**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, Thayil Jacob Sony George graduated from Madras Christian College and embarked on a long and illustrious journalism career starting at the Free Press Journal 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 nickname George recalled in a column years later.
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 success in an interview three years ago, George 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, he also expressed regret over Asiaweek’s eventual downfall. “In the end, it became a half job, half done. I was responsible for its fall,” he lamented, referring to changes in ownership that Americanised the magazine, making it “irrelevant” to Asia.
Long before founding Asiaweek, George had already made headlines in 1965 when the Bihar Police arrested him on charges of sedition while he was the Editor of *The Searchlight*. He was the first Indian editor to be jailed on such grounds. Reflecting on the incident years later, George revealed that he had defied the prevailing custom of “consulting” the government before publishing reports on important issues. This stance reportedly irritated Bihar’s then Chief Minister Krishna Ballabh Sahay. A factual report by George on a student bandh in Patna was said to have provoked Sahay, leading to his arrest.
Later in life, George settled in Bangalore and served as the Editorial Adviser for *The New Indian Express* for many years. His popular Sunday column, *A Point of View*, ran uninterrupted for a remarkable 25 years until 2022. A nostalgic nod to earlier times, George kept his typewriter on display in the office, helping younger journalists appreciate the craft before the computer era.
George was also a great connoisseur of art and culture, authoring several notable biographies including *The Life and Times of Nargis*, *M.S. Subbulakshmi: The Definitive Biography*, and *Krishna Menon: A Biography*. Incidentally, Krishna Menon, the former Defence Minister and lawyer, had defended George in the Bihar sedition case. George also penned *Lee Kuan Yew’s Singapore* and his last book, *The Dismantling of India*, was published in 2022.
Known for his pleasant nature, George was a friendly presence who enjoyed conversing with much younger journalists. He reportedly loved to have a peg of rum each evening.
In his later years, George briefly moved to Coimbatore before returning to Bengaluru. His wife, Ammu, predeceased him in January this year. Poet and novelist Jeet Thayil is his son.
TJS George leaves behind a rich legacy in Indian and international journalism, remembered for his fearless reporting and profound insights.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/veteran-journalist-padma-bhushan-awardee-tjs-george-passes-away-at-97
