Remembering Gitanjali Aiyar, Doordarshan’s famous voice, who represented an era of measured news

In the good old days, the news was just the news. There were no prime-time debates and screaming matches. The death of award-winning anchor Gitanjali Aiyar has brought back memories of simpler times.

Aiyar, a renowned journalist, was one of India’s first woman presenters to deliver the news in English. She died on Wednesday after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. She was 72.

Aiyar was ill for a while and she collapsed after returning home from a walk, according to sources close to her family. She died of a brain haemorrhage and is survived by her son and daughter, Shekhar and Pallavi, who have moved to the United States.

Soon after Aiyar’s death, tributes started pouring in with many remembering her days as news presenter. “We fondly remember the days when Gitanjali Aiyar ji graced our TV screens, leaving an indelible mark on our news-watching experiences,” wrote Netta D’Souza, acting president of the Mahila Congress.

We fondly remember the days when Gitanjali Aiyar ji graced our TV screens, leaving an indelible mark on our news-watching experiences.

Saddened by her untimely demise, my heartfelt condolences to her loved ones. May she find eternal peace.