Truth, Love and a Little Malice

Truth, Love And A Little Malice, the autobiography of the famous author and journalist Khushwant Singh, was published by Penguin India as new edition in 2003. He chronicles in this book some of the seminal historical and political events that have marked the Indian socio-political scene in his lifetime, i.e. since 1915. Crucial amongst these events are the Partition of India, the Emergency and Operation Blue Star, all of which have influenced and shaped the lives of Indians, and particularly that of Sikhs (the community that he belongs to), in very specific and tangible ways.However, what makes Singh’s autobiography unique is that he shared personal and professional equations with many eminent personalities throughout his life, which includes the leaders of the country. His insightful, witty, and irreverent recollection of several incidents in the lives of those personalities, as well as in his own, makes this book a read that is as voyeuristic and controversial as its author.Alongside the glamorous encounters and anecdotes are some of the most personal and unadulterated truths from Singh’s own life. Through this book, we discover about his somewhat rocky relationship with his wife, his first sexual encounter, the pitfalls and achievements in his professional career, and his overwhelming sense, at age 85, that death was just around the corner.