**Veteran Journalist TJS George Passes Away at 97**
*Chennai:* TJS George, an internationally recognized veteran journalist, author, and Padma Bhushan awardee, passed away on Friday at the age of 97.
Born in Kerala as Thayil Jacob Sony George, he graduated from Madras Christian College before beginning his illustrious journalism career at the Free Press Journal (FPJ) in Bombay in 1950. Among his colleagues was Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, who famously referred to the FPJ News Desk as the ‘Malayali Club,’ a recollection George shared in one of his columns.
George’s career spanned continents. He was associated with the Far Eastern Review and went on to become the Founder Editor of *Asiaweek* magazine in Hong Kong. Reflecting on the magazine’s remarkable success, he once said, “The success of Asiaweek was remarkable. And it was overnight. Clearly, there was a widely felt need for an Asian journal with an Asian viewpoint.”
However, George expressed regret over the eventual downfall of *Asiaweek*. He lamented the change in its ownership, which he felt led to the magazine becoming “Americanised” and “irrelevant” to Asia. “In the end, it became a half job, half done. I was responsible for its fall,” he admitted.
Long before founding the international magazine, George made headlines in 1965 when he was arrested by Bihar Police on charges of sedition while serving as Editor of *The Searchlight*. He was the first editor in India to be jailed on such charges.
Looking back at that episode, George recalled his strained relationship with then Bihar Chief Minister Krishna Ballabh Sahay. He had refused to adhere to the common practice of “consulting” the government before publishing reports on important issues—a convention he found unthinkable and chose to disregard. His factual reporting on a students’ bandh in Patna had particularly irked Sahay and led to his arrest. Incidentally, Krishna Menon, the former Defence Minister and prominent lawyer, later defended George in the case.
Later in his career, George settled in Bangalore and served as Editorial Adviser for *The New Indian Express* for many years. His Sunday column, *A Point of View*, ran uninterrupted for a record 25 years until 2022.
A nostalgic figure for many young journalists, George famously displayed his typewriter in the office to remind them of the crucial role it played in the pre-computer era of journalism.
Apart from journalism, George was a great connoisseur of art and culture. He authored several biographies, including *The Life and Times of Nargis*, *M. S. Subbulakshmi: The Definitive Biography*, and *Krishna Menon: A Biography*. He also wrote *Lee Kuan Yew’s Singapore*. His last book, *The Dismantling of India*, was published in 2022.
George was known for his pleasant nature and enjoyed engaging conversations with much younger journalists. He also had a fondness for a peg of rum each evening.
In his later years, George briefly moved to Coimbatore before returning to Bengaluru. His wife Ammu passed away in January of this year. The acclaimed poet and novelist Jeet Thayil is his son.
TJS George’s legacy as a fearless journalist and author will be remembered by generations to come.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/veteran-journalist-padma-bhushan-awardee-tjs-george-passes-away-at-97
