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CHAPTER 28
ACTIVITIES IN THE REST OF THE WORLD
United Kingdom
Due to the lack of facilities for higher education (college) around 1935 A.D. few students from our community in East Africa went to India and England. After completing their education they all returned home and established reputable, flourishing businesses or entered professional vocations.
Around 1950 A.D. some who went for higher education stayed and settled down in England. Students stayed as paying guests with English landladies. They were provided with living accommodations with breakfast and dinner or a small kitchen where students did their own cooking. There would be no central heating in the house and the only form of heating was electric heating or gas heaters. The students were allowed to take a bath once a week only.
Kishorilal Bharmal Nagda (Virani) was probably the first Oshwal to settle in London. He was soon followed by Meghji Pethraj Shah who was the first person to open a business in England around 1956 A.D. and laid the roots for our settlement. Others were Harakhchand Lakhamshi Haria of Uganda, Velji Khimchand Gudhka and Ramniklal Karamshi who opened a shop called Overseas Grocers Ltd. After nineteen-sixties, more students started settling down in England after finishing their education rather then go back because of the political uncertainty in East Africa. In 1962 A.D., the British Government started making changes in its immigration policy and there were signs
