Lohanas in Diaspora

4 Warriors and Merchants ____________________________________________________________ Hitechchu, a jati magazine concerned with social, economic and cultural affairs of the community. Prosperity and solidarity have legitimated the status of the Lohanas as an entrepreneurial class in Gujarat as well as in their settlement in Africa, Europe and North America.

Bakshi notes the effect on this prosperity within the community. Lohanas ploughed their wealth into widening access to educational facility for their children at all levels from primary schools to colleges and vocational school.

The establishment of gurukul boarding schools both for boys and girls was an important contribution of the Lohana community to their own jati fellows as well as to the people of Gujarat. Bakshi attributes this to community solidarity whereas it is clear that it was the material transformation of the Lohanas as a mercantile community which enabled the leaders to bring about a sense of greater group solidarity.

Bakshi is obviously familiar with the fact that members of mercantile groups sought opportunities in Bombay as it became the main location of trade and commerce in Western India. He expresses a measure of puzzlement about Lohanas migrating to East Africa rather than to Bombay. However, the Gujarati tradition of migrating overseas is well-established and going abroad to work and even to make a fortune or misfortune was not unknown among the Gujaratis. In my assessment, migration is one of the key factors in the contemporary history of the Lohanas - a theme to which Bakshi devotes a single paragraph, referring to Mehtas and Madhvanis as two outstanding Lohana industrialists who contributed much to Ugandan and East African economy . A description of their rise merits detailed documentation and analysis.

Finally, Bakshi notes achievements of the Lohanas in a variety of fields such as sports and literary world. The editor of Chitralekha, a popular Bombay based magazine, Vaju Kotak was universally known among Gujaratis as someone who did not hesitate to criticise the establishment. In the field of public service, following the Gandhian way was Amritlal Vitthaldas Thakkar, popularly known as Thakkar Bapa who did much to protect the human rights of the tribal population in Gujarat. Bakshi also lists the names of Lohana individuals who became successful merchants in India, including those who were able to secure political office in the state of Saurashtra.

To sum up, Bakshi’s account provides a useful overview of the Lohana history but does not explain fully the factors which have stimulated