Died: Jamshed (Jimmy) Hormusji Wadia, 95, considered an encyclopedia on timber and forestry, and a relentless opponent who obtained legal redressal against the rent increase levied by the Bombay Port Trust (BPT); on December 19, 2016 in Bombay.
Partner of Bombay’s leading timber firm, B. F. Wadia and Sons, until the age of 95, Wadia continued to go to office and was incapacitated only in the last five months after he suffered a paralytic stroke, states his Perth based elder son Homee. "When he came in to work, he would interact with the senior staff and I had to brief him on new developments and major orders on a day-to-day basis,” recalls younger son Arsheesh who as an active partner was entrusted with the running of the business.
"Extremely knowledgeable and well read, most timber traders would have taken his advice at some stage or the other,” adds Arsheesh, a chartered accountant by training, who acknowledges he learnt the ropes of the trade from his father when he chose to join the family business. Jimmy was always happy to immerse himself in his vast array of books and the study of the cellular structure of different varieties of wood which he would scrutinize under his magnifying glass.
Jimmy Wadia (left and seated 2nd from right) with his family
"His most sterling contribution though was the cudgels he took up” for 20 years to seek justice when over 2,000 tenants of the BPT were served a notice arbitrarily increasing their rent by 27 times, mention the sons. Their B. F. Wadia premises on Reay Road were on BPT land. This matter (Jamshed Hormusji Wadia vs Board of Trustees, Port of Mumbai) started in the Small Causes Court, progressed to the Bombay High Court, and went up to the Supreme Court where relief was finally granted to the tenants. Senior counsel at the Supreme Court, "Fali Nariman fought the case pro bono because of his friendship with my dad,” mentions Homee. In a condolence message to the family, Bapsi and Fali Nariman wrote, "To lose a loved one is always a great wrench at whatever age, but to lose a one-and-only Jimmy is inconsolable.” Another condolence letter from Burjor Antia, senior partner of Mulla and Mulla and Cragie Blunt and Caroe, noted, "Your late father’s name is embossed in our case law books for challenging illegal acts of the BPT.” Viren Asar, seeing Jimmy’s relentless pursuit to seek justice, was apparently so impressed that although being a qualified engineer he chose to switch professions and is now a leading advocate, conveys Homee.
The Bombay Timber Merchants Association had deputed Jimmy as alternate member on the Timber Conversion and Grading Subcommittee as per the names listed in the Government’s Indian Standard Guide for Mill Sawing of Timber (1980) and the Indian Standard Specification for Converted Timber (Coniferous), 1982. He was also on the advisory committee of the Timber Processing Association under the aegis of the Forest Research Institute and University in Dehradun.
It was on the passing away of his father in 1944 that Jimmy, then 23 years old, joined his elder brother Jal (known to be an ace cricketer) and their mother Dinbai in the family business started by Byramji Framji Wadia. Manufacturer and supplier of timber and wood logs, plywood, veneers, furniture and components, moldings, finger-jointed lumber and solid wood, panel boards, wooden pallets, packing cases and crates, B. F. Wadia’s products are in demand by major builders like Shapoorji Pallonji and Company, and allied firms like Associated Cement Companies, Larsen and Toubro… As early as the 1950s Jimmy had "realized the potential of rubber wood (a low class timber) which is now recognized as a furniture grade timber in Malaysia,” according to Homee.
Caricatures and satirical cartoon created by Jimmy Wadia
In 1982 when the government of India prohibited felling of Indian trees, the firm started importing from Malaysia and later from other parts of the world. As revealed Tom Sundher of British Columbia (BC) at the International Trade Committee in 2013 (quoted on openparliament.ca), "My company has been exporting BC lumber products to India for over 15 years. It began as a result of a Vancouver visit by the owner of one of India’s oldest and most respected lumber importers, B. F. Wadia and Sons.” As reported on the website canadianwood.in, BC has more certified forest land than any other wood supply region in the world…Only a fraction of one percent of the total forests is harvested per annum and three new trees are planted for every single tree harvested.” Since wood continues to be very popular among Indian consumers, "India must rely on responsibly sourced imported wood to meet its current needs and protect its tropical forests. Canadian wood has the potential to effectively bridge this burgeoning gap.”
The third of five children — the elder two being Jal and Nergish, and the younger two, neurologist Dr Noshir, and Dr Behram, an electronics engineer in Poona, Jimmy graduated in science from St Xavier’s College. For many years he held the record as the longest living Xavierite, states Homee. During his college days he enjoyed creating cartoons that were printed in Kaiser-E-Hind, Jam-e-Jamshed, Blitz and Current. He was a popular face on the Parsi stage too and performed with Adi Marzban, Jehangir Wadia and other well-known thespians. Homee recalled going for his father’s shadow pantomime when he was a lad of barely five and the joy of being able to identify him and announcing aloud in the theater "Aai to Papa chhè (This is Papa).”
Well read on the religion too, Jimmy had "faith in the Zoroastrian teachings of truth, justice and integrity,” yet realized the need to be "innovative with time.” A regular visitor to fire temples, on each of Homee’s visits to India he would remind the son, "Udvada bhoolvanu nathi (don’t forget to visit Udvada).”
Having completed his 70th wedding anniversary as per the Shahenshahi roz a few days prior to his demise, the genial Wadia is survived by his wife Purviz, sons Homee and Arsheesh, and brother Dr Behram.