BBC Journalist Mark Tully once said that if one wants to learn public relations, one must study Chaudhary Devi Lal .

Gustakhi Maaf Haryana-Pawan Kumar Bansal.

By our enlightened reader Satish Mehra.”A meeting with Mark Tully”

Mark Tully once said that if one wants to learn public relations, one must study Chaudhary Devi Lal .
The incident dates back to 2010, when my senior officer Arun Johar and I were attending a conference of the Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) at the five-star Hotel “Sonar Bangla” in Kolkata. On the very first day, the opening session of the conference featured a lecture by Mark Tully, the former Chief Correspondent of the BBC in Delhi.
Mark Tully spoke for nearly an hour on the subject of public relations and communication. During his speech, he spent more than twenty minutes discussing the communication style and public outreach of Chaudhary Devi Lal. While elaborating in detail on public relations skills, he cited examples of several leaders, including Chaudhary Devi Lal and Chaudhary Charan Singh. However, his main focus remained on Chaudhary Devi Lal.
He explained that Chaudhary Devi Lal’s interaction and closeness with rural people constituted an extremely effective form of public relations and communication. There was such an appeal in his manner of speaking and his attire that people were naturally drawn to him and became connected with him for life. During his speech, Mark Tully mentioned that he had covered many rallies and public meetings of Chaudhary Devi Lal. He had even seen and heard him interacting with people at the Teja Khera farmhouse in Sirsa district.
Mark Tully further said that Chaudhary Devi Lal was so impressed with him that he began to consider him one of his most trusted friends. Chaudhary Devi Lal would even share major decisions with him.
After the lecture concluded, I met Mark Tully, introduced myself, and told him that I was serving as an Information and Public Relations Officer in Sirsa district. Showing special interest, Mark Tully asked about the well-being of the Chaudhary Devi Lal family and mentioned that he had visited the Teja Khera farmhouse in Sirsa. He said that the hospitality he received there was something he would never forget in his lifetime. During this interaction, he spoke with me for about five minutes about Haryana, Sirsa, and the Chaudhary Devi Lal family.
This meeting with Mark Tully is something I too will remember for the rest of my life. Today, Mark Tully is no longer among us. I offer my heartfelt tribute to him. 💐