New Delhi, Jan 25: The man whose voice became synonymous with international news in the subcontinent, Sir William Mark Tully, has died in New Delhi following a brief hospitalization.
Tully spent thirty years with the BBC before his resignation in 1994, building a reputation for reliability that earned him several prestigious awards and a permanent place in India’s media landscape. He was widely regarded as one of the most trusted figures in broadcasting during the late 20th century.
His reporting career placed him at the center of India’s most turbulent chapters. He provided extensive coverage of the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and the transition of power into the PV Narasimha Rao era. He was also on the ground during the demolition of the Babri Masjid, providing a global audience with insights into the country’s shifting social fabric.
Reflecting on the challenges of international reporting, Tully noted the difficulties faced when the BBC aired documentaries like Louis Malle’s “Phantom India.” The Indian government at the time viewed such content as negative and requested it not be shown, leading to the closure of the BBC’s local offices for two years in the early 1970s.
Tully’s deep connection to the region began at birth in 24 Parganas. One of six children, he returned to India as a correspondent in the mid-1960s. He later mentioned his specific interest in the complexities of the nation, which he detailed in books like “India in Slow Motion” and “India: The Road Ahead.”
“For over a quarter of a century, one of the most recognised and trusted radio voices in India was that of Mark Tully,” a UNESCO dispatch once stated.
In his later years, Tully remained a keen observer of Indian life. He was known for his abiding curiosity regarding the country’s spiritual and social intricacies. He survived by a legacy of investigative journalism and literary contributions that helped define the Western understanding of the Indian experience.
