Leela

By Mohana Gill

She was gentle in her ways yet firm in her resolve. She was at her most resourceful when she had the least. She was of quick mind, and she rose above obstacles and challenges.

She was always beautifully dressed in exquisite, self-embroidered sarees. She wore flowers in her hair. She was a Burmese gem, fearless and ever ready to conquer rough soils.

Leelavathy Singh (Leela Dutt) was a woman ahead of her time, and this is her story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Singapore
• Release date: Jun 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9781543769852

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Copyright © 2022 Mohana Gill. All rights reserved.

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ISBN

978-1-5437-6984-5 (sc)

978-1-5437-6986-9 (hc)

978-1-5437-6985-2 (e)

06/13/2022

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Leela

MOHANA GILL

CONTENTS

Foreword

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter 1 Burma, before the Wars

Chapter 2 My Sister, My Best Friend

Chapter 3 Home Sweet Bassein Home

Chapter 4 Leela and Hari

Chapter 5 From Bassein to Maymyo, with Love

Chapter 6 Back to Bassein

Chapter 7 And Baby Makes Three

Chapter 8 Bringing Up Babies

Chapter 9 All Hail the King

Chapter 10 Let’s Call Burma Home

Chapter 11 The World at War

Chapter 12 Country Road, Take Me Home

Chapter 13 The Day They Took Hari

Chapter 14 To Be Whole Again

Chapter 15 Home

Chapter 16 Road to Rangoon

Chapter 17 No Ordinary Day

Chapter 18 Picking Up the Pieces

Chapter 19 Leela’s

Chapter 20 Life Lessons Learned

Chapter 21 The First Graduation

Chapter 22 New Horizons

Chapter 23 Goodbye, Burma

Chapter 24 The Lion City

Chapter 25 Reconnecting with Her Roots

Chapter 26 The Magic of India

Chapter 27 One Day in Agra

Chapter 28 Of Marriages and Moving West

Chapter 29 A Taste of the West

Chapter 30 Change is all around

Chapter 31 Around the World

Chapter 32 Minneapolis, and a Military Wedding

Chapter 33 A Home away from Home

Chapter 34 A Big, Fat Indian Wedding

Chapter 35 A Home, and a Hub for Humanity

Chapter 36 A Bollywood Wedding

Chapter 37 One More Trip around the Sun

Chapter 38 The Big Family Reunion

Chapter 39 Winds of Life

Chapter 40 The Last Song

Epilogue

In Memory

About The Author

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FOREWORD

Mothers are generally unsung, unheralded, taken for granted even, but every now and then, their heroics – as indeed they are in many instances – enjoy recognition and are worked into books that highlight the wonder of the human spirit in the face of telling adversity.

This is one such offering, written lovingly and knowingly by a daughter who has made a name for herself authoring award-winning vegetarian cookbooks, some aimed at piquing the interest of children in vegetarianism and the culinary arts.

Thanks to dear mother, she’s in a happy place.

Mohana Gill clearly felt and experienced her mother Leela’s stoic resilience after her father, Hari Dutt, an accountant, died suddenly of a heart attack. He was just 42. Home at the time was in Rangoon, where father had sought his fortune in the post-World War II period, when Britain was back in power and Burma was held as an Indian province.

With father’s death, life was turned on its head for the family because there was no relief forthcoming from business partners, associates, and even so-called friends. There she was, mother Leela, widowed and with five children to feed, bills to be paid.

It was a struggle, but it was a setting for a remarkable story of survival and full play to the notion that when the going gets tough, the survival instincts of the truly tough come to the fore. Isn’t life a test, an examination of our responses in all kinds of circumstances, challenges that make or break us?

Leela met all of them head on, and on reading her story, we are bound to feel a deep sense of admiration. Indeed, full credit must also go to her daughter, Mohana, for succeeding in what she set out to do as a lasting tribute. It had played on her mind for quite a while, getting a book out on her mother, but now that she’s done it, due credit must be given to her writing skills and tenacity, a quality she obviously inherited from her mother.

This story of struggle and triumph is that of someone who overcame the odds, and what odds they were. Leela may have lacked formal education, but survival instincts have a way of kicking in when called upon by the courageous. Leela knew how to sew and that she did, setting up a tailoring business at home with just one sewing machine to begin with. The business grew with her reputation. She bought more machines, hired and trained six seamstresses, and completed 12-hour workdays. Her daughters rallied around her, studying diligently to hold up their end up of the bargain.

Geeta graduated with a degree in English and taught at her alma mater, then completed her Master’s degree and rose in the academic world. Veena became a doctor. Mohana became a professor of commerce. Of the two sons, Raj became a doctor and Mohan an engineer. What a turnaround of fortunes, when all had seemed so bleak to begin with. Britain, America and Canada became their adoptive countries, where they married and provided nine grandchildren, two of whom became doctors in Leela’s lifetime.

The proud grandma was at their graduation and a globe trotter she became, dividing her time between Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, London, Minneapolis, and Edmonton.

Death was to come peacefully in Minneapolis on September 6, 1990.

Her sojourn on earth fulfilled. She had fought the good fight… and won… remarkably.

Shiv Das

Former Group Editor,

New Straits Times Malaysia

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‘Just like the lotus, we too have the ability to rise from the mud, bloom out of the darkness and radiate into the world’

These inspiring words bring to mind the life of a strong, brave woman who not only fought relentlessly but also won all the battles that were thrown her way. She was gentle in her ways yet firm in her resolve. She was at her most resourceful when she had the least. She was of quick mind, and she rose above obstacles and challenges.

She was always beautifully dressed in exquisite, self-embroidered sarees. She wore flowers in her hair. She was a Burmese gem of Indian origin, fearless and ever ready to conquer rough soils.

She was a woman ahead of her time.

She was my widowed mother, Leelavathy Singh (Leela Dutt), and this is her story.

Mohana ‘Rose’ Gill

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PROLOGUE

Leelavathy Singh was barely 5 when she lost her mother. She was just a child; she didn’t understand the meaning of death, yet life had put her in that very path. She had no choice but to live and cope. She had an elder sister, Kalavathy, who was all of 10 at the time. Kalavathy was named after the goddess Sarasvathi and Leelavathy after the goddess Durga. Both were very popular names in the early 1900s.

The sisters shared a close bond between themselves and with their father, Shiv Singh. He took care of them in the best way that he knew and could; he doted on them. When he came home from work, the first thing he would do was spend time chatting with his two girls.

‘Hello, beta! How have you both been today? Did you have a good day?’ Shiv would ask as soon as he stepped through the door.

‘Papa!’ The girls would run to him.

‘We had an interesting day today, Papa!’ Leela would chirp.

‘Yes, Papa,’ Kalavathy would add, casting a cheeky look towards her sister. ‘Leela did a lot of talking and asked a lot of questions.’

Shiv would laugh heartily and hug his daughters close to him. ‘I am so proud of you both, beta,’ he would say.

Shiv was tall, slender, of relatively light skin, and had a regal stature about him. He was a Burmese Hindu of Rajput descent, a high-caste Hindu community that was dominant in Northern and Western India during the colonial period. Their moniker was derived from the Sanskrit word rajputra, which means ‘son of the ruler’. The British designated the Rajputs a martial race as they were considered brave and built for fighting and, naturally, were heavily recruited into the British Army. Such was the fate of Shiv Singh, who served in the British Army during World War I and was later decorated with the Indian General Service Medal.

CHAPTER 1

BURMA, BEFORE THE WARS

From 1824 to 1937, Burma (known today as Myanmar) was a province under the British Raj, the Empire of India. Whilst Indians had lived in Burma for centuries, the beginning of British rule in the mid-nineteenth century heralded the migration of the ancestors of the people who later became known as Burmese Indians. They occupied an in-between world of sorts.

For the British government and economy, these ethnic Indians played a significant role: they served as soldiers and civil servants, merchants and money lenders, and formed a large part of the labour force. Such proximity to the British administration, however, began to breed resentment among the locals, leading to distrust towards the Burmese Indians. When World War I came to an end in 1918, anti-Indian sentiments began to rise in Burma.

By the beginning of the twentieth century, the nationalistic movement known as the Young Men’s Buddhist Association had begun to take shape. A new generation of Burmese leaders who had been educated abroad began to clamour for more autonomy for Burma. In the 1920s, there were strikes by university students and anti-tax protestors. Uncertainties and tension were rife, and the Indians who had made Burma their home faced a great dilemma. Should they stay on or return to India? A large number, including Shiv, opted for the latter.

He settled in Bassein (now Pathein), Burma’s fifth largest city and one of its most important ports outside of Rangoon (now Yangon). Lying on the western edge of the Irrawaddy Delta, Bassein was a hub for the milling and export of rice, besides courting fame for its umbrella manufacturing and painting industry. It was here, in this town of rice mills and painted parasols, that Shiv met and married a local girl named Rani, who would go on to bear him two girls. They were a contented little family until Rani passed away in 1910.

Shiv was left to raise their daughters on his own. Everyone around him urged him to remarry.

‘Your girls need a mother . . . You must find a good woman to take care of them,’ well-meaning relatives opined.

Others were more straightforward: ‘You can’t bring them up yourself. You’d better find yourself a new wife!’

Shiv gave it a lot of thought. Eventually, he decided against it. His daughters, Kalavathy and Leelavathy (Leela), were only 10 and 5, respectively. He was worried that they would not adapt well to being cared for by a stepmother.

As a member of the British Army, Shiv was regularly posted to various parts of Burma. Wherever his job took him, he made sure the girls were with him. Every few years, the trio would up and move to another district, set up a new home, get to know new neighbours, make new friends, and adjust to a new set of circumstances.

Young as they were, the girls took it all in their stride. They adjusted quickly and settled down easily in each place they called home. Schooling was not compulsory back in those days but Shiv was adamant that the girls learned at least basic reading and writing, and so he engaged private tutors to teach them.

Growing up without a mother, Kalavathy and Leela realised very early on the importance of a sibling relationship. They learned to rely on each other as they navigated the many challenges that life inevitably threw their way. They shared everything that they were given. They were not only sisters; they were also best friends and each other’s support system, cheerleader, and champion. Most importantly, they accepted each other through anything and everything. They loved each other dearly, and theirs was a special bond that was to last them until the end of their lives.

CHAPTER 2

MY SISTER, MY BEST FRIEND

‘Sisters make the good times even better and the hard times just a little easier.’

- Unknown

Kalavathy was the perfect role model for Leela. As the elder sister, she bore the unspoken but weighty burden of having to shield her younger sibling from the harsh realities of a world they both knew little about.

Leela was a clever little girl, curious about many things and quick to observe. She wanted to know and learn everything. Her inquisitive nature, coupled with being hardworking and a fast learner, made it very easy for her to pick up various skills. She became very adept at cooking, sewing, embroidery, drawing, painting, and designing.

Those growing years were filled with bliss and contentment for the girls and their father. When Shiv was at work, Kalavathy and Leela would spend their time learning, playing together, and taking care of the house. Shiv was happy to see his children growing up with the right values and with their feet firmly planted on the ground. Most of all, he was impressed by and grateful for the love and affection the girls had for each other, and that they could rely on each other to be happy.

When Kalavathy turned 16, Shiv started thinking about her marriage prospects. Like every father, he felt that one of his biggest responsibilities was to see both his daughters married and well settled. Arranged marriages are a centuries-old Indian custom, and the practice had continued among the Burmese Indians. A matchmaker, usually a family friend or distant relative, serves as a neutral go-between for families looking to arrange a marriage. Kalavathy’s father passed the word around that he was looking for a suitable boy to take her hand in marriage.

They were flooded with proposals. Shiv vetted through each one carefully. He took his time. He was in no rush as Kalavathy was still young. He wanted to make sure that the decision he made would be right for her. Among the many proposals, there was one from an older gentleman. He was 40 years of age, and his name was Radha Kishan. He was an established businessman who lived in Bassein and owned a rice mill. He had a 10-year-old son from a previous marriage (his wife had died several years ago) who was studying in India and living with their relatives there. Unusually for that time, Radha Kishan did not ask for a dowry. He just wanted to have someone in his life to take care of him and his home.

Shiv decided that Radha Kishan was well positioned to provide for his daughter. Kalavathy would want for nothing and be able to lead a very comfortable life. As was customary for arranged marriages, a negotiation took place before the wedding. Shiv had one request: that Leela, who was about 11 by then, would live with Kalavathy and Radha Kishan after they got married. Shiv realised that separating the sisters would be very difficult for both of them, and this was thus the best solution while allowing him to fulfil his responsibilities as a father.

Radha Kishan agreed; the girls could keep each other company while he was at work.

He and Kalavathy were married in 1916, and as planned, Leela moved to live with them. Once again, the sisters had a new home and new circumstances to adapt to but as always, they had each other.

CHAPTER 3

HOME SWEET BASSEIN HOME

This new chapter in the sisters’ lives was a dream come true for both of them. The house was in the outskirts of the city, near Radha Kishan’s rice mill. It was a large and beautiful home, built of half concrete and half wood, and sat gracefully amidst lush green paddy fields. There were four bedrooms, spacious areas to sit and relax in, a large kitchen and pantry, and verandahs that extended across the front and sides of the house. The garden was well-kept, filled with a riot of colourful flowers out front and an abundance of vegetables and fruit trees in the back, while cows and poultry grazed freely.

It was very peaceful. In the mornings, the sun kissed the front garden that overlooked the serene paddy fields. The only sounds that could be heard were the singing of birds and the tinkling of wind chimes. The best part was the two girls did not have to do very much as they had help in the house: a cook, maids to do all the washing and cleaning, a gardener, and a driver. Not many people had cars in those days, so this added to their excitement.

With the mill owner at work during the day, the girls had a lot of time to themselves. They had fun redecorating the house. Leela’s artistic skills shone here. She put her heart and soul into making the house not only comfortable but also beautiful. There was no shortage of funds; Kalavathy could purchase whatever they wanted for the house. Leela too could get whatever she needed, although she had very little contact with her brother-in-law as her sister was the intermediary.

Radha Kishan was a kind, understanding, and generous man who provided well for his wife and her sister. He was fascinated and intrigued by the young Leela, who absorbed everything she was exposed to like a sponge. Whenever there was something Leela wanted to learn, all her sister had to do was talk to her husband. Soon enough, the right teachers would arrive to dole out the requested lessons. Leela’s passion was for painting, embroidery, and needlework, and being a fast learner, she became very good at these. She also had a teacher for music and singing. Cooking was another one of her interests, and