Sr journalist Roushan Ali passes away

New Delhi: Known for being a permanent fixture at the Delhi Secretariat among journalists, politicians and government officials, and as a repository of institutional knowledge, Delhi-based prominent senior journalist Roushan Ali, on Monday evening passed away at the age of 56, at a Kanpur Hospital after suffering from a brain hemorrhage. He was at the time a Senior Correspondent with Millennium Post.

Tributes poured in from all quarters in Delhi soon after the news of his death became public, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal condoling his passing away on Twitter. He said, "So sorry to hear about this, may God bless his soul. My condolences to the family." But even as tributes kept coming in from senior politicians and public figures who knew him for decades, journalists and current and former officials in the Delhi administration remembered him fondly for the dedicated journalist that he was in addition to being a kind and compassionate person.

Former Delhi government media advisor Nagender Sharma told Millennium Post over the phone that he was shocked to hear the news and that he had developed a great personal relationship with him over the years. "In fact, of my time in Delhi government, some of the fondest and most cherished memories are that of knowing and interacting with him. I am speaking to you today but truly, I have no words," Sharma said, adding that as a journalist, Roushan was "old-school" and would try to draw officials into a conversation about an issue rather than immediately start digging for scoops.

Several officials across the beats Roushan covered conveyed their condolences, with one official in the DMRC saying, "I have known him for almost a decade. He was such a nice man and would always be on the job and present. I had spoken to him just a week ago - I can't believe this."

Roushan is survived by his wife, Tabassum Roushan and 27-year-old daughter Zainab Rukhsar. Zainab said that her father was laid to rest in their hometown near Islampur in Bihar's Nalanda district on Tuesday, after the afternoon Namaz. Roushan was visiting his hometown and while returning to Delhi on the Sampoorna Kranti Express, he fell ill near Kanpur on Sunday. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in Kanpur, where on Monday morning, his health deteriorated during treatment and he passed away hours later there.

Several journalists working the Delhi government beat said they cannot imagine not running into him at the Secretariat anymore. The Hindu Special Correspondent Jatin Anand, who has been covering the Delhi government for seven years now said he knew Roushan since the time he began covering the beat.

"At press conferences, there would be many times when he would ask a basic question and many would wonder what's the point. But these would ultimately lead to clearer explanations. He did that to help younger reporters understand the issues," Anand said, adding that no matter what government event was scheduled — Roushan was always there. Sharma agreed, recalling that he would actually miss being at the Secretariat on days he had to be elsewhere.

Even in the newsroom at Millennium Post, Roushan is remembered for always patiently explaining the world in the simplest of ways to younger reporters. Speaking of their last interaction, Anand said he remembered stopping at the collage inside the ITO Metro station as Roushan explained the significance of each building on it to him.

Senior NDTV journalist Sharad Sharma said that Roushan was like a guiding light for him and condoled the death. The Press Club of India also condoled his death, saying it "feels saddened over the tragic loss and prays for his eternal peace" and said Roushan was "a very warm and affable person".

Roushan was also a member of the Delhi Press Accreditation Committee and had been working at Urdu and Hindi dailies for years before he shifted to English news. He had been working with Millennium Post since February 2013.

Note: An earlier version and print version of this obituary incorrectly identified Nagender Sharma as the former Delhi Chief Secretary. He is the former media advisor of the Delhi government. The inadvertent error is deeply regretted.