Bolton: Daughters' tribute to House of Rajas owner

Friday marked 15 years since Sital Raja-Arjan’s dad Pratap Khimji Raja died, after suffering from diabetes and high cholesterol, at the age of 67.  

After moving to England from Uganda in 1972, Pratap built the House Of Rajas Ltd from the ground up, opening it 40 years ago.

His daughter Sital says that he did all this for a ‘better life’, and ‘gave the family everything in England’.

She added: “He left a massive legacy through the House Of Rajas Ltd, where thousands walk through the door every year and enjoy the shopping experience he created. 

“We may have changed a few things, but the principles remain the same.

“He worked all hours to make the business work. There was no Amazon, DPD or transporter to make life easier, he did everything himself.

“From picking up goods and labelling up, he did everything. The hard factor, of lifting 40 kilo bags on his back; he still did it.

Sital and her beloved father

“He focused and he made it work. No complaining about a bad back or working till 11pm, he just got on with it.”

Due to conflict at the time in Uganda, during brutal dictator Idi Amin’s rein, his younger brother Mahendra Raja worried about him, and thought it was best he and his family came to England.

Mahendra was qualifying for his chartered accountancy exams and knew it would be a struggle.

He himself worked every hour to ensure he could provide for Pratap and his family.

Sital said: “My dad lost everything in Uganda.

“England was the only place for him to bring his family. We arrived in England with nothing but clothes.

“My parents had little money, so dad did night shift work, whilst mum became a homemaker, which didn't last long because she became a partner in the business, and she was part of the success.

Pratap and his wife Nila

“Mahendra knew my dad’s talents and he convinced him retail was the best route to go down, because he had the gift of the gab.”

In 1974 Raja's Penny Profit was born, which was a corner shop on Burlington Street, and Sital’s mum Nila joined the business as it was too costly to employ staff.

He served the community and was the first shop to ever give credit, so all his struggling African friends didn't need to worry about paying for food. Customers were loyal and never took advantage.

In 1977 he moved across the road and the Saree shop was added to the list and the business flourished.

Sital added: “As kids we spent all our time there.

“It was normal, and it was also normal to work seven days, it's a habit I still have now.

“My dad milled his own flours, Mum made her own pickles, and our brand name Memsaab was born and we hit world fame when Saab cars tried to sue us for the name. 

“With great success we were granted the name and House of Raja's moved to the next level.

Pratap with friends and family

“We spent a lot of time together. Our daily post office trip, our early morning chats before we opened. Whatever I did, he supported me.

“Sometimes, I would need to open at 5am. He came with me, no problem. I was his right hand, and he was mine.

“He had so much knowledge, that people from all over come to see him for all the Indian groceries, ayurveda medicines, and of course our wonderful, milled spices, flours and taste pickles.”

Pratap was a giver, and he employed some homeless friends to get them on their feet.

He employed those who wore unemployable elsewhere and he employed those who had no family. 

Sital added: “He became a fatherly figure to those who had no one.

“He always gave but never took.”

Sital also described her heartache of feeling ‘alone’ when her dad died, saying that her ‘world came crashing down’.

But she says that this is nothing compared to the hard times he had to face coming from Uganda.

Pratap and his daughter Sital

She added: “I had no one to turn to hug when he left. I just felt the world came crashing down. I just wanted the person nearest to me to tell me it would be okay.

“But no one was there to give me that glimmer of hope. That's because for everyone else I looked at; their worlds came crashing down too.

“Not one person round the hospital bed could tell me everything was going to be okay.

“When I think of how much he gave up, to give us a better life, he never thought about himself, it was always about others.

“The kindness of his heart made him the person everyone came to in times of need.

“After having such a rubbish week, I realised it wasn't rubbish.

“I still have everything he left, a wonderful business, a wonderful customer base and a wonderful job. A job I love and a job that keeps me working seven days. Like him I work silly hours too.

“We are forever in his debt, and I speak for mum Nila, me, Shailendra Shelley Raja, and Nilendra Raja.

Pratap was known and loved by so many

“His loss has never been forgotten, and time does not heal.

“But every day when I think of him, I thank him for everything he has done for us, the whole of the Raja family, and the whole of Bolton.

“He put his heart and soul into serving others, yet when it came to our time to look after him, he had gone.”

To honour her dad’s legacy, Sital and her family celebrated his life last weekend by feeding the homeless.

She added: “We celebrate all the good things he did and all the wonderful times he had with the people he loved and laughed with.”