Your memories of Jhansi & days gone past
We have recorded here memories of people who have some connection with Jhansi, today they may be living away and are in the far corners of the world, but in their hearts, they all hold a special place for Jhansi. Some stories may not be of people of Jhansi, but as the place is mentioned in their accounts and it has significance for this web, we deem it important to add it here
When you read other people’’ memories, you will certainly be taken down your own memory lane & you may relive your OWN early memorable days. Lot of information is generic, but most is specific & we are sure you will enjoy it
For reasons of privacy we have not attached contacts of people, but if you require contacting anyone you meet on these pages do let us know
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Naval Patel
Subject: Fwd: WHO WILL BE FIRST PRIME MINISTER?
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Subject: WHO WILL BE FIRST PRIME MINISTER?
I want to tell you a story that has never been printed. In 1942 during the Quit India Movement by the Indian National Congress, the British Indian Government had placed Mahatma Gandhi "under house arrest" but treated him well in the Aga Khan Palace in Poona. The Government appointed one Colonel Nariman Mehta of the IMS, my paternal uncle, to look after him. Mahatma Gandhi and Col. Nariman got along exceeding well. Whilst "under House Arrest" Mr. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Leader of the Muslim League, who was a friend of the Mahatma, used to visit him very often. My uncle was always present when any visitor came to see Mahatma Gandhi.
At that time, Jinnah was not propagating the idea of partition, and he once confided to Mahatma Gandhi that he would like to be the first Prime Minister of free India. After Nehru was released Mahatma Gandhi called him to the Palace and said "let's make Jinnah the first Prime Minister of India – he hasn't long to live, and after that you can have a field day. That way we would avoid the partition of India". Nehru was most adamant and stubborn, and insisted on being the first Prime Minister. Had he agreed with Mahatma Gandhi, India would have remained united, not partitioned, and would have been a military force to reckon with in the East – and the unbelievable communal bloodbath of 1947 may have been avoided. Besides the Army of India would have been strong and united, and it is more than likely that China would not have attempted to occupy Tibet – as an undivided India would have been talking from a position of strength, and we would have had a peaceful Himalayan Frontier from Ladakh to Burma.
From, Brig. (Retd.) Furdoon S. B. Mehta's Address at the Remembrance Day Memorial Service on Sunday, 9th November 2008 at the Afghan Church, Colaba, Mumbai
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Sunil Sharma 4/12/2007
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Hi Firoz
It was nostalgic reading about Jhansi on your web page. Vijay medical stores in Sipri bazaar, I remember it and then we had the Tandon Book Store close to it. I can never forget Bhatia book store in sadar bazaar which was my favourite haunt for buying comics. St Mark's surely was a prestigious school during my times, the only other competitor being Christ the King. My Dad was the Divisional Accounts Officer and I still cherish the nice times I had at the Betwa Club.
I am attaching 2 pictures from St Mark's 4th and 6th Grade, my pics as I aged and a current picture of my family here in the US.
I guess your brother who is in Jhansi would be able to email me some current pictures of my residence in Jhansi. We lived at C 93 Wright Road, just close to the Railway Station, 56 Mcneil Road and on Station Road close to Betwa Club..
Waiting, for your pictures.
Take care,
Sunil |
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Subject: Locating a Parsi Family
I was born in Jhansi and studies in St. Marks High School in Jhansi till 7th grade and latet moved to Kashmir and did my MBBS there and am at present in USA. My sisters had a Parsi frined by the name of Parveen Sahir and Denaaz ShairSahir, they studied in St Frances High School. Do you have any information regarding them. Their father was working with Central Railway.
Thanks.
Sunil Sharma
Hi Firoz,
Nice hearing from you, I left Jhansi in 1966, when Mr Allan was the Prinicipal. Mr Phillip was my Hindi/PT teacher. Ms. I. Paul and S. Paul were my my teachers in 5th and 6th grade. Ms. Lawson my 4th grade teacher is now settled in Adelaide and I am in touch with her sons Frederick and Cedric. I really miss Jhansi and am planning to visit in January, 2008. I mostly go to Bombay and Jammu but this time I will surely make it to Jhansi. Do you by any chance have pictures of the School, I would love to show them to my kids.
Take care,
Sunil
My house on C-93 Wright Road, and C-56 McNeil Road , Me and my school mates-Vimlesh Namdev( Pathologist) and Rajesh Kapoor( Lawyer) we met after 43 years.
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Anand Alea
Thanks for your reply, I was not looking at anything specific on web just browsing through the website which had anything to do about Jhansi. I am based in Delhi and I am a telecom engineer running my own call center catering to clients in the US. My father is a first generation settler in Jhansi and he is respectable businessman of Jhansi. I did my schooling in Jhansi (Christ The King College ) and we own a small part of Eduljee Boyce compound ( a Parsi connection ) and Neville Maneckjee was my classmate and a school time friend. My parents are still in Jhansi and I soon plan to visit them on this Diwali
I saw your family pictures in the contact section of your internet billboard but none was pictured in Jhansi( its an stupid observation but its a fact when your site is dedicated to the parsis in jhansi )
Rest you be in touch, its always a pleasure to know anyone who has roots in Jhansi
Anand Alea
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Anil Newton
Dear Firoz,
The net is an amazing place you never know who turns up....??!!!! Well being a lover of railways am trying to trace the history n links of my grand dad. So if you hv any inputs or contacts wud really appreciate. btw he was John L. Newton. he was ss bby vt then ss jhansi.
Another thing as u know Dosu engineer passed away but Sweety aunty n his families are fine by God's grace.
Hope to her from you soooooon.
Regards to you family
Anil Newton
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DEVASIS CHOWDHURY
Dear Mr Pestonji,
First my congratulations on your website. You have taken great pains in compiling these pages. Going through each page of your website on the PARSI families of Jhansi brought back many many MEMORIES OF THAT WONDERFUL TOWN.
First of all a few words about myself. I am 62 years old and lived in Jhansi from 1950 to 1963 where my Dad was in LIC. Both my brothers and myself studied in St Mark's from where I did my Senior Cambridge in 1960.
My sister did her schooling in ST. Francis. I subsequently went to IIT KANPUR and finally retired as the CHAIRMAN of a govt Public sector Undertaking.
But the most treasured part of my life and memory dwells in Jhansi. With the internet we can go and spend time there. At St. Marks my class friend was Godrej Pestonji. His elder brother was a few classes ahead of me. All of us brothers and sister had a lot of Parsi and Anglo Indian friends.
Do you know what made me write to you.
One I saw Jeena Engineer's photo after nearly fifty years. a flamboyant guy he dressed nattily. I cannot believe he has passed away at this young age. His sister Homai was one of my sister's best friends. Where is Homai now?
Also their elder brother Dosu roared into town on his souped up vehicles whenever he came to pick up his wife at lunch time from st Marks where she taught.
The Patel family (SINGER SEWING) lived behind us at Civil Lines. I think the son was Nosher Patel who was my Junior at school..
My wife still uses that machine bought by my mother from their shop in SADAR BAZAR(?) nearly sixty years ago. I also went through your painstakingly researched and compiled history of Jhansi, the Parsi families. a job really well done.
God bless you and your family.
I got a whiff of the Jhansi loco sheds, the WP steam engines and so many other sights and sounds while browsing your site.
Keep it going.
Devasis Chowdhury
We old Jhansi men did a recent get together at PRESTON UK. (I saw the snapshot of your old buddies)
Do you remember Sahaney Brothers on SIPRI ROAD.
Kapil Sahaney of SAHANEY BROTHERS, Dr Boota Singh (from JHOKAN BAGH, his Grand dad built the JHOKAN BAGH GURUDWARA) and myself all passed out from ST MARKS IN 1960. We met with our families during BOOTA,s daughters marriage in 2007 at PRESTON UK. They still have their families in Jhansi and remember all our childhood Parsi and Anglo Indian friends.
Dear Mr. Pestonji,
This foolish and nostalgic old man could not help going back in time to Jhansi through your excellent website.
May the Lord grant you more strength to your talented brains and congrats once again for an excellent attempt to preserve a historic presence in a historic city.
As a young boy I have met many of the people mentioned and visited the places in Jhansi from 1950 to 1963.
I was in school with Jeena and Godrej Pestonji .Nozhar Patel lived behind us in civil lines and my sister studied with Homai Engineer.
All this happened fifty years ago but even today it is clear as crystal/
Keep up your excellent work.
Devasis
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'One Hell of a Life'
Raconteur and After Dinner Speaker, and Author of:
One Hell of a Life: An Anglo-Indian Wallah's Memoir from the Last Decades of the Raj
Website: www.onehellofalife.com
Email: stanblackford@onehellofalife.com
Tel: (08) 8235 1131
Mob: 0402 720 286
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The book is very simply written, and amazingly we can feel our own days in India through the authors tales, can be purchased as below –Firoz K Pestonji
• First Published March 2000
• Reprinted 31 times (as of March 2005)
• 283 pages x 19 photographs
• 4 a Life: Cost AUD $25.00
Packing & Postage
Australia $4. page glossary of Indian words and phrases
One Hell Of 00 Total AUD $29.00
South East Asia $8.00 Total AUD $33.00
Elsewhere $12.00 Total AUD $37.00
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It is the heart-warming story of a backward boy, unable to talk at the age of four and sent to boarding school in order to learn to speak. Branded a moron and dragged through ten schools in seven years, he suddenly "finds his feet" and becomes dux of one of India's most prestigious colleges, eventually becoming an officer in one of the Indian Army's most famous regiments and Adjutant of its premier battalion.
He is an Anglo-Indian, a much-despised member of the human race in the days of the Raj, rubbing shoulders with British and Indian officers. He comes from a dysfunctional family and a broken home. Laugh at his misfortunes and exult in his successes; hold your breath as the four-year old barely escapes a kidnap attempt; enjoy travelling on the world's most famous mountain railway, Darjeeling's toy train, which was once chased by a wild elephant.
Read of cobras, jaadu (Indian witchcraft) and schoolboys using toilet paper as currency to support their gambling habit. Accompany the author as he goes to catch a monkey and shoot a panther, as his brigade confronts the Russians over possession of the Iranian oilfields and as he reads fairy tales to a bloodthirsty Pathan warrior who asks if the stories are true!
Feel the desperation of millions as murder and mayhem stalk the Indian sub-continent. See the refugee trains, ushered in by the granting of independence to India, when inter-communal violence spawned ten million refugees overnight and one million hapless men, women and children were slaughtered. For the old India wallahs, this is a trip down memory lane to savour the aura of Calcutta, of Chowringhee and Firpo's; of Darjeeling and Mussoorie, of Dehra Dun and Poona; of the railway institutes and the Auxiliary Force, and much more.
Stories of pathos and humour, which will make you, laugh one minute and cry the next. A tale of rare moral courage.
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