BENGALURU:
Renowned journalist K.S. Sachidananda Murthy, former Delhi Resident Editor of The Week magazine and Malayala Manorama daily, passed away at a private hospital in Bengaluru on Friday.
The 68-year-old had recently undergone a lung transplant surgery and had been on a ventilator for the past few days, according to sources close to him.
Known affectionately as Sachi among friends and colleagues in the media fraternity, he is survived by his wife and two sons. His family hails from the Ashtagrama villages in Karnataka’s Kolar district.
Murthy joined The Week in November 1982 as its Bangalore correspondent and remained with the Malayala Manorama group until his retirement in September 2022, as stated on the magazine’s website.
In February 1989, he became the magazine’s special correspondent in Bangalore and moved to Delhi in April 1990 as the chief of the national capital bureau. In April 2000, he was appointed resident editor, according to The Week.
Expressing his shock over Murthy’s demise, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah remembered him as a dear friend and well-wisher.
Murthy was one of the few senior Kannadiga journalists actively involved in Delhi’s media circle, the CM wrote in a post on the social media platform X. The passing of Sachidananda Murthy, who was like an encyclopedia on state and national developments, is an irreplaceable loss to the media world. I share the grief of his family and friends. The Karnataka government has decided to give him full state honors during his cremation.
The Chief Minister’s office announced that veteran journalist K.S. Sachidananda Murthy, who passed away today, will be cremated with full state honors, in recognition of his long service to the press, in a post on X.
ಇಂದು ನಿಧನರಾದ ಹಿರಿಯ ಪತ್ರಕರ್ತ ಕೆ.ಎಸ್.ಸಚ್ಚಿದಾನಂದಮೂರ್ತಿ ಅವರು ಪತ್ರಿಕಾರಂಗಕ್ಕೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಿದ ಸುದೀರ್ಘ ಸೇವೆಯನ್ನು ಪರಿಗಣಿಸಿ ಸಕಲ ಸರ್ಕಾರಿ ಗೌರವದೊಂದಿಗೆ ಅವರ ಅಂತ್ಯಸಂಸ್ಕಾರ ನೆರವೇರಿಸಲಾಗುವುದು. pic.twitter.com/jtDUH6aFh6
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) October 13, 2023
Reliable sources have confirmed that the final rites for the esteemed journalist Sachidananda Murthy (Sachi) will be conducted later this evening.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar conveyed his heartfelt condolences, emphasizing the irreplaceable loss of a truly talented individual in the media industry. He fondly remembered Murthy’s influential roles as the General Secretary of the Editors Guild of India, a respected member of the Press Council, and one of Karnataka’s most renowned journalists in Delhi.
ಹಿರಿಯ ಪತ್ರಕರ್ತರಾದ ಸಚ್ಚಿದಾನಂದ ಮೂರ್ತಿ ಅವರ ಸಾವಿನ ಸುದ್ದಿ ಕೇಳಿ ಹೃದಯ ಭಾರವಾಗಿದೆ. ಮಲಯಾಳಂ ಮನೋರಮಾ, ದಿ ವೀಕ್ ಪತ್ರಿಕೆಯ ಸಂಪಾದಕರಾಗಿ ಸೇವೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಿದ್ದ ಸಚ್ಚಿದಾನಂದಮೂರ್ತಿ ಅವರ ಸಾವು ಮಾಧ್ಯಮರಂಗಕ್ಕೆ ತುಂಬಲಾರದ ನಷ್ಟ.
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) October 13, 2023
ಅಗಲಿದ ಶ್ರೀಯುತರ ಆತ್ಮಕ್ಕೆ ಶಾಂತಿ ಸಿಗಲಿ. ಅವರ ಕುಟುಂಬ ಮತ್ತು ಸ್ನೇಹಿತರ ದು:ಖದಲ್ಲಿ ನಾನು ಭಾಗಿ. pic.twitter.com/g4LLl7SKF6
Basavaraj Bommai, a prominent BJP leader and former Chief Minister, paid tribute to Murthy’s remarkable contributions, expressing deep sorrow over the news of his passing.
ಹಿರಿಯ ಪತ್ರಕರ್ತ ಸಚ್ಚಿದಾನಂದ ಮೂರ್ತಿ (ಸಚ್ಚಿ) ಅವರ ನಿಧನದ ಸುದ್ದಿ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ನೋವಿನ ಸಂಗತಿ. ಮಲಯಾಳಂ ಮನೋರಮಾ, ದಿ ವೀಕ್ ಪತ್ರಿಕೆಯ ಸಂಪಾದಕರಾಗಿ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರ ಮಟ್ಟದಲ್ಲಿ ಪತ್ರಿಕೋದ್ಯಮದ ಮೂಲಕ ತಮ್ಮದೇ ಆದ ಸೇವೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಿದ್ದರು. ಅವರ ಆತ್ಮಕ್ಕೆ ಸದ್ಗತಿ ಕೋರುತ್ತಾ. ಅವರ ಕುಟುಂಬ ವರ್ಗಕ್ಕೆ ಅವರ ಅಗಲಿಕೆಯ ದುಖವನ್ನು ಭರಿಸುವ ಶಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ದೇವರು… pic.twitter.com/oISkn2ng9Z
— Basavaraj S Bommai (@BSBommai) October 13, 2023
Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy have also shared their profound grief.
ಎಡಿಟರ್ಸ್ ಗಿಲ್ಡ್ ಆಫ್ ಇಂಡಿಯಾದ ಪ್ರಧಾನ ಕಾರ್ಯದರ್ಶಿಯಾಗಿ, ಪ್ರೆಸ್ ಕೌನ್ಸಿಲ್ ಸದಸ್ಯರಾಗಿಯೂ ದುಡಿದಿದ್ದರು.
— H D Deve Gowda (@H_D_Devegowda) October 13, 2023
ಅವರ ಆತ್ಮಕ್ಕೆ ಭಗವಂತ ಸದ್ಗತಿ ಕರುಣಿಸಲಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಅವರ ಕುಟುಂಬಕ್ಕೆ ದುಃಖ ಭರಿಸುವ ಶಕ್ತಿ ನೀಡಲಿ ಎಂದು ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ.2/2
Murthy’s exceptional dedication to journalism was recognized through prestigious accolades, including the Durlabh Singh Media Award and the Karnataka Media Academy award for his lifelong commitment to the field at a national level, among others.
