TJS George Was Asked To Stop His ‘The New Indian Express’ Column: Former Editor
Thayil Jacob Sony George, widely known as TJS, died on 3 October 2025, leaving behind a towering legacy in Indian journalism.
TJS George spent over seven decades shaping public discourse through his work as an editor, teacher, and columnist.
A front-page tribute in The New Indian Express, the day after his death, revealed a lesser-known chapter of his illustrious career.
While TJS had penned over 1,300 columns over more than 25 years, he laid down his pen in June 2022.
GS Vasu, former editor of The New Indian Express, confirmed that it wasn’t entirely by his choice.
In an article published by South First GS Vasu said that TJS George was asked to stop his column in June 2022.
This revelation adds a significant layer to the understanding of TJS George’s journalistic journey and the pressures faced by independent journalism in India.
“It was the fag end of my days as editor of that newspaper. I refused to convey the message that he should stop. If I did, I would have carried the guilt of stopping his column till my death. Eventually, the message reached him,” Vasu wrote.
GS Vasu explained that TJS’s readiness to be critical of the establishment—a quality once celebrated as essential to journalism—had become increasingly unwelcome in the new environment.
“Some of us feel that we should not criticise our own country. Some feel exactly the other way… But, there is something not right if a country and its rulers start feeling that they should not be criticised at all – and especially by newspaperwallahs,” TJS had written in his last column on 12 June 2022.
GS Vasu emphasized that TJS had been given the platform to write for over 25 years thanks to the tradition of The New Indian Express to rise to its readers’ expectations. Yet, as times changed, the willingness of newspapers to allow independent voices diminished. Proprietors, increasingly dependent on government advertising and other financial considerations, often exercised subtle forms of self-censorship.
“It is more of a self-censorship, not the one imposed openly during the days of Indira Gandhi. That could be fought. This cannot be fought,” Vasu observed.
Despite the abrupt end to his column, TJS continued to be recognized for his lifelong commitment to journalism.
Months after he stopped writing, he was awarded the prestigious RedInk National Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Mumbai Press Club.
Also, read| Tribute | T.J.S. George: A Fearless Voice Who Redefined Indian Journalism
As Vasu noted, TJS, who never craved publicity, humbly framed the award as part of a broader mission: “It is now time for others to carry on. The fight must go on.”
TJS’s relationship with media proprietors was complex. While columnists like him often allowed newspapers to project a veneer of fearless reporting, the reality was sometimes a subtle masking of editorial independence.
“From the 1970s to the early part of this century, when newspapers did what was expected of them, to the beginning of the BJP rule when they managed to wear the mask, it did not take media houses too long to realise that the surrender had to be total,” Vasu wrote.
Also, read| Veteran Journalist-Writer TJS George Dies At 97
Even after leaving The New Indian Express, TJS’s writings continued to appear occasionally in other publications, particularly in Malayalam media, demonstrating the respect he commanded across linguistic and regional boundaries.
Vasu reflected on this, noting that TJS’s influence extended far beyond the columns he wrote—it was in the values he stood for, the mentorship he offered, and the integrity he displayed in an era increasingly defined by transactional journalism.
At his funeral in Bengaluru’s Hebbal crematorium, journalists, admirers, and students paid their respects, while some notable absences reflected the realities of a media shaped by ownership and political influence.
True to his nature, TJS, a non-believer, had no desire for pomp. Yet his life continues to serve as a beacon for independent journalism and a reminder that the pen, even when forced to rest, can leave embers that illuminate generations to come.
