Coimbatore: The city fondly remembers Shujaat Bukhari, the editor in chief of Rising Kashmir who was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Kashmir on Thursday. Shujaat had visited Coimbatore in November 2014, for a ceremony held to honour his efforts in the floods in Kashmir, that year.
Members of the city-based Rotary Club of Coimbatore Spectrum not only interacted with him but also spent several days in Srinagar with him donating relief material to the residents who were stranded after the floods. Reminiscing those moments, K Payal of the club said, “When we had landed in Srinagar, we went to a medical camp that was headed by his wife Tehmeena Bukhari. Later, we went to a camp that he was managing and went around with him helping the residents there. He even ordered rubber boats to ensure that relief material reached these camps,” he said.
Payal and his wife were in touch with the couple ever since and greeted each other on festivals. “He was an epitome of positivity and always spoke about resolving the Kashmir issue. He always said that people needed to become more mature and accommodative,” he said. “He always wanted people from the rest of the country to visit Kashmir more often to understand them better. He spoke of how the state was becoming alienated because of lack of contact from the government and public,” he said.
Another resident, Chendhilnathan, who also went to Kashmir, said that he was awed by Bukhari’s dedication for the people. “He was extremely helpful and obliged to visit us in Coimbatore. We hosted him for a day,” he said. When he got to know that Payal was unwell and admitted in hospital, Bhukari visited him as well, he added.
The club received a citation from him in 2015 in which he had mentioned their names and wrote about their contribution during the floods. “He was extremely humble and dedicated to work. I was sad when I got the news and I did not even go to office. For us he was a philanthropist,” said Payal.