SRINAGAR: Veteran journalist and editor, Shujaat Bukhari, was remembered on his eighth death anniversary on Sunday, with political leaders, journalists, civil society members and social activists paying tributes to his contributions to journalism and public discourse in Jammu and Kashmir.
Several of Bukhari’s friends, colleagues and well-wishers visited his ancestral village of Kreeri in Baramulla district, where they offered prayers at his grave and recalled his efforts in promoting dialogue, balanced reporting and peace-building in the region.
At commemorative gatherings held across Kashmir, speakers described Bukhari as a respected journalist whose work continues to inspire generations of media professionals. They said his contributions to journalism and his commitment to fostering understanding through dialogue remain etched in public memory.
Senior journalist Zafar Choudhary described Bukhari’s killing as a significant loss for both Kashmir and the media fraternity.
“Every year on this day, I think of the conversations left unfinished, the stories left unwritten, and the friendship that ended too soon. Time has not made the loss easier; it has only made clearer what Kashmir, journalism, and all of us lost that evening in Srinagar,” Choudhary said.
He said Bukhari believed in dialogue when others chose confrontation and in the power of the written word over violence, adding that the values he stood for continue to endure despite attempts to silence him.
In a tribute posted on social media, Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq remembered Bukhari as “a credible, compassionate and courageous voice in journalism” who remained deeply connected to the aspirations, concerns and dignity of the people of Kashmir.
“Through reason and dialogue he sought to build understanding in times of uncertainty and conflict,” Mirwaiz said, praying for eternal peace for the slain journalist and expressing hope that his life would continue to inspire those committed to truth, justice and peace.
Rameez Raja, one of his friends, also paid tribute, describing Bukhari’s murder as “an attack on Kashmir’s democratic conscience.”
“He stood for dialogue, pluralism and political courage when fear was easier. His loss is the loss of the people of Kashmir, but his ideas remain stronger than the bullets that tried to erase them,” Raja said.
Shujaat Bukhari, a prominent journalist and advocate of dialogue, was killed in Srinagar on June 14, 2018. Eight years later, colleagues, friends and admirers continue to remember him for his journalistic integrity, commitment to peace and efforts to encourage democratic engagement in a conflict-affected region.
