New Delhi: Senior journalist and Padma Bhushan awardee H K Dua passed away in New Delhi on Wednesday at the age of 88, his family said, according to The Tribune.
Dua was also a diplomat and served as media adviser to two Prime Minister’s.
According to his family, he was admitted to a private hospital three weeks ago. His last rites will be held at 12 noon on March 5 at the Lodhi Road Crematorium, it has been announced.
The former Editor-in-Chief of The Tribune, Dua also served as media adviser to former Prime Ministers H D Deve Gowda and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He also represented India as Ambassador to Denmark.
While leading The Tribune from 2003 to 2009, he was credited with enhancing the newspaper’s national standing and editorial credibility. Over a distinguished career spanning several decades, Dua held senior editorial positions at The Indian Express, The Times of India and Hindustan Times.
Dua was conferred the Padma Bhushan in 2008 in recognition of his contributions to journalism. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2009, where he participated in debates on media freedom and public policy, as reported by TOI.
Among those who offered condolences at his passing was Congress MP Manish Tewari. Dua was “an editor when being an editor still mattered”, Tewari said.
Dua stood by his convictions, refused to compromise editorial independence, and never sought favour from political leaders or media proprietors, the MP said in an X post, describing him as a warm and unpretentious individual who spoke his mind with clarity and integrity.
“Sad to learn about the passing away of Sh HK Dua. He was an editor when being an editor still mattered. Editor in Chief of Times of India, Hindustan Times, Indian Express & The Tribune he chose to live by his convictions rather than become a lackey of the owners and kowtow to Politician’s for advertisement’s. Media Adviser to Prime Minister Late Sh. Atal Behari Vajpayee, Indian Ambassador to Denmark & nominated to the Rajya Sabha by Prime Minister Late Dr. Manmohan Singh. A very warm human being and totally unpretentious he knew how to call a spade a spade,” Tewari wrote on X.
