From Gujarat to Mauritius: Gandhi, Modi, Atchia

Heritage

By Dr Michael Atchia

From Porbandar town in Porbandar province came the most illustrious son of India, Mohandas K. Gandhi, the Mahatma Gandhi.
On his way to South Africa, Gandhi made a short stop in Mauritius (from 29 October to 15 November 1901). He was welcomed by fellow countrymen from Gujarat who had settled as traders in Mauritius and who organised his stay in the colony, including my grandfather A. I. Atchia. Despite his main mission being in South Africa, Gandhi enquired about the conditions of life of people of Indian origin living and working in Mauritius and met many of them. Seeing their dismal condition, Gandhi asked Manilal Doctor (1881-1956), an Indian-born London-educated lawyer, to go to Mauritius to represent the Indo-Mauritians in court and increase their awareness about human rights. He edited a newspaper here and later travelled to other countries, including Fiji and Aden. Gandhi’s lessons on non-violence and his fight for human rights were then — and remain now — an example for the world!

From Vadnagar village in Mahesana province comes Narendra Modi, long-time Premier of the State of Gujarat…
… responsible, it is said, for the economic miracle of Gujarat, and then Prime Minister of the Republic of India since 2014, as leader of the BJP. He came to Mauritius for the first time — as chief guest on the occasion of the anniversary of our independence — on 12 March 2015. And again today, 12 March 2025, as chief guest for the 57th anniversary of the independence of Mauritius.
Since Modi took over in 2001, Gujarat’s economy has vastly improved and continues to do so. As PM of India, he has made numerous reforms, both economic and structural, as well as playing a vital role in world affairs.

From Barbodhan village, Surat province, came many traders and other migraprefabricatedus, including Major Atchia (Amode Ibrahim Atchia)…
… a local pioneer in the field of technology: hydro-power at Réduit (1906), solar energy (salt-making at Roche-Bois), wind energy (for pumping seawater), as well as in pre-fabricated concrete, ice-making and, with his chain of cinemas, in the entertainment field.

Other families included the well-known names of Rawat, Kalla, Jeewa, Patel, and Ghanty. They either sailed from the port of Surat or from Bombay to come here from the mid-19th century.

From early times, Barbodhians were interested in trade and commerce and travelled to foreign lands, undertaking long sea voyages. People left Barbodhan in the early 19th century to settle in Burma, where they established many businesses and were great entrepreneurs. Then, from the 1840s, many other emigrants from Barbodhan came to Mauritius, where they were later responsible for introducing hydroelectric power, as well as being involved in other trading and business concerns. The first Muslim mayor in Mauritius was originally from Barbodhan.
Despite the fact that Barbodhan is only a small village, its people have made valuable contributions to societies around the world.
Some common surnames attributed to the village and still found in Mauritius are:
Atcha/Atchia/Attcha; Adiya/Adia/Arya; Nalla, Kala/Kalla; Patel/Patail; Ghanchi; Essa/Esa/Isa; Rawat/Ravat; Raja, Rajah, Rajjab; Jeewa/Jeeva/Jiva, Jina; Makda, and Mulla; Attan, Ameji; Shah, Shaikh; Gulzar…

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 14 March 2025