New Delhi: Mark Tully, a veteran journalist, chronicler of India, and acclaimed author, passed away at a private hospital in New Delhi on Sunday afternoon. Tully was 90. The award-winning journalist had been ailing for some time. He was admitted to the hospital for the past week due to age-related health issues. “Mark passed away at Max Hospital Saket this afternoon,” Satish Jacob, a veteran journalist and a close friend of Tully, told the PTI news agency.
Born in Calcutta on October 24, 1935, Tully served as the chief of bureau for the BBC, New Delhi, for 22 years. He was expelled from India at 24 hours’ notice in 1975 after the then prime minister, Indira Gandhi, ordered a state of emergency. However, he returned 18 months later and had been based in Delhi ever since.
His father was a businessman, while his mother, born in Bengal, came from a family that had worked in India for generations as traders and administrators. Tully was also the presenter of the BBC Radio 4 programme ‘Something Understood’. He was knighted in 2002 and received the Padma Bhushan from the government of India in 2005.
Tully authored several books on India, including ‘No Full Stops in India’, ‘India in Slow Motion’, and ‘The Heart of India’. Tully was widely respected for his deep understanding and portrayal of India.
In recognition of his contribution to journalism and literature, Mark Tully was knighted in 2002. The Government of India later honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2005, acknowledging his unique role in presenting India to the world. Tully never gave up his British nationality but was extremely proud to become an Overseas Citizen of India later in his life.
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