Jayu Puja Shah
My name is Jayu Punja Shah, currently living in London, born in Meru Kenya.
Before we became neighbours in Meru, we use to live in the same building with my mama.
Although I was a year senior to Sobhag Haria (then Shah), He started his primary education around 01.01.1957. We used to play together behind where we use to live. There were about 20 of us. This used to happen after school. We normally played chor/shipai Bonus Patel use to be the leader in your team and Babu Jivraj Dharamshi use to be in the Shipai side. I recall one moment when we were shipai on Babu’s team and he were chore, he hid inside the wrecked Patel wagon and we could not find him until Babu spotted and got him. Babu was so hilarious at that moment. I don’t know but we use to call Sobhag by the name of Batuk. Next when we moved near his house, most times, we used to walk together to school, coming back he used to come with Pravin his cousin. At one point I saw his books were beautifully wrapped not in brown but Elliot’s Bread wraps of blue and white checks and also Red a Biography by Jayu Popat My name is Jayu Popat Shah, currently living in London, born in Meru Kenya.
Before we became neighbours in Meru, we use to live in the same building with my mama.
Although I was a year senior to Sobhag Haria (then Shah), He started his primary education around 01.01.1957. We used to play together behind where we use to live. There were about 20 of us. This used to happen after school. We normally played chor/shipai Bonus Patel use to be the leader in your team and Babu Jivraj Dharamshi use to be in the Shipai side. I recall one moment when we were shipai on Babu’s team and he were chore, he hid inside the wrecked Patel wagon and we could not find him until Babu spotted and got him. Babu was so hilarious at that moment. I don’t know but we use to call Sobhag by the name of Batuk.
Next when we moved near his house, most times, we used to walk together to school, coming back he used to come with Pravin his cousin. At one point I saw his books were beautifully wrapped not in brown but Elliot’s Bread wraps of blue and white checks and also Red and white checks. These wrappers were waterproof and glossy. I asked him for some, and he very kindly gave me few. We have to iron them to make them flat before using as our book’s covers.
One Sunday he was driving a Volkswagen. This was a car belonging to my cousin Govindji. I was with him and it was July and bit chilly, he suddenly put the heaters on. I was so amazed as this was the first time, I saw that the cars were fitted with heaters.
After finishing Primary School, we had to go to Nairobi for our Secondary Education. Due to staying away from our families, we had to stay in Visa Oshwal Boarding for accommodation. For schooling, he went to Duke of Gloucester School in January 1964 and I went to Technical High School. We had to travel in a common Boarding bus to and from our schools. During boarding days, we had lots of activities and games organised by the Boarding. We from Meru Town used to flock around and you and Omar Rhemtulla and Arvind Patel use to walk around in group.
During December 1965 we travelled to India together, in a tour organised by our Boarding and taken by our Superintendent, Mr Trivedi (Budho). What an amazing trip it was! I have attached a photo showing of our trip with Indira Gandhi (Sobhag standing on the extreme left and me or 4th from right).
When we were in Ahmedabad, we went to see Gandhi Ashram. There in the Ashram we were reading something about Gandhiji. It was me, Omar, Moto Mahrash (can’t remember his real name) and I vividly remember Sobhag got so tensed reading something about Gandhiji and it was time our bus was leaving and Omar shouted at him to come “We are going”. After we left Boarding, finishing our secondary school Education, Sobhag stayed in Meru for two years before settling in Nairobi.
We met once or twice WALKING on Old Grogan Road. He used to carry with him a small radio transistor listening. You have always been doing something.
I hope this will help to prepare his Biography and recall some old times. nd white checks. These wrappers were waterproof and glossy. I asked him for some, and he very kindly gave me few. We have to iron them to make them flat before using as our book’s covers. One Sunday he was driving a Volkswagen. This was a car belonging to my cousin Govindji. I was with him and it was July and bit chilly, he suddenly put the heaters on. I was so amazed as this was the first time, I saw that the cars were fitted with heaters. After finishing Primary School, we had to go to Nairobi for our Secondary Education. Due to staying away from our families, we had to stay in Visa Oshwal Boarding for accommodation. For schooling, he went to Duke of Gloucester School in January 1964 and I went to Technical High School. We had to travel in a common Boarding bus to and from our schools. During boarding days, we had lots of activities and games organised by the Boarding. We from Meru Town used to flock around and you and Omar Rhemtulla and Arvind Patel use to walk around in group. During December 1965 we travelled to India together, in a tour organised by our Boarding and taken by our Superintendent, Mr Trivedi (Budho). What an amazing trip it was! I have attached a photo showing of our trip with Indira Gandhi (Sobhag standing on the extreme left and me or 4th from right). When we were in Ahmedabad, we went to see Gandhi Ashram. There in the Ashram we were reading something about Gandhiji. It was me, Omar, Moto Mahrash (can’t remember his real name) and I vividly remember Sobhag got so tensed reading something about Gandhiji and it was time our bus was leaving and Omar shouted at him to come “We are going”. After we left Boarding, finishing our secondary school Education, Sobhag stayed in Meru for two years before settling in Nairobi. We met once or twice WALKING on Old Grogan Road. He used to carry with him a small radio transistor listening. You have always been doing something. I hope this will help to prepare his Biography and recall some old times.
