'Irreplaceable Loss': Editors Guild Mourns Danish Siddiqui's Death

Editors Guild of India said it feels 'deeply disturbed' by the racist campaign run against Siddiqui on social media.

Editors Guild of India (EGI) has released a statement mourning the untimely death of Reuter's Chief photojournalist Danish Siddiqui. On 16 July, Siddiqui was killed in crossfire while he was covering the military conflict between Afghan security forces and the Taliban near a border crossing with Pakistan.

While mourning Siddiqui's death, Editors Guild also criticised the "racist campaign" run against Siddiqui by "some sections of social media."

Irreplaceable Loss to Journalism 

EGI in its statement said that Siddiqui losing his life in Afghanistan is an "irreplaceable loss to journalism."

"Over the past decade, he had covered some of most heart wrenching stories of conflict and humanitarian crisis from South Asia and the surrounding regions- the Rohingya refugee crisis, the Nepal earthquake, war in Iraq, Easter blasts in Sri Lanka, protests in Hong Kong, the riots in North East Delhi in 2020, and most recently, the coverage of the devastating human tragedy caused by the pandemic. He was part of the Reuters team that won the Pulitzer prize in 2018 for documenting the Rohingya crisis."

Editors Guild of India

The Guild further stated that Siddiqui's work is a "living testament to the axiom of photojournalism."

"Danish Siddiqui’s death is a stern reminder of the great risks journalists takes to report from the frontlines of conflict," the Guild said.

Disturbed By the Racist Campaign 

While offering condolences, the Guild also expressed "deep disturbance" by the "racist campaign" run against Siddiqui by certain sections of social media.

"At the same time, the Guild is deeply disturbed by the vicious and highly regrettable racist campaign being run against him by some sections of social media. His death is an occasion to remember him and all the journalists who have died in conflict reporting."

Editors Guild of India

Last Dispatch

Siddiqui was killed in the line of duty, on 16 July, while covering a clash between Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters near a border crossing with Pakistan.

In what would end up becoming his last dispatch before his death, Siddiqui had, on Tuesday, detailed a mission undertaken by Afghan forces to rescue a trapped and wounded policeman amid an attack on them.

Sharing a visual of one of the rockets hitting the armour plate of their car overhead, alongside a brief video, Siddiqui had written that he "was lucky to be safe."