Romesh Thapar

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Romesh Thapar (1922–1987) was a respected Indian journalist and political commentator. He was the founder and editor of the monthly journal Seminar (estb. 1959), published from New Delhi, India.

Early life and background

Thapar was born in a Punjabi family in Lahore (now in Pakistan), he went to England for his studies.[1] He was the brother of Romila Thapar, a renowned historian of India. Journalist Karan Thapar is his cousin, whose aunt was Nehru’s niece. [2]

Career

Early in his career he associated with communist ideology through 1940s and 1950s. He worked in the Bombay (now Mumbai) for sometime, with The Times of India, while Frank Moraes was its editor.[1] In 1950, when he leftist weekly journal in English, Cross Roads was banned by the Madras State for publishing critical views on Nehruvian policy, he petitioned the Supreme Court, which led to the landmark judgment in "Romesh Thappar vs The State Of Madras" on 26 May, 1950. Eventually, in 1951 Nehru administration made the First Amendment of the Constitution of India to 19(1)(a) of Constitution of India against "abuse of freedom of speech and expression".[3][4]

On September 1, 1959, he and his wife started Seminar as a monthly journal, with fund of Rs 11,000, however they had established a stable revenue model through subscribers and advertisers. Thereafter they shifted based to Delhi in 1960s. Though, he had known her earlier, after Nehru's death, he became a part of the inner circle of then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, along with politicians like Dinesh Singh. However he moved away from Gandhi and politics, after the Emergency of 1971, when censorship curtailed freedom of press, and limited himself to journalism.[5][6] He remained director of the India International Centre, the National Books Development Board, India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), and vice-chairperson of the National Bal Bhavan, Delhi (1967-1974). [4]

During his years in Bombay, he was associated with theatre group, IPTA. [1] Thapar also acted in Hindi film, Footpath (1953) directed by Zia Sarhadi and Merchant Ivory's debut film, The Householder (1963). [7] Before the advent of television, he also did the commentary in the monthly newsreels produced by Films Division, which were shown every first Monday in cinema halls. [4]

Seminar continues to be published from Malhotra building in Connaught Place, Delhi, published by Malavika Singh his daughter along with her husband Tejbir Singh, who is the editor. In 2009, the publication celebrated its 50th anniversary of foundation. [4][8]

Personal life

Romesh Thapar married Raj Thapar (1926–1987) in 1945, after his return from England. Raj also came from a Punjabi family in Lahore. After marriage they lived in Mafatlal Park flat in Breach Candy, and soon became part of the social elite. [1][5] Subsequently, the couple had two children Malavika and Valmik. Malavika, who now runs the Seminar magazine, is married to Tejbir Singh, who edits the magazine. He is the grandson of Sir Sobha Singh, the noted builder of New Delhi and nephew of writer Khushwant Singh.[9] Valmik Thapar is an internationally known tiger conservationist and married to Sanjana Kapoor, actor, theatre personality who runs the Prithvi Theatre.

Raj Thapar died in 1987 of cancer, at the age of 60. Romesh Thapar died a few months later. Two years after her death, Raj Thapar's sensational memoir, All These Years was published by Malvika Singh in 1991. It was based on her diary which she kept over two decades.[5][4]

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Gyan Prakash (2010). Mumbai Fables. Princeton University Press. pp. 137–139. ISBN 1-4008-3594-1. 
  2. ↑ Jha, Prashant (June 10, 2013). "When the Devil’s Advocate has the Last Word". The Hindu. Retrieved 2014-01-14. 
  3. ↑ "Romesh Thappar vs The State Of Madras on 26 May, 1950". indiankanoon.org. Retrieved 2014-01-14. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Half a century of ideas". Indian Express. Oct 25 2009. Retrieved 2014-01-14. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Bernard Weinraub (July 09, 1991). "New Delhi Journal; The Kitty Kelley of Delhi Scandalizes the Nabobs". New York Times. Retrieved January 13, 2013. 
  6. ↑ Rajni Kothari (1999). "Personally speaking". Seminar. Retrieved 2014-01-13. 
  7. ↑ Romesh Thapar at the Internet Movie Database
  8. ↑ Anjali Puri, Dola Mitra (September 14, 2009). "Seminar: Fit At Fifty". Outlook. Retrieved 2014-01-14. 
  9. ↑ "'Delhi, the perpetual city, has a soul unlike Mumbai'". Hindustan Times. December 06, 2013. Retrieved 2014-01-22. 

External links


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