The media fraternity is has been plunged into mourning for the second time this month with the sudden death of senior newspaper photographer Sureash Cholai. He passed away yesterday morning at the age of 59, from an apparent heart attack.
His death follows that of retired crime reporter Nalinee Seelal who died on January 9 after a long illness.
Cholai, who had been at the T&T Newsday since December 2003, worked up to Saturday and was rostered to work yesterday.
Straight out of school at ASJA College, San Fernando, he got his first job in the media at the T&T Mirror and Sunday Punch, where he rose to the role of senior photographer before joining the staff of the T&T Newsday.
News of Cholai’s death was confirmed yesterday morning in a post to the Media Association of T&T’s (MATT) WhatsApp group by former Newsday Editor-in-Chief Judy Raymond who described him as “a pillar of the Newsday newsroom and of the media fraternity.”
Fellow news photographer Azlan Mohammed remembered Cholai as an experienced photographer who “knew news.”
Mohammed added, “He won awards for his work. He was polite, patient and dutiful on the job, just a great guy.”
Political reporter Sean Douglas expressed sorrow at the passing of his colleague.
“Sureash had a really cool vibe going with reporters to assignments— focused on the job yet calming to his colleague. I really can’t believe he’s gone. Sureash was a great pleasure to work with and made a huge contribution to the TT media,” he said.
MATT President Ira Mathur, in extending condolences to Cholai’s family and loved ones, also observed: “It’s a sober reminder to all journos that we work in a stressful job and we all need to make time for self care to look after ourselves and one another.”
Cholai, whose wife, Sharmilla, died three years ago, was due to retire in a year and had been looking forward to spending more time with his family.
He is survived by his daughter Nadira, who recently graduated from UWI, and his son Ijaz who just completed secondary school.