Diwan Singh: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 01:14, 3 October 2026

Diwan Singh Kalepani (1894–1944) was a Punjabi poet. He participated in the Indian freedom movement and the Non-cooperation movement in the 1920s.^[1] He wrote poetry in free verse and composed two volumes of poetry: Vagde Pani (‘Running Waters’) in 1938, and Antim Lehran (‘Winding Waves’) which was published posthumously in 1962.^[1] His poetry often revolved around criticism of the British Raj and of organized religion.^[1]

Diwan Singh Kalepani passed his Matriculation in 1916 and in 1921 he got the diploma in Medical Service from Agra and joined the Medical Corps of the Indian Army. The most important period of life began when he was transferred to Rangoon in British Burma, from where he was transferred to the Andaman Islands in 1927 to a school where students were taught Tamil, Telugu and Punjabi. In the Gurudwara, Diwan Singh used to recite his poems and discuss with Indian people the problems of slavery and freedom.^[2]

During the Second World War when Japan occupied the Andamans in 1942, Diwan Singh could not get reconciled to it. The Japanese officers ordered him to make a speech against the Britishers on the Penang Radio, but Diwan Singh declined. He was arrested in 1943 by the Japanese. The remaining 65 members of Punjabi Sabha were also put behind the bars. After about six months of torture, he was butchered along with other members of the Punjabi Sabha. Diwan Singh's collection of poems Vagade pani (Flowing water) was published in 1938 and his second collection Antim Lehran (Last tides) was published posthumously. Diwan Singh was not interested in conventional poetry and wrote in romantic-satirical free-verses on which Puran Singh's influence can also be seen. His scientific outlook made his poetry deep and intellectual. He believed in the direct poetry, very much like Puran Singh, and thus, strengthened the trend for succeeding generation of poets.^[2]

References[edit | edit source]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Singh, Atamjit. "Twentieth Century Punjabi Literature" (249-288) in Handbook of Twentieth Century Literatures of India (ed. Nalini Natarajan). Greenwood Press, London: 1996, 253.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Diwan Singh Kalepani

[handbook-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Singh, Atamjit. "Twentieth Century Punjabi Literature" (249-288) in Handbook of Twentieth Century Literatures of India (ed. Nalini Natarajan). Greenwood Press, London: 1996, 253.

[sikhiwiki-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Diwan Singh Kalepani

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
 {{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}
-{{Infobox writer
+'''Diwan Singh Kalepani''' (1894–1944) was a Punjabi poet. He participated in the [[Indian freedom movement]] and the [[Non-cooperation movement]] in the 1920s.<ref name="handbook">Singh, Atamjit. "Twentieth Century Punjabi Literature" (249-288) in Handbook of Twentieth Century Literatures of India (ed. Nalini Natarajan). Greenwood Press, London: 1996, 253.</ref> He wrote poetry in free verse and composed two volumes of poetry: ''Vagde Pani'' (‘Running Waters’) in 1938, and ''Antim Lehran'' (‘Winding Waves’) which was published posthumously in 1962.<ref name="handbook" /> His poetry often revolved around criticism of the [[British Raj]] and of organized religion.<ref name="handbook" />
-| name = Diwan Singh Kalepani
-| birth_date = {{circa}} 1897<ref name="rekhta">{{cite web |title=Dr Diwan Singh Kalepani |url=https://punjabi-dev.rekhta.org/poets/dr-diwan-singh-kalepani/profile |website=Rekhta |access-date=3 October 2026}}</ref>
-| birth_place = Ghalotian Khurd, [[Sialkot District|Sialkot district]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], British India (now Pakistan)<ref name="rekhta" />
-| death_date = 14 January 1944<ref name="rekhta" />
-| death_place = [[Cellular Jail]], [[Port Blair]], [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands|Andaman Islands]]
-| occupation = {{plainlist|
-* Poet
-* Physician
-* Freedom fighter}}
-| language = [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]
-| notableworks = ''Vagde Pani''<br />''Antim Lehran''
-}}
-'''Diwan Singh Kalepani''' ({{circa}} 1897 – 14 January 1944) was a Punjabi poet, physician and Indian freedom fighter.<ref name="rekhta" /> He participated in the [[Non-Cooperation Movement]] in the 1920s, after which he was transferred to the [[Andaman Islands]], from where he took the pen name "Kalepani" (''[[Kala Pani (penal colony)|kala pani]]'', literally "black water").<ref name="handbook">Singh, Atamjit. "Twentieth Century Punjabi Literature" (249–288) in ''Handbook of Twentieth Century Literatures of India'' (ed. Nalini Natarajan). Greenwood Press, London: 1996, 253.</ref><ref name="apna">{{cite web |title=Dewan Singh Kalepani |url=https://apnaorg.com/books/tasneem/Ch-29-Poetry-5.html |website=apnaorg.com |access-date=3 October 2026}}</ref> He wrote in free verse and published two volumes of poetry: ''Vagde Pani'' ("Running Waters") in 1938, and ''Antim Lehran'' ("Winding Waves"), published posthumously in 1962.<ref name="handbook" /> His poetry frequently criticised the [[British Raj]] and organised religion.<ref name="handbook" /> He was tortured and executed by Japanese occupying forces in the Andamans in 1944.<ref name="rekhta" />
+Diwan Singh Kalepani passed his Matriculation in 1916 and in 1921 he got the diploma in Medical Service from [[Agra]] and joined the Medical Corps of the [[British Indian Army|Indian Army]]. The most important period of life began when he was transferred to [[Rangoon]] in [[British rule in Burma|British Burma]], from where he was transferred to the [[Andaman Islands]] in 1927 to a school where students were taught Tamil, Telugu and Punjabi. In the Gurudwara, Diwan Singh used to recite his poems and discuss with Indian people the problems of slavery and freedom.<ref name="sikhiwiki">[https://www.sikhiwiki.org Diwan Singh Kalepani]</ref>
-== Early life and education ==
+During the Second World War when Japan occupied the Andamans in 1942, Diwan Singh could not get reconciled to it. The Japanese officers ordered him to make a speech against the Britishers on the Penang Radio, but Diwan Singh declined. He was arrested in 1943 by the Japanese. The remaining 65 members of Punjabi Sabha were also put behind the bars. After about six months of torture, he was butchered along with other members of the Punjabi Sabha. Diwan Singh's collection of poems Vagade pani (Flowing water) was published in 1938 and his second collection Antim Lehran (Last tides) was published posthumously. Diwan Singh was not interested in conventional poetry and wrote in romantic-satirical free-verses on which Puran Singh's influence can also be seen. His scientific outlook made his poetry deep and intellectual. He believed in the direct poetry, very much like Puran Singh, and thus, strengthened the trend for succeeding generation of poets.<ref name="sikhiwiki" />
-Diwan Singh was born in the village of Ghalotian Khurd, near Sialkot, to Sundar Singh; he lost both parents in childhood and was raised by his grandmother.<ref name="rekhta" /> He passed his matriculation examination in 1916, and in 1921 obtained a diploma in medical service from [[Agra]], after which he joined the Medical Corps of the [[British Indian Army]].<ref name="sikhiwiki">{{cite web |title=Dr Dewan Singh Kalepani |url=https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Dr_Dewan_Singh_Kalepani |website=SikhiWiki |access-date=3 October 2026}}</ref>
-== Career in the Andamans ==
+==References==
-Diwan Singh was posted to [[Rangoon]] in [[British rule in Burma|British Burma]], and in 1927 was transferred to the Andaman Islands, where he taught at a school attended by Tamil, Telugu and Punjabi-speaking students.<ref name="sikhiwiki" /> He continued to practise medicine, treating prisoners and local residents.<ref name="museum">{{cite web |title=Shaheed Dr Diwan Singh Kalepani Museum |url=https://www.museumsofindia.org/museum/11841/shaheed-dr-diwan-singh-kalepani-museum |website=Museums of India |access-date=3 October 2026}}</ref> He built a Gurdwara open to people of all faiths, and at it recited his poetry and discussed themes of servitude and freedom with the local Indian community, most of whom were former convicts.<ref name="sikhiwiki" /><ref name="museum" />
+<references/>
-== Death ==
-When Japan occupied the Andaman Islands in 1942 during the [[Second World War]], Diwan Singh, then head of the local Indian Independence League, refused a Japanese order to broadcast a speech against the British on Penang Radio.<ref name="sikhiwiki" /> He was arrested in 1943, along with 65 other members of the Punjabi Sabha.<ref name="sikhiwiki" /> After months of torture in the [[Cellular Jail]], he was executed in January 1944.<ref name="rekhta" /><ref name="sikhiwiki" />
-== Literary style ==
-Diwan Singh rejected conventional verse forms, writing instead in a romantic, satirical free verse influenced by [[Puran Singh (poet)|Puran Singh]] and, through him, [[Walt Whitman]].<ref name="apna" /><ref name="sikhiwiki" /> His scientific training lent his poetry an intellectual and humanist quality, and he is considered an early and influential practitioner of free verse in Punjabi literature.<ref name="apna" /><ref name="rekhta" />
-== Legacy ==
-A biography, ''A Titan in the Andamans'', was written by his son, Mohinder Singh Dhillon, and published in 1994.<ref name="museum" /> N. Iqbal Singh also wrote a biography of him for the Sahitya Akademi's "Makers of Indian Literature" series.<ref name="sahitya">{{cite book |last=Singh |first=N. Iqbal |title=Dr. Diwan Singh Kalepani |publisher=Sahitya Akademi |year=1996 |isbn=8172015992}}</ref> A memorial museum dedicated to him stands at Siswan in [[Mohali district]], Punjab, built by his family and inaugurated in December 2013.<ref name="museum" />
-== References ==
-{{reflist}}
 {{authority control}}
-{{DEFAULTSORT:Kalepani, Diwan Singh}}
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Diwan}}
-[[Category:1897 births]]
+[[Category:Punjabi-language poets]]
+[[Category:1894 births]]
 [[Category:1944 deaths]]
-[[Category:Punjabi-language poets]]
 [[Category:British Indian Army soldiers]]
 [[Category:20th-century Indian poets]]
@@ Line 48: / Line 23: @@
 [[Category:20th-century executions by Japan]]
 [[Category:Indian male poets]]
-[[Category:People from Sialkot District]]
+[[Category:People from Agra]]
+[[Category:Poets from Uttar Pradesh]]
 [[Category:20th-century Indian male writers]]