Senior Editor of the Greater Kashmir and prominent journalist Muddasir Ali passed away early Friday due to cardiac arrest at his Chrar-e-Sharif residence. He was 37.
“My brother Muddasir Ali has left this material world,” wrote his brother Jahangir Ali on his Facebook page.
This was all what Jahangir wrote as he consoled his shattered family of aged father and mother, besides sisters who hardly fathomed what shook their little world.
As the news of the sudden demise spread, people from all walks of life rushed to his house at New Colony in Chrar to attend his Namaz-e-Janaza.
Speechless and shocked, Jahangir told his friends that Muddasir complained of chest pain and collapsed. “We immediately shifted him to a hospital in Chrar at around 3 am but he left us all as we moved him to the heath centre,” he said.
Muddasir had suffered a leg injury in a minor road mishap on a motorcycle two weeks back and was working from home.
A postgraduate in Journalism from Media Education and Research Centre, University of Kashmir, Muddasir was born in October 1983. He joined the Greater Kashmir as a Reporter 16 years ago and rose to the position of Senior Editor through his sheer hard work and dedication, he also contributed to other publications since he had a passion to write about Kashmir.
He reported on various beats which included politics, business, human rights, etc.
Lovingly called Mudi by his colleagues, he was hardworking, humble and soft-spoken.
“Mudi was always there to find solutions to difficult situations while working in the newsroom. He was incredibly intelligent and full of ideas, as well as being a lovely person,” recalled his colleagues at the Greater Kashmir.
As his near and dear ones recalled their experiences with Muddasir, his body was prepared for the final journey. Amid sobs, hundreds participated in his Namaz-e-Janaza in the premises of Charar-e-Sharif shrine.
Being with him for 16 years, none from the Greater Kashmir missed attending his final journey.
Editor-in-Chief Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Uzma and Chairman GK Communications Private Limited, led his entire staff in mourning the demise of Muddasir and consoling his family at Chrar residence and mourners at the grave.
“I am devastated as it’s my personal loss,” said Fayaz Kaloo. “He was just like my son.”
His colleagues, journalist fraternity, friends and readers expressed shock and solidarity with his family and the Greater Kashmir.
“Muddasir’s death has left me shattered. He shared a brotherly bond with me. I had an association of nearly 16 years with him. He accomplished all his assigned work with professionalism. We will always miss him. Can’t forget his ever-smiling face,” said Arif Shafi Wani, Executive Editor, the Greater Kashmir.
Recalling his association with Muddasir, senior editor Arshad Hussain acknowledged his remarkable commitment to the assignments he undertook at the Greater Kashmir.
“For him facts were always sacred. An introvert workaholic who believed in the spirit of humanism,” said Arshad.
For Faisul Yaseen, Muddasir was one of the rare reporters in Kashmir who would take pains of going through the long, boring administrative and government orders and break it up for the common masses.
“He was a friend of friends and would go out of his way to help even the reporters of rival news organizations. Churning exclusives after exclusives, he would never sit on his laurels and focus on the next big story and work hard for it. Who else in Kashmir leaves office at 11 pm, rides 31 kms on a motorcycle to reach home in harsh winters and next day takes the 31-km ride back to work at 10 am. Besides being talented and well read, he was down-to-earth who wouldn’t brag about his stories. He always let his pen do the talking. He was worried about Kashmir and the future of Kashmiris. With Muddasir’s death, Kashmir has lost an asset.”
Haroon Mirani: “Mudasir was a person with a golden heart. One of his best qualities was that he gave equal respect to everyone and was always happy to seek suggestions even from his juniors. He was a great listener and ensured that the person who is talking feels important. He would often take pains to help his colleagues. Once he travelled 30 kms just to give 5 minute advice to a friend. He was a person one could always depend upon.”
Mukeet Akmali: “When I joined GK as an intern, it was Muddasir Ali who was always willing to help with that smiling face. Our last conversation too was Mudi bhai asking me to help one of his acquaintances whose mother was ill.”
Saqib Malik: “It was often that stories authored by me, copy-edited by late Muddasir was a new learning experience for me as he was an ocean of knowledge. He was a reporter’s copy-editor, for all the life he infused into a story with his first-rate writing and editing skill.”