DURING the course of 1993, in his articles, columnist Ardeshir Cowasjee floated the idea of a Ruttie Jinnah Grove, in the adjacent grounds of the Quaid's mausoleum.
My late father Haji Bhai Esmail Dossa's legal counsel in Bombay of his proprietorship firm H. E. Dossa between the years 1937 and 1943 was none other than Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Reading the compilation of Cowasjee on the proposed Ruttie Jinnah Grove, my father forthwith volunteered a donation of hundred trees to the suggested landmark of Karachi, namely Ruttie Jinnah Grove.
Papa's connections and Cowasjee contended that he should plant the first tree in Ruttie Jinnah Grove. Papa maintained Ruttie was the only woman loved by our Quaid. Parsis came forward, to make contributions for Ruttie Jinnah Grove that listed my good friends Borjoir Jagus, Homi Khabatta, etc.
Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was murdered in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. World War I on the anvil, the advice of his close friend M. A. Jinnah prompted Sir Dinshaw Petiti to recall his two daughters, Ruttie and Homie (Homie Jamshed Tata) from Nice to Bombay. Both were studying in the Lycee of Nice. Jinnah was brought in to tutor the Francophile Ruttie in English. Nickname Jay was given to Jinnah by Ruttie.
The 16-year-old pupil and the teacher, aged 40, fell hopelessly in love, Ruttie defied her father to marry Jay (Jinnah). Wedding of Ruttie and Jay took place in Bombay on April 19, 1918. Daughter Dina, named after her maternal grandmother Dina, was born in London on Aug 14, 1919.
Eight years later Ruttie had a position in society of Bombay, Paris, London, when she was stricken with cancer that took her life. Ruttie passed away in Taj Mahal Hotel of Bombay, on her 29th birthday on February 20, 1929. Two days later, Ruttie was reposed to eternal rest by her husband, now widowed, Jinnah in the Khoja Shiite Arambagh Cemetery of Bombay.
M. C. Chagla describes the unhappy event on Page 121 of his book 'Roses in December': “I was present at Ruttie's funeral. That was the only time when I found Jinnah betraying some shadow of human weakness: there were actually tears in his eyes. It was indeed a tragic sight to see someone so young and so beautiful lying in the cold embrace of death.”
Legends die young and live forever. Jinnah was at Ruttie's graveside in Arambagh of Bombay on the evening of July 31, 1947, Ramazan 13. During the afternoon, his doctor, Jal Patel, had diagnosed that tuberculosis was fatal and rendered the verdict to Jinnah he had only a year to live.
The monument of 'Ruttie Jinnah Grove' is overdue in Karachi.
MOHAMMED AZIZ HAJI DOSSAKarachi