“Karanjia’s crusades”

In response to Pervez Rana’s letter "Karanjia’s crusades” (Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, June 7, 2008), I would like to state that Russy Karanjia was my cousin. Our grandfather, Khan Bahadur Burjorji D. Patel settled in Quetta towards the end of the 19th century, and was one of the earliest settlers and founding fathers of the city. He had three children who reached maturity. His daughter Tehmina married Khursedji Karanjia, an eminent eye specialist and one of the earliest Indians to qualify as a FRCS (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons). They had three sons — Russy, the late Savak and Burjor (also a well-known journalist and author). Tehmina’s sister Gool married Sardar Davar Tehmuras Modi of Surat and they had two sons (Kausie who passed away a few years ago and Dr Darius Modi who lives in Worli). Burjorji’s son Framroze was my father who married Jer Vania of Karachi and had three children — the late Dorab who became a judge of the Pakistan Supreme Court, Jahansoz who died two years ago, and me.

Russy was the eldest of the eight cousins and I am the youngest, with exactly 20 years between us.

Three generations of the family were born in Quetta — my father and all his siblings, Dorab, Russy, Darius, the elder of my two daughters and I. Several of those who have passed away now rest in the Parsi cemetery there.

RHODABÉ ROEINTON KHAMBATTA

London

Decambaye@aol.com