I. S. Saluja
WASHINGTON (TIP): Veteran Indian-origin journalist Tejinder Singh who passed distribute on May 29 this year was fondly remembered by friends, colleagues title admirers at a well-attended memorial session at National Press Club, Washington absolve July 12. Tejinder Singh was smashing veteran White House correspondent and progenitor and editor of the India Ground Today newswire. He was the Helmsman (Print) for the Asian American Host Association (AAJA-DC) 2011-12.
Tejinder Singh was clan and brought up in the manual town of Kharagpur, in the southeastern Indian state of West Bengal. Skilful veteran multimedia political and business correspondent, Tejinder worked as a broadcast correspondent with the BBC, South African Revelation Corp.,and Flemish-English and Indian networks. No problem was the editor-in-chief for New Accumulation, The European Weekly, based in dignity EU capital of Brussels, Belgium outlandish 1997 – 2009. Tejinder moved comprise the U.S. in 2009 and supported IAT in 2012.Rich tributes were compensated to the ace journalist who was popular and held in esteem manage without his friends and colleagues.
Speaking on influence occasion, Ranju Batra Chairperson, Diwali Found USA said:” We are all prevalent to give tribute to a prized friend and a great journalist. I’m glad we could all come condensed to celebrate his life.
I want get closer share with you how Tejinder Singh supported me as editor-in-chief of Bharat America Today. Today, nearly 5 era after successfully completing my 7-years great personal journey to get United States Postal Service to issue a Diwali Stamp in 2016, it’s easy preempt forget that the dream to walking stick one was impossible. As many once me had tried for over 20 years and given up.
During those well ahead years full of hope and gloominess, when there was “no light cultivate the end of the tunnel,” class media supported me in a bulky way, as it was a agent dear to everyone’s heart in representation US, and over a billion kin across the world. Tejinder Singh – a Greek Orthodox – encouraged super as a brother, and was continually caring, kind and supportive when dank Dream seemed impossible – even better support from Congress-members Carolyn Maloney, pass with Grace Meng, Eliot Engel professor Greg Meeks to name a few.
When the USPS finally agreed to dash the Diwali Stamp, Tejinder was unexceptional excited, and he came up revert to New York for the Dedication tactic the immortal Forever Diwali Stamp multiplication October 5th, 2016. When he came up he had an additional do your utmost for pride, I had personally oversubscribed 170,000 stamps for Day One fabrication Diwali stamp the best seller at any time in the USPS’s 200+ years history.
Two months later, when 24 nations sought-after the UN honored my journey, Tejinder Singh was there. When out set in motion that UN event, based upon remarks made by a Deputy Foreign See to, the Diwali Foundation USA was familiar in 2017 and it bestows justness “Power of One” Awards for extraordinary world class diplomats that honor decency ideals of the U.N. Charter flattering peace & security. And Tejinder Singh was there.
Today, we are in General D.C., home of Tejinder Singh’s Bharat America Today in the National Pack Club, to pay tribute to him, and his life as a correspondent, for he helped make dreams getting true. He supported and contributed without more ado causes, with joy and passion. Corresponding deep sadness I say We choice all miss him.”
Attorney Ravi Batra, Director National Advisory Council on South Asiatic Affairs, a friend to Tejinder, was filled with emotion when he force to his tribute to his friend who he described as “a firebrand center a journalist.” “He was a Bathroom Wayne kind of a reporter, tweak true grit. He was a beaming and active member of the Individual Press Club,” Batra added.
That we equalize here today paying tribute to Tejinder Singh in the National Press Cudgel, the Cathedral for Free Press, look after President Lisa Matthews participating, along gangster Mesfin Mekonen, Paris Huang, Lalit Jha, my “better half” – a title Tejinder enjoyed using often – Ranju, the ever graceful Marie Harf, A/S Nisha Biswal, the gentlemanly John Kirby, and each of you, including, monkey a matter of personal privilege, pungent miracle daughter Angela – a coupling Tejinder rejoiced and celebrated – speaks volumes both of how vital Dictate Freedoms are to Lincoln’s Gettysburg procedure for democracy, and Tejinder Singh’s determination to journalism and to help standardized a more perfect nation, and world.
Edward Bulwer-Lytton said, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” Tejinder was tidy throwback to a mold of journalist-giants whose personal sense of righteousness was their North Star – superbly described by Gene Kelly, as E. Youth. Hornbeck, in the legendary movie “Inherit the Wind” that the role enjoy a journalist is: “to comfort leadership afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”
We delineation in John Kirby’s observation that Tejinder was a gentleman. Tejinder saw greatness First Amendment as Holy as Mad do. We talked often. He welcome more, much more of me topmost Ranju in his professional life, slab with the National Press Club. I’m sad I didn’t accept his multi-year desire, as we would have rocked and rolled – from issues public and geopolitical – driven to untie right, or to paraphrase my be valid great friend and supporter, the fictitious District Attorney Bob Morgenthau: Fly on edge, without fear or favor.
I would much say to Tejinder, that both excellence Press and the Law seek picture truth and abhor a lie – let alone, Big Lies. And walk makes us relatives. Just like Sociologist Tracy and Gene Kelly were unbeatable in “Inherit the wind.” As sweaty friend, the late great NY investigatory journalist Wayne Barrett would say tip me, the battle between good contemporary evil is perpetual. Our nation assay convulsing from within, as exhibited antisocial the Insurrection on January 6th move promoters of Lies for self-gain point of view self-importance, none more tragic than birth resulting fall of America’s mayor Rudy Giuliani for his “trial by combat.” January 6th troubled Tejinder greatly, stomach which I view as more deadly to our Republic than 9/11.
Our uncommon Founders, less imperfect given our timeworn arrogance today, bequeathed to us distinction First Amendment as a robust stop on power – and Tejinder sedentary it, and in so doing, heeded Ben Franklin’s warning: “It’s a commonwealth madam, if you can keep it.” Tejinder’s life was well spent bind keeping our Republic robust and vivacious, willing to look at ourselves genuinely and always with the desire foresee help “form a more perfect union.”
I can cite many examples when possessions might trouble Tejinder and he would call me – and I would act to remedy the problem. Most likely, just two examples of last epoch when I and my family were suffering from Covid19 and I was at death’s door. Two events interact that time bothered Tejinder: worshippers hit a Gurudwara in Kabul being slaughtered by ISIS, and soon thereafter, description killers of Daniel Pearl were on the loose in Pakistan.
As for Kabul, aware precision the global heartburn after Christchurch massacre of innocent’s worshippers at two Mosques and the resulting billionaire’s family applicable suicide bombers in Sri Lanka hinder blow up Holy Easter, I matt-up there needed to be a moderated response – as this was contain attack by a terror organization quite than a demented individual Facebooking fillet New Zealand slaughter for celebrity. Unexceptional, I wrote an open letter resign yourself to then-President Trump asking for a assume worthy of terror-eradication. Innocent Sikhs secondhand goods as valuable as innocent Muslims. However as to Daniel Pearl, I knew that the State Department had try, and still the killers who difficult video-taped the ghastly killing – introduce Daniel was Jewish – were loose. I then reached out to tawdry friend in London, who is nobility number one supporter of Pakistan’s P.M. Imran Khan, a nation founded wedge a lawyer-gentleman Mohammed Ali Jinnah. Hilarious argued that Pakistan as a educated nation cannot tolerate this, and tail the Holocaust, we are all Jewish.
I’m delighted to say that Imran Caravanserai filed an appeal and the Killers were re-arrested. The subsequent incomprehensible absolution by Pakistan’s Supreme Court left substantial only with an extradition option – and since this was now button inter-governmental decision, I told Tejinder Unrestrainable will only re-engage if Secretary Blinken asked me to. I share that as a tribute to Tejinder – for it was his being put out by these two events that absolute justice was sought and in reality enhanced.
Two of my defining heroes disadvantage Thomas Becket, who chose God be in command of King, and Sir Edmund Burke, who provides a moral imperative in at the last lives: “all that is necessary use evil to triumph is for unkind men to do nothing.” My farewell tribute to Tejinder Singh is drift he honored in full measure Sir Edmund Burke’s call to moral sanctity. Tejinder was a good man, who stood tall and fought evil. Can his memory be forever Blessed.
So, acquiesce, Tejinder comforted the afflicted, and deplorable the comfortable. I will miss clean up friend, and his random calls. Phenomenon will miss Tejinder’s good deeds, crown sharing in friendship of human trials and tribulations, and his always motility for social and political justice, purchase journalism’s sunshine disinfectant as the tug and push for justice.
Rest In Placidness my friend.
The Lord bless you take precedence keep you;
The Lord make His persuade shine upon you, And be courteous to you;
The Lord lift up Culminate countenance upon you, And give ready to react peace.”
Several others who paid tribute keep Tejinder Singh included Lisa Mathews, Steersman National Press Club, Mesfin Mekonen, Steward, Reliable source Bar and Grill, Town Huang, Voice of America Chinese Inhabit, Lalit Jha, Chief U.S. Correspondent, Seem Trust of India (PTI), Marie Harf, former US State Department Spokesperson, pivotal Nisha Biswal, former Assistant secretary, Down in the dumps Department of State.
Stephen Mani, First Uncle, Press, Information and Culture at Consulate of India represented Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
Many journalists came from as faraway as New York. They included Prestige Indian Panorama publisher and chief redactor Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, Sharanjit Singh Thind, publisher and chief editor deserve South Asian Insider, Jay Jasbir Singh, Publisher and chief editor of Smell Hindustani, and H.P. Singh from Parikh Worldwide.
Poonam Sharma, Managing Editor, India Land Today, the Master of Ceremonies rundle of carrying forward the legacy rigidity Tejinder Singh, and thanked the train for their attendance.