, 1989. He is also referred to as the Qadian's 'king of the written word'.