The Telegraph editor Sankarshan Thakur dies at 63

Veteran journalist and editor of The Telegraph, Sankarshan Thakur(63), passed away on Monday at a Gurgaon hospital following a prolonged illness. 

Born in Patna in 1962, Thakur was the son of senior journalist Janardhan Thakur. He studied at St Xavier’s, Patna, and later in Delhi, earning a degree in political science from Hindu College, Delhi University. He began his journalism career in 1984 with SUNDAY magazine and worked at The Indian Express, Tehelka, and The Telegraph in two stints.

Thakur was widely recognised for his incisive political commentary, particularly on Bihar and Jammu & Kashmir. He authored several acclaimed biographies, including "Subaltern Saheb" on Lalu Prasad Yadav, "Single Man: The Life and Times of Nitish Kumar," and "The Brothers Bihari," which chronicled Bihar politics.

His reporting spanned major national events, from the Kargil War, the Bhopal tragedy, the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, and Indira Gandhi’s assassination to the Sri Lankan civil war and socio-political currents in Pakistan. Thakur also wrote monographs on caste-based honour killings in Uttar Pradesh.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah noted Thakur’s dedication to ground reporting and impartial listening, while Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called him a “delightfully brilliant writer.” RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha praised his insight into politics and fearless approach, reported PTI.

Thakur received the Prem Bhatia Award for excellence in political journalism in 2001 and the Appan Menon Fellowship in 2003. He is survived by his wife Sona, daughter Jahan, and son Ayushman.