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...
January 02,2011 02:27:21 AM
When seen with the eyes of a political columnist,the only good thing that can be said about 2010 is thank God its over.
Sun, Jan 02, 2011December 26,2010 01:33:51 AM
I am going to defend Niira Radia and attack the media.
Sun, Dec 26, 2010December 19,2010 04:15:45 AM
You cannot be a political columnist in India today and ignore the man who could be our prime minister tomorrow if he wants.
Sun, Dec 19, 2010December 12,2010 03:30:03 AM
Let me begin by admitting that the word scam is getting on my nerves.
Sun, Dec 12, 2010December 05,2010 03:34:14 AM
While us hawk-eyed political pundits have spent the past weeks preoccupied by scams and tapes,something very bad has happened to the government of Dr Manmohan Singh.
Sun, Dec 05, 2010November 28,2010 03:55:50 AM
If you have read this column more than once,you would know that I detest demagogues.
Sun, Nov 28, 2010November 21,2010 05:01:14 AM
Nothing tells us more about the ten-headed Ravana that corruption has become in our fair and wondrous land than the response of those who get caught.
Sun, Nov 21, 2010November 14,2010 01:26:51 AM
So,President Obama came and went and no mention was made of what everyone has mysteriously taken to calling the K word.
Sun, Nov 14, 2010November 07,2010 05:17:20 AM
As someone who grew up in India at a time when there was hysterical paranoia about all things American,I have found the breathless excitement over President Obamas visit most interesting.
Sun, Nov 07, 2010October 31,2010 03:12:38 AM
First,Sonia Gandhi gave us a government with two prime ministers.
Sun, Oct 31, 2010October 24,2010 04:31:50 AM
The piece you are about to read has been inspired by the spending cuts that the British government announced last week.
Sun, Oct 24, 2010October 17,2010 05:25:24 AM
Handing parliamentary constituencies down in the family is so usual in India today that us political pundit types no longer write about this neo-feudalism. If I write about it this time it is because the Finance Minister of Punjab was sacked last week,like some thieving domestic servant may have been,drawing attention to the hazards of […]
Sun, Oct 17, 2010October 10,2010 04:40:43 AM
As the government of Dr Manmohan Singh approaches the third year of its second term in office,there is one thing that can be said of it with certainty. Its distinctive attribute is torpor. Its response to major calamities and national crises has been unhurried at its speediest. So,it was when the Commonwealth Games were on […]
Sun, Oct 10, 2010October 03,2010 04:15:51 AM
Like other opinionated hacks,I travelled between Delhis TV studios on the day the Ayodhya judgment came last week.
Sun, Oct 03, 2010September 26,2010 02:51:20 AM
Can you think of a time when an Indian government looked as pathetic as Dr Manmohan Singhs government did last week?
Sun, Sep 26, 2010September 19,2010 01:45:55 AM
This is a week when I feel especially hopeless about Indias future. A week in China has caused this gloomy mood.
Sun, Sep 19, 2010September 12,2010 02:56:25 AM
Is it just the Bihar election or do Rahulji and his Mummy seriously believe that India can win the war against poverty without investing in development?
Sun, Sep 12, 2010September 05,2010 03:01:09 AM
From the moment that Sonia Gandhi put foot in Indian politics,I have articulated robustly the minority view that it shames India.
Sun, Sep 05, 2010August 29,2010 04:45:24 AM
For fear of an onslaught by lunatic fringe environmentalists,I begin with a prologue.
Sun, Aug 29, 2010August 22,2010 03:00:03 AM
Let me begin by admitting that till last week I had not heard of Masarat Alam Bhat. I am a little ashamed of this because having covered the Kashmir story for thirty years...
Sun, Aug 22, 2010August 15,2010 02:32:29 AM
Independence Day stirs nationalistic emotions even in the cynical heart of your humble columnist so I want to begin this Independence Day piece with good news.
Sun, Aug 15, 2010August 08,2010 02:22:15 AM
Never in all the years I have known him have I ever agreed with Mani Shankar Aiyar about anything.
Sun, Aug 08, 2010August 01,2010 03:07:21 AM
If I have stayed away from commenting in this column on the horror of a Professors hand being chopped off in Kerala by Muslim fanatics it was not out of fear of brickbats and abuse....
Sun, Aug 01, 2010July 25,2010 03:07:53 AM
There is much about American policy in South Asia that is mysterious and mystifying but Hillary Clintons offer to help Pakistan sell its mangoes is about as mysterious as it gets....
Sun, Jul 25, 2010July 18,2010 03:40:40 AM
When I heard Pakistans Foreign Minister liken the Indian Home Secretary with Hafiz Mohammed Sayeed last week I was so shocked that I thought I had heard wrong....
Sun, Jul 18, 2010



