Pentagon and others mourn passing of senior journalist Tejinder Singh

By Surekha Vijh in Washington DC 

Tejinder Singh, a Washington based journalist, White House correspondent, and founder of India America Today, has passed away.

India America Today is deeply grieved to announce the passing of our Founder and Editor @tejindersingh. We will continue to carry on the work that he started,” the publication announced on May 29.

Pentagon Press Secretary John F Kirby condoled Singh’s death at a press briefing on June 1.

“We here at the Pentagon express our condolences and sympathies for the passing of Mr. Tejinder Singh,” Kirby said. “He was a Pentagon Correspondent since 2011, and I dealt with him from this podium. I dealt with him when I was at the State Department podium. He was a good reporter, damn good reporter. Asked tough questions and produced good stuff, but he was a heck of a man, a gentleman.”

Shashi Aggarwal, TV journalist based in Washington DC, posted on Facebook, “He was a wonderful guy, who had a great sense of humor. We’ll miss him.”

 “He went too early. He had many more years to contribute to the field of journalism,” said Sirmukh Singh Manku, a TV journalist and close associate of Teji Singh.

 Singh lived alone in Maryland. His body was found by his cleaning woman.

Singh reported for many media outlets in India and was the Vice-President (Print), Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA-DC) 2011-12.

Although a graduate from IIT Kharagpur, Singh chose journalism as his profession.  “Journalism is a hard profession with little money, but I love it,” he often said.  

Singh started India American Today monthly in English and Punjabi in 2012 after a long career in journalism in India and in Europe. While based in Brussels he had been the editor-in-chief of New Europe weekly.

Jasprit Singh Jessi, chairman of the Sikhs of America, said Teji Singh was an inspiration to all of us, especially during Covid.

Police have not released the cause of Singh’s death. Since he had no relatives in the US, one of his cousins, Meyneka from Canada, has come forward to arrange his funeral services.

Representatives from the White House, the State Department and Pentagon are expected to attend Singh’s funeral services.

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