Govind Talwalkar - Editor of The Maharashtra Times

Editor of The Maharashtra Times

Talwalkar worked as assistant editor of the Maharashtra Times, a new Marathi daily launched by the Times of India group for almost six years. He become chief editor in 1968, remaining in that role for 27 years until he retired in 1996. He also established a record as the longest serving editor in Bennett Coleman and Co. which owns the Times of India Group. The company is more than 150 years old.

Talwalkar is best known for his editorials and articles. According to Raj Thackeray, "Talwalkar justified being recognized as Agralekhancha Badshah (the emperor of editorials)". Late famous Marathi writer, journalist and intellectual, S. M. Mate. admiringly remarked that Talwalkar had a felicity of pen, while poet G. D. Madgulkar used to call him "DnyanGunSagar". In the tradition of Lokmanya Tilak & the Maharashtra saint Samarth Ramdas, he used simple Marathi to make difficult subjects easily understandable to ordinary readers, while at the same time making all salient points with notable gravitas. Several of his editorials and articles are collected in his books, includingAgralekh, Bahar, Pushpanjali, Lal gulag ('Red Gulag'), Niyatishi karar.

Shri Govind Talwalkar has been a Guiding Light for two generations of Maharashtrians. He has had the greatest influence over the literary, political, educational, social, cultural and intellectual fabric of post-independence Maharashtra over forty years. As an editor, he made his mark as an intellectual, interested in diverse subjects. He educated his readers. He has become an institution.

He is best known for his editorials, which appealed to the reason. His hard-hitting editorials were feared but respected by the politicians and people in powerful places; and immensely admired by the masses and the scholars. In this he followed the tradition of Lokmanya Tilak and Ramdas. He did so selflessly. He exposed corruption in politics, universities, hospitals, social and public matters. It is said that some politicians have blocked giving him PadmaVibhushan award, while honoring many undeserving people.

Though proud of his mother-tongue, Marathi, Talwalkar thought that his readers should know whatever best was produced in the literature in various languages. He started a popular column introducing books in English, writing under the pseudonym Vachaspati. His articles on books have been published as collections - Vachta vachta, 1& 2.

On his retirement in 1996, Talwalkar settled with his daughters in the USA, but continues to write critical articles and essays in Marathi and English on world politics, economics, history, social issues and books.