Sir Mark Tully
Peace Mala Endorsement
The Voice of India
During his 22-year tenure as the BBC's Correspondent for South Asia, Mark Tully became familiar to viewers and listeners throughout the world for his incisive and thought-provoking reports.
Whether dodging the bullets during the skirmishes which bubbled up, from time to time, on the India-Pakistan border, describing the effect of absolute poverty on Calcutta's street beggars or detailing the horrific aftermath of the Bhopal chemical disaster, he gave a unique insight into the life of the subcontinent.
His understanding of all things Indian did not happen by accident. Mark Tully was born in Calcutta in 1936. The son of a wealthy accountant, he was brought up by a strict European nanny and did not come to Britain until he was ten.
Joining the BBC, it became obvious that he was the right man to become India Correspondent and, in 1964, he did just that, moving to Delhi. Finding India a haven for his spiritual needs, Mark Tully's pieces, whether for radio or television, invariably dodged the superficial, painting pictures of the reality behind the headlines and the effect of war, poverty and disease on ordinary people.
Pam Evans met Sir Mark Tully at the Festival of Literature in Hay on Wye in May 2003 and presented him with a Peace Mala. Sir Mark later wrote to Pam from New Delhi . This is what he said:
I was delighted to read all about your achievements. Your work is very important. Here in India a centuries old tradition of religions living side by side showing respect to each other is under threat from Hindu chauvanists. This is particularly tragic because Hinduism is one faith which has accepted that there are different ways to God. One of the greatest men of the 20th century, Mahatma Gandhi, gave his life for the cause of religious tolerance. So for this reason and others too I applaud your initiative.