Mark Tully: The voice that defined India

Photo courtesy: BBC/Getty Images

The news of Mark Tully’s passing in Delhi yesterday feels like the end of an era. For me, he was among the earliest voices on the radio that I remember. My fascination with the radio began in my school days in the mid-1970s, and back then, the day always started with the BBC.

At 7.15 am was the 15-minute South Asia Special, which provided a detailed look at regional events, especially in India. It was followed at 7.30 am by the nine-minute top-of-the-hour news bulletin (India is five and a half hours ahead of GMT). Then came the six-minute British Press Review, and at 7.45 am was the Radio News Reel featuring dispatches from BBC correspondents worldwide.

(Now, there is no Radio News Reel; the correspondents’ reports are merged into longer news-based programmes. There is no South Asia Special either. I doubt if there is a press review.)

At 8 am, we would switch to the Hindi news bulletin and then the English news at 8.10 am on All India Radio. (Now AIR is known as Akashvani and those morning news bulletins are of 15-minute duration.)

AN INDIAN AT HEART

The BBC was not just a window to the world. Mark Tully’s reports gave a well-rounded perspective to events in India too, which the news on AIR, the government broadcaster, lacked. 

Interestingly, Tully didn't even start as a reporter; he joined the BBC in 1965 as an administrative assistant. He gradually worked his way up to become the most recognisable voice of India to the rest of the world. 

Mark Tully was never just a Western broadcaster stationed in India. He understood the soul of this country; not surprising, considering that he was born in Kolkata (then Calcutta). His mother too was born in Bengal, and her family had deep roots in the country as administrators and traders for generations.

Tully never saw India through the stereotypical lens of "a land of snake-charmers and rope tricks." He was able to understand the historical and cultural contexts to many socio-political developments here, and so his reportage often sounded quite different. He also turned down relocation to other countries and to BBC’s London studio, and he preferred to make India his permanent home.

"TULLY SAHIB"

Mark Tully’s style of narration was unique, perhaps a bit atypical for a broadcaster, but it was his in-depth knowledge that won people over. His fluency in Hindi gave him access to the small towns and villages that other foreign reporters couldn't reach, endearing him to common people who affectionately called him "Tully Sahib” (Tully Sir.)

He has written a few books. The most well-known are: Amritsar: Mrs Gandhi's Last Battle (1985), co-authored with his colleague Satish Jacob, on the events leading up to the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar; and No Full Stops in India (1988), a collection of essays. They are essential reading for anyone trying to understand the socio-political fabric of the country.

PERSONAL ENCOUNTER

I was a big fan of Mark Tully right from my school days, and he played no small role in shaping my interest in journalism. So, it was a heartbreak when it was announced in 1994 that he was resigning from the BBC in protest against the corporate structures and procedures that the broadcaster began adopting.

In October 2010, Tully was in Bengaluru to deliver a lecture on religious pluralism, and I was fortunate enough to be granted an interview with him. I am searching my home for the photographs I had taken and the full recording of the interview; however, the memory remains vivid. Here is the clipping.

In 2019, in an interview at the 8th Odisha Literary Festival, he recalled several fascinating anecdotes, from receiving threats to being locked in a room by mobs in Ayodhya while covering the demolition of the Babri Masjid. He also spoke about topics like government censorship, and secularism. Here is the full interview:

THE FINAL DISPATCH

“... Mark Tully, BBC, Delhi.”

That’s how he ended his dispatches from the national capital. For generations of listeners, that sign-off was a guarantee of professionalism, truth, and empathy. While he may be gone, those words, and that voice, will ring in our ears forever.

Rest in Peace, Tully Sahib.

(Useful reading: BBC in India - How the end of the Empire led to a new relationship with India)

5,000 Asiad athletes to be housed on cruise ship in blockbuster sports year

If you are a sports fan, then 2026 is your year! A massive lineup of major events is scheduled for the next 12 months.

I’m not just talking about the annual fixtures we’ve come to expect, like tennis Grand Slams or the premier football and cricket leagues. 

What makes 2026 truly special is the sheer number of biennial and quadrennial international championships, including an impressive six World Cups.

Interestingly, we are seeing a new trend in major athletics: both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games are making significant efforts to cut costs. 

Japan will house Asiad athletes on a cruise ship and hotels instead of the traditional 'games village'. This just shows how expensive hosting these "grand gala" events has become.

QUADRENNIAL EVENTS

Here are the events that are held once in four years: three World Cups (one in football and two in hockey), and two athletic events (Commonwealth Games and Asian Games).

FIFA World Cup (Men’s Football)

The football world will descend upon the US, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. Matches will be played in 16 cities across three nations, though the majority will be held in the US. The grand final is set for July 19 at the MetLife Stadium in the New York/New Jersey area.

Hockey World Cups (Men & Women)

In a rare move, the Men's and Women's Hockey World Cups will be held simultaneously in Belgium and the Netherlands from August 14 to 30. This is only the third time in history both tournaments are staged together; the previous instances were both in the Netherlands, in Utrecht in 1998, and The Hague in 2014. 

Commonwealth Games

Glasgow, Scotland, will host the Games from July 23 to August 2. Glasgow stepped in as a replacement after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew due to escalating costs. To keep the event sustainable, this will be a scaled-down version using existing venues, with no new athletes’ village being built.

Asian Games

The Asiad will be hosted by the Aichi Prefecture and the city of Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. The Games will feature 41 sports across more than 60 disciplines.

This event is also economising: instead of a permanent village, a cruise ship docked at Nagoya's Kinjo Pier will house roughly 5,000 athletes, while others will stay in hotels or temporary "container-based" villas.

BIENNIAL EVENTS

Several events that are held once in two years will take place in 2026. Again, there will be three World Cup events, all in cricket.

Under-19 Cricket World Cup

This is currently underway in Zimbabwe and Namibia (Jan 15 – Feb 6). Australia is the defending champion, but all eyes are on India, who have won five out of the 15 editions held so far since the inaugural one in 1988. India won in 2000, 2008, 2012, 2018, and 2022.

Men's T20 World Cup

Co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, matches will be spread across eight venues. 

The final is slated for Ahmedabad or Colombo, and semifinals will be in Kolkata and Mumbai. Colombo is an alternative venue for semifinal too. 

The Sri Lanka option has been provided so that if Pakistan qualifies, the match will be held in Colombo, since Pakistan team can't play in India.

Women’s T20 World Cup

England and Wales will host this tournament from June 12 to July 5, featuring an expanded field of 12 teams for the first time. The final will be held at the historic Lord's Cricket Ground in London.

Thomas and Uber Cup (Badminton)

These prestigious team championships for men (Thomas) and women (Uber) will take place in Horsens, Denmark, from April 24 to May 3. This will be the second time Denmark is hosting the combined event. The 2021 championships was in Aarhus.

World Team Table Tennis Championships

Coming to London from April 28 to May 10, this event marks the centenary of the very first World Championships held in London in 1926. With 64 men’s and 64 women’s teams from every continent, it is expected to be the biggest table tennis World Championship ever held.

The individual championships are held in every odd year, and the team championships are held in every even year.

THE ROAD AHEAD

While I have focused on these major tournaments, the calendar is also filled with international weightlifting and shooting championships, besides many others; and of course, the tennis Grand Slams and European and South American football.

It is truly a non-stop schedule. By the time one trophy is lifted, it will already be time for the next opening ceremony!

A Sunday surprise

AI-generated representative image.

Yesterday, my cousin, her husband, and a friend were arriving in Bengaluru from Coimbatore on the Vande Bharat Express. I had planned to pick them up from the Cantonment Railway Station, the train's final stop. Its scheduled arrival time is 1:45 pm.

I was in two minds about whether to drive or take a cab. That's because the station is currently undergoing a ₹480-crore ($53 million) redevelopment, and the area is a bit of a mess. Barricades and construction have reduced the road width. While the station did have ample parking space, much of it has now been taken over by the ongoing work.

A MESSAGE IN WHATSAPP GROUPS 

It's been a very long time since I had been to that side of the city, and I wasn’t quite sure if any alternative area had been provided for parking. So, in the hope of getting some update from anyone who would have gone there recently, I dropped a message in a couple of WhatsApp groups — my apartment residents’ group and my Bengaluru-based school alumni group.

The updates and suggestions were consistent: the area is extremely crowded and there is very less space for parking. Everyone advised me to leave the car at home and take an autorickshaw or a cab.

However, one message in the school alumni group stood out. It was from someone I’ll call SN, who wrote: 

I am on the same train. I’ll guide your cousin and her family to the exit. Arrive by around 1:30 pm. That way you can just pick them up and go without needing to park. I’ll take care of them.

That a schoolmate of mine was on the very same train was a big coincidence, and his immediate offer of help was a wonderful surprise!

Frankly, I didn’t know SN. From his messages addressing me as ‘Pradeep Sir’, I presumed he was a junior in school. (It’s a general custom for the alumni to address their seniors as Sir, a tradition carried over from our school days.)

As the conversation on the WhatsApp continued, another schoolmate, PS (eight years my junior, whom I did know), joined the chat. From the messages, I figured out that SN works for the Railways and was from the Batch of 2001 — making him a good 19 years my junior. We had never met nor spoken before.

SN asked for my cousin’s coach number and he was kind enough to go over and introduce himself. He explained the "Sainik School connection" and told them that in case they needed any assistance, he was around. 

My cousin, her husband, and her friend were not only pleasantly surprised but deeply impressed that a total "stranger" would reach out simply because of a shared alma mater! (I hadn't sought any help. I was only checking the parking facilities at the railway station!)

AT THE RAILWAY STATION

Meanwhile, from the NTES (National Train Enquiry Service) app, I got to know that the train would arrive around 35 minutes ahead of schedule, something that is fairly common for premier trains like Vande Bharat. When I told my wife about about these unexpected developments, she was so touched that she decided to come along just to meet the kind soul that SN clearly was.

Though SN had suggested he would guide my guests to the exit and I could just come in my car and pick them up without parking, my wife and I decided against it. That's because we wanted to meet SN, and personally thank him for his proactive involvement. That would have needed us to park the car, which might not have been possible.

Instead, we reached the station by autorickshaw. In about a couple minutes, the train pulled in. As soon as my cousin alighted, the first thing she mentioned was how cordial and considerate SN had been. I smiled and told her, "That’s what we call the famed ‘Kazhak’ bonding." (Kazhak is short for Kazhakootam, the small town where our school is located).

MORE SURPRISES

In a few minutes, SN joined us, and we got talking. But the surprises weren't over — PS showed up at the station too! Obviously, he couldn't resist being part of this "micro-mini get-together." As we stood there chatting, we discovered even more connections; it turned out that PS and my cousin's friend shared a lot of common ground!

As we were talking, SN’s phone rang. It was a member of the railway staff asking if one of his friends had lost their mobile phone on the train. SN turned to my cousin and asked if she had her phone. She quickly checked her bag and realised with a shock that she had left it behind on her seat!

The staff had seen SN speaking with them earlier and presumed he would know the phone's owner. What luck! The mobile was duly returned, leaving my cousin immensely grateful, not just to SN, but for the entire series of events that led to their meeting.

It was an incredibly eventful Sunday morning. And, it all started with a simple question about parking!