Indian Family's Fruitful Life

Many immigrants had made new homes in Taranaki by 1914. Most of these new arrivals were British and they sailed here with others from their own country.

Moral Bros: This photo, taken from the Post Office Tower in September 1929, shows the Moral fruit shop on the corner of Devon Street West and Egmont Street.

This week's story is about an immigrant who arrived in New Plymouth by himself and found he was the only Indian here. Not that it worried Wallabh Moral. He was here to seek his fortune and he was about to open a business.

Rewind to 1914

What was New Zealand like then? You decide - true or false? TreasureLink will have the answers for you next week.

1. Many young men are excited about the possibility of war and are ready and willing to leave New Zealand to fight overseas.

2. Most people still have an outside toilet and bath once a week in an outside tub.

3. Some dairy farmers are using milking machines.

4. Farmers are happy because they are getting high prices overseas for their butter, meat and wool.

5. Mail is delivered by aircraft for the first time.

Map tracker

Track Wallabh's journey from his tiny village in India to New Zealand via Fiji.

Start by using this map.

1. Wallabh's village was in the state of Gujarat. Is that on the East or West coast of India?

2. Wallabh travelled from his village of Karadi to a place that was then called Bombay. Did he head North or South from Karadi?

3. From Bombay he boarded a ship bound for Fiji. Which sea would the ship have sailed on first?

4. Which way would the captain turn at the southern tip of India. East or West?

5. The ship couldn't dock in Fiji so it sailed for New Zealand. Which way would it head? South-west or South-east? Click here for a map.

Word wise?

All these words are in this week's story. Decide on the best meaning and check your answers as you read the story.

1. capital (a) a business or (b) money

2. moko  (a) a tattoo or (b) children

3. disciples (a) people who believe in the message of another and help teach it or (b) teachers who are very strict

4. civil disobedience (a) unfriendly and argumentative  or (b) not obeying the rules of the community

5. passionate (a) romantic or (b) enthusiastic

6. rationing (a)setting fixed portions of food or (b) a way of packaging food

7. boycotted (a) destroyed or (b) refused to take any notice of

8. discrimination (a) prejudice or (b) unfairness

9. solace (a) peace and comfort or (b) loneliness

10. meditative (a) calm consideration or (b) thoughtful

An eye for a business

The first parts of this week's story tell how Wallabh arrived in New Zealand and made enough money to set up his own business. Read the first three parts of the story including "NP's first Indian fruit shop." Take special note of how the Indian immigrants "gradually got together capital."

What if you and a classmate were transported back to 1914? New Zealand is still a young country with plenty to be done. Decide what you would do first to "build some capital" and then decide on the type of business you would go into.

Remember that a lot of things hadn't been invented in 1914 but you know these inventions are coming. Make use of this knowledge when deciding on your business. Compare your ideas with others.

That's wrong

Wallabh's son was interviewed for this story and he tells of how his father got a hard time from some of the locals for being Indian. Other parts of the New Plymouth community welcomed Wallabh. Read about this in the next section of the story called "Nigger Corner prospers"

Think, pair up and share your ideas. Decide why Wallabh got on really well with the Maori community. Why were they more welcoming than some of the European community? What did Wallabh do to build these friendships? What do people, such as those illustrated by the cartoon, not do?

Where's the evidence?

Read the next two parts of the story through to "Gandhi challenges salt law". Find the evidence that tells us these things about Wallabh.

1. He was an astute businessman.

2. He was proud of his Indian heritage.

3. He was a devoted family man.

Let's meet Mahatma Gandhi

This man has been called one of the greatest leaders the world has ever seen. Look here for a brief biography and find out:

1. What type of protest action did he use to achieve his aims?

2. Who did he want India to gain their independence from?

3. What tells us he was very determined in achieving his goals?

Action!

Read the next four parts of the story through to "Independence and racism" and then make up the chart below. Do this one by yourself or with a classmate.

1. Head up a piece of A4 paper with the title " How groups in India opposed British rule"

2. Under this title draw up four columns. At the top of the first column print the heading, "The groups". At the top of the second print "consisting of". The third heading is "took action by" and the fourth is "for the purpose of".

3. Now that you have read about Gandhi and his followers (and this includes Wallabh) finish your chart by adding a statement to each column.

A marked man

The story tells you that Wallabh became a marked man. He was hunted by police and hidden by village people. These two groups viewed Wallabh's actions in completely different ways. Draw and write a "Wanted" poster that the police might have pinned up in police stations and another " Protection" poster that may have been given to village elders.

Peaceful protests here too

This Taranaki story is all about an event that happened 50 years before Gandhi and his followers were working towards an independent India. Read this story down to the photo of the soldiers and jot down three things from this struggle that are similar to Gandhi's. Compare your ideas with a classmate's.

Another generation

The next part of the story beginning "Independence and racism" is all about Wallabh's son Singi. Read this section and the next one called "Basketball brilliance."

It's a generation on and Singi, like his dad comes across some discrimination. This is 1947 but do you think racism like this still happens in New Zealand today? Talk about it with a classmate and then check out this story from the New Zealand Herald.

In Singi's shoes

These days many young people head off around the world for their great overseas experience. Singi wanted to do this too but he had to make some hard decisions along the way. Read the next two parts of the story - "Heart gives up before Singi" and "A wife in waiting." As you come to each of the big decisions that Singi faced decide what you would do if faced with same decision today. The decisions are listed below but read the story first.

1. You've just qualified as a teacher and you want a year off to see the world. The Education Board won't give you leave of absence. What will you do?

2. You want to go to England and Europe but your dad says, "Go to India first" What will you do?

3. In India the relatives say, "You've got to get married before you go anywhere." What will you do?

4. The wedding is arranged. You are expected to marry someone you have never met before. What will you do?

5. You still want to have a holiday but now you have a wife and your best man in India. He was going to see the world with you. What will you do?

Were your decisions different to those Singi made? Compare your decisions with a classmate's. If you find they are a lot different to Singi's, decide why.

This is your life

Finish the story now. It tells of Singi's wife Sante and how she felt about living in a foreign country far away from her family. Look for the traditions of Indian life that are still a part of the Moral's life and see whether Singi is pleased that his father came to Taranaki.

The story covers two generations of the Moral family. What if Singi and his father had kept a "This is your life" album? What photographs, keepsakes and treasures might be in it that would help tell their story to future generations? Make a list.

Fast forward: When people march

This week's story told of Gandhi's 388 kilometre march through India in 1930. Around 20,000 people gathered outside Parliament buildings last week after a march or hikoi from all parts of New Zealand. Both marches were peaceful and both were protests against Government action.

The hikoi was a protest about Government plans to pass a bill in Parliament that makes the Crown legal owners of the public foreshore and the seabed. Many Maori believe they are the legal owners of the foreshore and seabed and say that this bill is another form of land confiscation.

The Government on the other hand says they are preserving the foreshore and seabed so all New Zealanders can have access to it forever. They say ancestral rights will still be protected and Maori can have more say on what happens to these places than ever before. Maori believe all this can still happen with them as legal owners.

The hikoi was a powerful protest. There were haka groups from many tribes, the band from the Ratana church and a poi group from Parihaka. For a while Parliament grounds became a marae and for the most part the protest was very much like Gandhi's one from many years before. It was positive passive resistance.

What's next?

As late as March the Government was going to postpone the foreshore and seabed bill to allow for more discussion. They changed their minds and the hikoi went ahead.  So what should happen now? Try this in a group of four.

Write this question at the top of a piece of paper "What should happen next in the foreshore and seabed debate?"

Draw four columns.

Head up the first, "If this happens..."

Head up the second, "people will..."

Column three's heading should be "so we had better..."

Column four should read, "so that this happens..."

As a group write and organise your statements across the chart. Compare your ideas with those from other groups.