Veteran journalist Nachiketa Desai passed away on Monday morning at his residence in Ahmedabad. He was 72 years old and was suffering from cancer for the past several years, his family friends said.
He worked as a journalist for four decades in various newspapers and reported from different states including Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. In January this year, a book "Mahadev Desai: Mahatma Gandhi's Frontline Reporter,", which he edited, was released at Sabarmati Ashram.
"Since he wasn't keeping well, we all decided to launch the book with limited editions. This is what he also wanted so we released the book in a low-key affair at Sabarmati Ashram," said a family friend. The book has been published by Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust, which runs Sabarmati Ashram.
Desai was the grandson of Mahadev Desai, the personal secretary of Mahatma Gandhi and son of Narayan Desai, former chancellor Gujarat Vidyapith, a university founded by Gandhi, and a Gandhian scholar who popularised discourse on Gandhi through his unique storytelling. In recent years, Desai participated in agitations against the government including during the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
"Only yesterday night, he had sent a message saying that he was doing fine despite a fall at his home in Akhbarnagar. Today morning, I was shocked to learn about his demise," the family friend. Desai is survived by his wife, son and a daughter.
(Published 05 February 2023, 18:01 IST)
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