Veteran journalist and Padma Shri awardee HK Dua dies at 88

Senior journalist and Padma Shri awardee HK Dua died in New Delhi on Wednesday at the age of 88, The Tribune reported. Three weeks ago, he was admitted to a private hospital and had been feeling unwell. His cremation will take place at Lodi Road Crematorium on March 5 at 12 noon.Dua is the former editor-in-chief of The Tribune and served as media advisor to former prime ministers Dev Gowda and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He also represented India as Ambassador to Denmark.He led the Tribune from 2003 to 2009 and was credited with growing the paper’s national standing and editorial credibility. During a distinguished career spanning several decades, Dua held senior editorial positions at The Indian Express, The Times of India and Hindustan Times.In 2009, he was nominated to the Bundestag to participate in debates on media freedom and public policy. In 2008, he was awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution to journalism.Congress MP Manish Tewari expressed grief over Dua’s death, recalling that he “was an editor, but the editor’s identity was still important”.Tewari said in a post on X that Dua stood up for his beliefs, refused to compromise editorial independence and never sought favors from political leaders or media owners. He described him as a warm, humble man who was able to express his ideas with clarity and integrity. “It is sad to learn about the death of Sh HK Dua. He was an editor but being an editor is still important. Editor-in-Chief of The Times of India, Hindustan Times, The Indian Express and The Tribune. He chose to live by his beliefs rather than be a lackey of the owners and an AD who kowtows to politicians. Media Advisor to the late Prime Minister Sh. Atal Behari Vajpayee, Ambassador of India to Denmark and nominated by the Prime Minister as Member of Parliament late Dr. Manmohan Singh. He is a very warm person, completely unpretentious and knows how to speak his mind,” Tewari wrote on “X”.