Mahendra Joshi
joshim@mcmaster.ca
My years in Jinja were from 1955 to 1969. The memories are indelibleand firmly planted for life.
1955: Inder Singh Gill Nursery School;
1956-60: Main Street PrimarySchool, also referred to as Lakda(Wooden) School;
61-62 Magwa PrimarySchool;
63-66 Senior Secondary SchoolMy last full year in Jinja was 1966.
In 1967-68 went to Kampala to domy "A" levels. Back in Jinja in 1969, taught at the newly openedprivate school, Nile Secondary School (Headmaster J.B. Pinto) for 9months and then came to Canada, where I have been ever since
.My family: Father Mr. G.G. Joshi, teacher at Magwa Primary School mostof the time, except in 1964 when he was Headmaster of UgandaRifles/Police School, which was in the army barracks and where Amin was an army officer. Amin's children were studying there so came to know Amin well and earned his respect. He also taught at East Kololo PrimarySchool from 72-74. Amin's respect for him was such that he was one ofthe few Asians allowed to stay after the exodus. When he left, he was given a ceremonial farewell and coverage in the newspaper. Thus he left Uganda with his head held high.
We lived on School Lane in Government quarters assigned to teachers. He also recieved the Independence Medalfrom the Government. He then moved to India, U.K. and Canada and passedaway in 1986.Mother: Savitadevi who was mainly involved in Mandir activites, in hercircle of friends in Nile Garden and hosting all our visitors. Shemoved with my father to India, U.K. and Canada and passed away in 2002.Sisters: Chandrakala (ahead of me 2 yrs), Sharmishtha (behind me 3 yrs)and Minakshi (behind me 6 yrs)Brothers: Narendra and Yogendra after me 8 and 10 yrs.
My classmates from "S4B" in 1966:Mahendra Raja, Kanti Raichura, Daljit Singh Chhabra, Niranjan "ND"Nathwani, Bakul Thakrar, Ashok Patel, Ranjit Mistry, Salim Moolji,Shirish Madlani, Anil Vadgama, Rustom Manek, Pravin Patel, Balu Lad,Lalit Patel, L.K. Bonda, Justin Kalangwa, Hardev Singh Sondh, SumanMistry, Narendra "NV" Patel, Jaspal Singh Ahluwalia and T.S. Shamas.Girls: Sarla Dhanecha, Saroj Tanna, Nirmala Patel (Kakira), BharatiVithlani (Kakira), Hansa Mistry, Jasumati Thakrar, Premlata Patel, LilaPatel, Freni Khamis, Sulakshana Karia, Nirmala Degamia, CynthiaFernandes, Nancy Chiang and Shehnaz Butt.Some of our secondary school teachers then:Aiyyar, Nayar, S.Patel, Bhabuta, Mahasawade, Gomes, HP Joshi, DivyabenRaval, WP King, Bandopadhyay, RS & JC Aggarwal, Desai, Batchelor (HM),Padmanabhan (HM)
I have listed just a few names. I have a lot more. If you can relate to one or more of them, I will have accomplished my aim of reliving thememories and images of the time that are frozen in our mental psyche.We cannot go back. Things are not the same there and neither are we.
Regards-Mahendra Joship.s.
the enclosed photo is that of a class picnic at Luwala Tea Estatein August 1966.Sitting Girls: N.Chiang, Unknown outsider, S.Butt, H.Mistry, L.Patel,F.Khamis, B.Vithlani(behind F.Khamis), N.Patel, C.Fernandes, J.Thakrar,R.Hudda?(outsider), Patel (outsider)2nd Row: M.Raja, S.Madlani, B.Lad, S.Mistry, D.Chhabra, N.Patel,M.JoshiStanding: N.Bandopadhyay, L.Patel, Moolji(outsider), J.Ahluwalia,R.Mistry, S.Mulji, P.Patel, B.Thakrar, A.Patel, A.Vadgama, H.Sondh,K.Raichura, R.Manek, ND Nathwani
