Monday 6 June 2011

VERY SAD TODAY

SAD NEWS.
I am sad today. One of the valuable colleagues and veteran journalist, Shashi Shekhar Singh passed away yesterday noon in Patna We worked together in Times of India for years together. He was Chief sub-editor anfd I was Chief reporter. We used to call him Shashi Babu. After retirement around elevel years back, Shashi Babu was living in his local Patrakarnagar residence. I also after retirement is living in Housimg colony Lohianagar, Patna. We used to meet very often! Now he is no more! A gentleman par excellence, Shashi Babu was a brilliant Chief sub-editor and used to bring out bright newspapers. He has started his journalism from now defunct The Searchlight and thereafter joined Times of India. Worked under great and stalwart editors like SMS Sharma, Rama Rao etc-Shashi Babu used to be drafted for bringing out special events in The Searchlight-he used to bring out nice newspapers of wars in successive years in The Searchlight-Likewise he was pioneering in gulf war events in bringing out editions in Times of India. His memory was so sharp that he used to recall the old events on his finger tips! Shashi Babu was Master of Law from Patna university when rarely anybody used to do such master degree in law! Shashi Babu has wide knowledge on every subjects- he used to narrate old event to us. One more merits in Shashi Babu was that he used to refer Bhagwad Gita and Durga Saptshi to his colleagues- almost all stanzas of Gita and Durga Shaptshi were on his lips without any search of both the books-similar were his memory on other books also and events.He had definite left leanings but i n professional skills it used not  to be reflected. He was also a champion of fighting Press bill for  curb ing freedom of expression during the regime of the then Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra in Bihar! Shashi Babu has gone but he will be remembered for ever in journalism profession. About him the then Resident Editor of TOI , who is now online editior of the same national English daily these days in New Delhi, has talked about Shashi Babu and had said he had vast knowledge of bringing out bright edition! He had told  to me that some time he finds himself surprised Shashi Babu gossiping during pick hour of bringing out edition but when real call comes and time comes for bringing out edition , Shashi Babu starts work and brings out bright  and beautiful newspapers-it was all praise to Shashi Babu, he had commented. My best tributes to Shashi Babu .
K K Singh, Journalist, retired as chief reporter Times of India and based at Patna and continuing in profession.

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