Inside Delhi’s Sujan Singh Park: From Khushwant Singh’s adda to a battle over its future

Sujan Singh Park in Delhi is a place steeped in history and controversy. Built in 1945 as a mass housing project for military officers during World War II, it was designed by Walter Sykes George. After Partition, Sobha Singh, the father of celebrated author Khushwant Singh, opened the complex to families fleeing Pakistan, while still honoring its lease agreement with the British government.

The park was once a vibrant hub of cultural and intellectual life, hosting winter get-togethers and house parties where filmmakers, bureaucrats, and politicians mingled. It was also home to early residents who built lives from scratch, with grocery stores, garages, and tent walas dotting the neighborhood. Naina Dayal, Khushwant Singh's granddaughter, recalls the close-knit community that formed, with residents showing up for each other's major life events.

However, the park's future became uncertain when the Centre initiated eviction proceedings, arguing that the original lease expired in 1960. Despite a temporary reprieve from the Delhi High Court in August, the dispute between the Centre and Sir Sobha Singh & Sons Pvt Ltd remains unresolved. The park, once a symbol of Delhi's cultural and intellectual life, now faces the possibility of being transformed into a different, uncertain reality.