Nana Bachu Sardar, was the son of Ram Khelawan Singh. In 1879, nana was born in the district of Shahabad, in the village Dilliali, in India and belonged to the Garadia caste.In 1884 nana left India on ship # 178 called Howrah. He arrived in Fiji under the Indentured Labour System. His parents had died.
An Englishman looked after him and called him Bachu. He was a supervisor (sardar). So he was called Bachu Sardar and was registered so. Nobody knew his real name then. He was married and had 10 children. It was much later when his eldest son Balram Bachu found some old papers kept in a bundle. That is when nana’s real name was discovered. Balram Bachu wanted to change the name but his mother requested him not to do so.
Nana was married to nani Sirtaji (Sardarin) who was born in 1894 in the district of Rai Bareilly in the village Tirhwa, in India. Nani was an orphan. In 1897 she left India on ship # 374 called Rhone. She also came to Fiji under the Indentured Labour System. A gentleman by the name of Pt Ganga Sharma adopted her and looked after her very well. He married her to Bachu Sardar. At the time marriage nana was 38 years old and nani was 23 years old. They married in 1907 and lived at Deuba # 2.