Sanjanas’ bequest

Though Maneck and Khurshed Sanjana chose to emigrate to Canada in 1957 and lived happily there for the rest of their lives among the large Parsi/Irani Zoroastrian community of Toronto, they did not forget their roots and, on their demise, bequeathed a sum exceeding Rs 1.5 crore to three institutions in India. Jamsheed Kanga, former municipal commissioner and Bombay Parsi Pun­chayet trustee who, along with Sir Jamsetjee Jejee­bhoy assisted the executors of the Sanjana estate to have the sums repatriated to India, has sent details to Parsiana via e-mail regarding this magnanimous couple who held dear in their hearts the country of their origin.

Maneck and Khurshed Sanjana: charitable couple

Khurshed was born in Amravati on January 6, 1916, studied law at the University of Bombay and worked in the legal department of ACC Limited in Bombay. Interested in music, he became a member of the Bombay Madrigal Singers Organisation (BMSO) choir and was one of the few impresarios who invited several foreign musicians to give concerts in India. In Canada he worked for Canadian Law Reports and William Mercer Company, Toronto for many years. He also continued pursuing his musical interest there. Khurshed passed away in Canada on April 6, 1997.

His wife Maneck was herself no mean musician. Born in Bombay on October 17, 1917, she grew up in Parel and attended a Parsi girls’ school (now called Girton High School located at Sleater Road) run by Bachubai Moos. The talented musician studied piano and singing and obtained her LTCL (London Trinity College Licentiate) diploma in singing, becoming the vocal teacher at the prestigious J. B. Petit High School for Girls in Bombay and conducting their choir at competitions. Also a member of the BMSO, Maneck was a soloist in its choir, and often sang on All India Radio. She later pursued musical studies in Siena, Italy. After moving to Canada, Maneck worked for various companies until her retirement. She breathed her last on November 13, 2006 in that country, the e-mail mentions.

Maneck willed considerable sums of money to several hospitals in Canada and also to the B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital, the Masina Hospital and the J. J. Hospital’s Parsi Ward in Bombay. Her bequests to the first two institutions were duly transferred as per the Indian foreign exchange rules. However, it took considerable effort to persuade the government of Maharashtra to open an account exclusively for the J. J. Hospital’s Parsi Ward so that the funds could be used solely for meeting the daily needs of patients there, the e-mail reveals. Eventually, due to the efforts of Jejeebhoy and Kanga, this requirement of the executors of the estate in Toronto was approved. Now, this amount is available to the Dean of J. J. Hospital to spend exclusively on the welfare of patients of the Parsi Ward, in conjunction with the Sir J. J. Charity Trust. Overcoming many obstacles, the funds were finally transferred to the dedicated account in December 2011.