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...

June 02,2002 00:00:00 AM
Say something in your first piece about this column returning to the Express, the editor of this newspaper said to me, so for the longest ti...
Sun, Jun 02, 2002
June 22,1997 00:00:00 AM
This is my last column for the Express. No, that sounds too final, too much like when THE END appears at the end of a film, so let's say in...
Sun, Jun 22, 1997
June 08,1997 00:00:00 AM
We will soon forget Ajit Singh Sandhu. We would, in fact, already have forgotten him if K.P.S. Gill had not made the huge noise he has done...
Sun, Jun 08, 1997
June 01,1997 00:00:00 AM
On the very day, last week, that prospective Congress Party presidents were suddenly crawling out of everywhere, a Delhi newspaper publishe...
Sun, Jun 01, 1997
May 25,1997 00:00:00 AM
If I were asked to identify the single most important reason why India is counted among the forty most backward countries in the world, I w...
Sun, May 25, 1997
May 18,1997 00:00:00 AM
The irony of it. The tragic, comic irony of it that even as we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of India's Independence from foreign rule...
Sun, May 18, 1997
May 11,1997 00:00:00 AM
Have you been to West Bengal lately? Have you wandered through the streets of Calcutta and seen children scrabbling for food in garbage hea...
Sun, May 11, 1997
May 04,1997 00:00:00 AM
That this column is not dedicated to Nehruvian socialism needs no reiteration, no reminders. In fact, it so clearly is not, that your humbl...
Sun, May 04, 1997




