Ganed Janak Patel yn Kampala, Uganda ym 1960. Roedd ei rieni wedi teithio i Uganda yn dilyn drafft yn y Gujrat gyda gobaith o gyfleoedd ar gyfandir newydd. Gadawodd Janak Uganda yn ddim ond 12 oed yn dilyn y diarddel ond mae’n cofio bywyd yno fel un “arw ond rhydd”.  

Daeth i Gaerdydd yn syth o Faes Awyr Stanstead i fyw gydag ewythr oedd wedi byw yng Nghymru ers peth amser. Aeth i'r ysgol ond cafodd drafferth oherwydd mai Saesneg oedd ei ail iaith, gadawodd yn 16 oed a gwnaeth swyddi rhyfedd cyn cael cynnig swydd yng Nglofa Nantgarw.  

Bu’n gweithio yno am 10 mlynedd ynghynt, trwy gydol streic y glowyr ac ar ôl ond “doedd hi byth yr un fath rhwng y bechgyn ar ôl y streic, roedd yn anghydfod chwerw hir”. Pan gaeodd y pwll yn 1986, aeth Janak i yrru tacsis ac mae wedi bod yn rhoi lifftiau ar draws y ddinas ers 40 mlynedd.  

Mae'n byw yng Nglan-yr-afon gyda'i wraig, dim ond ychydig o ddrysau i lawr oddi wrth ei blant a'u teuluoedd.

Roedd y cyfweliad hwn dros ddau recordiad sain ar wahân yn wreiddiol; yn ddiweddarach wedi'i olygu gyda'i gilydd yn un ffeil sain.
 

Trawsgrifiad o gyfweliad gyda Janak Patel gan Robin Chaddah-Duke

 

Janak: Okay. My name is Janak Patel. I was born in Kampala, Uganda, in January 1960.

I was in Uganda for about 12 years, from the beginning of my life. We left Uganda when I was 12 and I only went to a primary school there.

The school was okay, school was okay.

We used to play outside barefoot in the fields, like. Yeah, yeah, and barefoot on the grass, like. Yeah, there was no worries.

Robin: And what was the area you lived in like?

Janak: It was rough, but it was happy because I... when you are a child, you don't understand everything, the reality. You just live from day to day.
My father used to work for petroleum company, Shell, and he worked for them for a long time. And in 1972, we were expelled by Idi Amin.

My parents came to Uganda back in early 19th century from my grandparents. They went to Africa and my parents went to Africa, I suppose. Yeah, it worked that way.

The travelled, went there because it's better kind of life from farming life back home.

Back home was hard life and Africa was a bit prosperous than India. So they went to Africa.

Robin: They’re from Gujarat?

Janak: Gujarat. Yes.

Robin: And they're farmers in Gujarat.

Janak: History is farming. Yeah.

Robin: Okay. So if we move on a bit to the expulsion, were you warned a bit before, before it would happen was that any rumours about what was coming.

Janak: No it didn't. It just happened. And Idi Amin I think he said he had bad dreams about Asians in Uganda, and he said, we'll kick you out. And that's what he’d done. Three months to leave. Three months to leave. And it was military rule afterwards. There was no police or anything, and it was a bit rough.

You used to hear the police, sorry the military bombs and everything, you used to hear them in the night, it was like a military rule.

I was only a child in it. I didn't understand much

We basically left everything behind and we only had suitcases with us. That's it. Other things we had to leave behind.

We left in the evening? I think the flight was nighttime and we arrived here in the morning. Stansted Airport.

When you’re a child I suppose it was okay. When we landed here it was cold. But they treated us well - food. They looked after us.

Robin: What about your parents? Have you spoken, have they passed.

Janak: My father has passed away. My mother is still alive.

Robin: Yes. Have you spoken to her about.. Oh, I met your mother!

Janak: Yes, yes.

Robin: Have you spoken to her about what happened in Uganda? Does she have any memories?

Janak: No. I think it's all faded away now, after 50 years. Early, early part was more difficult. Settling here was a bit difficult but now it's okay. It's like home.

My uncle was living in Cardiff, and he had lived there about 3 or 4 years. And he said to my dad, come and come to Cardiff and live with us and settle down here in Cardiff. So my father said, okay. And we lived in Riverside area of Cardiff and we've been here ever since, and that's more than 50 years now.

Robin: Yes. And did you start in school or anything? And when you arrived?

Janak: Yes. I went to Fitzalan High School, but, I wasn't very good at school because it was early... English was not very good. And mixing with the local boys, I think was a bit difficult at the time. Because you're in a strange environment. From back home it was different and over here was different, schooling and it was different here.
So I didn't have early part of my life. I wasn't with the same level you know what I mean.

Robin: That makes sense. Do you think there was an element of racism too?

Janak: There was. Yes. I wouldn't say it wasn't there, but it was there. Yeah. Calling you names like, you know.

Robin: And do you think that left an impression of you, of Wales as a whole. Or do you think after time you've been able to move past that.

Janak: Oh things have changed now. Yes. Those early days and now I think it's all different.

Robin: How so do you feel it's different in...

Janak: I think it's more multiracial now than it was before. Years ago. You know if you look at football you look at the different schools. They're all mixed. Was 50 years ago. It was all different.

Robin: That makes sense okay. So as you get older how long did you stay in school for.

Janak: I stayed for school for about four years. But I didn’t like schools no.

Robin: So what did you move on to do?

Janak: I just went in the factory work first of all, and then I went, building site about a year or so, and then, one of my friends, which I met at school, and he came from Aberdare and he said, because he was from the mining family, he said, do you want to come and work on the coal mine?

I said, yes, I’ll have a go, any job was a job. So I went there in the coal mine, in Nantgarw, and they said, okay, yes. You want to work here? Yes. That's okay. And, it was a walk in interview and I had a job and start following week. That's it. It was difficult. I didn't understand so much I just had to go with the flow. You know what I mean. I didn't look as a race was an issue. And, just blend in. Just blend in with the boys. That's it. And later on then you think or some jokes and laugh, you know came in because I was different to them and you settle down quietly that’s it.

Robin: Then you got on quite well in the mines?

Janak: Generally I was okay. Yeah. Happy days. Yeah.

Janak: We used to work three shifts, and, one of my mates who used to live in Tremorfa. He was from West Indies, and, we used to go to travel together to work. And, that was it. And we just went to work together. Good friends and we used to work together because it was, big mine you had to work different places. So we didn't have to work together all the way, you know, the bosses sent you there. You got to go there.

I was a face worker. What do you call right in the front, which were more dangerous init. And that's where you get more money as well of course. It was dangerous work. Very dangerous. Yeah. We had to work and watch the rock fall up there all the time. And sometimes you had to run. The danger was there.

You had to run, otherwise you'd get squashed. That's it. Simple as. And there were different types of jobs, but they’re all you know, machine mainly heavy machines. Yeah. Heavy machines.

Robin: How long were the shifts.

Janak: Shifts was from the, from the start. From the, from the surface right to the face when you get there and everything was about eight hours, but a lot of time was spent traveling, say, about hour to get there, an hour to come back to the face and underground we had to get on a train to get to the face.

Robin: Okay. And then how long were you working in the mines before the strikes happened?

Janak: Before the strike? I was there for. About five years before the strike. And about 4 or 5 years after the strike. So I was roughly there for about ten years. Until the mine shut down I was there 1987.

It started all of a sudden, you know, about one week. They said, oh, we're on strike. And you hear everything on the TV because it was a big industry, so everything came on TV. So we just don't go to work. That's it.

Initially I took part, yes. Because I used to live in Cardiff and I used to work up the valleys. It was difficult to get to. So I didn't go there to much because I knew the mine was shut anyway.

So the strike was a long strike as you probably know. It was carried on for about a year. And when we went back to work it was different. The feeling in the atmosphere wasn't the same because some of the other, some of my friends went back to work and if you talk to them, the other people will say oh why are you talking to him.

The atmosphere wasn't the same.

I didn't go back to work, so they were okay to me because the majority of the workers in the mine didn't go back to work. It's only about 30 or 40 of them who went back to work. So it wasn't bad but the feeling was different, because I think people knew these pits are going to shut, because I think they knew when we lost the strike.

Robin: Okay. And you said you went one day to the picket line. Could you talk me through what that was like for you, the atmosphere.

Janak: Oh that was initial part of the strike. So nothing much happened. It was verbal things like meetings like what we gonna do. And I didn't think nobody knew what was going on, what was going on. They were just, listening to the higher people, you know, up there and they were just saying what was happening. That's it.

Robin: Okay. So quite a peaceful one.

Janak: It was peaceful at the time. Yeah, yeah.

Robin: Did you see, were you involved in any of the times where the police were involved or anything like that?

Janak: I went there, yes. First time I went there, the police were there, but there was no like, shoving and pushing at the time, because that was the beginning of the strike. You know, there was more like, what are we going to do? And, you know, are we going to have a ballot? Then they decided we won't have a ballot.

And they just carried on the strike without the ballot. And, yes, that's what happened. And they carried on and on.

Robin: Okay.

Janak: Okay. My name is Janak Patel. I was born in Kampala, Uganda, in January 1960.

I was in Uganda for about 12 years, from the beginning of my life. We left Uganda when I was 12 and I only went to a primary school there.

The school was okay, school was okay.

We used to play outside barefoot in the fields, like. Yeah, yeah, and barefoot on the grass, like. Yeah, there was no worries.

Robin: And what was the area you lived in like?

Janak: It was rough, but it was happy because I... when you are a child, you don't understand everything, the reality. You just live from day to day.
My father used to work for petroleum company, Shell, and he worked for them for a long time. And in 1972, we were expelled by Idi Amin.

My parents came to Uganda back in early 19th century from my grandparents. They went to Africa and my parents went to Africa, I suppose. Yeah, it worked that way.

The travelled, went there because it's better kind of life from farming life back home.

Back home was hard life and Africa was a bit prosperous than India. So they went to Africa.

Robin: They’re from Gujarat?

Janak: Gujarat. Yes.

Robin: And they're farmers in Gujarat.

Janak: History is farming. Yeah.

Robin: Okay. So if we move on a bit to the expulsion, were you warned a bit before, before it would happen was that any rumours about what was coming.

Janak: No it didn't. It just happened. And Idi Amin I think he said he had bad dreams about Asians in Uganda, and he said, we'll kick you out. And that's what he’d done. Three months to leave. Three months to leave. And it was military rule afterwards. There was no police or anything, and it was a bit rough.

You used to hear the police, sorry the military bombs and everything, you used to hear them in the night, it was like a military rule.

I was only a child in it. I didn't understand much

We basically left everything behind and we only had suitcases with us. That's it. Other things we had to leave behind.

We left in the evening? I think the flight was nighttime and we arrived here in the morning. Stansted Airport.

When you’re a child I suppose it was okay. When we landed here it was cold. But they treated us well - food. They looked after us.

Robin: What about your parents? Have you spoken, have they passed.

Janak: My father has passed away. My mother is still alive.

Robin: Yes. Have you spoken to her about.. Oh, I met your mother!

Janak: Yes, yes.

Robin: Have you spoken to her about what happened in Uganda? Does she have any memories?

Janak: No. I think it's all faded away now, after 50 years. Early, early part was more difficult. Settling here was a bit difficult but now it's okay. It's like home.

My uncle was living in Cardiff, and he had lived there about 3 or 4 years. And he said to my dad, come and come to Cardiff and live with us and settle down here in Cardiff. So my father said, okay. And we lived in Riverside area of Cardiff and we've been here ever since, and that's more than 50 years now.

Robin: Yes. And did you start in school or anything? And when you arrived?

Janak: Yes. I went to Fitzalan High School, but, I wasn't very good at school because it was early... English was not very good. And mixing with the local boys, I think was a bit difficult at the time. Because you're in a strange environment. From back home it was different and over here was different, schooling and it was different here.
So I didn't have early part of my life. I wasn't with the same level you know what I mean.

Robin: That makes sense. Do you think there was an element of racism too?

Janak: There was. Yes. I wouldn't say it wasn't there, but it was there. Yeah. Calling you names like, you know.

Robin: And do you think that left an impression of you, of Wales as a whole. Or do you think after time you've been able to move past that.

Janak: Oh things have changed now. Yes. Those early days and now I think it's all different.

Robin: How so do you feel it's different in...

Janak: I think it's more multiracial now than it was before. Years ago. You know if you look at football you look at the different schools. They're all mixed. Was 50 years ago. It was all different.

Robin: That makes sense okay. So as you get older how long did you stay in school for.

Janak: I stayed for school for about four years. But I didn’t like schools no.

Robin: So what did you move on to do?

Janak: I just went in the factory work first of all, and then I went, building site about a year or so, and then, one of my friends, which I met at school, and he came from Aberdare and he said, because he was from the mining family, he said, do you want to come and work on the coal mine?

I said, yes, I’ll have a go, any job was a job. So I went there in the coal mine, in Nantgarw
and they said, okay, yes. You want to work here? Yes. That's okay. And, it was a walk in interview and I had a job and start following week. That's it.
I, it was difficult. I didn't understand so much I just had to go with the flow. You know what I mean. I didn't look as a race was an issue. And, just blend in. Just blend in with the boys. That's it. And later on then you think or some jokes and laugh, you know came in because I was different to them and you settle down quietly that’s it.

Robin: Then you got on quite well in the mines?

Janak: Generally I was okay. Yeah. Happy days. Yeah.

Janak: We used to work three shifts, and, one of my mates who used to live in Tremorfa. He was from West Indies, and, we used to go to travel together to work. And, that was it. And we just went to work together. Good friends and we used to work together because it was, big mine you had to work different places. So we didn't have to work together all the way, you know, the bosses sent you there. You got to go there.

I was a face worker. What do you call right in the front, which were more dangerous init. And that's where you get more money as well of course. It was dangerous work. Very dangerous. Yeah. We had to work and watch the rock fall up there all the time. And sometimes you had to run. The danger was there.

You had to run, otherwise you'd get squashed. That's it. Simple as. And there were different types of jobs, but they’re all you know, machine mainly heavy machines. Yeah. Heavy machines.

Robin: How long were the shifts.

Janak: Shifts was from the, from the start. From the, from the surface right to the face when you get there and everything was about eight hours, but a lot of time was spent traveling, say, about hour to get there, an hour to come back to the face and underground we had to get on a train to get to the face.

Robin: Okay. And then how long were you working in the mines before the strikes happened?

Janak: Before the strike? I was there for. About five years before the strike. And about 4 or 5 years after the strike. So I was roughly there for about ten years. Until the mine shut down I was there 1987.

It started all of a sudden, you know, about one week. They said, oh, we're on strike. And you hear everything on the TV because it was a big industry, so everything came on TV. So we just don't go to work. That's it.

Initially I took part, yes. Because I used to live in Cardiff and I used to work up the valleys. It was difficult to get to. So I didn't go there to much because I knew the mine was shut anyway.

So the strike was a long strike as you probably know. It was carried on for about a year. And when we went back to work it was different. The feeling in the atmosphere wasn't the same because some of the other, some of my friends went back to work and if you talk to them, the other people will say oh why are you talking to him.

The atmosphere wasn't the same.

I didn't go back to work, so they were okay to me because the majority of the workers in the mine didn't go back to work. It's only about 30 or 40 of them who went back to work. So it wasn't bad but the feeling was different, because I think people knew these pits are going to shut, because I think they knew when we lost the strike.

Robin: Okay. And you said you went one day to the picket line. Could you talk me through what that was like for you, the atmosphere.

Janak: Oh that was initial part of the strike. So nothing much happened. It was verbal things like meetings like what we gonna do. And I didn't think nobody knew what was going on, what was going on. They were just, listening to the higher people, you know, up there and they were just saying what was happening. That's it.

Robin: Okay. So quite a peaceful one.

Janak: It was peaceful at the time. Yeah, yeah.

Robin: Did you see, were you involved in any of the times where the police were involved or anything like that?

Janak: I went there, yes. First time I went there, the police were there, but there was no like, shoving and pushing at the time, because that was the beginning of the strike. You know, there was more like, what are we going to do? And, you know, are we going to have a ballot? Then they decided we won't have a ballot.

And they just carried on the strike without the ballot. And, yes, that's what happened. And they carried on and on.

Robin:Okay.