Mehta family in the book

From: Annet Nanono
To: Dr. Vali Jamal ; Dr. Vali Jamal
Sent: Wednesday, 25 January 2012, 18:38
Subject: Uganda Asians

Dear Dr. Vali Jamal
I have gone through the articles you have written on The Mehta Group, my Father and myself. I am sending you herewith the e-mail from Mr. Suresh Kothari who is our Joint President, Corporate and Public Relations, he takes very keen interest in cultural, educational and charitable activities of the Group.
Another outstanding personality in our family has been my sister Dr. Savitaben Mehta popularly known as Savita Didij, born in Jinja, educated in India and UK and got an Honorary Doctorate Degree. She was a great orator, authority, on Vedas and Puranas, leading educationist and outstanding artist. Her short introduction is enclosed herewith which you may like to incorporate in your esteemed book.
From the speeches from Mr. Suresh Kothari, If you find many interesting points, you may incorporate them. Some additional photographs, which you required will be sent to you shortly.
I am returning herewith the book you left with me, which is a great work which you have done, which will be of great value not only to the present generation of Ugandans and Asians who have lived here and abroad but also for the posterity.
Regards,
M.N Mehta

Dear Mahendrabhai,
First of all it behooves me to express my thanks to you for receiving me 10 days ago at the estate and filling in on your life story that I had done based on my interview (along with late Yashwant Sidpra) in October 2007. I was much affected by your hospitality, particularly the golf-cart ride through Mrs Mehta’s exotic garden and statues. I have incorporated most of the new material from our interview last Saturday and I shall use the 4 documents sent herewith to supplement the story. There are many new details about the founder father Nanjibhai in these accounts which I shall use in his profile. I am grateful to have the biography of sister Didiji. I could see from her picture on your wall that she played an important role in your life and now I see from the account sent that she played a significant role in girl education at Gurukul. The speech by Mr Kothari also contains useful data on father on the commemoration of his 125th anniversary. Finally there is an article about East Africa - Today and Yesterday that recounts our history in these parts. Luckily for me a lot of that material is already in the book. I note with some satisfaction that an Institute for Gujarati Diaspora Studies exists in Gujarat. I trust I shall be invited to their next symposium based on my book! To be quite frank my book should be of very great interest to the Institute and I hope it comes to their notice soon. Having worked this hard on this book it is everybody’s responsibility that it gets the notice it deserves.
Let me take the next few days to complete all the drafts and send them to you and Mr Kothari, electric power permitting! I see from the family tree that an important landmark birthday is coming on 20.03. 2012. I should like to present to you my articles as a part of that celebration. Please send me 10-12 photos soon, including of parents, Didiji, Mrs Mehta and all members of the family.
One more article possible is of your nephew who’s playing a new role at Scoul. It would go in the New Generation section in the book.
Once again with my thanks and best regards.

Vali Jamal, BA Cambridge, PhD Stanford, ILO economist 1976-2001. Kampala, Uganda. Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There, We Contributed, We Contribute (1,111 pp; $71.11), forthcoming June 2012. Guaranteed to put you to sleep, except just don't read it in bed at the risk of abdominal hernia. visit ww.vivaeastafrica.blogspot.com. No poverty equals ignorance, no support is greater than advice – Amir al Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful) Ali ibn Abu Talib, 1st Shia Imam.