S Nihal Singh

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Surendra Nihal Singh (April 30, 1929 - April 16, 2018 ) [1] , commonly referred to as S Nihal Singh, was an Indian journalist, foreign correspondent, columnist and newspaper editor. [2] [3] He remained the editor of The Statesman , The Indian Express , Indian Post and Khaleej Times . [1] As a foreign correspondent mostly for the Statesman and later for Khaleej Times, he was posted in Moscow, London, the US, Netherlands, Singapore, Pakistan and Indonesia and, in time, became known for his commentary on national affairs, foreign policy and international affairs. [1] [4]

Contents

He is most noted for his coverage of the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965, [5] and his role in opposing the Emergency (1975-77) imposed by then prime minister Indira Gandhi, while he was editor of the Statesman. At that time, it famously published a black front page as a mark of protest. [6] [3] For this, he was awarded the prestigious International Editor of the Year Award in 1978 by World Press Review , New York. [7] [6] In 1994, he became the president of the Press Club of India, and later Director, Press Institute of India. [8] . In 2016, he was awarded the Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award for 'outstanding contribution to journalism', given by the Press Council of India [9]

Career

At age 18, his first article was published in The Tribune. He started his career in 1951 as a sub-editor with The Times of India . This was followed by a two-and-a-half decade-long stint with The Statesman. Starting as a staff reporter with The Statesman, Calcutta (Now Kolkata) eventually became its Resident Editor in 1973 and Chief Editor in Kolkata in 1975. A short stint as Editor-in-Chief of The Indian Express (1981-82) led to becoming the founding editor of The Indian Post, Mumbai, in 1987. After it closed, he became the Editor of the Khaleej Times, Dubai (1994). During this stint, he was again a foreign correspondent in many countries. [9] [10]

Once he returned to Delhi, he remained a syndicated columnist well into his late 80s, with several publications, including The Tribune and Asian Age . [2] [11] In 2011, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions to the field, by Indian Journalists' Association in UK [12] [13] In the same year, he published his autobiography Ink In My Veins – A life in journalism. [14]

During a career spanning several decades, he wrote 14 books, including The Rocky Road to Indian Democracy: Nehru to Narasimha Rao, The Yogi and the Bear: A Study of Indo-Soviet Relations’', ‘'Ink in My Veins: A Life in Journalism (autobiography ) and The Gang and 900 Million: A China Diary.

Personal life

He was born in Rawalpindi [9] to Gurmukh Nihal Singh, who remained the Chief Minister of Delhi (1955-1956) and later Governor of Rajasthan, and Lachchmi (Devi) Singh. [15] [9] After finishing his school, he did his Bachelors degree with Honours from Delhi University in 1948. [10] [16]

He died in New Delhi, after suffering from renal failure for several months, at age 89. [1] He is survived by his sister-in-law Indoo Nihal Singh and four sisters. His wife, a Dutch national, died much before in the 1990s, the couple had no children. [9] Upon his death, noted newspaper editor and former Rajya Sabha MP, H.K. Dua called him the “last of the liberal, democratic editors”. [1] A Hindustan Times obituary called him a "pioneer in journalism". [17]

Books

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Veteran journalist S Nihal Singh dies at 88". Hindustan Times. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 Kapoor, Coomi (17 April 2018). "Veteran journalist S Nihal Singh (1929-2018): Among the last old-school titans". The Indian Express. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  3. 1 2 Gupta, Smita (16 April 2018). "Surendra Nihal Singh: the editor who fought the Emergency". The Hindu. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  4. ↑ Sahay, Anand K (17 April 2018). "Tribute: A gentleman editor, elegant writer and a liberal to the core". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  5. ↑ India, Press Trust of (16 April 2018). "Journalist S Nihal Singh dies at 88, editor was known for opposing Emergency, coverage of 1965 India-Pakistan war". Firstpost. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  6. 1 2 "Veteran journalist S Nihal Singh no more". The Economic Times. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  7. ↑ "International Editor of the Year Award: Previous Recipients". Worldpress.org. 28 January 2025. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  8. ↑ Tribune, Qatar (17 April 2018). "Veteran journalist S Nihal Singh dies". Qatar Tribune. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Veteran journalist S Nihal Singh dead". The Tribune. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  10. 1 2 "SURENDRA NIHAL SINGH". One India One People Foundation - Patriotism Redefined. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  11. ↑ Sahay, Anand K (17 April 2018). "A gentleman editor, elegant writer and a liberal to the core". The Asian Age. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  12. ↑ "This was intended to recognise an exceptional person who has either served as an Indian Journalist in the United Kingdom or as a British Journalist in India,
  13. ↑ "Veteran journalist S Nihal Singh honoured in UK". DNA India. 6 December 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  14. ↑ "Book reviews: Ink In My Veins – A Life In Journalism, From the Streets of Kathmandu". Hindustan Times. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  15. ↑ "In memoriam". The Statesman. 22 April 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  16. ↑ "Veteran journalist Surendra Nihal Singh dies at 88". Zee News. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  17. ↑ Duggal, Saurabh (16 April 2018). "Obituary: Remembering a pioneer in journalism S Nihal Singh". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
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