"Daddy" Sugumal Bhaneja and India's 26th January Republic Day

It is my pleasure to share with Sindhi Chokro audience yet another captivating memoir  from Dada Balwant (Bill) Bhaneja where he remembers his father and their visits to India Gate to watch the Annual Republic Day Parade.

For those who follow my blog will know how important Dada has been in my journey to explore my "Sindhi" heritage. I vividly remember our first interaction in January,2017 when I wrote to him to express my appreciation for his book " Troubled Pilgrimage - Passage to Pakistan" - a travel memoir detailing the visit to his ancestral towns of Sukkur, Shikarpur and Rohiri in Upper Sindh region ( in Pakistan) way back in mid 2000s. Since then, our regular email exchanges have greatly added to my understanding of what it means to be a Sindhi and our evolving identity in this globalized world.  

I cannot thank Dada enough for all his guidance throughout these years and hope to meet him in person one day. Jai Jhulelal. 

               "Daddy" Sugumal Bhaneja and India's 26th January Republic Day 
                                                   -----  Balwant Bhaneja (Ottawa, Canada)

Hibernating in Ottawa's chilly weather, (minus) 11 centigrade, is making me nostalgic about today’s Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi. I was 10 when India declared itself a Republic. In the Refugee Colony of Lajpat Nagar where I grew up in my teen years one looked on with great anticipation about going to India Gate to watch the great Parade celebrating India's freedom from the British Rule with a President instead of an English Governor General. 

Prior to Lajpat Nagar, because of my father's central government job, we lived in adjacent government colonies of South Delhi in Lodhi colony and INA colony. When refugee colonies around Delhi were building, my father was able to purchase a modest house in LN in 2nd K block. It was at the end of the new colony beside the Government High School for Boys. Though most of Sindhi refugees in their resettlement ended up in newly built homes in Rajinder Nagar and Patel Nagar, a smaller Sindhi community found housing in Lajpat Nagar, it became mainly a refuge for those from Punjab and Northwest Frontier.  

On Republic Day, the big deal in our neighborhood was for families and friends and their kids to gather early in the morning in the common backyard for a free ride to India Gate and back home. Mid-195os were the days when the main means to connect with the parade was to travel uptown on crowded public buses. At home, you could turn on your radio for a running commentary on Akashvaani by stalwarts like Devki Nandan Pandey in Hindi and Anthony B Demello in English (television had not yet arrived, the portable  transistor radio were still to reach common man)

In our neighborhood my father was a well-known personality because of his after-work social volunteer activities , he was fondly addressed by everyone as "Daddy". I don't know how that happened because none of the friends and families I knew in the colony their children calling their parents Daddy or Mummy. It must be his cheerful positive disposition for a hopeful future.

The general buzz for Republic day usually began a few days early of going to Daddy Sugumal's house for free truck ride. My father because of his job in CPWD was able to get from one of his building material suppliers loan of a truck with a driver for half a day for this volunteer work. 

The early morning hours in South Delhi even in those days were foggy and chilly, all men, women and children were dressed in their best woolens’, as a child I remember wearing hand-knit blue and grey sweaters, ladies wrapped up in beige shawls, men wearing worsted winter jacket’s with “muffler” scarves tolled around necks to protect from chill wind.

The side latch of the truck would be brought down for passengers to hop in the truck, it must have accommodated up to fifty persons. A big duree would be spread for all to sit and we held on to our precious belongings - tifins, thermos, mats and cushions to sit for the ride and  long day on the parade route. The truck will then slowly roll out of the neighborhood towards northern part of the city, all of us singing patriotic songs - Raghupati Raghava Raja Rama,  the national anthem Jana Mana Gana Adhinayak Jaya Hai punctuated with Bharat Mata Ki Jai cheers...             

By the time our truck arrived to park itself under leafy Jamun trees, close to the old Kingsway (to be soon renamed as Rajpath), the sun would be in its full glory with its brilliant golden rays piercing the mist, shining on the towering India Gate and in the far distance on the golden blue dome of the President House, the Rashtrapati Bhavan, centered between the North and South Secretariat buildings. 

With its colour and pageantry, young and old we were dazzled by the parade:  military  personnel in striking uniforms marching  in unison, weaponry in their hands on ground, jeeps,  tanks,  horses, and camels, taking the salute from the President of Independent India. An excitement was the fly past by Indian Air Force fighter planes. The site we all awaited was that of the tableaux floats of India's States, the Jhankis, on which each State depicted the highlights of its natural, cultural and economic strengths. I gather not much has changed over all these years in this order.

This morning while musing over all this as a 80 plus , I thought one of the most gratifying moments for my father must have been to see the Jhanki of Udero Lal for the Central State of Delhi in 1960 Republic Day parade- a Jhanki representing recently arrived Sindhi refugees  from Pakistan due to Partition. Daddy Sugumal was one of the visionaries and a key organizer to mount the pathbreaking Jhanki project along with many well-wishers and participants. The colourful tableaux was in the form of a large Sindhi Pallo fish, the mount of Lal Saaen Udero Laal, on its top a temple with  ladies and musicians  in Sindhi attire singing and performing traditional Bhagat and Chej dances and  playing Sindhi musical instruments of sarangi, flute and matzo pitcher. The initIative over six decades  has already been an inspiration for future generations of Indian Sindhis to continue make their mark on the national culture and identity.

On this Republic Day ,from where I am sitting, let me give a big shout out like in my childhood, the proclamation:  Bharat Mata Ki Jai!

Organising Team with Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru  

Balwant Bhaneja (b. 1941) grew up in Delhi before moving to Bonn, Germany for an internship and finally emigrating to Canada in 1965. He is a former diplomat who studied International Relations at Carleton University and holds a PhD from the University of Manchester.  He is currently based in Ottawa, Canada and is an author of numerous books on arts, politics and science. He writes fiction and nonfiction. His latest works include Troubled Pilgrimage: A Passage to Pakistan and Peace Portraits: Pathways to Nonkilling- A Memoir. 

Visit to Gandhidham

 Its been a long time since I last wrote a blog post. Apologies for this rather long gap but the truth is that I had run out of topics. I then also got busy serving our Local Sindhi Panchayat in Old Rajinder Nagar ( where I am now the General Secretary) and hence writing took a backseat. However, it was always my my intention to start writing again so I though why not (re) start now. A big thanks to my wife Monica who keeps nudging me every now and then to continue with the blog.

 I recently went on a short two-day trip to Gandhidham to attend the condolence meet of an elderly relative “Ammi”  who passed away at the ripe age of 101 years. All throughout my growing up years , my maternal aunt and her husband kept inviting me to come to  Gandhidham but I always had one excuse or other thinking that it is too far away. When I heard about “Ammi”’s death , I had this urge to visit their home and within a short period , I was able to plan and visit them. As the saying goes “ Jahan Chaah vahan Raah” (Where there is a will, there is a way). Given my interest in Sindhi identity, I have always read about how Gandhidham became a key city for post partition refugee Sindhis thanks to the efforts of Bhai Partap (Dialdas) and others who wanted to develop the twin cities of Adipur and Gandhidham as resettlement colonies for displaced Sindhi refugees. He was also instrumental in setting up of Kandla Port. It was his economic vision that led to an awareness of the concept of zones for duty-free export in independent India, and the establishment of the first such zone at Kandla. It is also perhaps the only place where Sindhis are still in sizable numbers and one can overhear/speak in Sindhi in most areas. In fact, since Gandhidham falls in Kutch area of Gujarat, Kutchi being the other commonly spoken language which many also count as a dialect of Sindhi. I have also  grown up reading about the famous Indian Institute of Sindhology (IIS) established by prominent Sindhis to serve as a centre of excellence for Sindhi culture and traditions and the work of stalwarts like Prof. Pritam Varyani , Prof Sahib Bijani and others who had dedicated their entire lives to promotion and preservation of Sindhi identity.

 I took a flight from Delhi to Ahmedabad followed by a 5-hour car journey from Ahmedabad to Gandhidham. Given work commitments, I reached Gandhidham at around 4 o clock in the evening and had to leave at 11 AM next day so that I could reach back Delhi by around 9 in the evening. Whilst I was there for a short 16-hour journey to meet family, there is something magical about Gandhidham that has stayed on with me. There is a very Sindhi vibe to the place.  Even at my relative’s place, most of the neighbourhood families were Sindhis settled there since partition. Like in the olden days, grief of losing a loved one is shared with ones near and dear ones with the  community providing comfort and support and close friends/family gather every evening for a communal meal . These rituals will continue for the entire mourning period of 12 days. With Ammi’s firm belief in Tulsi Dham , a Sindhi Tikano in the city centre which is run by a Sindhi family of Udasi sect , Guru Granth Sahib was brought to the residence the next morning  and Paath initiated which will continue for the next few days. As the Paathi/Pandit is from Udasin sect, along with Guru Sahib’s homecoming, the path recital was preceeded by Hindu Navgraha Puja. As many readers will be aware, Udasi sect was founded by Baba Sri Chand, the elder son of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. The Udasi sect's religious practices are a syncretism of Sikhism and Hinduism. The morning Guru path was followed by serving of Sindhi breakfast of Daal Pakwaan which was cooked with the assistance of a Sindhi helper lady. I had to unfortunately board the taxi for my return journey soon thereafter.

 Whilst in the taxi, I couldn’t help wondering where else (other than a Sindhi household) will I ever get to see Guru Sahib and Navagraha Puja together being held at the same time by a Sindhi speaking priest. In the current world of “either/or” identity , can there be a better example of a unique secular identity that we Sindhis carry! I hope the next generation of Sindhis get to experience our hybrid practices and infact take pride in our unique cultural practices. I plan to visit Gandhidham again soon hopefully for a longer period this time. I also pray to Lal Saeen to bless Ammi. Om Shanti.

 I end with this lovely song sung by Delhi based singer Saeen Rajan Jhangiani remembering his mother, ( Late) Smt Leela Jhangiani who was also an accomplished singer. Titled “ Mithi Amma” , this was released by Saeen Rajan and Radio Sindhi on Dadi Leela’s on her birth anniversary. I hope you like it as much as I did . The lyrics are by Hyder Chhajro.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR6wT81cFiM

Jai Jhulelal 

COVID Musings

After having successfully evaded COVID  for the last two years, the virus eventually got the better of me and I contracted COVID earlier this month. Inspite having had all three vaccine doses, the disease has not been an easy one to manage and I was quite ill for the first few days. Thankfully no hospitalization was required and I have now fully recovered. Reflecting back, I think it was just a matter of time before I became infected. For the last few months my compliance with COVID Prevention protocols especially wearing masks had been poor.  

When a disease like COVID strikes, it forces you to slow down the pace of your day to day activities. I am reminded of a conversation with my dad's close friend, Ashok uncle, who just like my father is an experienced practicing General Physician. Many years ago, whilst having lunch with us, uncle remarked that fevers generally are body's way of indicating that we should slow down. Viral fevers by nature are self limiting and only require proper rest and hydration to recover. The same is exactly true for COVID as well. Until and unless one completely disconnects with the outside world, it is difficult to make recovery. For the first day or so , I did try to keep my office work ongoing but quickly realized that recovery is unlikely to begin till I learn to respect the body and take full rest. So for the next few days, I did not attend to any office work which also broke my own self created myth that I was indispensable to the organization's functioning &  my intervention was necessary for tasks to be completed. The office continued to function well without me and tasks eventually did get done. 

Being in isolation also gives one time for self reflection and observation. I can't stop wondering how much life has changed in the last two years. Our entire approach to social interactions has now taken a new form. Personal meetings have now been taken over by virtual connects over MS Teams and Zoom. Social gatherings  are now a fraction of what they used to be. Prior to COVID , Sindhu Samaj used to be a packed house during social gatherings especially 40 day Jhuelal Chaliha period. Compare it to this time ( the first post COVID), the hall is only half filled. Many fellow members have succumbed to COVID during the past two years. My dear bhau, Ram, who used to run a Tikki/Bread Pakora stall near our home hasn't returned till now. Regular readers will remember my earlier blog post about him ( https://sindhi-chokro.blogspot.com/2020/03/ada-ram.html ) . How much I miss his Sindhi style tikkis!

August 14 is now celebrated in India has Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, first declared by Prime Minister Modi in 2021 to commemorate the victims and sufferings of people during partition of India. Every time I think about why partition impacted some families more than others, level of literacy/ formal education often seems to emerge as a differentiating factor. I have seen this within my own family as well where my grandfather who was a graduate and was able to secure a steady government job, withstood the difficult times much better than some of our extended family relatives who suddenly had to let go of their businesses in Sindh and start from scratch in India. 

I am reminded of the family that  used to stay in the opposite lane to ours. As a kid, I was always fascinated by their house as it was one of the last few semi pukka houses. There was Uncle Sunder, his wife and two daughters, his unmarried elder brother Mr. Manga Ram and an unmarried sister. My earliest memories of Uncle Manga who would have been around 70 years old at that time was him smoking bidi sitting on a charpoy in the winter sun and holding me in his arms and saying " Muhinjo pyaaro putr aahin na" in Sindhi ( This would translate into something like " You are my loving son" in English). Uncle Sunder had retired as a peon from the Income Tax department and the family wasn't economically well off. Making ends meet was difficult for them but still Uncle Sunder voluntarily took up the responsibility of  sweeping Sindhu Samaj's premises each morning. I vividly remember playing Stapu ( game) in our courtyard with Sunder uncle's younger daughter " Baby Didi" who would have been 15 years or so elder to me at that time. Both the daughters also barely finished their schooling. After the death of Mr. Manga Ram, his sister and Mr. Sunder sometime in late 1990s/early 2000s, their other educated brother who wasn't staying with the family  sold off the building to a property dealer. It is rumored that because of lack of education, the girls and their mother did not receive their rightful share in the transaction. To me, this tragic story always reminds of why having formal education is so important. If nothing else, it helps you understand your own rights and to avoid being dependent on someone else. In addition, Uncle Sunder also reminds me that for serving the community one doesn't always have to make financial contribution. Everyone in their own little way can contribute to the community's welfare. 

It wasn't without a reason that Bhagat Kanwar wrote "Dadhi Aahe Dinggi Duniya Durangi , Bina Dhareenya Pahinje,Konehko Mayetu Pehinjo" in his famous Naale Alakh Je kalaam. 

I end with this link to a contemporary rendition of Naale Alakh Je  featuring the famous Sindhi  Band Sketches ( Saif Samejo) with talented singers Muskan Kotwani, Jatin Udasi and Akbar Khamiso Khan. I hope you like it too. 

Naale Alakh Je - The Sketches ft. Muskan Kotwani, Jatin Udasi, Akber Khamiso Khan | LahootiMeloDE 

Jai Jhulelal! 

 

Trip to Jodhpur

 Last month Monica and I went to Jodhpur for a short vacation during Holi weekend. Jodhpur is also referred to as the "Blue City" as the exterior paint of most houses is Blue and therefore when seen from the hill top, the entire city appears to be blue. It is around 600 kilometers from Delhi and the flight typically takes around an hour and fifteen minutes to reach. It is best known for the majestic Mehrangarh fort and Umaid Bhawan Palace.  Jodhpur Airport is probably one of the smallest airports in India. I am also told that it is one of the earliest airfields in India with history dating back to 1920s. 

While we were planning this vacation, I mentioned to Monica about how Jodhpur sees a fairly high influx of lower middle class Hindu Sindhi refugees from the desert region of Sindh ( Thar). Every now and then one does tend to write in the newspapers about these refugees and as we were going there, I was keen to meet them. Monica was supportive of my plans. 

Once in Jodhpur, I made enquiries both at the hotel as well as from our cab driver about where these families are based. Whilst most of them were aware about "people from Pakistan" ( as the migrants are referred to by the locals) , sadly none of those whom I enquired from were aware about the exact location. As always, Google came to my rescue and after few minutes of searching on the internet, I made enquiries about Anganwad Basti. Thankfully, our cab driver, Sampatraj Parjapat, was aware about Anganwad village and hence all seemed to be on track. 

We left our hotel for Anganwad Basti at around 4.30 in the afternoon. Whilst it was hot and sunny and not the best time to be outdoors, I still decided to leave then as with Monica accompanying me , I wanted to be back before sunset. I was told Anganwad village is on the outskirts of Jodhpur and from where we were , it would roughly take around 45 minutes to reach. What I was expecting to be an easy ride turned out to be a long and difficult one as no one knew where exactly the Basti was. Both Sampatraj and me were relying on the usually spot on Google maps to take us to the exact location  but it unfortunately failed miserably this time. After taking directions from locals a few time and driving on "kuccha" roads , we finally reached the Basti. During this entire journey I was constantly contemplating if it was safe to carry on with the trip or should I return back.  To be in the middle of nowhere with a driver whom one had barely met a day ago seemed worrying. I still decided to continue. 

At the entrance of Basti, there was an old man smoking " bidi".  As soon as he saw us, he inquisitively came forward to enquire about what we were looking for. As I did not know anyone, I asked him in Sindhi if I could meet " Mukhi" ( Sarpanch) . The man asked me to follow him and we went inside the Basti to Mr. Teekam Thakur's house. I introduced my self and Monica to Saeen Teekam as fellow Sindhis who had come to meet them. Saeen Teekam immediately took us inside his hut and the warmth and affection with which he and his mother greeted us was extraordinary. In no time, around 20 people gathered after hearing that a Sindhi couple had come to meet them. All my worries vanished and the next half an hour was pure bliss. Saeen Teekam told us that most families here are  originally Kolis who were settled between Mirpur Khas and Umerkot region in Pakistan . Most villagers here speak Sindhi, Gujrati and now Hindi and migrated around 7-8 years back. There are around 1000 people staying in the basti. Most men usually work as daily labourers and a couple of NGOs run sewing classes for women. There is no electricity in the village so everything plunges into darkness post 6.30/7 o clock. Till recently, everyone had to walk for around 800 metres to take out water from the well but thanks to a good samaritan, the water piplelines have recently been laid so water is now available within Basti itself. Teekam was happy that the kids after a long hiatus had finally secured admission in a local government school. 

Saeen Teekam ( Middle) with his mother (right) and a friend 

I had never expected that we will receive such warmth and affection from everyone in the village. Teekam also took us to see the replica of Mata Hinglaj Bhawani's ( Kuldevi of Sindhi Community) replica that they have created in the village. Upon my asking Teekam about whether he had visited Mata's temple in Lasbela, Balochistan , Tikam proudly replied that he had been there twice. I was also ecstatic to see that a number of villagers still read Bhagwad Gita in Arabic Sindhi. It reminded me of my maternal grandfather, (Late) Shri L.P. Khemani who too used to read Bhagwad Gita in Sindhi. 

Mandir in Saeen Teekam's hut 

Me at Saeen Tikam's home with the kids 

Mata Hinglaj Bhawani's Mandir 

Saeen Tikam with fellow villagers 

What was originally planned as a leisure trip turned into an emotional journey. Living in a metro city like Delhi, it is difficult to imagine  the level and the amount of hardship that these migrant families have to bear. The zeal and the positive energy with which they face such challenging circumstances truly reflects the Sindhiyat and Sindhi spirit of not giving up and to fight and triumph against all odds. I can only pray to Lal Saeen that tough times for Saeen Tikam and the entire village end soon.  

I also take this opportinity to wish all community members a Happy Cheti Chand and New Year. May Jhule Lal continue to bless and guide us all. 

PS: All photo credits to my wife Dr. Monica Budhwani 

Chokro turns Four !

Tum hi sab kuch jaanat pritam,
Teri ichha puran ho
Sukh mein Dukh mein mere pritam,
teri ichha puran ho!

( Thou knowest all, Beloved,
   Let Thy Will always be done!
   In joy and sorrow, Beloved,
   May Thy Will always be done!)

   

                           - The Seven Commandments of Bhagavad Gita by (Dada) J.P.Vaswani

Today is yet another momentous day in Sindhi Chokro's journey as we complete four years of existence. What a journey it has been! I still vividly remember that visit to Sindhu Samaj with mummy to fill up the matrimonial service form for a cousin who was looking for a match. The form ( amongst other things ) had the question " Place of Origin in Sindh" which we filled up as " Sahiti". This simple question sparked my interest in knowing more about my roots and since then there has been no looking back. The limitation of not being able to read and write in Arabic Sindhi has meant that a majority of literature , history and culture is inaccessible to most of us. This is when I first thought about starting the blog. The idea was to present to the readers my day to day experiences of growing up in a Sindhi family and neighborhood along with writing about contemporary issues facing the community  in a language which is understood by most of us.  

Over the past years, during my interactions with Sindhis from different walks of life, I have realized that as a community we are reluctant ( and dare I say embarrassed) to talk about our cultural identity. In India at-least, I often hear  " we are same as Punjabis" as a convenient means to cut short a conversation about our identity. This startles me as if there is one community who have established themselves from scratch like a phoenix from the ashes in Independent India  it is us Sindhis. Without any physical land/ state having been allocated to us, totaling a few million in numbers with no government based reservation/affirmative action support among other things , we have still been able to establish ourselves as one of the most successful communities in India. This remarkable story of having survived all odds with sheer grit and determination whilst should have been a part of mainstream narrative unfortunately does not even generally find a mention on the sides. Years of having being physically scattered and being busy in making ends meet though have led us to establish ourselves economically, it seems to have taken away that feeling of oneness and brotherhood that keeps a community together. Our language and culture have in the process probably suffered  an irrecoverable damage. As Dada Vaswani very aptly mentions in one of his satsangs " Asaan sindhiyun mein budhi aa, badhi kaane" ( We Sindhis have intelligence but lack togetherness). 

However, reversing this tide is not that difficult. We are now an economically well off community and hence unlike the partition times are in a better position to assist our brethren. But this task cannot be accomplished by the services of few. Each and every one of us will have to contribute if Sindhi boli and culture is to be preserved. 

I am grateful to my dear readers for your continued support. If this blog encourages few of you to discuss about Sindhi identity and culture as an occasional dinner time conversation with your families, I think Sindhi Chokro will have achieved its purpose.

I end with this recent clip of an impromptu rendition of " Haan maan Sindhi aayan" song sung by young Sindhi singers who are ably carrying on the mantle of preserving and promoting Sindhi identity. Videos such as these give me hope that perhaps all is not lost and with some determination and a little effort from our end, maybe we can keep Sindhiyat alive!

https://fb.watch/aDCFl1HWlF/

Jai Jhulelal

Mayfair Gardens and L V Prasad Eye Institute

The other day Monica mentioned that she has been seeing a fair number of Sindhi patients coming in for consultation and treatment at the eye clinic she works at. She shared that most of these patients seemed to be financially well off and wondered if the nearby areas had a substantial Sindhi population. I mentioned that Delhi does indeed have a sizable Sindhi population. At the time of the partition , whilst most refugees settled in/around Lajpat Nagar, Ramesh Nagar and Rajendra Nagar, the affluent ones ( mainly Amils and Bhaibandhs from Karachi)  subsequently settled in South Delhi as well in /around Safdarjung Enclave, Greater  Kailash and Haus Khas areas. In fact, one of the lesser known affluent Sindhi colonies in Delhi is the exclusive Mayfair Gardens in Hauz Khas. I first heard about Mayfair Gardens a few years ago when my aunt mentioned about the wonderful Guru Purab celebrations that take place at the gurudwara there. Dada K. R. Malkani's "Sindh Story" also makes a mention about a lunch hosted by Mr. Nari Thadani at his Mayfair home  in honor of G.M. Syed during the latter's visit to Delhi in 1987.  It  is an exclusive residential colony in the heart of Delhi with majority Sindhi population. In-fact it is amongst the costliest residential places in Delhi where a 3 bedroom apartment can easily cost upwards of USD 1 Million. Monica was surprised to hear all this. 

Talking about Sindhi identity, Monica's also mentioned that her ophthalmological training took place at institutions where Sindhi families have been the major benefactors. She completed her ophthalmological training from Mithu Tulsi Chanrai Campus, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Bhubaneshwar  which is funded by Chanrai family. She also spent considerable time at Arjun Waney Eye Centre , a satellite centre located in the small city of Berhampur in Orissa.

Shri Mithu Tulsi Chanrai Campus at LVPEI, Bhubaneshwar
Photo Courtesy: Internet

Arjun Waney Eye Centre in Berhampur, Orissa 
Photo Courtesy : Monica Budhwani / WhatsApp Group

Chanrai family with their origins in Sindh are one of the wealthiest families operating trading business(es) across India, Singapore and Africa. The business was originally set up as a textile trading corporation by Late Jhamatmal and Late Thakurdas Chanrai in 1860. The business has flourished since then and today the family is well known across the world. This centre for excellence was established by Dada Jagdish Mithu Chanrai in loving memory of his father to help eradicate blindness and transformational change of people with visual impairment. 

Dada Arjun is also a prominent businessman based in London. Regular readers of the blog will remember my earlier post about him and the famous Zuma restaurant in London which he owns. Sindhi Chokro : Dada Arjun Waney (sindhi-chokro.blogspot.com). He also runs a philanthropic trust which has a major focus on treating preventable blindness. The trust is named after his mother, Smt. Savitri Waney. 

I was happy to hear from Monica about these two prominent benefactors who are investing considerable time and resources to help eradicate preventable blindness from rural India. Both the founders and their trusts deserve an applause from all of us for their selfless service which is so very embedded in our Sindhi DNA. My best wishes to both of them. 

I end with this link to a brand new version of Sindhi folk song " Jiye Sindh Jiye" recreated and sung by dear Mohit Lalwani along with Jatin Vaswani. As he mentions in the footnote "Jiye Sindh Jiye' is a song wishing well for the people of Sindh, all around the world. It talks about the timeless glory of Sindh and the people of Sindh." I like "Ada" Mohit's singing and hope you enjoy this version too. 

Jiye Sindh Jiye | MOhit lalwani | Sindhi Folk - YouTube

I also take this opportunity to wish all of you a happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2022. I pray to Lal Saeen to shower his mercy and blessings on all of us. 

Jai Jhulelal

Amritsar Diaries

Earlier this month Monica, Tina and I decided to visit Amritsar. With the country starting to recover from COVID epidemic and cases being at an all time low coupled with the long weekend break as Dussehra this year was on a Friday, we decided to do a three day trip to Amritsar. Mummy was also keen that as a newly married couple, Monica and I visit Harmandir Sahib to seek Gurubaba's blessings. 

We decided to visit Harmandir Sahib early on Saturday morning. Whilst the original plan was to reach the gurudwara at around 0400/0430 hrs to watch Palki Sahib being taken back to the Shri Harmandir Sahib, we unfortunately ( but expectedly)  got late and reached the temple premises at around 0615 hrs.  Every day in the evening ( I think at around 10 o clock) the holy book , Guru Granth Sahib, is carried in the Palki Sahib to Shri Akal Takht Sahib Ji for symbolic night's sleep and then each morning the next day  at around 4 AM , Guru Granth Sahib ji is taken in the Palki sahib back to Harmandir Sahib. There is a huge line of devotees each morning to witness Palki Sahib being brought back to Harmandir Sahib. Since it was the long weekend, the rush seemed to have doubled. In fact the receptionist at Hotel Taj where we were staying mentioned that they were fully sold out for the next few days. 

Whilst we were in the queue to enter the main hall where Guru Sahib is kept, right next to us was another Sindhi family from Alwar in Rajasthan. The parents had come with their two young daughters to seek Guru baba's blessings and the mother was speaking with her husband in chaste Sindhi. Meeting a fellow Sindhi family at 7 in the morning with their 8 year old younger daughter , Pari , mentioning about  Seyal Phula /Maani being her favorite breakfast dish was an absolute joy !  

(L-R) : Tina, me & Monica 

In the evening, we visited the recently opened Partition Museum, a 5-7 minute walk from Golden Temple. It is run by the The Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust in association with Department of Culture, Government of Punjab. It is the world's first museum focusing on 1947 partition and aims to tell the stories of the millions impacted during partition, through oral histories, refugee artefacts, archival photographs, original documents and art works.  I had heard about the museum when about an year or so ago, I read about the museum running a special series on the impact of partition on Sindhi diaspora. The famous Bollywood actor ( and fellow Sindhi)  Dilip Tahir was one of the panelists at the museum. It was heartening to see an entire section in the museum dedicated to Sindh and Sindhi stories  stories of partition. Unfortunately photography is prohibited inside the museum premises. All three of us found the visit enriching as it gave us an insight into the aspects of partition that we were previously unaware of. The section contains generous donations in forms of artefacts, photographs etc. from various Sindhi families. I strongly recommend a visit to the museum to everyone who is visiting Amritsar. The link to Partition Museum's website is as follows:-

https://www.partitionmuseum.org/

Partition Museum Entrance 

( L-R) Tina, Me and Monica at Partition Museum 

I end with this link to Kajal Chandiramani's melodious rendition of Sija Ubir Na Toon Shal Raat Huje. What lovely singing!. Hope you like it too. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hAMKL5Nn2k

Jai Jhulelal