Senior journalist Dinkar Raikar who had a long association with The Indian Express group and later the Lokmat Group passed away on Friday morning. He was 79.
Raikar, who had been ailing for a few days, was undergoing treatment at the Nanavati Hospital for dengue and Covid. He had recovered from dengue. On Thursday night, his RT-PCR test also returned negative. However, he had trouble breathing due to an infection in the lungs. He breathed his last at 3 am on Friday.
Expressing his condolences at the death, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said, “Raikar always valued ethics, which is an integral aspect of journalism. With a rich field experience of 50 years, he always displayed a modern outlook. He was a great guide to the next generation.”
Starting his career with The Indian Express as a reporter, Raikar later became the chief of the Mumbai bureau. Soon, he transitioned to Marathi journalism by joining the daily Loksatta (Indian Express Group) as Deputy Editor. After his retirement from Loksatta, he joined the Lokmat group and was its Aurangabad Editor before taking over as Editor of the group.
With a career of over five decades in journalism, Raikar had personally witnessed crucial events that shaped Maharashtra’s politics and culture. His sharp memory not only helped him recall political events of the past with great precision, he also often regaled friends in the media and political circles with interesting anecdotes on prominent personalities. The veteran journalist was also known for his friendly demeanour and unusual knack to strike a chord with people from across the spectrum.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said, “He was an eyewitness of 50 years of developments across the political, social and cultural sector. An inspiration to youngsters who looked up to his experience for guidance.”
The former president of the Mumbai Press Club and the Maharashtra State Legislative Journalists’ Association, Raikar had won several awards including one for lifetime achievement from the Maharashtra government.