‘Matter of pride’: Villagers in Anand elated over Kash Patel’s appointment as next FBI chief

Meanwhile, residents of Mahadev Faliya in Moti Khadki area of Bhadran village in Anand district recall how the family of Rameshbhai Patel — Kash’s grandfather — had moved to Uganda in the 1940s.

Kash’s father Pramod was one of the eight siblings, including three sisters. While the elderly of the village recall that the family had eventually sold their property in Mahadev Faliya several decades ago and did not return, names of the younger ones in the family have been carefully recorded and added to the Vanshavalli (family tree) book of the ‘Chh Gam Patidar community’ (Patels from a cluster of six villages) to which he belongs.

The announcement of Kash’s FBI appointment has also created a buzz among the Gujarati community in Uganda.

Sunil Patel, President of the Kampala Patidar community, told The Indian Express, “Ever since the announcement of Kash Patel’s nomination as the next FBI Director, we have been discussing with the community their Uganda connection… The members of the community, who had migrated during the same time and stayed over remember his grandfather but the family never visited Uganda after the 1970 expulsion. We do know that Kash’s father, Pramod worked for Kakira Sugar — a leading sugar company in Uganda by the Madhvani group. Thereafter, he also worked as the Financial Controller of the Madhvani Group…”

The 1970s expulsion that Sunil Patel referred to followed an order by then Ugandan President Idi Amin, who had seized power in a military coup in 1971. The next year, on August 4, he gave the Asian community 90 days to leave the country.

Sunil Patel added that while the newspapers and media in Uganda have been calling Kash Patel “the son of Uganda”, the Patidar community is waiting for him to take charge to “reach out and celebrate”.

Another person, who said that he has known the family from their days in Uganda, is now settled in the US. He recalled that Kash’s father, Pramod, had decided to leave Uganda during the Idi Amin regime as he was associated with the Madhvani group set up by a Gujarati who migrated from Saurashtra, Muljibhai Madhwani. The Madhvani Group had been allegedly targeted by the rebels.

“The Madhvani group was among Uganda’s biggest conglomerates and Pramod Patel, at that time, occupied an important position in the company as its Financial Controller. Since rebels did not spare the Madhvani group and its properties, including their sugarcane fields, Pramod Patel and his entire family too chose to escape the brutal reign…,” the acquaintance said.

Bhadran is among the six villages to form the Chh Gam Patidar community also known as Dhanasobhavak (which stands for Dharmaj, Nadiad, Sojitra, Bhadran, Vaso and Karamsad).

Kash Patel’s name has been noted down by record keepers of the Vanshavalli of Bhadran village as being the son of Pramod Rameshbhai Patel.

Rajesh Patel, Secretary of Bharat Patidar Samaj, which is the apex body of the Chh Gam Patidar community in Gujarat, who is also the District President of the BJP’s Anand unit, told The Indian Express, “It is a matter of pride that Kash Patel from the Chh Gam Patidar Samaj is being nominated to head FBI. Our Vanshavali trace back up to 18 generations of families from our six Dhanasobhavak villages. We have records of 18 generations of Kash Patel’s family from Mahadev Faliya in Bhadran…”

A local resident of Bhadran village said that since the family has not visited India, they have never met Kash Patel but they are in touch with some of the distant relatives.

“We have not met Kash Patel but the community is close knit and everyone can recall the family. Through marriages, some of us are also related to Kash Patel’s uncles and aunts and the extended family does visit India regularly… They are in touch with the NRI circle of friends from the Chh Gam Patidar community. Most of the siblings of Pramod Patel (Kash’s father) are now in their late 70s… Not just Kash’s father but his mother also is from the Chh Gam Patidar community and a native of Vaso village,” said the resident who did not wish to be identified.

According to Rajesh Patel, members of Kash Patel’s family are now settled mostly in the US but had briefly stopped over in Vadodara after their expulsion from Uganda in the 1970s during the regime of Idi Amin.

“Several non-resident Gujarat families had returned to India for a stopover before seeking asylum in Canada, UK and US. Kash’s parents also stayed in Vadodara briefly before seeking asylum in Canada and thereafter moving to the US, where he was born… Once his installation is complete, we will make an attempt to invite him to his native village to experience the legacy of the community that has produced legends like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Bhai Kaka and many others,” Rajesh Patel said.

Kash Patel was born Kashyap Patel in New York. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Richmond before returning to New York to earn his law degree, along with a Certificate in International Law from University College London Faculty of Laws in the United Kingdom. “Kash is a life-long ice hockey player, coach, and fan”, is how his bio on the Department of Defense website describes him.