Mark Tully, a veteran British journalist, author, and India expert, passed away today. He was 90.
A sensitive international voice that understood India, has passed away.
Mark Tully, a veteran British journalist, author, and India expert, passed away today. He was 90.
With his departure, not only the world of journalism but also an honest global voice that deeply understood and explained India has been silenced forever.
An investigative political Journalist, vivacious reader, author and a prolific writer Mark Tully despite over decades of reporting on India for the BBC he is credited to have exposed the ground realities of politics, society, religion, and villages and towns to the world.
His reporting on sensitive topics like Emergency, Punjab crisis, Ram Janmabhoomi movement was an example of balance, sensitivity and factuality.
His books—India in Slow Motion, No Full Stops in India—reveal the soul of India, its complexities and contradictions in strikingly simple yet powerful language. He believed that understanding India begins with the villages and the common man, not just the corridors of power.
The Indian government honored him with the Padma Bhushan. Despite being a foreigner, he was considered one of India’s most impartial and compassionate commentators. His greatest legacy—listening, understanding, and questioning—remains a guiding light for journalism today.
