Former PGI head, poet Jaswant Singh Neki dead

CHANDIGARH: Punjabi poet Jaswant Singh Neki passed away in Delhi on Friday. He was 90. Famous for 'neo-metaphysical' poetry, he published more than 20 books of prose and poetry.
Neki's most famous collections include 'Asle Ton Ohlse Tak' (Illusion and Reality, 1955), 'Simriti De Kiran Ton Pehlan' (Before Shedding Memory, 1975) and 'Koi Naon na Jãne Mera' (2000) autobiography in prosody.He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1979 for his work, 'Karuna di Chhoh Ton Magron' (The Compassionate Touch). He was also a well-known Sikh scholar.
A psychiatrist, he headed the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, for three years (1978-1981) and was HoD psychiatry at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). "Neki has always evinced keen interest in religion. During his student life, he was close to Master Tara Singh and became President of the All India Sikh Students Federation. His initial zeal for the idea of a 'Sikh Homeland' receded with the rise of his professional career," recalled UK-based writer Amarjit Chandan.