An Indian from China Street: A Lasting Reality

THERE WERE ONLY three Indian families living on Penang’s China Street in the 1960s. And of course, no Malays at all. Perhaps it is only fitting it was called China Street, since there were so few non-Chinese living on it. The “Indian areas” of old Penang were in Penang Street and Market Street.

We lived about three blocks away from the famous Chinese temple at the junction of China Street and Pitt Street. Our family ran a curry powder mill in a shop house called Narayanan Flour Mill. Our neighbour was Alagappa Flour Mill. Alagappa and my father, Narayanan, were partners when the mill was founded in the 1950s. When the partnership split, my father set up his own shop. Alagappa Flour Mill is still family-owned and now managed by the third generation. Unfortunately, my father passed away when I was young, and I was more interested in pursuing my studies in the US than running his business. Narayanan Flour Mill was eventually sold to Alagappa Flour Mill.