THE BLACK FRIDAY
I was sleeping on the morning of January 26, 2001. It was holiday for me owing to Republic Day. I was at the time working with The Times of India, Ahmedabad. I was a late riser in those days, more because of my late-night duty hours. After hitting the sack, I usually remained quite oblivious of what was happening around. But that Friday was different.
At 8.46am, time stopped and so did thousands of lives. At the time I did not realise the gravity of the disaster that hit with terrifying ferocity and there was no warning, after all. A deafening sound – as if there was a huge bomb blast – woke me from my slumber. I got out of the bed and saw the ceiling of my house swaying like a pendulum. To be honest, I shouted… earthquake, earthquake! and ran out of the house. Mine was an independent house. It took me perhaps 5 seconds to get out and be in a safe zone. I turned around and saw my house shaking in an alarming way for at least 15 seconds. That was a frightening sight. I thought my house would crumble in no time but for the grace of God.
Again when I turned around, I saw a sea of humanity on the road. I realised I was the last one to get out of the house. I remember my neighbour jokingly telling everyone, “If Anand has come out of the house, this must certainly be earthquake!”
Although I knew it was earthquake, I could not gauge its magnitude (7.6 on the Richter scale) and the scale of its destruction, especially the fact that its epicentre (Bhachau) was miles away (255km) from Ahmedabad (central Gujarat) near Bhuj (north-west Gujarat). Bhuj is the administrative headquarters of Kutch district.
Slowly those initial moments of shock and surprise gave rise to a sense of grief and loss i.e. loss of near and dear ones as well as of the society at large.
I was not married and was living alone at the time. My parents had settled in Kerala.
I did not realise when the whole of India was celebrating Republic Day, Kutch was mourning as thousands of people were buried alive when the devastating tremor shattered and brought down buildings.
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION
*Of the 13,805 people killed in Gujarat, over 12,000 died in Kutch district alone, while nearly 2 lakh houses were razed to the ground in the quake. Some areas of Ahmedabad and Saurashtra were also affected in the quake, including death and damage to property.
*Several towns and nearly 8,000 villages were damaged. Almost half-a-million people were left homeless.
*The cruel hands of death also snatched nearly 200 schoolchildren taking part in the Republic Day march past through the narrow streets of Anjar. Their end came when the buildings on both sides of the street came crashing down.
WORST-HIT TOWNS
Anjar was one of the worst-affected towns, besides Bhachau, Adipur, Bhuj, Gandhidham, Mandvi, Rapar, Manappur in the earthquake.
KUTCH POPULATION
As per 2011 census, the population of Kutch is 2,092,371. The population of the desert district in 2001 was 1,583,225, as per 2001 census.
ECONOMY TURNAROUND
The vast, partly barren (desert) district of Kutch has some fertile land too. The mineral-rich Kutch district has risen like a phoenix from the ruins of the 2001 earthquake, transforming itself into an economic boomtown with flat new roads, an airport and tax-free zones that have attracted hundreds of businesses and created thousands of jobs.
The rate of change has been such that it’s a very different place and there is far more money in Kutch than there was before. Many people became much richer because of various compensation schemes and the price of land.
Aid was used well and in the first two years many of the damaged villages were rebuilt. New houses were constructed to high standards, with more rooms and lots of light. They also came with running water and a toilet. New facilities like medical centres and communal areas were put in place. Help also poured in from all our overseas Kutchis and other Gujaratis in the forefront.
Today Bhuj has two new ring roads, a new airport, parks and shops. Streets have been widened and new water and sewage works installed.
But along with the new infrastructure and plenty of cash, came something more important for the region’s long-term recovery: economic growth. The Indian government created tax-free zones drawing in private investment.
The policies of the Narendra Modi Government at the state level and Atal Bihar Vajpayee Government at the Central level facilitated in changing the fortunes of the quake-hit region.
One turnaround is in the former tiny fishing port of Mundra. Before the quake, it sat in the middle of a salt marsh. It is now India’s largest private port. The Adani Group owns the port, hiring many people once dependent on aid agencies for income.
Cashing in on the local government support and exemptions like no local taxes for the first five years and no excise duties and no indirect taxes to government, over 300 businesses have been established in Kutch, including the Welspun towel factory – the biggest towel factory in the world. It was built in just nine months and makes over 250,000 towels a day.
Since the earthquake, over 110,000 jobs have been created in Kutch alone. Another driver of recovery was the growth of the dairy industry. The Bhuj dairy plant collapsed in the earthquake and was then rebuilt by the National Dairy Development Board. The plant can process over 50,000 litres of milk a day and is run by the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, India’s largest food products marketing organization.
Manapura, a village near Bhachau, boasts of facilities that can shame an urban group housing society. All the houses are connected with intercom facilities for instant communication and there is 24-hour medical and security service available to the denizens. This assumes significance, especially when the quake-hit region was completely cut-off from the outside world in the first few days of the earthquake.
Help poured in from all parts of the world and the five-year excise and sales exemptions lured the best industries to Kutch.
The resilience of the locals and a private-public partnership model of development and rehabilitation helped in rapid resurrection of the area. The new Kutch is to be seen to be believed, with a massive economic boom and changing lifestyle of the people of the district.
The change is most visible in Adani Port at Mundra, while Tatas have also set up a power plant in Tunda village in Mundra.
The Adanis have already set up a private airstrip here.
Due to the existence of Kandla and Mundra ports, transportation as a business has thrived. There are four airports in the district (Bhuj, Naliya, Kandla and Mundra). Bhuj airport is well connected with Mumbai.
There is a growing demand from NRI Kutchis that Bhuj must have an international airport, which is supported by Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar.
The Gujarat government is also planning to connect Kutch to Dholavira with a 287-km-long expressway which motorists are likely to cover within a few hours.
Dholavira is an archaeological site at Khadirbet in Bhachau taluka of Kutch district. The site contains ruins of an ancient Indus Valley Civilization/Harappan city. It is one of the five largest Harappan sitesand most prominent archaeological sites in India belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization.
Among those which have pitched tents in Kutch are big brands like LG, Hindustan Lever, Parle, Ajanta and Euro Tiles. Power generation through windmills is yet another sunrise industry that is fast developing in Kutch.
Post-quake, Kutch has cemented its position in the industry by housing cement plants. Gujarat Anjan Cement Ltd promoted by infrastructure conglomerate Anjan Group and Sanghi Industries Ltd promoted by Sanghi Group.
Kutch has emerged as the biggest manufacturer of saw pipes in Asia, thanks to a series of manufacturing units that have come up here since the quake.
Bhuj known for poor infrastructure is suddenly a bustling place marked by superb infrastructure with excellent roads, traffic points, gardens and modern housing colonies. The beautiful Hill Garden built on a hill on Bhuj’s outskirts exemplifies the turnaround.
An idea of the economic prosperity that has embraced Kutch comes from the fact that the number of cars in the district has increased manifold since the quake. Until the earthquake there were just five industrial training institutes (ITIs) in Kutch. Today there are over 10.
The famed resilience of the Kutchis is, of course, one of the main factors but the public-private partnership model that developed following the earthquake is a greater factor for this revival. What has come as a boon in all this is the Narmada water that now comes to Kutch from a distance of over 500 km through canal and pipelines in what is a feat of engineering.
The Little Rann of Kutch is known for its traditional salt production and various references mention this to be a 600-year-old activity. Communities involved in salt production are mainly Chunvaliya Koli, Ahir and Miyana (Muslim), residing in 107 villages in the periphery of Lesser Rann of Kutch. These communities are traditionally known to have the skills of salt production and are known as ‘Agariyas’. About 45,000 salt makers from across 107 villages produce 180,000 tonnes of salt.
Gujarat produces 70% of India’s salt and inland salt from the Little Rann accounts for almost 40% of this.
Also, a few years after the quake, in Tundwandh village models exhibited the textiles produced by local Kutchi craftswomen in a fashion show held in the presence of members of the Crafts Council of India. The models displayed the garments with the famous Kutchi embroidery work and also walked the ramp with Kutchi designers in the form of rural Kutchi women. It was a rare sight and truly symbolised the incredible turnaround of Kutch.
Kutch produces large quantities of dates, palm, cashew, coconut and kesar mangoes that are also exported. Kesar mangoes are imported in the UK by several importers.
Also, Gujarat is all set to get its first-ever solar as well stellar observatories, with government-recognised Indian Planetary Society (IPS) selecting Kutch district for embarking on this project at a cumulative cost of Rs 12 crore (£1.2 million). The Solar Observatory would be utilised to study the Sun as well as the Solar System, while the Stellar Observatory will collect crucial information by studying various galaxies, planets and stars.
NEW SHRI SWAMINARAYAN MANDIR IN BHUJ
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is a temple complex in Bhuj, which is managed by Nar Narayan Dev Gadi of the Swaminarayan Sampraday, a sect of Hinduism. The 2001 earthquake had damaged the original Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Bhuj built by Lord Swaminarayan in1824. To replace this, a new temple was built of marble and gold. The throne for the idol of Swaminarayan, the temple domes and doors are made of gold, while the pillars and ceilings are made of marble. The new temple was built at a cost of Rs 100 crore on 5 acres of land. The inauguration ceremony of the temple was held from May 15 to May 23, 2010. A large number of people attended the opening ceremony of the temple, including from the UK and various parts of Africa.
VULNERABLE TO QUAKES
According to various reports, despite the structured and planned development, Kutch and Bhuj remained vulnerable, said B K Rastogi, director of the state-run Institute of Seismological Research in Gandhinagar. “Earthquakes in Kutch can be very big… Every year, Kutch sees over 1,500 tremors that measure between 0.5 and 5 on the Richter scale. Four major faults in the district have become active since 2006. They are located in populated regions. We need buildings that can withstand a 7.0 quake,” said Rastogi, who has laid a network of over 25 seismographs in the district to study seismic activity.
HAZARD PROFILE
Due to its location and climate, Kutch district is prone to earthquakes, floods, cyclones and drought. The district is an active seismological area with a number of active faults, primarily running east-west. Kutch falls under seismically active zone V with a history of major and minor earthquakes over the years.
Kutch has witnessed many destructive earthquakes in the past, well-known among them are 1819 Allah Bund (magnitude 8) and 1956 Anjar (magnitude 7).
New studies are suggesting that the existing faults still have high potential for a large magnitude earthquake in the future, according to a book “The Capacity Crisis in Disaster Risk Management” by Asmita Tiwari.
KUTCH BEFORE 2001
Kutch the second largest district in India (the first being Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir) has always done well in agriculture over centuries. Lack of local transportation, potable water, electricity and big industries stifled the growth of this large arid desert district for long. Historically Kutch was always considered a backward region due to its location and submerged geography.
FAMOUS KUTCHIS
Kutch has produced many famous sons who have earned their place in the sun.
*Azim Premji is one such gift to the world of IT business. The big philanthropist is the chairman of Wipro Ltd. Azim Premji has now donated 39% of his company’s shares (worth Rs 53,284 crore or £550.58) for charity, primarily for funding education. Mr Premji was considered the ‘most generous Indian’ of 2014 according to the Hurun India Philanthropy List.
*Music Directors Kalyanji-Anandji who ruled the Bollywood music scene for years are from Kutch.
*Sanjay Leela Bhansali is arguably the best film Director of modern-day Hindi film industry. He too is a product of Kutch.
*Kutch is also home to the multifaceted Shyamji Krushna Varma, who was not only a freedom fighter but also an erudite Sanskrit scholar. He was also a lawyer and journalist who had formed the Indian Home Rule Society, India House and Indian Sociologist Group in London. He was from Mandvi.
HISTORY OF KUTCHIS
History says that the aboriginal people of Kutch migrated from across the neighbouring countries like Marvad, Sindh and Afghanistan. The castes and tribes of the people here include Lohana, Bhatia, Kapadi, Jadeja, Darbar, Kathi, Rajput, Leuva Patel, Brahmin, Nagar Brahmin, Khatri, Rabari, Rajgor, Shah, Bhanushali, jain (Visha and Dasha Shreemali, Oshwal), Kutch Gurjar Kshatriya, Mistry, Kharva, Vankar, Ahir, Muslim (Memon-Ismaili-Khoja). Gujarati and Kutchi languages are widely spoken here.
The history of Kutchi Patel community dates back to some 300-400 years. It is said they migrated to Kutch in 1740 after having stayed in Banaskantha and Saurashtra regions. The Leuva Patels settled in Anjar, Bhachau and Rapar. During this time, the Kadava Patels also headed to Kutch from Banaskantha and Mehsana districts and resided in Anjar, Lakhpat, Nakhtrana and Bhuj. They live in a total of 142 villages in Kutch.
Initially, the Patels headed to Africa by sea. Some of them got jobs at Jayaram Shivji’s place and the others started working in Materials and Water Transport company of Alladina Vishram (from Mundra, Kutch), where they were used to making scaffolds. Ultimately, this led to them exploring the fields of building construction and of course, they made it successfully.
Interestingly, the Kutchi Patels worked hard in constructing the Kampala-Uganda railway line from Mombasa in 1896. During this time, many Patels migrated from Jangbar (Zanzibar) to Mombasa. A large number of Kutchi people migrated towards Africa with some of them heading to Pakistan in the 1899-1900 due to the horrific drought in Kutch.
Shamajibhai Patel, also known as ‘Swahiliwala’ (originally from Dahisara) worked at Alladina Vishram’s place for 12 years before sailing directly to Mandavi in a small ferry which took him two months. Afterwards, on his return, he brought himself useful farming tools from Kutch and later had started farming vegetables and fruits in Mogadishu-Somali Land.
Kutchi Leuva Patels have mostly settled down in Mombasa, Nairobi and Nakuru. After the Second World War, a large number of Leuva Patels migrated to Somalia, Uganda, Tanganyika, Congo and Rwanda. This community built Kampala’s main railway station and all those high-rising buildings in Nairobi were also erected by them, thanks to Laxman Construction which built such towering buildings. Today the largest cement producer (Mombasa Cement) in whole of Africa is a Kutchi Patel (Late Keshubhai Bhudia). It's now run by Hasmukh Kanji Bhudia.
During 1960-70, Kutchi Patels started migrating towards the UK, Europe and the US. Jadava Narayanbhai Vekariya (from Baladia) was the first who pursued his education in Europe. Then, Harishbhai Govind Halai, Khimji Lalji Bharaparia and Kanji Gaganji Halai (from Madhapar) came here in 1952. Then, Karsan Haraji Halai from Naranpura in 1959, Laxman Ramji and Narayan Karasan Vekariya from Baladia in 1960 and Shamji Shivji from Madhapar, Jadav Lalji Pindoria, Haraji Yadav, Lalji Velji and Shivji Amba from Mandvi and in 1963 Kunvarji Murju Varsani from Samatra also had receive their education in the UK.
DIASPORA
Many Kachhis left Kutch during the British rule of India from 1850 to the 1940s, moving to Kolkata, Mumbai and Hyderabad. Many also lived in neighbouring states like Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Many Kutchis migrated to East Africa, Fiji and other British colonies, where they further migrated to the UK, the US, Canada and other countries. A sizeable community of Kutchi Leva Patels can be found in Kenya, UAE, UK and Australia where they established community centres and Swaminarayan Temples under Bhuj Temple, Kutch. Among the immigrant Kutchi people living outside India, major populations can be found in countries like South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Fiji, Canada, the US, Oman and the UK.
BRITISH KUTCHIS
Sailing to foreign lands with a view to making good fortunes, there exist perhaps the fourth or fifth Kutchi generation in the UK. Most of these generations having worked tremendously hard in East Africa and other countries finally settled in the UK. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, they have always remained Kutchi; true to their hearts and culture and thereby, they have inculcated such values in their next generation. Kutchis are a step ahead not only in business or trade but also they have made a mark in British politics and Government services. For instance, Manjibhai Kara is a Conservative Counsellor in Harrow who has been well appreciated for his good work. The other one is Bhimaji Vekaria who is chairman of the Metropolitan Police Hindu Association and also a Detective Constable of New Scotland Yard.
THE BHATIA ADVENTURERS
Bhatia Jeram Shivaji, originally from Manvi-Kutch had sailed for Oman and Zanzirbar during 18th century wherein he had started running banks. The Kutchi Bhatia were operating trading and banking businesses across Mandvi, Mundra, Mumbai, Muscat and Zanzibar during the 18th and 19th century. Interestingly, even European businessmen had to depend upon these Kutchi banker-merchants. Jeram Shivaji passed away in 1867. Sultan of Oman had borrowed $600,000 from him, but with the help of a political agent John Kerk, this debt was reduced to $200,000, which was later paid in full.
Basically business-centred, the Bhatia community settled down along the coastal areas of Mandvi, Mundra, Veravi, Ghogha, Porbandar and Surat. The Bhatias are originally believed to be Rajput Kshatriya and are well-known for their wisdom. This community follows Vaishnav.
Influenced by a warm and welcoming approach of Bhatia people, the Sultan of Oman had even built a Shreenathji’s citadel in Oman-Muscat. After that, the replica of this structure was also erected in Dubai.
KHIMAJI RAMDAS
The family of another Bhatia tycoon, Khimji Ramdas, have expanded their wings across Oman. The Khimji Ramdas Group today has penetrated into many verticals that include infrastructure, telecommunications, retailing, designer watches, luxury lifestyle accessories, international restaurant chains, super market retail chains, commodities and foodstuff, as well as pharmaceuticals and health care, kitchen and home appliances, building materials, paint manufacturing, shipping agencies, freight and forwarding, industrial machineries and tools, oil and gas, etc. Now, the chairman of such a mega group is Kanaksinhji Khimji. The Sultan had even titled him ‘Sheikh’. Dharamsinh Nensinh Toprani is the other top industrialist in Muscat.
CHANDUBHAI MATANI
Chandubhai Matani who started the business of ‘Sonarupa’ sarees in Leicester is also a Bhatia from Mandvi. He headed to Malawi and from there he travelled to Northern Rhodesia and settled in Andola. Afterwards, he went to Mufulira and finally settled in Leicester, UK, where he started off a big business of sarees; both wholesale and retail. Fond of music, he founded ‘Shruti Arts’ in a bid to encourage Indian classical music and has given a platform to many classical musicians.
TOP KUTCHI BUSINESSMEN IN UK
Lexcon Construction-Laxmanbhai Construction Ltd has its wings spread across the UK, Kenya, Seychelles and India as well. The founder of this company is Laxmanbhai Raghwani. This company is managed by Kalyanbhai Raghwani, Naranbhai Raghwani and Harishbhai Raghwani.
Vascroft Contractors Ltd's directors Shashibhai Vekariya, Late Arjanbhai Vekaria and Mitesh Vekaria.
Manubhai Ramji, director of Kings Kitchen Ltd.
MP Brothers – Suresh Rabadia
Tough Glaze – Bharatbhai and Ashokbhai Varsani
Super Toughened Glass – Karsanbhai and Devjibhai Meghani
Crystal Unit – Pankajbhai and Vijaybhai
Amaging Tiles – Govindbhai Kerai,
Kenford Builders – Mavjibhai Vekarai
Jaysam Contractors – Shamjibhai Patel (Dabasia)
Elecmec – Purushottambhai Gami
Durga Timber – Shantibhai
Stayfix – Devashibhai
Kingsburry Construction – Arajanbhai Varshani
Ro Green Construction – Pratapbhai and Dineshbhai
Acre Construction – Pravinbhai Jesani
Interior Ltd – Nanji Jasani, Devendra Jasani
K P Building Construction – Devaji Karashan Mayani and Manshukh Mayani,
Euro Deluxe – Govindbhai Raghvani,
Pindoria Association Ltd – Khimaji Pindoria
Haley Builders Merchant – Nathabhai Halai
In Toto Kitchens – Shantilal Mulji Panchani
Weatherwell Ltd – D Kara,
Saloria Architect – Laljibhai Saloria
Protoprint – Nareshbhai Raghvani
Perfect Double Glaze – Jadavji, Ashokbhai, Dipakbhai
Prizma Windows – Jitubhai Halai
Cricklewood Timber – Vijay Kara
Vaspa Double Glazing – Hirjibhai
Meera Catering – Narendra Bhai
Chandani Sweet Mart – Lalaji Kara and Pravin Kara
S K Panipuri and Catering – Kishorbhai Tank
Om Transport and Logistics Ltd – Pravinbhai and Dineshbhai Varshani
Twinstar Logistics Ltd – Narendra Kunverjee,
K & K Builders – Vinodbhai and Pravinbhai Gajparia
Kingsbury Fruit and Veg – Hirjibhai Kunvarji
Kerai Construction Ltd – Rasik and Pravin Kerai and Hiraji Vagjiyani
Pindoria Solicitors – Bharatbhai Pindoria
Shay Nay – Ravajibhai Hirani
Neasden Hardware – Karsanbhai Varshani (Kera)
Hendon Fruit and Veg – Devajibhai
West Hendon Fruit and Veg – Nanjibhai Asani
National Security Systems Group – Dinesh Naran
Echo Packaging – Rakesh Siyani
ABC Depot – Prakash Patel
KBMD Chartered A/C – Kunverji Patel
Euroken – Vinod Halai
Burnt Oak Building Material -- Lakhubhai
Fourways Interiors – Kurji Karsan Varsani
Kingsbury Builders Ltd – Arjan Bhudia
Super Toughened Glass – Dev Meghani
Perfect Glaze – Ashok Bhudia
Keyvale Ltd – Jitu Vekaria
Performance Building Services Ltd – Dipen Bhudia
In Design – Dhanji Bhudia
Interpharm – Ashok Patel
All Bees – Dinesh/Jay Patel
KDB Design Ltd -- Kish Bhudia
Sow & Reap -- Suresh Vagjiani
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