Tribute: Asha Arpit (5 August, 1967 – 12 February, 2025)
It was the afternoon of April 1996, when I was sitting in my newsroom of ‘Jansatta’ in Chandigarh. Suddenly the Resident Editor Om Thanvi entered. There was a girl with him. Thanvi sahab introduced her and said that she is Asha Saini and will work as a sub-editor. Asha was so simple and dedicated to work that within a few days I developed a good relationship with her. She used to call me Bhaiji and had a deep interest in subjects like art, environment. Painting was another hobby of hers. She stayed in Jansatta for about one and a half years, but the relationship with her was formed forever. It is a coincidence that when I moved from Jansatta to Indian Express, then Jansatta and finally to Tehelka in Delhi, during this time Asha also started writing in Tehelka. On 12 February, Asha departed from this world at the age of just 58.
Asha Saini, who wrote under the name Asha Arpit, had a great grip on subjects like art and environment. Her language was so simple and excellent that hardly any aspect of the subject was missed while writing. Asha was not well for some days but we felt that with the tenacity with which she lived her life, she would overcome this difficult time. But perhaps God did not want this.
Everyone looked at Asha, a member of Chandigarh Press Club, with great respect. She was also the General Secretary of Chandigarh Journalist Association. Asha had a good grip on the subjects of art and she used to write on them continuously. Asha, originally from Hoshiarpur, did not marry and dedicated her life to writing, photography and painting. Asha had made a good name as a painter and photographer and many exhibitions of her paintings were also held in places like Shimla, Chandigarh.
She also made a name as a travel writer and blogger. She had a keen interest in the environment and her articles in Tehelka ‘Haridwar-Rishikesh Corridor should not snatch away jobs’ and ‘Mountains are cracking due to human mistakes’ were the center of much discussion. Books written by Asha like ‘Yoga and Self Management’, ‘The Pick and Choose’ and ‘Kumbh’ became quite popular. Apart from Jansatta, Asha also worked for newspapers like Dainik Tribune, Amar Ujala, Punjab Kesari.
She was born in 1967 in Hoshiarpur, Punjab. For the last 10-12 days, she was admitted for treatment in PGI, Chandigarh. Former Director General of Doordarshan, Dr. Krishna Kumar Rattu is the husband of her sister. All her fellow writers are shocked by this sudden demise of Asha. From Chandigarh Press Club to various journalist organizations, leaders and intellectuals have mourned her death. Heartfelt tribute to Asha Saini from the ‘Financial World’.
– Rakesh Rocky
