Balwant Singh is an important yet somewhat relegated name in Urdu fiction. Belonging to the Sikh community of the Punjab, depiction of Sikh life within wider context of Punjabi milieu remains his forte. In his fiction, the Sikh community, it’s society, its particular culture, it’s social and economic dichotomies all come out living and thriving. The reader takes in sights and sounds, flora and fauna and socio- cultural idiosyncrasies of the Sikh society in pre independence Punjab. Balwant Singh gets under the skin of his characters and hues out their inner recesses like a true psychologist. In this article, an effort has been made to look into various and myriad facets of Balwant Singh’s art of fiction. The intention is to look with fresh eyes on this brilliant writer in whose pages we can see pre partition Punjab without prejudice and embellishments.

* Assistant Professor, University of Education, Division of Arts & Social Sciences, Lower Mall Campus, Lahore

1- Nighat Rihana Khan, Dr.- Urdu Mukhtasar Afsana: Fanni-o-Tekniki Mutala (Lahore: Book Wize, 1988)149.

2- Risala Aaj Kal, Balwant Singh Number, Issue Jan.1995, Mashmoola Mazmoon: Balwant Singh k kuch Afsane, Shamsur Rehman Farooqi, 262

3- Tajamul Hussain Anjum- Balwant Singh k Muntkhab Afsane, Pehla Path'thar (Lahore: Nazir Sons Publishers, 1996)43.

4- As Above, 10

5- Sarfraz Ahmad (Muratib)- Balwant Singh k Afsane (Lahore: Maktba-e-Urdu Adab, 1996)49.

6- As Above, 48, 49.

7- As Above, 66.

8- Shamsur Rehman Farooqi- Urdu Afsane ki Himayat mein (Karachi: Shehr Zaad, 2004)117.

9- Tajamul Hussain Anjum- Balwant Singh k Muntkhab Afsane, 258.

10- As Above, 264.

11- As Above, 294.

12- Gopi Chand Narang- Jadidiyat k Baad (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2006)360.

13- As Above, 307.

14- Balwant Singh-  Pehla Path'thar (Lahore: Maktba Jadeed, 2015)5.

15- As Above, 12.

16- As Above, 80.

17- Jameel Akhtar (Muratib)- Abgina (Nya Afsanvi Majmooa) (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2017)16.

18- Saleem Agha Qazalbash, Dr.- Jadeed Urdu Afsane k Rujhanaat (Karachi: Anjuman-e- Taraqqi-e-Urdu, 2000)276.

19- Anwaar Ahmad, Dr.- Aik Sadi ka Qissa (Multan: Kitab Nagar, 2017)480.

20- As Above, 480.

21- Khawaja Muhammad Zakariya Dr.- (Mudeer-e-Umumi) Tarikh-e-Adabiyat-e Musalmanan-e- Pakistan-o-Hind, Urdu Adab, Agaz ta Bisvin Sadi (Lahore: Punjab University, 2016)812.

22- Balwant Singh- Garanthi, Mashmoola Balwant Singh k Shahkar Afsane (Qoeta: Gosha-e-Adab, 2000)34.

23- Gopi Chand Narang- Jadidiyat k Baad,351.

24- Jameel Akhtar (Muratib)- Majmua Balwant Singh, Afsane "Nenaa" (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2015)47.

25- Gopi Chand Narang- Jadidiyat k Baad,360, 361.

26- Balwant Singh- Chak Piran ka Jassa (Lahore: Maktba-e-Urdu, 1993)8.

27- As Above, 76.

28- As Above, 245.

29- Gopi Chand Narang- Jadidiyat k Baad,345.

30- Jameel Akhtar (Muratib)- Abgina, 16.17.

31- Masood Raza Khaki, Dr.- Urdu Afsane ka Irtiqa (Lahore: Maktba-e-Khayal 1987)350, 351.