Editors Guild condoles the passing of Sankarshan Thakur

The Editors Guild of India has expressed deep sorrow at the passing of Sankarshan Thakur, Editor of The Telegraph and a senior member of the Guild. Thakur, 63, passed away on Monday following a serious ailment.

In a condolence statement, the Guild hailed Thakur as a “formidable journalist and author,” noting his reputation for fearless reporting and incisive writing. “Mr. Thakur’s passing is a profound loss to Indian journalism. The Editors Guild, however, believes that his writings and professional craft will continue to resonate, serving as enduring benchmarks for younger journalists to emulate,” the statement read.

The son of Janardhan Thakur, a legendary journalist of his time, Sankarshan Thakur carved his own path in Indian journalism. He authored several acclaimed works, including The Brothers Bihari, a book on Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar, Subaltern Saheb: Bihar and the Making of Laloo Yadav, and Single Man: The Life and Times of Nitish Kumar.

Thakur began his career with Sunday magazine before working with The Telegraph, The Indian Express, and The Hindu. He later returned to The Telegraph, eventually becoming its Editor.

Known for his fearless ground reporting, Thakur covered many of India’s most defining events — from the Kargil war, Bhopal gas tragedy, 1984 anti-Sikh riots, and Indira Gandhi’s assassination, to the complex socio-political dynamics of Kashmir, Sri Lanka, Bihar, and Pakistan.

His journalistic excellence earned him the Prem Bhatia Award for political reporting in 2001 and the Appan Menon Fellowship in 2003.

The Editors Guild, led by President Anant Nath, General Secretary Ruben Banerjee, and Treasurer K Ve Prasad, signed off the message remembering Thakur as a journalist whose professional standards and writings will continue to inspire generations to come.