Shujaat Bukhari’s first death anniversary: memories, contributions recounted

Recounting unforgettable memories and contributions of the founder Editor of Rising Kashmir and founder of Kashmir Media Group(KMG) Shujaat Bukari on his first death anniversary with journalist legends Syeed Naqvi and Sidharth Vardarajan the former Editor of country top English daily “ The Hindu”, the family , friends and colleagues of Bukhari demonstrated the exemplary courage to bring forward a compilation of his articles in the form of a book “Kashmir’s Thin Red Lines” authored by Dr Tehmeena Bukhari the courageous wife of late Bukhari and announce the institution of “ Shujaat Bukari Award of Excellence In Media Studies” that went to three toppers of Kashmir University, Islamic University Awantipora and Central University Kashmir. The first death anniversary of the founder editor of “Rising Kashmir” and founder Kashmir Media Group (KMG) Syed Shujaat Bukhari was observed on June 14 at Tagore Hall Srinagar. Veteran journalists of international repute Syed Naqvi and former editor “The Hindu” Sidhart Vardarajan presided over the event in presence of hundreds of family friends, colleagues, academicians, journalists and students.

A book titled “Kashmir’s thin Red Lines” comprising articles authored by late Shujaat Bukhari and compiled by his wife Dr Tahmeena Bukhari was released amid thunderous applauses from the hundreds of invitees at the event. The book review of the book was presented by senior journalist Aijaz-ul-Haq. Shujaat Bukhari’s son Syed Tamheed Bukhari also spoke on the occasion and thanked “Rising Kashmir” staff for following the mission and vision of his father late Shujaat Bukhari with vigour and dedication. Shujaat Bukhari’s wife Dr Tahmeena Bukhari was also present on the occasion. The “Rising Kashmir” and “Kashmir Media Group” announced Shujaat Bukhari award of excellence for the three toppers of the mass communication pass outs of Kashmir University, Islamic University of Science and Technology Awantipora and Central University Kashmir. All the three toppers were given gold medals which were presented to them jointly by Syed Naqvi, the chief guest, Sidharth Vardarajan, the guest of honor and professor Syed Rafi-u-Din Bukhari, the host who is the father of late Shujaat Bukhari.While Syed Naqvi shed light on the professional excellence and peace efforts of Syed Shujaat Bukhari, the host Professor Syed Rafi-u-Din Bukhari thanked the guests and the audience for their attendance at the event.
Paying tributes to late Shujaat Bukhari, the veteran journalist Syed Naqvi called him a truthful journalist and said that Bukhari had the qualities and the courage to side with the truthfuls. Touching upon the issue of the changing face of Indian police Naqvi said that had muslims in India been told about the possibility of a Hindu Raj before 1947 partition, the muslims in India won’t agitate or regret the approaches of BJP in today’s political environment. He alleged that the present central government is taking advices from Israel, the enemy of muslims on dealing with situation in Kashmir.
Saying that late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was the proponent of secularism and Mahatma Gandhi stood behind him, Naqvi said had muslims been told about the possibility of a Hindu Raj before 1947 partition they won’t have any regrets today. He said working in a conflicting political environment where marketing of Prime Minister becomes an emotive slogan is very risky for every journalist in India as ghost cries are heard in the news rooms of TV channels on issues concerning minorities. He in a wailed reference also accused the present central government of taking offensive measures against political rivals including the likes of Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati and Arvind Kejrival.

Paying tributes to late Shujaat Bukari the former editor of “The Hindu” Sidharth Vardarajan regretted the failure of the law enforcing authorities of the Jammu & Kashmir Government in identifying the real assassinators of late Bukhari even after the lapse of one year and gave a clarion call to journalist across India to fight for “the identification, arrest and punishment of the real assassinators of the broad day light murder of Shujaat Bukhari in a high security zone”. Saying that while police and law enforcement authorities have filed charge sheet in the killing of Gauri Lankesh, a prominent news paper editor in Banglore, Vardaraj said the Jammu and Kashmir government presently directly under the central rule is still clueless and the inability of the authorities to even identify the assassinators of late Shujaat Bukhari is highly regrettable. Reminding that BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav had last year said that Shujaat Bukhari’s killing was also one of the reasons for his party’s pull out from the previous Mehbooba government, the former editor of “ The Hindu” sought explanations from the government on the progress made into the killing of Shujaat Bukhari.

He called upon all the journalists within and outside Jammu and Kashmir state to unitedly fight for a fast track investigation for immediate identification of Shujaat Bukhari’s real assassinators. He said killing of two men by police can’t be satisfying for those seeking fair, transparent and impartial probe into the killing of Shujaat Bukhari as even a charge sheet has not been filed by the authorities in this case. Touching upon the issue of the changing face of Indian politics vis-à-vis the results of the recently held Lok Sabha elections the former editor of “The Hindu” quoted a tweet of a BJP MP who according to him in connection with the present situation in Kashmir wrote “If repression becomes the security of my people let it be so”. He said showing concern for the people of one constituency at the cost of repression of muslims in India and people in Kashmir shows how conflicting the political environment in Kashmir is now.