Yashu Amlani

Yashwanti Amlani

Yashu Gheewala

Bristol

1967–2007

Yashu Amlani, born in 1939 in Nairobi to Indian parents from Gujarat, moved to London in 1965 to study at Pitman’s College. After returning to Kenya, she married pharmacist Chanderkant Amlani and they settled in the UK in 1967.

She co-founded Rai Vidya Vihar to promote Indian languages and classical dance, was a key member of the anti-racism SARI project and lectured at Bath Spa University. She provided cross-cultural training to improve understanding between Asian communities and mainstream institutions.

During the 1972 Ugandan Asian crisis, Amlani and her husband supported refugees and led cultural initiatives in Bristol, including the first Ras Garba and the founding of the Sanatan Deevya Mandal temple. She also helped inaugurate statues of Indian reformers and hosted Hindu festivals at home.

Amlani edited the Gujarati magazine Gaurav, launched Indian/Asian vegetarian cookery classes in 1984 and published Taste of Gujarat, which received media attention. She worked with the BBC to bring Indian culture to children’s television, notably appearing on the programme You & Me. A strong advocate for cultural identity, she challenged workplace dress codes, successfully gaining the right to wear a sari for women working at Marks & Spencer.

Later on in her life, Amlani researched an Ayurvedic herb that has been used to support cancer treatment in the West – a personal highlight of her achievements. In recognition of her extensive community service, she was awarded the MBE by the Queen in 1997. She continued her work by advising Avon and Somerset Police on cultural issues and writing children’s, cultural and cookery books.