Won’t Be Cowed Down: Rising Kashmir’s Front Page Tribute to Editor

Shujaat Bukhari was assassinated by unknown assailants in Srinagar on Thursday evening.

Rising Kashmir paid a touching front page tribute to slain journalist Shujaat Bukhari in its 15 June edition.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Rising Kashmir – in a touching front page tribute to its editor Shujaat Bukhari – wrote that the newspaper and its journalists would not be “cowed down by the cowards” who took his life.

The 50-year-old veteran journalist was shot dead by unknown assailants outside the Press Enclave in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar on Thursday, 14 June. Bukhari was shot by three or four armed men, sources told The Quint.

The front page of the 15 June edition – a day after Bukhari’s assassination – carried the following message.

You left all too sudden but you will always be our leading light with your professional conviction and exemplary courage. We won’t be cowed down by the cowards who snatched you from us. We will uphold your principle of telling the truth howsoever unpleasant it may be...Rest In Peace!

Rising Kashmir

‘Shujaat Silenced’ – Kashmir Daily Pays Homage

Titled “Shujaat Silenced”, the following page covered the ghastly attack on the journalist and the two PSOs accompanying him. The two PSOs – Ct Abdul Hameed & Ct Mumtaz Ahmad – were also killed in the attack.

The newspaper printed an extensive column on their lead page with quotes of prominent Indian politician leaders and Kashmiri separatist leaders condemning the killing.

The tweets of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah and Congress President Rahul Gandhi were included, along with separatist leaders including Syed Ali Geelani, Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin condemning the incident.

They also published a story on Pakistan “strongly” condemning the story – with he Pakistan Foreign Ministry’s tweet.

The newspaper came out with an 8-page edition on Friday, instead of the usual 12-page regular edition.

Journalists Call Front Page Tribute ‘Fitting’

Journalists and readers took to Twitter to share the front page of the newspaper, calling it a “fitting tribute” to the slain journalist.

Editors Guild Condemns Journalist’s Assasination

The Editors Guild of India, an association of journalists, condemned the assassination on Twitter.