Tavleen Singh is a distinguished Indian journalist, political reporter, and author, currently serving as a leading columnist for The Indian Express. With a career spanning over four decades, she is widely recognized for her incisive commentary on Indian politics, public policy, and governance.
Professional Experience & Journey: Singh began her journalistic career in the United Kingdom with the Evening Mail in Slough, where she trained under the Westminster Press training scheme. She returned to India in 1974, joining The Statesman as a reporter. Her extensive fieldwork includes tenure as a Special Correspondent for The Telegraph in 1982 and as the South Asia Correspondent for the Sunday Times, London. Over the years, she has contributed to major publications including India Today and has played a pioneering role in Indian television journalism, heading the Delhi bureau for Plus Channel.
Expertise & Focus Areas: Renowned for her deep understanding of India's political landscape, Singh has covered some of the most critical events in the nation's history, including the Punjab insurgency and the conflict in Kashmir. Her writing often bridges the gap between the "Durbar" of Delhi’s political elite and the ground realities of rural India. She currently writes the popular weekly column "Fifth Column" for The Indian Express, appearing every Sunday, where she offers critical analysis of government policies and political shifts.
Authoritativeness & Recognition Singh is a celebrated author of several best-selling books that serve as important records of contemporary Indian history. Her notable works include:
Kashmir: A Tragedy of Errors (1995)
Lollipop Street: Why India Will Survive Her Politicians (1999)
Durbar (2012)
India's Broken Tryst (2016)
Messiah Modi: A Tale of Great Expectations (2020)
Her fearless reporting has earned her significant accolades, including the Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Woman Mediaperson (1988) and the Sanskriti Award (1985) for her comprehensive coverage of the Punjab crisis.
Trust & Credibility As a veteran voice in Indian media, Singh is known for her unyielding candor and independent perspective. Her long-standing association with The Indian Express, a publication known for its "Journalism of Courage," reinforces her standing as a...

December 21,2025 07:09:28 AM
The ban on Christmas came from a Delhi VHP official. The VHP is one of the uglier offspring of the RSS. Asked if this was not a restriction on the right that our constitution gives us to worship as we wish, he made it clear that this was not about religion but about conversion.
Sun, Dec 21, 2025
December 14,2025 06:06:38 AM
It is my fervent hope that Rahul Gandhi now raises many more real issues. It is not just the air of our cities that is polluted, almost everything else as well.
Sun, Dec 14, 2025
December 07,2025 06:35:34 AM
We may have benefitted from buying cheap Russian oil and buying Russian weapons, but surely these things can be done without welcoming Putin as a hero at a time when he is shunned by countries that believe his invasion of Ukraine was evil and illegal.
Sun, Dec 07, 2025
November 30,2025 07:08:28 AM
Time to forget about building temples and giant statues of dead leaders, and concentrate on building cities that don’t look like slums.
Sun, Nov 30, 2025
November 23,2025 07:02:43 AM
For things to really change you need institutions that are led by real historians (not pamphleteers), philosophers, scientists, scholars, linguists, writers and thinkers. These are the people that have been alienated by the religiosity and hate mongering of those who lead the Hindutva movement.
Mon, Nov 24, 2025
November 16,2025 06:54:52 AM
The Congress lost, and will continue to lose, until it admits that its grassroots muscles have withered and died across India. What now passes for the political party of our freedom movement is a bunch of sycophants
Mon, Nov 17, 2025
November 09,2025 06:33:02 AM
We have seen a parade of our most important political leaders raise issues that will in no way benefit the people of our poorest state.
Sun, Nov 09, 2025
November 02,2025 07:00:44 AM
The most patriotic thing that can be done for our beloved motherland is for us to all participate in Swachh Bharat 2.0 and make our cities and villages look less filthy than they currently do.
Sun, Nov 02, 2025
October 26,2025 05:57:57 AM
I have said more than once already that it is my fervent hope that Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj party somehow manages to win because he is not a ‘potted plant’ (political princeling) and has spent more than two years wandering about the villages of Bihar trying to understand what the people of our poorest state really need.
Mon, Oct 27, 2025
October 19,2025 06:30:31 AM
India is still a long, long way from being a fully developed country despite our Prime Minister selling us this happy but perhaps deluded dream. Dreams are good, even deluded ones.
Sun, Oct 19, 2025
October 12,2025 05:59:28 AM
The point I am trying to make is that what has happened in Gaza has happened because of the sick ideology that Hamas believes in. No cause in the world justifies taking small children hostage and keeping them confined underground for months. To do that is barbarism. I
Sun, Oct 12, 2025
October 05,2025 07:14:29 AM
All leaders need advisors who can help them manoeuvre through the complex political and economic issues that exist at every turn in the difficult business of running a country the size of a continent. Sycophants are what they do not need because they cause more harm than good.
Sun, Oct 05, 2025
September 28,2025 07:12:55 AM
The Prime Minister is right when he imposes upon India Swadeshi 2.0. But unless the quality of swadeshi improves dramatically and unless politicians and bureaucrats get out of the way of businessmen trying to do business, our story will remain hopeless.
Sun, Sep 28, 2025
September 21,2025 07:10:22 AM
There are many things wrong with India and there is no question that our democracy is flawed and sometimes fragile. But, not even in the distant future do we see signs that it could be replaced by a system of governance like that of Pakistan.
Sun, Sep 21, 2025
September 14,2025 07:15:29 AM
What happens in Nepal is something that interests me less than what could happen in our own ancient and wondrous land if our political leaders do not correctly read the smoke signals rising from the burned government buildings in Kathmandu.
Sun, Sep 14, 2025
September 07,2025 07:09:28 AM
Rahul Gandhi has become very skilled at wandering about on yatras and showing himself as a prince who has the common touch. But when the yatra ends, it leaves nothing behind because party workers seem to believe their only job is to burnish the image of the prince, and then go home and rest till the next yatra comes along.
Sun, Sep 07, 2025
August 31,2025 07:15:22 AM
The only way that India can continue to grow and prosper despite the hostilities and humiliation inflicted upon us is to reform and reform. With a vengeance.
Sun, Aug 31, 2025
August 24,2025 06:45:30 AM
Why should taxpayers pay elected representatives when they are not doing their job?
Sun, Aug 24, 2025
August 17,2025 06:50:08 AM
I may no longer be a Modi Bhakt but concede that although the Prime Minister’s speech from the Red Fort was too long, its message was reassuring and unambiguous. It was a message that sought to convince Indian voters that their future is safe in his hands.
Sun, Aug 17, 2025
August 10,2025 07:01:12 AM
At least it used to be till last week. Hard to say if this will still be true by the end of this month if he goes ahead with his plan to impose that 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports.
Sun, Aug 10, 2025
August 03,2025 07:10:01 AM
Trump’s tariffs could turn into a real opportunity for India instead of being the threat that they currently appear to be. But for this to happen, Modi needs to remember that he once believed that the government had no business to be in business.
Sun, Aug 03, 2025
July 27,2025 06:45:50 AM
The problem with dynastic political parties is that they keep real leaders out as far as possible so that the heir never sees a threat to his authority. This is why ‘potted plants’ are truly the biggest threat to democracy.
Mon, Jul 28, 2025
July 20,2025 06:40:28 AM
My point is that instead of wallowing eternally in the glories of our glorious past, it is time to address the problems of today. What difference will the new history textbooks make, if most schoolchildren are unable to read them?
Sun, Jul 20, 2025
July 13,2025 06:50:25 AM
All that our politicians seem to care about is their own political future. They believe that governance is never an election issue for their voters. So, they concentrate their energies on stirring up hatred between communities and ensuring that the divisions they create will help them win the next election.
Sun, Jul 13, 2025
July 06,2025 06:45:40 AM
We need to ask why our political leaders and high officials are so removed from the realities of India that they have not noticed that the people of Bihar are nearly all too poor to get more documents to prove their identity.
Mon, Jul 07, 2025



