South Asians around the world are mourning the loss of Tapan Kumar Bose, a renowned documentary filmmaker, human rights defender, and unwavering advocate for peace and democracy across South Asia.

Bose, 79, was a founder member of the activist group the Southasia Peace Action Network, or Sapan, launched in March 2021. He was a tireless champion of justice, standing alongside marginalised communities and confronting oppression in all its forms.

He had been in frail health for some time but retained his spirits. Just days ago he had happily participated in a gathering with friends at home in Delhi, and had asked friends from Pakistan to visit him. He passed away on 30 January 2025.

Born June 8, 1946, Tapan dedicated his life to exposing injustices through film and activism. His work spanned decades, from documenting state violence in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir to advocating for victims of the Union Carbide gas disaster in Bhopal, 1984.

“This is such a devastating loss!” said feminist activist Khushi Kabir, a Sapan advisor and founding member in Dhaka. “Sad for us, sad for the region. Tapan was such a warm and important presence.”

“Shattered,” said journalist Kanak Mani Dixit in Kathmandu, also a Sapan advisor and founding member.

“He is with our beloved humsafars (fellow travelers). We are groping for hope and solace,” said Dr. Syeda Hameed in Delhi, another Sapan advisor and founder member.

Shaped many civil society initiatives

Besides Sapan, Tapan Bose was instrumental in shaping numerous civil society initiatives, including the Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy, the South Asia Forum for Human Rights, and the Rohingya Human Rights Initiative. His commitment to defending the rights of refugees, displaced communities, and oppressed nationalities remained steadfast until his final days.

In the wake of the demolition of the Babri Masjid, 1992, and the Gujarat pogrom of 2002, Tapan Bose stood on the frontlines, amplifying the voices of survivors and challenging communal hatred.

His principled stand against militarisation and jingoistic nationalism earned him both admiration and opposition. As a filmmaker, he used his craft to document state repression and the struggles of the oppressed, leaving behind a body of work that continues to inspire generations of activists and journalists.

TTapan Bose’s vision extended beyond borders. Along with his longtime partner, journalist and feminist activist Rita Manchanda, he sought a Southasia united by its people, not divided by politics. His dream of a region bounded by shared culture, justice, and peace lives on in the movements he nurtured and the lives he touched. His contributions to Sapan and the broader struggle for regional solidarity will remain an enduring part of his legacy.

{Beena Sarwar is a Pakistani journalist and founder-editor of Sapan News based in Boston. Email: beena@sapannews.com. Sapan News associate editor Pragyan Srivastava is an Indian journalist and former Fulbright-Nehru Master’s scholar at Rutgers University.  Email: pragyan@sapannews.com. By special arrangement with Sapan)