Russi Karanjia
Encyclopedia
Rustom Khurshedji Karanjia (September 15, 1912 – February 1, 2008) was an India
n journalist and editor. He typically signed his reports as "R. K. Karanjia".
Karanjia was born in Quetta
now in Pakistan
, Quetta is also the birth place of Ardeshir Cowasjee
, a Dawn
columnist.
Karanjia began writing while still in college, and during the 1930s Karanjia was employed an assistant editor at The Times of India
. He left The Times in 1941 to launch Blitz, a weekly tabloid with a focus on investigative journalism. Karanji served as a war correspondent during the Japanese Burma offensive in World War II
, reporting on the action in Burma
and Assam
. Blitz during the mid-1990s and Karanjia retired from public life.
Karanjia died at his home, a seafront flat along Marine Drive
, in Mumbai
at the age of 95 on 1 February 2008. In a "departure from Parsi tradition, as per his wishes," his funeral was held in Chandanvadi crematorium, in south Mumbai. Karanjia was survived by one daughter, Rita Mehta, the founder and first Editor-in-chief of Cine Blitz magazine. His brother, , was also a journalist, albeit in the film industry.
narrates that the decision to launch Blitz was taken over a cup of tea, by three patriotic journalists B. V. Nadkarni, Benjamin Horniman and Karanjia at Wayside Inn, a restaurant near Kala Ghoda
, in Mumbai.The first issue of Blitz was published on 1 February 1941. The same day that Karanjia died in 2008. Kulkarni
calls his journalism irreverent, investigative, courageous and a little titillating. Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
, writer and film maker, and P. Sainath
, Magsaysay award winning journalist, were associated with Blitz. Blitz was radical and idealist, left leaning and pro-Soviet. Karanjia attacked the Congress party
, and yet was friendly with Congress leaders Nehru, Indira Gandhi
and Rajiv Gandhi
. Karanjia became disillusioned with communism and its anti-Hindu secularism. He became a strong sympathiser of BJP and the Ayodhya movement. Kulkarni claims that thus P. Sainath as deputy editor was replaced with him by Karanjia.
swami
.
.
Dr.Karanjia also wrote a book about Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba, called "God Lives In India".
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n journalist and editor. He typically signed his reports as "R. K. Karanjia".
Karanjia was born in Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
now in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Quetta is also the birth place of Ardeshir Cowasjee
Ardeshir Cowasjee
Ardeshir Cowasjee is a renowned newspaper columnist from Karachi, Sindh in Pakistan. His columns regularly appear in the country's oldest English newspaper Dawn. Recently a new blog has been started with the view of accumulating the bulk of ardeshir's articles...
, a Dawn
Dawn (newspaper)
Dawn is Pakistan's oldest and most widely read English-language newspaper. One of the country's two largest English-language dailies, it is the flagship of the Dawn Group of Newspapers, published by Pakistan Herald Publications, which also owns the Herald, a magazine, the evening paper The Star and...
columnist.
Karanjia began writing while still in college, and during the 1930s Karanjia was employed an assistant editor at The Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
. He left The Times in 1941 to launch Blitz, a weekly tabloid with a focus on investigative journalism. Karanji served as a war correspondent during the Japanese Burma offensive in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, reporting on the action in Burma
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
and Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
. Blitz during the mid-1990s and Karanjia retired from public life.
Karanjia died at his home, a seafront flat along Marine Drive
Marine Drive
Marine Drive is a 3-kilometre-long boulevard in South Mumbai in the city of Mumbai. It is a 'C'-shaped six-lane concrete road along the coast, which is a natural bay. The road links Nariman Point to Babulnath and Malabar Hill. Marine Drive is situated over reclaimed land facing west-south-west...
, in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
at the age of 95 on 1 February 2008. In a "departure from Parsi tradition, as per his wishes," his funeral was held in Chandanvadi crematorium, in south Mumbai. Karanjia was survived by one daughter, Rita Mehta, the founder and first Editor-in-chief of Cine Blitz magazine. His brother, , was also a journalist, albeit in the film industry.
Owner editor of Blitz
Karanjia was founder and owner editor of Blitz a tabloid weekly published from Mumbai. KulkarniSudheendra Kulkarni
Sudheendra Kulkarni is an Indian politician and columnist. He is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, earning a B. Tech in Civil Engineering in 1980. He began his political career as a full time activist for the Communist Party of India . He became a member of Bharatiya Janata...
narrates that the decision to launch Blitz was taken over a cup of tea, by three patriotic journalists B. V. Nadkarni, Benjamin Horniman and Karanjia at Wayside Inn, a restaurant near Kala Ghoda
Kala Ghoda
Kala Ghoda is a precinct or district in South Mumbai, India.The name means Black Horse, a reference to a black stone statue of King Edward VII mounted on a horse. It was built by the Jewish businessman and philanthropist [Albert Abdullah David Sassoon]...
, in Mumbai.The first issue of Blitz was published on 1 February 1941. The same day that Karanjia died in 2008. Kulkarni
Sudheendra Kulkarni
Sudheendra Kulkarni is an Indian politician and columnist. He is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, earning a B. Tech in Civil Engineering in 1980. He began his political career as a full time activist for the Communist Party of India . He became a member of Bharatiya Janata...
calls his journalism irreverent, investigative, courageous and a little titillating. Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas , popularly known as K. A. Abbas, was an Indian film director, novelist, screenwriter, and a journalist in the Urdu, Hindi and English languages...
, writer and film maker, and P. Sainath
P. Sainath
Palagummi Sainath is an Indian journalist. He calls himself a 'rural reporter', or simply a 'reporter' – and photojournalist focusing on social problems, rural affairs, poverty and the aftermaths of globalization in India...
, Magsaysay award winning journalist, were associated with Blitz. Blitz was radical and idealist, left leaning and pro-Soviet. Karanjia attacked the Congress party
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, and yet was friendly with Congress leaders Nehru, Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
and Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
. Karanjia became disillusioned with communism and its anti-Hindu secularism. He became a strong sympathiser of BJP and the Ayodhya movement. Kulkarni claims that thus P. Sainath as deputy editor was replaced with him by Karanjia.
Devotee of Satya Saibaba
In 1976 Karanjia became a devotee of Satya Sai Baba, a HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
swami
Swami
A swami sometimes abbreviated "Sw." is an ascetic or yogi who has been initiated into the religious monastic order founded by Adi Sankara, or to a religious teacher.The Oxford English Dictionary gives the etymology as...
.
Books
Dr.Karanjia wrote a book on yogaYoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
.
Dr.Karanjia also wrote a book about Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba, called "God Lives In India".