G. Kasturi, the longest serving Editor of The Hindu who passed away on Friday, had the admirable trait of locating and nurturing talent, besides a passion for modernisation and new technology. He was instrumental in fostering a new genre of writers. He was accessible to many a young writer and found time to engage with them on development issues, and encourage them to make quality contributions to The Hindu .
He used to pose searching questions to writers to stimulate their thinking — something I experienced as one who contributed articles to The Hindu over three decades. In his passing away, the country has indeed lost a legendary figure.
M.S.S. Varadan,
Bangalore
Mr. Kasturi’s death is an irreparable loss to journalism and the newspaper industry. He was a visionary, full of innovative ideas. Everyone looked up to him for guidance and new initiatives. Thanks to his pioneering enterprise, The Hindu Group of publications stayed ahead of competition in terms of technological excellence as well as news coverage and editorial content.
I had the privilege of working for The Hindu for many years under his guidance. His memory will be cherished by all those who knew him.
Nitish Chakravarty,
New Delhi
The distinguished former editor of The Hindu was a patriarch of the great Kasturi family. I had the privilege of being recruited by him as staff reporter in 1977, and interacting with him during his regular visits to Hyderabad. His words, “once you are in, you are part of the larger [ The Hindu ] family” during my selection interview still ring in my ears.
I cherish his visit, perhaps his last, to Hyderabad in 2004 when I was Chief of Bureau. He addressed the editorial and non-editorial staff. Younger journalists were amazed by his profound knowledge of every aspect of newspaper production.
Dasu Kesava Rao,
Hyderabad
The passing of Mr. Kasturi is indeed sad news. His role in making The Hindu a leading national daily was immense. He will be remembered by readers for years to come.
P.K. Jayanandan Nair,
Kozhikode
Mr. Kasturi was the Editor who modernised The Hindu . The quality and language of the newspaper reached great heights under him. Readers like me will remember him forever.
S. Padmanabha Mallya,
Kochi
Mr. Kasturi played a pivotal role in taking The Hindu to great heights of fame. In his demise, the newspaper has lost a visionary. If the newspaper occupies a towering stature in the world of print media today, it is not a little due to his steadfast commitment and missionary zeal. Old-time readers will always remember his high calibre and journalistic excellence.
P.K. Varadarajan,
Chennai
Mr. Kasturi’s passing is a great loss to not only The Hindu but the field of journalism as a whole. He was clearly and determinedly ahead of most of his media contemporaries and fellow Editors. He saw the need for the newspaper industry to embrace state-of-the-art technology and adapt itself to modern conditions. His name will surely find a place in the history of Indian journalism.
B. Jambulingam,
Thanjavur
Just as the Kasturi Buildings was a familiar landmark in the heart of Chennai, so was the name of G. Kasturi in the field of professional journalism. He stood for fearless journalism and coverage aimed at improving values.
V.N. Ramachandran,
Vadodara
I have been a reader of The Hindu for almost seven decades. As its editor for more than quarter of a century, Mr. Kasturi did everything to modernise the daily to suit the changing times, ensuring at the same time that its enviable record as a newspaper with a rich tradition and status as a national newspaper was preserved. In his passing away, the world has lost a doyen in the field of journalism.
K.D. Viswanaathan,
New Hampshire
Mr. Kasturi made The Hindu and Sportstar major attractions in the 1980s. Sportstar has been part of my life for more than 25 years now. Mr. Kasturi had a very good knowledge of sports action pictures. A big salute to him.
Azhar Umar,
Delhi
