Jewish labour camp…Mumbai shop, a daughter connects the dots

Stunned by the connection, Ferenc’s wife Magda told her son Peter about it. But the trail fell cold as Peter, a scientist living in Norway, did not attach much importance to the ‘discovery’.

Then, years later, in 2002, Peter’s daughter Monica convinced him to renew the search. The reluctant scientist used the Internet to get in touch with the owners of Csango in Mumbai, who wrote back saying they had purchased the shop from Harry Sopher, an Iraqi Jew.

Correspondence with Sopher’s nephews in London — Sopher had passed away in 2000 — revealed that Harry had purchased the store from a Hungarian named Csango. It was too big a coincidence to ignore. And Monica and Peter decided to make the trip. They reached Mumbai on May 25.

The first person they spoke to was Dilip Narang, the present owner of Csango, Colaba. But Narang only knew Sopher. A visit to the registration archives at the Indian Merchants Chamber revealed that the store was set up by an N Haim which, incidentally, was the name of Ferenc’s grandfather.

The next bit of information boosted Monica’s hopes further: ‘‘We spoke to Prakash Malik, owner of Ali Baba restaurant, close to Csango. He recognised my grandfather’s photograph.’’ That’s where the hunt stands now. The father-daughter duo are spending nearly 14 hours every day, trying to solve the mystery. Solomon Sopher, head of the Jewish community in Mumbai, is also on the trail. A trip to the local Jewish cemetery has proved futile. The next step: Going through old Jewish death records. If that too fails, Sopher says he will ‘‘speak to old Jewish people. We’ll succeed.’’

But time’s running out. The father and daughter are scheduled to leave Mumbai on Saturday. Monica is determined though. ‘‘I will come back if we have to.’’ (Monica and Peter can be contacted at 022-22840229 or e-mail them at monicacsango @hotmail.com and csangopeter@yahoo.com)