“Keregalam kattu, marangalam nedu. Build lakes, plant trees.”
• The instruction Kempe Gowda's mother gave him, as retold in Askew
Thayil Jacob Sony George, known to generations of readers simply as TJS, was a journalist and biographer who made Bangalore his home. He began at the Free Press Journal in 1950, was the founding editor of Asiaweek, received the Padma Bhushan in 2011, and in 2016 published Askew: A Short Biography of Bangalore. He died on 3 October 2025, aged 97.
I keep a copy of Askew within reach because it does something most city books avoid: it loves Bangalore and still tells you where it went wrong. This profile covers his documented life and his long relationship with the city.
Quick Information
He spent seven decades asking powerful people awkward questions, then turned the same eye on the city he lived in.
Who Was T J S George?
T J S George was an Indian journalist, columnist and biographer who lived in Bangalore. He was the fourth of eight children of a magistrate in Kerala, with roots in Thumpamon, and he lived in Bangalore and Coimbatore with his wife Ammu.
Why Was T J S George Jailed in 1965?
He was jailed in 1965 for opposing the Bihar Chief Minister K B Sahay, and he is described as the first newspaper editor imprisoned in independent India. V K Krishna Menon appeared in court on his behalf.
What Is Askew About?
Askew: A Short Biography of Bangalore traces the city from Kempe Gowda's lakes to its pensioners' paradise years and then the IT boom of the 1980s onwards. It also deals with what came with that growth: crumbling infrastructure, traffic, soaring property prices and corruption. It walks through both old and new Bangalore, from Koshy's and MTR to the craft beer places.
“Build lakes, plant trees.”
• The two instructions Kempe Gowda's mother gave him, as George tells it
What Else Did T J S George Write?
He wrote biographies and books on the press, including MS: A Life in Music on M S Subbulakshmi and Ghoshayatra, based on his journalism career. He also wrote a long-running column as editorial adviser to The New Indian Express.
- Asiaweek Founding editor
- MS: A Life in Music Biography of M S Subbulakshmi, 2004
- Askew A Short Biography of Bangalore, 2016
- Ghoshayatra Memoir of a journalism career
His son is the poet and novelist Jeet Thayil.
Why Does T. J. S. George Belong in People of Bangalore?
He lived in Bangalore and wrote one of the best known modern books about the city, Askew: A Short Biography of Bangalore.
I haven't interviewed T J S George for this piece. It's pieced together from online research: published interviews, news reports, books and official records, cross-checked against each other. If you know T J S George and spot something I've got wrong, tap the WhatsApp icon at the bottom right and tell me, and I'll fix it.
FAQs
Who was T J S George?
An Indian journalist and author, founding editor of Asiaweek and a Padma Bhushan awardee, who lived in Bangalore.
When did T J S George die?
On 3 October 2025, aged 97.
What book did T J S George write about Bangalore?
Askew: A Short Biography of Bangalore, published by Aleph in 2016.
Was T J S George jailed?
Yes. In 1965 he was jailed for opposing Bihar Chief Minister K B Sahay.
Who is T J S George's son?
The poet and novelist Jeet Thayil.
Did You Read His Column?
If TJS George's Sunday column was part of your routine, tell me which one stayed with you. Click the WhatsApp icon at the bottom right of your screen and tell me. That is also the easiest way to reach The City 24/7 about anything at all, including nominating someone for People of Bangalore.
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