Punjabi writer Sultana Begum dead at 72

Renowned Punjabi writer Sultana Begum has died at a private hospital in Mohali district after a brief illness, family sources said on Saturday.

Renowned Punjabi writer Sultana Begum has died at a private hospital in Mohali district after a brief illness, family sources said on Saturday. She was 72.

Sultana Begum died on Friday night, they said, adding that her last rites would be performed on Tuesday.

Punjab Education Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and Punjab Lok Virasat Academy chairman Gurbahajan Singh Gill expressed grief over her demise.

Born into a Muslim family in 1949 in the royal city of Patiala, Sultana Begum was brought up in a Hindu family. She was married to a Sikh.

Her parents had shifted to Pakistan after partition, but in 1948, her mother returned to Patiala following a marital discord with her father.

In Patiala, Sultana Begum's mother was adopted by a man named Chiranji Lal, who raised her.

Sultana Begum did her MA in Punjabi and Urdu, and PhD on Indian theatre. She also had a diploma in Persian language.

She worked with the Punjab School Education Board, Mohali.

Her book 'Shugufe' gained popularity. The first woman to write a literary satire in Punjabi language, Sultana Begum was awarded the 'Professor Joga Singh' award and the 'Waris di Dhi' award by the Punjabi University.

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