Senior journalist, renowned philanthropist, activist and managing editor of Hyderabad-based The Siasat Daily, Mr Zaheeruddin Ali Khan, passed away following a heart attack on August 7. He was 63. According to media reports, he suffered a cardiac arrest when he was attending the last rites of his close friend and revolutionary poet Gummadi Vittal Rao, known as Gaddar in Alwal, a suburb of Hyderabad city. Mr Khan was rushed to the hospital, but doctors declared him brought dead.
Hundreds of people including noted personalities attended the funeral prayer for the senior journalist, on August 8, at Shahi Mosque in Public Gardens, adjacent to the Telangana Legislative Assembly, Hyderabad. Later he was buried at his ancestral graveyard, Aakhirat Manzil, Darussalam Road, Nampally. He is survived by his wife and two sons.
By profession, the late Zaheeruddin was a Chartered Accountant (CA) but he dedicated around 40 years of his life to promoting constructive journalism through the Siasat Daily. The publisher of this paper also operates the news portal Siasat and publishes the Siasat English Weekly magazine. This is one of the most popular media groups in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He was respected among the media fraternity for fearlessly addressing social, human rights and other burning issues.
Popularly known for his humanitarian and social activities among the people, Mr. Khan used to help all poor and needy persons or victims, including riots and disasters hit people through Siasat Millat Fund. He always stood boldly for oppressed and marginalised people in society. Especially, he came forward to provide financial or legal support for the families, which were affected by violence, riots, Covid-19 and lynching.
Mr. Khan’s charitable activities were not just tied to a volatile situation, he was always ready to offer help to needy and poor people. He was instrumental in setting up Siasat’s old age home – Suukoon. He also set up a Minority Development Forum, free healthcare for slum dwellers, skill training courses for poor women and English-speaking classes. Promoting dowry-free marriages, he also started a forum, under which, weddings are solemnised without a dowry. Mr. Khan also organised burials of unclaimed bodies of Muslims.
A selfless and compassionate person, Mr. Zaheeruddin will be remembered for backing the constructive media as well as making tireless efforts for the welfare of marginalised communities and needy people.
Participating actively in the socio-political affairs of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Zaheeruddin Khan played a vital role in the Telangana statehood movement. Raising his voice to make political parties accountable, he did not hesitate to harshly criticise them for their wrong actions.
After his demise, condolences poured in from all quarters and around the world. In a condolence message, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) Vice President Malik Mohtasim Khan, who is also from the same state, wrote, “The news of the death of Mr. Zaheeruddin Ali Khan is very sad. He was an active social personality. He played an important role in raising social and educational awareness in Hyderabad and Telangana. His death is a great loss.”