New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed grief over the demise of Sir Mark Tully, a towering voice of journalism. The Prime Minister said that Sir Mark Tully’s deep connection with India and its people was vividly reflected in his works. He noted that Sir Mark’s reporting and insights have left an enduring mark on public discourse. The Prime Minister conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family, friends and admirers of Sir Mark Tully.

The Prime Minister wrote on X: “Saddened by the passing of Sir Mark Tully, a towering voice of journalism. His connect with India and the people of our nation was reflected in his works. His reporting and insights have left an enduring mark on public discourse. Condolences to his family, friends and many admirers.”

Mark Tully, whose voice was one of the most famous in India throughout the latter decades of the 20th century as he reported on key political developments, passed away on Sunday. He was 90.

Tully, a former BBC journalist who covered India and South Asia throughout his career and was honoured by both the Indian and the British governments, was ailing for some time and was admitted to a south Delhi hospital, where he passed away.

Born in Tollygunge, Calcutta, on October 24, 1935, into a wealthy British businessman's family, Tully did his initial schooling in India, including a boarding school in Darjeeling, before returning to the UK at the age of nine. He studied theology at Cambridge and had planned a career in the church, but gave it up midway. He chose journalism instead, joining the BBC in 1964.

Tully moved back to India in 1965 to work as the BBC's India Correspondent. Soon becoming the service's chief of bureau, New Delhi, he, in his 22-year-long stint, covered all the major South Asian incidents during his tenure, ranging from the various India-Pakistan conflicts, Operation Blue Star, the subsequent assassination of Indira Gandhi, and the anti-Sikh riots, the Bhopal gas tragedy, the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, and the Babri Masjid demolition.