Senior journalist Ravish Tiwari dies at 40; President, PM pay tributes

PTI

New Delhi, February 19

Senior journalist and Indian Express national bureau chief Ravish Tiwari passed away following a two-year-long battle with cancer.

He was 40.

Tiwari died in Gurugram on Friday night and leaves behind his parents, wife and a brother.

Tiwari was also the national political editor of The Indian Express. He had previously worked at India Today and The Economic Times.

He had done his schooling from the government-run Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya and thereafter completed his BTech from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.

Tributes poured in for Tiwari.

President Ram Nath Kovind said Tiwari's death ''silences a distinct voice in news media''.

"For Ravish Tiwari, journalism was a passion, and he chose it over lucrative professions. He had an enviable knack for reporting and incisive commentary. His sudden and shocking demise silences a distinct voice in news media. My condolences to his family, friends and colleagues," he said in a tweet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi while condoling Tiwari's demise said he was “insightful” and “humble”.

"Destiny has taken away Ravish Tiwari too soon. A bright career in the media world comes to an end. I would enjoy reading his reports and would also periodically interact with him. He was insightful and humble. Condolences to his family and many friends. Om Shanti," Modi tweeted.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Tiwari was a ''young, bright and professional journalist''.

"Shocked and pained to learn about the untimely demise of Ravish Tiwari. He was a young, bright and professional journalist, full of life. My condolences to his family and friends. May God give them strength to bear the irreparable loss. Om Shanti," Shah tweeted.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh remembered Tiwari as a close friend.

"Ravish Tiwari, a product of Navodaya Vidyalaya, IIT Mumbai & Oxford, was amongst the finest, scholarly & objective journalists. He'd been critical of me as Env Minister, but we were closest of friends. Just 4 days ago we had a long chat. Extremely saddened by his untimely demise," he tweeted.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also paid tributes to Tiwari.

"The untimely demise of senior journalist Ravish Tiwari is extremely saddening. My deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues from the newsroom. May God bless his soul," he said.

Kejriwal's colleague and AAP leader Atishi called Tiwari her dearest and most loyal friend.

"Lost my best friend @ravishkt today after his long battle with cancer. While the world has lost a sharp and insightful journalist, I have lost my dearest and most loyal friend. Ravish: you will be missed deeply...," she tweeted.

Senior journalist Vikas Bhadauria shared the news of Tiwari's death on Twitter.

"Profound journalist, a great human being and my dearest friend, Ravish Tiwari, passed away last (Friday) night. Last rites will be performed at Sector-20, Gurgaon 3.30 PM today. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti," he tweeted.

The Indian Express website quoted its chairperson Viveck Goenka as saying, “Ravish was a rare, unique voice in our profession. Never once seeking the comfort of an echo chamber, he listened to all because he knew that was the best way and the only way to keep a finger on the nation's political pulse and explain it to our readers and audiences.” 

"We deeply mourn his loss. As a reporter and an editor, he led from the front. Ravish will live in his work which will be an enduring inspiration for the newsroom and beyond," he added.

Raj Kamal Jha, chief editor of the newspaper, said Tiwari's shoes cannot be filled but they shall sit in a very special corner of the newsroom for ever.

"In the newsroom, each one of us has lost Ravish and one way to remember him is by keeping a little of Ravish alive in us, in the way he asked the hardest questions with respect and humility, both of his subjects and of ourselves.....I became more aware of how much a privilege it was to work with him…,” Jha said in his message.

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