Veteran Journalist Sir Mark Tully Passes Away at 90

New Delhi, Jan 25 (TNA) Renowned British broadcaster and author Sir William Mark Tully, fondly known as the BBC’s “voice of India,” died on Sunday at Max Hospital in Saket at age 90, confirmed close friend Satish Jacob. Admitted January 21 under nephrology, Tully’s passing marks the end of an era for impartial South Asian reporting.

Arriving in India in 1965 as the BBC’s administrative aide, Tully rose to Delhi bureau chief for 20 years, covering pivotal events: Indira Gandhi’s Emergency (expelled briefly), Operation Blue Star, anti-Sikh riots, Bhopal disaster, Rajiv Gandhi assassination, Babri Masjid demolition, and economic liberalisation.

Knighted (KBE) in 2002 and honoured with India’s Padma Shri (1992) and Padma Bhushan (2005), he lived modestly in South Delhi, authoring insightful books on faith, secularism, and society.

Senior scribe Rajdeep Sardesai hailed him as a “bridge-builder” immersed in India’s soul, while BBC’s Jonathan Munro lauded his pioneering coverage. Tributes pour in from leaders and peers, celebrating his kurta-clad train journeys, voicing ordinary Indians amid elite corridors. Funeral details await family confirmation.