M L Kotru passes away

Veteran journalist and former Editor of The Statesman, Delhi, M L Kotru, passed away last evening at his home in Gurgaon. He was 91. Following a long innings at this newspaper, Kotru was associated with various media organisations including Sunday Mail and ANI. He wrote regularly for The Statesman until 2013, and for publications in Kashmir, from where he hailed.

Considered a mentor by an entire generation of journalists, Kotru was one of the oldest members of the Press Club of India, and its former Secretary-General. In 1959, he was awarded the prestigious Watumull Award, instituted by the Watumull Foundation, Hawaii, for an evocative series of articles titled “The Other Side” published in The Statesman.

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Widely travelled, Kotru was for many years the Diplomatic Correspondent of The Statesman, and was considered one of the most authoritative voices on India’s external relations.