Kantilal Jivan Shah (1922–2010), also known as Kanti, was a

Seychellois Demographic features of the population of Seychelles include population density, ethnicity, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population. Seychelles has no indigenous population and was first permanently settled by a small group ...

conservationist. He has been described as a

guru Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

, natural history expert,

palmist Palmistry is the Pseudoscience, pseudoscientific practice of fortune-telling through the study of the Hand#Areas, palm. Also known as palm reading, chiromancy, chirology or cheirology, the practice is found all over the world, with numerous c ...

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

cook and teacher, photographer, artist and sculptor, agronomist and intellectual.

Early life

In 1922, Shah was born in

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. When he was five years old, his family moved to Seychelles.

Career

Shah ran an export and import business established by his father in 1890, conducted through a colonial store in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

purchased by his family in 1925. His store, named Jivan Imports, sold

textiles Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

and local

souvenirs A souvenir ( French for 'a remembrance or memory'), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and trans ...

, with his living space and library located on the second floor. He was better known for his environmentalism and

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of nature-oriented tourism intended to contribute to the Ecological conservation, conservation of the natural environment, generally defined as being minimally impactful, and including providing both contributions to conserv ...

work in Seychelles and as a leading historian and folklorist. He was a committee member of various organizations such as the Alliance Francaise, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Seychelles Environment Trust Fund.

Works

Shah produced the first coloured calendars and postcards for the governor of Seychelles using his own photographs. Shah contributed to a booklet titled ''The History of Paper Currency in the Seychelles'', published on June 29, 2006, to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Seychellois independence.

Environmentalism

Shah was involved in conservation and environmental activities, including raising public awareness, creation of national parks and nature reserves like the Ste. Anne Marine National Park and Port Launay Marine National Park, and protective legislation for marine life, such as the Protection of Shells Act, Animal and Bird Protection, Controlled Cropping of Seabirds' Eggs, and Protection of Turtles.

Politics

In 1965, Shah was elected to Victoria District Council to represent the Pier Ward. He later acted as chairman.

Media presence

Shah promoted Seychelles globally through magazines, TV programmes, newspapers and guides, and was also featured in international media, such as in programmes and broadcasts from

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. He was a host to some influential global personalities like Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

and

Mother Teresa Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu (born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, ; 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), better known as Mother Teresa or Saint Mother Teresa, was an Albanian-Indian Catholic Church, Roman Catholic nun, founder of the Missionaries of ...

Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer, best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his ...

, the creator of

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

. The latter featured Jivan as a character in his last Bond novel. He also acted in a movie with the actor

Omar Sharif Omar Sharif (, ; born Michel Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub ; 10 April 1932 – 10 July 2015) was an Egyptian actor, generally regarded as one of his country's greatest male film stars. He began his career in his native country in the 1950s. He is bes ...

Awards and memberships

Shah was included in the UN Environmental Program

Global 500 Roll of Honour The Global 500 Roll of Honour was an award given from 1987 to 2003 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The award recognized the environmental achievements of individuals and organizations around the world. A successor system of UNE ...

as an adult award winner in 1990 for over 30 years of conservation work. He also became a Fellow of the

Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

in 1990. Shah was honoured by the Royal Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters.

Death

Shah died in 2010 at the age of 88 in Victoria Hospital. He was survived by his son Nirmal Shah, the chief executive of Nature Seychelles.

References

External links

Entry in the UNEP Global 500 Roll of Honour
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jivan, Kantilal 1922 births 2010 deaths Seychellois artists 20th-century Hindu religious leaders Seychellois Hindus Seychellois environmentalists Seychellois people of Indian descent Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society