Khushwant Singh may have decided to no longer write his weekly columns, but the “dirty old man of Indian journalism” has not said he will stop writing for good.
He has shot off a letter to the editor of The Hindu, which the family-owned paper, given its recent and continuing turmoil, has gladly boxed on the editorial page today:
“I go over a dozen morning papers every day.
“The only one I read from cover to cover including readers’ letters is The Hindu. I find its news coverage reliable, authentic and comprehensive.
“I cannot say that about any other daily, Indian or foreign.
“It is a pleasure going through its columns: they inform, teach and amuse. I even wrestle with its crossword puzzle every day. You, Mr. Editor, and your staff deserve praise for giving India the most readable daily in the world. Congratulations.”
Khushwant Singh, New Delhi
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IJR 
We should have Mumbai edition also.Why commercial capital of the country is deprived?
I too used to admire The Hindu. But of late, it appears to me, it has turned pro-establishment. We cannot help it as many newspapers are dependent on govt ads for survival and the unscrupulous govt has been punishing the “errant ones”.
In our youth, we were advised to read ‘The Hindu’ mainly to improve our English communication. In those days the paper was rather ‘conservative’ and not given to sensationalism. I remember my father telling me that it did not put up a banner headline ever to report Mahatma Gandhi’s death. My father told me there was a time when it went so far right, that its editorials could well have been written by C. Rajagopalachary of the Swatantra Party. And this displeased Nehru no end. In those days the expression ‘right wing’ merely meant ‘pro-rich’ without its ‘politically incorrect’ connotations that it has today.
But all that changed with the ’emergency’. The paper shed its character, and to use L. K. Advanis’ pithy expression, was the first to ‘crawl when merely asked to bend’. The explanation it gave for its pusillanimity (in its centenary commemorative volume published in 1978) was feeble and insincere. It said that as news was censored it was not able to gauge the full extent of the excesses committed by the state during the period! Since then it had been continuously downhill for the paper. Its recent history is too well known as its intra-family squabbles have brought out into the open not only its Marxist leanings but worse, it turning mercenary going by its reporting and trying to cover up A. Raja’s role in the 2G scam.
I would take Kushwant Singh’s praise with a fistful of salt. Unless of course Singh feels a rare camaraderie with ‘The Hindu’ as its amoral twin-soul!
Khushwant Singh seems to be senile
The Hindu is certainly the best indian newspaper.
It might not be the first with the news, but when it does report it you can trust it to be accurate and factual. The insightful editorials are, ofcourse, the best part of the newspaper.
As for it being pro-government – I’ve actually found it to be quite vocally anti-government where it matters. It doesn’t see things in black and white. It also gives ample space to the opposition leaders with mostly neutral reports (and that’s really a big deal considering how anti-sangh parivar the newspaper is. The BJP is today taken a little more seriously in the south only because of The Hindu).
While the other newspapers search for half-naked or nude models or some other sensationalism, the Hindu makes a sustained effort it give every member of the family something interesting to read through its supplementary magazine sections – including kids and teens.
It is also one of the few media outlets in India that seriously covers rural and agricultural issues.
The Hindu was used to be a good news paper till mid-90s. After that, the reporting and opinions have been prejudiced, one-sided and pro-establishment. The only redeeming factor is Keshav’s cartoons – which are almost on the level to R.K.Laxman’s
As i young reader, I cannot agree more when in it comes to objective reporting THE HINDU stands out among all. I have been its regular reader, Its been highly critical of govt at many circumstances. Its a pleasant experience reading compared to other news paper which sensationalise every news and care least for critical issues.
hindu has become bad to worse…it is too very pro-establishment and their pages in city editions are a pale shadow of the hollowed days
The Hindu once WAS readable. Alas! Now no more. That tradition has been buried fathoms deep. It’s a pro-Dravidian tilt in reportage. Naturally, because the Hindu family is related to the DMK patriarch by marriage. Add to this, it is presently run by an NRI-editor; doubt if he realises the ground realities!