Russi Karanjia

Rustom Khurshedji Karanjia (September 15, 1912 – February 1, 2008) was an Indian journalist and editor. He typically signed his reports as "R. K. Karanjia". He founded the Blitz, a weekly tabloid with focus on investigative journalism in 1941, and ran it for the next four decades.

Early life and background

Karanjia was born in Quetta, now in Pakistan.[1]

Career

Karanjia began writing while still in college,[2] and during the 1930s Karanjia was employed an assistant editor at The Times of India.[3][4] He left The Times of India in 1941 to launch Blitz (newspaper), a weekly tabloid with a focus on investigative journalism.[3][4] Karanjia served as a war correspondent during the Japanese Burma offensive in World War II, reporting on the action in Burma and Assam.[2] Blitz folded during the mid-1990s and Karanjia retired from public life.[4]

Karanjia died at his home, a seafront flat along Marine Drive, in Mumbai at the age of 95 on 1 February 2008.[1][3] In a "departure from Parsi tradition, as per his wishes,"[2] his funeral was held in Chandanvadi crematorium, in south Mumbai.[3] Karanjia was survived by one daughter, Rita Mehta,[3] the founder and first Editor-in-chief of Cine Blitz magazine. His brother, Burjor, was also a journalist, albeit in the film industry, editor of Filmfare.[3]

Owner editor of Blitz

Karanjia was founder and owner editor of Blitz, a tabloid weekly published from Mumbai. Kulkarni 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.[1]

Devotee of Satya Saibaba

In 1976 Karanjia became a devotee of Satya Sai Baba.[1]

Books

Dr.Karanjia wrote a book on yoga.[1] Dr.Karanjia also wrote a book about Satya Sai Baba, called "God Lives In India".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Kulkarni, Sudheendra (2008-02-02). "He launched Blitz on Feb 1, died on Feb 1-it's no coincidence". indianexpress.com. The Indian Express Limited. Retrieved 2011-07-24.
  2. 1 2 3 "Veteran Journalist R.K. Karanjia Dead", News Post India, 1 February 2008, retrieved 2008-02-29.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Veteran journalist Russi Karanjia passes away", Rediff India Abroad, 1 February 2008, retrieved 2008-02-29.
  4. 1 2 3 "R. K. Karanjia passes away", The Hindu, 1 February 2008, retrieved 2008-02-29.
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