FORWARD
Lalji's Nairobi, based in Gujarat and Kenya at the beginning of the 1900's, is a story that is familiar to many Gujarati families. Oral accounts of their emigration for economic reasons are recounted in many families and communities. There has been a paucity of literature about their experiences and this novel intends to fill a tiny bit of that gap.
The courage of people to move from one colony to another under the same ruler is an unusual event. Commonly, that was with little knowledge about their destination across a hazardous ocean crossing. Often it was a one-way trip as returning was not an option.
Historians have largely ignored the Gujarat-Swahili Coast connection. Conventional history of the colonies was written by the conquerors. Too often it was written for popular consumption at home. Glorifying the colonialists and diminishing the conquered came naturally. European colonisation of Africa and India was the catalyst for the most heinous of man's conduct upon fellow man, that of subjugation through slavery and indentured labour. Land grabs and displacement soon followed.
Lalji's Nairobi tells the story of how with ability and persistence it is possible to find a way through the mire and succeed. It is a human story of man's faith in himself. It is a story of man's faith in others, even those from across political and cultural divides. It is a story of human triumph in adverse environments. But it is also a story about man's weaknesses from within.
This is my first novel. I was born in Nairobi when it was a British Colony and spent seven years under majority rule after independence. Many of Lalji's experiences depicted here are similar to my grandfathers, who also left Gujarat at a young age for similar reasons.
It has had a long incubation since my teens when I decided to write it. I hope it lives up to your expectations and that you find its historical context alive and enjoyable. I have tried to make the context accurate and relevant to the focus of the story. At no stage has there been any desire to misrepresent any person or persons. I have tried to write fairly about the characters in the novel, being sensitive to their cultures and traditions of the time.
A small word of caution. I have used many words in vernacular language to add relevance and authenticity. To make it easier for those not familiar with the words I have added the English translation next to the word in parenthesis. In places, the English translation is deliberately omitted, where for example the word is repeated soon so as not to irritate the reader or interrupt the flow of the book.
Similarly, I have adopted the Gujarati conventions for titles. For example, "Bhai" means brother and can be used as a title of respect at the end of a forename or on its own. Likewise, "Bhabhi" means brother's wife and can also be attached at the end of a forename or used alone. Used at the end of a name can sound more formal and respectful. There are similar suffixes for other relationships, for example for uncle or aunt.
I would like to thank those who have helped in making this novel a reality. My copy-editor Jo Hall for her input and encouragement. Jessica Bell for the cover design and formatting.
My beta-readers and good friends, Elmein and Willem Le Roux, Amit Shah (actor), Usha Bahl and Johan De Waal all deserve a very special mention for their sharp reading, helpful suggestions and encouragement.
Nitin Nanji
