Homage to a Journalist

-K Vikram Rao

An old man goes to death. But death came to Kamaal Khan, who had just crossed 49. As the saying goes, perhaps Allah Almighty deeply loved him, so He called him so soon.

In his last telecast last night (Friday, January 13) as a sensitive reporter, Kamaal commented on vanishing political morals. His regret was on rapidly defecting legislators, shorn of Ideological commitments. Kamaal's bohemian habits in matters sartorial proved fatal. Lucknow had last night four degrees C. temperature. He was returning home after work, carelessly dressed. He suffered sudden stroke, never to breathe again. Was it a call of duty ? No ; cost of duty, Yes!

I read Michelangelo who says : "death and love are two wings that bear the Good to the Heaven. Kamaal loved his wife (Ruchi Mathur Khan) deeply. Theirs was an inter-faith alliance. (I had attended the wedding reception at Raj Bhavan colony's lawns.) So in his death Kamaal reached his next abode, the High Heavans.

I had known Ruchi as a toddler in my Nazarbagh mohalla. Her father, late Ajay Kumar Mathur, was the publisher of the firebrand Socialist weekly "Sangharsh", edited by Acharya Narendra Dev, a great socialist. Dev was a diety to us, young Socialists in the fifties.

Amazingly the Khans had complete peace at home, though they belonged to fiercely rival TV channels. Ruchi works for the pro-Modi India TV. Kamaal was with NDTV, known critic of the regime. Once Ruchi was gracious to call me to her channel's famous programme "Aap ki Adaalat" by Rajat Sharma. The new chief minister then Akhilesh Yadav was in the docks. I gave him "not guilty" verdict.

In Kamaal's demise, the visual media world lost a brilliant news presenter. I lost an affectionate colleague and comrade.

May both the Vedic and the Islamic lords shower upon him all their blessings, jointly.

But Kamaal still lives. He will see the world through his eyes, which he has donated for the needy.

The IFWJ dips its red banner in honour of its senior member, Com Kamaal Khan.

At the U.P. Press Club at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, 15 January, we meet to mourn the tragic loss of Kamaal.