Adieu, Parvatiben Ramniklal Solanki
MRS Parvatiben Ramniklal Solanki, the wife of the late Ramniklal Solanki CBE, passed away in London on Thursday evening, September 8. She was 86.
Mrs Solanki played a key role in helping her husband establish Asian Media Group, one of the largest Asian publishing houses in Britain. They began the business in April 1968, with the flagship title, Garavi Gujarat, from their terraced house in Wembley.
Today AMG publishes a range of trade and consumer titles including Asian Trader, Garavi Gujarat, Eastern Eye and Pharmacy Business, in addition to hosting gala awards dinners. AMG has offices in the UK, USA and India, and also publishes titles in the United States.
Parvatiben was one of eight children born to Makanji Dulabh Champaneri (Chavda) in 1936 in Pethan in Gujarat. She attended school there and in 1955, wed Ramniklal Solanki.
The couple had four children – Kalpesh, Sadhana, Smita and Shailesh. They moved to London in the late 1960s and settled in Wembley, from where Mr Solanki began Garavi Gujarat as a fortnightly for the community in the UK.
In the early days, the couple was involved in all aspects of running the publishing business – from gathering news and writing it, to printing, circulation and subscription. Mr Solanki was the public face and editor, while Mrs Solanki played a key role in the administrative side of the business.
Garavi Gujarat soon became popular and grew; the couple moved to an office in central London before eventually setting up the business in Southwark, south London.
Mrs Solanki led other family members in playing a hands-on role in setting up and expanding the business. She supported Mr Solanki as he rose to become one of the foremost Asian journalists in the UK, with his insightful and fearless journalism.
In recognition of Mr Solanki’s contribution to the field of journalism, the Queen honoured him with an OBE in 1997, followed by a CBE in 2007.
While Mr Solanki was the face of AMG as its editor-in-chief, Mrs Solanki raised their family as it grew and was the guiding force for their sons, Kalpesh and Shailesh, who took over from Mr Solanki when he passed away in March 2020.
Although she remained at home in the latter years, Mrs Solanki remained a key decision maker in the business and was held in high regard by AMG staff as well as the wider Asian community.
She accompanied Mr Solanki to AMG awards dinners and was a gracious hostess to chief guests, who included former prime minister David Cameron, several cabinet ministers, captains
of industry and business leaders. She was equally at ease with influential public figures as she was with younger members of staff, providing quiet words of encouragement.
At their family home in north London, Mr and Mrs Solanki hosted prominent personalities from the UK as well as guests from India – they included spiritual and community leaders and literary figures.
Mrs Solanki was fond of gardening and would visit horticulture exhibitions; she passed on her love of plants to her grandchildren.
She stayed active by going on walks and enjoying the company of her great grandchild.
Mrs Solanki is survived by her sons – Kalpesh and Shailesh, daughter Sadhana, daughters in law Rashmita and Sheila, 11 grandchildren and a great granddaughter.