Singh, Suba was born at village Udho Nangal, District Amritsar. He is an eminent humorous writer in Punjabi. In the pre-Independence days, he was an activist in the I.N.A. that later on prompted him to write Topan de parchavein thalion (From underneath the shadow of guns, 1974). Starting his literary career as a journalist, he edited Punjabi Patrika and Parkash in Punjabi and Rafaqat in Urdu.
This provided him the focus to write Punjabi patarkari da ithas (History of Punjabi journalism, 1974). During government service, he was editor of Panchayati Raj. Dharti te manukh (Earth and man, 1960), Alop ho prahe chetak (Vanishing amusements, 1967), Galtian (Blunders, 1971) and Hase te hadse (Joys and accidents, 1976) are his notable collections of humorous essays. As an essayist, his forte lies in delineating the odd and eccentric aspects of human behaviour.
In Hir Suba Singh (Hir of Suba Singh, 1976), he brings narration to the low mimetic mode from the high mimetic mode at which it is immortalised in Hir by Waris Shah. In Sarmadian rubaiyan (Rubaiyat of Sarmad, 1975), he employs the \’bait\’ form, thereby implementing an element of humour in the otherwise sober content of these writings. His sense of humour is sophisticated and gentle. This distinguishes him from earlier humorous writers like Bawa Budh Singh and Charan Singh Shahid.
References :
1. Amarjit Singh, Punjabi sahit da itihas ”Qissa kal, Amritsar, 1981.
2. Encyclopaedia, of Indian Literature, 6 Vos., Delhi, 1995.
3. Sekhon, S.S. and K.S. Duggal, A History of Punjabi Literature, Delhi, 1992.
4. Singh, N.K., Encyclopaedia of Indian Biography, Delhi, 2000.
Suba Singh (1919–1982) stands out as an eminent humorous writer in Punjabi literature whose work masterfully blends social commentary with a refined wit. Born in village Udho Nangal in Amritsar district, he not only contributed significantly as an essayist and humorist but also left his mark as a journalist. Early in his career, he edited notable publications such as Punjabi Patrika and Parkash in Punjabi, as well as Rafaqat in Urdu. His formative experiences as an activist in the Indian National Army during the pre-Independence period provided him with a distinctive vantage point—from the intensity of political struggle emerged a literary voice both incisive and playful. This period of activism later inspired works like Topan de Parchavein Thalion (From Underneath the Shadow of Guns, 1974) that seamlessly fuse political consciousness with humor.
Throughout his career in government service as well, Suba Singh’s literary prowess blossomed, evidenced by his impressive collections of humorous essays. Titles such as Dharti te Manukh (Earth and Man, 1960), Alop ho Prahe Chetak (Vanishing Amusements, 1967), Galtian (Blunders, 1971), and Hase te Hadse (Joys and Accidents, 1976) showcase his gift for drawing out the oddities of human behavior in a gentle yet incisive manner. Notably, in works like Hir Suba Singh (1976), he reimagines traditional emulative forms—drawing inspiration from Waris Shah’s celebrated Hir—to present everyday narratives in a low mimetic mode that resonates with the common reader, while his adaptation of the ‘bait’ form in Sarmadian Rubaiyan (1975) introduces humor into otherwise somber themes. His sophisticated and gentle sense of humor distinguishes him from earlier Punjabi humorists such as Bawa Budh Singh and Charan Singh Shahid, demonstrating a refreshing evolution in the art of humorous writing.
