Shujaat Bukhari: The Lone Wolf Silenced

A colleague of slain Kashmiri journalist Shujaat Bukhari, who was killed recently in broad daylight on the streets of Srinagar, remembers the man and his martyrdom.

- Sameer Showkin Lone

The horrendous incident happened amidst Eid celebrations in the busy street of Lal Chowk. It still gives us chills down our spine. Surviving three previous attempts of assassination since the 90s, this was the one he succumbed to. The whole media fraternity mourned over his demise and we, at the Rising Kashmir, became orphaned.

The slain journalist Shujaat Bukhari needs no introduction, neither in his native place Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) nor at any international level. But where Kashmir is concerned, it is difficult to think of a Kashmir without Shujaat saab.

He was not only a fearless journalist but someone, who was very vocal about his thoughts for the welfare of the people in J&K. He was grief-stricken by the killings in the valley. He would often say, “On every side, it is a Kashmiri who gets killed. I want the Kashmiri youth to excel in every sphere of life.” He was always worried about youngsters in Kashmir and wanted them to excel in their studies. Yes, he wanted every Kashmiri student to crack the Civil Services examination and yes, he wanted to help the youth come out of the dark.