SRINAGAR: A significant number of people from various backgrounds gathered on Friday for congregational prayers and a condolence meeting to commemorate the life of Er. Mohammad Anwar Ashai, a distinguished engineer, social activist, and an esteemed chronicler of Kashmir’s institutional and social history, who passed away on August 11.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the congregational Fateha prayers were held at the ancestral graveyard of the Ashai family in Ashai Kocha, Fateh Kadal. The prayers were led by prominent Islamic scholar Moulana Showkat Hussain Keng.
Er. Mohammad Anwar Ashai belonged to a generation that possessed a profound historical memory of Kashmir in the twentieth century. Through his father, Khwaja Ghulam Ahmad Ashai, he inherited firsthand accounts of the region’s early educational and political awakening. From the 1960s onwards, Ashai himself was a witness to and participant in significant political and social developments. In subsequent decades, his professional experience and deep engagement with civil society solidified his position as a valuable custodian of Kashmir’s institutional and social memory.
Following the prayers, a large assembly of political, religious, social, and business leaders, alongside academics, professionals, relatives, colleagues, and friends, convened for a condolence meeting and special prayers at his residence in Raj Bagh.
Moulana Showkat Hussain Keng addressed the gathering, speaking about the distinguished ancestry and legacy of the Ashai family. He fondly recalled the virtues and values that Er. Anwar Ashai had assimilated from his forefathers.
Representing Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, Moulana Syed-ur-Rehman Shams conveyed that the demise of Anwar Ashai was a profound loss for Kashmiri society as a whole.
Bashir Ahmad Wani provided an extensive account of Ashai’s spiritual path and his close ties with the revered Qari Mohammad Shafi Sahib of the Naqshbandiya order.
The Sajadah Nisheen of Darul Shareefia, Tral, Mir Syed Mehmood-ul-Hassan Andrabi, read out a citation honouring the deceased. The citation was subsequently presented to his son, Dr. Zubair Ashai, who was also bestowed with dastarbandi as a gesture of respect.
Former Information Commissioner Sofi Ghulam Rasool reminisced about his personal and familial connection with Anwar Ashai, acknowledging his substantial contributions to Kashmir’s civil society movement.
Ajaz Ahmad Kakroo described Ashai’s passing as a colossal loss, noting that he embodied a living archive of Kashmir’s history, institutions, and society, much of which remained undocumented.
Moulana Masroor Abbas Ansari characterized the demise as a personal setback, recalling his friendship with Anwar Ashai and his father. He specifically highlighted Ashai’s persistent endeavors towards fostering unity within the Ummah and his influential role in mitigating sectarian discord within Kashmir.
Speaking on behalf of the bereaved family, Dr. Zubair Ahmad Ashai expressed deep gratitude to all those who offered support to the family following Anwar Ashai’s passing, from the burial ceremonies through the subsequent mourning period.
He extended thanks to all attendees of the Namaz-e-Janazah, the congregational prayers, and the condolence meeting. He also acknowledged those who visited the family, made phone calls, sent messages, or conveyed their sympathies through various media outlets.
Dr. Zubair particularly recognized the extensive solidarity shown by prominent figures from the political, religious, social, educational, medical, and technological sectors, as well as members of the business community, civil society organizations, and other segments of society.
The condolence meeting was facilitated by Syed Shakeel Qalander.
The Chenab Times News Desk