Veteran journalist Vaman Rao is no more

Hyderabad: The nonagenarian journalist Pendyal Vaman Rao, who witnessed the overthrow of an unpopular monarchy, the rise and fall of many Ministries and the transformation of journalism from mission to a profession and worse, a part of the marketplace, died on Friday night. Vaman Rao was 91. He was undergoing treatment at a corporate hospital for age related illness. He is survived by a son and a daughter, who are settled with their families in the United States of America. His wife passed away long ago.

Vaman Rao was former Director Information and Public Relations and Joint Secretary of Tourism Department. He was also director of the Hyderabad Industries Limited and editor of New Swatantra Times. Rao was a close associate of Government of India Agent in the Nizam’s State of Hyderabad K M Munshi during the period when the Nizam refused accession of Hyderabad State with the Indian Union. 

At the height of the Telangana agitation in 1969 Vaman Rao retired as the chief of Bureau of The Hindu in 1969  and took over as the Director of Information and Public Relations. The city was under curfew. The same night, Indira Gandhi flew in unannounced. Even Chief Minister Brahmananda Reddi was kept out of loop until she left Delhi. Vaman Rao hurriedly arranged a press meet on his Day One.