Thiruvananthapuram: Veteran journalist B.R.P. Bhaskar (92) passed away on Tuesday at a private hospital here after battling age-related illnesses.
A well-known journalist who worked with several national media houses, Bhaskar mentored many of today's journalists. He also played a significant role in the launch of Kerala’s first TV channel, Asianet, in the mid-nineties.
He initiated his career at his father's newspaper, Navabharatham, and started working at the national daily, The Hindu, at the age of 19 in 1952. Over the years, he worked with several major media organizations, including The Statesman, Patriot, UNI, Deccan Herald, and Asianet TV. His books, 'Newsroom' and 'The Changing Mediascape', offered vivid insights into a time when journalism flourished without the internet and mobile phones.
Bhaskar retired from journalism in 1993 and moved to Thiruvananthapuram. In 2017, he relocated to Chennai. He endured personal losses with the deaths of his wife, Rama Bhaskar, in 2023, and his daughter, Bindu, in 2019. Despite these setbacks, he found solace in writing and reading. In 2023, he moved to a care home in Raja Annamalai Puram from his house in Adyar, stating that Kerala was not a suitable place for elderly people. Throughout his career and after retirement, he was a strong advocate for human rights and the marginalized sections of society.
Source: IANS