In his journalism as well as in life Padmanand Jha – Paddy to friends – was a fighter till the very end. He was also proof that a good journalist could be a sincere, honest, and sensitive human being as well.
When I was informed of his death in Goa after a prolonged illness on May 30, I knew I had lost a dear friend. As I came to terms with the unfortunate news, I could not help but wonder what Paddy would have achieved if an accident in 1997 had not forced him out of the mainstream. I believe that journalism became that much poorer because it was denied the services of one of its best political analysts and editors.
