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Chapter 33. Achievements, Awards and Honors
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re-marriage and against the practice of covering faces (laj) While in Nairobi he was a member of the Oshwal Youth League and editor of the community magazines Aagal Dhaso and Jyotsna. In the years 1944-45 he was elected as President of the Oshwal Youth league. After moving to Mombasa in 1948 he worked in various capacities in the managing committee of the Visa Oshwal Vanik community of Mombasa and became its chairman in the years 1972-73.
He took deep interest in Jain religion and participated in the activities of Shri Svetamber Deravashi Jain Sangh of Mombasa for twenty-one years. He served as secretary, vice-chairman and in 1968 became its chairman. He was one of the drivin ces behind the construction of the new domed Jain temple.
His love for education is well known. He played a crucial role in the establishment of the educational institutions in Mombasa. He was chairman of the Oshwal Academy Committee from its inception in 1968 to 1974.
While he lived in UK from 1974 until his death his main interest was to write history of the Halari Visa Oshwal community. He traveled widely in India in search of information about the origin of Oshwals and interview many historians of various other Oshwal and Jain communities. He wrote 25 articles on the history Oshwal community in Gujarati, which were then published in a monthly magazine the Oshwal/Halari Bandhu. He passed away on April 20, 2000 at Harrow in UK.
Literature and Entertainment
Chandrakant H. Shah was born in 1956 in the village of Goinj, Saurastra (India). Chandu wears many hats; he is a poet, a play writer, an actor, a director, a producer and a journalist. He writes mostly in Gujarati.
