Eminent journalist and author Kuldip Nayar, who fought fiercely for press freedom and civil liberties, died around 12.30 am at the Escorts hospital on Thursday. He was 95. He was suffering from pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital five days back. Working till the end, his last column appeared in the lokmat Times on Thursday morning.
The veteran journalist, a proponent of India-Pakistan peace, is survived by his wife and two sons. His last rites were performed at lodhi crematorium in New Delhi at 1 pm.
Nayar — born in Sialkot in Pakistan in 1923 — began his career in journalism in the Urdu language press and went on to serve as editor of several dailies, including The Indian Express and The Statesman.
Known not just as one of India’s most respected journalists but also as an advocate for human rights, Nayar served as India’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom in the 1990s and was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1997. The journalist-author was arrested during the Emergency.
