Forum 31 Oct 2026
Former Secretary I&B Uday Varma writes about Dr Suresh Mehrotra
Dear Dr. Mehrotra,
Eighty-two is a wonderful milestone, but what makes your birthday truly special is the life that has brought you here. For nearly six decades, you have lived journalism, not merely practised it. Your journey, from the early years in print to Whispers in the Corridors, has been a remarkable testament to what passion, perseverance and an unshakeable sense of purpose can achieve.
On your 82nd birthday, I find myself thinking not just of the remarkable journalist you have been, but of the remarkable human being you are. A friendship spanning decades makes one value such things even more deeply.
For nearly six decades, you have given yourself to journalism with a passion and purpose that few can match. Through Whispers in the Corridors, you have continued to inform, provoke and sometimes unsettle the corridors of power. Your reports may have stirred political storms, but you have remained serenely untouched by the turbulence you create. Such equanimity, combined with your characteristic modesty and simplicity, is rare indeed.
What moves me most, however, is that even as your health grows frail and the body begins to falter, your commitment remains as strong and unflinching as ever. The journalist in you refuses to retire from his calling. There is something deeply inspiring about this quiet tenacity. It tells us that when a life's work becomes a life's purpose, neither age nor adversity can easily diminish its hold.
Your life is itself a celebration of commitment. It has been a life devoted to a purpose that is both useful and positive, and one that has made a difference. May the years ahead bring you the very best of health, abundant happiness, and the love and warmth of those who matter most. Above all, may they bring you that deep contentment and bliss which come from looking back upon a life well lived, a purpose faithfully pursued, and a contribution that will endure.
Happy 82nd birthday, Dr. Mehrotra. May life be gentle with you, may your heart remain at peace, and may you continue to find joy in the calling you have served so faithfully.
With much affection, admiration and warmest wishes,
Uday Kumar Varma,
Former Secretary I&B
Eighty-two is a wonderful milestone, but what makes your birthday truly special is the life that has brought you here. For nearly six decades, you have lived journalism, not merely practised it. Your journey, from the early years in print to Whispers in the Corridors, has been a remarkable testament to what passion, perseverance and an unshakeable sense of purpose can achieve.
On your 82nd birthday, I find myself thinking not just of the remarkable journalist you have been, but of the remarkable human being you are. A friendship spanning decades makes one value such things even more deeply.
For nearly six decades, you have given yourself to journalism with a passion and purpose that few can match. Through Whispers in the Corridors, you have continued to inform, provoke and sometimes unsettle the corridors of power. Your reports may have stirred political storms, but you have remained serenely untouched by the turbulence you create. Such equanimity, combined with your characteristic modesty and simplicity, is rare indeed.
What moves me most, however, is that even as your health grows frail and the body begins to falter, your commitment remains as strong and unflinching as ever. The journalist in you refuses to retire from his calling. There is something deeply inspiring about this quiet tenacity. It tells us that when a life's work becomes a life's purpose, neither age nor adversity can easily diminish its hold.
Your life is itself a celebration of commitment. It has been a life devoted to a purpose that is both useful and positive, and one that has made a difference. May the years ahead bring you the very best of health, abundant happiness, and the love and warmth of those who matter most. Above all, may they bring you that deep contentment and bliss which come from looking back upon a life well lived, a purpose faithfully pursued, and a contribution that will endure.
Happy 82nd birthday, Dr. Mehrotra. May life be gentle with you, may your heart remain at peace, and may you continue to find joy in the calling you have served so faithfully.
With much affection, admiration and warmest wishes,
Uday Kumar Varma,
Former Secretary I&B
