Sankarshan Thakur was a rare breed in Indian journalism: rooted deeply in field reporting, fearless in analysis, loyal to truth. He died on September 8, 2025, at just 63 — a sudden and irrecoverable loss for journalism.
He began his career in 1984 at Sunday magazine. Over four decades, he shaped political coverage at The Indian Express and Tehelka, where he was part of its launch in 2004, and the Telegraph, where he rose to the Editor’s chair. People who worked with and knew him called him brilliant, fearless, and principled.
Tributes Pour In For Sankarshan Thakur
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called Thakur “a delightfully brilliant writer” and “one of the strongest defenders of liberal, secular and pluralistic India”.
Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy called his passing an “untimely demise” and a “significant loss to journalism”.
Former J&K CM Omar Abdullah said Thakur was one of the few who travelled across regions like Jammu & Kashmir and actually listened, without judgment.
Sankarshan Thakur: A Grounded Editor
Marshed in by peers and protégés, the tributes painted a vivid picture. Journalist Saba Naqvi remembered him sweating it out alongside reporters during the 2024 General Election in the scorching heat, proving he was an Editor who was never too distant from the ground. “That’s what makes a great journalist.”
As an author, Thakur brought Bihar’s political culture to life through biographies like ‘Subaltern Saheb: The Making of Laloo Yadav’ (on Lalu Prasad Yadav), Single Man: The Life & Times of Nitish Kumar (on Nitish Kumar), and The Brothers Bihari (on both politicians). These were rich portraits that went beyond headlines.
Winner of the 2001 Prem Bhatia award for excellence in political journalism, Thakur made the world aware of the developments on the Kargil warfront in 1999 through his extensive reporting.
We’ve lost someone formidable: a writer and editor who never parted from the field or his principles. For him, journalism was more than a profession; it was passion, rigour, empathy, and principle. He lived all that.
As the world bids adieu to Sankarshan Thakur, journalism takes solace in the fact that his legacy and principles in the field will live through generations to come.
