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Born    31st July 1949                                  Demise  29th July 2005
Mombasa, Kenya                                               Luton, U.K.      
Late Shree Rasikbhai Jethabhai Punjabhai Ghaghada

It is with great regret that we announce the demise of our beloved  Shree Rasikbhai Jethabhai Punjabhai Ghaghada, aged 56 in Luton, UK on Friday 29-7-2005, leaving us all in deep grief. We wish to convey our sincere gratitude to all our relatives, friends and well wishers for their support, sympathy, and condolences by personal visit, telephone and by e-mail.

Smt. Surekhaben Rasikbhai (wife)

Smt. Jayaben Jethabhai (mother)

Bharat, Neel, Rima, Neel and Rima (Children)

Param (Grandson)

Late Dwarkadas, Anant, Mukta, Lalita and Sushila (Brothers and Sisters)


Tribute to Late Shree Rasikbhai

            From:-Pran C. Arjan (Editor)

How ironic that after writing a memorial on Late Sir Edward Heath just last month that I now write this tribute on Rasikbhai, whose life was also intertwined in that same history. In the memorial on Sir Heath, I wrote about the history of Ugandan Asians who were expelled and about my wedding being the first Pattni wedding in UK,

Rasikbhai, many called him John and while his friends lovingly nicknamed him Bonzo. Rasik’s family’s and our family’s shops were neighbours and we all grew up together.

Last Pattni wedding in Uganda

After completing my education in UK, I decided to visit E. Africa before starting my working life. On my way from Kampala going to Nairobi, we heard that Bonzo was getting married in Mbale, Uganda. Since Mbale was on the way, we decided to give Bonzo a surprise and attended his wedding. His wedding was on 22nd July 1972. After spending few hours at the wedding, we took the night train to Nairobi. Least that we realised that we attended the last Pattni wedding in Uganda.

During our stay in Nairobi, we started noticing many Pattni’s whom we had met in Kampala,  started coming by cars. We were just wondering why we see so many cars from Uganda. It was then they we all heard the news that changed the lives of all Ugandan Asians.

     On 4 August 1972, Uganda's president, Idi Amin, gave a speech in which he announced that all non-citizens would be required to leave the country and set a 90-day deadline. Upon hearing this speech, many Asians left Uganda overnight taking as much of their assets as possible. All Asians eventually left Uganda by 9th November.

    So to my knowledge, as mentioned in Edward Heath’s tribute, while mine was the first Pattni wedding in UK, Rasik’s was the last Pattni wedding in Uganda. Thus the mad dream of Idi Amin Dada and the bold decision by Late Edward Heath to allow all Asians in the UK, affected many lives.

     Rasikbhai eventually left Mombasa and settled in Luton, UK in 1987.  More than three decades have passed  leaving us with just those fond memories.

 

May God give peace to his Soul.