Veteran Pakistani columnist Cowasjee passes away at 86
“I am 86 now, too old to pen weekly columns. Besides what’s there to write about with the same old politics and same old politicians. Do you really believe that they will go away? —Dawn.com Photo
KARACHI: One of Pakistan’s oldest and most renowned columnists, Ardeshir Cowasjee, passed away in Karachi on Saturday at the age of 86.
Cowasjee, whose weekly columns graced the Dawn newspaper from 1988 to 2011, was suffering from chest illness and had been admitted in a Karachi hospital’s intensive care unit for the past 12 days.
Born on April 13, 1926 to Rustom Faqir Cowasjee and Mucca Rustomjee, Ardeshir joined the family shipping business after completing his education from the Bai Virbaiji Soparivala Parsi (BVS) High School and DJ Sindh Govt Science College.
He had two children with wife Nancy Dinshaw. His daughter lives in Karachi and works in the family business and his son is an architect in the US. Their mother passed away in 1992.
“Now, old at 85, tired, and disillusioned with a country that just cannot pull itself together in any way and get on with life in this day and age, I have decided to call it a day,” he wrote in a column in December 2011 for Dawn.
He went on to write two more columns that year before he finally put his pen to rest.
More than just a columnist
Cowasjee was known for his outspoken criticism of politicians and the religious right.
“I am 86 now, too old to pen weekly columns. Besides what’s there to write about with the same old politics and same old politicians. Do you really believe that they will go away? I am bored writing about them again and again,” he said in an interview last month.
“Ardeshir Cowasjee is more than just a columnist for a Pakistani newspaper. He has become the conscience of a nation,” wrote Nirupuma Subramanian in the Hindu.
“I don’t do it for the money,” the LA Times quoted him in a 2008 interview. “What they pay me wouldn’t even buy this tie. It’s an exercise of the mind. I do it to be sane. Because nothing works with logic in this place.”
In addition to his columns, Cowasjee was also known as a successful businessman, social activist, and an active philanthropist.
“Mr Cowasjee donated heavily to charities – TCF school in Lyari bears witness to that,” said journalist Omar Quraishi in a tweet Saturday after Cowasjee’s death.
His charitable organisation, the Cowasjee Foundation, was responsible for providing funding for higher education to many Pakistani students. Many of Karachi’s hospitals such as the Lady Dufferin Hospital, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation and the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases have also benefited from the foundation.
“Very few people know Ardeshir Cowasjee quietly tried to support upright, young journos financially,” said Abbas Nasir, a former Dawn editor.
Many leading names in Pakistan’s journalism circles looked up to the columnist.
“Amazing teacher. Worked on many stories with him in my early days in journalism,” said Azhar Abbas, who now heads a leading Pakistani news channel.
“Sad to hear that one of Pakistan’s finest & most conscientious columnists, Ardeshir Cowasjee, has passed away,” said columnist Nadeem F. Paracha in a tweet sent out Saturday. “May his soul rest in peace.”
A brave, fearless columnist. Thank you for being such a profound advocate of our city, Karachi. You shared her history, unveiled the prevailing injustices, and gave us hope for a better future. May you rest in peace.
Very sad day for Pakistan, Pakistan has lost another son and a great voice. May Allah give courage and patience to his family, we all are mourning with them.
A fearless and determined person with a passion to bring justice and and equality. A huge loss to Pakistan not just as a journalist but for the philanthopic work he did and helped many without any word,
I will always remember the first time I actually saw you in ’91 in your elements cutting the Minister of Sind down to size for his hipocricy without fear of any repurcussions. Coming back to Pakistan after finishing our studies (knowing you had helped many students to study in overseas universities) at that time you were our instant hero for the cause and passion for the city and country.
May your soul remain peaceful with the knowledge that you did all you could against the odds.We salute your service and for the inspiration you have given us.
Salman
Cowasjee will be missed sorely. His wrote honestly and fearlessly. I followed him through Dawn. May his soul rest in peace.
After the demise of her great son, late Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the mother city of Karachi would have never shed so much tears of grief on the death of any of her other individual son like she may have shed
on the death of Ardisher Cowasjee. Because he had devoted his life and major parts of his journalism fighting for the cause of his most beloved mother city Karachi, then Pakistan and his suffering countrymen at large. Both of these truly great sons of Karachi were a living symbol of greatness, conquering the hearts of millions and millions people all over the world reaching the peak of their political and journalistic career, respectively. Both of these truly loving sons of Karachi, in the end of their mortal journey chosen to have their final and eternal sleep under the warmth and arms of the soil of their mother city, Karachi. May Allah bless their sould with eternal peace. Amen.
A voice of reason in the wilderness, a light in the darkness that is Pakistan today has gone out. I too am tired and disillusioned about a land that cannot manage itself in any respectable way. Our Jeremiah has left us but the walls of Jericho still stand…some day Mr. Cowasjee. Rest in peace.
I feel it Ardeshir Cowasjee’s passing is a great loss to the people of Pakistan and I truly am saddened to hear of his passing. I pray that Ahura Mazda may bless his soul.
I also feel that the people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan should realise that this great man, Ardeshir Cowasjee, who cared so much for the nation was in fact a Parsi Zoroastrian and his life reflected the values of a true Zoroastrian; Good Words, Good Thoughts, Good Deeds. Another important Zoroastrian principle is that of Hamazor – To help humanity for its betterment. I would say Ardeshir encapsulated all of these qualities.
Pakistan is being run by Islamic zealots and yet how many of them follow Islamic principles of Umma, Zakat and truthfulness!? It seems to me the modern day rulers of Pakistan care nothing for humanity and everything for money and power.
Not many people know that Mohammed Ali Jinnah’s direct descendants too are Parsi Zoroastrians the most notable being Nusli Wadia, Jinnah’s grandson. I would suggest this reflects the pleuralism that Jinnah had in mind for his country and yet where is this pleuralism today with so many minority communities in Pakistan feeling threatened by the rise of extreme Islam in the nation?
We are all God’s creation and we should all learn to love and respect each other irrespective of our individual backgrounds as we are all part of humanity.
R.I.P, Mr. Cowasjee. You’re the one who inspired me to read Quaid-i-Azam speeches.
-Basit
Rest in Peace, Mr. Cowasjee. I will not soon forget how gracious you were to allow me into your home and to meet your beloved animals. Nor the time we spent together together discussing not only the subject matter for my film, but life in general. Our meeting changed me irrevocably, and I am still trying to unearth the messages behind the riddles you spoke in. Your words live on. My sincerest condolences, kind sir.
With this sad demise a chapter in the field of journalism has come to an end. Future historians will be compelled to give him a very hihg status. Almighty may rest his sole in peace.
It is a great loss to the country he was a real Pakistani.We will miss his great writing in the true sense.
Rest in peace Sir….You will continue to inspire us down here…
Rest in Peace Sir….
we mourn of his death and he was true pakistani and human being. I was inspired by his true speaking and writing. he was brave to write agaist all wrong doings what he feels or realize day by day….And i know he was not muslim by faith and worked on way to God…
May Allah rest his soul in eternal peace
Clearly he died a broken hearted man, it’s sad he had to experience the times we are living in now.
I became very sad to listen the news about the demise of Cowasjee. I really enjoyed his weekly columns in the daily Dawn and lately in daily Express, but his Columns in the daily Dawn are worth appreciation. With his death, we really miss a great person of conscience which are dear in our country these days.
Mr. Cowasjee was a great fighter for the cause of justice and peace in Pakistan, especially in Karachi. His columns were blunt, factual and hard hitting. Pakistan will really miss him.
Indeed ! we lost a voice of sanity. Rarely we find a person of such high intellect , integrity and courage. Rest in peace , Sir.
This is one of saddest news I have heard. I have always admired him. I knew him through his great writings. I started missing him when he stopped writing. Now we all will miss him forever. That is a great loss for Pakistan in general and for Journalism in particular. He has done great jobs for humanity. May his soul rest in peace.
I exchanged a few emails with him in recent years in response to his articles in Dawn. A great man; unfortunately Pakistan didn’t change for the better during his lifetime, in fact it got worse and is getting worse. But we live in hope and strive for a better and sustainable tomorrow. May Allah bless Mr Cowasjee’s soul; Ameen!
This is saddest day for Pakistan. May Allah protect his soul.Ameen
I had always read his columns with interest. Though never had a chance to meet him, but had known Mr. Cowasjee since 1980′s when he was member of NED’s Senate committee.
May almighty rest his soul in peace.
A. Agha
This was the saddest day for me in a very long time.
Pakistan especially Karachi lost its BEST citizen.
Mr. Cowasjee was my teacher and HERO.
May you live forever in our hearts and minds. My prayers will always be with and for him.