BRP Bhaskar.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Thiruvananthapuram: Veteran journalist and columnist Babu Rajendra Prasad Bhaskar, popularly known as BRP Bhaskar, who had been a formidable presence in the national media including Deccan Herald for several decades, passed away at a private hospital here, hospital sources said.
He was 92 and had been battling age-related ailments for some time.
Apart from Deccan Herald, Bhaskar had an illustrious career spanning over seven decades in various prominent national media groups, including The Hindu, The Statesman and United News of India .
Born in Kollam district of Kerala as the son of M K Bhaskar and Meenakshi on March 12, 1932, BRP began his journalism career by penning articles under his nickname in a newspaper owned by his father. His formal media career began with his joining The Hindu in 1952.
After working in some other media groups, including The Statesman, BRP joined the national news agency UNI in 1966. He served as the bureau chief of the UNI in Jammu and Kashmir and Kolkata. The veteran journalist also acted as the media advisor for the state-based Asianet news channel for a few years.
BRP retired from his active career in the 1990s but continued to intervene in various social issues as a human rights activist. He was also the winner of the prestigious Kerala Sahitya Academy Award. BRP's wife and daughter predeceased him. Condoling BRP's demise, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan recalled that he enriched national media scene with a deep commitment to ethics, professionalism, and democratic ideals.
"Heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of Shri BRP Bhaskar, senior journalist. He enriched the national media scene with a deep commitment to ethics, professionalism and democratic ideals. His guiding role in early years of Malayalam TV has been memorable. May his soul attain Mukti," Khan said in a social media post.
In his condolence message, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan recalled that BRP Bhaskar was a journalist who contributed immensely to both English and Malayalam media. He was a prominent presence in both print and electronic media, Vijayan said, adding that the veteran's contributions in the area of media studies were also remarkable.