A year wrapped in pal of gloom

Islamabad : Never had we been so distressed on a New Year eve then this year. There have been more losses and pain as we look back then the things to rejoice as the last sunset on the year 2020 wrapped in a pal of gloom.

For the first time in our lives, we observed Eids, remaining confined to homes and practically asking relatives and friends not to come over to share the joys of the happy occasions.

For the first time, most of us offered prayers at home, even during Ramazan. For the first time we saw children away from schools/ colleges/universities, staying at home for months and months, practically taking away the joys of summer and winter vacations or holidays.

And for the first time, we attended so many funerals and sent out condolences in one year that now we are left numb to the pain of death!

We lost so many friends and comrades starting with Shahidur Rehman and ending the year with the loss of such great professionals and mentors like Hassan Mussana and Abdul Hameed Chapra.

In between, we lost such sweet and seasoned journalists as Salim Aasmi, Khaleeq Zubairi, Masood Malik, Arshad Waheed Chaudhry and Tariq Malik. Some fell victim to COVID pandemic.

Head is full of all those memories attached to these personalities. It was the memorable moment of December 15, 1979 when Salim Aasmi left 'The Muslim' to join 'Khaleej Times' in Dubai.

Those were the best learning years from 1986 to 1990 while working with 'The Frontier Post' in Peshawar had the opportunity to work with Aziz Siddiqui, Hassan Mussana, Hassan Rabay, Pervez Kazi (PK), Zafar Alam Sarwar and Aslam Nasir.

It was great to be with Hameed Chapra during the never-ending struggle for freedom of the press and for the rights of journalists, especially the Wage Board Award campaigns. He survived on one kidney (one he donated to his brother) for over four decades.

And we lost most of these teachers and mentors and colleagues during just one year, 2020! And the danger is not over yet as the pandemic is still raging.

We, the journalists, be the reporters, cameramen or photographers, are too much exposed to the grave danger. We are working in the worst times. Even worse than working as journalists in battlefields and terrorism engulfed regions.

And, with the new strains of COVID surfacing the danger has only increased many folds as the health experts have warned that the new strain is far more contagious as compared with COVID-19.

The year 2020 has completely changed our social life. Before the COVID pandemic, we always were careful while meeting a person covering his face with masks or wearing gloves. Now, we are careful, even fearful/ if we come across a person not wearing a face mask!

Even girls and women have become less concerned about their facial beauty and looks even though the mask lines have become so visible and complexions have changed on their faces!

As the year 2020 folds, we offer our sincere condolences to all the bereaved families and hope and pray for the year 2021 to be a better one!