‘New age’ editor Shameem Faizee is no more

Shameem Faizee, National Secretariat Member of Communist Party of India, passed away on Friday night. He was suffering from cancer for the last few months.

He was born and brought up in Nagpur and joined the party in 1965. He was soon called to All India party centre, Ajoy Bhavan, Delhi to work with the central journals department of the CPI. He became an elected member of National Council in 1979 and member of the National Executive of the party in 1993. He was elected to the Central Secretariat Member of the party in 1997. He continued to serve the party in this capacity till his last breath.

He studied journalism and chose it as his career. He joined English daily The Hitavada, Nagpur in 1965 as sub-editor. He had good command over English, Urdu and Hindi. He became Editor of Hayat, an Urdu journal of CPI in 1979 and also took charge of Party's central organ "New Age" in 1996. He also served as Managing Director of People's Publishing House (PPH) from 1996 till his demise. In his long career as a journalist, he was associated with Urdu fortnightly "Umang", CNS, "Daily Patriot", "Communist Jayza", etc.

He was deeply involved in activities of the cultural movement and unionising journalists. For long he was in the national executive of Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and Progressive Writers' Association (PWA). He authored and edited several books and pamphlets on contemporary political and social issues of national and international importance.

The CPI in a statement said “at a time, when there is a right wing offensive in the country, his absence is a great loss not only for CPI but to all progressive forces. His contribution to the party and to the ideological battle will be remembered ever and remain as a source of inspiration.”