Mr Ramniklal Sinala

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Transcript of the story

Birth Place: Kampala (Uganda)
Date: 1935

We are three brothers and three sisters, me being the eldest. At the age of eleven my father sent me to India to study. After five years I was called back to Uganda to join my fathers business in 1952 since he was very ill. I was to take care of the welfare of all brothers and sisters.

In 1959 I got married to my wife Ranjan who helped me look after my parents and the family in difficult times. Two of my brothers got married and joined me in business. Between three of us we had three shops.

In 1962 Uganda became independent and President Obote came in power. Within two years we started experiencing problems in our village. So I decided to send my parents my second brother his family (wife and two children) along with my two daughters to settle in India. My youngest brother stayed with me and helped look after the shop with my wife. I took up a job of a salesman with House of Manji selling biscuits and sweets. In this job I travelled a lot, visiting neighbouring countries like Congo, Ruwanda, and Burundi, Tanzania and Kenya.

When Idi Amin came to power in 1970 he moved some of his military and camped in our village town called Bombo. We supplied ration and other grocery to them. Idi Amin then ordered Asians to leave Uganda in ninety days. I decided to send my wife first since she was seven months pregnant and she also possessed a British passport. I stayed behind to wind up our business, which consisted of property and transport trucks. I had bad experience with army personnel one day and decided to leave everything behind head for the airport.

On the way we were stopped and searched at the army checkpoint. We arrived at Entebbe Airport and checked into Departure lounge, where two army officers immediately recognized me and refused to allow me to leave the country. They took me away at a gunpoint and asked for500, 000 Ugandan shillings in cash. After lot of hassle I managed to persuade my boss at Nairobi to look after them, and hurried to the plane to join rest of the party.
We landed at Heathrow airport later to join my wife in Loughborough whom by now had given birth to twin daughters Maya and Chaaya. She had settled in Loughborough because her sister and other relatives lived in Loughborough too.

The next day I met Mr. Ambalal Patel who was a member of the C.R.C who helped refugees coming to settle in Loughborough. Within a week I got a job at Brush factory. I worked night shifts and during the daytime I was in search of a home for my family and me. At C.R.C I met a woman called Mrs. Wendy who helped furnish the house.
Later my younger brother and his wife got the job as well whilst my wife stayed at home and looked after the children. We eventually saved enough money to buy a six-bedroom house in Leopold Street in 1976. I also went to India to bring back my other two daughters as well as my second brothers children.

Having involved other MP’s and C.R.C members I managed to get right of settlement for my elderly parents in India. We all lived happily in a six-bedroom house.

I later decided to start my own business selling Indian groceries in Churchgate. Later on we started another business repairing clocks and watches with the help of my brother Babu.

I now run a successful business in Derby Sq. with the help of my son Mitesh. We have a jewellery shop as well as a fireworks shop. I do a lot of voluntary work for different communities and am an active member at Shree Ram Krishna Centre.

All my children are now happily married. I now have six grandchildren of which I am very proud. The thing I miss most in my family is the company of my wife who passed away in 2001. I miss her a lot without her I would not have been able to achieve so much in my lifetime. God bless Ranjanben!