Indian expat Anu Cinubal was a journalist, a copy editor, an author of highly acclaimed books, but over the past few years at Khaleej Times, he was more than all of that. He was a miracle.
He lived with stage 4 colon cancer for four years. On Tuesday, he died in his home in the south Indian state of Kerala. He was 49.
For 14 years, Anu edited KT’s news stories both for print and online. He was the calm when deadlines and breaking stories stirred up the newsroom. After he was diagnosed with cancer in 2020, he became an inspiration.
Sahim Salim, associate editor, would always remember his smile. “In the 11 years I have known him, I have seen him dismiss all of life’s problems with a smile,” he said.
“I met him last in June of this year. He was struggling to stand straight without support and talk without panting. He smiled, even then,” Salim added.
Ajanta Paul, who worked with him as part of the Digital team, said Anu taught her to be “critical as an editor”.
“He wanted to make sure that we did not preach but report. He would take off things that might come across as tone-deaf and would edit out any hint of stereotyping,” Paul said, acknowledging her colleague as a veteran in the industry. After all, before joining Khaleej Times, he had worked in some of India’s national newspapers such as The Indian Express and Free Press Journal.
To Samlal Sisupalan, principal designer, Anu wasn’t just the colleague who was fighting cancer: he was his best friend.
“He would invite me to his home in Sharjah for every occasion,” said Sisupalan, who joined KT in the same year Anu did.
“He was a generous soul — and a good cook,” he added, remembering how Anu would cook three or four dishes and bring them all to work for everyone’s lunch.
Angel Tesorero, assistant editor, couldn’t recall a time when Anu didn’t have a book in his hand. “His passion was with words. He loved the craft of writing and he found pleasure in reading good books. He was someone who always carried a book – at work or at home, in transit or while travelling,” he said.
Anu wrote three books in Malayalam, and one of them — Notes on the Whys of Suicide — won the Kairali Atlas Award.
Suresh Pattali, executive editor, wouldn’t forget one “incredible day” when he and Anu both had their titles showcased at the Sharjah International Book Fair.
“Anu and I were co-travellers on a short journey but the footprints he left behind are indelible. He was a nomad with so much fire and poetry in his heart and he literally entertained all he met with sumptuous food and thoughts. It was a free flow of fun at our get-togethers,” Pattali said.
Living with cancer
It takes a great deal of courage to fight cancer but to actually live with it? It’s unimaginable — yet, Anu did it.
Life didn’t stop with the big C. He went on road trips, soaked in the views of the mountains, and met and made friends along the way.
He kept driving even when his body hurt. He smiled and laughed even when he was in pain.
“I know the pain will grow, but I also know that the happiness will also grow along with that. … I know how to turn the pain into happiness… I know how to fight…” he wrote in a piece for World Cancer Day in 2023.
And fight he did. He signed his e-mails with a name that befitted him, Anu Warrier. He was a warrior through and through.
Anu is survived by his son, daughter and two sisters.