Prag Lalloo Naran

Last updated • 3 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Prag Lalloo Naran
Born(1926-07-26)July 26, 1926
DiedMay 9, 1981(1981-05-09) (aged 54)
NationalityZimbabwean
Alma materBusinessman, Philanthropist and Nationalist
Known forNationalist for the struggle for Zimbabwe’s independence,” and a “leading member of the (Zimbabwe) Asian Community”
ChildrenHashmook Naran, Kumar Naran, Harish Naran, Damyanti Naran, Ramesh Naran Grandchildren: Ameerh Naran, Vayshalee Naran, Kiran Naran, Shaan Naran

Prag Lalloo Naran (26 July 1926 – 9 May 1981) was a Zimbabwean politician and businessman recognized as a "Nationalist for the struggle for Zimbabwe’s independence," and a "leading member of the (Zimbabwe) Asian Community". [1]

Contents

Political career and affiliations

During Zimbabwe’s struggle for independence Prag Lalloo Naran supported the struggle for majority rule, backing the formation of key institutions such as the Rhodesian African Teachers Association. [2]

Naran provided a substantial grant at its inception and is credited with helping to launch the association along with a group of men, which includes the now celebrated politician Cephas G. Msipa. RATA was not only important for the role it played in promoting African teachers rights but also the important political figures it supported and introduced to Zimbabweans; the most prominent of which was Robert Gabriel Mugabe newly returned from Ghana. [3]

Naran was a vocal advocate for peace and equality. He was a member of the Capricorn Africa Society'. [4] He was a prominent business man. One of his business ventures was an upmarket hotel that he bought in Queque (KweKwe), however by law a certain section of the hotel was available to white people only and even though he owned the hotel he would not be permitted to enter part of his own building. The racial inequality in Rhodesia did not sit well with Naran, who authored several letters to prominent newspapers. He openly denounced racial prejudice and discrimination in public meetings and called for African and Asians to work together. [5]

Naran regionally, spread his message for equality across Zambia and beyond. He was instrumental in harboring at that time freedom fighters and sponsoring them. He also attended the Lancaster House talks in 1979 in London, England which led the country into being an independent majority rule Zimbabwe Republic. [6]

Charity and social contributions

Community involvement was important to Naran, especially supporting the less fortunate individuals. He was the founder of Jairos Jiri Centre in Gweru (previously Gwelo). The Jairos Jiri Gweru Centre is named after his father Lalloo Naran and was established in 1968 with the aim to re-habilitate, educate and integrate young handicapped people into the local community. [7]

Naran was also active in assisting and promoting Hopelands (now part of Zimcare Trust); an organisation which supports children with mental and physical disabilities.

A passionate sportsman Naran promoted sports and cultural activities in Kwekwe serving as chairman for :

Business and development of Kwekwe (Queque)

In 1961, Prag Naran opened the largest department store in Kwekwe (Queque). [8]

One of Naran’s companies Beverly Hills Investments (M.D) funded the development of a new residential suburb in Kwekwe (Queque), creating jobs and bolstering local industry. Naran also served as President and Vice President of the Kwekwe (Queque) Chamber of Commerce. He partnered with local communities investing in agricultural land within Midlands and further afield as far as Chiredzi. He invested in the town of Redcliff investing in hotel, land and property. He invested in the Iron and Steel centre of Zimbabwe, Redcliff, where he built the residential township, a hotel and upmarket supermarket for the convenience of the 1200 workers in the mine and their families. He then bought into a shoe factory in Harare called Rhodesian Shoe Manufacturing, now known as Conte Shoes. [9]

Naran invested heavily in property in Zimbabwe. He acquired over half of the land in the city of Kwekwe (Queque) for commercial and residential property development, farming and mining as well as significant property portfolio in Kadoma, Chiredzi and Harare.

In 1972 Naran established a steel bedding factory in Francistown, Botswana.

Background

Naran’s father, Shri Lalloo Naran was a cobbler by profession and opened the Naran family’s first modest store in Kwekwe (Queque) (which Prag expanded upon). Naran married Padmani Mistry and settled in the town of Kwekwe (Queque). The couple had four sons; Kumar, Hasmook, Harish and Ramesh and a daughter; Damyanti.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gweru</span> City in Midlands, Zimbabwe

Gweru, originally known as Gwelo, is a city in central Zimbabwe. Near the geographical centre of the country. It is on the centre of Midlands Province. Originally an area known to the Ndebele as "The Steep Place" because of the Gweru River's high banks, in 1894 it became the site of a military outpost established by Leander Starr Jameson. In 1914 it attained municipal status, and in 1971 it became a city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zvishavane</span> Town in Midlands, Zimbabwe

Zvishavane, originally known as Shabani, is a mining town in Midlands Province, Zimbabwe. Surrounded by low hills, it lies 97 kilometres (60 mi) west of Masvingo, on the main Bulawayo-Masvingo road. Other roads lead from Zvishavane to Gweru, 121 kilometres (75 mi) north, and Mberengwa, 27 kilometres (17 mi) south-west. It is also on direct rail links to Gweru and Beit Bridge which then link up with Harare and Bulawayo in Zimbabwe and to Maputo in Mozambique, and Pretoria in South Africa. It has a private airport serving the city.

The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), formerly Rhodesia Railways, is a state-owned company in Zimbabwe that operates the country's national railway system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zimbabwe National Army</span> Military unit

The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) is the primary branch of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces responsible for land-oriented military operations. It is the largest service branch under the Zimbabwean Joint Operations Command (JOC). The modern army has its roots in the Rhodesian Army, which was raised between 1963 and 1964 after the breakup of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. A Joint High Command created in March 1980 to oversee integration of the formerly belligerent Rhodesian Security Forces, Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA), and the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) officially established the Zimbabwe National Army in late 1980, nearly a year after the end of the Rhodesian Bush War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwekwe</span> City in Midlands, Zimbabwe

Kwekwe, originally known as Que Que, is a city in the Midlands province of central Zimbabwe. The city has a population of 119,863 within the city limits, as of the 2022 census, making it the 7th-largest city in Zimbabwe and the second-most populous city in the Midlands, behind Gweru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midlands State University</span>

Midlands State University is a government owned university in Zimbabwe. The university has 9 faculties offering a wide variety of courses and many specialist programmes. The university is accredited through the National Council for Higher Education, under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education of Zimbabwe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwekwe District</span> District in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe

Kwekwe, originally known as Que Que, is a district in Zimbabwe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greeks in Zimbabwe</span>

The Greeks in Zimbabwe comprise about 3,000 people of Greek origin, almost half of them from the island of Cyprus. Zimbabwe currently hosts eleven Greek Orthodox churches and fifteen Greek associations and humanitarian organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Jews in Zimbabwe</span> Aspect of history

The history of the Jews in Zimbabwe reaches back over one century. Present-day Zimbabwe was formerly known as Southern Rhodesia and later as Rhodesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sebakwe River</span>

Sebakwe River or Zibagwe River is a river in Zimbabwe.

Tichafa Samuel Parirenyatwa was Zimbabwe's first trained black physician, medical doctor and the first vice-president of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU). He rose to prominence during ZAPU's political struggle against the colonial administration in Southern Rhodesia.

The Kwekwe-Gokwe Highway or the R84-7 Highway is an all-weather bitumen macadam highway in Zimbabwe running from Kwekwe to Gokwe passing through Zhombe. As a trunk road it is officially designated as the P11 Highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gweru District</span> District in Midlands, Zimbabwe

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan Mahanya</span>

Morgan Mahanya is a Zimbabwean Shona-language writer of detective fiction and war fiction. He has published 13 books since 1976, including books in Shona and in English, both fiction and nonfiction. Mahanya is one of the pioneering writers of detective stories in the Shona language. His books Chidamwoyo, Zvinoyera and The Wound are about the Rhodesian Bush War.

Dr. Cephas George Msipa was a Zimbabwean teacher, philanthropist and politician who served as the Governor of Midlands Province.

Peter William Hewlett is a Zimbabwean farmer and politician who served as a member of Parliament in the House of Assembly from 1990 to 2000. A member of ZANU–PF, he represented the Zhombe and Kwekwe North constituencies.

Highlands is an upper class, residential suburb in the east of Harare, best known as the home of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, and for its ethnic diversity, history, natural environment and splendid panoramic views of downtown Harare. It is often grouped in the inner east suburbs of Harare such as Eastlea, Highlands, Greendale and Milton Park.

References

  1. Louise Newitt, (1978) Prominent Rhodesian Personalities pg 173
  2. Front page, The Midlands Observer Vol. VI, No.30
  3. Front page, The African Daily News, Saturday October 5, 1957
  4. Pamphlet for the Capricorn Africa Society 1957
  5. The front page, Lusaka Central African Post, late afternoon edition, Monday, October 18, 1954
  6. Cephas G. Msipa (Memoir), In pursuit of Freedom and Justice pg. 29
  7. "Gweru Naran Centre". jairosjiriassoc.com. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  8. Electoral pamphlet ‘A personal message to the rate payers of KweKwe (Queque) – Kwekwe (Queque) Municipal elections, 1972 by Prag L. Naran.
  9. Front page, Indian Views, No.24, Wednesday, December 18, 1957