Till we meet again, Saneeya

Saneeya was born in 1954 and in her time on this earth was a journalist, a development worker and an activist of several shades. But it is her spirit, courage, laughter and an indomitable desire to cherish life as a human being in every aspect that has left her friends and acquaintances in many countries but especially in South Asia and Latin America so affected. She has almost shocked people into realizing how special she was and to so many. While many have mourned openly, all have spoken of her love for life as well. As if in death Saneeya Hussain, a journalist by trade and a friend by choice, had brought together all of us whom she knew into a grand wake -- a festival of mourning and memories -- organised on the occasion of her departure.

I came to know Saneeya as the Director of Panos South Asia (PSA) and a person actively interested in promoting a conflict free South Asia through support to media. As a Pakistani, she was quite familiar with conflict and even war but she never lost confidence in the activism for a better South Asia especially Indo-Pak relations. A relationship that was positive and bereft of the useless rhetoric and banality of jingoism. She knew media practitioners could play a major role and through her Panos work she became a major player in that field. And she did this with minimum fuss yet ensuring visible and concrete returns. Such has been her influence that Panos South Asia's media fellowship on conflict transformation has been named after her. It is a fine and worthy tribute.

The extraordinary outpouring of concern from all corners for Saneeya is not a surprise for many of us who knew her. She had that rare ability to touch all those who came to know her even fleetingly. Not all are as close to her as others are and yet, everyone has felt united in a common grief and hoped together for her recovery. When she was in the hospital and everyone was mailing each other for information, Beena Sarwar of Pakistan started a yahoo group to keep her many friends in far-flung parts of the world connected and informed on the latest news. It served as a great net that kept people aware of what was on till her final moments and after that as well. Beena's efforts have been one of the most remarkable descriptions of love and respect for someone truly special, for a colleague and a mentor.

But Saneeya had reached many more. In Brazil, where her husband was also involved in activism -- they met in South Africa as participants in the global battle for equity and justice -- she was very close to her immediate family and made many friends. They sent words, poems and wishes, hoping that she would return as she once was and light up other people's lives with her presence.

Her parents and a sister lived in Pakistan and a doctor sister who was in the States flew down to her bedside. They received her body and buried her as well as did her Brazilian husband who probably bore the burden of her condition the most and now carries a grief will be even greater. To all her friends and relatives, the courage and fortitude of those closest to her has been a wonder and people have tried to capture the extra-ordinary grace people have displayed in this very difficult time. Even as she lay dying she brought out the best in others.

Yet apart from the numbingly painful grief that has touched her close ones, Saneeya's work has great significance beyond the immediacy of grief. Her public work as a facilitator of peace journalism in South Asia has echoes that will be carried forward by many. Saneeya had a personality that rose above the narrow confines of nationalism and she could push for the idealism that is required to champion the cause. It's an example that many will emulate.

In her work at Panos she was able to demonstrate that more than politicians, it was journalists who were ready to embrace dialogue and understand the problems faced by neighbours made distant by boundaries and borders. As a South Asian, she was ideally placed to understand the internal complicacies and conflicts that stood in the ways of peace especially in the region. Ironically, she had enormous difficulties in getting visa to visit India even when pursuing the cause of better Indo- Pak relations. She would laugh the irony away and keep plugging on.

After a two year stint at Panos in Kathmandu, she decided to move to Brazil so that Luis could be close to home while she could touch Latin culture. Her interest in art and music was immense. I remember once in Dhaka, after a hectic day of candidate interviewing she brushed aside her tiredness and visited art galleries and bought music CDs with great enthusiasm. She had such a lovely balance of work and fun.

She was buried in Karachi on Sunday the 24th. Our mutual friend journalist Kanak Dixit of Nepal was there when the last rites were read. He sends this poignant mail :

"Saneeya was laid to rest in a white shroud as a cleric recited verses, the sun was setting behind nearby buildings in this city-centre cemetery. Eagles rode the air currents above, also kites being flown by the kids of the mohalla. We had first gathered at the imambara where a ceremony was held, after which the motorcade headed for the cemetery. Saneeya's family and friends were all present, dignified and gracious as always. The women of Saneeya's life, including her mother, her two sisters and friends, were all there at the cemetery. Her ailing father was seated. Luis stood by the grave. After Saneeya was interred, rose water and rose petals and bouquets were spread on her grave, and some rose petals were also spared for neighbouring plots. As the group left, the cleric stayed behind kneeling to repeat some last words of prayer. Back at Saneeya's home, in the living room, there was a child's notebook filled with details of Saneeya's early childhood. And there was Saneeya's scribbling of her own name when she must have been four, in pencil, 'saneeyahussain', one word in crooked, legible writing."

She will surely find peace because if there was a cause that she fought for, it was that. Her sterling qualities as a human being and friend are so many that one could write entire obituaries just describing her million generosities and kindness, her laughter, friendship and love. She will mean all these to many of us but in the end she will have one more rose to drop on her grave. It will come from all those who wish for a more peaceful and progressive South Asia. And what a lovely rose that is.

Till we meet again, Saneeya.