‘Panikkar was ambitious, brave and tried it all — a real Renaissance man’

Born in Travancore in 1895, Kavalam Madhava Panikkar was the first editor of the Hindustan Times

Born in Travancore in 1895, Kavalam Madhava Panikkar was the first editor of the Hindustan Times. In an interview with Somya Lakhani, Narayani Basu, the author of the recent book, A Man For All Seasons: The Life Of K.M. Panikkar, sheds light on the academic, politician, diplomat, author and administrator. Edited excerpts:

KM Panikkar (right) with Mao Zedong when he was Indian Ambassador to China, in Beijing. (HT Archives)

Tell us about KM Panikkar’s journey as he became the first editor of HT in 1924.

In 1924, a 30-year-old Panikkar landed up in Bombay to check