In 1972, Sir Charles Cunningham, the Chairman of the Uganda Resettlement Board said this about the Asians who were expelled overnight: “When nearly thirty thousand people were suddenly expelled from Uganda and had to come, often penniless, to start a new life in Great Britain, their calmness and dignity, their readiness to accept hardship, the uncomplaining way in which so many who had known success and prosperity began again at the bottom of the ladder, impressed us greatly. It was evident that they had been sustained by a deep religious faith which had enabled them to accept adversity and to rise above it.”
These migrants later built large global businesses in the UK, became pioneers and leaders in various professions including medicine, commerce and law. The iconic Neasden Mandir in the heart of London was built by these migrants in 1995 and became one of the greatest additions to British architecture. All starting from zero.
One such migrant was Subhash V. Thakrar, who then became a Chartered Accountant a business leader and Chairman of the London Chamber of Commerce, helping many businesses to break the barriers to entry in Britain and become global in aspiration and ambition. Subhash saw the critical importance of community networks and diaspora and is today a very respected leader and pioneer in the UK. In 2020, he won the Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award from ICAEW.
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Subhash has also been instrumental in founding the Lohana International Business Forum which had their second meeting in Gandhinagar last month just following Vibrant Gujarat. Two million members of an entrepreneurial diaspora are now connected and busy helping each other in a win-win way. Subhash is also actively involved in the World Hindu Economic Forum.
Faith and culture give resilience and social capital which help us throughout life. While the world is anguished about religion and religiosity, we should never forget its cultural power and calming resilience in spite of adversity. And adversity can knock our door without warning, so it is better to be prepared through faith.
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Professor Atul K. Shah [@atulkshah] teaches and writes about Indian wisdom on business, culture and community at various UK universities and is a renowned international author, speaker and broadcaster.
