Kash Patel, an Indian-origin leader, was sworn in as the ninth director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). His family traces its roots to Bhadran village in Gujarat's Anand district and migrated to Uganda nearly 70 to 80 years ago.
At 44, New York-born Patel, who hails from the Patidar community, has become the first Indian-American to lead the United States' top law enforcement agency.
Community leaders revealed that Patel’s immediate family is entirely based overseas, according to a PTI report. Their ancestral properties in Bhadran were sold after their move to Africa.
Chh Gam Patidar Mandal, an organisation of the community based in Anand, maintains `vanshavali' (family tree) of its members.
"In the 'vanshavali' we have names of Kash Patel's father Pramod Patel and also his brothers and grandfather," said secretary of the organisation and Anand district BJP present Rajesh Patel.
Rajesh Patel told PTI that though Kash Patel's name was yet to be added to the family tree, entry of 18 generations of his family is there in the 'vanshavali' and it is stored in their office along with all members of their community.
"As per our records the family used to live in Moti Khadki area of Bhadran village and they migrated to Uganda some 70 to 80 years ago," he informed.
"The family sold their ancestral house and land and all of his relatives are settled in foreign countries, especially in the USA. Now, when a family member of Kash comes back to India we will seek their permission to record their next generation's names, including his own name, in vanshavali," Rajesh Patel informed.
"We have not met Kash Patel as the family has not visited Anand in recent years. But many in our community know them as Patidar is a close-knit community," he said.
According to Rajesh Patel, Kash Patel’s family temporarily returned to India following their expulsion from Uganda in the 1970s.
Those Indians who were expelled from Uganda had come to India for a brief stay as they had applied for asylum in the UK, US or Canada, he said. Patel’s family also stayed briefly in India before eventually settling in Canada once their application was accepted.
Later, they moved to the US, where Kash Patel was born in 1980, he added.
(With agency inputs)
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