By YP Trivedi
I am distraught to hear about the untimely demise of my dear friend, Ramnikbhai Solanki.
My friendship with him dates back more than 40 years when I met in London, introduced by a common friend. I was on holiday with my wife, Smita, when I called him up to merely say Hi. He insisted that I come and stay with him at his home in Wembley. Not only did he open up his home to us but we were warmly greeted by Parvatiben and her lovely children.
Our relationship blossomed over the next four decades, not just between him and me, but also between Parvatiben and Smita, and then with our respective next generations. My two sons, Gautam and Anand, are just as close to Kalpesh and Shailesh as Ramnikbhai and I were.
Ramnikbhai Solanki’s story is of a man of vision who by sheer hard work and determination migrated from a small town in India to England and made a mark in its fiercely competitive media industry. In 50 years, he built his publication empire from a single Gujarati newspaper, Garavi Gujarat, to today becoming Britain’s largest Asian publishing house.
In doing so, he made both Gujarat and India proud!
He was an institution by himself; a mini Gujarat outside the shores of India. His command over the Gujarati language and appreciation of Gujarati poetry was unique. The number of people who visited his home and received his unique hospitality is so large that it would be impossible to count. Guests included prominent Authors, Poets, Diplomats, Politicians, Bollywood stars as well as Saints.
Ramnikbhai was a workaholic and laboured tirelessly over the weekends to prepare for the following week’s publication. I have been an avid reader of Garavi Gujarat since the past 40 years, that he sent us every week 4600 miles away in Mumbai.
For all that Ramnikbhai achieved, due credit must be given to Parvatiben and to Kalpesh and Shailesh.
Gujarat, India and all his friends will miss him forever!
May God give strength and courage to his family to carry forward his legacy.
Dharavi slum in Mumbai
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)