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94 / Bhai Vir Singh
permanence and was against Westernization. He sought to
createconsciousness amongthepeople byawakeninginthem
a sense of pride in their own history and culture.
Honours andawardscamereadilyandinquicksuccession
inIndependentIndia. In acknowledgement of his contribution
to Punjabi letters, the East Panjab University decided to confer
upon him the degree of Doctor of Oriental Learning (honoris
causa) at its first Convocation scheduled for March 5, 1949.
Another eminent countryman to be given an honorary degree
at that Convocation was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. India's
Home Minister. Bhai Vir Singh did not participate in the
ceremonies. The Syndicate of the University sent one of its
senior members Bhai Jodh Singh and the Deputy Registrar Dr
Bhopal Singh to invest him with the degree at his house in
Amritsar.
In 1952, Bhai Vir Singh was nominated a member of the
Punjab Legislative Council. He attended the sessions
occasionally only to comply with the form, but made no
speechesnortookpartintheproceedingsinanyothermanner.
In 1953, he received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his book,
MereSaiyan Jeo. On the occasion of his 80thbirthday, he was
presented with a ceremonial volume containing tributes as
well as scholarly essays on his life and works, lovingly and
competently edited by Sardar Harbans Singh, a high-ranking
Government ofIndia official. The platform aptlywasthat ofthe
Sikh Educational Conference which was meeting, under the
presidency of Sardar Hardit Singh Malik, Indian Civilian and
diplomat, at Bombayfor its 38thannual session. On October 6,
1956, the President of India conferred upon him the Padma
Bhushan.
His responseto thesehonours andcomplimentsis summed
up in the following couplets he addressed to the Editor of the
Khalsa Samachar on printing in its columns eulogies and
tributes tendered by congratulating admires:
To your heart's content have you maligned me.
Enough is enough;
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