By Admin 
Sir Mark Tully, former Bureau Chief of BBC in India and senior journalist, died on Sunday (January 25, 2026). According to BBC, 90-year-old Mark Tully breathed his last in New Delhi. Mark Tully was a journalist who covered everything from the trial of Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. His former colleague at BBC, Satish Jacob, has confirmed his death.
Mark Tully has been doing freelance journalism since his separation from the BBC. In an interview in 2009, he had said that I would not say that my career was only the result of my hard work. In this he considered the hand of luck and God. Mark Tully is a journalist from the era when there was no television in India. Radio was only in the hands of the government. He also gave credit for his identity to BBC.
Regarding becoming a well-known name in journalism, he had said that there is nothing like that. Being arrogant was not good for journalism. Arrogance was said to be the biggest sin. Apart from this, regarding covering the story of Bhutto’s hanging, he had said that it was not my story, it was Bhutto’s story.
Mark Tully was born in Calcutta
Mart Tully was born in Calcutta. He did his schooling from Darjeeling. He did his Masters in History and Theology from Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He served in the 1st Royal Dragoons for two years and then became regional director of the Abbeyfield Society. He joined BBC in 1964. He lived here for four decades. Was Delhi correspondent of BBC from 1972 to 1994.
During this period, he extensively covered many issues related to India and the South Asian region. He has written several books, including The Lives of Jesus, No Full Stops in India, India’s Unending Journey and the latest Non-Stop India. Mark received a knighthood in 2002 and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2005.
Mark Tully was prevented from learning Hindi and Bengali in his childhood
While sharing stories about his childhood and his mother, he had told that he was born in Tollygunge, Kolkata. His father was a partner in a company, Glander Robertsknob. His mother was born in Okera Junction, a small place in Bangladesh. His childhood was spent in Calcutta. He had told that he did not play with Indian children, he only lived with English children. He had told that he was being prevented from reading and writing Hindi. Once, when he was speaking Hindi, the nanny kept under his care slapped him.
Mark wanted to become a pastor and not a journalist.
Mark Tully wanted to become a pastor, not a journalist. He had worked for four years in an organization working for the elderly. After this he applied to BBC. But did not get a chance for journalism. Got the job of a clerk in a personal department. When he returned to India from London after a year, he got a job in the personal department here. After this he decided to become a journalist himself. He used to help the television team. He first featured on the Statesman Vintage Car Rally. The producer at that time was a woman, who liked the feature very much.
How did you learn Hindi?, expressed regret for neglecting Hindi.
Mark Tully’s love for Hindi is not hidden from anyone. He learned Hindi language by reading and writing in newspapers. He also expressed his grief and said that when I talk to someone in India in Hindi, he used to reply in English. This is a matter of shame for this country.
Union Minister called him a spy during Emergency
He had also shared an incident of Emergency in an interview given to BBC. He had said that Vidyacharan Shukla was the Information and Broadcasting Minister at the time of Emergency. He asked me about the news, who is giving you this information. Then he replied that we have journalists. Also said that we listen to the news of All India Radio. Then the minister told Mark Tully that you spy. If you are not a spy then why did you learn Hindi? Vidyacharan Shukla was considered very close to Sanjay Gandhi.
What did you say about Sanjay Gandhi and Indira Gandhi?
On Sanjay Gandhi it was said that Sanjay Gandhi was of a very harsh nature. The Poles had the idea of fixing everything by force. That’s why he called Emergency bad. Also, regarding Indira Gandhi, it was said that sometimes she used to behave like a friend and sometimes she used to show a rude nature. He had termed the BBC news covered during the Emergency as misleading and rumours. He once interviewed Indira Gandhi at the Commonwealth Prime Minister’s Conference in 1983. Then I told that Indira ji asked me to switch off the tape recorder and kept discussing the situation in the country for 10-15 minutes.
What was told on the Ayodhya incident?
Mark Tully had told that demolition was going on in Ayodhya. I was present there. It was difficult to send the store from Ayodhya. Then went to Faizabad. Sent the story from there. BBC was the first to report the vandalism. Later he was surrounded by some people in Ayodhya and Faizabad. Some Indian journalists were also with him.