Siddharth Varadarajan
Encyclopedia
Siddharth Varadarajan is the Editor of The Hindu
, one of India's leading English language newspapers. He has reported on the NATO war against Yugoslavia
, the destruction of the Bamyan Buddhas
by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan
, the war in Iraq
and the crisis in Kashmir
. Prior to becoming Editor, he worked as the Hindu's Chief of National Bureau, succeeding Harish Khare
, who was named as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's media adviser, in June 2009. In 2007, he was a visiting professor at the Graduate School of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley. In 2009, he was a Poynter
Fellow at Yale University
In May 2011, the shareholders of Kasturi and Sons Ltd. held an extraordinary general meeting and voted to appoint him as The Hindu's editor on the recommendation of the company's board, thus making Varadarajan the first professional editor of the newspaper in its 150 year history. Prior to his appointment, The Hindu's editors were drawn from the family of the company's owners.
After studying economics at the London School of Economics
and Columbia University
, he taught at New York University
for several years before joining The Times of India
as an editorial writer in 1995. In 2004, he joined The Hindu, India's leading English-language newspaper, as Deputy Editor.
In November 2005, the United Nations Correspondents Association awarded him the Elizabeth Neuffer
Memorial Prize Silver Medal for Print Journalism for a series of articles, Persian Puzzle on Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency. In March 2006, he was awarded the Bernardo O'Higgins Order
by the President of Chile—that country's highest civilian honor for a foreign citizen—for his contributions to journalism and to the promotion of India's relations with Latin America and Chile. In July 2010, he received the Ramnath Goenka award for Journalist of the Year (Print).
He has been described as "one of India's sharpest foreign policy commentators and thinkers",
The book, Gujarat: The Making of a Tragedy, edited by Varadarajan, contains accounts of the violence
against the Muslims of that state in India. The book was published by Penguin Books
in 2002.
Varadarajan is a member of the International Founding Committee of The Real News, a board member of the inter-governmental B.P. Koirala India-Nepal Foundation, a member of the Indian Council of World Affairs and member of the editorial board of India Quarterly: A Journal of International Affairs
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
, one of India's leading English language newspapers. He has reported on the NATO war against Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, the destruction of the Bamyan Buddhas
Buddhas of Bamyan
The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2,500 meters...
by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, the war in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and the crisis in Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
. Prior to becoming Editor, he worked as the Hindu's Chief of National Bureau, succeeding Harish Khare
Harish Khare
Harish Khare is Media Advisor at the Indian Prime Minister's . He has worked as Resident Editor and chief of bureau with The Hindu in New Delhi, India. The Hindu, is widely considered India's left leaning and most respected broadsheet...
, who was named as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's media adviser, in June 2009. In 2007, he was a visiting professor at the Graduate School of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley. In 2009, he was a Poynter
Poynter
Poynter is a surname that originated in Berkshire, England in the 13th Century. It is an occupational name for the maker of lace fasteners on medieval tunics. The name derives from the Middle English "poynte" and originally from the Latin "puncta", meaning to pierce...
Fellow at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
In May 2011, the shareholders of Kasturi and Sons Ltd. held an extraordinary general meeting and voted to appoint him as The Hindu's editor on the recommendation of the company's board, thus making Varadarajan the first professional editor of the newspaper in its 150 year history. Prior to his appointment, The Hindu's editors were drawn from the family of the company's owners.
After studying economics at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
and Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, he taught at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
for several years before joining The Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
as an editorial writer in 1995. In 2004, he joined The Hindu, India's leading English-language newspaper, as Deputy Editor.
In November 2005, the United Nations Correspondents Association awarded him the Elizabeth Neuffer
Elizabeth Neuffer
Elizabeth Neuffer was an award-winning journalist who specialized in covering war crimes, human rights abuses, and post-conflict societies. She died at the age of 46 in a car accident in Iraq....
Memorial Prize Silver Medal for Print Journalism for a series of articles, Persian Puzzle on Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency. In March 2006, he was awarded the Bernardo O'Higgins Order
Order of Bernardo O'Higgins
The Order of Bernardo O'Higgins is the highest state award of Chile, presented to foreign citizens. This award was established in 1965 and named after one of the founders of the Chilean state general Bernardo O'Higgins who was the leader of the struggle for independence of the Spanish colonies in...
by the President of Chile—that country's highest civilian honor for a foreign citizen—for his contributions to journalism and to the promotion of India's relations with Latin America and Chile. In July 2010, he received the Ramnath Goenka award for Journalist of the Year (Print).
He has been described as "one of India's sharpest foreign policy commentators and thinkers",
The book, Gujarat: The Making of a Tragedy, edited by Varadarajan, contains accounts of the violence
2002 Gujarat violence
The 2002 Gujarat violence describes the Godhra train burning and resulting communal riots between Hindus and Muslims. On 27 February 2002 at Godhra City in the state of Gujarat, the Sabarmati Express train was attacked by a large Muslim mob in a conspiracy. But some authentic sources deny the claim...
against the Muslims of that state in India. The book was published by Penguin Books
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
in 2002.
Varadarajan is a member of the International Founding Committee of The Real News, a board member of the inter-governmental B.P. Koirala India-Nepal Foundation, a member of the Indian Council of World Affairs and member of the editorial board of India Quarterly: A Journal of International Affairs
External links
- Reality, one bite at a time, official blog
- Review of Gujarat: The Making of a Tragedy
- List of essays in the book
- UNCA award for his reports on IAEA
- Charles Glass on Siddharth Varadarajan's argument with the CPJ about Nato bombing in The Spectator
- Interview of Siddharth Varadarajan by Dr. Abbas Edalat of the Campaign against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran
- What's Wrong with Our Afghan War, the Indian Perspective - Interview of Siddharth Varadarajan by Christopher Lydon