In 2005, I was undergoing training in Faridkot, where I worked as a Naib Tehsildar in a small town called Sadik. One day, as I entered the courthouse, I noticed cameras set up for a shoot. As soon as my vehicle passed through the gate, a slender young man in a khaki uniform stood in front of the camera and shouted, “Cut, cut, cut.” I got out of my vehicle and quickly called my reader to ask what was happening.
He informed me that a writer from a nearby village was filming a short movie about his life. This writer had previously worked as an orderly to judges for many years, and after leaving that job, he had written numerous literary works. His autobiography, which included his experiences as an orderly , had gained considerable fame, and today they were shooting a movie based on that book.
Intrigued, I asked my reader to bring the young man over. When he greeted me with a “Sat Sri Akal,” I gestured for him to take a seat. He joined his hands in humility and politely said, “No, no sir, I am not worthy to sit on this chair.” After insisting, he agreed to sit down.
When I inquired about his story, he began recounting, “Sir, my circumstances were such that I couldn’t continue my education after the tenth grade. I developed a passion for singing and, at the age of twelve or thirteen, became a disciple of the renowned Indian folk singer Lal Chand Yamla Jat.
Under his guidance, I began learning music and also started writing. My first significant work was a comprehensive biography of my teacher, which was published by Punjabi University, Patiala. Due to my literary and cultural activities, I received an invitation from Canada in 2001 and was honored in the Parliament by then-Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.
When the Prime Minister learned that a 23-year-old had already written 24 books, he laughed and said, ‘It seems that when you were born, you were already holding a book.’ This made us both laugh.
He continued, “Later, I gave a lecture in the London Parliament. My writing took me on a journey to America”From 2005 till 2024 ,in Ninder’s journey so far ,I have seen life in various artistic hues. He has shared every joy and sorrow with me, never forgetting to bring me a copy of each new book he publishes. His narrative resonates with the struggles of ordinary people of Punjab.
In the fields of literature and art, I’ve witnessed his remarkable progress. Since 2012, he has begun lecturing new IAS and PCS officers at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Chandigarh about Punjabi art and language.
His life has has been filled with significant struggles in various forms and at the same time has written 70 books. His book on being an orderly of judges is included in the MA and MBA courses of many universities, and twelve students have completed their M.Phil and Ph.D. based on his works.
Now, I should reveal the name of this intriguing writer: Ninder Ghugianvi, who resides in his ancestral village near Faridkot. When I read in a newspaper that he had been appointed as a Professor of Practice (POP) at Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, I vividly remembered that slender young man in uniform.
When he was honored with the “Sahitya Ratna” award for his literary service by the Vice President of India recently in Punjab University, he humbly responded, “Sir, humility has borne fruit.” I consider him a “great tree” of Punjabi literature, rich with literary fruits.
