‘Ame Evaj Chhiye’: We Are Like This Only

My first trip to Ahmedabad was when I had become an ‘Amdavadi bahu (daughter-in-law from Ahmedabad)’. We took the Ashram Express, which in those days ran on the metre gauge from Sarai Rohilla station in Delhi to Ahmedabad Junction. We were accompanied by a big group of my husband Parthiv’s friends, whom I was meeting for the first time.

As the train left the platform, conversations began on what snack – aloo-puri, pakodas, etc. – is to be picked up at which station. They were a fairly conventional group of ‘Gujju’ friends; one had a wholesale shop in the Pol area of the old city, the other had a government job but moonlighted in shares and stocks actively, his wife ran art and craft classes at home. Everyone sat together, the air was informal.

Before the trip, my mother-in-law had said that it would be a good idea for me to put my mangalsutra away as trains are not always safe – a suggestion that left my Tamilian mother quite shocked. All this made me rather comfortable, and I was free to speak and eat the way I felt like. Perhaps the queen of the khakhra business, Induben Zaveri, also came from one such family; she started her khakhra business to help the family out of a financial crisis in 1960. The business has grown into a thriving enterprise, selling 600 kg of khakhras daily. The Devrani-Jethani no (sisters-in-law), an ice-cream brand, also has a similar story.

A few years later, when we travelled to London, we were invited by Yatinbhai from Valod near Surat, who by sheer hard work bought a small apartment in the posh Russell Square in London. This was to be a nice Gujarati meal, he assumed we must be craving it. His wife, the Kenyan-born Shashiben who had just come back from her job in a medical store, was busy making wafer-thin rotlis, while monitoring the shaak (sabzi). The husband sat in the living room and organised the mukhwas (mouth freshener) for the end of the meal. Pragna Patel’s story in Salil Tripathi’s book The Gujaratis reminded me of Shashiben, her background somewhat like Pragna’s parents. And Pragna goes on the become a celebrated lawyer in Britain who fights cases of domestic violence there.

The Gujaratis is a nuanced book about everyday people, of a community that is not just money-minded or non-violent, or all about being vegetarian, or only interested in the practical. He examines the Gujarati community with both affection and a critical eye, making the book accessible and intellectually interesting.

It’s not just a big book about a particular community, but one that can serve as an important template to understand communities and the diversity they come with, particularly significant at time when there is a tendency to homogenise and standardise, and therefore polarise.  This essay is only to give you a taste of some of the strands that he has put together elaborately, like an intricately stitched quilt – a warm and comforting sujani.

The Gujaratis as a complex, multifaceted identity

The book is a layered understanding of “some 55 million people who consider Gujarati to be their mother tongue, and possibly 6 million more of them abroad, on every continent, if not in every country”. Tripathi is a prolific writer and as someone who was not only born a Gujarati, but also identifies himself as one, the book draws from his own experiences of growing up a Gujarati and being educated in a school that was Guajarati medium till class 8.  He was born into the family of the legendary Govardhanram Tripathi, the author of the epic four-volume Saraswati Chandra (incidentally published long before the Bengali classics Devdas and Parineeta) that became popular because of the film by the same name (and some wonderful songs in it). This  book, I assume, must have been challenging to put together, given the sheer diversity of the people – geographical included – and  perhaps also because thematically it’s close to his heart.

The book is a series of many short essays on the people who define “Gujratiness” and at the same time also illustrate how there can’t be one “Gujaratiness”.

At its heart, it’s about identity – what it means to be part of a community that is both insular and cosmopolitan, deeply traditional yet entrepreneurial, and simultaneously proud and self-critical. Although there is an entire chapter on the idea of Gujarati asmita or identity, throughout the book he uses the lens of asmita, and traces it to its roots to question the categories that define nationality, statehood and identity. The book reflects on how societies can become victims of collective stereotyping and in that lose their versatility, multifarious contributions and creative presence to the making of Indianness.

The importance of Gujaratis in history

Gujarat’s historical influence stretches far beyond its own borders. For instance, they were found way back in the 17th Century in Aceh (the Western-most province of Indonesia), where a Frenchman writes of a time when the streets of Aceh had a number of shops belonging to Gujaratis. Another example is of how a political scientist found “das dollar” written in Gujarati on a 10-dollar bill issued in the 19th century in Hong Kong.

Then of course there are two iconic figures in South Asian history – M.K. Gandhi of India and Mohammad Ali Jinnah of Pakistan. Both men, from Gujarat, played monumental roles in the creation of two nations, yet they represent vastly different ideological and political legacies. Gandhi, the father of India, and Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, share a common Gujarati heritage. Their figures grace the currency notes of their respective countries – Gandhi on Indian rupees and Jinnah on Pakistani notes – offering a powerful, subtle reminder of Gujarat’s pivotal place in the history of both nations.

Keen sense of business and entrepreneurship

Any book on Gujarat would be incomplete without this acknowledgement. Gujarati is the literally the language of commerce – of the stock exchange in Mumbai and Karachi!

The unique business culture of Gujarat is influenced by the Mahajan system, an informal chamber of commerce that is not just an economic institution but a social one. It plays a crucial role in shaping the Gujarati identity, reinforcing community-mindedness and a sense of mutual support.

Many of India’s leading industrial giants – such as Tata, Reliance, Wipro and numerous others – owe their success to the vision and entrepreneurship of remarkable Gujarati business leaders. Figures like the Tatas, Ambanis, Azim Premji and Adanis, who dominate India’s economic landscape, are all of Gujarati origin. While these individuals embody the region’s reputation for business acumen, some of them are committed philanthropists as well.

The community has a striking ability to adapt and thrive, often in the face of adversity.  Whether it’s Gujarati traders along the spice and silk routes, or modern-day Gujaratis’ dominance in sectors like pharmaceuticals and motels, Tripathi illustrates the deep-rooted entrepreneurial drive that defines the community. Yet, his narrative never romanticises this success. He is keenly aware of the social and political contradictions that Gujaratis embody.

A rich tapestry of cultural traditions

The book vividly paints the cultural diversity of Gujarat, referring to the various groups that have contributed to its rich fabric. From the Abdals or fakirs who played the dafli and the Raj Nats who performed for the patrons, to artisans like lohars (blacksmiths), suthars (carpenters) and vankaars (weavers), Gujarat’s cultural history is a history of vibrant traditions.

The state’s folklore, arts and rituals are not mere relics of the past; they are living traditions that continue to shape contemporary Gujarati identity. I discovered some interesting details from the book  – Nadiad got its name from Natapadra or a town of natas (actors); ‘Jhooth bole kauva laaate’, the hit song from Bobby, was written by Vithalbhai Patel of Nadiad.

He also talks about the Dalit presence in Gujarati literature that is gaining increasing recognition, with a surge of powerful works addressing exclusion and oppression. Along with Joseph Macwan, other writers such as Nirav Patel, Dalpat Chauhan, Sahil Parmar and Sohan have also taken a stand against upper-caste dominance through their writing.

Intellectual hub

Tripathi also delves into the transformation of cities like Ahmedabad, particularly in the 1960s, when it becomes a vibrant centre for intellectual and creative thought. The city saw the arrival of world-renowned architects like Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn, as well as iconic institutions like the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and the National Institute of Design (NID). Gujarat’s contribution to India’s educational and intellectual landscape is inextricably tied to the region’s business culture. He speaks of the important contributions of the Sarabhais and the Lalbhais in the making of these institutions that are celebrated across the world.

There is also the M.S University in Baroda – an intellectual hub and one of the most important schools for visual art with outstanding faculty that included N.S. Bendre, K.G. Subramanyam and linguist Ganesh Devy. And now Ahmedabad University is an important centre for liberal arts.

Evo to kevo Gujarati hoi je hoi keval Gujarati? (What kind of Gujarati is a mere Gujarati?)

This evocative line by the celebrated poet Uma Shankar Joshi describes the intent of Tripathi’s book. Its agenda is to unpack typical perceptions of the community, and so discusses in detail the political terra to iterate the need to understand a community that is increasingly falling into its own stereotypes and thereby narrowing the idea of the Gujarati.

Tripathi paints a wide canvas that stretches from Narsinh to Narendra. But throughout the narrative one senses a restlessness, an unease that culminates in the last section of the book. It questions the comfortable narrative of several Gujaratis – of being peace-loving, and all vegetarian. But we cannot let “bygones be bygones”. He painstakingly pulls together the countless incidents of violence in the state that aggravate a climate of intimidation and fear amongst the minorities. The book analyses the 2002 pogrom as part of a larger history of violence that the state has seen right from the time of Partition or thereabouts. While he celebrates the diversity of the community, he also reminds us of this very core acceptance of violence in many ways – through communal tensions, domestic violence and even feticide. The ugly side of Gujarat should not be forgotten.

It is a book rich in historical detail and cultural analysis, a celebration of women and personal reflections. I like the fact that names are important in the book, you get to meet some incredible unsung heroes. It also has witty anecdotes, in fact even some chapter titles like Jain Chicken on S.G Road and Scam chho? There’s a lot in the book; it’s the kind that you can keep coming back to, read at your own pace and read in any order you like.

It is a book for the curious, the reasonable minded and for those who want a better, vibrant and peaceful world.

Vidya Shah is a Delhi-based musician.