Paying tribute to one of the legendary teachers, Prof. M. A. Qurishi, who passed away on 17th October, 2020 at his Srinagar residence, fighting cancer, is a very emotional matter. Prof. Qurishi, an alumni of University of Kashmir, rendered quite a service before superannuating as senior professor at Department of Chemistry, University of Kashmir. Prof. Qurishi did his Ph.D at CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu (then Regional Research Laboratory, Jammu), through University of Kashmir. After attaining research position as Research Officer Chemistry at Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine Srinagar, Prof Qurishi was appointed as associate professor at Department of Chemistry, University of Kashmir, where he contributed significantly. Prof. Qurishi could not stop there even after superannuation and extension of service at University of Kashmir, Prof. Qurishi was appointed as Professor and Dean Academics at Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora. During 1990s when a void was created in the Department of Chemistry, University of Kashmir, Prof. Qurishi streamlined the department elegantly.
By describing Prof. Qurishi in a few lines will be injustice to the person of a great stature who immensely contributed to research as well as teaching. Whosoever came across Prof. Qurishi he would find a person with magnificent art of teaching, administration and research. Prof. Qurishi made a tremendous contribution to the teaching and research. The research in phytochemistry is a difficult task in a state of ours. I being a phytochemistry researcher, I got stuck many times in research problem where Prof Qurishi helped me out. In my day to day interactions with him at Kashmir University, I saw him a person who tried to help out others. Prof. Qurishi was the person to help me through out my research, from framing the topic, to gathering the detail and finalising the research.
Prof. Qurishi was a friend to all, warm and always attached. It was his inherent character which earned him a full respect. He always had been an interlocutor between his research scholars and their research. Prof. Qurishi was true to his profession, a learner and an educator, that is why I think most of students loved to be around him. He was the teacher who really gets into resonance of scholar, who need his help to reach their grey matter, make them comfortable within them. He was liberal in the manner he spoke and behaved.
Now that Prof. Qurishi is not with us anymore, the legacy of teaching and research which he left behind will always be with us. It is now for us to honor the legacy t
May the soul rest in peace.
Mudasir Tantry teaches at Cluster University Srinagar.