Writer’s Corner: Ex-IAS officer Chiranjiv Singh’s literary journey from Punjab to Kannada

In the cultural and literary scene of Bengaluru, it is quite likely to encounter retired IAS officer and former UNESCO Ambassador Chiranjiv Singh. Post-retirement, Singh has also contributed to the Kannada literary world through his book, 'Yaava Janmada Maitri'. His mastery in Kannada is due not just to living in Karnataka for a considerable period, but because of a deep-rooted passion for languages.

Born and raised in Punjab, Singh grew up in an atmosphere where books were plentiful in English, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu. He even had a Persian-speaking father. His penchant for languages went beyond just growing up in a multilingual household; he even learned Bengali to read Tagore's works directly, instead of relying on translations.

Singh's journey towards his current profession began when he was in Class 5, where he started creating scripts for languages as a hobby. This passion led him to learn Bengali to read the works of Tagore. When he moved to Karnataka, he was thrilled to learn a new language, as he had listed three languages - Nagaland, Odisha, and Karnataka - in the IAS exam forms, choosing Karnataka due to his fondness for its language.

Singh's initial encounter with Karnataka was during his tenure as a probationary assistant commissioner in a village called Moka in Bellary. This was also his first exposure to the Telugu language, given its proximity to the Andhra Pradesh border. He found great pleasure in the village life, from the folk songs sung in the evenings to the rhythm of village life.

During his postings in Karnataka and Chikmagalur, Singh developed a love for the state and observed its evolution over time - both its natural beauty and the adverse effects of industrialization. Later in his career, he served as the head of the Information and Publicity Department, which was tasked with promoting Kannada culture, during the tenure of Chief Minister Devaraj Urs. He later headed the Kannada and Culture Department as well.

Singh's efforts in promoting Karnataka's cultural heritage led him to interact closely with several figures who later became pivotal in Kannada literature and culture, such as P Lankesh and U R Ananthamurthy. The book 'Yaava Janmada Maitri', published in 2021, was not initially planned to be an autobiography. When Sugata Srinivasaraju, a senior journalist and Singh’s friend, approached him to write his autobiography, Singh was initially hesitant.

He used a humorous Urdu quote to express his reluctance - "B.A. kiye, naukar hue, retire hue, mar gaye" which translates as "Got a B.A., entered service, retired and died." However, Srinivasaraju persisted. His wife, Rosy D’Souza, who is a Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award-winning translator, helped by transcribing Singh's dictations.

This collaboration resulted in 'Yaava Janmada Maitri', a fortnightly column that also covered contemporary events and subjects of interest to Singh.