उपराज्यपाल, दिल्ली

It is a privilege to join you on this occasion to mark the release of A Celebration of Memories, the English translation of Kanwar Mohinder Singh Bedi ‘Sahar’s’ autobiography. I thank the organisers for inviting me to be part of this important moment.

This event is not only the launch of a book, but also the recovery and transmission of a memory tradition that is deeply embedded in India’s intellectual and cultural history.

Kanwar Mohinder Singh Bedi ‘Sahar’ represents a generation that lived through some of the most defining transitions of the subcontinent. His life traversed the late colonial period, the experience of Partition, and the early decades of independent India.

In that sense, his memoir is not merely personal. It is also reflective of a wider historical moment.

His journey from Chak Bedi in Montgomery to the administrative corridors of Delhi, and from literary gatherings to public service offers insight into a time when identities were layered, and cultural expression was shared across communities.

The tradition of Urdu poetry, particularly the ghazal and the nazm, has historically served as a space where language transcended religious and social boundaries.

Sahar’s work belongs to this tradition. It reflects a milieu in which literature was not only an artistic pursuit, but also a medium of dialogue and coexistence.

The significance of translating Yaadon ka Jashn into English lies precisely here.

Translation, when done thoughtfully, does not merely convert language. It enables access. It allows a wider audience to engage with experiences and ideas that might otherwise remain confined to a particular linguistic space.

In today’s context, where generational distance from events such as Partition continues to grow, such efforts become particularly important.

They help preserve not only historical memory, but also the sensibility with which that history was experienced.

Another aspect of Sahar’s life that deserves attention is his role in public service.

As City Magistrate of Delhi during the years surrounding Partition, he was part of an administrative system operating under extraordinary strain.

That he is remembered for fairness and a commitment to communal harmony is a reflection of the values that guided his work.

This intersection of administrative responsibility and cultural engagement is noteworthy.

It reflects a model of public life in which professional duty and intellectual engagement were not seen as separate domains, but as complementary.

The Bedi family’s broader legacy of public service further reinforces this tradition.

Across generations, contributions in the fields of law, administration, and public life have reflected a continued commitment to institutional integrity and national service.

This continuity is important in understanding how individual legacies evolve into collective ones.

The book also invites us to reflect on the idea of composite culture.

The social fabric of undivided Punjab, as described in such accounts, was characterised by shared linguistic, literary, and cultural practices.

While historical events have altered that landscape, the memory of such coexistence continues to hold relevance.

It serves as a reminder that cultural identities in the subcontinent have often been interconnected rather than isolated.

In contemporary times, where public discourse can sometimes become sharply defined, such narratives offer a more nuanced perspective.

They encourage reflection on continuity, coexistence, and the value of dialogue.

Literature, in this sense, performs an important function.

It does not provide solutions in a direct way, but it creates the space for understanding.

Memoirs, in particular, allow us to see history through lived experience.

They humanise events that might otherwise be understood only in abstract terms.

It also underscores the importance of preserving literary traditions, including those that may not always be at the forefront of contemporary discourse.

I would like to commend the family, the translators, and the publishers for bringing this work to a wider audience.

Such efforts contribute meaningfully to preserving intellectual and cultural continuity.

I am confident that this book will find resonance among readers across generations.

Thank you.