The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Shri Manoj Sinha, described the renowned writer and Member of Parliament, the late Shri Shankar Dayal Singh, as a “saintly author” and praised his total dedication to truth. He said that Singh never allowed relationships to stand in the way of truth in his writing. He was unwavering in his commitment to truth, and his words and works left an indelible mark on Indian politics and society.
L to R:Rashmi Singh (IAS), Sanjay Singh Former MP, Kiran Chopra
Shankar Dayal Singh served as a Member of Parliament from 1971 to 1977, and during his tenure, he witnessed the Emergency period in India. His book “Emergency: Kya Sach, Kya Jhoot” is a reflection of the political events of that time and his personal experiences. In the introduction to the book, Singh expressed his inner voice, writing, “My frankness may cause some controversy, and my friends may also face difficulties. But what can I do The pain of truth that lies hidden beneath the political skin of my soul constantly pricks me.” This courage to speak the truth is something only a saintly writer could do as observed by the Chief Guest, Sh. Manoj Sinha ji.
L to R: LG Manoj Sinha, Swami Chidanand Saraswat
During the event, Swami Chidanand Saraswati of Parmarth Niketan, Haridwar, reminisced about his association with Shankar Dayal Singh. He shared that he was introduced to Singh by the eminent jurist Dr. Laxmimall Singvi when Dr. Singvi was the Indian Ambassador to the United Kingdom. It was at Dr. Singvis encouragement that work on the Hindu World Encyclopedia began, and Shankar Dayal Singh was an integral part of the team formed for this project. Swami Ji further stated that Singhs creative contribution to this encyclopedia was significant. Reflecting on Singh’s sudden passing, Swami Ji added that, like a traveler, Singh had embarked on his final journey as if guided by divine will.
L to R: Ranjan kumar singh, (son of Dr Shankar Dayal Singh), Swami Chidanand Saraswat, LG Manoj Sinha, Rashmi Singh IAS (daughter of Dr Shankar Dayal Singh) Girija Devi former MP
At the beginning of the program two minutes of silence was observed as a tribute to Former Prime Minister of India Sh. Manmohan Singh Ji.
The Main Theme of the Lecture
This year’s “Shankar Dayal Singh Memorial Lecture 2024” focused on the theme “Hamari Jarurate aur Chahte“. As the keynote speaker, Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati explained that life is not about accumulation but about relationships. He stressed that if we begin to focus on accumulation, we fall prey to our desires. Only by living through relationships can we truly understand and recognize our needs. Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha also emphasized that accumulation is a kin to a disease, and people in Western countries are now seeking ways to break free from it. He pointed out that the advertising industry presents our desires as needs, trapping us in this cycle.
At the start of the event, Ranjan Kumar Singh son of Sh. Shankar Dayal Singh who is an author & a film maker welcomed the guests, noting that despite the rain, the large turnout was a testament to people’s commitment to the event and its core values. Dr. Rashmi Singh, daughter of Sh. Shankar Dayal Singh who is an IAS Officer and currently posted as a Commissioner/Secretary & Principal Resident Commissioner, Jammu & Kashmir Government delivered the vote of thanks. She ended her heartfelt appreciation for the guests with a quote from her father’s book.
The event was moderated in a very graceful manner by Dr. Vartika Nanda, Head, Dept. of Journalism, Lady Shree Ram College.
Distinguished gathering
Amongst some the Prominent Attendees a wide cross section of society were represented covering academicians, VCs, Scholars, researchers, Artist, Media, other influencers etc. To name a few-
Politicians- Mr. Sanjay Paswan (Former Minister of State, GOI & currently MLC in Bihar), Sh. Akhilesh Prasad Singh (Member of Parliament), Sh. Virendra Singh (Former MP from Bihar), Mrs. Girja devi (former member of parliament), Dr. Sanjay Singh (Former Member of Parliament), Sh. Santosh Bhartiya (Former Member of Parliament).
Senior Bureaucrats: Smt. Usha Sharma, (Former Chief Secretary Rajsthan), Sh. SS Sirohi (former Secretary GOI), Mr. Deepak Sehgal (Former CS Uttar Pradesh) Dr. P. K. Singh (Agriculture Commissioner in GOI), Sh. Navneet Sahgal (Chairman of Prasar Bharti), and other senior officers like B. N. Sharma (Rajasthan Cadre), Aradhana Shukla) and Pradeep Shukla (UP Cadre).
Academician and Writers like Dr. Dinesh Singh (Former Vice Chancellor of Delhi University), Dr. Manisha Priyam (Scholar and Political analyst), Dr. Bipin Kumar (Vishva Hindi Parishad), Dr. Aditi Narayani Paswan (Prof. DU), Mr. Gajendra Solanki (Poet), Mr. Prabhat Kumar (Prabhat Prakashan), Mrs. Puja Chauhan & Mrs. Divya Chauhan (Amity University), Prof. Dhanajay Joshi (V.C. Delhi Teachers University), Dean of Gautam Buddha University, besides other senior, scholars & researchers.
Social Activists like Ms. Namita Gautam (Chairman of Sleepwell Foundation), Mrs. Rekha Mody (Founder of Stree Shakti), Mr. Kumar Dilip (President of Sulabh International Social Service Organization), Secretary General Bahai Sh. Merchant, Mr. Ravindra Pandita (Save Sharda Committee, J&K), Mr. Abhay Sinha (JP Memorial), Mr. Avinash Tiku (Regional Coordinator of Art of Living), Sadhvi Deepika Bharti (Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan).
Media and other Influencers like Mrs. Kiran Chopra (Punjab Keshari), Ms. Farzana Mumtaz (Kashmir News), 1st Mrs. India from Jammu and Kashmir Meenu Mahajan, Avantika Midha (Council of Royal Rootes)) and many other prominent Media Personalities, artists and senior representatives from industry and trade bodies like PhD Chambers, FICCI.
Remembering Shankar Dayal Singh
Shankar Dayal Singh passed away on November 26, 1995, and since then, this lecture series has been organized consistently every year on his birthday (December 27). This year, the event once again drew a large crowd.
In past events, prominent figures from the world of literature, politics, and education have graced the platform as keynote speakers and Guests of Honor including dignitaries like, the then Vice Presidents Shri Krishan Kant and Shri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, former Prime Ministers and Shri Chandra Shekhar and Shri Indra Kumar Gujral, Philosopher and scholars like Dr. Karan Singh, Dr. Laxmimal Singvi, Shri Vinay Sahastrabuddhe and Other distinguished speakers included the then Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Shivraj Patil, Smt. Meira Kumar, Vice Chairperson of Rajya Sabha, Dr. Najma Heptulla, former Union Ministers Shri Yashwant Sinha, Shri Bhishma Narayan Singh, Sh Yashwant Sinha, Shri Shatrughan Sinha, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan, Shri Satyanarayan Jatiya, Shri C.P. Thakur, General V.K. Singh, Shri Janeshwar Mishra, Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Former Chief Minister Smt. Sheila Dikshit, Sh. Manish Sisodia as Education Minister of Delhi as well as Scholars, Writers and social activists like Dr. Namwar Singh, Shri Ved Prakash Vaidik, Shri Ram Bahadur Rai, Dr. Kedar Nath Singh, Shri Himanshu Joshi, Shri Bindeshwar Pathak. The Shankar Sanskriti Pratishthan event has also been held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan under the presence of her Excellency, President Smt. Pratibha Patil. Last year, the Governor of Kerala, Honorable Arif Mohammad Khan, delivered a scholarly speech on the topic of “Sarvadharma Sambhav and Our Constitution.” In 2018, Shri Rajnath Singh, the then Home Minister, was the chief guest at this event.
On the occasion of 27th December 2024 this year, Shankar Dayal Singhs literary and political contributions were discussed with admiration, reminding everyone of his significant role as a bridge between literature and politics. Tributes were paid not only for his works and his dedication to Gandhian ideals but also for his vital services for promoting Hindi and other regional languages in his individual capacity and in capacity – as Vice-Chairman of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee.
His contributions to cultural, social, and educational institutions leaving a lasting impact were recognized.
As a pioneer for promoting girls’ education in Bihar leader, his unwavering dedication to promoting girls education in Bihar led to the successful seting up of several institutions from their foundation stage. Such as he served as chairman from foundational stage at the Girls Residential School in Lakhisarai. Some notable institutions that benefited from his vision and leadership include:
Madhusthali Residential Schools in Madhupur, which has become a model for residential education.
Balika Vidyapeeth in Deoghar, a premier institution dedicated to empowering girls through education.
Through his tireless efforts, Dr. Shankar Dayal Singh has left a lasting impact on the educational landscape of Bihar, inspiring countless youth to pursue their dreams and aspirations. His legacy continues to inspire future generations, by specially with his motivational writings and speeches.
His deep faith in religion and philosophy was evident throughout his life. He organized the Viraat Hindu Sammelan at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, bringing together people from across the country in the spirit of unity with a motto of serving for humanity.
