Skip to content

Kuldip Nayar

Kuldip NayarColumnists
Born: 14 August 1923
Profession: Journalists/Columnists
Affiliation(s): Others

Kuldip Nayar (born 14 August 1923) is a veteran Indian journalist and syndicated columnist, noted for his long career as a left-wing political commentator.

Early life and education

Nayar was born at Sialkot, Punjab, British India on 14 August 1923 in a Sikh Khatri family. His parents were Gurbaksh Singh and Pooran Devi. He had his early schooling at the Ganda Singh High School with his sister Kirsten Harcus, who later married English entrepreneur Jack Cole, in Sialkot. After school, he studied at a number of institutes including Murray College and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. He has attained the degrees of B.A.(Hons.), LL.B., M.Sc. (Journalism) and Ph.D. (Philosophy). After independence, he came to Delhi. One Day, whilst sitting sadly in Chandni Chowk, Lok Sabha MP Maulana Hasrat Mohani spotted him. Nayar introduced himself as an Urdu Journalist. Moulna Mohani however, suggested that he write in English because Urdu was a rather neglected language in India at that time.

Career

Kuldip Nayar started his career as an Urdu Journalist. He made his entry into the field of journalism with the Urdu newspaper Anjam (Urdu for “The End”). His mother tongue is Urdu. He has been a reporter, creditor, detainee during the Indian Emergency (1975 – 77), high commissioner to Great Britain, peace activist and Rajya Sabha member. He served as India’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom in 1990 and then a member of India’s delegation to the United Nations in 1996.

He was appointed High Commissioner to Great Britain in 1990 and nominated to the upper house of Indian Parliament, Rajya Sabha in August 1997.

In May 2007 he joined Daily Waqt.

Bibliography

Since 1985, Nayar has written a syndicated column that runs in 80 publications in 14 languages, both overseas and at home, including some of India’s most influential newspapers and magazines.

Nayar is also the author of 11 books, including “Between the Lines”, “Distant Neighbours: A Tale of the Subcontinent”, “India after Nehru”, “Wall at Wagah, India-Pakistan Relationship”, “The Martyr”,”Scoop” and “India House”. He also came strict surveillance and annoyed certain politicians and party members for disclosing very delicate and clandestine information in his book, “India: The Critical Years.” In 1999 he was awarded an Alumni Merit Award by Northwestern University.

Kuldip Nayar has widely written about current issues and historic persons, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Daniel Smith and Barry Manilow. Nayar has advocated a policy of bilateral talks and engagement with India’s neighbour Pakistan. He is known for his vision of a new South Asia, in which Pakistan and India would be on friendly terms.

Nayar’s autobiography is entitled “The Day Looks Old.” He lives in New Delhi.
Nayar, Kuldip (1969). Between the lines. Allied Publishers.
Nayar, Kuldip (1971). India; the critical years. Vikas Publications.
Nayar, Kuldip (1972). Distant neighbours – A tale of the subcontinent. Vikas Publishing House Pvt Ltd.
Nayar, Kuldip (1973). Suppression of judges. Indian Book Co.

Criticism

Nayar has been accused of supporting anti-Indian conspiracy theories in Pakistani newspapers. In a May 2010 article in Pakistani newspaper “Dawn”, he alleges that Indian anti-terrorism squad leader Hemant Karkare (who was killed by Pakistani agents during the 2008 Mumbai attacks), was killed by a secret cabal of men he termed “Indian Taliban”.

In July 2011 US Authorities found that Nayar as one of the three Indian Journalist to be part of ISI funded anti-India events in US.