Journalist Upendra Vajpeyi passes away

New Delhi, Feb 17 (UNI) Freedom Fighter and journalist Upendra Vajpeyi died after a brief illness here today.

He was 84 and is survived by his wife, who was a senior official with the Gujarat Information Service.

Vajpeyi had been admitted to a private hospital for pneumonia and suffered a heart attack last night.

As the news of his death spread, his friends and admirers started pouring in his residence.

A doyen among India's senior Parliamentary correspondents and columnists, he continued to serve his profession till his last day.

His writings both in Hindi and English have received wide appreciation. He wrote a number of books and edited documents related to key areas of policy and development.

Vajpeyi, son of Late Pandit Ambika Prasad Vajpeyi, a legendary Hindi journalist, was jailed for three-and-a-half years for participating in the Quit India Movement in 1942.

He devoted his entire life for promoting press freedom and also the cause of the working journalists.

Vajpeyi was elected president of the Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) immediately after the revocation of the internal emergency.

He was closely associated with the All India journalists' movement throughout his life. He founded UP Press Club and worked for the welfare measures of journalists, a DUJ statement said.

Apart from serving various newspapers such as Hindustan Times, Sainik, Swatantra Bharat and Aaj, he also re-scripted state government's information services in Uttar Pradesh as Chairman of the Information Reorganisation Committee.

The last rites will take place on Monday.

UNI MMG HS Mir BD1509