Khush Want Singh into the world of Khush
THE bulb is burst and the genie escaped into the other world - if there is a world dead people go into. I request the indulgence of DDT readers for a few minutes of tribute to my most favourite writer. (some of which may appear to be name dropping).
I am a sort of Ekalavya for Khushwant Singh. Once he wrote about Members farting in the Rajya Sabha and that he was tempted to move a privilege motion against loud farters. I wrote to him that reading his piece was nauseating. He wrote back to me, "you only had to read about it; I had to bear the stink." To my long blabbering letters, he would reply in two or three sentences on a post card - handwritten. Every letter used to be invariably replied to - in his own handwriting. After some time I realised that it was criminal on my part to make the great writer reply to my stupid letters and I stopped writing to him.
He could increase the Circulation of the Illustrated weekly of India from 60,000 to 400,000 unheard of - for any Indian journal. He believed that articles should be short, precise and well researched - and that is the change that he brought in to the Weekly. His inspiration was of course the Readers Digest.
In the earlier days, I had a tough time convincing my eminent writers and even some senior editorial colleagues in TIOL that long articles will not be read. Articles had to be short, straight and result of good research - now you see the quality of articles in TIOL.
The Illustrated Weekly had a slogan - "Make the Illustrated a Weekly Habit" -When I started DDT, my ambition was to make DDT a Daily Habit in the tax fraternity. Khushwant's blurb from the bulb was to inform, amuse and irritate - which I follow religiously.
Some 15 years ago, he was on a short visit to Visakhapatnam where I was living at that time. Having come to know about his programme, I sought an appointment. He gave me an hour - with my family. He was staying in a beautiful Guest House overlooking the sea with no phone. At the appointed time, I reached the Guest House without informing him in advance (no phone) and he received me and my family as if he was a close relative and he was eagerly waiting for us.
I sent him a letter along with some photos. Promptly came back the reply in a post card with the words - "I will cherish them as a memento of my visit to Vizag". And that post card is my most cherished possession.
Please also see http://www.hindu.com/2000/01/08/stories/13081107.htm