Born on May 4, 1935 in Village Rabbon of Ludhiana district in a well-to-do land-owing family, she was educated at Patiala where her uncle, Sardar Sahib Sardar Tara Singh Sidhu was Inspector General of Prisons. She had a distinguished academic career, getting a first class first M.A., and the first woman in the region to get the Ph.D. degree from Punjab University in 1963, Dr. Dalip Kaur Tiwana joined the Punjabi University at Patiala, as a Lecturer and then went on to become Professor and Head of the Department of Punjabi and Dean, Faculty of Languages.
Dr. Dalip Kaur's literary career as a creative writer commenced
with the publication of her first book of short stories 'Sadhna' in 1961, which
was declared the best book in its genre by the Department of Languages, Government
of Punjab. She produced seven collections of short stories before switching over
to novel-writing, in which art-form she was destined to achieve great eminence.
Her second novel 'Eho Hamara Jeevna' won her the Sahitya Akademy Award in 1972.
Thereafter, virtually every one of her works won her an award. The Ministry of
Education and Social Welfare honoured her book of stories for children called
'Panjjan Wich Parmeshwar' in 1975, while the Department of Languages, Government
of Punjab, conferred the "Nanak Singh Puruskar" on her novel
'Peele Patian di Dastan' in 1980 and "Gurmukh Singh Musafir Puruskar"
on her autobiography 'Nange Pairan da Safa r' in 1982. Awards and honours have
flowed from outside the Punjab as well. In 1985, the International Association
of Punjabi Artists and Authors (IAAPA) based in Canada honoured her with an award
in 1985. "Nanjanagudu Thirumalamba" award for her novel 'Katha
Kuknoos Di' came from Shashwathi, Karnataka and "Vagdevi" award for
Duni Suhava Bagh was given by Bhartiya Bhasha Parishad, Calcutta, in 1998.
For
her outstanding contribution to Punjabi literature, Dr. Dalip Kaur received the
"Shiromani Sahityakar" award from the Punjab Government in 1987,
the "Best Novelist of the Decade" award from Punjabi Academy,
Delhi, in 1994 and the "Kartar Singh Dhaliwal" award from Punjabi
Sahit Academy, Ludhiana. She was among the distinguished Sikh personalities who
were honoured on the occasion of the Tricentenary Celebrations of the Birth
of the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib in 1999.
A List
of Literary Awards:
Govt. of Punjab award for Sadhana, as the book
of short stories. 1961-62.
Sahitya Akademi award for the novel Ehu Hamara
Jeevana, 1972.
Ministry of Education and Social Welfare award for Panjaan
Vich Parmesar - book of short stories for children, 1975.
Nanak Singh Puruskar
(Languages Department, Govt of Punjab) for the novel Peele Patian di Daastan,
1980.
Gurmukh Singh Musafir award for the autibiography Nange Pairan da Safar,
1982
Canadian International Association of Punjabi authors and artists Award,
1985.
Shriromani Sahitkar award, Languages Department of Punjab, 1987
Praman
Pattar award from Punjab Govt., 1989
Dhaliwal Award, Punjabi Sahit Academy,
Ludhiana, 1991.
Best Novelist of the Decade (1980-90), Punjabi Academy, Delhi
1994
Nanjanagudu Thirumalamba Award for the novel Katha Kuknus di
Wagdev
Award for the novel Duni Suhava Bagh from Bhartiya Bhasha Parishad, Calcutta,
1998.
Honoured during Tercentenary celebrations of the Birth of Khalsa for
outstanding contribution in the field of language, art and literature at Anandpur
Sahib on April 11, 1999.
Saraswati Samman for the Year 2001 by the KK Birla
Foundation.
Entries in "Famous Women of India," "Who's who
of India","Reference Asia","Internatinal Biographia","International
Who's who, 1995"
Works have been translated in English, French, Russian,
Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati and other Indian languages.
Three novels have
been telecast from doordarshan and many more are on the waiting list.
Many
of Dr. Dalip Kaur Tiwana's short stories and novels have been translated into
Hindi and other Indian languages, and English. Such is her Fate (Punjabi University),
Journey on bare feet (Orient Longman), Gone are the Rivers (Macmillan) are some
of the English translations, which are readily available. The Tale of the Phoenix
(Ajanta) translated by Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh and Bhupinder Singh and Elizabeth
Siler of the USA will soon be out. Urvaslu is being rendered into English by Prof
Jasbir Jain. Khushwant Singh, Jai Rattan and Danielle Gill from Paris are some
the other translators of Dr. Tiwana's works. Doordarshan has also telecast a few
serials based on her writings.
Dr. Dalip Kaur has played important roles in
distinguished bodies, both academic and literary. Currently, she is associated
with the Sahitya Academy (Delhi), Punjab Arts Council (Chandigarh), Punjab Sahit
Academy (Chandigarh), Punjabi Sahit Academy (Ludhiana), National Book Trust of
India, Bhartiya Janapith, K K. Birla Folmdation, Kendn Punjabi Lekhak Sabha in
various capacities. She is President of the Punjabi Sahit Academy, Chandigarh
and Life-Fellow auld nominated Senator of the Punjabi University.
During the
course of her career as writer and academician, she visited several countries
to preside over or participate in important international conferences. For example,
she chaired sessions at the International Punjabi Conference held in U.K. in 1980,
participated in International Writing Together anal Women in the 20th Century
held in Scotland in 1990 and presided over an international literary meet organised
by California Sahit Sabha in the U.S.A. in 2000.
By common or general consent,
Dr. Dalip Kaur Tiwana is the leading, most productive and most popular Punjabi
novelist of our Ages. For the last forty years or more, she has been engaged in
creative writing without any major interruption. There is thematic and formal
variety in her writings. Her language in particular is spontaneous, lyrical and
compressed to the point of being a marvel of economy and elegance.
Over the
years, she has moved from a preoccupation with gender issues to intellectual contemplation
of fundamental human problem, and from there to spiritual transcendence. While
negotiating the problems of life and death, tradition and modernity, men and women,
towns and villages in her works, she remains committed to the Indian spiritual
and ethical vision. One could say of her that she combines European energy with
Asiatic calm in her life and thought.
Article taken with thanks from:
Encyclopaedia
of Sikhism edited by Harbans Singh.
