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...

September 05,2021 03:40:41 AM
Tavleen Singh writes: It is very worth preserving because Indian Muslims have dealt with the modern world better, and with living among people of other faiths better than Muslims anywhere else in the world.
Thu, Dec 30, 2021
August 29,2021 03:46:19 AM
Tavleen Singh writes: India will never see real prosperity until we realise that socialism was a bad idea that should have been abandoned long ago. Never has India needed more to show that it can become the economic hub of the subcontinent.
Thu, Dec 30, 2021
August 22,2021 03:35:51 AM
Tavleen Singh writes: We cannot and should not do business with the Taliban. This gang of primitive maniacs is no different to the Pakistani jihadist groups responsible for some of the worst acts of terrorism committed on Indian soil.
Thu, Dec 30, 2021
August 15,2021 07:03:56 AM
Tavleen Singh writes: What will make a difference is real improvement in the economy and the speed at which we are vaccinating India. And a serious effort to stop Hindutva hate crimes.
Thu, Dec 30, 2021
August 08,2021 04:00:26 AM
Tavleen Singh writes: The narrative will change only when our political leaders stop turning their faces away from the horrible truth that not much has changed in the ‘new India’ when it comes to crimes against women.
Thu, Dec 30, 2021
August 01,2021 03:40:47 AM
Tavleen Singh writes: What we need is not Opposition ‘unity’ but some idea of what a united Opposition will offer economically and politically that they have not offered us before.
Thu, Dec 30, 2021
July 25,2021 03:45:05 AM
Tavleen Singh writes: Income Tax raids on Dainik Bhaskar is being seen by everyone for what it really is, which is yet another sign that Indian democracy is becoming more illiberal by the day.
Thu, Dec 30, 2021
July 18,2021 03:26:57 AM
Tavleen Singh writes: Having seen many prime ministers come and go, many eras arise and fade, ‘veteran’ journalists alone can play the role of wary watchdogs who can ring alarm bells when history starts repeating itself as farce.
Thu, Dec 30, 2021
July 11,2021 03:35:29 AM
Tavleen Singh writes: Our new Health Minister must begin by first doing what his predecessor never did, which is to acknowledge the enormity of the problem. Then he must take stern action against chief ministers who continue to use denial as a shield.
Sun, Jan 02, 2022
July 04,2021 03:26:53 AM
Tavleen Singh writes: It is intriguing that recent polls give Narendra Modi higher approval ratings than any other leader in the world, but when you actually talk to ordinary Indians, they say that they no longer trust him
Sun, Jan 02, 2022
June 27,2021 03:50:58 AM
Tavleen Singh writes: Today political pundits predict that without the Dynasty the party will fall to pieces. The problem is that the Dynasty has failed to lead the party to victory in two general elections and now seems completely useless in opposition.
Sun, Jan 02, 2022
June 20,2021 03:45:10 AM
Tavleen Singh writes: PM Narendra Modi must order his ministers and chief ministers to learn the difference between protest and terrorism. Why is it so hard for him to see that under his government the Mahatma himself may have been in jail?
Sun, Jan 02, 2022
June 13,2021 04:38:47 AM
None of these political shenanigans will help the BJP win elections in Uttar Pradesh next summer if a third wave rages through the state like the second wave did. This will be the first election in which the most important issue is going to be healthcare.
Sun, Jan 02, 2022
June 06,2021 03:35:04 AM
Tavleen Singh writes: When there is a domestic emergency, accountability lies with the Home Minister. Yet, he was not seen or heard during the worst days of Covid’s catastrophic second wave.
Sun, Jan 02, 2022
May 30,2021 03:40:34 AM
Tavleen Singh writes: Could this be the reason why the second anniversary of his second term went almost unnoticed last week? Usually, it is an occasion in which his ministers, party men and ‘bhakts’ raise their voices in praise of his ‘great’ leadership.
Sun, Jan 02, 2022
May 23,2021 03:50:28 AM
No ‘toolkit’ can make it worse or create a diversion. No ‘toolkit’ is needed for the world to know that India is lying about the Covid death toll.
Sun, Jan 02, 2022
May 16,2021 03:50:24 AM
Denial is the shield that the BJP’s mightiest leaders have been using ever since the pandemic reached catastrophic levels.
Sun, Jan 02, 2022
May 09,2021 04:10:01 AM
PM Modi has always boasted of his image as a strong and decisive leader. This is the time for him to prove that he is.
Sun, Jan 02, 2022
May 02,2021 03:50:08 AM
The Prime Minister must accept that it is useless trying to manage perceptions when he needs to manage horrendous realities.
Sun, Jan 02, 2022
April 25,2021 03:30:02 AM
The horror of what is happening seems finally to have pierced the echo chamber in which Narendra Modi is sealed.
Sun, Jan 02, 2022
April 18,2021 03:30:17 AM
One big reason for the current mood of anxiety and fear is because ordinary people sense that the Government has lost the plot
Sun, Jan 02, 2022
April 11,2021 04:27:40 AM
The truth is that things have clearly gone very, very wrong with our vaccination strategy and nobody in the Government of India seems ready to acknowledge this. Gimmicks like a ‘Vaccination Utsav’ will not work.
Sun, Jan 02, 2022
April 04,2021 03:50:56 AM
It is hard to believe that a peace process can begin in the near future, but it has to. When and if it does, we must hope that the Modi government will be as ruthless about defining India’s position as it was about removing Article 370.
Sun, Jan 02, 2022
March 28,2021 01:59:45 AM
Tavleen Singh writes: I marvelled at the passion with which Modi’s BJP fights elections. No election is too small.
Sun, Jan 02, 2022
March 21,2021 03:33:08 AM
PM Modi wants to be seen as a mighty democratic leader, as a statesman, so why has he not noticed that if he allows himself to be surrounded by snivelling sycophants, this is something he will never achieve?
Sun, Jan 02, 2022





