Saturday, February 24, 2007

Life and Letters

One of the oldest of Indian Journalism ,Sham lal died,Inder Malhotra says about him:
"Sham Lal, whose death on Friday at age 94 is widely mourned, was unquestionably among the greatest of the greats of Indian journalism, his distinguished, often dazzling, career spanning nearly seven decades beginning in the early Thirties. Only on his 90th birthday did he stop writing his scintillating columns. "
Also he was one of the few journalist who wrote on virtually everything:
"As both a writer — his column "Life and Letters" had become famous long before he occupied the editorial — and editor, Sham Lal was a perfectionist. No flawed article would go past him. To the dismay of those in charge of the paper’s production, he would go on sending down corrections and changes in his exquisite column until late in the night. But nobody minded. For working with him was a joy, if only because the high standards he insisted on, he first imposed on himself. Gifted with an enviable style of writing, the Grand Old Man was doubtless the best wordsmith of our times. However, it was not the style alone that made him so distinctive. He was a man of ideas that he marshalled forcefully, a voracious reader, indeed bibliophiles’ bibliophile and arguably one of the best-read individuals. Nobel Laureate Octavio Paz who, during his years as Mexican ambassador to India knew him well, later wrote, "The brilliant Sham Lal, as deeply read in western thought as he was in the philosophical traditions of India, especially Buddhism."More..(Op-Ed)
Posted by Ajay :: 1:55 PM :: 0 comments

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