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Journey to unknown locations in fulfilment of 1’s coronary heart wishes continues to affect the motion of individuals throughout continents. Like a hunt for the treasure trove, typically perilous, destiny has all the time had a job to play in attaining the last word.
That is the first-hand account of the primary Indian-Ghanaian household who was additionally the primary to accumulate Ghanaian citizenship.
SET SAILING
In 1928, when Mr Kundanmal Wadhumal Mahtani and his buddy set sail from Japan en path to United States of America, little did he know that he would grow to be the patriarch of the primary Indian-Ghanaian household.
The greater than 10000-kilometre journey was not a stroll within the park, neither was it a baby’s play, however an journey meant for the courageous and people prepared to succeed.
In these days, there have been no aeroplanes that might do lengthy haul journeys because it exists right this moment and people who desired to journey from the east to the west or vice versa had to take action by sea.
As the 2 set off for his or her journey for greener pastures, their prayer was to reach safely at their vacation spot and begin a brand new life within the land the place they presumed milk and honey flowed — America.
FATE DECREE
However as destiny would have it, that was to not be because the ship on which they had been travelling developed a fault halfway on the Atlantic. This was months after travelling on the Pacific by way of to the Indian Ocean and subsequently to the Atlantic.
As a result of problem, the ship needed to dock on the James City Harbour for the fault to be fastened. Because the ship berthed on the tiny harbour situated on the shores of the Gulf of Guinea, passengers on board disembarked to stretch for just a few days whereas engineers on board the vessel rectified the fault.
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
In what may very well be described as “love at sight”, Mr Kundanmal Wadhumal Mahtani developed a ‘love-lock’ relationship with the Gold Coast, the title of Ghana then. Largely impressed by the pleasant nature of the folks of James City, the Tropical Climate and the spoken language- English, Mr Mahtani immediately deserted the thought of continuous his journey to the USA and determined to settle in Accra.
The love for the Gold Coast was so deep that not even a warning from his buddy might persuade him to rescind his resolution. Certainly, few months into settling down within the Gold Coast in 1929, Mr Mahtani began his personal enterprise by opening the primary store at Accra Central, across the Central Put up Workplace to be particular. The store largely traded common merchandise introduced down from Japan.
Inside a interval of 10 years, the love relationship between Mr Mahtani and the Gold Coast had grown to the extent that he had taken a agency resolution to relocate his total household from India to settle completely with him within the Gold Coast.
FAMILY RELOCATION
In 1939, Mr Mahtani, within the firm of his spouse, three daughters and a son, arrived within the Gold Coast to start life exterior India. The choice to relocate your complete household to the Gold Coast was fairly vital, as that made the Mahtanis the primary registered Indian household to relocate to the Gold Coast.
Accessible information point out that previous to Mahtani’s arrival within the Gold Coast, Bombay Bazaar (1922), Metharam Brothers (1922), LiLaram Tharwardas (1925) had been already working busineses in Ghana. Though the information affirm the existence of some Indians within the then Gold Coast, none had registered their households with the authorities.
The choice by Mahtani to deliver down his household to hitch him was such vital that it gained media consideration and received reported by the West Africa Journal.
In its Saturday, June 10, 1939 version, writing below the banner headline “Colonies in Want….Silence not Consent… Mandate or Empire…. With Variations….African Youth Additionally…. Water Sport”, the West Africa wrote that:
“The primary Indian household to settle within the Gold Coast arrived lately. Mr Kundanmal Wadhumal Mahtani of Mahtani Brothers intends, along with his spouse and 4 kids, to stay in Accra, for he says the local weather is wholesome to Indians and like that of components of India.
“Mr Mahtani partly attributes his resolution to stay within the colony to hospitality skilled on earlier visits. His elder kids are anticipated to go to Achimota as quickly as preparations could be made.”
THE ENCOUNTER
In a uncommon privilege and honour, the Ghanaian Occasions caught up with 93-year=previous Pritam (Peekay) Mahtani, one of many kids Mahtanis then, at his residence, the PEMS Court docket, Accra final Friday, to talk with him concerning the household’s relocation to Ghana and enterprise curiosity.
He mentioned he was solely eight years previous when the Mahtani household arrived within the Gold Coast in 1939.
Recalling his expertise and boyhood beginnings in Accra with fond reminiscences, Peekay mentioned residing in Swalaba in Central Accra was an expertise.
“These had been the times when self-discipline and respect had been the rule quite than the exception,” he mentioned.
“In these days, the native folks couldn’t draw the excellence between the completely different races of whites. They referred to each white-skin particular person as “Portogee” in obvious reference to the Portuguese,” he mentioned.
Peekay defined that it was not till when he was enrolled on the Bishop Boys Faculty in Accra, after his sisters had been taken to Achimota Faculty that a few of his mates received to know that he was an Indian.
Whereas on the Bishop Boys Faculty, Peekay had Peter Ala Adjetey, who turned a Speaker of Parliament; Omaboe, popularly referred to as Nana Oyeman Wireko-Ampem; and Nathan Quao, one in every of Ghana’s best civil servants ever, as a few of his Ghanaian associates, relationships he retained till the demise of those folks.
CUSTOMS/TRADITIONS
Accurately with the calls for of Indian customs and traditions, Peekay Mahtani was given the duty to make sure that his sisters received married and properly settled.
“In consequence, I used to be taken out of college and put within the enterprise once I was barely 16 years and couldn’t proceed my schooling as a result of my father had a number of tasks again house,” he informed the Ghanaian Occasions.
In keeping with these tasks again house, my father needed to relocate to India due to the household commitments and his in poor health well being.
THE TAKEOVER
Following my father’s departure from Ghana, the management of the enterprise turned my soul duty and fortuitously, the enterprise flourished below my watch.
“By independence, the enterprise had grown with branches all around the nation. We had outlets in cities similar to Cape Coast, Takoradi, Kumasi, Kpando, and Swedru,” he said.
Grooving together with the brand new industrialisation drive initiated by the Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nikrumah, Peekays Industries, North Industrial Space was birthed in 1966, turning into the first-ever mosquito coil manufacturing firm in West Africa.
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INTEGRATION
At this level, the household had greater than built-in into the Ghanaian society, making it compelling for Peekay to use for and be granted citizenship below the primary republic. Certainly, the Mahtani household was equally the primary Indians to be granted Ghanaian citizenship.
“Until date, all my kids, a few of my grandchildren and nice grandchildren stay Ghanaians and carry Ghanaian passport wherever they go,” Peekay informed the Ghanaian Occasions.
As with each human endeavour, Peekay Industries additionally suffered its ups and downs and the straw that lastly broke the camel’s again was the extreme commerce liberalisation embarked upon by Ghana within the mid-Eighties by way of to the early 2000s.
“At this level the importation of low-cost inferior items into the nation had made manufacturing uncompetitive. We determined subsequently to fold up,” he mentioned.
Not even the closure of Peekay Industries might quench the love planted within the hearts of the Mahtanis for Ghana by the Patriarch- Kundanmal Wadhumal Mahtani.
Though Mr. Kundanmal Wadhumal Mahtani handed on to everlasting glory in 1982, his legacy, which affirms Ghana’s relationship with India nonetheless lingers on, along with his solely son Peekay Mahtani holding excessive the flag of India-Ghana.
Even at age 93, Peekay continues to be in excessive spirits and nonetheless speaks fondly of his adopted country- Ghana. He nonetheless holds expensive his adopted “father tongue”, the Ga language, as he speaks it fluently with pleasure, and in impeccable accent.
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