Maya Chellaram Samtani's story
Maya Chellaram Samtani (maiden name: Mohini Jethanand Belani) was born on 4th July 1936 in Karachi, Sindh, British India. Following Partition, Maya and her family witnessed a lot of violence – events that Maya described as ‘scary’ not just from her perspective as an 11-year-old but for the whole family. These incidents were the catalyst for her family to leave Pakistan. Today, Maya resides in Singapore and this is her story. Maya (third from left) and her family Maya Samtani was born to Jethanand and Devi Boolchand – one of nine children in a family of five brothers and four sisters. Despite her nuclear family already having 11 members, Maya says they lived as a joint family with her two chachas (paternal uncles) and their families – all in all about 30 people under one roof! Maya's parents, Devi and Jethanand Her father ran a gold and silverware shop in Javeri Bazaar in Karachi. His shop sold things such as bowls, thalis (a kind of circular tray), plates and idols. ...