Singh, Navtej was the son of the well-known Punjabi writer, Gurbakhsh Singh. He did his M.A. in Psychology, and started his career as a political journalist and remained so till his death. He was co-editor of the journal Prit lari and took over its complete charge as editor after the death of his father. Navtej travelled extensively, mainly to the Soviet Union, and thus widened the range of his literary pursuits.
The Punjab government recognised his services and honoured him with the Shiromani Patrakar Award. There are six collections of short stories to the credit of Navtej. The combination of the mental and the physical states of mind is a conspicuous quality of his short stories. His love for the masses is conveyed in his stories with delicate poetic touches. His characters seem to be always struggling with the base and artificial values of life in society.
His short story collections include: Desh vapsi (Return to Native Land), Navin rut (The new season), Basmati di mahak (Fragrance of Basmati), Chanan de bij (Seeds of light), Navtej Singh dian chonvian kahanian (selected stories) and Sab ton vada khazana (The greatest treasure). Apart from these collections, a collection of his essays Men Swrti, mere log (My land, my people) was greatly appreciated.
References :
1. Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature, 6 Vols., Delhi, 1995.
2. Sekhon, S.S. and K.S. Duggal, A History of Punjabi Literature, Delhi, 1992.
3. Singh, N.K., Encyclopaedia of Indian Biography, Delhi, 2000.
Navtej Singh stands out as a transformative figure in modern Punjabi literature whose short stories blend political insight, social empathy, and a refined poetic sensibility. Born into a literary lineage—being the son of the renowned writer Gurbakhsh Singh—Navtej Singh forged his career initially as a political journalist before embracing literature full-time. His early exposure to the world of ideas and his academic grounding in psychology enabled him to create stories that capture the interplay of mental and physical states, crafting characters who often navigate the tensions between traditional values and the demands of a modernizing society .
Throughout his career, Navtej Singh was deeply influenced by his extensive travels, notably to the Soviet Union, which widened his literary perspective and brought a global dimension to his work. His editorial stewardship of the journal Prit Lari—a mantle he assumed after his father’s death—allowed him to shape literary discourse and offer a platform for progressive thought. The Punjab government recognized his contributions, honoring him with the prestigious Shiromani Patrakar Award, a testament to the impact his journalism and literary pursuits had on Punjabi cultural and intellectual life .
Navtej Singh’s legacy is particularly marked by his six collections of short stories, which include titles such as Desh Vapsi (Return to Native Land), Navin Rut (The New Season), Basmati Di Mahak (Fragrance of Basmati), Chanan De Bij (Seeds of Light), Navtej Singh Dian Chonvian Kahanian (Selected Stories), and Sab Ton Vada Khazana (The Greatest Treasure). His narratives often reflect a deep love for the masses, intertwining delicate poetic touch with biting social commentary. Whether exploring the subtleties of everyday life or delving into broader socio-political themes, his work resonates with a unique combination of lyrical beauty and incisive critique, making ordinary experiences both profound and transformative .
Beyond his fiction, Navtej Singh’s reflective essays—such as Men Swrti, Mere Log (My Land, My People)—further capture his commitment to illuminating the human condition in all its complexity. His stories serve as windows into the hopes, struggles, and evolving identities of Punjabi society, inspiring subsequent generations of writers to pursue a literature that is both deeply personal and socially aware.
