A few days ago on November 19, I completed 53 years in the UK. UK is my home, Karma Bhumi. India is my birthplace, Janma Bhumi. In a few months time,I will complete 83 years and I can't help but say that the UK has given me a lot- both materially and otherwise. I say with utmost sincerity that so many people of various backgrounds have accompanied me in this long and fruitful journey and enabled me in various ways to push forward. I learn more and more with every passing day. I am both, fortunate and humbled. I am most grateful.
Reminiscing the past 53 years could be a book on its own, why not? Some other time. But today, I will attempt to briefly recount the story of a migrant coming to a country of which technically, as a passport holder, he was, and still is, a citizen.
Recently, the weather has been chilly, windy and sedentary. It is completely different from what I experienced when I set foot off the coach at Victoria Bus Terminal in west London. It was 5.45 am. In Dar-es-Salaam at that time one would experience a beautiful daybreak. But London was a whole other story. I'd been forewarned of the weather conditions through a letter written by Manubhai Thakkar, who I fondly called TAK. He received me at the airport along with Rasikbhai Lavingia ( RL ) .
I was fully prepared for the cold and challenging weather, had layers of clothing including two pairs of warm socks, a woollen trouser, a coat, an overcoat, a muffler, and a big furry and funny hat. I remember wondering how they would recognise me as I was covered from top to bottom, except for the eyes.
However, they were quick to spot me and greeted me with a hug and enormous warmth and gave me support all the way. I must mention that Tak had only come to England five months ahead of me, secured a job as a senior bookkeeper, lived in a rented “apartment” and had a wonderful car, An Austin A30, 1953 model. Would you believe it?! The old lady was extremely gracious and took us around various parts of London. She has given me so many memories, but we will talk about it some other time.
We reached Tak's residence which became mine as well in Archway, north London. In that short journey, I was briefed about life, food, jobs, and everything I needed to know. Tak had a fairly large room (14x 12 ) with two single beds. But with me moving in, he had a folding bed placed in between that was used by RL. A small gas cooker in the corner separated by a tiny partition made for our grand kitchen. There was a room to the side of the incredible apartment, which was used by Zia Haq from Lahore, Pakistan, and on other side a similar room was occupied by Rajinder Kumar from Delhi, who was studying law. These men became my extended family and the house I have fond memories of, became my home away from home.
Tak had arranged an interview the same day at 3.00 pm for a job of a junior bookkeeper at Commercial Street, not far from my present residence in Hoxton. Tak left for his job at 8.30 am after breakfast. RL informed me there was no bathroom in the apartment and the communal bath remains very much occupied in the morning. He offered to show me a local council bath about 20 minutes walk. Looking at the weather, I politely declined that friendly offer.
RL was my guide for the day. He had taken a leave from his work. We left at 10.30 and for the first time I walked over the hallowed soil of London , about half a mile along Holloway Road and reached the tube station. Having never seen an underground system before, let alone travel in it, I was the unwitting spectator of a remarkable modern advancement. After reaching Holborn, we went to Lincoln's Inn and I registered myself and paid the fees for my Bar - at - Law study program. Then we went to the University of London, Law college where I was an external student for the previous two years and registered to attend regular classes.
Our next stop was a small cafeteria, where we both had cheese rolls and tea for one shilling and six pence each. When I paid the bill, it amuses me now, how big the amount seemed to me. I remember mentally converting the amount to East African shillings and Indian rupees too!
Then I went straight to my interview which was prearranged by Tak near Aldgate East Tube Station. I was very well-received. Tak had been recruited by the same employment agency and held good credentials as a senior bookkeeper. I was being interviewed as a junior bookkeeper. They asked me a couple of questions and gave me a job at a nearby place to begin on Monday.
The real challenge for me had begun now. I had never worked as a bookkeeper. Having earned my first educational degree in Sciences, I had worked as an analytical chemist with Alembic Pharmaceuticals in Vadodara. Then in Dar-es-Salaam I'd worked as a civil servant, a clerical officer for six and a half years. I had serious trepidation as to what I would do as junior bookkeeper. Tak was nonchalant and seemed to have more faith in me than I did. He had told me that if I get the job, I was to go straight to a nearby book store and buy a book called 'Teach yourself Bookkeeping'. I bought the text for 13 shillings and six pence. Such a massive investment as compared to lunch!
In the evening, I returned to the Mercers Road residence and Tak, my motivator and coach explained invoices, statements and everything important to me for the job I would begin in two days time. On Saturday and Sunday, whenever possible, he would ask me some questions and also try to educate me. On Monday morning, I reported to duty. Surprisingly, my boss was more than happy with my work and I was paid £5 for a week, and an additional £1.50 to work a half day shift on Saturday. Now, I've always loved money, especially at that particular moment. I counted I had £92 in total at my disposal to settle . Let's move along quickly.
I eventually changed one to two jobs and landed a job at the Houses of Parliamentary Press as a payee clerk. My daily routines involved going to work at 8.30 am, and after 4.30 pm, go straight to college for lectures or Lincoln's Inn for dinners . It was a lot of hard work, but extremely satisfying. It was then I learnt the elementary lesson on enterprise, now commonly called entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship. This word has only been used more commonly and fashionably in the last 15 to 20 years, to my knowledge.
Dear readers, I am not a linguist. But I do know that there are several words in the English language, even in the Oxford English dictionary , which have Indian / Sanskrit connection. We pick YOGA, 'mantra', 'karma', 'nirvana', 'juggernaut'....Juggernaut is derived from Indian word Jagannath. Similarly there is a beautiful Indian word 'Antar Sphurna . It means 'come out of the inner self as a thought turning into action'. Take a guess where 'Entrepreneurship' came from.
I think, without even learning, I know a bit about Bharatnatyam. It's a form of dance where the dancer moves their entire body from their toes to their eyebrows. It was pretty much the same for me- doing multiple things all at once. To be honest, it has been my good fortune all along. I have worked in small jobs, civil services, financial services, worked multiple times as shopkeepers, even in real estate and now for over 45 years in the publishing industry.
Print media is going through many challenges. Not a surprise. The only constant thing in life is change and as a matter of fact, ABPL has good standing and is doing well in the circumstances thanks to my esteemed readers and many many supporters.
Dear Readers, I would like you to accompany me on my first-ever community event in London. On November 21, Sunday, two days after my arrival here, there was a Diwali get-together organised by Suresh Gupta and his organisation at Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, Holborn, central London. Though as a bookkeeper/student, I was busy, but I accompanied Tak and RL to attend the event. Most of the people were Gujaratis, Punjabis, and other Indians from various countries.
The most prominent community members to be present there were Bhagwan Soham, Ramesh Patel, Jyoti Modi, Usha Patel, Shakuntala Shukla, Renuka Shukla, Niranjan Shukla, Suren Kamat, DN Shah, Praful Patel, Surendra Patel, Rajendra Patel, Kusum Shah, Balwant Singh Kapoor, Ashwin Bhatt, Bal Mukund Parikh, and few others. Some of them were accountants, some doctors, some lawyers, and some students.
In the first week of December, Gulabbhai Patel of G.A.K Patel , the largest civil engineering contractors from Dar-es-Salaam was in London with his children to be placed in boarding schools. He was known to me from Dar-es-Salaam and I was expected to keep them company.
I became the guardian of some prominent businessmen's children from Tanzania and Uganda who were studying in Chigwell, east London, and Norwich in East Anglia. A dinner was arranged at Veera Swamy restaurant in Regent Street, London. It was perhaps the most well-known Indian restaurant , started some decades ago by an ex-Indian army Englishman officer. Gulabbhai Patel, Sir JK Gohel, Mrs Jaya Lakshmi ( wife of Sir JK Chande) , and myself were at that dinner.
It was a very enjoyable evening. I was able to learn a lot from these three people of distinction. Jayaben was the only daughter of Shri Muljibhai Madhvani, the sugar king of East Africa at the time. Her husband JK Chande was knighted by Her Majesty and was commonly called Sir Andy Chande. Over the years, he became my role model and he used to call Jayalaxmi, Jayly.
In Dar-es-Salaam there is a boat in the harbour named in her honour, Jayly. Jayaben was very beautiful, tremendously blessed from both her families, full of grace and of wisdom and in the three hours of dinner, I learned a lot about how rich and matured people speak, what they speak about, and how they carry themselves.
The most outstanding and eye-catching person at the event was undoubtedly, Sir JK Gohel. He hailed from the princely state of Morbi, Saurashtra. He had qualified as a lawyer and subsequently was the Diwan of Morbi. He joined Indian Civil Services after Independence. Sir Gohel was known by his blue turban. He was a member of the International Control Commission when Korea was divided along 38th parallel. Sir JK was a real Rajput and a stellar diplomat. He was a longstanding friend of Meghji Pethraj Shah, another successful entrepreneur from Thika, Kenya.Gohel Sahab was installed by MP Shah to manage his operations in London which eventually became Meghraj Bank. Perhaps, his political activism is relevant today.
Sir Gohel was one of the earliest Asian members along with Narinder Sarup and a few others committed to the Conservative Party at a time when it wasn't really fashionable. I recollect he was associated with the Tories from the 1960s. His circles were vast and hosted prominent figures. One of his closest friends was Manubhai Madhvani, scion of Madhvani Group.
'Gujratita-Asmita'
All Gujaratis are known for a special appetite for business. In 2015, in the Christmas special, The Economist published a 5000-worded article . on Gujaratis titled 'Secrets of the World's Best Businessmen'; The Gujarati way, Going Global .Personally, I identify myself by my Gujaratita (now British Gujaratita).. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed over 60,000 people at the historical event at Wembley Stadium,in November 2015 , he stunned me by mentioning my name with two added words “my friend”. It wasn't that the Indian Prime Minister stated my name, but Modi very rarely if at all, speaks about a person who is not a leader of the host country or involved prominently in an event.
After the Wembley address, while I received multiple calls from my friends and well-wishers, a senior reporter from The Economist magazine came knocking on my door. He saw me and expressed a desire to write about me. I humbly thanked him and said I am not the right subject to write about. I said it because I genuinely feel that way. After a brief through-and-fro, he eventually agreed. He agreed to talk about the Gujarati community in the UK. For me, an article on MY people in the largest English language magazine in the country, was the ideal way of celebrating US. I gave him some contacts and the senior reporter went to India. He visited Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat. He also spoke to my contacts elsewhere in the UK and US, and prepared a massive article.
Dhandho, business, entrepreneurship, enterprises, they are all ingrained with Gujratita. Today, in the UK, there are numerous British-Indians who have succeeded in enterprises, professions, arts and culture et al. But in 1966, only a handful of names were known. In London, some big Indian corporations included Tata, Birla, Bank of Baroda, State Bank of India, Scindia Steam Navigation, and Air India. Just a few.
Amongst Indian businesses, the earliest I had heard was a certain Mr Taherally Rahman Suterwalla who had an wholesale outlet from 1959 , at 117 Cannon Street Road , London E1 . At that time, Lakhubhai Pathak of Pathak Spices had a store near Euston Station.
I remember many names from that period, some have sadly passed away, but all of them and hundreds and thousands more have inspired me, helped me, and encouraged me. This series of articles are just a humble effort to acknowledge them and bring to the attention of their children, grandchildren and today’s generation, how the present euphoric state of British Indian entrepreneurship evolved in Britain. I hope to continue my narrative in the upcoming issues of Asian Voice. Come along .....
(To be continued)
(As told by CB Patel,
Written by Mitul Paniker)
