Prem Bhatia
Mr. Prem Bhatia was one of the most eminent and influential journalists of our age. During his active career span of six decades, his writings on political and social events were chracterised by independence of judgement, objectivity and exceptional analytical ability.
Prem Bhatia’s professional excellence and editorial skills left a distinct mark in the newspapers which he wrote for and edited : The Civil and Military Gazette of Lahore, The Statesman of Calcutta and Delhi, The Guardian of London, The Times of India and The Indian Express of Delhi and The Tribune of Chandigarh.
His personal example and guidance helped to shape a dynamic new generation of journalists who have brought credit to Indian journalism.
Mr Prem Bhatia lived a life enriched by varied experience, ranging over such diverse fields as journalism, radio, the Army, the civil and diplomatic service.
Born in Lahore in August 1911, and educated at Government College Lahore (1928-34), he started his professional life as apprentice sub-editor with The Civil and Military Gazette of Lahore, then owned by British proprietors and sister paper of the Lucknow Pioneer. After five years with The Civil and Military Gazette, Prem Bhatia joined the News Department of All India Radio in Delhi.
In 1942 his life took another turn when he joined the Army as an officer in the Public Relations Directorate. He saw active service in the theatres of Burma and the Middle East and in three years rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. In 1945 he took leave of the Army and took up the post of Director, Public Information, and Joint Secretary to the undivided Bengal Government under Lord Casey and subsequently Mr H.S. Suhrawardy.
In 1946 he returned to active journalism by joining The Statesman as Political Correspondent with the rank of Assistant Editor. There he stayed for twelve years, with a short break as a diplomat (First Secretary) under Ambassador Vijayalakshmi Pandit in Moscow. During his Statesman years Mr Bhatia was the senior-most Indian member of the British dominated staff of the paper.
Late in 1958 Mr Bhatia was invited to become the Editor of The Tribune, publishing at the time in Ambala before moving to its present Chandigarh home. The following year he returned to Delhi as Resident Editor of The Times of India. In 1963 he took on the Delhi editorship of The Indian Express, together with becoming the correspondent in India of The Guardian ( London and Manchester).
In 1965 he was chosen by the Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, to rejoin the diplomatic service and appointed High Commissioner for India in Kenya. After a four year tenure he became High Commissioner in Singapore. After serving for eight years as head of mission, Mr Bhatia returned to journalism as Editor-in-chief and Director of the feature agency, INFA which was founded by Mr Durga Das, the eminent journalist.
In 1977 Mr Bhatia moved back to The Tribune, now in Chandigarh, as Editor-in-chief of the English daily and of its sister Hindi and Punjabi publications, which he was instrumental in starting.
Nine years later, in 1986, Mr Bhatia retired from his post and returned to New Delhi, agreeing, however, to remain as Consultant to the Tribune Trust.
As a free-lance journalist in the capital, Mr Bhatia wrote a regular signed column for The Tribune which was syndicated to other national papers. He also wrote another column for Mid-Day, published from Bombay and Delhi.
In his younger days he was a keen cricketer and captained Punjab University and this love of sports was carried to golf in his later years.
Mr Bhatia was involved in many organisations including The Press Council of India. He was Director of the Press Trust of India and a member of the National Integration Council. He travelled extensively and was invariably included in Mr Nehru’s entourage during the Prime Minister’s trips abroad.
He received many awards, among them: The B.D. Goenka Award (1985) for excellence in journalism and indomitable courage and professional integrity. He was the author of three books:
All my yesterdays
Indian Ordeal in Africa
Of Many Pastures.
In 1997 Haranand Publications brought out Witness to History, a compilation of Prem Bhatia’s writings and this was followed in 2002 by a second book - Reflections along a political journey.
Memoir - Visit to USA - Visit to Russia - Visit to Peking - Books
