BHOPAL, 4 March 2005 — With the death of Bhopal’s sports commentator and journalist, Hasanat Siddiqui, who was also the former Madhya Pradesh Minister and General Secretary of Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee, (MPCC), the sports world lost one of its beloved personalities.

Bhopalis came in thousands to bid a tearful adieu to their beloved leader as Siddiqui was laid to rest. His Namaz-e-Janazah was led by Bhopal Shahar Qazi Maulana Abdul Lateef. A large number of relatives, friends dignitaries and politicians cutting across the party lines attended his last journey.

Siddiqui died on Feb. 20 of massive heart attack. He was 63. He is survived by his wife, his only son Yasser and two brothers. His elder brother Sagheer Baidaar, who is the former Assistant Editor of widely-read Urdu newspaper Dawat published from Delhi, is the soul and spirit behind the well-known Muslim Education & Career Promotion Society, (MECAPS), of Bhopal, an NGO working in the educational field of Muslim schoolchildren. Friends remember the late Hasanat as someone who straddled the worlds of journalism, sports and politics with great aplomb. Born in 1942 in Bhopal, Hasanat hailed from one of the oldest families in Bhopal. With his death, Bhopal hockey has lost one of its important patrons.

Hasanat, apart from his forays in active politics, was also known as a sportsman who later took radio commentary on hockey and cricket. Renowned international cricket commentator, JP Narayanan, recalls the time when he had the chance to work with him. “ It was once during the Pataudi Cup cricket tournament and once when the visiting MCG side came to Indore in 1972-73 that I worked with him,” he said. Narayanan said that Hasanat along with the late Rajendra Malhotra, another radio sports commentator, popularized commentary on hockey.

“Hasanat Siddiqui was a darling of the masses at Aishbagh, the historic hockey stadium in Bhopal, for his use of typically Bhopali words while Rajendra Malhotra was known for his fast pace,” he added. The duo were celebrities in their own right, who brought to homes when TV was unknown to this town of mosques, lakes and hills, a vivid picture of the game of hockey with their articulate descriptions.

After completing his education Hasanat also worked as a journalist in various English newspapers. His stints with the MP Chronicle, Hitavada and Free Press are well remembered. In fact he was the first tutor of this journalist. He initiated and nurtured me in the world of English journalism and taught the art of sports reporting in particular. I am not the only one dotting the journalistic field at present who grew under his watchful eyes, but there are number of others who owe their existence to him today in the fourth estate. He used to take beginning writers under his wings and treated them as his kid brothers.

After he joined active politics, Hasanat represented the Bhopal North Assembly segment twice, once as a Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), member and once as a Congress MLA. He joined BJP after Congress high command, in one of its folly ignoring his mass appeal, denied him Vidhan Sabha ticket. Feeling hurt BJP offered him ticket and he won at the hustings sending the Congress high command scurrying for cover.