Sir Mark Tully, iconic BBC voice on India, passes away at 90
Sir Mark Tully, the veteran broadcaster and journalist widely recognised as the BBC’s “voice of India,” passed away at the age of 90, according to an announcement on Sunday. His reporting and deep engagement with the country shaped international understanding of India and South Asia for decades.
Born William Mark Tully on October 24, 1935, in Calcutta, now Kolkata, during the British colonial period, he retained a lifelong connection with India. He was educated in England at Marlborough College and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he initially studied theology before moving into journalism.
Mr. Tully joined the British Broadcasting Corporation in 1965 and went on to serve for more than three decades. He was the BBC’s New Delhi bureau chief for over 20 years and became one of the most respected foreign correspondents of his time. His measured and insightful dispatches were widely followed by audiences in India, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere.
During his long career, he reported on several defining and turbulent episodes in South Asian history. These included wars, political transitions, communal tensions, the Bhopal gas tragedy, and Operation Blue Star at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, as well as broader social and political developments across India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
Known for his cultural sensitivity and on-the-ground understanding, Mr. Tully was fluent in Hindi and maintained close engagement with local communities. He earned wide respect in India, where he was affectionately referred to as “Tully sahib.”
Beyond broadcasting, he authored nine books on India’s society and public life, including No Full Stops in India and India in Slow Motion, which explored the country’s complexities and contradictions.
In recognition of his contribution to journalism, he was knighted by the United Kingdom in 2002. The Government of India conferred on him the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan, reflecting the esteem in which he was held in the country he covered extensively.
Sir Mark Tully’s death marks the end of a distinguished chapter in international reporting. He is remembered for the clarity of his voice and the depth and sincerity with which he chronicled South Asia.