Former Rajya Sabha MP Chandan Mitra passes away

Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered the journalist for his intellect and insights and condoled his demise

Veteran journalist and former Rajya Sabha MP Chandan Mitra, who left the BJP to join Trinamool Congress three years ago, passed away after prolonged illness.

His journalist-son Kushan Mitra tweeted, "...Dad passed away late last night (Wednesday). He had been suffering for a while."

The 65-year-old, who was a two-term BJP MP in Rajya Sabha and considered close to BJP stalwart L K Advani, was the Editor of Pioneer, whose control he bought from the Thapar family in 1998.

A mentor to generations of journalists, Mitra first worked as an Assistant Editor with The Statesman in Kolkata before moving to Delhi to work with Times of India. He then shifted to The Sunday Observer. He had also worked as Executive Editor of Hindutan Times before joining Pioneer.

Mitra went to La Martiniere in Kolkata and St Stephen's in Delhi before moving to Oxford where he was awarded PhD for 'Political Mobilisation and the Nationalism Movement in India – a Study of Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, 1936-1942'. Before entering the world of journalism, Mitra taught for a short while at Hansraj College in Delhi.

Rajya Sabha MP and journalist Swapan Dasgupta was his classmate in Stephens and Oxford. "I lost my closest friend...We were together as students of La Martiniere and went on to St Stephen’s and Oxford. We joined journalism at the same time and shared the excitement of Ayodhya & the saffron wave...Be happy my dear friend wherever you are," Dasgupta said in tweets as he shared a photograph of Mitra and him together during a school trip in 1971.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also studied with him in St Stephen's where Mitra was his campaign manager when the former stood for college union election. "Deeply saddened by this news. Chandan was my campaign manager in my successful race to be President of the St Stephen’s College Union Society, served in my Cabinet and succeeded me. We remained in touch over the years, ironically till I returned to Delhi & politics separated us. RIP," Tharoor tweeted.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among a host of leaders who condoled his death. Modi said Mitra will be remembered for his intellect and insights and that he distinguished himself in the world of media as well as politics.

In a statement, the Press Club of India said, "Chandan Mitra was a stalwart editor who also had fruitful innings in The Statesman and as editor of Hindustan Times. Mitra mentored young reporters, and relaunched The Pioneer. His passing is a great loss. The Press Club of India stand with his family in this hour of loss."