Two eminent personalities passed away recently, leaving a vacuum in their respective fields. Both hailed from different professions yet remained deeply committed to their work, never focusing on shortcuts or courting the media limelight to magnify their contributions. Yes, I am speaking about Professor M. P. Singh, a constitutional expert and academic formerly with Delhi University, who was associated with many important institutions including the National Law Universities and the Indian Law Institute. He passed away on March 7, 2026, at the age of 86.
The other personality I wish to speak about here is Mr. H. K. Dua, who had the unique distinction of heading the editorial departments of four leading dailies in India—The Times of India, The Hindustan Times, The Indian Express, and The Tribune—apart from serving as a diplomat and a Rajya Sabha member. He passed away on March 4th at the age of 89.
Both these persons came from different backgrounds and had no connection with each other, but this tribute is an attempt to share my thoughts about them. I had the opportunity to meet them. Though I was never a law student, my work for human rights often brought me to Professor M. P. Singh. He was a wonderful human being. I used to visit his Delhi University residence quite frequently. Those were the days when I was struggling with my work. He was very warm and would give me ideas and connections to follow. I always found him humble and always ready to help.
In those days, many big names in Delhi University—particularly those with law backgrounds—were frequent faces in the human rights circle, but Professor Singh remained quiet. He was a man who preferred to speak in academic circles with humility and rarely used the media to promote his expertise. Youngsters like us, who looked upon him as a guide, found him always encouraging and respectful of divergent views. I lost touch with him after he shifted from Delhi.
H. K. Dua was the editor of Hindustan Times when I was growing into activism. I never liked his politically correct approach. Those were the years when youngsters like me would love to read the writings of Arun Shourie, a rival at The Indian Express. Unlike Shourie, Dua was never a front-page editor. He was cool and calm, and knew his limitations. Linguistically, Arun Shourie, Girilal Jain, and Dilip Padgaonkar were far more powerful than Dua, but Hindustan Times was selling far more than The Times of India and The Indian Express in Delhi and NCR in those days.
H. K. Dua actually rose to the high position of editor from the ranks of ground reporting. He was a gentleman and was considered to be close to the Congress leadership. His editorials were simple and readable, unlike those that bombarded us with heavy vocabulary. Dua remained committed to media ethics and a non-confrontational style, unlike many of his contemporaries who loved to see their bylines on the front page every other day.
The only time he looked a bit uncomfortable was when The Times of India wanted him to use his political connections to save the owner, Ashok Jain, who was facing an Enforcement Directorate investigation. Dua declined to do so and was dismissed from the newspaper. He took the matter to the Press Council. That was the time when we saw him attending a few events held in his support in Delhi, but he did not pursue the matter further, and those who expected him to act more aggressively like Arun Shourie were disappointed.
I had the opportunity to speak to him and meet him when I felt that media was the right place for me. Those were the years immediately after the Mandal and Babri crises in India. I found him extremely polite but not really very decisive. I became disillusioned with media and its manipulations during those years and decided not to pursue it further.
These are critical times, and it is difficult to remain unaffected by what is happening around us—institutions are collapsing, and academia and media have both turned into the biggest propagandists and apologists for the power elite. Professor M. P. Singh was an institution builder who encouraged young, secular, liberal constitutionalists, while H. K. Dua as an editor stood his ground on liberal secular values. Even though both remained camera-shy and stood firm, they will always be remembered for their work, honesty, and integrity.
My humble tribute to Professor M. P. Singh and Mr. H. K. Dua.
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*Human rights defender
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