The Journalists Club pays tribute to Thayil Jacob Sony George (T.J.S. George), one of India’s most respected journalists, biographers, and columnists, who passed away on October 3, 2025, at the age of 97 due to age-related complications.

A Padma Bhushan awardee and a towering presence in Indian English journalism, George began his career in the 1950s and went on to hold senior editorial roles in India and abroad. He was the founding editor of Asiaweek in Hong Kong, editorial adviser at The New Indian Express, and an internationally recognised author and political columnist.

Through his widely read Point of View column, which ran for 25 years in The New Indian Express, George consistently spoke truth to power, challenging corruption, religious intolerance, and authoritarian tendencies. His writings were marked by independence of thought, incisive analysis, and elegant prose.

As an author, he produced acclaimed works including Lee Kuan Yew’s Singapore, The Life and Times of Nargis, Krishna Menon: A Biography, and The Dismantling of India: In 35 Portraits. His contributions extended beyond journalism to literature, history, and political biography, leaving a lasting intellectual legacy.

Over the decades, George received numerous honours including the Rajyotsava Award (2007), Vakkom Moulavi Memorial Award (2024), Kesari Media Award (2017), and the Patrika Academy Award (2001), among others.

He is survived by his son, poet and writer Jeet Thayil, and daughter, journalist Sheba Thayil. His wife, Ammu George, predeceased him. The funeral will be held on October 5, 2025, at Hebbal crematorium.

Leaders, journalists, and readers across generations remembered him as a true public intellectual who enriched democracy through fearless commentary and a cosmopolitan outlook.

The Journalists Club honours T.J.S. George as a beacon of journalistic integrity, a voice that set the gold standard for independent commentary, and an inspiration to generations of journalists worldwide.