He jumped straight up in the air over the forge, he shrieked out his orders to his two young Kikuyu assistants in a high bird's voice and behaved altogether like a man who is himself being burnt at the stake, or like some chafed over-devil at work.

But Pooran Singh was no devil, but a person of the meekest disposition; out of working hours he had a little maidenly affectation of manner. He was our Fundee of the farm, which means an artisan of all work, carpenter, saddler and cabinet-maker as well as blacksmith; he constructed and built more than one wagon for the farm, all on his own. But he liked the work of the forge best, and it was a very fine, proud sight, to watch him tiring a wheel.
Pooran Singh, in his appearance, was something of a fraud. When fully dressed, in his coat and large folded white turban, he managed, with his big black beard, to look a portly, ponderous man. But by the forge, bared to the waist, he was incredibly slight and nimble, with the Indian hourglass torso. .
Pooran Singh was with me for many years and was a well-paid functionary of the farm. There was no proportion between his wages and his needs, for he was an ascetic of the first water. He did not eat meat, he did not drink, or smoke, or gamble, and his old clothes were worn to a thread. He sent his money over to India for the education of his children. A small silent son of his, Delip Singh, once came over from Bombay on a visit to his father. He had lost touch with the iron, the only metal that I saw about him was a fountain pen in his pocket. The mythical qualities were not carried on in the second generation.
But Pooran Singh himself raging above the forge, kept his halo as long as he was on the farm, and I hope as long as he lived.

AND HIS DEPARTURE
Some of my people now left the farm. As there was to he no coffee and no coffee mill there any longer, Pooran Singh found himself out of work. He did not want to take on another job in Africa, and in the end he made up his mind to go back to India.
Pooran Singh, who mastered the minerals, outside of his workshop was like a child. He could not in the least realise that the end of the farm had come; he grieved over it, wept clear tears that ran down in his black beard, and for a long time worried me with his attempts to make me remain on the farm, and with his plans for keeping it going. He had taken much pride in our machinery, such as it was, and was now for a while as if nailed to the steam engine and the coffee-dryer in the factory, his soft dark eyes consuming every nut in them. Then, when in the end he had been convinced of the hopelessness of the situation, he gave it all up in one movement, he was still very sad, but quite passive, and sometimes when I saw him he talked much of his travelling plans. When he went away, he carried no luggage with him but a small box of tools and soldering outfit, as if he had already sent his heart and life over the ocean, and there was now only his thin, unassuming, brown person and the soldering pan to follow it.
I wanted to give Pooran Singh a present before he left, and I had hoped that might have something in my possession, which he would like, but when I spoke to him of it he at once with great joy declared that he wanted a ring. I had no ring, no money to buy him one . . . . Before Pooran Singh left I had, however, raised enough money by the sale of my furniture to buy him the ring he wanted in Nairobi. It was of heavy gold with a big red stone, that looked like glass. Pooran Singh was happy about it that he shed a few tears again, and I believe that the ring helped him over his final parting with his machinery. For his last week, he wore it every day, whenever he came to the house, he held up his hand, and showed it to me with
a radiant, gentle smile. At Nairobi station, the last thing that I saw of him was this slim
dark hand, that had worked on the forge with such furious speed. It was stretched through the window of the crowded and overheated Native railway carriage, in which Pooran Siugh had placed himself upon his tool-box, and the red stone in it shone like a little star while it went up and down, waving good-bye.
Pooran Singh went to the Punjab to his family. He had not seen them for many but they had kept in touch with him by sending him photographs of themselves, he preserved in his little corrugated iron house by the factory, and showed to me with great tenderness and pride. I had several letters from Pooran Singh already from the boat to India. They all began in the same way: 'Dear Madam. Good-bye.' And then went on to give me his news and to report on his adventures of the journey.

BUILDING SIXTY-FOUR

From interview with Harjit Singh Ranauta, Eldoret

My grandfather Prem Singh Ranauta first came to Kenya when he was 27 years old. Unlike the vast majority of immigrants from India he was not a penniless young man. The family had (and still has) a workshop in Ludhiana, where blacksmithing and carpentering were done. But somehow my grandfather got into the recruiting business. He was encouraged by the British to take people to Kenya. He did most of his recruiting in Ludhiana, amongst his fellow Sikhs and most were his relatives. He made his first voyage in 1917, bringing with him about a dozen people. Then he went back to India, recruited some more people and came to Kenya again. He usually brought over a group of people 10 to 15 men every six months. They came by dhows, those old-fashioned ships with sails. The recruits were given free passage and free food as well.
When he brought people over he lodged and fed them until he was able to place
them, in the police, in the military, in the PWD, wherever they were required. Some of them went to Mombasa, Nairobi and Kitale, but many stayed here in Eldoret, which was then called 'Sixty- Four'. My grandfather particularly liked this place. In 1922 he brought over his wife Prem Kaur and their children. (My father Dasounda, - born in 1906, was the eldest of their three sons and three daughters.) At first the family and the recruits had to stay in c.i. sheet huts, but then in 1926 my grandfather built a big house that served as a hostel as well. It was a fine building, with a verandah with pillars out front, right on the main street that was being allocated to the Indians for building their places of worship. It also served as the original Sikh temple, for my grandfather put aside one room to serve as the gurdwara, and it remained as such in our family home.
Then my grandfather stopped recruiting and settled down in Eldoret to work at building full-time. There was so much work that people continued to come even without his going over to India to fetch them. And having so many people at his disposal enabled him to undertake a tremendous amount of work.
My grandfather was the only contractor in the town. He'd been building the Indian Bazaar, all the c.i. sheet buildings along the Uganda Road. Around 1926 he built the mill for 'Unga Ltd.' and he started in on the Indian places of worship. He built the Ramgarhia Sikh Temple, just across the road from his house. Then he the Hindu Temple (the original building that is still standing), the Patel Brotherhood Hall, the Ismaili Jamatkhana and the Muslim Mosque.
In 1934 my grandfather started the Kiplesso Sawmill' in Timboroa, a place high up in the forest 45 miles from here. He built a house there, a big wooden house with a fireplace, and with a garden. He kept his own horses there and he and myfather used to ride from Timboroa up to here on the horses, brown ones. I remember seeing them when I was a child. It was only in 1942 that my grandfather bought the first car, a Model A Ford.
My father got married to Nand Kaur and they had a big family, three sons and four daughters, every one born in Eldoret. Myself I was born in 1939. I remember quite a lot about my grandfather because he lived until 1954. He liked to talk to us youngsters about the old days. He was still strong and clear-minded when he died, and my father, who died just 3 years ago, in 1987 at the age of 81, was also like that.

Kiu Station in early days with Indian firemen (Kenya Railways)

Nahar Singh Mangat QC was a very prominent Sikh Lawyer and member of Legislative Council. He is seen with prominent members of the Indian Community with Krishna Menon, later on the Defence Minister of India after Independence in 1947. Sr. Hem Singh Sehmi, a popular building contractor, is also seen in the photo (turbanned) A very remarkable photo.

A GRAVE SITUATION
From K.A.R. by W. Lloyd-]ones- p 60-65 passim

To cope with this grave situation [the Uganda Mutiny] Macdonald and Jackson had but a force of ten Europeans, seventeen Sikhs, two Maxims and some 350 armed Swahili porters who were, however, no match for the stalwart Sudanese soldiery.

Reinforcements of Indian troops had at last made their long-awaited appearance, and a detachment of 150 sepoys, under Lieutenant Scott, was ordered at once to proceed down the Nile to prevent, if possible, any communication between the mutineers and the doubtfully loyal Sudanese garrisons in Unyoro….

THE GALLANT SIKH
From Early Days in East Africa by F.Jackson (pp 306, 310)

I paid my [Sudanese] men the arrears, but they were told that they must accompany
Macdonald on this expedition and that their other grievances would be attended
to on their return. They then broke into open revolt, refused to give in their arms
when ordered and marched off on the road back to Uganda. . . . [This was in October
1897]
We followed them up with the Swahili askaris who were available and some dozen and half Sikh soldiers. .
[I was] an unwilling and helpless witness of what was little less than a deliberate murder, but perhaps justifiable under the circumstances. What I saw was this. A splendid great Sikh with a shattered arm was being supported and led away by two of his comrades, while two others were holding and trying to restrain another, mad with rage, who was making furious lunges with his fixed bayonet at Macdonald's Swahili boy. The wretched boy, equally crazy with terror, was being held by two other Sikhs, who, to their credit, were doing their utmost to keep him out of reach of the bayonet, when the infuriated Sikh gave another ineffectual lunge, and at the same time pulled the trigger, whereupon the boy dropped down dead. It appeared that the boy, who was carrying his master's Express rifle, was overcome with excitement, and Swahili-like simply pushed it forward without raising it to the shoulder, and pulled the trigger in the hope that he would hit a mutineer, instead of which he nearly blew off the arm of the Sikh serving the belt of the Maxim, and just in front of him.
That gallant Sikh, after months of torture through declining to submit to amputation, made a good recovery, though his arm was quite useless, and he was one of the eighty wounded or time-expired men I took to the coast eleven months later.

THE ASTROLOGER & THE SAINT

From interview's with Tarawati Sofat, Nairobi

Yes, this is a photograph of Babaji. That's how we called him, 'Honoured Father'. His proper name was Puran Singh. He lived in Kericho where he had a furniture-making business. How did we meet? My late husband Baburam Sofat, who had come to Kenya when he was fifteen, worked in the Labour Department for 40 years! He would go to Kisumu and Kericho to give out pay. He met Puran Singh in Kericho and by 1942 they were fast friends. No, my husband was not a Sikh like myself, he was a Hindu Punjabi. He was an astrologer and palmist, so he was known as Jyotshiji. He had very many people coming to him. Even many Europeans. They were crazy about him. He'd be busy from morning until 6 pm. He didn't charge when he started. He wrote to his guru (in India) about this. The guru, Swami somebody, allowed him to charge 20/-. When my husband first met Babaji, he said to him, 'I want to read your hand.' When he saw Babaji's hand lines he said, 'You are a saint.' But nobody' else knew it.

When my husband first met him, Babaji was living quietly in Kericho. I don't
know anything of his background, but here is the "Sikh Sandesh" published in London
(11/8/83) after his death which tells all about him. It's written in our language Gurumukhi
but I can translate it for you. It says that Babaji was born in the Punjab in 1898, that he left school when he was twelve to work as a carpenter. Then in 1916 he and his elder brother Isher Singh, with whom he'd been working, came to Kenya. He worked in Eldoret for five years and in Kitale for four. In 1930 he started his own business in Kericho, making furniture. He brought his family over (he had two sons and four daughters).
This article says he had been very religious since he was a young boy. Although he worked hard in his business, his main interest was praying. He employed many people in his workshop and he would go around and supervise them, then sit in a corner and meditate. He'd make the rounds again, then go back and meditate. He and my husband had so much in common. My husband could sit three for four hours in prayer.
When Sofatji went to Kericho he'd stay with Babaji and they'd talk about religion and things. But Babaji didn't talk like that with other people, he never tried to attract people to him. At first nobody knew be was a holy man. He looked like other people, wearing a suit for business, although at home he put on white pyjamas and a white shawl. He always kept his beard loose (and encouraged his Sikh followers to do likewise). He had amazing powers. One time my husband went to Kericho with Babaji. They stopped at Naivasha
by a big rock to eat the lunch they had carried with them. Suddenly my husband noticed a lion coming very close. Babaji spoke to the lion. 'Do you want to share our lunch?' He put some food on the ground. The lion came and took it and walked away. Sofatji, he was shaking he was so afraid, couldn't believe it.
They continued their trip. It was during the rainy season. A large tree had fallen across the road, a huge tree. The tree was shaking. Babaji went in to it, amongst the branches. The tree shifted so there was room to drive past. Sofatji said he could hardly believe his eyes.
At that time Babaji still was unknown. When he came to Nairobi, he never stayed with his own relatives because they ate meat and drank. Mainly he stayed with Jaswant Singh in the Railway quarters, but he'd also spent a day or two with us. When we built this house (in South B) Babaji laid the foundation himself. Every time he came he gave us light. You couldn't see the light but you felt it.
In 1941 Babaji came to our house. He didn't know I was expecting, and that I was scared because I thought something was wrong. (No, it wasn't my first pregnancy, it was my third.) He said, is something troubling you? Don't worry.' And he blessed me, saying 'God is great. You must pray all the time. He will look after you.' He explained that God looks after us, just the way we hold a cup that is cracked so it won't fall apart. He always spoke slowly and with just a few words, and then left you to think about what he had said.
My baby girl was born all right. But after sixteen days I became ill, and I was three months in bed. In 1941 there were no clever doctors here, no good medicines. The doctor wanted to put me under anaesthetic. Then Babaji came. 'Don't worry,' he said as he blessed me. And I got better without any operation.

Slowly people came to know he was a holy man. They talked about him and his reputation spread. We started having meetings in the South C gurdwara when he was here, so people could see him, have darshan. When Babaji realised he was known he made a society. Jagjeet Singh was the leader of our sangat. Babaji gave us all holy water [the Sikh initiation. About 100 of us went, the ceremony was held in the South C Gurdwara. That was about 30 years ago.
We would meet twice a week for prayers. Once every six months or so we would all go up to Kericho for an 'Akand Path', three-day continual prayers. Big crowds would gather at Babaji's. He would clear out his workshop and we would have the meeting there, with prayers and singing. No one asked why you came, you were just made welcome. Everything was ready, food and bedding for everyone. Babaji's wife was helping. Baiji looked after him very well, his clothes and his food. She was a simple woman, very good hearted. She loved people, both grown-ups and children.
Babaji would sit there, talking with the people up until 11 pm. He'd be laughing and chatting. He wasn't a serious man. When you met Babaji you felt very fresh. He'd give you a great look, a great smile. Even one word from him made you feel good. He gave us his light.
I think Babaji had a gift from God. God gives different gifts. (He gave me the gift of singing nicely.) Babaji had the gift of healing, of making people feel better.
According to this article he first realised he had some power when he was very young, when he cured his father of a terrible pain in his neck. But he never demonstrated his powers publicly, only when you went to him. Or he would come to you. You would how and touch his feet out of respect and he in turn would put his hands on you as a blessing, a healing.
Around 1970 Babaji went to live with his son in London. The other son died but his son Billy still lives in Kericho. Yes, that was the one you met, his real name is Ragbeer. I'm not surprised he was not helpful, neither of the sons ever followed their father. But many, many other people did. He got to have a huge following in UK.
About ten years ago (May 29th 1983) Babaji had a heart attack. He said that it came from God and he accepted it. His son wanted him to go to hospital. Babaji said, This is my last day. If I go to hospital I don't come back.' His son insisted -and after two or three hours Babaji was gone. But before he passed away he gave his spirit to his disciple Naurang Singh
Now look at this photograph of his funeral. You can see the huge crowd proceeding with the coffin. The article says that there were 35,000 people present for the cremation. And as you can see, "Sikh Sandesh" published this special issue, the Sant Baba Puran Singh Edition', to commemorate his death. It is all about Babaji, nothing else.
Here we are not so many now. My husband Sofatji passed away in 1989.Jagjeet Singh, the leader of the saugat here, has also died. Babaji's followers have dispersed. We no longer have meetings at the gurdwara. Those of us who believe in him, we pray at home. He still gives us his light.

I first heard about Baba Sant Puran Singh Kerichowalla, Kenya's home-grown Sikh saint, in Kericho. I tried to interview his grandson there but Ragbeer was clearly disinterested in his venerable grandfather. It wasn't until several years later that a chance query to Mrs. Sofats's brother Trilok Nayar [see "Why I Feel So Sad"] put me in touch with some of Babaji's still devoted followers in Nairobi. Meanwhile, randomly perusing old issues of the "Standard", I had come across a small item about a fortune-teller. It turned out to be part of the same story.(Cynthia Salvadore)

Kericho, the town made popular by the holy Baba Puran Singh Ji

Baba Puran Singh Ji with Sangat members at the Gurdwara Makindu on Mombasa Road. The Sikhs had built a small place for worship, which was 100 miles from Nairobi and 200 miles from Mombasa (port), during the building of the railways. Legend has it that an African who took care of the place, used to see a Sikh horseman in beautiful attire, get off the horse and pay obeisance on the steps of the Gurdwara. He saw this horseman quite a few times and told the Sikhs about it. From his description it was deduced that it could be no one other than Guru Gobind Singh. This legend is well known till this day. This Gurdwara, middle of nowhere, is visited by thousands of people of all castes and creed everyday going to and fro Nairobi and Mombasa. Langar is available 24 hours a day and the place looks like a 3 star hotel now-a-days, with rooms to stay the nights. Simply a masterpiece and a feather in the turban of the Sikhs.

Baba Ji was one of the first persons to come to this Gurdwara regularly and perform keertan and paths and eventually it caught on and now this Gurdawara can be classified amongst the top gurdwaras of the World - income and visitation vise.

MAN OF MYSTERY
From West with the Night by Beryl Markham (pp 61-66 passim)

As I scampered past the square hay shed a hundred yards or so behind the Elkington house, I caught sight of Bishon Singh whom my father had sent ahead to tend our horses.
I think the Sikh must have been less than forty years old then, but his face was never any indication of his age. On some days he looked thirty and on others he looked fifty, depending on the weather, the time of day, his mood, or the tilt of his turban. If he had ever disengaged his beard from his hair and shaved the one and clipped the other, he might have astonished us all by looking like one of Kipling's elephant boys, but he never did either, and so, to me at least, he remained a man of mystery, without age or youth, but burdened with experience, like the wandering Jew.
He raised his arm and greeted me in Swahili as I ran through the Elkington farmyard and out toward the open country. .
I was within twenty yards of the Elkington lion before I saw him…What I remember most clearly of the moment that followed are three things -- a scream that was barely a whisper, a blow that struck me to the ground, and, as I buried my face in my arms and felt Paddy's teeth close on the flesh of my leg, a fantastically bobbing turban, that was Bishon Singh's turban, appearing over the edge of the hill.
It happened like this - as Bishon Singh told it;
'I am resting against the walls of the place where hay is kept and first the large lion and then you, Beru, pass me going toward the open field, and a thought comes to me that a lion and a young girl are strange company, so I follow. I follow to the place where the hill that goes up becomes the hill that goes down, and where it goes down deepest I see that you are running without much thought in your head and the lion is running behind you with many thoughts in his head, and I scream for everybody to come very fast.
'Everybody comes very fast, but the large lion is faster than anybody, and he jumps on your back and I see you scream but I hear no scream. I only hear the lion, and I begin to run with everybody, and this includes Bwana Elkington, who is saying a great many words I do not know and is carrying a long kiboko (whip) which he holds in his hand and is meant for beating the large lion.
Ewana Elkington goes past me the way a man with lighter legs and fewer inches around his stomach might go past me, and he is waving the long kiboko so that it whistles over all of our heads like a very sharp wind, but when we get close to the lion it comes to my mind that that lion is not of the mood to accept a kiboko.
'He is standing with the front of himself on your back, Beru, and you are bleeding in three or five places, and he is roaring. I do not believe Bwana Elkington could have thought that that lion was not looking the way he had ever looked before when it was necessary for him to be beaten . He was looking as if he did not wish to be disturbed by a kiboko, or the Bwana, or the syces, or Bishon Singh, and he was saying so in a very large voice.
'I believe that Ewana Elkington understood his voice when he was still more than several feet from the lion, and I believe the Bwana considered in his mind that it would be the best thing not to beat the lion just then, but the Bwana when he runs very fast is like the trunk of a great baobab tree rolling down the slope, and it seems that because of this it was not possible for him to explain the thought of his mind much closer to the lion than in his heart he wished to be.
'And it was this circumstance, as I am telling it,' said Bishon Singh, 'which in my considered opinion made it possible for you to be alive, Beru.'
'The lion, as of the contrary, rushed at Bwana Elkington,' said Bishon Singh. 'The lion deserted you for the Bwana, Beru. The lion was of the opinion that his master was not in any honest way deserving of what he, the lion, has accomplished in the matter of fresh meat through no effort by anybody except himself.'
Bishon Singh offered this extremely reasonable interpretation with impressive gravity, as if he were expounding the Case For The Lion to be chosen jury of Paddy's peers
'The lion rushed for Bwana Elkington, who in his turn rushed from the lion, and in so rushing did he keep in his hand the long kiboko, but allowed it to fall upon the ground, and in accomplishing this the Bwana was free to ascend a very fortunate tree, which he did.'
'And you picked me up, Bishon Singh?'
He made a little dip with his massive turban. 'I was happy with the duty of carrying you back to this very bed, Beru, and of advising your father, who had gone to observe some of Bwana Elkington's horses, that you had been moderately eaten by the large lion. Your father returned very fast, and Bwana Elkington some time later returned very fast, but the large lion has not returned at all.'

INNOCENT PRISONER OF TSAVO
From Innocent Prisoner of Tsavo (ms) by Lalchand Sharma (pp 31-32)

We were escorted by British soldiers and taken to the Fort Jesus Jail at Mombasa. The Sergeant-Major from Bharatpur State handed over an envelope to Colonel Vicor who opened it at once. After reading it, he informed us that we had been brought down for hanging. Before we were locked up, the Base Commanding Officer sepa-rately told Bishen Singh that he shall be hanged the next morning. Sardar Bishen Singh, a Jat by caste, was from one of the 'basties' (shanty-towns) of Jullundar City, Punjab, and he was a junior partner of Rama Nand, Bodh Raj & Co. He held a one-fourth share.
Our cells were six feet by three feet. The doors had iron bars on the top and at the bottom, through which one could see outside by standing up and by lying down. A small toilet bucket was kept in each cell. A dirty blanket, full of lice, was all that passed for our bedding. These cells were meant for the condemned and they were near the main prison gate.
Early next morning, eight English soldiers came into the Prison and took Sardar Bishen Singh with them. He was hanged near the Old Mombasa Market, in front of the general public. He, too, was an innocent person, another victim of the hatred the British farmers settled in Kenya bore towards the Indians for demanding equal rights.

MEMORIAL & MURDER
Contributed by Hassanali H. S. Verjee, Mombasa from his, 'A Family History" (ms)

When my father Hussein was the Chairman of the Indian Congress he engaged as secretary M. A. Desai who was his loyal, efficient and astute colleague for many years. Desai regularly had lunch with my father and they were always talking politics.
Desai, a bachelor, was a very straightforward, outspoken person. His fluent English proved an invaluable asset when dealing with political issues (my father spoke little English). My father gave him a generous allowance during his lifetime, and when Desai died [in 1926J Hussein organised a door-to-door collection to build the Desai Memorial Hall.
My father's next secretary in the Indian Association was a recent arrival from London. Isher Dass, who had originally been recruited by A.M. Jeevanjee to market radios in the colony. This venture was not a success but my father bought a radio from Mr Dass and in the ensuing conversation recognised his talents (he had been political activist in London), and so offered him this important post. Isher Dass La Hindu Punjabi ] had an Anglo-Jewish wife in a period when cross-cultural marriages were extremely rare. Consequently, she was ostracised by the arrogant European community in Kenya. Out of sympathy, my father engaged her as a typist on a monthly salary Shs.1000/- although he did not really require her services.
After my father died, Isher Dass came to me and said he wanted a photograph of my father to put in the Desai Memorial Hall. That was such a petty way of showing gratitude. I said, 'What do you take me for?'
Isher Dass was a very talkative person, the kind of person who you hear at Hyde Park. He was a very fluent speaker, especially in Hindustani. He was the biggest mischief- monger in this country. It was he who divided Muslim and Hindu. My father and -I agree - was totally against the Indians in East Africa dividing themselves into Muslims and Hindus. Many years later, Isher Dass became the secretary of an organisation recruiting young Asians for the British Army to serve in the Second World War.
[He was appointed Deputy Director of Asian Power] This post provoked antagonism amongst some sections of the community and [in November 19421 he was murdered by a group of Sikhs. He was shot in his office in Desai Hall.

He started his political career as a champion of the underdog and died of its bite. At the outset his popularity with the masses was remarkable; at the end, his unpopularity pathetic. . . During his lifetime, Isher Dass could draw huge crowds at his political meetings. The same crowds gathered in larger numbers to mourn his murderers and acclaim them as heroes. (from "In Memoriam; Who Was who" by S. Pandit)

Desai Memorial Library - a landmark

A GIFT FROM AN INDIAN TO A SOUTH AFRICAN

From interview with late Indar Singh Gill, Nairobi (see also part one)

I had started the Sikh Sawmill in Jinja. One day I was driving from Jinja to Nairobi. As I passed the Forest Department near Timboroa area I saw the sign for the 'Burnt Forest Sawmill'. I stopped.
The owner came up and said, very unfriendly, 'What do you want here?' I explained that I had sawmills in Uganda and wanted to have a look around his, just to compare notes. He was a South African, Bobby Ball by name, and he was not willing to show me around. So I said I'd buy his sawmill, what did he want for it?
He thought a minute and then said, 'Shs. 400,000/-', for everything except his personal effects, assuming of course that I couldn't possibly afford such a high price. "Fine", I said, "only I don't have my chequebook with me. Could you give me a leaf of yours?" He looked startled. 'Which bank,' he asked. 'Any,' I said, 'Barclays, Standard, whatever you have. I have accounts in them all.' He gave me a leaf from his chequebook I wrote him out a cheque for the sum he'd asked.
Now, he had several horses at the mill. I left him with a couple but as I used to like to ride (my father had horses on the farm in India) I took three or four for myself, took them to Jinja. We agreed that saddles were personal property so he charged me for the saddles. That was fair. Those people were very good to do business with, those hard-headed Settlers.
Then Mr. ball said he wanted some timber and some nails, to build himself a new house. He offered to pay, 'You charge me,' he said. 'No', I said, 'This will be a gift from an Indian to a South African.'

(South Africa in those days was the home of apartheid and the attitude of South Africans towards all black and Asian people was very vulger as can be seen from the above. But S. Inder Singh Gill put the South African in his shoes by offering to buy him off -[Kanwal])

The following is a letter showing the participation of the Asian Cricket in the East African Sports circle, which was dominated by Europeans.(Kanwal)

INVITATION TO PLAY
From "Asian Sports Association, Souvenir Magazine"

The initiative for holding the first representative cricket match between the Euro-peans and Asians which has long since become the outstanding annual sports event of Kenya did not come from the sports organisation of either community, but from E.P. Nowrojee, one of the best cricketers of his day, who captained the Asian team a number of times. {E.P. Nowrojee was lawyer by profession.)
.....................................................................................................................................

Law Courts
Nairobi 11th October, 1932

The Secretary,
Kenya Kongoni Cricket Club
Nairobi

Sir,
Re: Asiatic Cricket

The Asiatics in this country fed aggrieved at not being allowed to participate in the Country Cup matches. In the Cricket Season 1927-1928, when the Railway Indian Institute was at its zemith, the Institute voiced this grievance but met with rebuffs. The result was that Asiatic cricket has never had official recognition in this country. In spite of this drawback you will perhaps have noticed the vast interest in outdoor sports which the Asiatics have evinced. There are as many as eight cricket clubs in Nairobi alone. Mombasa, Nakuru and Kisumu are not far behind.
Now the Kongonis have become the governing body of cricket in this country, the Asiatics feel that though they be banned from participating in the Country Cup matches, they may be given some recognition and encouragement in cricket circles.

An annual International fixture of a three-day match between Europeans and Asiatics of the Country meets with the approval of various members of Asiatic clubs whom I have approached in this matter. I have even been promised a floating trophy if it is acceptable to your Committee.
I have not approached any member of the European Community with regard to this proposal but I feel sure that it will not be put down, without proper consideration having been given to it by yourself and your committee.

Yours faithfully,

E.P. Nowrojee

This cricket team boasted 3 Sikh players. Two brothers Jaswant Singh and Gurcharan Singh were the owners of "Photo Studio"in Government Road, Nairobi. These two brothers were very prominent members of the Sikh Union Club.

The following article on Sikh Sports is by Jasmer Singh, one of the finest Cricketers of Sikh Union and East Africa and a very prominent member. In this article he narrates the contemporary sports achievements by the Sikhs in East Africa. As this article was written in 1966, it might look outdated at present.

SIKHS EXCEL IN SPORTS
By JASMER SINGH Grewal
President Sikh Union

"La Patrie Reconnarssante" are the words that stand inscribed on a memorable monument in Paris as a token of tribute of the nation to one of those honoured France most. In the same manner, though in a very modest way relative to the position of a small community, and a small 'activity in its daily commitment the same three words, so expressive of gratitude may likewise be regarded as befittingly applicable to a small band of people, who contributed much in laying a solid foundation in sport for successive generations to maintain it in its high tradition.
To judge from the frequently expressed opinions, coupled with the fact that the Sikhs take part in many varied events, supports the contention that, the Sikhs are not only the most sports minded people in East Africa and for that matter all over, but are equally proficient on and off the field in all departments; of sport, be it Hockey, Cricket, Motor Racing or Golf.

Hockey and Cricket monopolises the attention of the majority of our sports enthusiasts. For the sport of Hockey is in the heart and blood of every Sikh is not far from the truth. The game has always been most popular, going back to 1930's, Sikhs had outstanding players like Sardara Singh, Joginder Singh Grewal, Bachittar Singh, Harbans Singh and Mahan Singh., although the number of those who were able to participate in it at that time was relatively small, it is an un-desirable fact that some of the early pioneers strived hard and contributed a great deal of practical effort to raise its standard and making sure that this game flourished in Kenya.

The very first Sikh hockey player to come to Kenya was Mr.Satbachan Singh former chief in-spector of Police. (see part one)

But by far the most colourful and outstanding player from the community has been Surjeet Singh Deol, who for nearly eighteen years occu-pied a prominent role in Kenya and East African Hockey, Captaining the Kenya team to the first ever Olympic participation in 1956 at Melbourne. He captained East Africa also on many occas-ions.

The stature of Sikhs in Hockey can be gauged from the fact that the Sikhs have formed the bulk of the Hockey contingent to the Olympic games. Eight in 1956, Nine in 1960 and six in 1964.
Avtar Singh captained the 1964 team to Tokyo Olympics.

There would be very few clubs in- the Country, where one would not see a Sikh among its ranks, and at the moment there are six Sikh players in the Kenya team and many more on the verge of recognition.
-The greatest rivals- of the Sikhs in hockey in this Country are the Goans. It is another? excellent example --of the contribution which sports can make towards the betterment of inter-racial and inter-communal relationship - that whereas 30 to 40 years ago there was a great deal mutual antipathy between these two communities- hockey has served to bridge the gulf and now we are at a stage where Sikhs and Goans have a great deal of respect and esteem for each other and more so form about 90% of Kenya's hockey team.

Avtar Singh Sohal (Tari )- Represented Kenya in 4 Olympics as a player and three times as a Captain.

First time played for Kenya, 1957; Olympic Games, 1960; Rhodesia Tour, 1961; captained and toured Pakistan, 1962. Played against India and Pakistan and captained, Toured India, 1964 He captained his side in Tokya Olympic, 1964. Again captained Zanzibar, Uganda, Tanzania's Tour.
He was selected to captain the Kenya team, which visited Europe.

CRICKET: Not as popular as hockey, but Sikhs have done well in this sport, going back to 1930', it is cricketers like Waryam Singh, Sham Singh, brothers (Jaswant Singh, Gurcharan Singh, Guru) and Harbans Singh who were the early stalwarts, and as far back as 1933 three Sikhs played in the first ever Asian-European matches. In the later years Mota Singh, Mohinder Singh, Swaraj Singh, Parduman Singh joined the repre-sentative ranks. But by far the outstanding Sikh cricketer has been Gursaran Singh, who holds many Kenya records, and captained the Asians and Kenya. Others who have gained representa-tive honours are Daljit Singh, Dr. Ranjit Singh the most colourful personality- seen on a cricket field in East Africa and Manohar Singh.

Sikh Union Nairobi had another versatile cricketer in Varinder Singh Lamba [below] (now residing in Toronto -Canada), who had the honour of captaining the Sikh Union side for six consecutive years. A feat unequalled in Sikh Union history. Being a natural sportsman, he is a master of nearly all sports such as snooker, hockey, football, vollyball, table tennis, tennis, badminton and now is an accomplished golfer.

Another sport in which Sikhs have excelled is Volleyball, whether it is the traditional or inter-national style, names like Teja Singh, Mehar Singh, Kirpal Singh, and Raghbir Singh Rahi, stand out in the Volleyball greats. There is hardly a trophy in Kenya that has not been won by the Sikhs.

In Tennis, Sikhs have never risen to great heights, but have played this game more as a recreation. On the local courts one would still meet veterans like Mahan Singh, Naginder Singh, Rur Singh, Amar Singh Kang, but there seems to be apathy amongst youngsters to take to this great sport. Same story exists as far Football is concerned, years back Sikhs had outstanding players like Surjeet Singh, Mehar Singh and Nirmal Singh, who all gained representative - but lately there is hardly a Sikh to be seen playing this sport, which rated as one of the most popular sports in Kenya.

In the lesser known games like Billiards, snooker, badminton and Table Tennis, the Sikhs have yet to make a tangible break-through even though in Table Tennis in Jarnail Singh, the com-munity has an outstanding player.

Another Sport in which the- community needs stirring-up is Athletics, in which three in the old days -put -up creditable performances, these being Dr. Balwant Singh, late Ujagger Singh Rai and Daljeet Singh.

In three of the most expensive sports, which over the years have been meant for a privileged class Sikhs upon joining recently have not only made instant impact, but- gained immediate success. In Golf, Gursaran Singh "Channi" has astonished the Golf pundits with his meteoric rise in a space of eighteen months, he is on handicap 7 the lowest held by -an Asian in East Africa, but his success in Golf has been a loss to Cricket Others who have taken to this sport and are doing well are Harbans Singh, G. S. Sandhu, Harbhajan Singh Kalsi, Swaraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh (Nyeri).

AN EXCLUSIVE SPORTSMAN : MR. HARBANS SINGH, O.B.E.
The Sikh community is indeed proud of Mr. Harbans Singh who is a beacon of light and a. tremendous example to younger sportsmen for which the Sikhs are well-known here and internationally.
Mr. Harbans Singh has been the President of Sikh Union, Kenya Cricket Association and the Asian Sports Association.
In 1962 he was honoured with an M.B.E. in the New Year's Honours, "for his devotion to the well-being of sport, more notably cricket and hockey, has been outstanding over many years. His keeness and behaviour as a player has been surpassed by his efficiency as an official and organiser". The success at the Tokyo Olympic owed much to his "personality and unflagging efforts".

S. Harbans Singh, the President of Sikh Union delivering a welcoming address to Satguru Partap Singh Ji on his visit to East Africa in 1959

He was the Secretary of the East African Cricket Conference. In 1963 he was Kenya's
Official Representative to the National Olympic Committee at Badan Badan in Germany.
1964: Mr. Harbans Singh was Chef de Mission to the entire Olympic Contingent for Kenya to Japan.
1965: He was again Kenya's Representative at the International Sports Committee Meetings held in Rome and Madrid.
1966: He is still keeping up the good old "activity" in sports alive by playing Golf at Royal Nairobi Club at Karen. He is the only non-European Honorary Member of the Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club. He is very active also at his desk at the Barclays Bank (Government Road) where his enormous responsibilities as the Assistant Manager keep him exceedingly busy.
This article appeared in a magazine in 1966 and is a tribute to the late S. Harbans Singh Sehmi.

S. Kirpal Singh Sagoo welcoming Satguru Partap Singh Ji at the Sikh Union Club in 1959. S. Harbans Singh is on extreme left and behind S.Kirpal Singh Sagoo stands Hon.S. Mota Singh now retired Judge.

In the art of wrestling, the name of Thuman Singh will be forever etched in the history of East Africa,where he remained a champion for a number of years. He was followed by his brother Swaran Singh as champion. They had their own hotel on River Road normally called 'Bhalwan da Hotel'.

Thuman Singh , Champion wrstler of East Africa

Swaran Singh, younger brother of Thuman Singh

In the kingly sport of Horse Racing, two Sikhs have been owners and have enjoyed great success, U. S. Dhariwal who is now in India, enjoyed tremendous success with "Jerabub" (below) winning most of the main races in Kenya. Recently, Mohinder Singh Kambo has also met reasonable success with his "Punjab" and Ranjeet" and he is a very popular personality on the Ngong Course.

'Jerabub' was bought by Mr. Ujagar Singh Dhariwal for a record price of £475 in 1944. Jerabub won both the classics, East African Derby 1945 and the Kenya St. Leger 1945. Besides the classics he won principal races, which included the Kenya Gold Cup. The following picture is of Jerabub being led in by Mr. U.S.Dhariwal after winning the Kenya Gold Cup.

On 2nd January 1946 Jerabub was shipped to Bombay where he ran 5 times. He won the Aga Khan Cup & The Brabourne Cup, and was placed second twice and unplaced once. Clearly a remarkable horse of a remarkable Sikh owner, who in those times had the tenacity to own such a horse, as the period of Colonialism and racism was at its peak in East Africa at the time. Besides Jerabub Mr. Dhariwal owned other horses Panoi, True Blue, Triand and Cry Havoc. He was the leading (First Sikh) book maker (Turf Accountant) in Kenya and was a keen sportsman who got the Hockey Stadium built at City Park. He organised sports days at the Sikh Union Club, which included motor cycle grass racing and athletics.

The above information has been sent by his illustrious son Harbhajan Singh Dhariwal (below), who was the first Asian to form the ethnic Lion Club in the whole of United Kingdom in 1970.

Harbhajan Singh Dhariwal, or rather Lion H.S.Dhariwal, although born in India, grew up and studied in Kenya under the guidance of his talented father. He came to United Kingdom in 1965 and had the honour to be elected the first Lion District Governor of the England Counties. He has numerous 'Help Appeal' projects to his name. He was nominated for the post of Internation Director of Lions from 1986-88. A Singh or a true 'Lion' whose achievements have made us feel very proud.(kanwal)

Lastly is a sport in which one Sikh has brought unfound glory to the community is Motor Sport. Joginder Singh and Jaswant Singh the two brothers won the 1965 East Africa Safari in great style and were feted all over the country, not satisfied with this success Jogindei went on to win the 1965 E.A. Motor Rally Championship, winning the Uganda 1000, and the Tanzania 1000.

He participated in the Mount Carlo Rally in Sweden, finished 36th overall out of 41 finishers - a most remarkable performance considering the absolute contrast in conditions compared to the E.A. Safari.

In grass track, which has been recently revived, Sikhs used to have brilliant riders in Harbans Singh (Bansi) and Niranjan Singh. Now Kishen Singh, Sucha Singh and Didi are beginning to come into lime-light

SARDAR HARBANS SINGH MATHARU
Mistry Maghar Singh Matharu (founder President of East African Ramgarhia Board) was a keen collecter of antique items and amongst his collection were many famous names of motor cycles of the day, such as Baby Triumph, Aerial, Douglas and Norton etc'. The love of motor sports and grand fatherfe collection inspired the young Harbans Singh to become a self made expert in the field of motor cycle arena.
The well known Sikh Union Sports Club in Kenya was in the fore front of adequate sports facilities and quickly realised the popularity of the motorsports, the management organized motor cycle track races. It was here that S Harbans Singh Matharu excelled as an excellent motor cycle rider and won many races including the Sikh Union Cup a coveted trophy. His popularity grew when a large following of Sikh enthusiasts came to him for training and advice. His love for the sport was so great, that he imported two J.A.P. 300cc & 500cc engines from England to participate in the superseded Speedway racing.
Sardar Harbans Singh was born on 11th November 1918 and now leads a retired life in Kent, England. He has two sons and a daughter living the USA.

Harbans (Bansi) is seen lined up for a major race at the Sikh Union Club. Looking on admiringly is Gurcharan Singh (Guru), the well known cricketer and leading organiser of the track event and owner of The Photo Studio.

ADMINISTRATION

The success of sports to a great deal depend upon sincere and dedicated persons who spend a great deal of their spare time in honorary capacity, and to them goes the credit for the immense strides Kenya has made over the years in the field of sport. The Sikh community are fortunate to have amongst them a small band of highly capable sports administrators.

The reins of many a national sports organisation in Kenya has been held by a Sikh sometime or the other. Two who can be singled out in this respect are Harbans Singh and Mahan Singh, and these could both be called the "Fathers of Association.

Mahan Singh was one of the founder of the Kenya Hockey Union and during its infant years a most considerate and careful father. He was president of the Union for two years. He was also a backbone of the Asian Sports Association
for many years and also its president for some years. He was also Chairman of the East African Hockey Union.

Sukhdev Singh, a very hard-working Secretary of Kenya Hockey Union for nearly six years, has recently been elected Chairman of the East African Hockey Union, and was also the first President of the Kenya Volleyball Association. His successor in Volleyball has been no one else but Mr. K. S. Bawa who has emerged on the Sports Arena recently with a tremendous impact. Bawa is also Vice-President of the Nairobi Hockey Association and also on the executive of the Kenya Table Tennis Association and Kenya Badminton Association.

Hardial Singh for many years has been Match Secretary of the Kenya Hockey Union, is now its General-Secretary. He is also President of the Kenya Umpires Association and a International Class Umpire

Harcharan Singh Mangat was chairman of the Selection Committee of the Olympic Hockey and is now Senior Vice-President of the Kenya Hockey Union.

Kenya Olympic Association is the umbrella sports body in Kenya as far as Olympic and Commonwealth Games are concerned and its 'General Secretary is Gursaran Singh Sehmi.

Kenya National Football League, one of the most powerful football bodies in Kenya has one
of its founders and patron a Sikh who is also president of the Junior Football League.

Sikhs have played a very big part in the deve-lopment of sports in Kenya and it was no surprise that the honour of Chef-d-Mission for the year 1964 Tokyo Olympics was conferred on the lead-ing Sikh Sports Administrator, Harbans Singh Sehmi and furthermore, it was Harbans Singh who was the first sportsman in this country who was made an O.B.E. for the Services of Sports.

Having said enough, we must see what are our material handicaps, which are twofold - lack of finance and the absence of enough youngsters. We must take a realistic view about the proper development of the youngsters and although progress in the initial stages will be at snail's pace, nevertheless the results gained later would be most helpful indeed. It is also a pity that not enough members of the Community avail themselves the advantages of the first class sports amenities available at the Sikh Union Club, the leading sports institution in Kenya.

Sikhs in Nairobi displaying their skills in the traditional Martial Arts 'Gatka' during 1950's

GAMES OF CHESS

From The Gate Hangs Well by James Stapleton (pp 105-107)

Ram Singh, the Sikh who ran the saw-mill on the other side of the main road [near Timboroa ]was traditional in appearance. He wore a bright turban with his hair in a bun underneath and he cultivated a massive beard. He looked down with undisguised scorn on all the other peoples and religions of his homeland, dismissing the Buddhists [sic] and Moslems with a sneer that bloated his cheeks and puffed his beard. Of the European and his culture he was openly envious; he drank whiskey as other men drink tea.
The first time I met Singh I had a puncture on the main road right by the turn off to his mill. 'You are the new farmer in the district isn't it?' He asked as he pulled me up from the wheel-jack 'My driver will mend the wheel' He shook my hand vigorously and was still shaking it when the driver announced that the wheel was changed. 'You must come and have a little drink with me one evening', he said when I thanked him. 'And bring your wife.'
'And if you're passing our place do call in any time.
He was round at our house the next afternoon, and talked and shook hands with Elizabeth until I got in from the farm.
Elizabeth prepared tea and Singh drank his in the form of a cup of sweet milk with ten minims of tea added.
'You play chess. No?' he said pointing at the board under our book-shelf. With due modesty I admitted I played a little.
'You must come to my house and play the chess.'
After that the Sikh often came round to play chess mostly in the afternoons though. The first evening session at his house was the last. Elizabeth didn't go and I said I'd be back early.
The sawmill had originally belonged to a European. The house was European designed and the furniture was also of the West, but the atmosphere was pure Indian. It wasn't so much what I could see - in fact, until my eyes became accustomed to the gloom, I saw hardly anything at all - it was the indescribable atmosphere of the East that immediately hit me.
When my eyes became accustomed to the gloom, I could see that, except for two easy chairs, a settee and two small tables, the large room was practically bare. The dark cedar-wood walls were decorated with a few cheap prints of squatting idols or saints, and there was some Indian-made brassware on the mantelpiece; otherwise there was nothing oriental in the room. Even the unopened bottle on one of the small tables originated in Scotland. Yet I might well have been in Bombay.
Right beside the bottle were two glasses and a chess-board: Ram Singh obviously
meant business. I soon learned that he was a fast pourer of drinks and a fast, cunning chess-player. We played chess, drank whiskey, ate curry, drank whiskey, played chess and drank whiskey in that order - I think.
When I awoke next morning there were thousands of children racing through the room, in one door and out of another, while my temples throbbed as though they were running over my head. Then they finally noticed the stranger in the camp and crowded around to see the phenomenon, chattering shrilly and pointing at me every time I peeped from beneath the blankets. At first, before I recollected where I was, I thought that by some curious chance I'd got into a preparatory school for Indian children. But in truth they all belonged to Ram Singh and his mill manager, and were startling testimony to the success of the Purdah.
After a cup of sweet condensed milk laced with a dash of tea, I carefully made my way to the car without having laid eyes on the ladies of the establishment. Ram Singh, as bright as if he'd just returned from a holiday at the coast, went through an extra hearty handshaking performance that stirred and shook the devils in my head to even greater activity.
'Come again, anytime you like', he said. 'The chess makes the good friends, isn't it?'

I got to know Ram Singh very well. We became firm friends and often met for a game until his mill was burnt out and he left the district for good. But our worlds were poles apart. Conversation was always difficult between an ignorant European who couldn't speak Indian, and an Indian who could speak English but who finished his every sentence with 'isn't it', so that one never knew if it was a statement or a question.
So even with Indians introduced, the world was still a lonely place.

SIKHS who laid their lives for the land of their adoption

MR. JASWANT SINGH
Mr. Jaswant Singh Bharaj was born at Lakhpur in the Punjab in 1935 and while a child, first came to Kenya in 1940. His father had come to
Kenya in 1914 and worked for the Uganda Railway. Jaswant Singh left for India for education in 1947 and returned to Kenya in 1953.

Mr. Jaswant Singh had a special interest in the history of India, which led him to study the history of British domination in India since 1857. He also came across the history of Revolutionary Party of India, which believed in achieving free-dom by violence. The incident of Jallianwala Bagh at Amritsar, and the inhuman atrocities of the British Forces against the common man made him resent the British in general.

Later, Mr. Jaswant Singh, on returning from India on 29th December 1953, was forced to join the Kenya Police Reserve. During his training he and his colleagues were badly and insultingly treated. Once he was struck on the crown of his head. This left a deep scar on his mind and turned him into an anti-British revolutionary.

This made him a sympathiser of the anti-White section among the Mau Mau and he com-menced manufacturing and supplying them guns, ammunition and other material. He supplied piping to the Mau Mau Bush Fighters for making guns and taught to a few of them the art of gun-making.

He was arrested in May, 1954, tried and sen-tenced to be hanged In the appeal, the sen-tence was reduced to life imprisonment but he was released in 1958 after serving four and a half years in Takwa Detention Camp, off Mombasa, along with the other detainees such as Messrs. John Mbiyu Koinange, Mr. Achieng. Oneko and Mr. M.: C. Chokwe.

He was a sincere and selfless supporter of the African struggle for freedom and served Africa and the African in every way possible. By profession he was a Carpenter, Mason, Plumber,
Electrician, builder, Radio and Motor Mechanic, Welder, Lorry Driver, Tractor Driver and Gun-maker.

MAKHAN SINGH

Born in27th December 1913 in the village of Gharjakh, District Gujranwala (now in Pakistan). Makhan Singh spent his early life in utter poverty and in very difficult circumstances. He had a generous heart and a very strong will -power and applied all his energy in tackling what-ever problem he was is confronted with.
He first came to Nairobi in April, 1927 and passed his London Matric in 1931. He joined
His father's Printing Business and also started taking interest in the Labour Trade Union
movements. In 1937 he founded Labour Trade Union and became its first Hon. Secretary.

In December 1939 he went to India, served an imprisonment for about two and a half years
Due to his Political activities and was completely released in 1944 after serving a further restriction in his own village.

He returned to Kenya on 20th August, 1947, of his time re-organising the Union Congress.

Trade Unionism was not the only activity in which Makhan Singh took such a keen interest; he was also one of the spear-heads in attempting to relieve Kenya from the yoke of Colonialism and advance it towards full freedom. On April 23rd, 1950, in his impassioned speech at the Kaloleni Hall, he had urged that the time had come for the people to unite and to demand in single voice that the country was theirs and that no foreign power had the right to rule over it. He set the ball rolling for eventual independence.

Makhan Singh was arrested on 15th May 1950, charged for various offences and acquitted, and was eventually restricted by the Governor under the' Deportation (Immigration British Subjects) Act for an indefinite period in remote and isolated areas. He was restricted at Lokitaung for about 'three years, then transferred to Maralal for eight years and later to Dol Dol. He underwent a hunger strike for twenty-one days, drinking plain water only, in protest against not releasing Jomo Kenyatta and others.

Makhan Singh spent the best part of his life in prison or restriction in the service for the African cause.

UNADULTERATED IDEALIST
From interviews with Fitz De Souza, Nairobi

Makhan Singh was very well known as a pioneer trade unionist in Kenya and altogether a remarkable person. He was a man of principles, and nothing, no concern for himself would sway him from his stand.
His father Sudh Singh had come here in the early years and Makhan Singh was born here. He schooled in India, however, and then returned here in 1943/44.While in India he had openly joined the Communist Party there. The colonial government here had no intention of letting him back into this country but he managed to slip out of the ship and get up to Nairobi. He immediately started organising the trade union movement, with Fred Kubai. In 1947 he was arrested.

Makhan Singh had been in detention for seven years when I returned from my studies in England in 1952. It was through my job with the legal firm of 'Madan & Shah that I first came into contact with Makhan Singh, through his father. Sudh Singh was very worried about his son and in his attempts to get him released the old man used to come to visit Madan in the office a lot. As Madan was often very busy, he'd send the old man in to talk with me.
Sudh Singh was an old man, about 70, I would say. He was a big, solid man with a long white beard. He owned and operated the Punjab Printing Press in a tiny shop, only about 10' x 20', behind River Road. It was the only press in Kenya that could print the Sikh's special Gurumukhi script and I remember the old man bending over and setting his type with great care. He had a couple of young Sikhs there to help him, but he did most of the work himself. He used to do wedding invitations and other such printing work for the Sikh community, and I think he briefly published a Sikh newspaper, written in Gurumukhi.
In an effort to get Makhan Singh released, Madan and I had been to see the Governor about some documents, and had got his agreement to release Makhan Singh if he apologised for his more radical policies. This I thought Makhan would do, for basically he was a man of law and order, against the use of violence. So at the old man's request I drafted a Petition addressed to the Governor in the father's name. In it we pleaded for leniency, saying, 'Please have sympathy for my son who is a very decent, though perhaps a little misguided, person.
I was very proud of the way I had worded the Petition for the old man and I made the mistake of sending a copy to Makhan Singh. He immediately sent me a telegram stating unequivocally: 'Not misguided. Will not he released under those conditions.'
I was sorry that my carefully worded Petition had been so unappreciated but I had to admire Makhan Singh for sticking to his principles. Because he refused to compromise his stand he was kept in detention (in Maralal) for several years more.

I visited Makhan Singh in Maralal and we became good friends. After he was released from detention I saw more of him and then we became great friends. He was a wonderful human being, a very, very affectionate person. He was totally dedicated to fighting for the upliftment of people, and a great nationalist, fighting (at least in principle) for the rights of people not just in Kenya but everywhere. And, although he was an avowed Communist, he wasn't at all dogmatic.
When Sudh Singh died (in the 1950s) Makhan Singb invited me to their home on Park Road. I found a whole group of people sitting on the floor and performing the ceremony that the Sikhs do after the head of a family has died. Another member of the family brought out a turban and presented it to Makhan Singh; that is their way of showing that after the death of the father his authority is passed to the eldest son. I was pleased to see that Makhan Singh was respectful of Sikh tradition, for he had always insisted that he was an atheist and had no use for such things.
I can give you another example of what a principled person Makhan Singh was. I tried to get him into politics but he wanted to continue with the trade union movement. However, he was given a relatively unimportant job and then the trade union movement chucked him out completely as they found his avowed Communist links an embar-rassment when requesting funds from the West. Makhan Singh was too idealistic.

Jomo Kenyatta used to ask after him. One day I invited Makhan Siugh to lunch with me at Parliament. I had been trying to persuade him to make an effort to get a job where be could contribute to the development of the country. While we were talking, Jomo (it was only later that we all began calling him Mzee) passed our table and stopped and embraced Makhan Singh before moving on to another table.
I was very friendly with Jomo at that time I used to write most of his speeches so I thought this would be an opportune moment to get Makhan Singh back into action. I asked him what he would be willing to do. He said, anything worthwhile. But I don't want you to ask anyone on my behalf for a job. Never in my life have I asked for anything, begged for anything.' I told him that you were never given' a job in this world, that you had to fight to get it, and I told him that I was going to ask Jomo on his behalf. I stood up to go over to Jomo and Makhan Singh grabbed me by the arm and pulled me down. He was really angry and said, 'I'll never accept any job that's been asked for, any offer that is not a spontaneous recognition of my usefulness.'
I was quite staggered by his vehemence, and of course made no further move towards Jomo, or to helping Makhan Singh get any job. It wasn't that he was arrogant, for he wasn't arrogant at all. He just felt that if people didn't appreciate what he had done, what he had to offer, he didn't want to work with them. He never did get a job. He died a few years later. He was a total, unadulterated idealist. He wouldn't compromise on anything.

OUT OF AFRICA

Kehar Singh Dhillon - a pioneer of sheer courage.

Kehar Singh Dhillon was one of thousands of Indians who emigrated to Colonial Africa during the early 20th century to work for the British railroad industry. With dreams of building a life and family in a new society he became embroiled in a rags-to-riches saga of passion, struggle, tribal politics and murder. Almost a century later Pally Dhillon, tells the story of his courageous grandfather, who left a powerful mark behind. Pally in his novel "Kijabe - An African Historical Saga" narrates his grandfather's adventures in Africa. Although he has changed the names of the characters but historically he has kept to the truth. A book -a 'must' for all 'Africans'.

The following photographs have been taken with the courtesy of Pally Dhillon from his web site: www.Kijabe.com., which the reader can access for more information.

Sikh pioneers in Kenya - photo taken in 1914

Sikh Traders in Masailand - during 1920's

Tarlok Singh the hunter with his tusks 1952

Pally at age 6 atop a zebra

Serving in the East African Meterological Service, Gurcharan Singh Rana was also a keen hunter. Here he is seen with a prized Rhino during the 1940's

The King

Next to Part 3

PUNJABI HERITAGE IN EAST AFRICA

The history of the South Asians in East Africa is not very old. It is only about 100 years since the first Indians landed on the shores of Kenya, namely Mombasa. The journeys in those days were accomplished in dhows which were the main source of transport and starting from Bombay the journeys could take as much as months to complete as the dhows depended on the state of the winds. It was after a lot of hardships that some of our ancestors reached Kenya to serve in the Uganda Railways which was being built from Mombasa to Kampala.

The Punjabis (Hindus, Muslims & Sikhs) were the main source of skilled and semi skilled labourers who worked on the railways. They suffered numerous hardships including the lions of Tsavo.

Do You or Your parents or Grandparents had any escapades, adventures, memorable incidents, interesting stories, their rise to fame or riches, old photographs or mementoes, souvenirs, brochures of Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika - magazines printed by gurdwaras or federations, clubs, schools, students etc. Any documents or photos about East Africa – anything!

I am in the process of writing a book on the ‘Punjabi Heritage in East Africa’ and I need information as much as possible. Just get in touch with me and send me the information (which will be returned after use). Your name will be acknowledged in the book.

Your assistance would help in inserting your ancestors’ names in the history of East Africa.

Kindly contact,

Harjinder Singh Kanwal,
20 Trewint Close,
Exhall,
Coventry CV7 9FG
U.K.

Phone: 024 7631 9483
E/mail: harjinder@kanwal99.freeserve.co.uk