G. KASTURI, 1924-2012 He inaugurated an era of technological innovations at the newspaper even as he gave full play to his editorial acumen
Staying away from the limelight of publicity despite being the powerful Editor of an influential newspaper and the Managing Director of the company running it, G. Kasturi had a single-minded focus through most of his life: to take The Hindu to new heights in a fast-changing media milieu. He seemed to allow himself hardly any distraction from his work and mission.
Characteristically, he was the old-world Editor who preferred not to be seen or heard in the public sphere, but only be read and felt through the columns of the newspaper. Yet, he travelled the world, in particular evincing keen interest in industry-related events and exhibitions. He lived the trust, held himself up to the legacy he inherited, and left the newspaper the better for it.
Mr. Kasturi, the longest-serving Editor in the history of the 134-year-old newspaper (a tenure that was almost matched by his uncle, Kasturi Srinivasan, from 1934 to 1959), consistently found the golden mean. He could balance his prowess and interest in the technological aspects essential to taking a newspaper forward on a path of long-term consolidation and expansion, while giving full play to his editorial acumen and vision. Even as he banked on the organisation’s traditional strengths, he took it forward, cautiously and carefully, on to a modern platform.
Mr. Kasturi was indeed the moderniser, innovator and visionary who led The Hindu during a critical phase of its history. He brought it up to speed in an era in which technology came to play a leading part in transforming the industry. He took the newspaper forward from a slow-paced era, to a mode in which it could meet the new information needs of a growing English speaking population.
He was a quintessential editor with a deft touch that would transform copy, and a quick judge of argument and polemic, fact and fiction. Heavy re-writing was not his preferred style on the editorial desk. He was particularly good at spotting and encouraging talent.
His deep understanding of aspects of newspaper design and typography was unmatched, and widely acknowledged among industry leaders of his time. He was on top of all aspects of newspaper production, and over the years initiated a remarkable set of changes that added to the visual appeal of presentation, in addition to the language, tone and tenor of reporting and other writing that went into it.
His style of work was characteristic. He would trust, but verify. He would tend to depend on key people in the organisation a lot, yet in the end would keep his own counsel.
Younger colleagues were often left speechless at his willingness and ability to stay on through the night as a prototype press that the company acquired from the French conglomerate Creusot-Loire was being put through its paces in Chennai. Then in his 60s, he would often leave the press in the small hours of the day with grime and grease on his hands – and return to work to his corner office in Kasturi Buildings in the forenoon itself.
Mr. Kasturi will be remembered within The Hindu, and across the industry among a significant section of industry players of a generation, for his vision. Working with his brother G. Narasimhan, who was Managing Editor (till his passing in July 1977), he rolled out unique means and solutions to set a scorching pace of growth and expansion for the newspaper. It was a crucial period of its transition from being a largely southern Indian-provincial newspaper to a truly national vehicle. He helped consolidate and streamline a system of air-borne distribution of copies across southern India for early morning delivery. The company first chartered Indian Airlines aircraft for the purpose, and then went on to acquire aircraft of its own.
Leading the next big wave of expansion for the newspaper, he helped develop the facsimile system of transmission of page images, the first of its kind in Asia. The first ‘remote’ edition was started in Coimbatore in 1969. The next one was in Bangalore in 1970. More printing centres and tailored regional editions followed. The Hindu today has 17 editions in different parts of the country: it moved on to digital transfer of pages in the 1990s, and today works on a seamless and real-time platform across its production centres.
He was the principal driving force behind making The Hindu the first mainline newspaper in India to go for computerised phototypesetting during 1980. Creditably, The Hindu kept on board during this major technological transition from hot metal technology to computer-based technology that demanded a new skill set, the same people who were working in the earlier technology: the company gave them training and re-orientation to take on the new roles. Nobody had to be sent away.
Mr. Kasturi is credited with initiating a policy of appointing staff correspondents in district towns across southern India, and in State capitals where they were not already in place.
In 1968, The Hindu received the World Press Achievement Award of the American newspaper Publishers’ Association Foundation. Mr. Kasturi received on behalf of the newspaper, the gold medallion representing the award, at a function at the Waldorf Astoria in New York.
Towards the end of 1977, The Hindu introduced the features titled ‘Outlook,’ ‘Special Report’ and ‘Open Page,’ under Mr. Kasturi’s stewardship. He showed keen interest in making these a success.
He worked hands-on, intensely so, with colour scanning equipment that The Hindu acquired in 1982, the first newspaper organisation in India to acquire one for in-house use. His meticulous approach to ensuring picture quality at the photographers’ end and all the way up to the printer’s hands, allowed The Hindu to maintain printing quality standards of an exceptional kind.
His knowledge and application of matters technical was matched only by his keen penchant for excellence in journalism.
After his retirement, Mr. Kasturi continued to be involved and remain intensely interested in different aspects of the organisation’s development and growth.
In 2004-05, he followed and involved himself in the major exercise of redesigning The Hindu, undertaken by Mario Garcia.
One of his principal anxieties related to mediocrity in the organisation. He made it a point to interact periodically with a wide cross-section of senior staff members of the organisation. Interestingly, one of the latest meetings he had was with a group of three relatively young staff members of The Hindu towards the end of April. With them he spent upwards of two hours in his house, discussing how the organisation needs to focus on roles and tasks for the future.
He continued to work his passion for newspaper design, experimenting with tools and methods in a fully equipped home-office.
In is recent years in retirement, he made it a point to visit Kasturi Buildings, the headquarters of the company, to interact extensively with technical and also editorial personnel with a view to conveying the expertise at his command — and also learning in the process, as he would put it. This was a rigorous journey focussed on his life’s work and mission.
Photography was a particular area of interest and indeed fascination for Mr. Kasturi. He never tired of discussing with the photographers of the newspaper ever-newer ways of getting better images and maximising the use of equipment.
He knew many of the employees of the company by name, and had pleasant, gentle and kind-hearted dealings with a large number of them over a long period. The hearty applause, predominantly among employees and former employees of the company, that filled the University Centenary Hall in Chennai at a function marking the 125th year celebrations of The Hindu in Chennai in 2003, as Mr. Kasturi made an entry, bore ample testimony to this. His soft-spoken and but firm manner, and simple attire at work, were memorable.
For Mr. Kasturi, one of the most challenging phases of his stewardship of the newspaper was witnessed during the period of the Emergency that saw newspapers coming under unprecedented pressure from the government.
Mr. Kasturi was a deeply religious person throughout his life.
Keywords: G. Kasturi, The Hindu group of publications, tribute
May the Giver of life grant him eternal bliss.
India lost a legend in journalism. My heart felt condolences at his sorrowful departure. May the soul of the great man rest in peace.
Mr. Kasturi was the very good editor of all time since the establishment of the The Hindu. My english was poor when I joined college for my graduation. I came to know The Hindu was the best newspaper to start with. I started reading newspaper since then and today you can imagine from my comment how good I am at writing and understanding of english. Thanks to The Hindu. It is my confession here I was very poor in english. Thanks to The Hindu family who was always at work to help me to achieve my goals. We will miss you Mr. Kasturi!!! Great respect for a great man.
My God! what a handsome man he was !One of his photographs taken when he was
pretty young is indeed a very good one.
It's very unfortunate not only for Hindu, to the entire country and especially for Indian journalism. It's very strange that this man had not been honoured any civilian awards by the govt. I am reading this newspaper for the past 20 years, and I can remember all the changes that Hindu come across all these years, It's quite interesting to see that behind all the changes there is one man, What an Excellent he had, Remarkable.
I pray the lord to give enough strength and courage to all the family members of the Hindu and its employees to carry forward the legacy of Mr.Kasturi.
a great legend has left us it is very shocking to us. me and my
husband sabhesan are associated with gk sir for more than 15 years and
v have grown up under his guidance without which we r nt wat we are
today.we owe a lot to him and he will always be remembered . the
greatest blessings god has given us is by associating with such a
legend.wev thankful to his family for making us wat we are today and
have learnt a lot of gud things from him which will be followed always
. thank u sir may ur soul rest in peace. we r not here if u were not
there thank u once again and will always be remenbered
when i remembered my past days it was the time of my graduation the year of 1997 i had read the hindu first time. since then i always have been looking for the hindu.it gave me a differnt type of feeling which i still like to have. this was the feeling of knowing the thing simply and understanding the issue analytically and having the sense of satisfaction. but due to serving in various remote areas of india it has been very much difficult for me and the people like me to be in the regular touch of this daily publication. thanks god for this internet that make it possible for me.I salute late sri G kasturi & wish his grand soul rest in peace.this man never tried to expose his greatness and he was in the foundation of the hindu team. snce again i salute him and his great soul.i wish you come again in new avtar for us and for mother india.
My deepest condolences. Mr. G. Kasturi is a true visionary. Just an
example. My father introduced me The Hindu in 1966. (Changeover from
Tamil Medium to English medium, after SSLC). Reading & summarising the
Editorial - for General Knowledge and English Language skills - was
the daily routine, which I appreciated most. I still remember vividly,
an Editorial published in 1966 - when changes were introduced by the
then Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. The Editorial clearly highlighted
possible negative impact in Sri Lanka, as a consequence of such
policies, coming out of "Pandora's box". The world has witnessed the
turmoil in Sri Lanka for the last 50 plus years. Need I say more ?? I
pray the Almighty to give enough strength to all the family members of
Hindu team. May his soul rest in peace.
THE END OF AN ERA...
We, the people of Indian sub-continent, habitually believed that the
news appeared in 'THE HINDU', are true to their value. For me 'THE
HINDU' is the last word for a news for the past 40+ years, a habit
inherited from my father. Mr.G.Kasturi is immortal and his memories
would hold the fire of truth among us...
The most undesirable things in life are the most certain (e.g Death &
Taxes).So said some one.GK deserves all the praise showered by the
readers of "THE HINDU" and his admirers.Nevertheless the younger
generation should learn and emulate those human qualities of
moderation,decency and dedication exemplified by Mr.GK to make this
world a better place to live in.
Right from our early stages of 50s, our family had been regular readers of your Newspaper. It was during the middle of 50s, when I was in 9th Class, my father introduced me to The Hindu. To improve the language, he used to tell all of us in the family, to go through the Editorial column first. We always kept Wren & Martin and Oxford Concise Dictionary side by side when we read The Hindu.! It is really unfortunate that the leading Newspaper lost its figure head. We pray the Almighty to give enough strength to all the family members of Hindu team. May his soul rest in peace.
If the online version of The Hindu I look forward to each morning reflects in any way, the integrity and personality of the late Shri Kasturi, I know we have all become that much poorer today. The excellence he demonstrated will forever remain, pressed between the pages of mind and memory. VS.Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
May His soul Rest in Peace
I have been an ardent reader of The Hindu for almost seven decades. As its editor for more than quarter of a century, the late G.Kasturi did everything possible to modernise the daily to suit the changing times, ensuring at the same time that its enviable record as a daily with rich tradition and status as a national news paper were fully preserved. In his passing away, the world has lost a doyan - with a checkered career - in the field of journalism. The excellent report on his death and the specially compiled photo feature will provide an insight into his personality to those who had no personal knowledge about his remarkable achievements.
The Indian journalism has lost a journalistic intellectual,whose
commitment for unbiased covering of anything provided to the reader with
all shades of opinion so as to enable him form his own inferences makes
the genius stand tall among other editors.The present and future
generations of journalists have many things to learn from the life and
work of late Mr.G.K.May his soul rest in peace.
As a college lad in the early '80's I never missed reading The Hindu..My morning coffee would not be complete with my customary perusal of the newspaper...G.Kasturi represents ethical & responsible journalism..He has taken The Hindu to great heights through his unwavering commitment to his profession...May his deeds be remembered & May his soul rest in peace
I very well remember the lauch of the Coimbatore edition of The Hindu around 1969. I was studying in a college in nearby Palakkad (Kerala) and we started getting the newspaper early in the morning with its neat,crisp printing and layout, without any smudging. It was my father ---- a journalist-turned-educationist--- who introduced me to The Hindu. Though I live in Mumbai for the last several decades, whenever I get a chance to see THE HINDU, I always grab it. I salute the legendary G Kasturi.
kasturi is a legend. He was the base .
He took 'The Hindu' and its readers to the next level But his example of
commitment and dedication will take us to the highest level.
My deepest condolences at the passing of Mr. G. Kasturi, a true
visionary, during whose tenure as Editor of The Hindu, the paper was
well balanced with its credibility at its peak. My heart goes out to
his family and all employees, past and present, who have been touched
by his sincerity of purpose, a principle feature which distinguished
his deeds from the rest of us, in one way or the other. I remember his
genuine enthusiasm for the switchover to photo typesetting and paste-
up from hot metal technology in early 1980s, when he used to sweat it
out in the editorial hall and the press, encouraging sub-editors like
me and the press workers, with his infectious smile to master the new
technology. This smile, I believe, was a mantra, which won him friends
in every section of this 134-year-old paper and helpful. May his soul
rest in peace.
I was a former employee of The Hindu and one incident in Mr. Kasturi's
chamber is unforgettable and repeated by me ad infinitum.
Since I was in charge of circulation, he had called me to his chamber
for a discussion. Midway the then GM and the head of finance walked
into his room to discuss some major union demands. He listened, asked
what the financial implications were and after thinking for some time
remarked in Tamil " we (the owners) have enough. Give it to them!" I
have never seen such magnanimity before or after. He was an expert
printer and No1 in India and perhaps the top 5 worldwide. Its a great
loss to the organisation, his family and to the world as he belonged
to an era where integrity, hardwork, respect for elders, strict
adherance to religious tenets, etc were paramount. My heartfelt
condolences.
I'm in my 64 and must have seen and started reading the Hindu for
almost 60+years.When the Hindu was more a must at Brhmin households my
father,not a brahmin, was not only given to it but also constantly
encouraged us to make it a daily routine.Mr.Kasturi might have had an
unseen hand in shaping my language and may be my views.The Hindu
editorials seldom deviated from its values.
After reading his brief career biography,I see a man with mission and unlimited passion towards Indian journalism.Inspiring personality.
The Hindu as the nation and the world knows is the most celebrated newspapers of the modern India among the young and the old equally. The nation pays homage to one of its Founding Pillars Mr G Kasturi who passed away today leaving the Hindu in the hands of one of the finest media teams nurtured by him, that would definitely take the Hindu to newer heights in times to come.
RIP
I vividly recollect my Grand father used to subscribe to THE HINDU in the sixties and because of whom I have started developing a particular liking for the daily and I am continuing still.It is always am amazing experience to read this daily. My ailing mother now keep supporting me on this count and to be honest let me tell you that for her the day is not complete without THE HINDU being read. This is to say that the superior quality of journalism of THE HINDU amply demonstrates the fact that G. Kasturi was a born free lancer. May he rest in peace.
Lost a stalwart of journalism. May his soul rest in peace.
'Nothing great will ever be achieved without great men, and men are great only if they are determined to be so...' --- Charles de Gaulle. Mr. G. Kasturi was one such determined man, resolute, ethical and creative.
Great visionary leader and pillar of innovation in THE HINDU. He build this great institution with great interest and shaped to grow what it is today. RIP.
Kasturi was a visionary not only to The Hindu but to the entire media world. His letters brought us up and today what we are with our little prowess in English is just because we were brought up reading the Hindu in our younger days. Though we miss him May his soul rest in peace
G. Kasturi was a Karma-yogi and as such he was well rewarded by the growth of the Hindu. We Indians may learn from his life.
It is sad to learn that G. Kasturi is no more now. His long standing association with The Hindu was unparallel. He has guided The Hindu during the most critical times and maintain its status as the premier national daily. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
My tributes to non-compromised personality Shri G.Kasturi who was strive
to maintain a good tradition in News and News paper management.
We have lost a visionary in newspaper media. Hats off to you and your works.
RIP
RIP,A great personality,who made millions of indian and others to think rationally.
Mr. Kasturi has left an indelible mark on the Indian Newspaper Industry. May he rest in peace.
It Is a great personal loss for me.I want to narrate an incident here for his wisdom.My company had the tie up with an American based company,and had a signed agreement or MOU between us.Some how the becuase of some difference of opinion between the promoters it did not received well between ourselves...they want to notify an advertisement in THe hindu breaking the tieup come out with a Ad when the MOU was still valid.We came to know thro our agent about this and went to meet the ad manager to stop the Ad with an objection and a clause....For Which the Admanager advised us to meet Kasturi sir in this regard...HE listened to our plea and gone through the submitted papers and got convinced that the American company was still has legal binding towards us and gave admanager to stop the ad and told them to return the money to the advertiser....someother paper company would have not done...May his soul rest in peace and will remain in my heart till I die.Thank u for your wonderful gesture.
India lost yet another stalwart. Shri G Kasturi's passing away is a
great loss to the media fraternity. I have never missed reading The
Hindu newspaper and it is very dear to me. The moderniser, innovator
and visionary, Mr. Kasturi gave a face-lift to The Hindu embracing
technology and transformed the industry in a short span of time. The
Hindu newspaper was transformed from first-class to `world class' under
his able leadership. We pray for the eternal rest of the departed soul.
As a schoolboy in Chennai in the 90's, reading The Hindu was a rite of
passage. Initially I started reading it in reverse order, from the
back page to the front page, following the exploits of my favourite
cricketers. Growing up faster than I could realise, a new found
maturity compelled me to change order, focusing more on politics,
current affairs and world news. I remember once being pulled up by my
class teacher at PSBB for being late and taken to the principal. On
being queried the reason for my latecoming, I said I was reading the
newspaper. Which one? The Hindu. A wide smile of appreciation spread
across my prinicipal's face and she said "keep it up but no more
latecoming henceforth". The Hindu's credibility stands out like a
beacon in the age of paid news and sycophancy. Thank you Mr. Kasturi
for making a newspaper like non other. RIP.
The passing away of Mr. Kasturi, a great journalist and administrator
will be a real loss to the The Hindu family that cannot be explained.
It was during his stewardship the 135-year-old- The Hindu reached the
pinnacle of glory- to be one of the best newspapers in the world. His
unmatched vision not only witnessed phenomenal changes in The Hindu
but also saw rival newspapers replicating the modernization process.
Mr. Kasturi will be remembered for slew of welfare measures brought
for the employees some of them continue even today. One can hope and
pray that his successors will carry forward his legacy in being fair,
objective in journalism and above all earning the respect and
goodwill of the employees.
Great soul rest in peace.
Salute to the doyen of Indian newspaper society for publishing important events without any incorrect information in a rational way!
I have been reading THE HINDU (Introduced to me by my father)since five decades,and I know how Shri.GK played instrumental in all areas of news presentation.My heartfelt condolence to the members of the family and pray for Shri GK's noble soul to rest in peace.
The world has lost a stalwart of true journalism. RIP.
Some are blessed with achievement some born with purpose on this earth and now we have lost one stalwart and " may his soul rest in peace "
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