Kumkum Chadha belongs to that breed of journalists whose irreverential and bold writings gave an entirely new flavor to Indian journalism in the post Emergency era.
Within a span of few years, Kumkum earned an enviable reputation and was counted among the fearless journalists of her times. Described as one with a pen of knives, Kumkum is known for her incisive reports and celebrity interviews. Eminent journalist author Khushwant Singh described her as India’s Oriana Fallaci.
Born in Delhi, Kumkum studied at Lady Shri Ram college from where she did her masters in English literature. After a short course in journalism she joined Hindustan Times Group where she continues to work. During the thirty odd years at Hindustan Times, Kumkum worked in different editorial positions including Editor National News. She is a popular blogger.
Kumkum has specialized in political reporting apart from reporting on crime and gender issues. She published her first book The Crucifixion: Interviews Where leaders nail themselves. This is a collection of her widely read interviews.
Crime reporting, on the other hand, drew her attention to the horrible conditions prevailing in Indian jails. This led to an in-depth study for her second book The Indian Jail: A contemporary document.
The third book The Ten Year File is a collection of some of Kumkum’s remarkable writings between 1982 to 1992. Here Kumkum mirrors the goings-on in Indian politics through in-depth stories and interviews with eminent leaders.
India, as it emerges, through these rare interviews and exclusive reports presents a mosaic of socio cultural patterns that go to make the Indian democracy what it is. It brings politicians as they are as it does camp followers. The two together guide the destinies of millions of Indians. Kumkum’s book faces the decade with honesty and courage and demands that it is read equally unflinchingly.
Kumkum is an accredited correspondent with the Government and also covers the Indian Parliament. She has been conferred with several awards including the prestigious National Media Award for Investigative Journalism and the Prabha Dutt award for reporting.
Apart from her writings in Hindustan Times, she writes a weekly column DATELINE INDIA. Her column is published in The Independent, a widely read newspaper in Bangladesh.
Kumkum is also a Founder Member of the Indian Women’s Press Corps, the only organization of professional women journalists in India. She is also member of the Foreign Correspondents Club South Asia and a member of Indian Association of Foreign Affairs Correspondents.