Veteran journalist, author and wordsmith, Padma Bhushan TJS George (97) died in Bengaluru on Friday after a brief illness. He breathed his last in a private hospital.
TJS is survived by his son, poet-novelist Jeet Thayil and daughter Sheba Thayil.
Over seven decades, George, born in Kerala, emerged as an authoritative voice on journalism and left his deep imprint across publications that he led and guided. He was a keen watcher of China and other Southeast Asian countries.
George was widely travelled and is fondly remembered for not mincing his words. The publications he worked or associated with included the Free Press Journal, The Searchlight (Patna) and The New Indian Express. He was also the founding editor of Asiaweek, Hong Kong.
While in Patna, the journalist was jailed for about three weeks for his editorials, critical of the then government. He was the first editor in free India to be charged with sedition. VK Krishna Menon, a former defence minister, had then appeared in the court to argue his bail.
George touched the lives of scores of young journalists, inspiring them with his exacting standards of reporting, editing, and research. He had a sharp eye for details as well as an extraordinary sense of design and aesthetics for newspapers and magazines. He was a man of ideas and inspired many during his journey. Ramnath Goenka counted him as a personal friend.
George was keen that Indian journalists or for that matter the Asian journalists follow their own style of journalism, uninfluenced by the west. That thought led him to start The Asian College of Journalism in Bengaluru which was later moved to Chennai.
His weekly column ‘Point of View’ which ran for about 25 years with his inimitable writing style, commanded a loyal following. He was warm, gentle but was firm and uncompromising as a person which reflected in his writings.
George authored several books including Lee Kuan Yew’s Singapore, Pothan Joseph’s India: A Biography, The Life & Times of Nargis, Revolt in Mindanao: The Rise of Islam in Philippine Politics, MS – A Life in Music, The Enquire Dictionary, Lessons in Journalism - The Story of Pothan Joseph, First Refuge of Scoundrels: Politics in Modern India and The Dismantling of India: in 35 Portraits. It took almost a decade for him to do in-depth research on MS Subbulakshmi.
Author-philanthropist Sudha Murty remembered TJS as the one who inspired her to write in English. “I will never forget him. He made me an English author,” she said in a message.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said George, with his sharp pen and uncompromising voice, enriched Indian journalism for over six decades. "He was a true public intellectual who made readers think, question and engage."
TJS is survived by his son, poet-novelist Jeet Thayil and daughter Sheba Thayil.
Over seven decades, George, born in Kerala, emerged as an authoritative voice on journalism and left his deep imprint across publications that he led and guided. He was a keen watcher of China and other Southeast Asian countries.
George was widely travelled and is fondly remembered for not mincing his words. The publications he worked or associated with included the Free Press Journal, The Searchlight (Patna) and The New Indian Express. He was also the founding editor of Asiaweek, Hong Kong.
While in Patna, the journalist was jailed for about three weeks for his editorials, critical of the then government. He was the first editor in free India to be charged with sedition. VK Krishna Menon, a former defence minister, had then appeared in the court to argue his bail.
George touched the lives of scores of young journalists, inspiring them with his exacting standards of reporting, editing, and research. He had a sharp eye for details as well as an extraordinary sense of design and aesthetics for newspapers and magazines. He was a man of ideas and inspired many during his journey. Ramnath Goenka counted him as a personal friend.
George was keen that Indian journalists or for that matter the Asian journalists follow their own style of journalism, uninfluenced by the west. That thought led him to start The Asian College of Journalism in Bengaluru which was later moved to Chennai.
His weekly column ‘Point of View’ which ran for about 25 years with his inimitable writing style, commanded a loyal following. He was warm, gentle but was firm and uncompromising as a person which reflected in his writings.
George authored several books including Lee Kuan Yew’s Singapore, Pothan Joseph’s India: A Biography, The Life & Times of Nargis, Revolt in Mindanao: The Rise of Islam in Philippine Politics, MS – A Life in Music, The Enquire Dictionary, Lessons in Journalism - The Story of Pothan Joseph, First Refuge of Scoundrels: Politics in Modern India and The Dismantling of India: in 35 Portraits. It took almost a decade for him to do in-depth research on MS Subbulakshmi.
Author-philanthropist Sudha Murty remembered TJS as the one who inspired her to write in English. “I will never forget him. He made me an English author,” she said in a message.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said George, with his sharp pen and uncompromising voice, enriched Indian journalism for over six decades. "He was a true public intellectual who made readers think, question and engage."
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