Nigel Hankin

Nigel Bathurst Hankin was brought up by his grandmother in Bexhill, Sussex. He was sent to Burma during late World War II but the war ended around the time he reached Bombay, India (now Mumbai, India). He liked the bustle of the Indian Subcontinent (Delhi, India in particular) and consequently he lived there for the rest of his life.

Nigel Bathurst Hankin
Born(1920-03-14)14 March 1920
Bexhill, Sussex - United Kingdom
Died30 November 2007(2007-11-30) (aged 87)
Delhi, India
OccupationAuthor of Hanklyn-Janklin, Soldier during British Raj, one of many Delhi, India British High Commission Hangers on.

One of his early formative experiences was watching the crowds at the funeral for Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi while he still wore the uniform of the newly defunct British Raj just after the formal Partition of India. His subsequent eclectic activities in India included running a mobile cinema. Later he worked for the British High Commission and during his tenure there he helped newcomers to India interpret the local mores and lingo. In 1992 he formally compiled his know-how into the book ""Hanklyn-Janklin"" which became well known to locals and foreigners to the Subcontinent alike. This cross cultural dictionary is what he is most well known for and many critics compare it to the 19th Century book Hobson-Jobson.

Hankin never married, had no children and kept English traits such as eating an "English Breakfast" that included cornflakes. He also gave tours of Delhi which were highly sought after but hard to book. They featured sights such as hidden bazaars and Hankin's walk and talk through Coronation Park. His brother and other relatives occasionally visited him in India before his death at age 87.[1][2][3][4][5]

References
  1. Roland Watson Political Editor 7 December 2011 12:01AM. "The Times | UK News, World News and Opinion". London: Timesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  2. "Nigel Hankin". London: Telegraph. 9 January 2008. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  3. Hanklyn-janklin: a stranger's rumble ... - Nigel B. Hankin - Google Books. Books.google.com. 11 January 1996. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  4. Shabboleth. "Nigel Hankin's Delhi Durbar". YouTube. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  5. "Former British soldier offers rare take on Delhi". Sawfnews.com. 16 August 2006. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
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