S. S. Misha

Sohan Singh Misha was a famous and realist poet of modern Punjabi poetry who broke the romantic illusions. He was born on 30 August 1934 in village Bhet, district Kapurthala, to Sardar Inder Singh and Sardarni Gunwant Kaur. He received his early education from the village school and completed his matriculation from Randhir High School, Kapurthala. After completing M.A. in English from Government College, Hoshiarpur, he worked as a lecturer of English at National College, Sathiala from 1957 to 1966. After this, he also worked as a Producer of Punjabi Programs at All India Radio, Jalandhar.

After entering the Punjabi literary world, Sohan Singh Misha tried to walk along every poetic wave, whose base existed in our social mentality. In 1961, his first poetry collection "Churasta" was published. After that, "Dastak", "Dheeme Bol" (Selected Poems) and "Kachh De Vastar" were published. In 1977, he was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for the book "Kachh De Vastar" and was also honoured by the Language Department, Punjab.

Sohan Singh Misha made a distinct identity in the field of Punjabi poetry. Although he was influenced by the ideology of the Progressive literary movement, he consciously did not bind himself to any single poetic school. Misha’s poetry is mainly based on lower middle-class consciousness. Through his poetry, he expresses the tragic experiences of the lost existence of man. He sharply and emotionally portrays the petty emotions, double standards, greedy instincts, lowly desires, and frustrations of the urban middle-class human. His poetry shows a blend of narrative, dramatic effect, and lyricism. Along with nazms, Misha also made his mark in the field of Punjabi ghazal.

Sohan Singh Misha died at the age of 42 on 22 September 1986 due to an accident at Kanji Lake. His legacy has left an indelible mark on Punjabi poetry, which connected the new generation with realist ideology.