Veteran journalist of HT Dr. Kailash Chandra Papnai is no more

I am really shocked to learn about the sad demise of Dr. Kailash Chandra Papnai a senior journalist and former chief of the bureau of Dainik Hindustan , HT. He breathed his last on 14th January, night at the age of 70 after a prolonged illness suffering from cancer which he developed after the surgery of some other minor part of his body.

Kailashji was a very senior journalist and an affable human being. He was quite helpful n cooperative too. I came in Dr. Papnai’s contact n proximity when I was managing Rajesh Khanna’s New Delhi election as his media and political advisor cum cordinator during 1991 onwards.

I fondly remember Dr Papnai covering the entire election for the newspaper he represented. The HT’s senior press photographer then, Padmashree Virendra Prabhakar used to be with him to cover Kaka’s election campaign, public meetings and padyaatras etc.

I used to cordinate n assist both of them to get Kaka’s n Dimple’s interview and provide him news tips n scoops, as was doing for other journalists too, covering the super star Rajesh Khanna’s New Delhi election against BJP’s Shatrughan Sinha. Dr. Kailash Papnai was a learned journalist, a literateur n a benevolent human being.

After retirement from HT he used to contribute to various newspapers as a free lancer but his passion for writing on hill people, their problems n politics was always n regularly reflected in his articles published in Utaranchal Patrika. In his sad demise while the entire journalistic fraternity of Delhi, Uttarakhand n the country has lost a senior journalist with great professional acumen we’v lost a benevolent human being and a gentleman to the hilt.

A soft, affable, caring human being, a gentleman to the hilt  n a  journalist of repute Dr. Kailash Papnai would be always remembered by his near and dear friends n all those who knew him personally n from professional point of view.

The Uttarakhand Journalists Forum expresses its heartfelt tributes to the departed soul praying God to rest his soul in peace and condolences to the bereaved family to give them enough strength to bear this most irreperable loss. Amen