SIKH SPIRITUALISTS

BHAGAT SINGH THIND-II      

        Bhagat Singh Thind: 

      The Legacy of an Indian Pioneer

Los Angeles, October 13, 2006
Inder Singh

In the annals of Asians’ struggle for US citizenship, Bhagat Singh Thind’s fight for citizenship occupies a prominent historical place. His US citizenship was rescinded four days after it was granted. Eleven months later, he received it for the second time but the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals which sent the case to the next higher court for ruling. Thind valiantly fought his case in the US Supreme Court, but the judge revoked his citizenship simply due to the color of his skin. The Court verdict in Thind’s case, United States v. Thind confirmed that the rights and privileges of naturalization were reserved for “Whites” only.
At that time, Indians in the United States were commonly called “Hindoos” (“Hindus”) irrespective of their faith. Thind’s nationality was also referred to as "Hindoo” or “Hindu" in all legal documents and in the media although he was a Sikh by faith and preserved his religious beliefs by keeping a beard and long hair on his head and wore turban.
Bhagat Singh was born on October 3, 1892 in the state of Punjab, India. He came to the US in 1913 to pursue higher education. On July 22, 1918, while still an Indian citizen, he joined the US Army to fight in World War 1. A few months later, on November 8, 1918, Bhagat Singh, a turban wearing “Hindu”, was promoted to the rank of an Acting Sergeant. He had not even served for a month in his new position when the war was declared ended. He received an “honorable discharge” on 16th of December, 1918, with his character designated as "excellent". [Rashmi Sharma Singh: Petition for citizenship filed on September 27, 1935, State of New York].
The U.S. citizenship conferred many rights and privileges but only “free white men” were eligible to apply. In the United States, many anthropologists used Caucasian as a general term for "white.” Indian nationals from the north of the Indian Sub-Continent were also considered Caucasian. Thus, several Indians were granted US citizenship in different states. Thind also applied for citizenship in the state of Washington in July 1918. He received his citizenship certificate on December 9, 1918 wearing military uniform as he was still serving in the US army. However, the INS did not agree with the district court granting the citizenship. Thind’s citizenship was revoked in four days, on December 13, 1918, on the grounds that he was not a “free white man.” Thind, as a soldier in the US army, had all the rights and privileges like any “white man” and was worthy of trust to defend the US but America would not trust him with citizenship rights due to the color of his skin.
Thind was disheartened but was not ready to give up his fight. He applied for citizenship again from the neighboring state of Oregon on May 6, 1919. The same INS official who got Thind’s citizenship revoked first time, tried to convince the judge to refuse citizenship to a “Hindoo” from India. He even brought up the issue of Thind’s involvement in the Gadar Movement, members of which campaigned for the independence of India from Britain. But Thind contested this charge. Judge Wolverton believed him and observed, “He (Thind) stoutly denies that he was in any way connected with the alleged propaganda of the Gadar Press to violate the neutrality laws of this country, or that he was in sympathy with such a course. He frankly admits, nevertheless, that he is an advocate of the principle of India for the Indians, and would like to see India rid of British rule, but not that he favors an armed revolution for the accomplishment of this purpose.” The judge took all arguments and Thind’s military record into consideration and declined to agree with the INS. Thus, Thind received US citizenship for the second time on November 18, 1920.
The INS had included Thind’s involvement in the Gadar Movement as one of the reasons for the denial of citizenship to him. Gadar, which literally means revolt or mutiny, was the name of the magazine of Hindustan Association of the Pacific Coast. The magazine became so popular among Indians, that the association itself became known as the Gadar party.
The Hindustan Association of the Pacific Coast was formed in 1913 with the objective of freeing India from the British rule. The majority of its supporters were Punjabis who had come to the US for better economic opportunities. They were unhappy with racial prejudice and discrimination against them. Indian students, who were welcomed in the universities, also faced discrimination in finding jobs commensurate with their qualifications, upon graduation. They attributed prejudice, inequity and unfairness to their being nationals of a subjugated country. Har Dyal, a faculty member at Stanford University, who had relinquished his scholarship and studies at Oxford University, England, provided leadership for the newly formed association and channelized the pro-Indian, anti-British sentiment of the students for independence of India.
Soon after the formation of the Gadar party, World War I broke out in August, 1914. The Germans, who fought against England in the war, offered the Indian Nationalists (Gadarites) financial aid to buy arms and ammunition to expel the British from India while the British Indian troops would be busy fighting war at the front. The Gadarite volunteers, however, did not succeed in their mission and were taken captives upon reaching India. Several Gadarites were imprisoned, many for life, and some were hanged. In the United States too, many Gadarites and their German supporters, were prosecuted in the San Francisco Hindu German Conspiracy Trial (1917-18) and twenty-nine “Hindus” and Germans were convicted for varying terms of imprisonment for violating the American Neutrality Laws. [www.sikhpioneers.org]
Thind like many other Indian students had joined the Gadar movement and actively advocated independence of India from the British Empire. Judge Wolverton granted him citizenship after he was convinced that Thind was not involved in any “subversive” activities. The INS appealed to the next higher court – the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals which sent the case to the US Supreme Court for ruling on the following two questions:
"1. Is a high caste Hindu of full Indian blood, born at Amrit Sar, Punjab, India, a white person within the meaning of section 2169, Revised Statutes?"
"2. Does the act of February 5, 1917 (39 Stat. L. 875, section 3) disqualify from naturalization as citizens those Hindus, now barred by that act, who had lawfully entered the United States prior to the passage of said act?"
Section 2169, Revised Statutes, provides that the provisions of the Naturalization Act “shall apply to aliens, being free white persons, and to aliens of African nativity and to persons of African descent.”
In preparing briefs for the Ninth Circuit Court, Thind’s attorney argued that the Immigration Act of 1917 barred new immigrants from India but did not deny citizenship to Indians who were legally admitted like Thind, prior to the passage of the new law. He argued that the purpose of the Immigration Act was “prospective and not retroactive.”
Thind’s attorney gave references of previous court cases of Indians who were granted citizenship by the lower federal courts on the grounds that they were ``Caucasians. (U.S. v. Dolla 1910, U.S. v. Balsara 1910, Akhay Kumar Mozumdar 1913, Mohan Singh, 1919). Judge Wolverton, in granting citizenship to Thind, also said, “The word “white” ethnologically speaking was intended to be applied in its popular sense to denote at least the members of the white or Caucasian race of people.” Even the U.S. Supreme Court, in 1922, in the case of a Japanese immigrant, US vs. Ozawa, officially equated “white person” with “a person of the Caucasian race.”
Thind was convinced that based on Ozawa's straightforward ruling of racial specification and many similar previous court cases, he would win the case and his victory will open the doors for all Indians in the United States to obtain US citizenship. Little did he know that the color of his skin would become the grounds for denial of the right of citizenship by the highest court in the US.
Justice George Sutherland of the Supreme Court delivered the unanimous opinion of the court on February 19, 1923, in which he argued that since the "common man's" definition of “white” did not correspond to "Caucasian", Indians could not be naturalized. The Judge, giving his verdict, said, “A negative answer must be given to the first question, which disposes of the case and renders an answer to the second question unnecessary, and it will be so certified.”
Shockingly, the very same Judge Sutherland who had equated Whites as Caucasians in US vs. Ozawa, now pronounced that Thind though Caucasian, was not “White” and thus was ineligible for US citizenship. He apparently decided the case under pressure from the forces of prejudice, racial hatred and bigotry, not on the basis of precedent that he had established in a previous case. The decision, in essence, reinterpreted the proclamation, “Liberty and Justice for all” to mean “Liberty and Justice for Whites.”
The Supreme Court verdict shook the faith and trust of Indians in the American justice system. The economic impact for land and property owning Indians was devastating as they again came under the jurisdiction of the California Alien Land Law of 1913 which barred ownership of land by persons ineligible for citizenship. Some Indians had to liquidate their land holdings at dramatically lower prices. America, the dreamland, did not fulfill the dream they had envisioned.
The INS issued a notification in 1926 canceling Thind’s citizenship for a second time. The INS also initiated proceedings to rescind American citizenship of other Indians. From 1923 to 1926, the citizenship of fifty Indians was revoked. The Barred Zone Act of 1917 had already prevented new immigration of Indians. The continued shadow of insecurity and instability compelled some to go back to India. The Supreme Court decision further lead to the decline in the number of Indians to 3130 by 1930. [From India to America; Garry Hess, p 31]
There probably was little sympathy for treating “Hindu Thind” shabbily but there was a concern for the poor treatment of “US Army Veteran Thind.” Thus in 1935, the 74th US Congress passed a law allowing citizenship to US veterans of World War I, even those from the 'barred zones'. Dr. Thind finally received his U.S. citizenship through the state of New York in 1936, taking oath for the third time to become an American citizen. This time, no official of the INS dared to object or appeal against his naturalization.
Thind had come to the US for higher education and to “fulfill his destiny as a spiritual teacher.” Long before his arrival in the US or that of any other religious teacher or yogi from India, American intellectuals had shown keen interest in Indian religious philosophy. Hindu sacred books translated by the English missionaries had made their way to America and were the “favorite text” of many members of the Transcendentalists’ society which was started by some American thinkers and intellectuals who were dissatisfied with spiritual inadequacy of the Unitarian Church. The society flourished during the period of 1836-1860 in the Boston area and had some prominent and influential members including author and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), poet Walter Whitman (1819 – 1892), and writer Henry David Thoreau (1817-62). [Pradhan:India in the United States]
Emerson had read Hindu religious and philosophy books including the Bhagvad Geeta, and his writings reflected the influence of Indian philosophy. In 1836, he expressed "mystical unity of nature" in his essay, "Nature." In 1868, Walt Whitman wrote the poem "Passage to India." Henry David Thoreau had considerable acquaintance with Indian philosophical works. He wrote an essay on "Resistance to Civil Government, or Civil Disobedience" in 1849 advocating non-violent resistance against unethical government laws. Years later, Gandhi Ji adopted similar methodology, satyagraha, or non-violent protest to defy the law to gain Indian rights in South Africa in 1906. He quoted Thoreau many times in his paper, Indian Openion.
In 1893, Vivekananda came to Chicago to represent Hinduism at the World Parliament of Religions. He spoke very eloquently and made a lasting impact on the delegates. For four years, he lectured at major universities and retreats and generated significant interest in yoga and Vedantic philosophy. He also started the Vedantic centre in New York City. In 1897, he published his book “Vedanta Philosophy: lectures on Raja Yoga and other subjects.” The first part of his book included lectures to classes in New York and the second part contained translation and commentary of “Patanjali.” [Pradhan:India in the United States]
Swami Vivekananda’s constant teaching, lecturing and addressing retreats increased the number of Americans who became receptive to learn about India, Hindu religion and philosophy. Some publishers brought out books to meet the growing interest of the American people. Scribner, Armstrong and Co. published India and Its Native Princes, a 580-page illustrated coffee-table book. C.H. Forbes-Lindsay of Philadelphia in October, 1903 published “India – Past and Present” in two volumes. The Yogi Publication Society of Chicago published many books such as The Hindu-yogi science of breath (1905), A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga (1906), Bhagavad Gita (1907), etc.
After Swami Vivekananda left, other religious leaders came to fill the void. In 1920, Paramahansa Yogananda came as India’s delegate to International Congress of Religious Leaders in Boston. The same year, he established Self-Realization Fellowship and continued to spread his teachings on yoga and meditation in the East coast. In 1925, he established an international headquarters for Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles. He traveled widely and lectured to capacity audiences in many of the largest auditoriums in the country such as New York's Carnegie Hall. (www.yogananda-srf.org)
Thind had started delivering lectures in Indian philosophy and metaphysics even before Yogananda came here. He was influenced by the spiritual teachings of his father whose “living example left an indelible blueprint in him.” During his formative years in India, Thind read the literary writings of Emerson, Whitman, and Thoreau and they too had deeply impressed him. After graduating from Khalsa College in Amritsar, Punjab, and encouraged by his father, he left for Manila, Philippines where he stayed for a year. He resumed his journey to his destination and reached Seattle, Washington, on July 4, 1913.
Bhagat Singh Thind had gained some understanding of the American mind by interacting with students and teachers at the university and by working in lumber mills of Oregon and Washington during summer vacations to support himself while at the University of California, Berkeley. His teaching included the philosophy of many religions and in particular that contained in Sikh Scriptures. During his lectures, discourses and classes to Christian audience, he frequently quoted the Vedas, Guru Nanak, Kabir, and others. He generously shared India’s mystical, spiritual and philosophical treasures with his students but never converted or persuaded any of them to become Hindu or Sikh. He also made references to Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman, and Henry David Thoreau to which his American audience could easily relate to.
Dr. Thind gave new “vista of awareness” to his students throughout the United States and initiated “thousands of disciples” into his expanded view of reality – “the Inner Life, and the discovery of the power of the Holy Nãm.” One of his devoted disciples was Rose Elena Davies who started following Dr. Thind’s teachings in the mid 1930’s. In 1938, she introduced her daughter Vivian to her spiritual teacher, Dr. Thind. Vivian and Bhagat Singh got married in 1940.
Thind who had earned a Ph.D, became a prolific writer and was respected as “spiritual guide.” He published many pamphlets and books and reached “an audience of at least five million.” The list of his books include Radiant Road to Reality, Science of Union with God , The Pearl of Greatest Price, House of Happiness, Jesus, The Christ: In the Light of Spiritual Science (Vol. I, II, III), The Enlightened Life, Tested Universal Science of Individual Meditation in Sikh Religion, Divine Wisdom in three volumes. [www.Bhagatsinghthind.com]
In RADIANT ROAD TO REALITY, Dr. Thind reveals to the seeker how to connect the soul with the Creator. "There are many religions, but only one Morality, one Truth, and one God. The only Heaven is one of conscious life and fellowship with God," explains Dr. Thind. He wrote, JESUS, THE CHRIST: In the Light of Spiritual Science in three volumes for those, “who have freed themselves of orthodox religious thinking. The books serve as a springboard to greater spiritual heights, wherein we appreciate more than ever the message of the Sat Gurus, the Saviors, the Avatars, the Christs, of whom Jesus Christ was one.”
Dr. Thind was working on some books when suddenly he died on September 15, 1967. He was survived by his wife, Vivian, daughter, Rosalind and son, David, to whom several of his books are dedicated. He never established a temple, Gurdwara or a center for his followers but lived for a long time in the hearts of his numerous followers.
David Thind has established a website www.Bhagatsinghthind.com to promote and propagate books and the philosophy for which Dr. Bhagat Singh Thind spent his entire life in the US. He has also posthumously published two of his father’s books, Troubled Mind in a Torturing World and their Conquest, and Winners and Whiners in this Whirling World and is working on some others.
Dr. Bhagat Singh Thind said, “You must never be limited by external authority, whether it be vested in a church, man, or book. It is your right to question, challenge, and investigate.” And he lived his life by that statement. He was a man of indomitable spirit and waged a valiant struggle for citizenship. He extended the boundaries of his fight by challenging the forces of race and color. Unfortunately, even the highest US court could not rise above the low level of skin color, yet his legacy lives on in his dream land that refused to acknowledge him at first.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Inder Singh is chairman of Indian American Heritage Foundation, president of Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO International), former president of NFIA and founder president of FIA of Southern California. He can be reached by email at indersingh-usa@hotmail.com or by telephone at 818 708-3885.






  

SIKH GENIUS

GANGA SINGH, PRINCIPAL

A FORGOTTEN PROTAGONIST OF PUNJAB

 When it comes to the history of Punjab, the name of S. Ganga Singh Dhillon would always be remembered. He left an indelible imprint on it. It is ironical that the role played by this philosopher-son remains unknown to the new generations, laments R C GANJOO

Awell known thinker, philosopher, intellectual, writer and orator of the Sikh community in the pre-1947 era, Ganga Singh Dhillon was the first to raise the demand of Punjabi Subha (separate statehood for Punjabis) way back in 1956. Popularly known as principal, Ganga Singh suffered at the hands of British as well as Indian authorities before and after Independence. He passed away at the age of 68 in Gurudwara Shish Ganj on December 26, 1961. He faded away from public memory into an unknown champion in the history of Sikhs. His tales of daring deeds practically vanished along with him leaving hardly anyone to remember him in Punjab. So much so that the present generation hardly knows about his contribution. Although he was a guiding force behind the formation of the Akali Dal, he was never interested in power. He never endorsed "Politics based on false promises", as told by his own son Trilochan Singh. However, he enjoyed playing the man behind the throne. "I am a king maker, why should I become a king," he told Harbans Singh Ghuman (former MLA), also his student. In fact, many people would not know that Ganga Singh was instrumental in making his cousin brother-in-law Sardar Baldev Singh the first defence minister of India on the Akali Dal mandate. Many facets of his life are still not known to many. A progressive individual, he was also a nationalist to the core. According to his son Trilochan Singh, when the Jalianawala Bagh massacre took place in 1919, Ganga Singh, then a Tehsildar of Batala Tehsil, was ordered by the British government to decree the property of those killed at Jalianawala. He declined to carry out the orders and was subsequently declared deserter. Ganga Singh joined the Ghadar Party headed by Ras Bihari Bose and did not look back ever since. He started writing for the official organ of Ghadar Party published from Lahore. The colonial masters had put a ban on its publication and its reading. He toured the USA and Europe in 1947, where he met with intellectuals and world leaders, including Winston Churchill in the UK. With these leaders especially with Churchill, he is said to have pleaded the case of separate statehood for Punjabis. Unfortunately, in the US he met with an accident and suffered a serious head injury and broke his jaw. And doctors shaved off his hair to perform surgery on his head. When he returned t to India in 1949, he drove to Amritsar and rebaptized himself into the Sikh fold. Tarlochan Singh [Son] Ganga Singh also came to be known as an Urdu lyricist for valiant couplets against the Raj. One of them to earn him popularity was,: Ab ham ne himalya ki choti pe chadke lalkara hai, door hato ai dunya walo Hindustan hamaara hai. (Now that we have climbed atop Himalayas, you better get off, Hindustan is ours). In fact, Ganga Singh's fascination with Urdu started when he was in the sixth standard. He then studied the Holy Quran in a mosque and also wrote his first couplet "Rukhsat Hue is jahaan se jo mumaalik ke baani baani the…. From here, he picked up the art of writing Sufiana Kalaam. So much was his affinity to Urdu that he used to write Punjabi in the Urdu script. Under the Ghadar Party he started campaign against the British rule. Gatherings used to be held in Gurudwaras where he would deliver religious sermons. It was a team comprising Harnayal Singh, Partap Singh Kairon, Baba Mool Singh Gadhmulya, Veer Singh Atehbarya and Harbans Singh Attari (who founded Khalsa Yateem Khana). Besides fanning the nationalistic spirit, they would also highlight the importance of education for women who could play a pivotal role for developing the nation. Subsequently, these lofty idealisms led to many more serious and concrete works. For instance, Shahid Sikh Missionary College, at Putli Ghar in Amritsar was established in 1927 under the auspices of the apex Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Ganga Singh, well versed in the art of oratory and with perfect mastery of Persian, Urdu and Punjabi languages, became its first principal and continued till 1946. This institution holds the credit of producing the pracharaks (preachers) like Ishar Singh Majael (first irrigation minister of Punjab), Gyani Sharm Singh, Gyani Badal Singh, Gyani Tegh Singh , Amar Singh Dussanj, Pyara Singh Padam, Gyani Lal Singh, Kartar Singh Pudi, Shama Singh Layalpuri, Kehar Singh Bairagi, Tara Singh Perdesi, Gyani Zail Singh (former president of India), Tara Singh Tara, Gurudev Singh Mann (father of famous Punjabi folk singer Gurudas Mann). His oratory was so powerful that he could mesmerize the audience. In Calcutta a round table conference of religious leaders was held in 1935 in which Calcutta scholarly persons from Budhist, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Jain religions were invited. Ganga Singh representing Sikh community, spoke for 25 minutes leaving the audience spell bound. He also edited Akali Patrika magazine for two years as chief editor. Thereafter, he started daily 'Ajit' and managed it for five years. The highlight of the stint was running a series dwelling on certain controversies involving Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi. Harbans Singh Ghumman [Ex-M.L.A., Student] Dark Phase: Ironically, Ganga Singh had to face a turbulent phase. His visit to Pakistan proved costly affair for him. He had reportedly gone there to attend the marriage of a grand daughter of Ghaznafar Ali Baweja who was the then governor of Punjab (Pakistan). He stayed in Pakistan for over one month. On his return to India in July 1956, he was arrested on the charges of conspiracy and sedition. His passport was impounded. He was lodged in Jaipur jail and his family members were not allowed to meet him. He was shifted to Gwalior jail and subsequently to Jhansi and Kodaikanal and allegedly subjected to all sorts of mental and physical torture. These left his body, mind and soul shattered. Ganga Singh took shelter at Ragi Santa Singh in Mata Sundri lane and decided to dedicate rest of his life to singing religious hymns. He was employed in Gurudwara Shish Ganj for Rs 10/- per day for singing hymns. The didn't join his family probably because he had sensed that his stay with his family members would invite troubles for them

WOMEN WRITERS OF INDIA

DALIP KAUR TIWANA-I

Dr. Dalip Kaur Tiwana

Dr. Dalip Kaur Tiwana is universally regarded as one of the leading Punjabi novelists of today and has published twenty seven novels, seven collections of short stories, the first part of her autobiography and a literary biography She has won awards, both regional and national, and is widely translated author.
Born on May 4, 1935 in Village Rabbon of Ludhiana district in a well-to-do land-owing family, she was educated at Patiala where her uncle, Sardar Sahib Sardar Tara Singh Sidhu was Inspector General of Prisons. She had a distinguished academic career, getting a first class first M.A., and the first woman in the region to get the Ph.D. degree from Punjab University in 1963, Dr. Dalip Kaur Tiwana joined the Punjabi University at Patiala, as a Lecturer and then went on to become Professor and Head of the Department of Punjabi and Dean, Faculty of Languages. She was a brilliant teacher and researcher and made a significant contributions to literary and critical studies in Punjabi. She was also a UGC National Lecturer for a year.
Dr. Dalip Kaur's literary career as a creative writer commenced with the publication of her first book of short stories Sadhna in 1961, which was declared the best book in its genre by the Department of Languages, Government of Punjab. She produced seven collections of short stories before switching over to novel-writing, in which art-form she was destined to achieve great eminence. Her second novel Eho Hamara ZeeUna won her the Sahitya Akademy Award in 1972. Thereafter, virtually every one of her works won her an award. The Ministry of Education and Social Welfare honoured her book of stories for children called pa11jan IJiCh Parmeshwar in 1975, while the Department of Languages, Government of Punjab, conferred the "Nanak Singh Puruskar" on her novel Peele Patian di Dastan in 1980 and "Gurmukh Singh Mu safir Puruskar" on her autobiography Nange pa rion da Safa r in 1 982. Awards and honours have flowed from outside the Punjab as well. In 1985, the International Association of Punjabi Artists and Authors (IAAPA) based in Canada honoured her with an award in 1985. "Nanjanagudu Thirumalamba" award for her novel Katha Kuknoos Di came from Shashwathi, Karnataka and "Vagdevi" award for Duni Suhava Bagh was given by Bhartiya Bhasha Parishad, Calcutta, in 1998.
For her outstanding contribution to Punjabi literature, Dr. Dalip Kaur received the "Shiromani Sahityakar" award from the Punajb Government in 1987, the "Best Novelist of the Decade" award from Punjabi Academy, Delhi, in 1994 and the "Kartar Singh Dhaliwal" award from Punjabi Sahit Academy, Ludhiana. She was among the distinguished Sikh personalities who were honoured on the occasion of the Tricentenary Celebrations of the Birth of the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib in 1999.

A List of Literary Awards:

• Govt. of Punjab award for Sadhana, as the book of short stories. 1961-62.
• Sahitya Akademi award for the novel Ehu Hamara Jeewana, 1972.
• Ministry of Education and Social Welfare award for panchoan vich parmesar - book of short stories for children, 1975.
• Nanak Singh Puruskar (Languages Department, Govt of Punjab) for the novel Peele Patian di Daastan, 1980.
• Gurmukh Singh Musafir award for the autibiography Nange Pairan da Safar, 1982
• Canadian International Association of Punjabi authors and artists Award, 1985.
• Shriromani Sahitkar award, Languages Department of Punjab, 1987
• Praman Pattar award from Punjab Govt., 1989
• Dhaliwal Award, Punjabi Sahit Academy, Ludhiana, 1991.
• Best Novelist of the Decade (1980-90), Punjabi Academy, Delhi 1994
• Nanjanagudu Thirumalamba Award for the novel Katha Kuknus di
• Wagdev Award for the novel Duni Suhava Bagh from Bhartiya Bhasha Parishad, Calcutta, 1998.
• Honoured during Tercentenary celebrations of the Birth of Khalsa for outstanding contribution in the field of language, art and literature at Anandpur Sahib on April 11, 1999.
• Saraswati Samman for the Year 2001 by the KK Birla Foundation.
• Entries in "Famous Women of India," "Who's who of India","Reference Asia","Internatinal Biographia","International Who's who, 1995"
• Works have been translated in English, French, Russian, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati and other Indian languages.
• Three novels have been telecast from doordarshan and many more are on the waiting list.

Many of Dr. Dalip Kaur Tiwana's short stories and novels have been translated into Hindi and other Indian languages, and English. Such is her Fate (Punjabi University), Journey on bare feet (Orient Longman), Gone are the Rivers (Macmillan) are some of the English translations, which are readily available. The Tale of the Phoenix (Ajanta) translated by Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh and Bhupinder Singh and Elizabeth Siler of the USA will soon be out. Urvaslu is being rendered into English by Prof Jasbir Jain. Khushwant Singh, Jai Rattan and Danielle Gill from Paris are some the other translators of Dr. Tiwana's works. Doordarshan has also telecast a few serials based on her writings.
Dr. Daiip Kaur has played important roles in distinguished bodies, both academic and literary. Currently, she is associated with the Sahitya Academy (Delhi), Punjab Arts Council (Chandigarh), Punjab Sahit Academy (Chandigarh), Punjabi Sahit Academy (Ludhiana), National Book Trust of India, Bhartiya Janapith, K K. Birla Folmdation, Kendn Punjabi Lekhak Sabha in various capacities. She is President of the Punjabi Sahit Academy, Chandigarh and Life-Fellow auld nominated Senator of the Punjabi University.
During the course of her career as writer and academician, she visited several countries to preside over or participate in important international conferences. For example, she chaired sessions at the International Punjabi Conference held in U.K. in 1980, participated in International Writing Together anal Women in the 20th Century held in Scotland in 1990 and presided over an international literary meet organised by California Sahit Sabha in the U.S.A. in 2000.
By common or general consent, Dr. Dalip Kaur Tiwana is the leading, most productive and most popular Punjabi novelist of our Ages. For the last forty years or more, she has been engaged in creative writing without any major interruption. There is thematic and formal variety in her writings. Her language in particular is spontaneous, lyrical and compressed to the point of being a marvel of economy and elegance.
Over the years, she has moved from a preoccupation with gender issues to intellectual contemplation of fundamental human problem, and from there to spiritual transcendence. While negotiating the problems of life and death, tradition and modernity, men and women, towns and villages in her works, she remains committed to the Indian spiritual and ethical vision. One could say of her that she combines European energy with Asiatic calm in her life and thought.

WOMEN ADMINISTRATORS OF INDIA

KAPILA VATSYAYAN

Kapila Vatsyayan (born 25 December 1928) is a leading scholar of classical Indian dance and Indian art and architecture.
Dr. Vatsyayan received her M.A. from the University of Michigan and Ph.D. from the Banaras Hindu University. She is the author of many books including The Square and the Circle of Indian Arts, Bharata: The Natya Sastra, and Matralaksanam. She was the founder-director of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (Indira Kalakendra) in Delhi. She has also served as secretary to the government of India and the Ministry of Education, department of Arts and Culture, in which she was responsible for the establishment of many institutions of higher education in India.
She served briefly as a Rajya Sabha M.P. in March 2006, and was reappointed to the Rajya Sabha in April 2007 for a term expiring in February 2012. She is the sister of poet and critic Keshav Malik.

WOMEN WRITERS OF INDIA

MAHASHWETA DEVI-I

Born - 1926
Achievements - Mahasweta Devi is an eminent Indian Bengali writer, who has been studying and writing incessantly about the life and struggles faced by the tribal communities in the states like Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Mahasweta Devi is a reputed Indian writer who was born in the year 1926 into a middle class Bengali family at Dacca, which is located in present day Bangladesh. She received her education from the prestigious Shantiniketan set up by great Indian philosopher and thinker, Rabindranath Tagore that went on to become a part of the Visva Bharti University later on. Mahasweta Devi graduated from the University of Calcutta and this was followed by an MA degree in English from the Visva Bharti University.

Read on to know more about the biography of Mahasweta Devi. Since her entire family had shifted to India by now, Devi began teaching at the Bijoygarh College in 1964. In those times, this particular college was a forum operating for elite female students. This phase was also utilized by Mahasweta Devi to work as a journalist and a creative writer. Of late, Mahasweta Devi is known to have been studying the life history of rural tribal communities in the Indian state of West Bengal and also women and dalits.

Mahasweta Devi is a social activist who has wholly involved herself to work for the struggles of the tribal people in states like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. In the fiction themed on Bengal which Devi writes, she often narrates the brutal oppression faced by the tribal people at the hands of the powerful upper caste persons comprising landlords, money lenders and government officials in this belt.

During the 2006 Frankfurt Book Fair when India happened to be the first country to have been invited to this fair for a second time, Mahasweta Devi made a very touching inaugural speech which moved many among the listeners to tears. Inspired by the famous Raj Kapoor song, she said: "This is truly the age where the Joota (shoe) is Japani (Japanese), Patloon (pants) is Englistani (British), the Topi (hat) is Roosi (Russian), But the Dil (heart) is always Hindustani (Indian)"

WOMEN WRITERS OF INDIA

ASHAPURNA DEVI-I

Ashapurna Devi is an Jnanapeeth awardee and well known writer . She grew up in Calcutta, where her father was an artist. Married at a young age, in a traditional Bengali family, Ashapurna could not finish her school education. But she had an inclination to literary activities. At home she read different Bengali magazines and books.

Asha Devi wrote her first stories during 1930`s, for adolescents. Her first story was published in 1937, The Husband`s Lover, in which she touched the changing and contradictory expectations of men from women - as traditional, obedient wives and at the same time, as stimulating, glamorous lovers to show-off to others. She is known for her strong female characters.

Some times some critics have downplayed the importance of her writing, calling her the "kitchen writer". Her famous triology, Pratham Pratishuti, followed by Swarnlatha and Bukul Katha have covered the life-stories of three generations of women, over the changing rural and urban milieu in Bengal over twentieth century. In three books, once again Ashapurna touches on the contradictory expectations from women in contemporary Bengali society - at times oppressed and traditional follower of husband`s wishes, at times the apparently modern, good looking, well dressed campanion. At the same time, she explores the inner desires and aspirations of her women characters, unfettered by expectations of the men and families.

INDIAN FOLK SINGERS

TEEJAN BAI

Teejan Bai (born 24 April 1956) is an exponent of Pandavani, a traditional performing art form, from Chhattisgarh, in which she enacts tales from the Mahabharata, with musical accompaniments.

Early life

Teejan Bai was born in village Ganiyari, 14 km north of Bhilai, to Chunuk Lal Pardhi and his wife Sukhwati .
The eldest among her five siblings, at, heard her maternal grandfather, Brijlal Pradhi, recite Mahabharata written by Chattisgarhi writer, Sabal Sinh Chauhan in Chattisgarhi Hindi, she instantly took a liking of it and soon memorized much of it, and later trained informally under Umed Singh Deshmukh

Career

At age 13, gave her first public performance in a neighbouring village, Chandrakhuri (Durg) for Rs 10., singing in the Kapalik shaili (style) of 'Pandavani', a first time for a woman, as traditionally women used to sing in the Vedamati, the sitting style. Contrary to the tradition, Teejan Bai performed standing singing out loud in her typical guttral voice and unmistakable verve, entering what was till now, a male bastion
Within a short time, she became known in neighbouring villages and invitations poured to perform at special occasions and festivals.
Her big-break came, when Habib Tanvir, a famous theatre personality from Madhya Pradesh, noticed her talent, and she was called to perform for then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. There was no turning back from then on, in-time she received national and international recognition, a Padma Shri in 1988 , Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1995, and Padma Bhushan in 2003.
Beginning in the 80s, she travelled all over the world as a cultural ambassador, to countries as far as England, France, Switzerland, Germany, Turkey, Tunisia, Malta, Cyprus, Romania and Mauritius
Today she continues to enthralled audiences, the world over with her unique folk singing and her powerful voice; and passing on her singing to the younger generation.

Personal life

Though she was married at 12, she was ostracised by the community, the 'Pardhi' tribe, for singing Pandavani, being a woman. She built herself a small hut and started living on her own, borrowing utensils and food from neighbours, yet never left her singing, which eventually paid off for her.. She never went to her first husband's home and later split(divorce). In the following years, she was married twice times over, though none of her marriages succeeded. Later she fell in love with Tukka Ram, a former harmonium player in her troupe, and they had three children.
Today she lives with her fourth husband, Tukka Ram(fourth love), her five children, in Bhilai, where she is employed at the Bhilai Steel Plant. She travels the world for her performances. She is also a grandmother(aged 52).

Performance style

Pandavani, literally means stories of Pandavas, the legendary brothers in Mahabharat, and involves enacting and singing with instrumental accompaniment an ektara or a tambura in one hand and sometimes a kartal in another. Interestingly, as the performance progresses, the tambura becomes her only prop during her performances, sometimes she uses it to personify a gada, mace of Arjun, or at times his bow or chariot, while others it becomes the hair of queen Draupadi, allowing her to play various character with effective ease and candour.. Her acclaimed performances are of, Draupadi cheerharan, Dushasana Vadh and Mahabharat Yudh, between Bhishma and Arju

 Awards

• 1988 Padma Shri
• 1995 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
• 2003 Hon. D. Litt, Bilaspur University
• 2003 Padma Bhushan                             
 

INDIAN FREEDOM STRUGGLE HEROES

LALA LAJPAT RAI 

 A LEGEND IN THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT 

 

The function of history is not merely to record but to study the course of events and personalities which shape and determine them. It is the duty of each citizen of India not to be ignorant of the suffering and sacrifice of the fighters of freedom for India. Lala Lajpat Rai was one of those fighters who held aloft the banner of freedom at a great personal risk. Thus in the history of the Indian Freedom Movement the name of Lalaji will be written in the words of gold. Lalaji took the laurels for giving the movement a powerful shape in the whole of the country.

Lala Lajpat Rai was affectionately known as the ‘Lion of the Punjab’ and the ‘Punjab Kesri’. He belonged to a galaxy of illustrious patriots who lived and died for the freedom of India. He was born at village Dhudike in Ferozepur district of the Punjab State on the 28th January, 1865. His was a middle class family. His grandfather Lala Rala Ram was a shopkeeper and his father Lala Radha Krishan was a teacher in a government school. Strange it may look, but many writers have written that in his boyhood his father read to him from Quran and recited Namaz. His father also sometimes fasted during Ramzan. Lalaji did his schooling from the Mission School at Ludhiana and from Ludhiana he went to Lahore for further studies.

He passed his Entrance Examination from the Govt. College, Lahore and qualified for Mukhtarship (Junior Pleader) in 1882. After completing his studies he started his legal practice at Lahore in 1886 and later shifted to Hissar, for practice as a Vakil (Advocate). He got support from Philanthrophists and social workers like Lala Chandu Lal, Lala Lakhpat Rai and Dr. Ramji Lal. At Hissar he was elected as a Member of its Municipal Committee. In fact, he was elected unopposed from a Ward which was predominantly inhabited by the Muslims. He also became successful as an Advocate and because of his popularity as an honest and spirited person he was selected as a delegate from Hissar to attend the Allahabad Session of the Indian National Congress in 1888. His growing interest in political affairs convinced him that Hissar was not the proper place for fulfilling his ambitions and aspirations. Accordingly, he shifted to Lahore in 1894. From 1894 to 1903 he engrossed himself in writing books, articles etc. for preaching social, educational and humanitarian issues. He was never an orthodox Hindu. Rather, he was a nationalist from the core of his heart and a patriot and firm believer in Hindu, Muslim and Sikh unity. He was a man of his convictions. Lalaji had a great attachment for Indian culture and the country from the very childhood. After joining the Congress Party he became so much popular in a very short time that the people called that period as the period of Lal-Bal-Pal namely Lajpat Rai, Bal Ganga Dhar Tilak and Bipan Chandra Pal, all of whom fought against the Britishers. Through the columns of the Tribune (Lahore) and the Punjabi (Lahore) he advocated bold and constructive policies for the Congress and other leaders.

In 1904, at the Bombay Congress Session, he and G.K. Gokhle were selected as congress delegates to visit England for bringing before the British people and political leaders the claims of the people of India. It was a turning point in his political career and also in the history of the nationalist movement. On his return from England, he was a changed man with a firm conviction.

At one stage he was arrested and deported to Mandalay but the British Government seeing his popularity decided to release him just after six months. His brief imprisonment and deportation greatly elevated his stature as a National Hero. However, the events and the developments in the country greatly disturbed him. Divided congress and repression let loose by the Government alarmed him and in his broken state of health he once again went to England in 1908 for a short stay. During this visit he developed friendship with many British politicians including British Members of Parliament like M.R. Hant Davies and Mr. Parker. He also worked for the release of Tilak and many other political leaders while in England. After his return from England in 1910 he, for the first time, condemned the activities of the terrorists declaring them not only against the traditions of India but also a great hindrance in the political progress of the country. In 1914, he was again sent to England by the Congress Party as a Member of the Congress Delegation although the British authorities tried to prevent his departure on the ground that he was involved in the Lahore Conspiracy case and his earlier deportation to Mandalay (in 1907). Having left his country he had to pass a number of years 1914-1919 in exile in England, America and Japan. He attempted to make the Indian issue as an international issue. In Japan, his articles were published in different newspapers. He also delivered lectures in Japanese Universities.

During his stay in America he founded the Indian Home Rule League with its headquarters at New York. A monthly organ of the league entitled “Young India” was started in 1918 under his editorship. He also wrote books depicting a sordid picture of economic exploitation of the country under British Rule. Another Book called “Political Future of India” was written in 1919. His articles in American Newspapers like “The Nations” and “The New Republic” brought to the knowledge of the people of America the glorious past of India and the misrule and exploitation under British Rule. He travelled in America throughout the length and breadth of the country visiting New York, Boston, California, Washington, Atlanta New Orleans, Chicago and San Francisco and made many friends. He created favourable and sympathetic public opinion for American help for India’s freedom. On his return to Bombay he was given a rousing reception by personalities like Bal Gaga Dhar Tilak, Annie Basant, Md. Ali Jinnah and Members of the Bombay Congress Committee. Now he studied the changed situation in India. India of 1920 was radically different from India of 1914 when he had left for abroad. The British Government had adopted a policy of repression and accordingly there was wide spread indignation among Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs against the government. The Punjab was seething with violent anti-British sentiments on account of Jallianwala Bagh. Tragedy of April 1919 and the horrors of martial law regime in the state. It was in this tense atmosphere that the special session of the Congress was held in Calcutta on September 4, 1920 and Lala Lajpat Rai was elected by the All India Congress Committee as its President of that extraordinary session. It was attended by over 25,000 delegates and others. Lalaji charged Sir Michael O’Dyer for all the atrocities and brutalities that had been inflicted on the Punjabis. On return to Punjab he toured different places like Rawalpindi, Hoshiarpur, Ambala, Bhiwani, Hissar etc. His forceful speeches at all the places particularly to the student community resulted in strikes in different colleges in the state including DAV College, Forman Christian College, Dayal Singh College and Sanatam Dharam College. In anger, he renounced his flourishing legal practice. He opposed communalism and the communal representation on the basis of separate electorates. He actually fought for joint electorates throughout his life.

In 1927, the British Government appointed an Indian Statutory Commission headed by Sir John Simon to enquire into the question of Indian reforms. However, the Indians were infuriated because there was not a single Indian Member on it. Thus, it was decided by the people to boycott that commission. Lalaji mobilized public opinion in favour of the boycott. For this purpose he went from Kashmir to Kanya Kumari and addressed the people at many places. The Commission was to arrive at Lahore on October 30, 1928 and Lalaji was leading a mass but peaceful procession against it in front of the Lahore Railway Station. The police attacked the peaceful procession, the attack was unprovoked. Lalaji was severely struck with batons. He was grievously injured. Inspite of his being wounded he carried on his work. On November 4, 1928 he went to Delhi to attend a Seminar of the All Parties and spoke there for sometime. However, he had to come back to Lahore before the seminar concluded due to physical strain. At Lahore, his physician examined him. The pains in the right chest and back became severe. He was in a state of constant exhaustion. Early next morning (17.11.1928) all in the family were stunned when the doctor said that Lalaji was lying in the peaceful sleep of death. The news spread like wild fire. His funeral took place in the afternoon and his last rites were performed on the banks of River Ravi. The mourning people were afire with indignation accusing the Simon Commission’s visit as the cause of his death. The speech of Lala Hansraj in the Central Assembly on the incident of attack on Lala Lajpat Rai speaks volumes that the attack was not only unjustified but also unwarranted, willful, deliberate and pre-planned. I could see both the people and the police he told. We were there for quite sometime when Mr. Scott came through the opening and without any warning gave Lalaji some hard blows with his stick. I was standing next to Lalaji. I extended my left hand to ward off the blows aimed at Lalaji and my hand began to bleed. At this juncture, Dr. Gopi Chand Bhargava, while protecting Lalaji, also received blows. I am positive that if all the blows had fallen on Lalaji, he would have died on the spot. Another important factor was that an unknown person was holding an umbrella over Lalaji that was the only umbrella seen in the entire procession. Some people were saying that the umbrella was held by an intelligence official to make Lalaji conspicuous for attack.

With the death of Lalaji there was revival of terrorism in Punjab. On December 17, 1928, S. Bhagat Singh shot dead Saundres, Asstt. Superintendent of Police, Lahore in broad day light, to avenge the death of Lalaji.

Lalaji was a versatile writer and wrote some short biographies and other books like “Young India”, “The Political Future of India”, “England’s Debt to India”, “Evolution of Japan”, “India, will to Freedom”, “Problem of National Education in India and America”, “Unhappy India” etc. His work in the social reforms and education was also very impressive. He contributed to the growth of different educational institutions like DAV College at Lahore, National College and the Tilak School of Politics. He also founded the Dwarka Dass Library at his residence at Lahore contributing his several hundred volumes. He also worked for destitute children. He founded and built up the Servants of the People Society to enable the patriotic people to devote their time for national service. That society was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi on November 9, 1921. The basic aim of that society was to enlist and train national missionaries for the service of the motherland in educational, cultural, social and economic fields. In short, the life of Lala Lajpat Rai was a rare example of selfless and dedicated service and sacrifice.
Courtesy--Shri Balbir Singh Ahluwalia, Retired Deputy Secretary, Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Chandigarh
  From his book As Much As I Know

INDIAN BUSINESS PIONEERS

WALCHAND HIRACHAND DOSHI

Seth Walchand Hirachand Doshi (23 November 1882 – 8 April 1953) was an Indian industrialist. A man of rare talent and conviction, Seth Walchand Hirachand believed that India could be a world power one day. He dedicated his life to make India self- reliant and utilized his unrelented enthusiasm to empower people and establish new realities to show India’s prowess to the world.
Seth Walchand Hirachand’s life is a living example of ‘management thoughts’ in practice. It was a life guided by a powerful vision, through which he generated some out-of-the-box strategies, chartering a road ahead with impeccable planning, unparalleled human resource empowerment and rigorous project management.

Early life

Hailing from a trading community that migrated to Sholapur from Paatan City-North Gujarat in the middle of the 19th century, Seth Walchand Hirachand was born at Sholapur, Maharashtra in a Digambar Jain family engaged in trading and money lending. He matriculated in 1899 but was not interested in the family business, and thus started his entrepreneurial journey. Shri Walchand Hirachand was amongst the better of the second generation of indigenous industrial enterprises in the Indian sub-continent. He took a burning task in his hands of facing the criticisms leveled against Indian businessmen who entered manufacturing business as essentially merchants and moneylenders, who wandered into manufacturing, and that they were more profiteers and rent seekers, than risk takers. Braving the odds, he became a classical Schumpeterian risk taker. He found the railway contracting business to his liking and became a railway contractor for constructions in partnership with a former railway clerk, Laxmanrao Balwant Phatak; the partnership later became Phatak-Walchand private limited. Walchand proved to be a successful railway contractor but was open to other business ideas as well.

Construction Business

It was in the construction business, first as a railway contractor, and then, as a contractor to other departments of Government, that Phatak-Walchand private limited (partnership till 1915) made money. Phatak left the firm after it bought a foundry and undertook a mining lease, with the view that it was stretching itself into too many areas. Meanwhile, the firm found it difficult to bag larger contracts due to small size and absence of marquee names. It was merged into Tata Construction Company in 1920 to overcome these problems. Some of the major projects executed by the company include the commissioning of the tunnels through the Bhor Ghats for a railway route from Mumbai to Pune and laying of water pipes from Tansa lake to Bombay. Other major projects executed by the firm include the Kalabag Bridge over Indus and a bridge across the Irrawaddy River in Burma. All these projects were directed by Walchand. In 1929, he became the Managing Director of the company. In 1935, the company was renamed as Premier Construction to reflect the fact that Tatas had sold their stake in the firm to Walchand.

 Shipping

In 1919, after the end of World War I, he bought a steamer, the SS Loyalty along with his friends, from the Scindias of Gwalior, a royal family; His underlying assumption was that the post-war years would also spell massive growth for the shipping industry just as the war years had done. However, British companies such as P&O and BI (British India shipping) were strong in the shipping industry and most of the attempts by domestic players till then had failed. Walchand named his company The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd. and competed with the foreign players. It was recognised as the first Swadeshi shipping company in the true sense of the term and was referred to widely in Mahatma Gandhi’s columns in Young India and Harijan on Swadeshi, boycott of foreign goods and Non co-operation movement. It barely managed to survive after entering into agreements on routes and fare wars with its foreign competitors. However, Walchand still supported new indigenous shipping ventures, as he believed that a strong domestic shipping industry was the need of the hour. In 1929, he became the Chairman of Scindia Steam and continued in the same position till 1950 when he resigned on grounds of ill health. By 1953, the company had captured 21% of Indian coastal traffic.

Aircraft Factory

In 1939, a chance acquaintance with an American aircraft company manager inspired him to start an aircraft factory in India. Hindustan Aircraft was started in Bangalore in the Kingdom of Mysore with the active support of its diwan, Mirza Ismail in December 1940. By April 1941, the Indian government acquired one-third of ownership and by April 1942, it nationalized the company by compensating shareholders adequately. The reasons that prompted the government for nationalizing were – it was a sensitive and strategic sector; Japan’s advances in the war meant that the government needed fast responses and hence, direct ownership; and it could not allow a crucial war project to remain undercapitalised or loss-making. Hindustan Aircraft was renamed as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

[edit] Shipyard

To face competition in the shipping business from the British and other foreign businesses, Walchand entered allied businesses such as insurance. He also believed that there was a strong need for a shipyard in the country and started work on it in 1940 at Visakhapatnam. It was named Hindustan Shipyard Limited and its first product, the ship Jalusha was launched soon after independence by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1948. However, the shipyard came under government control a few months later (due to the presumed importance of the project to country’s security and economic growth) and was fully nationalised in 1961.

Car Factory

As early as 1939, Walchand was interested in establishing a car factory in India. Birla family was also working in the same direction. In 1940, he signed an MOU with Chrysler but could not get clearances and concessions from the Mysore government unlike in the case of the aircraft company. In 1945, he established Premier Automobiles PAL near Bombay. By 1948, the company started indigenisation in a small way with an in-house components department. In 1951 , PAL signed up with Fiat to assemble the Fiat500 . In 1955, it tied up with Fiat and started manufacturing engines in India. By 1956, parts of chassis were locally made.

Business Acumen

Walchand was noted for his ambition and vision. Among his adversaries, the more charitable termed him a dreamer while the less charitable dismissed him as a person who wanted to run even before learning to walk. Despite not hailing from an established business house, the projects undertaken by Walchand were grand in design, to say the least. While attention to detail in planning was not one of his strengths, he always seemed to know how to find his way around. This was true especially with respect to manpower management, meeting deadlines and raising funds. Most of his projects were highly leveraged. While he seemed to oppose nationalization and government control of some of the projects he started such as the shipyard and the aircraft factory, the fact remains that these businesses may have had to face liquidation but for government investing the money. Also, it needs to be noted that the government also had a strong interest in the operation of these industries as it directly helped in its war efforts. Despite exercising management control in firms such as Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd., Hindustan Aircraft and Hindustan Shipyard, he was not the largest shareholder in any of these companies. He understood the power of mass media and cultivated it to gather public support for his projects; while this may appear to be easy in the politically charged days of the British Raj, it also has to be kept in mind that running newspapers perceived to be in opposition with the government was fraught with dangers. Thus, it becomes clear that his persuasive abilities were helpful in generating good press and public goodwill towards his projects. As a contractor engaged in construction, his biggest customer was the British government; he worked with British officials closely in several projects. However, he supported the Indian Independence Movement and most of his projects were inaugurated (including launching of new ships) by famous freedom fighters. He was able to maintain a fine line between these opposite forces.

Legacy

In 1949, he suffered from a stroke and retired from business in 1950. He died in 1953 at Siddhapur. However, his legacy remains important. By 1947, when India became independent, the Walchand group of companies was one of the ten largest business houses in the country. The first Indian ship SS Loyalty made its maiden international voyage on 5 April 1919 by sailing from Bombay to London. Walchand Hirachand was personally present on the ship. After India became independent, 5 April has been declared the National Maritime day to honour that voyage. While Walchand pioneered a role for India in several industries, his dependence on excessive leverage and nationalisation seem to have taken the sheen off his contributions. The car factory, while the first in India, trailed the Birlas’ Hindustan Motors in terms of market share. Among the other companies he pioneered were the Walchandnagar Industries Limited, located at Walchandnagar, an industrial township near Poona and Ravalgaon Sugar.

Shri Walchand Hirachand’s greatest contribution, in my view, was in shipping and ship-building. He was a visionary in this field. It is indeed, one of the saddest chapters of our industrial policy that we failed to build on the foundation established by Shri Walchand Hirachand in this area.

When we celebrate the life of an entrepreneur like Walchand Hirachand, we must draw the correct lessons from his life. The lesson I draw is that the ultimate spur to growth and development is individual creativity and enterprise. We, in Government, can at best create the correct political env ironment in which that creativity, those animal spirits can flourish and find expression.

– Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India

Absence of direct male heirs may also have had a role in the nature of the businesses left behind by him. For Walchand, industry was probably not just a place to make money but also to have adventure. For example, a visit to Hollywood inspired him to construct a huge studio in India and he was in talks with the famous Bollywood producer-director V. Shantaram without a tangible result. However, for years to come, he would probably be remembered as the man who dared to dream.

INDIAN BUSINESS PIONEERS

GUJAR MAL MODY

Rai Bahadur Gujarmal Modi is counted among the noted industrialists of India who have aided in the building & strengthening of the pillars of Indian autonomy. He had a multi-faceted personality. He was a born administrator and an ardent believer of God. He was never after power and had led a very simple life. Throughout his life, he helped many people, including his relatives, friends and refugees by setting up industries for them. He was particularly sympathetic towards poor and needy, who used to love and respect him a lot. He won respect and esteem of everybody because of his inimitable capacity to distinguish between right and wrong and to stand up fearlessly for what he regarded as his moral duty.
As a philanthropist, he contributed greatly in the field of education. He established a chain of schools and colleges at his birth place, Mahinder Garh, in Patiala and in Modinagar. He also contributed a lot in the field of higher education by giving grants to established institutions such as Banaras Hindu University, and different colleges in Meerut and other places.

Delhi 

Multani Mal Modi Post-Graduate College, Modinagar Multani Mal Modi Degree College, Patiala Modi Science & Commerce College, Modinagar Rukmani Modi Mahila Maha Vidyalaya, Modinagar Dayawati Modi Public School, Modinagar Dayawati Modi High School, G.M. Modigram, Kathwara, Rai Barelli Dayawati Modi Junior High School, Sikrikalan Dayawati Modi Junior High School, Devendrapuri, Modinagar Gayatri Devi Modi Junior High School, Kedarpura, Modinagar Chandidevi Modi Junior High School, Modipuram Dayawati Modi Junior High School, Saidpur Dayawati Modi Junior High School, Abupur Dayawati Modi Junior High School, Bhojpur Pramila Devi Modi Junior High School, Harmukhpuri, Modinagar Dayawati Modi Junior High School, Shahjahanpur Condensed Course of Education for Adult Women, Modinagar Chheda Lal Shishu Niketan, Kasganj, Etah Chandidevi Modi Primary School, Modipuram Chandidevi Modi Nursery School, Modipuram Dayawati Modi Mahila Shilpa Kala Kendra, Modinagar Dayawati Modi Mahila Shilpa Kala Kendra, Modipuram Dayawati Modi Mahila Shilpa Kala Kendra, Kedarpura, Modinagar Dayawati Modi Mahila Shilpa Kala Kendra, Sikrikalan Dayawati Modi Mahila Shilpa Kala Kendra, Abupur Dayawati Modi Mahila Shilpa Kala Kendra, G.M. Modigram, Kathwara, Rai Barelli

He established a Women's Training College and Nurses' Training Centre in Modinagar in 1965. All these above-mentioned institution's provide education to more than 16,000 students. Dependants of the workers of different Modinagar industries get free education or training in these institutions. Monetary help and stipends are also given to students going in for higher education in India or abroad.
He also established a High School and a Sanskrit Pathshala at Mahinder Garh, his birth place, and a Degree College in Patiala, which was named after his father.
He was interested in Scientific Research and Development. He contributed Rs. 2.5 million for the establishment of the Modi Science Foundation in Modinagar in 1975. It has a cotton development scheme meant for training cotton growers, and it uses the latest methods of producing highly yielding varieties of natural fibre.
However, his biggest contribution to the cause of public welfare is the Eye Hospital and Ophthalmic Reasearch Centre in Modinagar to which he contributed Rs. 3 million. It is now working in collaboration with the National Society for the Prevention of Blindness. Its foundation ceremony was performed on 26 April 1975 by the late President of India, Mr. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed. This research centre is an integrated centre for promotive, preventive, curative and re-habilitative care backed by education and research. It does not only endeavour to prevent eye disease and blindness through appropriate methods of publicity media, by conducting surveys in schools and colleges, and industrial and rural areas and to continuously evaluate the community needs, but it also has a mobile unit fully equipped with instruments and medicines for giving immediate relief to patients at their door-steps. It helps to collect statistics of the eye disease cases in rural and industrial areas to help the government to plan various ophthalmic health programmes. He realised the dire need of such a centre in the country. He was determined to make the centre a model institution to control blindness. He had also made up his mind to create employment opportunities for the blind.

Modinagar

Mr. Gujarmal Modi belonged to a family which had a tradition of business. His great grandfather Mr. Ram Baksh Modi was a simple, kind-hearted, hard working and honest businessman. He had set up his business in Mahendra Garh which was then known as Kanaur and was the capital of the state of Nawab of Jhajjar. Until 1857 Mr. Ram Baksh Modi arranged civil supplies for the armies of the Nawab. During the first rebellion of 1857 when the British Regent was compelled to leave the state of Jhajjir, he ensured his safe conduct to Rewar. Later, when the rebellion was suppressed and the princely state of Jhajjar came under the sway of the British, the responsibility of arranging civil supplies for the British forces stationed at kanaur was once again entrusted to the experienced and capable hands of the Modi family. The State was later on given by the British to Maharaja Mahendra Singh of Patiala as a reward for the help rendered by him to the British during the rebellion. The name of Kanaur was then changed by the Maharaja to Mahendra Garh after his own name, and the Modi family was now asked to arrange civil supplies for the British forces stationed at Patiala. It was, thus, that the business activities of the Modi family came to be extended to Patiala where Mr. Ram Baksh Modi established a branch of his business. After the death of Mr. Ram Baksh in 1857, the family business was badly carried on by his son Mr. Chiranji Lal Modi, the grandfather of Mr. Gujarmal Modi. As time passed, the task of arranging civil supplies for the whole range of British cantonments from Kanpur to Peshwar came to be entrusted to the Modi family and this work was carried on by them efficiently and to the entire satisfaction of the armed forces. For the sake of efficiency and convenience, Mr. Chiranj Lal shifted the head-quarters of his family business to Multan (now a part of West Pakistan) with additional branches at Kanpur and Ambala and also at Naushera and Jullunder. It was at Multan that on 21st October, 1857, Mr. Chiranji Lal was blessed with a son whom he named Multanimal after the city of Multan. Mr. Multanimal Modi was also a gifted businessman like his father. While helping father in business, Mr. Multanimal in his own right came to be known for his honest dealings and shrewd business acumen. He told his father that he would join neither army nor civil service nor any other service, but would set up his own independent business. He had an immense measure of self-confidence and his discerning father gave him the desired consent. He had no difficulty in raising the initial finance require for the business.

Career of Father

Mr. Multanimal started his career as a commission agent in foodgrains at Patiala. Gradually, he started supplying wheat to a flour mill at Patiala which was then run in partnership by a few Parsi and Sikh officers. For some years business at the mill ran smoothly. But suddenly the mill suffered heavy losses and the owners were obliged to dispose it of. This offered a natural opportunity to Mr. Multanimal to expand and diversity his business. He purchased the mill in 1894 and with his managerial skill and business flourished rapidly. Mr. Multanimal established his name not only in business circles but also in the field of public service. It was due to his popularity and understanding of public affairs that he was made an honorary magistrate and was also elected City Father of Patiala. He was the first and also the last in the state to get the title of Rai Bahadur. This was a fitting recognition of his services as a businessman and philanthropist. Two high schools were among the many public welfare institutions established or patronised by him. He also contributed liberally to the goshalas besides forming a public welfare council to look after the welfare of others. He took keen interest in Persian language and literature and left behind several manuscripts in that language.

Second Child of Family

Mr. Gujarmal Modi was the second child in the family of Mr. Multanimal Modi who married four times. His first wife, who hailed from the family of the Dewan of Khetri, gave birth to a daughter and died four years after marriage. His second marriage was solemnised with Chandi Devi daughter of Nanak Ram of Nawazpura, District Narnaul, in 1896. Mr. Multanimal did not have any son so far. Being an orthodox Hindu, the elders in the family believed that the birth of a son was necessary to ensure one's salvation after death. There was a natural desire, therefore, that there should be a son in the family. This was, perhaps, one of the many reasons which had impelled him to marry again after the death of his first wife. When he was blessed with a son on 9th August, 1902 at Kanaur (Shravana Shukla Shashthi of 1859 according to the Hindu calendar, more popularly known as the Vikrami Calender) there was great rejoicing in the whole family. The birth was celebrated with songs and music because this was the fulfillment of a long cherished desire for a son. Good wishes continued to pour in for days and weeks. The astrologers were summoned and they stated that at the time of the birth, the position of the stars was extremely favourable for the child. The devout father then arranged a Yagna followed by all the ceremonies that normally take place in an orthodox Hindu family after the birth of a son. But this rejoicing in the family and the mood of gaiety lasted barely six days as the mother developed sepsis and all the medical aid that was available in those days could not save her. The little child was left without a mother. This naturally created numerous problems for the family. At first it was decided to bring up the child on bottle feeding. But the elders in the family resisted the idea. The firmly believed that breast - feeding was the only way to save the child, the only male issue so far in the family. The father could not resist the wishes of the elders and thus a foster-mother from the nearby village of Majra was engaged to breastfeed the child. The grandmother would visit the child and the wet nurse almost every other day to ensure that the child received full attention. But after a few days both the foster-mother and the child were brought over to Patiala where they could stay under the direct supervision of the grandmother. The birth name if the child was Ram Prasad, but as time passed, the child was nicknamed Gujar after his foster mother whose name was Gujari. The name Gujar stuck on and the child came to be known as Gujarmal. That is how the little Ram Prasad, who was destined to become an industrial magnate in his later years, came to be known as Mr. Gujarmal Modi. Meanwhile little Gujarmal's father was married for the third time to the daughter of a well-known family at Patiala. As ill-luck would have it, the third wife too died after a year of married life without leaving any issue. When the father married his fourth wife, Rukmini Devi, daughter of Mr. Bansi Dhar of Mahendra Garh, when the young Gujarmal was only 2 1/2 years of age. It was under her loving care that the child received real motherly affection. By the time Gujarmal was four, his father had established his business at Patiala. In those days the modern system of pre-primary schooling was not in vogue. During the early years, therefore, the young child was put under the care of a Maulvi at his private coaching centre. In those days education in such single-teacher coaching centres, established privately, was free. In return for the instruction given, the students paid in kind in the shape of grains and other household goods. It was under the care of the Maulvi that the young Gujarmal, though the son of an affluent family, started learning the Mahajani style of writing.

School Education

After completing one year of pre-school education, the child, at the age of five was admitted to a local school. The grandfather of the child was a staunch believer in discipline. He wanted the child to be admitted to a Sainik School to become a soldier. But this was not to be. The grandfather died in 1913 when the boy was studying in class VI. Destiny had ordained for him an altogether different path----the path of industry. And rightly so, because, as later events proved, in the field of industry Mr. Gujarmal Modi acquitted himself extremely well by creating the infrastructure for new and diverse industries in those areas which had hitherto been thoroughly backward and undeveloped. Persons who had the occasion to watch the young Gujarmal grow up confide that right from his early days he had started showing unmistakable signs of a promising career. While his other friends at school appeared to be book-worms, the young Gujarmal could be seen engaged in new and uncommon pursuits. One person who had watched him during his school days from closed quarters states that up to his eighth standard, the young Gujarmal used to get two paise (three paise in the new decimal currency) as pocket money each day. Those were the days when the first World War had just started and inflation and rising prices were yet far away. Everything was less expensive and even a little money could boy would meet his daily expenses on snacks and yet save something for helping the poor and needy students. Something unimaginable in these days of spiraling prices. The movement started by Swami Dayanand and other contemporary reformers against child marriages and other customs had made a deep impact on society. The custom of early marriages had not, however, disappeared altogether. The Modi family, essentially, was orthodox. So the marriage of the young Gujarmal was solemnised at the early age of 13 in 1915. At the time of his marriage with Rajban Devi, daughter of Mr. Goverdhan Das of village Singhana in Rajasthan. He was still studying at the Model School, Patiala. Gauna, the post-marriage ceremony when the bride comes to live with her husband took place two years later. Marriage did not have any adverse effect on the education of the young Modi. What did, however, disturb his studies was an otherwise minor at school which eventually disrupted his school education. The incident relates to the year 1920 when he was studying in the tenth standard. It was a cloudy day and there was cool breeze blowing all around. The weather outside was extremely pleasant and inviting and the Mathematics teacher, Mr. Chopra, suggested that the students might go on an excursion on that fine day. The suggestion was met with spontaneous response and the overjoyed students started preparing for an outing. But the principal, who was not on good terms with the Mathematics teacher, came in the way. Taking advantages of the situation, he leveled the allegation that the teacher was inciting the students to go on strike and had, thus, violated the discipline of the school. He also asked the students to apologize. The students led by Gujarmal, opposed this suggestion. They argued that as students they were not to blame and should, therefore, not be asked to apologize. The principal, however, was in no mood to listen. Ultimately, the echoes of the incident reached the Maharaja. There, too the young Gujarmal turned Student leader, argued the case of the students fearlessly and sought justice at the hands of the Maharaja. While Gujarmal was thus engaged in pursuing the case of the students, the last date for sending the examination fees expired. This meant the loss of a full year for the young Modi. By this time the business of Mr. Multanimal Modi had grown manifold and he felt the need of someone who could help him in running the family business. The father considered this a God-sent opportunity and asked his son Gujarmal to start attending to the family business. The young Modi wanted to pursue his studies, but in the face of the firm opinion expressed by his father, who believed that practical experience in life could impart better education than the routine school education, the son yielded. At the same time, being aware of the son's appetite for learning, the father made arrangements for private coaching at home.

Professional Life

The boy started pursuing privately courses in business management, accountancy and other allied subjects. By 1919 he had started working as Munim (Accountant) and cashier at the family shop. A genius learns in mysterious and strange ways; it runs while the ordinary person crawls. The gifted Gujarmal absorbed knowledge of business organisation rapidly. He acquired knowledge of practical aspects of business management and the intricacies of the trade. He worked very hard, spent long hours of his leisure in reading books on commerce, architecture, engineering and marketing. What he missed by not going in for formal college education, he more than made up by the practical training and the dedicated application he brought to bear on his chosen subjects. The father encouraged him in his studies and provided him with opportunities to gain practical experience.

Himself

Mr. Gujarmal Modi struggled hard for the major part of his life. With perseverance and firm determination he succeeded in attaining his objectives and rose to heights of eminence. In times of crisis he never lost heart but with faith in God and in himself fought his way through. Moreover, as he prospered in business, his humanitarian and philanthropic zeal also increased. He was convinced that the key to the country's prosperity was its industry, without of course neglecting the agricultural sector. Ploughing back profits from running concerns to enlarge them or to establish new industries was a passion with him. He did not view his enterprises as money-making ventures but made them sources of capital for more and more industries. He was thus able to build up a vast network of small and big industries in Modinagar, a township which he built from scratch through his sustained personal efforts. He was of the view that the final objectives of the Government and the business community were the same. As he observed in his presidential address at the 42nd annual session of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry in 1969: " We both aim at a faster rate of development. We both wish the country to have a better standard of living. We both want full employment for our people." An industrialist with a dynamic and progressive outlook, Mr. Modi realised that harmonious relations with labour were necessary for success in an industry. Long before welfare policies became an accepted norm in India, he built pucca houses for workers near the places of work and provided educational and other facilities for their dependents. He forestalled the concepts of workers' participation in management by setting up Works Committees in his factories as long ago as 1947. That employees and employers should bilaterally sort out their mutual problems without involvement of extraneous elements was the crux of his outlook on industrial relations.
Mr. Modi was a God-fearing man with a devotional bent of mind. He built a number of temples in the labour colonies of Modinagar, besides the shrine of Bhagvati Devi at Shukratal in Muzaffarnagar District of U.P. and Lord Shiv Temple at Patiala in Punjab. He also built the magnificent Laxmi Narayan temple at Modinagar. It is a marvel in red sandstone, a triumph of the architect's imagination, where the soul inspiring saga of our ancient religion is beautifully carved. The design of the temple was prepared by Mr. M. L. Roy, the famous architect of Kanpur who had earlier designed the building of the well-known Birla Temple in Delhi. The temple is an exquisite structure and stands in the heart of Modinagar. It is a source if attraction for passers-by and visitors. Gay parks and fountains around the temple encourage people to spend time in its lawns. He was later cremated in the lawns. He was later cremated in the lawns of this temple where a marble samadhi is to be constructed. Mr. Gujarmal had boundless faith in God. He strongly believed that he was a mere instrument of the Divine Will and that his efforts would succeed only if God willed them to. Mr. Modi was also a great philanthropist. He established the R.B. Multianimal Modi Chartitable Trust and Sainik Bhawan at Patiala. He established a Sadhu Ashram at Patiala. However, his single biggest contribution to the cause of public welfare is the Eye Hospital and Ophthalmic Reasearch Centre at Modinagar to which he contributed Rs. 3 million. It is now working in collaboration with the National Society for the Prevention of Blindness. Its foundation ceremony was performed on 26 April 1975 by the late President of India, Mr. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed. This Research Centre is an integrated centre for promotive, preventive, curative and re-habilitative care backed by education and research. It will not only endeavour to prevent eye disease and blindness through appropriate methods of publicity media, conduct surveys ins schools and colleges, industrial workers, rural population and continuously evaluate the community needs of the changing society but will also have a mobile unit fully equipped with instruments and medicines for giving immediate relief to patients at their door-steps. It will help to collect statistics on the incidence of eye diseases in rural and industrial areas to help the government to plan various ophthalmic health programmes. Mr. Gujarmal Modi realised the dire need of such a centre in the country. He was determined to make the centre a model institution to control blindness. He had also made up his mind to create employment opportunities for the blind. Mr. Modi promoted the welfare of women by establishing a Samaj Kalyan Vibhag. The Samaj Kalyan Parishad organises tailoring and embroidery classes for women. There is also an adult education centre under its charge. It ensures employment for windows and has also arranged some widow-marriages. Now this organisation runs under the patronage of his wife Mr.s Dayawati Modi, who like her husband takes keen interest in all philanthropic activities. Mr. Modi also made substantial contribution in rehabilitating displaced persons when the partition of India took place. He constructed Govindpuri Colony consisting of 500 houses and 25 small scale industries. All those persons who were rehabilitated were provided employment either in Modi enterprises or in small scale industries set up in this colony. As a philanthropist, he also contributed greatly to the cause of education. He established a chain of schools and colleges at his birth place, Mahendra Garh, at Patiala and at Modinagar. He supported higher education by giving grants to established institutions like Banaras Hindu University, colleges in Meerut and other places. There is an interesting story behind the establishment of the M.M. Modi Degree College at Modinagar, which is one of the prestigious educational institutions devoted to higher education in Uttar Pradesh. In 1957, Mr. Modi wanted a nephew to be admitted to the B.Sc. class in Meerut College, of which he was a generous patron. At this, the Principal is said to have remarked that if Mr. Gujaramal was so keen on college education, why didn't he establish a college in Modinagar? Mr. Modi did not take the remark as an affront. On the other hand, it sparked off a desire in him to establish a college at Modinagar? Mr. Modi did not take the remark as affront. On the other hand, it sparked off a desire in him to establish a college at Modinagar. The following year the college began to functioning right earnest. It was named Multanimal Modi Degree College after his father. It has now a full fledged post-graduate institution imparting education in 13 subjects of Science, Arts and Commerce and is regarded as one of the best colleges affiliated to Meerut University. It also has an extensive students' hostel constructed at a cost of Rs. 5,00,000 and was inaugurated on 16 January 1961. A Women's Training College and Nurses' Training Centre at Modinagar in 1965 was also set up by him. All these institution provide education to more than 16,000 students. Dependants of the workers of different Modinagar industries get free education or training in these institutions. Monetary help and stipends are also available for students going in for higher education in India and abroad. He also established a High School and a Sanskrit Pathshala at Mahinder Garh, his birth place and a degree college at Patiala, also named after his father. He was interested in scientific research and development. He contributed Rs. 2.5 million for the establishment of the Modi Science Foundation at Modinagar in 1975. It has a cotton development scheme to train cotton growers, and use the latest methods of producing highly yielding varieties of natural fibre. Mr. Modi also inspired his younger brother Mr. Kedar Nath Modi to found a public school named after Mr. Gujarmal Modi's wife, Mrs. Dayawati Modi. Herself a great patron of education, she is President of the Public School. It is affiliated to the Central Board of Higher Secondary Education. It is housed in a two-storey building with 30 spacious class rooms and well-equipped laboratories. A grand auditorium is a special feature of the school. The Principal's lodge and the staff quarters are complete. A self-contained hostel, a swimming pool, a gymnasium, a Gita Bhawan and a horse-riding track are also under construction to complete the school complex. Mr.Modi had a multi-faceted personality. He was a born administrator. An ardent believer in God, he was never after power. He led very simple life and believed in sharing all that he had with every one around him. Throughout his life, he helped a number of people. He also helped his relatives, friends and refugees by setting up industries for them. He was particularly sympathetic towards the poor and the needy, who, therefore, loved and respected him. He won respect and esteem of one and all because of his inimitable capacity to distinguish between right and wrong and to stand up fearlessly for what he regarded as his moral duty. Modinagar is a tangible expression of his untiring efforts for and dedicated service to the cause of India's industrial development. Less tangible though, but equally abiding, is the place he has carved out for himself in the hearts of thousands of men and women who knew him. He was indeed a great humanitarian even more than a great industrial magnate.

MODY GROUP

The Modi Group split in the 1989, and the business was sdivided between the five sons of Gujar Mal Modi, including K K Modi, BK Modi and SK Modi and the three sons of his step brother Kedar Nath Modi. K K Modi, Gujar Mal Modi’s eldest son, owns Godfrey Philips, the tobacco company.
His brother K. N. Modi, died in 2005, at the age of 84. His son M.K. Modi is the head of Modipon Fibre, of the K.N. Modi Group, while his other son Y.K. Modi was FICCI president for many years
FOR more info click on following link
http://www.modi.com/htm/chp1.htm