In Abhay Mokashi’s passing, the Indian media has lost one of its stellar journalists. A reporter, columnist, and senior editor who worked across several newspapers for more than four decades, he leaves behind a legacy that is both voluminous and rich in content and context.
Abhay and I worked together at mid-day from the mid-1990s till the end of the decade, when I was editing the paper.
He was already an established byline in Mumbai, known for ground-breaking stories in his previous stints, when he was hired as chief reporter.
Around this time, mid-day was seeking ambitious growth, for which aggressive hard news coverage of Mumbai (then Bombay) had become imperative.
Strong features and sports sections, engaging soft stories, comics, celebrity columnists, and a riveting Diary page that had its finger on the pulse of the city had helped the paper’s popularity soar in the years since its launch in 1979. To scale new peaks, the paper now needed a more rounded identity that catered to the interests, aspirations and concerns of an emerging readership.
The brief for Abhay when he was hired was simple: pursue hard news vigorously, investigate stories with unrelenting rigour, and plan campaigns that resonated with the denizens of a vibrant, complex, and demanding city.
Abhay and I hit it off instantly. He was humble in demeanour, but a tough cookie when it came to work. The trademark khadi kurta worn over cotton pants reflected his socialist background. Yet, while he held strong personal convictions, he was never bound by ideology when it came to the practice of journalism.
We worked closely for many years, during which I came to know him well and admire him immensely.
I cannot recall him ever missing the morning editorial meeting, despite travelling daily from the distant suburbs by local train.
He was a journalist of impeccable integrity, with formidable skills, who inspired a generation of young reporters through his work.
As a reporter, he was par excellence. He had an uncanny ability to sniff out news and followed it up with energy and diligence until he got to the bottom of the issue. This was his forte. Hardened by the discipline required to turn a lead into a fully fleshed-out story, he was scathing of those who jumped to conclusions using shortcuts or unverified information.
Abhay was also a natural leader, taking young reporters under his wing and sharing his expertise and sources without fear or insecurity. Under his guidance, reporters flourished.
During his tenure, in which he rose to become political editor and also helped launch the Pune edition, mid-day carried out several path-breaking stories and investigations — too many to list here. Two, however, stand out:
1. The kidney transplant scam investigation, in which poor labourers were coerced into parting with their kidneys for a pittance by unscrupulous doctors.
2. Extensive reportage of the Justice Srikrishna Commission hearings into the 1993 bomb blasts.
Both investigations rattled the corridors of power in Mumbai and Maharashtra. Abhay Mokashi belonged to the old school. He was steadfast in his belief in journalism as a critical pillar of a robust democracy, and unafraid of speaking truth to power. That last quality was his hallmark. Journalists like him are a rapidly vanishing breed in today’s milieu, where the media, alas, is more supine than assertive. This makes his passing an even more profound loss to the profession.
Ayaz Memon was the Editor of mid-day between 1993 and 2000
