Happy birthday, Sunil! So much love. Miss you.

What an ode Ajit Duggal.. To a friend of five decades and more.. A life difficult to sum up or catalogue.. Sunil lives in each memory.. As Rumi says.. Good byes are for those we love with our eyes.. And NOT for those who we love with our souls.. Sunil.. And his Legacy will live on..

Sunil Jain, one of those men who, when he spoke, you listened. When he wrote, you read….its that simple.
We were together at Columba’s from KG until the 12th. Before that we were at Tiny Tots. Our desks were frequently adjoining. I was a badmash in the class and he was more sober, intellectual, but always with a twinkle in his eye and wry smile that gave away his tacit approval of my shenanigans. I remember so many instances… dropping marbles in Kancha’s class, a live lizard in Majumdar’s purse….she screamed, and of course, the best, a radio with the India Pakistan cricket match in the loudspeaker in Jacob’s class…we said, Morrissey must be listening in his office and did not turn off the intercom mike…..We did not high-five or knuckle bump in those days, we just gave each other a wink and a nod…that’s all that was needed. Jain was definitely on board with the disruptions and sometimes the instigator.
There are many more memories, too many to catalogue here, but suffice it say, they are all memorable and precious.
As the years went by, some gravitated to sports and other things while he went for building crosswords with Atul Churamani, Hans Udeshi and Hemant Sud. I was quite in awe of their talents and often watched as they colored in the blocks, filled in the words, and then created the questions that would hint towards a convoluted answer that solved the puzzle.
Sunil Jain obviously worked his way diligently to the pinnacle of his career. From what I know he was a dedicated family man and well loved by the group here and his professional associates. When the PM of your nation remembers you in an online message, that says a lot. Like it or not, this is recognition. As others have noted, he had steel balls.
Over time he gave me many a MC/BC, and he gave me many a Fuck You. I take those as badges of honor coming from him. Reading his work, you quickly came to respect his wit, his incisive writing, and his love of life and friends. His articles were educative and thoughtful, his positions clear and firm. Too many editors or Op-Ed writers give the reader many options to decide for themselves, Jain always made his stand clear…. And was never political or swayed with the winds of the time, just his beliefs.
As kids, Kakar, Udeshi, Bamzai, Rustamji, Tandon, Vicky Sahni and I were very close with Jain. I have fond memories that are now coming into greater focus as I reflect back on those days. Most of all, I remember the love between us, love of brothers, hatred of teachers, angst at being stuck in the classroom.
As we all reflect on a life well lived but tragically cut short too soon, let us remember that none of us are kids any longer. Some days we may feel invincible but most days we feel our bones or muscles or organs reminding us of the use (and abuse) that we have subjected them to for almost 60 years.
Sunil would want us to look after ourselves. That will be our greatest way to honor him. He would want us to take care of our health but tonight, raise a toast to our departed brother who made our lives richer and more fulfilled. Rest in Peace bhai and as Rohit Anand so elegantly wrote, may your paths always be fragrant and well lit.

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/sunil-jain-death-financial-express-editor-covid-death-7343121/
A Fitting Tribute on June 4 , 2021 in Indian Express by Sajiid Z. Chinoy

Dear Sunil Jain – Resting with Angels in Paradise

Didn’t know him well in school, neither well enough thereafter,
But shared some enriching moments – some fun and some laughter!
His calm personality, his humble demeanor,
Without intent, made others look meaner.

When his pen did the talking,
Even Johny Walker stopped walking.
You were compelled to read in awe,
Admire the clarity with which he saw,
The socio-economic implications,
Of this Country’s major decisions.

One read and things became obvious,
To which till then you seemed oblivious.
But what moved me most was his simple smile,
Behind which he hid journalistic might.

Now the dear ones are left lonely,
With thoughts resonating “if only..”.
But maybe God needed an able minister,
To help him manage this massive disaster!

Remember, cry, respect, salute, thank and cherish till we meet again.

Dear Sunil, I knew you not as some would call a close friend. We grew up together in school from KG to YR12. Did not meet you in person since 1981. However vivid images of your smiling face over 13 years in school (grounds, corridors, auditorium, school bus) embedded firmly in my being till today define this irrational relationship and strong bond of 53 years. One that brought a spontaneous mix of emotions and uncontrollable tears in the eyes as we paid tribute and celebrated your life.

Hats off to you for what you achieved and a big thank you for the significant contribution you made to our great nation before your soul left for the other world. After you have met with your near and dear ones parted before you, do drop in and say hello to Oman, Morrissey and Co. Can imagine Farrell with his hand on his ear. All good souls that brought us together and selflessly dedicated their lives to make men out of boys in their own peculiar way.  Genuinely demonstrated values of humility, integrity, kindness, courage and respect that you learned and lived with were echoed by our school batch mates. You will always stand tall.

Will pray for your family and have your wife Namita and son Abhinav in thoughts. Will cherish the memories for life, till we meet again in the other world. 

‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlaata Hai Jo Aaj Tak Hamein Iss Atoot Bandhan Mein Judaata Hai
Hamaare Dilon Mein Iss Bachpan Ke Adhbudt Safar Ko Aajeevan Basaata Hai
Kya Naam Ise Dein, Iss Bachpan Se Judeh Rishtey Ko
Kya Dosti Se Alag Aur Shayad Bardkar Hi
Apnee Mazboot Jadein Yeh Banaata Hai?’

Aap Ko Salaam.

Really saddened to learn of Sunil's demise. He was by far the most encouraging and supportive senior journalist I have interacted with.

He never looked down upon other people no matter how young or inexperienced they were. I am a student and was so many years his junior, but Sunil always treated me with just as much warmth and respect as he'd treat a colleague his age. I am grateful for the opportunities he gave me to write with the Financial Express, and I know two-three friends who were able to start their careers in journalism because of him.

Rest in peace, rest in peace. :(

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/financial-express-editor-sunil-jain-dies-7316783/
A Tribute by
Surjit S. Bhalla

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/financial-express-editor-sunil-jain-dies-7316783/
A Tribute by
Sanjaya Baru

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/financial-express-editor-sunil-jain-passes-away-7317831/
A Tribute by Shobhana Subramanium

https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/remembering-sunil-jain-a-dinner-waits/2252855/ A Tribute
By Bibek Debroy

Sunil and I worked together in three organisations, Indian Express, Business Standard and Financial Express, he was a great colleague, warm, outspoken and the kind that I liked - straight as an arrow. There were no angles to Sunil, what you saw was what you got. His energy was boundless, his cheer lifted the mood in the office. I will miss him.

It was my first day as an intern in Indian Express, Qutub Institutional area, New Delhi. Sunil was one of the first few people whom I’d met and I was struck — he was a senior editor, a “celeb” in my eyes, and yet he was so warm, so humble. Asked me if I had lunch arranged for myself! That was a gesture that I’ll never forget till my dying day. I didn’t work with him directly but just observing him in that area where some of us worked together, I knew there was so much to learn from him. I still remember how upset he was one day when he found out that I’d spent money on buying a planner — he was really fond of those and (if memory serves me well), his MontBlanc pens (?) “you should have just asked me,” he said, casually handing me a beautiful leather bound planner. He told me how he really used them to schedule and plan his days (these were the days before mobile phones). He wasn’t happy when I decided to quit Indian Express for another tabloid-like publication. I was lucky that a few years later we worked together in Business Standard. I was going through a lot of personal turmoil and though he wasn’t someone to interfere unnecessarily, he did guide me — and my colleague — after he took us out for a cup of coffee. He didn’t have to, but I could sense he was troubled that my colleague and I were troubled. Then there was his childlike enthusiasm when I got a new phone — he was so excited for me that he unboxed it, took it out and oh, “ye plastic nikalo” he said and gave it to me while I looked stunned. Through the years, he and I kept in touch, wishing each other on birthdays and festivals. Knowing that Sunil was around is something that many of us took for granted. He was so zinda-dil, how could illness ever touch him? I messaged him when I found out he had COVID and he’s replied. This was shortly before he was admitted to AIIMS. I did message on Twitter and somehow I was super confident of his recovery. I am devastated like many others at his going, I long to hear his voice, that laughter that made troubles go away in the newsroom in the severest of crises. I wish there was a way to bring him back. Sunil, you will be missed by many, including me. Will never forget your smiling face when I walked in nervously as a young intern two decades ago. You made it easy. Alvida for now, hum phir milenge.
Tu maut ke saath bhi aisa hansa, usko bhi apna yaar banaa baitha.
Rest now, Sunil. I’m sure you’re making everyone laugh in heaven with your amazing sense of humour.

https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/sunil-jain-death-tributes-pour-in-as-the-financial-express-managing-editor-passes-away-due-to-post-covid-19-complications-6898041.html/amp
Multiple Tributes pour in

https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/wap.business-standard.com/article-amp/current-affairs/sunil-jain-an-outstanding-journalist-and-a-generous-friend-121051600302_1.html
By Shyamal Majumdar

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/fe-editor-sunil-jain-passes-away-7317867/lite/%20%20Sent%20from%20my%20iPhone/ Tribute by Anant Goenka , Executive Director, Express Group & Publisher Financial Express

More like a brother than a friend. Our families spent 12 wonderful and memorable years together in Defence Colony sharing animated conversations, family gatherings and evening tea and walks while young Sunil and I played together, rode our bicycles around the colony, formed secret clubs and sneaked off to the market to buy forbidden bullseyes, aam papad and chocolate.
Once, aged 9 or 10, we even sneaked off on our bicycles with our gang of friends for a picnic to Lodhi Gardens for which all of us were severely chastised later.
Sunil, even in in his childhood and youth, displayed a sharp intellect, a passion for writing, humour, formidable courage and a disregard of convention and formality, qualities that all those who later knew him as an adult grew to admire and respect.
We journeyed together from nursery to high school, virtually inseperable; even when educational choices and work locations drew us physically apart, we continued to be in touch and meet whenever possible. Social media too helped us have frequent conversations.
It was with immense pride that I used to read his insightful and unbiased editorials and columns, and admired his ability to speak the truth, regardless of the likely consequences. He was, in so many ways, the conscience keeper of the nation.
We have lost him too soon, but the work he has done is more than what most of us will do in several lifetimes, and the joy he has brought to every life he has touched will live forever.
We, his family and friends, have been privileged to have known him, loved him and shared our lives with him, and he will live eternally in our hearts and minds.

Sunil Jain and I shared the same section in school till 10th and then we went to different streams. We were not very close in school but I started respecting his work when I reconnected with old friends on our WhatsApp group. He was straight forward in his criticism and support of the measures taken by the government giving reasons for his views. You will be missed always my friend.

Good Bye to you for Good - Sunil ,
A friend I made a bit too late , for too short a while and who left too early .
I met Sunil on St Columbus ScS81 batch what’s app group along with scores of other batch mates when the group was created in Dec 2014 .
Most of us were getting acquainted after 33 years . I had joined St Columbus in XI th & XII th in XI B . Unlike St George’s College a boarding school At Mussorie which had a strength of less than 500 students, where I had previously studied this was a vastly different experience with over 250 students in a class of multiple sections going upto “E” with hardly any extra curricular activities in senior school- not even an morning school assembly .
So mostly the friends made were our own class fellows of our section “B” or through them their friends in other sections.
Most of us post school had drifted apart except for a handful who met frequently but Facebook, email group n later the most impactful What’s App got us together with the others .
Being school buddies one picks up relationships rapidly from where one left them - informally & without any selfish motives - it’s all about having fun and I guess especially as you cross 50s you want to be kids again and re live childhood with talking nonsense or even if sensible stuff - nonsensical to many .
On the what’s app group some are active communicators or re - posters  , some lead , and most are silent observers - being in background , Staying in touch but shy . Some get overwhelmed by the constant chatting of over 100 guys spread out from Phillipines in the East to USA - SFO in the west and even leave but do rejoin time to time or tag along in co related smaller groups with more focused discussion n fewer postings.
Sunil was a guy that hardly slept , I thought as he would be up and start his posts at around 4:00 am , I guess a habit of catching his own papers morning 1st edition to possibly approve it (?) Post Covid he experimented with a 15 minutes daily vdo telecast that we looked forward too .
On the group chat he would keep the banter light using colourful MCs & BCs and was passionate about certain public policy issues - Telecom & Agriculture was fore most & on our group we had endless serious discussions n debates on current affairs & polity impact on public policy & India’s growth story - when things got heavy we moved on to creating a sub group called SCS Bheja Fry for more serious wrangling & debates, in which I used to also participate in actively- we had our differences of opinions eg on Price Controls for Medical Devices but he was magnanimous in offering me to write an OpED in his Financial Express conceding that the papers readers need to have access to an alternate thought process and reasoning to be better educated and draw their own conclusions. There were other OpEDs I wrote later for FE on Makeinnindia of Medical Devices or on Patients Safety & regulations.
With this developed a kinship on common views & healthy debates and though he was a MoDi fan we both used to be at times sharing a common critical view on Govt policies or actions take or rather lack of actions .
When the second covid wave started & his wife Namita got ill he got overwhelmed by the postings and left the group with political discussions blasting Modi , citing too much negativity but retained his presence in the Covid educational sub group created - he also posted a column that lambasting Modi & Govt would not solve shortages issues and to give Govt a chance to regroup and public which was also part of the problem needed to be self disciplined , to be part of the solution.
He would call me to seek clarification on the postings I made for technical knowledge for vaccination etc as he had his 1st Jab of COVAXIn at Aiims in April or to find access to meds for other family members , in laws & friends & then reached out to get an oxygen cylinder & an oxygen concentrator for his family and I thought well timed as he himself had just caught Covid .
He was initially ill but after paracetamol & oxygen he was back in action & chirpy on the group and I remarked to him to take it easy and save his breath & energies as he seemed getting a high on oxygen with light headed chirpiness .
Daily monitoring and sharing details of his wife Namitas and his progress started and suddenly our group had an eruption of cases that needed hospitalisation. Sanjay Wahi who had become a veteran in covid disease management with experience of his buddy last year , was our to go to Trouble Shooter to seek assistance fir beds , meds , ambulances etc . Sunil while himself being ill would chase me on knowing status of Sanjay Hans or Sanjay Sood and help they possibly needed. He was quite confident that he was getting out of it and that’s the mistake most have made in this Covid 2nd wave .
He even sent forward the oxygen cylinder I sent him to someone who needed it more critically as Sunil & Namita had by then had access to an Oxygen Concentrator.
I had put him across to Dr Gaurav Of Healthcare at Home so I guess he was mentally reassured though he had just lost his father in law to Covid.
On 3rd May Wahi messaged me his strong concerns of Sunil as he’s had to be admitted to Aiims after receiving an SOS call from Namita at 8:30 am . Bichoo created a small Jain support group of Wahi , Gopi, me with Namita to pool in updates from various friends in medical community & provide help whatever needed and the prayers and vigil started.
On May 4 Sunil sent me his selfie but when I asked how he was faring ? “badly “ was the singular reply and an unease spread over me .... on 5th he was intubated and put on the ventilator and suddenly Wahi & I could see that this is getting critical and beyond serious, he fought valiantly , raised our hopes as doctors reported stability and very slow but minor improvements over a week - Dr Gueleria taking personal interest and care was comforting to us all . On 7th May - which was his day 16 , was an SOS for blood that was quickly arranged. 
Patience with this patient we consoled ourselves and each other as days clocked and May 15 th came .
That day he had multiple organ failure while the expert team of doctors tried valiantly to address each complications as it arose from lungs to heart failure n revival to finally news that we lost him as he had succumbed.
Very untimely , totally irreplaceable loss for his family and a big vaccum created in Scs groups that went under a shock wave .
I was so looking forward to his revival and his colourful MC stress reliever expletives but sadly this is not fated to be .
I feel for your loss - Financial Express Team ,
U lost a Boss & great leader in Sunil Jain .              The journalists lost a colleague and a powerful pen that inspired many to write fearlessly as an independent 4th Estate
Namita lost a dear husband
Abhinav his dearest father
And my batch mates & I
We lost a Dost .....

Rajiv Nath
Class of 1981
St Columbus’

I really feel like saying MC/ BC to you...for leaving us so soon...Sunil...miss you. Also lost are my chances of getting any Infoedge shares through your constant pleading with Bichoo. Strange are the ways of God. He is taking good people like you away, at a time, when the world needs you the most. Farewell Sunil..i am sure you will spread laughter and warmth around you...wherever you are...

Poem: 16th May 2021

Sunil Jain: In Memoriam

Although I never
Knew you well
You were in my class
At school
As kids
Though not
In my section
And before that
at
Tiny Tots too
Imagine!

Many friends in common
Playing
In the same
St. Columba’s
Playgrounds
In the heat
With the kites
Circling
Overhead
To snatch
Our tiffin
At lunchtime

Much later in life
I met you
As a famous
Editor
Impressed
Yet
Completely
Unaware
That we had
Studied
Together
And shared
That
Special school
Bond

Today
Your memorial
With so many
Friends
Deeply mourning
what was
Clearly
A life
Well lived
Yet lost
Too soon
Too young
With so much
More
To offer
So much
Pain
So many
Tears
So much
Love
Poured
Out today
Many words
That some
Wished they
Had said
Out loud
Just a few weeks ago

Devastating
Sadness
Loss
Shock filled
Mourning

Yet as I listened
To each friend
In turn
It became clear
That
What remains
Outstanding
Unforgettable
Fragrant
Is the humour
Warmth
And courage
With which
You lived
Your life
And the hands
You held
Whenever
Friends
Stumbled
Along the way

A testament
And a tribute
To true friendship
And a life
Well lived

Lost many in last one month but nothing has hit me as this.
Adieu my friend.