Khushwant Singh was India's best-known writer and columnist. He was founder-editor of Yojana and editor of the Illustrated Weekly of India, The National Herald and Hindustan Times. He authored classics such as Train to Pakistan, I shall Not Hear the Nightingale and Delhi. His latest novel, The Sunset Club, written when he was 95, was published by Penguin Books in 2010. His non-fiction includes the classic two-volume A History of the Sikhs, a number of translations and works on Sikh religion and culture, Delhi, nature, current affairs and Urdu poetry. His autobiography, Truth, Love and a Little Malice, was published by Penguin Books in 2002. Khushwant Singh was a member of Parliament from 1980 to 1986. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1974 but returned the decoration in 1984 in protest against the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar by the Indian Army. In 2007, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan. Among the other awards he has received are the Punjab Ratna, the Sulabh International award for the most honest Indian of the year, and honorary doctorates from several universities.
Preet Malik, a career diplomat, had served as the ambassador to Bahrain, Cuba and Myanmar and was the high commissioner to Singapore, Tanzania, Seychelles, Malaysia and Brunei.
Vasant Kaiwar is Visiting Assistant Professor of History at the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, Duke University, North Carolina, USA. He is the author of The Postcolonial Orient, The Politi
Renate Zahar, born in 1942, has occupied herself with the problems of the Third World as her field of study. She received her education in North and Black African schools, and completed her studies
Hannan Mollah is the General Secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha. He is a former Member of Parliament, having been elected eight times to the Uluberia constituency in Howrah district of West Ben
R.M. Pal was born in Kamilla district of undivided Bengal. He taught English at Rajdhani College in Delhi. He was closely associated with the Radical Humanist Movement and was personally close to M
