‘Brave and professional’, father remembers Danish Siddiqui after second Pulitzer

Courageous, empathetic versus the agony in the entire world, still experienced about his and his family’s safety — this is how Danish Siddiqui’s father remembered him, the working day he gained his second Pulitzer prize.

“We sense happy of him but we overlook him,” explained Akhtar Siddiqui, father of photojournalist Danish Siddiqui, who was killed although covering a conflict in Afghanistan last calendar year.

Siddiqui, 38, was on an assignment in Afghanistan July previous calendar year when he obtained caught in crossfire although covering clashes between the Afghan troops and the Taliban in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar metropolis.

This is for the 2nd time that the Reuters journalist has gained the Pulitzer Prize.
He was honoured with the prestigious award also in 2018 as component of the Reuters crew for their coverage of the Rohingya disaster. He experienced thoroughly protected the Afghanistan conflict, the Hong Kong protests, and other significant gatherings in Asia, Middle East, and Europe.

“It’s a mixed sensation. He would have been surely delighted realizing about this award. He has designed us proud, his family members very pleased and the journalistic neighborhood happy by his commitment, tough function, benefit-based mostly get the job done,” his father advised PTI about cellphone.
He reported his son has been immortalised as a result of his operate.

“The environment is honouring him. He was awarded by the Boston College in April this yr. Before that he was also offered other awards. The earth is recognising his function, his contribution. However he is not there to go on his do the job and contribution. We have been acquiring heaps of messages because early morning. He is staying respectfully remembered,” the senior Siddiqui said.

The relatives has set up the Danish Siddiqui Foundation to honour his legacy.
Recalling his son’s function through the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, he mentioned that despite all types of wellbeing risks, Danish carried on doing the job.
“He went close to the country, in the hospitals, in the Covid-19 wards, mortuaries, graveyards. He overworked for the duration of these days. His watch was to present how the people have been suffering and to allow the planet know about it so that we could collectively aid individuals arrive out of this fantastic disaster,” he said.
“He took the risk at the charge of his personal overall health and his family members. Practically nothing deterred him from discharging his obligations,” he stated.

Akhtar Siddiqui explained that his son was even so, really cautious, about guaranteeing the protection of his two modest children and his aged mothers and fathers.
“He made use of to wear double entire body gear, improve in the healthcare facility before leaving for home. Right after returning home, he made use of to acquire a bath in a toilet outdoors and would then occur inside and keep in a individual home. The kids got contaminated but they recovered before long. He utilized to get greatest treatment. He also contracted the infection but it was mild,” he said.

The journalist also avoided visiting his parents who stayed 5 to 6 kilometres absent, and when he did go to them, he would confine himself to a different home and talk from there.

Danish Siddiqui travelled to remote places in Bhagalpur, in Uttarakhand, expended time in the Covid wards, and followed stories wherever they took him, even to the mortuaries and to the graveyards.

“It was incredibly traumatic for him also. Sometimes he applied to share it. But the upcoming morning he would be up for the job once again. He was emotionally hit extremely deeply at that time and would say that he has never found human suffering of that magnitude. He saw many items at that time that had been really hard to chat about,” Siddiqui explained.