Mark Tully, Renowned BBC Correspondent Known as 'Voice of India,' Dies at 90

Kathmandu. The BBC announced on Sunday that Mark Tully, the BBC correspondent renowned by millions as the 'Voice of India' for covering seminal moments in South Asia, has passed away at the age of 90.

Born in 1935 during the British Raj in India, Mark Tully made India his home and his professional base, succeeding in becoming the country's 'most famous foreign correspondent'.

In a statement, the interim head of BBC News, Jonathan Munro, said, "Sir Mark brought the vibrancy and diversity of India to audiences in Britain and around the world through his reporting."

He reported on the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 and the demolition of the Mughal-era Babri Masjid in Uttar Pradesh in 1992.

India's Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said in a statement, "For generations, his calm and clear voice was synonymous with the news across our subcontinent."

"Born in Kolkata, Tully reported on some of the most decisive moments in the history of this region," he added. Following his death, The Times of India portrayed him as an 'historian of India and an acclaimed author'.

Tully studied theology at Cambridge University before joining a seminary.

He returned to India in 1965 and began serving as the BBC's office administrator in New Delhi.

After some time working for the BBC's Hindi and World Service in London, he was appointed as the public broadcaster's correspondent in New Delhi in 1971.

A few years into his service, Tully was appointed the BBC's 'Bureau Chief' and oversaw coverage of South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

He resigned from the BBC in 1994 after criticizing then-Director-General John Birt and condemning the 'revolution' occurring within the corporation.

Tully was honored with India's highest civilian awards, the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan. These honors were rarely bestowed upon foreigners before him.

The UK also awarded him the title of 'Knight Bachelor' in 2002 for his services to broadcasting and journalism. Tully later described this recognition as an 'honor from India'.