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[[File:મકનજી નાનાભાઈ પટેલ
]]]]name : Makanji Nanabhai Patel
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birth : janu. 1901
death : feb. 1940
Family : Wife- Jamanaben(she war oirigin of village Kothamadi), son- Amrutbhai and daughter- Sarojben. Brothers- Kanjibhai, Hirabhai,keshavbhai and sisters- Jamunaben, Viraben, Chhikiben.
bourn at dandi, india in 1901 during British rule. Studied up to primary education for 7 years and joint with his fathers business of ships. At that time they had some small size ships operated by wind force. They used to travel from Dandi or Navsari to Bilimora, Mumbai, Goa,kochin, Madras, vishakapattanam, Machhalipattanam, kolkata, dhaka, karanchi etc. Mostly they ships coconuts, spices and grains. From Bilimora and Menglore they ships NALIA (earthen tiles for the roof). After marriage he went to Akola, Maharashra. He works in a shop of caps. At the age of 38 he got T.B. and passed away in 1940.
Activity - His brother Late Shree Keshavbhai Nanabhai Patel was the founder and first president of Shri Yuvak mandal Dandi. This mandal is unregistered group of youth of village Dandi. It works as a co-operative society. Sometimes it solved problems of people like quarrel and fights. Now a days it spread over England, Canada and New Zealand. Rmat Gamat mandal Dandi is running under this Mandal. Mostly people in Dandi play cricket. Deepak Patel a former test and one-day player of New Zealand has family root in Dandi.
Fun : When he returns home from Akola by train up to Navsari then used a bus up to Matvad and then walk in mud and sea water up to Dandi. Because at that time no road was prepared. The life was very very tough at that time. That's why Mahatma Gandhi said " selection of dandi for salt satyagrah is not of man but a God."
He was witness of Dandi March ( Salt Satyagrah) in 1930. As per his interview with a visitor to dandi, when Gandhi Picked up a pinch of salt all the people around Gandhi were singing Ramadhun " RAGHUPATI RAGHAV RAJARAM PATIT PAWAN SITARAM". A night before Gandhi do that British police mixed all the natural salts with mud and sea water using horses. people were scared of police but they had some extra power to fight for rights against white. It was a miracle of Mahatma.
After his death his family faced a big problem for survive. Son Amrutbhai was only age 8 and daughter Sarojben was of age 2 years. With one or two Buffalos and a very little agricultural income they passed time and studied up to primary (7 years) levels. Jamunaben struggle a lot. But like a very famous Hindi song 'DUNIYAME HUM AAYE HAI TO JINA HI PADEGA ......" they lived on their own way of life.