નડિયાદની 'દેહણ' – યુ.કે.ની ગાંધીવાદી વીરાંગના

બ્રિટનની ફેકટરીમાં ગોરાઓ દ્વારા પૂર્વ આફ્રિકાથી આવેલા લોકો અને ઇન્ડિયન પર આચરવામાં આવતી રંગભેદનીતિ વિરુદ્ધ જયાબહેન અને પુત્ર શિવકુમારે સત્યાગ્રહની માફક અસહકારના કાર્યક્રમ શરૂ કર્યા, આમ બ્રિટિશ સરકારને એશિયન સ્ત્રીઓની તાકાતનો પરિચય થયો

બ્રિટનમાં ગુજરાતી સ્ત્રીઓના ડાયસ્પોરનો ઇતિહાસ જયાબહેન દેસાઈની ઐતિહાસિક ગાથા વગર અધૂરો છે.

ચરોતરના પાટીદારનું ખમીર જયાબહેનમાં ઠંડી તાકાત રૂપે જન્મતાં જ પ્રાપ્ત થયેલું. મા-બાપે આ તાકાત દીકરીમાં પાળી અને પોષી. ૧૯૩૩માં ધર્મજ ગામે, પેટલાદ તાલુકામાં જન્મ થયો. પિતા ગોરધનભાઈ ગોવિંદભાઈ પટેલ ગાંધીવાદી વિચારસરણીથી પ્રભાવિત થયેલા. ગાંધીજીએ ૧૯૧૮થી ખેડા જિલ્લો ચરોતરને પોતાની કર્મભૂમિ બનાવી હતી.

અહીંના પટેલો, અનાવિલો ગાંધીજીના જમણાં હાથ સમા હતા. જ્યારે જયાબહેનનો શૈશવકાળ હતો ત્યારે દેશ આઝાદીના જંગમાં ઓતપ્રોત હતો. ૧૯૪૦-૪૨ 'હિંદ છોડો' આંદોલન એ ગાંધીજીના જીવનનું આખરી આંદોલન હતું. સભાઓ, સરઘસો, પ્રભાતફેરીઓ, ધરપકડ, લાઠીચાર્જ એ રોજબરોજના બનાવો ગુજરાતને ગામડે ગામડે ફેલાયેલા હતા.

પિતા ગોરધનભાઈ ગાંધી કાર્યકર જુગતરામ દવેના ગાઢ સંપર્કમાં હતા. જુગતરામ દવેએ દક્ષિણ ગુજરાતમાં આદિવાસીઓના ઉદ્ધાર માટે ધૂણી ધખાવી હતી અને ખાદી પ્રવૃત્તિ ગળાડૂબ હાથ ધરી હતી. ગોરધનભાઈ ખેડા જિલ્લાના ખાદીભંડારની પ્રવૃત્તિમાં મુખ્ય કાર્યકર બન્યા. ૧૯૨૧થી ગાંધી સત્યાગ્રહમાં ગોરધનભાઈ જોડાયા. ૧૯૨૧-૨૨ના અસહકાર આંદોલનના પાયાના કાર્યકર હતા. તેમની પત્ની કમળાબહેન બહેનોને સુંદર કંઠે આઝાદીનાં, સ્વાતંત્ર્યનાં ગીતો ગવડાવતાં. આ વાતાવરણમાં નાની જયા જન્મી.

ધર્મજની ભાગેળે પિતાનું ઘર અને બધાં સરઘસો ત્યાંથી નીકળે. ૮, ૧૦ વર્ષની જયાની આંખ ઊઘડે ત્યારે ગીતો ગવાતાં હોય 'શિર જાયે તો જાયે, આઝાદી ઘર આવે' 'ઈન્કલાબ ઝિન્દાબાદ' 'ક્વિટ ઈંડિયા' 'ગાંસડાં પોટલાં બાંધો બ્રિટનિયા' 'કરેંગે યા મરેંગે'. જયા સફાળી ઊભી થાય અને વાવટો પકડવાનો એવો શોખ લાગેલો કે વાવટો પકડવા સીધી ભાગોળે દોડે. ગાંધીવાદી કાર્યકરોનું તે પ્રિય લાડકું પાત્ર હતું. બધા તેમને કહેતા ''ચકલી નાની ને ફફડાટ ઘણો.'' ખરેખર મોટી વયે પણ તેમની નાજુક પાતળી દેહલતા, ૪-૧૦''ની ઊંચાઈ, પણ ઘણી તાકાત ધરાવતું ખમીરવંતુ વ્યક્તિત્વ હતું. જયાબહેન વટથી કહેતાં કે ''૧૯૪૨માં સરઘસ નીકળ્યું ત્યારે મારી પાસે આગળ પડતા આગેવાનો અને કાર્યકરોને કુમકુમ અને તિલક કરાવ્યાં હતાં. તેમાં જશભાઈ બેરિસ્ટર હતા, રવિશંકર મહારાજ હતા.

મેં કરેલા તિલકવાળા એક પણ કાર્યકર ગોળીનો ભોગ બન્યા ના હતા. ૧૯૪૨માં નાની જયા જીદ કરી પિતા સાથે ધર્મજમાં સરઘસમાં જોડાઈ. જનરલ લાયરે બેસુમાર લાઠીચાર્જનો દોર ચલાવ્યો. જયા ઠંડી તાકાતથી ઊભી રહી, ''શું કરી લેશે?'' અંગ્રેજ આ બાળકીનો વાળ પણ વાંકો કરી શક્યો નહિ. પિતા જયાને ઐતિહાસિક વાતો કહેતા. તેઓ કહેતા, ''હિરા ગયા, હેમ ગયા, કથીર રહ્યાં પરદેશીઓ ભારતને પાયમાલ કરતા ગયા.''

જયાનો અભ્યાસ ૧૦ ધોરણ સુધી થયો. ૧૯૫૫માં સૂર્યકાન્ત દેસાઈ સાથે લગ્ન થયાં. તેઓ મૂળ નડિયાદના. પેશ્વાઓ ''દેસાઈગીરી''નો ભોગવટો બાપદાદાને વારસામાં આપતા ગયા હતા. કુટુંબ ખૂબ ઘનાઢ્ય હતું. સૂર્યકાન્તભાઈએ કેમ્બ્રિજની પરીક્ષા પસાર કરી કૌટુંબિક જવાબદારી નિભાવવા દારેસલામ (ટાંઝાનિયા) આવ્યા. પુત્ર શિવનો જન્મ ધર્મજમાં થયો હતો. જયાબહેને પણ ટાંઝાનિયાની વાટ પકડી. બીજા પુત્ર રાજીવનો જન્મ દારેસલામમાં થયો.

૧૯૬૧માં ટાંઝાનિયામાં સ્વતંત્રતા આંદોલન ચાલ્યું. રાજકીય સમીકરણો બદલાવવા માંડયા. બે બાળકો ઘણાં તેજસ્વી હતા. દેસાઈ દંપતીને બાળકોનાં શિક્ષણની સમસ્યા સતાવતી હતી. ૧૯૬૪માં ભારત આવ્યાં. મહત્ત્વાકાંક્ષી સૂર્યકાન્તભાઈ ૧૯૬૮માં લંડન આવ્યા, વેમ્બલીમાં રહ્યા, રેન્ક ઈન્ડસ્ટ્રીઝમાં નોકરી સ્વીકારી. પણ સખત મહેનત કરવી પડતી, શારીરિક શ્રમ કરવો પડતો. જયાબહેન સિલાઈકામમાં પહેલેથી નિષ્ણાંત હતાં. ''જ્યુડી'' નામની ફેક્ટરીમાં ડ્રેસ બનાવવાનું કામ મેળવ્યું. મશીન ચલાવતાં શીખ્યાં.

લંડનમાં બી.બી.સી.ના 'ફૉર વિમેન અવર શૉ'ની ૭૦મી એનિવર્સરીની ઉજવણીના ઉપક્રમે પાવર વિમેન્ટ લીસ્ટ જાહેર કર્યું. જેમાં માર્ગરેટ થેચર, બારબરા કાસલ, ઓસ્ટ્રેલિયન લેખિકા જરમેઇન ગ્રીરની સાથે નડિયાદની દેહણ નામથી જાણીતાં થયેલાં જયાબહેન દેસાઇને સ્થાન મળ્યું છે

બ્રેન્ટ કાઉન્સિલે જયાબહેનને 'સિટીઝનશિપ' એવોર્ડ એનાયત કર્યો.

જયાબહેને વળી પાછું સિલાઈકામ 'બ્રેન્ટ ઈંડિયન એસોસિયેશન'માં મેળવી લીધું. હેરો કોલેજમાં સીવણકામ શરૂ કરવા માટેનો અભ્યાસક્રમ ઘડયો. બ્રેન્ટ ઈંડિયન એસોસિયેશનની બહેનો કોમ્યુિનટી ડેવલપમેન્ટના પ્રોગ્રામ કરતી તેમાં જયાબહેન જોડાયાં. વૃદ્ધજનો માટે શરૂ કરાયેલી સંસ્થા પેન્શનર્સ ક્લબમાં તે ઘણાં સક્રિય બન્યાં. ડેનિસ જેક્સન સેન્ટરમાં ચાલતી મહિલા મંડળની પ્રવૃત્તિમાં પાયાના કાર્યકર તરીકે જોડાયાં. વિલાસબહેન ધનાણીના રિફ્લેક્સોલોજી અને યોગના વર્ગોમાં જયાબહેન ખૂબ મદદ કરતાં. આ ઉપરાંત નવી પેઢીના ગુજરાતી બાળકો ગુજરાતી ભૂલતા જતાં હતાં. તેમને ગુજરાતી શિખવાડવા તેમણે અથાગ પરિશ્રમ કર્યો. રસપ્રદ રીતે, આનંદ પ્રમોદ સાથે શીખવતાં.

બ્રેન્ટ કાઉન્સિલે તેમને 'સિટીઝનશિપ' એવોર્ડ એનાયત કર્યો. બેટરસી હાઈસ્ટ્રીટ ખાતે આવેલા બ્રિટિશ ઈન્ડસ્ટ્રિયલ મ્યુિઝયમમાં કાંસાની પ્રતિમા મૂકવામાં આવી છે. જયાબહેન કેવળ ગુજરાતી તરીકે જ નહીં પણ જગતની નારીચેતનાના ઇતિહાસમાં તેઓ ગૌરવવંતુ પાત્ર છે. જયાબહેનના શબ્દોમાં કહીએ તો ''પોતાના અધિકારો માટે લડત આપવી, પોતાનું સ્વમાન, આત્મગૌરવ જાળવવું, તેના માટે ફના થવું – એ મૂલ્યો મને સ્વાતંત્ર્યની ચળવળે અને માતાએ તેમ જ પિતાએ તેમનાં વર્તનથી મારામાં ઘૂંટયાં.'' બ્રિટિશ સરકારને એશિયન સ્ત્રીઓની તાકાતનો પરિચય કરાવ્યો.

જયાબહેનનો ૫ુત્ર શિવકુમાર અંગ્રેજ છોકરાઓના રેગિંગનો હિંમતપૂર્વક સામનો કરતો

બ્રિટનમાં રંગભેદની નીતિ પરાકાષ્ઠાએ પહોંચી હતી. ઈનોક પોવેલ અને નેશનલ ફન્ટનું જોર વધતું હતું. જયાબહેનનાં બાળકોને ગીબોન-સ્લે બ્રુક પ્રાયમરી સ્કૂલમાં દાખલ કર્યાં. અંગ્રેજ છોકરા ચીડવતા, મશ્કરી કરતા, થૂંકતા અને મૂતરતા પણ. શિવકુમાર અંગ્રેજ છોકરાઓના રેગિંગનો હિંમતથી સામનો કરતો. નેશનલ ફ્રન્ટના માણસો ગુજરાતીઓનાં ઘરોના કાચ ફોડતા. ગુજરાતીઓની દુકાનો લૂંટતા, સ્થળાંતર કરી આવેલાં બાળકોને 'સી' વર્ગમાં દાખલ કરતા. અંગ્રેજી બાળકો 'એ' 'બી' વર્ગમાં ભણતા. ગુજરાતી છોકરાઓ ખૂબ હોંશિયાર તેથી અંગ્રેજી છોકરાં ઉશ્કેરાતા, મારતાં, ઝૂડતાં અને કાંટામાં ફેંકી દેતા. અંગ્રેજ શિક્ષકો વિદેશી બાળકોને સતત સંદેશો આપતાં ''તમે અંગ્રેજ બાળકોની સમકક્ષ નહિ થઈ શકો.'' જયાબહેનનાં બાળકોમાં પણ સ્વતંત્રતાની ખુમારી ઊતરી હતી. જયાબહેન કહેતાં ''ગાંધીજીનું વાક્ય મને હંમેશાં યાદ રહેતું  :  ''અન્યાય સહન કરવો ગુનો છે. અન્યાય સામે ઝઝૂમવું જોઈએ.''

જયાબહેન કહે છે  કરેંગે યા મરેંગે – શિર જાય તો જાયે …

૧૯૭૬-૭૮માં રંગભેદની નીતિ વિરુદ્ધ લંડનમાં ફેકટરી વર્કરમાં ચાલેલી હડતાલની નેતૃત્વ જયાબહેન દેસાઈએ કરેલું

જયાબહેન ખૂબ જવાબદાર પત્ની અને પ્રેમાળ માતા હતાં. સિલાઈ અને ઘરકામમાંથી ફાજલ સમય મળતાં નોકરી કરવાનું મન થયું. ૧૯૭૪માં વિલ્સડનમાં 'ગ્રીનવીક ફોટો પ્રોસેસિંગ લેબોરેટીઝ'માં હિસાબકિતાબ રાખવાનું કામ મળ્યું. ફિલ્મ ધોવાય તેના પૈસા પહેલાં આવે પછી આવે તે નોંધવા, લેવા. સ્ટેમ્પ લાવવા, પત્રવ્યવહાર, ડ્રાફ્ટ મોકલાવવા વગેરે સંભાળતાં. તેમને જુદાં બેસાડવામાં આવતાં. આ કંપની ૧૯૬૫માં ત્રણ અંગ્રેજોએ સ્થાપી હતી – એન્ટની ગ્રન્ડી, જ્યોર્જ વૉર્ડ અને જોન હિકી. પોતાના નામોના પહેલા – બીજા અક્ષરો જોડી નામ ગ્રીનવીક કંપની આપ્યું. કંપનીનો મેનેજર મેલ્કમ ઓલ્ડન હંમેશાં ઓવરટાઈમ કરાવવાનો આગ્રહ રાખે.

ખૂબ કડક, મિજાજી. બીજી બાજુ પૂર્વ આફ્રિકાથી સ્થળાંતર કરી આવેલાઓને નોકરીની ખૂબ જરૂર હતી, નિ : સહાયતા હતી, લાચારી હતી. અંગ્રેજો આ તકનો લાભ લઈ રંગભેદ અને શોષણ નીતિ તાકાતથી અપનાવતા. દરેક કર્મચારીને ભયભીત દશામાં રાખતા. ઓલ્ડન બોલતો રહેતો ''કાઢી મૂકીશ’'. વધારે સમય કામ કરે તેમનાં નામો પાટિયામાં ઉપર લખાતાં. નિર્ધારિત સમય કરતાં વધારે કામ ના કરનારનાં નામો નીચે રહેતાં. નીચે નામવાળાને હંમેશાં લટકતી તલવાર રહેતી.

જયાબહેન પોતાનાં કામમાં ખૂબ પાવરધાં, પૂરી ચકાસણીથી કરતાં, ઓવરટાઈમ તેમને ખટકતો. તેમના પતિ તેમને, 'ઓવરટાઈમ ના કરવો, કામ પરવારી નિર્ધારીત સમય પૂરો થતાં ઘેર જવાની તૈયારી કરતા હતાં ત્યાં સુપરવાઈઝર પીટર ડફીએ તેમને પડકાર્યાં ''તમને ઘેર જવાની પરવાનગી કોણે આપી?'' વધારાનું કામ તે લઈને આવ્યા. સાથે મેનેજર ઓલ્ડન આવ્યો. તેઓ ઘાંટા પાડતા હતા. ઘેર ના જવાનું ફરમાવાતા. જયાબહેને તેમને ઘાંટા પાડતા રોક્યા.

ડફીએ જયાબહેનને કાઢી મૂકવાની ધમકી આપી. બધા કર્મચારીઓ એકત્રિત થયા. જયાબહેને કહ્યું, ''મારું રોજગારી કાર્ડ આપો મારે તમારી સાથે કામ નથી કરવું.'' તેમનો મોટો દીકરો શિવકુમાર વેકેશનમાં ગ્રનવીક ફેક્ટરીમાં જોડાયો હતો. તેણે ઓલ્ડન અને ડફીને કહ્યું, ''તમે અહીં ફેક્ટરી નથી ચલાવતા. પણ આ ઝૂ છે. જ્યાં વાનર જેવાં પ્રાણીઓ તમારે ઈશારે નાચે છે. પણ અમે તમારાં મોઢાં ફાડી નાંખનારા સિંહો છે. સમજ્યા?''

વાત આગળ વધી. મોટાભાગના કર્મચારીઓમાં અસંતોષ હતો. પણ બોલવાની હિંમત ના હતી. જયાબહેન ફેક્ટરી બહાર નીકળ્યાં ત્યાં તરતનો રૂખસદ મળેલો યુવાન તેના બે મિત્રો સાથે મળ્યો. તેઓ માલિકની કારને નુકસાન પહોંચાડવાની વાત કરતા હતા. જયાબહેનનો અહિંસક, સત્યાગ્રહી આત્મા પોકારી ઊઠયો. આ યુવાનોને જણાવ્યું, ''જો જો આવું કશું કરતા, આથી તમને નુકસાન થશે. આપણે લડત શરૂ કરીએ. યુનિયન બનાવીએ. આપણો અવાજ જગવીએ.'' જયાબહેનમાં કરેંગે યા મરેંગે – શિર જાય તો જાયે … એ નાદ રણકી ઉઠયા.

જયાબહેન અને તેમના પુત્ર શિવકુમારે હવે મોટા પાયા ઉપર પગલાં લેવાં શરૂ કર્યાં. તીર છૂટી ગયું હતું. યુનિયન રચવા પ્રયાસ શરૂ કર્યા. નાગરિક સલાહકાર મંડળે તેમ જ બ્રેન્ટ પરગણાંની કાઉન્સિલે તરત માર્ગદર્શન આપ્યું, તે પ્રમાણે 'એપેક્સ'(એસોસિએશન ઑફ પ્રોફેશનલ્સ, એક્ઝિક્યુટિવ, ક્લેરિકલ અને કોમ્પ્યુટર સ્ટાફ)ના સભ્ય થવાનું શરૂ કર્યું. ફેક્ટરીના મેનેજમેન્ટ સાથે વાટાઘાટો શરૂ કરી પણ પરિણામ ના આવ્યું. ગાંધીજીના સત્યાગ્રહની માફક અસહકારના કાર્યક્રમો શરૂ થયા.

પિકેટિંગ લાઈન બનાવાઈ તે ઓળંગી કોઈ નોકરીએ ના જાય. ૪૮૦ કર્મચારીમાંથી ૧૩૭ જોડાયા. ધીમે ધીમે બીજી ફેક્ટરીમાંથી ૫૦૦૦ મજૂરો હડતાલને ટેકો આપવા જોડાયા. મજૂર પક્ષના પાર્લામેન્ટના સભ્ય એમ.પી. ઓડ્રીવાયઝની ધરપકડ થઈ. તપાસ સમિતિની રચના થઈ. હાઉસ ઑફ કોમન્સ-સામાન્ય સભાના ૫૦૦ સભ્યોને હાજર રહેવાની ફરજ પડી. ટી.વી. છાપાઓએ આ બનાવને ખૂબ પ્રાધાન્ય આપ્યું. જયાબહેનનું નેતૃત્વ આખા બ્રિટનમાં પંકાયું. આ હડતાળ ૧૯૭૬-૭૮ બે વર્ષ ચાલી. લોકોની આંખ ઊઘડી. અન્યાય સામે ઝઝૂમવાની તાકાત લોકો કેળવતા ગયા પણ જયાબહેનની તબિયત લથડી.

સંદર્ભ : http://gujaratsamachar.com/index.php/articles/display_article/shatdal/shatdal-magazine-jayabahen-desai-london-s-non-violent-movement-against-apartheid-21-december

સૌજન્ય : ‘શતદલ’ પૂર્તિ, “ગુજરાત સમાચાર”, 21 ડિસેમ્બર 2016 

THE SULTAN`S SPYMASTER

Peera Dewjee of Zanzibar

Author: Judy Aldrick – © 2015 Judy Aldrick

ISBN 978-9966-7572-0-3   

Published by Old Africa Books, Naivasha, Kenya

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Reviewed by Ramnik Shah

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Although `Spymaster` of the title may be a bit hyperbolic, Peera Dewjee (whose name was spelt with a few variations at different times) was indeed an important aide to successive Sultans of Zanzibar during the latter half of the 19th century and a book about him was long overdue. Judy Aldrick has done an impressive job of documenting his life and achievements, despite a paucity of material about his origin and his precise role in the service of the Sultans even at the peak of his career.

She begins with this disarming disclaimer: `Very little is known for certain about the early life of Peera Dewjee, except that he was born in 1841 and came from Kera, a farming village in central Kutch` (p 21), but then builds up a plausible picture of his family and background as a member of the Ismaili Khoja community with roots in Kutch and their migration to East Africa via a spell in Bombay.  She struggles really to chart a more detailed course of Peera`a trajectory.  Even as regards the general profile of Indians in Zanzibar at that time, and how he fitted in there, she has to make do with assumptions and conjecture in the absence of concrete data, based in part on the writings of Burton, Stanley, Christie and Speke.

What we learn is that Peera had somehow (though `[t]he truth will never be known` – p 29) managed to read, write and speak English during his time as a pre-pubescent boy in Bombay before arriving in Zanzibar, aged perhaps around 12.  At any rate, he was a precocious and enterprising young lad who quickly mastered the ropes of business as he grew into adulthood and became the family`s breadwinner after his father`s early death.  Again, how this came about is left to speculation and surmise: `It is hard to imagine Peera did not start a trading business of some kind. Like most of his generation he was a businessman to his fingertips` – p 79.  From these beginnings he was to progress into bigger and varied ventures, overcoming many challenges along the way.

But the book is really about how in the process he became an invaluable functionary of Barghash and his successors.  Barghash himself had succeeded his brother Majid as Sultan in 1870.  Their father, Seyyid Said, as Sultan of Oman and Muscat, had in 1832 established Zanzibar as the capital of his East African possessions (p 35) which, on his death in October 1856 (when Barghash was about 19), were carved out to Majid, who thus became the first Sultan of Zanzibar proper, as part of his inheritance settlement.

It was under Barghash`s rule that Peera rose to prominence and importance –  from a `humble lamp cleaner` to `personal barber and valet`, to informant and messenger, to chief steward and major domo and to `close friend and confidant`!   `He could speak Swahili, various Indian languages, English and quite possibly some French as well. Peera was perfect spy material` (p 62).  These linguistic skills and a sharp native intelligence clearly were valuable assets which he was able to deploy to further both his and his employers` interests. It is little wonder then that he was variously described or regarded as a `mover and fixer behind the scenes` (p 197) and a `representative of the Sultan` (p 68/69), and even as `the Prime Minister of Zanzibar` in an 1885 article about Sir John Kirk, the distinguished British consul, as quoted in the book`s prelude and later in the text.

Peera`s story however is intimately tied up with that of Zanzibar as it got sucked into the European power game and ended up as a British protectorate in 1890. Not surprisingly therefore a great deal of the book is devoted to the dynastic Sultans themselves – including their extended family networks, palace intrigues, attempted coups, and relations with outsiders.  We are treated to a most fascinating insight into a changing Zanzibar through the reign of six Sultans: Majid (1856-1870); Barghash (1870-1888); Khalifa (1888-1890); Ali (1890-1893); Hamed (1893-1896) and Hamoud bin Mohammed (1896-1902).  The first four were brothers or half-brothers, sons of Seyyid Said, while Hamed was a descendant in direct line, and so presumably was Hamoud who followed him, though this is not spelt out in the book.

But of course no history of Zanzibar during the period in question can be complete without a mention of slavery, its geographical position as an entrepôt and starting point for exploration into the interior, and as the gateway for all mainland traffic along the East African coast, at a time of European imperial expansion and involvement in the region. All this is cleverly, if a little unevenly, woven into the whole narrative.  Aldrick has also drawn character and background sketches of the Sultans and of the various British and European officials and other parties whose interactions and activities were to play a crucial part in the governance and development of Zanzibar. Then there are also indepth accounts of the travails of Princess Salme, who eloped with and married a German merchant, and of various naval blockades, internal rebellions and the so-called `shortest war` – of a 45 minute bombardment by British warships which brought down a pretender to the Sultan`s throne in favour of the rightful claimant.

But what stands out most is undoubtedly Barghash`s incredible five week tour of England in 1875 as an honoured guest of the government during which he was fêted at the highest levels of the British establishment.  This was to reward him for the 1873 treaty for the abolition of the slave trade and closure of the slave markets in his dominions.  Peera, though a lowly personal valet at the time, accompanied him, while the legendary Tharia Topan, who had a much higher status and standing, was a key member of the Sultan`s entourage. Aldrick gives a vivid and detailed account of the whole trip, which was followed by a shorter 10-day official visit to Paris, in Chapter 9, which also gives a fascinating insight into what the visitors saw of Victorian society.

Following Barghash`s return from Europe, there was a noticeable change, as `the balance of power had shifted decisively and [he] listened to the advice of his Indian merchants and the British Consul, more than his Arab chiefs and holy men` (p 145).  For his part, Peera began to emerge as an important figure in the service of the Sultan.  From this point onwards, Aldrick`s task as a biographer is made much easier because of numerous documented references to Peera which brought him under the limelight.  For example, as she says (at p 153), one of the earliest recorded snapshots of Peera Dewjee appears from an 1878 letter written by an American merchant describing an incident in which there was a violent confrontation between Peera, who was acting for the Sultan, and a Smith Mackenzie agent Archie Smith.

There are numerous other archival citations scattered throughout the book.  In Chapter 11, `The Sultant`s Right Hand Man`, we are told that by October 1879 Peera Dewjee had replaced Nassir bin Said bin Abdullah as the Sultan`s chief minister`, proof of which `appeared in a newspaper report of the visit of the Portuguese Governor of Mozambique to Zanzibar` – p 163.  From here on, there is an overwhelming mass of material in the form correspondence, newspaper reports, official memos, files and the like with Peera`s name in context.  He is more than a general factotum: he handles the Sultan`s business dealings, runs his shipping line, acts as his representative, officiates for him and becomes the chief organiser of palace events and much more. 

Consider this: Peera was the driving force behind the Sultan`s decision to start his own shipping line.  In 1880, he sent a team of his closest advisers, among them Peera Dewjee, as negotiating expert, and Bomanjee Manockjee, as chief engineer, to England to acquire the steamship Nyanza.  They `duly arrived in London on 21 August 1880 and stayed once more at the Alexandra Hotel in Hyde Park Corner where Barghash and his entourage had stayed in 1875`  And further: `The negotiations were successful  … and the ship was bought for the Sultan for the princely sum of 400,000 Rupees` (p 167).  And there were numerous further trips that Peera Dewjee was to make to England and Europe `bearing gifts and messages from the Sultan and purchasing items on his behalf` (p 169).  His last was in 1902, as we shall see.

By the mid-1880s, the European machinations to divest the Sultan of his mainland territories were reaching a climax and both the Brits and the Germans were to gain concessions from him which paved the way for what became the ten mile wide strip along the whole length of the East African coast that was placed under their protection – this is explained in Chapter Twelve under `The Fall of the Arab East African Empire and Death of Barghash`.  Barghash died in March 1888 and, according to Aldrick, Peera was part of a pre-arranged plan, involving the British and German Consuls, to ensure a smooth transition to the next Sultan, Khalifa.

Khalifa was aged about 36 but unlike Barghash he had `little previous exposure to Europeans nor did his Arab mentors have a thorough understanding of western politics and they quickly foundered`.  With his knowledge of the European mindset and ability to talk with European officials, Peera quickly `became the new Sultan`s chief diplomatic advisor` (p 202).  He was a strong character who brooked no nonsense and stood his ground, but his increasingly influential position did not endear him to the new British Consul, Colonel Euan-Smith.  The two fell out and Euan-Smith engineered Peera`s expulsion from Zanzibar despite Khalifa`s vigorous efforts to stave the deportation.  Peera then left for Bombay on 9 April 1889, while Euan-Smith went to England on home leave (p 216).  Peera however enlisted the help of Sir William Mackinnon to make representations on his behalf and on `29 October 1889 the Secretary of State for Foreign (A)ffairs wrote to the Government of Bombay requesting that Peera Dewjee be … granted permission to return to Zanzibar after November 30` (p 223).  By coincidence, `December 1889 saw the return of both Peera Dewjee and the British Consul General Euan-Smith` (p 225).

Then Khalifa died unexpectedly in February 1889 and was succeeded by Ali, the last surviving son of Seyyid Said.  Peera did not have a close relationship with Ali and so Peera`s focus shifted to his family and businesses.  He sent his eldest son, Abdulhussein, `to boarding school in England, the first Zanzibari to receive an education in England {who] set a precedent for others to follow` (p 236).  From around this time, Peera`s name began to appear regularly and frequently in the Zanzibar Gazette which, as Aldrick tells us, is a `marvellous source of information about life in Zanzibar at the end of the nineteenth century`, and  `As a prominent Indian grandee and citizen of Zanzibar, Peera Dewjee is often mentioned and the newspaper provides a wealth of documentary evidence for [his] later life` (p 236).  One particular such occasion was the wedding of his third son Abdulrub in December 1900, which was celebrated with pomp and ceremony, attended by a wide cross section of Zanzibar`s high society, including `practically the entire English community` who `honoured it with their presence` (p 261).  The whole extended event was graphically described in the Zanzibar Gazette of December 19 and 25, 1890.

Sultan Ali died on 5 March 1893 at the age of 38 and was followed by Hamed, under whose brief rule Peera regained his former status and position ( p 241), which continued after his death in 1896 when he was succeeded by Hamoud bin Mohammed in 1896.  By this time, a lot had changed and the British were firmly in control of the administration.  In 1897, they organised `a series of elaborate festivities to mark the occasion of Queen Victoria`s Diamond Jubilee` (p 255), and Peera was put in charge of the Grand Arab Banquet held at the British Agency (p 258), for which he was given special thanks by the British Consul, Arthur Hardinge (p 259).

Two further events may be noted:  in 1899 the Aga Khan came on a three-month tour of Zanzibar and mainland East Africa (p 261).  As a leading member of the Ismaili community, Peera made many arrangements for this visit and was given the ultimate honour of personally pulling the Aga Khan`s rickshaw through the narrow streets of the town (p 262).   And in 1902, Peera accompanied Ali, Sultan Hamoud`s son, on an official visit to England to attend Edward VII`s coronation. As it happened, Hamoud died on 18 July 1902, just nine days before Ali returned, only to find that he had been proclaimed Sultan at the age of 18 (p 278/9).  All this is described in detail in the last chapter (Seventeen): `A Zanzibar Merchant and Grandee: Business to the Bitter End`, summing up Peera`s life and accomplishments.  He died on 28 August 1904.

There is in fact a great deal more, not just about Peera, but also about Zanzibar, that is packed into the book, even though quite a lot of it is, alas, somewhat haphazardly structured.  An Appendix with a family tree and time-line of the Sultans and a sequential overview of the major historical highlights of the period would have been useful.  The Index is also inadequate in many respects.  But there can be no doubt that this is a work of immense scholarship. This is evident from the mass of footnotes and quotations, which clearly shows the depth and extent of research that has gone into the writing.  Judy Aldrick has indeed produced a remarkable study of someone whose name had mostly featured in folk memory and indirect references in other people`s (ie. European) literature, official records or newsprint.  Something else: she has also managed to collate and reproduce a collection of contemporary illustrations and photographs which together convey the flavour and imagery of the places and people involved in this reconstruction of an extraordinary man.

In a nutshell, despite its technical flaws, this is an extremely readable and informative book which should appeal to all who have an interest in Zanzibar`s history.

© Ramnik Shah

20.11.2016

The author has also written widely about East African coastal art and architecture and had previously collaborated with Cynthia Salvadori on her seminal works on Indian communities in the region.

Mulji Modha, one of the world’s leading authorities on crocodiles, passed away in February 2016, in Winnipeg, Canada. He was born in Kakira, Uganda, in 1939. Shortly thereafter, his family returned to India for a year where he would herd cows and buffaloes at the family farm in Rozda, Gujarat. Due to better opportunities in Kenya, his father moved the family back to East Africa to the little coastal village of Ramisi, south of Mombasa.

His love for animals and plants began at a very young age. He would roam the sugarcane farms, beaches, jungles, and rivers around Ramisi exploring the environment and the flora and fauna. This is where he learned to respect nature and developed a deep love for it. He would collect little critters in glass jars, and bring them home to study their anatomy and behavior and then gently return them to where he found them. His sister-in-law recounts stories, in which he would empty her pickle jars, and use them to store various types of insects, scorpions, and snakes! He also adopted an orphaned monkey and named her Sheila.

After a carefree early childhood, Mulji left for higher education in Mombasa, and then subsequently to Makerere College in Kampala, Uganda followed by the University of Nairobi. He was an excellent student and could have excelled in any field but because of his great affection for animals, he decided to study wildlife conservation, ecology and zoology. He earned advanced degrees from both the University of London and the University of Nairobi. In the 1960's he spent nearly six months living alone on Central Island, a small volcanic island in the middle of Lake Turkana in Kenya. He studied the abundant Nile Crocodile population that inhabits this region. At that time it was home to the largest concentration of these animals. This led to a fascination for crocodiles that inspired him to devote a significant part of his life to the study and preservation of these intriguing reptiles.

During his stay on Central Island, he endured extreme heat and dry desert conditions, loneliness, and even a violent crocodile attack that claimed a significant portion of his flesh. Unlike other individuals who would have steered clear of this ‘crocodile island’, Mulji returned to the island after his recovery to complete his work. In fact, a series of accidents followed, including a bite from a spitting cobra, an unfortunate anaphylactic reaction from the anti-venom, as well as, losing all his data when his tent burnt down while he was observing the crocodiles. He recounted that this island was not for the weak and did everything in its might to deter outsiders from inhabiting it. The research he conducted with such gumption became the foundation for a scholarly thesis on crocodiles that was well received by the academic community.

His love of animals led him to a career with the Kenya Wildlife Department as a Wildlife Warden and eventually Chief Biologist and Deputy Director. He worked closely with the esteemed paleoanthropologist and conservationist, Richard Leakey. He was also involved in the research committee of the Kenya National Council of Science & Technology and was the co-manager of the UNDP/FAO Kenya Wildlife Management Project. He was proud of his work in the development of the Mamba Village in Mombasa. Mulji also provided several specimens for the Nairobi Snake Park, Nairobi Animal Orphanage and the National Museum of Kenya. He defied death numerous times while working in this field, being chased by elephants and rhinos, having his hand mauled by a lion and being bit by snakes and scorpions.

Some of these episodes could have been avoided had he been more careful and less crazy! Many of his family members and friends have shared numerous frightening yet exhilarating experiences in the various parks of Kenya. He was quite accident-prone and survived numerous motor vehicle accidents, an airplane crash, and a motorcycle collision. During the latter, he incurred a head injury and developed amnesia for a significant period of time! Despite all these mishaps, he was very tough and quickly recovered from his injuries. He climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya as well as the Ruwenzori Mountains of Uganda and several other peaks along the Great Rift Valley. He also joined the Kenya Army Reserves and was proud to have attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

In 1970, after marrying his wife, Kusum, he lived in Maasai Mara Game Reserve. The couple collected data about the world famous wildebeest migrations in the Mara-Serengeti plains and also researched baboons. Mulji also published articles about various birds during this time. Their son grew up among lions, elephants and monkeys for the first 5 years of his life! He instilled a love and respect for all forms of natural history in his two children and would take them with him exploring and documenting the far corners of Kenya, looking for waterfalls, caves, hot springs, lakes, craters, canyons, as well as rare animals and plants. Some of his discoveries eventually led to the development of national parks and reserves across the nation.

He was a very good father, ever present and doting, and instilled good morals and values in his children. He would also treat everyone with equal respect, be it ministers and celebrities or simple villagers and would insist that his family do the same. He had a reputation for being very honest and would never accept any special favours or bribes while working for the Government of Kenya. He was also known for speaking his mind and not sugarcoating his views, earning his superiors’ respect. Having grown up in British East Africa and its regime of apartheid, he was extremely happy when Kenya achieved independence. He was a strong supporter of civil rights and freedoms and tried to ensure that any policies he was involved in making at the Wildlife Department did not take advantage of indigenous people. He felt that the pursuit for tourism dollars could easily be at the expense of poor people and did all he could to prevent that. In addition, he knew that the zeal to conserve and protect species in certain areas could overshadow human rights and so tried to strive for a balance between allowing the local inhabitants to exploit these species but also protect them.

After a very fulfilling career in Kenya, Mulji opted for early retirement and immigrated to Canada in 1989 to be close to family and also to enable his children to pursue higher education there. He joined his 3 brothers as well as his wife’s family who had all fled Uganda as refugees in 1972, during the reign of Idi Amin.

Unfortunately, he was unable to find a job in his field and so ended up doing a variety of other occupations over the next few years. He always missed his beloved Kenya and had a very hard time adapting to life in Canada. It was difficult to adjust to the different culture, weather, and lifestyle. He also returned to Kenya but could not continue to stay there because he missed his wife and children.

In 2003, he was very excited to get an opportunity to have some of his work publicized on television where he was featured in a documentary entitled “Crocophiles”. He acted as a wildlife expert/ecologist/naturalist/consultant in this fascinating documentary produced by Force Four Productions of Canada (https://www.telefilm.ca/en/catalogues/production/crocophiles). The film followed Mulji to Cuba (Zapata Swamp), Australia (Darwin), and back to Lake Turkana documenting his examination of the local crocodile populations and his interactions with other crocodile researchers.

Besides having a vast knowledge about animals and plants, Mulji was a voracious reader and was well informed about world history, geography and politics. He was very knowledgeable about different religions, cultures and languages and developed an interest in the evolution and history of language. He was an avid photographer and traveller and had been to numerous African and European countries as well as India, Australia, Brazil, the Caribbean and Central America and had explored both the United States and Canada from coast-to-coast. He could converse about an infinite number of subjects and would always find something in common when meeting a stranger. He was very friendly and also curious and always keen to learn something new.

Mulji was an extraordinary East African Gujarati with an exuberant personality, witty sense of humour and inherent kindness who will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by all those who knew him. He died from complications related to cancer and Parkinson’s disease. He leaves behind his wife of 46 years, Kusum, and children, Ashok and Geetanjalee, as well as 3 grandchildren and many other family members.  To have his love and deeds inspire others to passionate action and appreciation for wildlife preservation would be a fitting legacy for such a man.

Indra Trivedi resides in Canada and occasionally writes his personal stories to Africana-Orientalia (AO)  and local  magazines and  is a collector  and consultant of  art and antiques.

courtesy : "The AWAAZ", volume 13, Issue 1, 2016; pages – 19-22