UPDATE: Photo from memorial service added below.
[We are collecting thoughts and tributes - please add them in the comments section below.]
We are sorry to report that Dharam Shourie, a veteran US-based journalist and UN correspondent for India's largest wire service, the Press Trust of India, has died. He was 72.
Photojournalist Jay Mandal, whose photo is reproduced here (click to get high-resolution version): sent out a note earlier today:
Folks, I send with deep sadness and sorrow a file photo of of our
beloved NY-based veteran journalist friend, a colleague and a good
soul, Dharam Shaib (Dharam Shourie 72) who passed away on July 29,
2009 at a New Jersey Hospital after a prolonged illness. I have known
Dharam Shaib for at least last 18 years. Let's all pray for the departed soul.
Giampaolo Pioli, the president of the United Nations Correspondent Association, shared this message with the group's members:
Dear Colleagues:
MR DHARAM SHOURIE, BUREAU CHIEF OF PRESS TRUST OF INDIA (PTI) AT THE UNITED NATIONS FOR THE PAST TWO DECADES, PASSED AWAY WEDNESDAY JULY 29 AFTER A PROLONGED ILLNESS AT A NEW JERSEY HOSPITAL, HIS FAMILY MEMBERS SAID.
MR SHOURIE'S FAMILY WILL ANNOUNCE FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS LATER.
The funeral will be on Friday, July 31 and there will be a memorial service on Saturday, Aug. 1. Here is the information, sent by his family, via the e-mail address that he used for so many years:
From: PRESSTRUST[at]aol.com Date: Jul 30, 2009 2:56 PM
Subject: Dharam Shourie's Funeral
As you may already know, Dad (Dharam Shourie) passed away last evening at 4:15 pm.
Following are the details for his funeral, which will be held on Friday July 31, 2009 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm.
Venue: Vander Plaat Vermeulen Memorial Home
530 High Mountain Road
Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
(201) 891 4770
Please use the link below for directions or see the attached document.
The funeral will be followed by Cremation at 2 p.m. Directions to the crematorium will be available at the Vander Plaat funeral home.
The Memorial Service (Chautha) will take place on Saturday August 1st, 2009 at 11:00 am.
Venue:
Hindu Samaj Temple of Mahwah
247 W Ramapo Ave
Mahwah, NJ 07430
(201) 529-0110
Please use the link below for directions or see the attached document.
Attire
For those of you unfamiliar with Hindu funerals, the attire should
be comfortable and not formal. For instance shirt and slacks is
perfect, but a tie and jacket is too much. Light muted colors such as
white or pastels. This is just a guideline, if you do not have
the appropriate attire, please don't let that keep you from attending.
Please feel free to forward this information to anyone who
might be interested in attending.
Regards,
Shourie Family
PTI Washington correspondent Lalit K. Jha <lalitkjha[at]gmail.com> shared the news that Shourie's passing was mentioned at the Thursday briefing by the UN Secretary General's spokesperson:
Statement by Michèle Montas, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Last, I have a bit of sad news for you. Dharam Shourie, the long-time correspondent for Press Trust of India, died last night after a protracted illness. He was in his late eighties. He was a friendly and cheerful presence at the United Nations for several decades, and
we will miss him. We send our sincere condolences to his family.
[Please note that former UN Under-Secretary-General and India's new Minister of State for External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor, has issued a statement. It is in the comments section below, along with various other folks, including Ambassador H.S. Puri, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations. You can add your own thoughts there.]
I was asked earlier today for a comment by India Abroad's Suman Mozumder. Here's what I sent him:
I am deeply saddened to know of Dharam's passing. He was one of the most prolific, hardest-working journalists around. Being the U.S. correspondent for such a large Indian wire agency meant every development in Desi America was a potential story and every Desi in America was a potential source. As a result, he worked longer, stranger hours than most people, and I was used to seeing messages from him in my inbox at midnight, 1 a.m., or even later. He also had a terrific nose for news and always knew what would be the most interesting to the most folks. He was very supportive of SAJA and unnecessarily apologetic for not being able to attend more of our events in person - though he was always there in spirit.
We are collecting thoughts and tributes to Dharam Shourie. Please add them in the comments section below.
Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri
(left), India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, greets
Urmil Shourie, the widow of Dharam Shourie, as daughter-in-law Julieann
(center) looks on, at a Memorial Service (Chautha) at a NJ
Temple. Several friends and relatives attended the service.
[BOTH PHOTO CREDITS: Jay Mandal/On Assignment]
