I am writing this post after having had a lovely time off work last week following the long weekend break on account of Republic Day celebration. Republic Day is celebrated here in India on 26th of January every year which is the date when the Constitution of India came into effect. This "sacred" document has been the culmination of years of hard work of the 308 members of the Constituent Assembly and countless others who had worked tirelessly for this masterpiece. Republic Day is an opportune time to remember and reiterate the nation's commitment to safeguarding our Constitutional "Values" but also remember and cherish the contribution of fellow Indians who were an important part of this project.
Similarly, over the years, I have seen selfless service by a number of Sindhi individuals who have toiled hard to protect (and spread) "Sindhiyat" without coming into limelight. Living near to Sindhi Community Centre, I have always been close to my "Sindhi roots" . Today in the post, I remember three such men (two now deceased) who have contributed a significant portion of their lives for the community* :-
1. (Late) Dada Bhojraj Vanjani :- My first memory of Dada Vanjani is of him coming to our block to invite the community members to the various programs that were organized at the Community Centre. Always dressed in an impeccable white shirt and trousers, he was an extremely polite gentleman. Ever smiling, he always used to tell my mother " taan bhi aeinda kayo aen baaran khe bhi vathi aenda kayo" (You should come and bring the children along as well). He selflessly served the Samaj for decades and is a model for generations to come. .
2. (Late) Sh. Mohan Gurbani :- Another distinguished worker of the "Samaj", I have extremely fond memories of Sh. Gurbani. He was a devoted social worker, who worked not only for the "Samaj" but for countless other Sindhi organizations as well. The "Bespectacled" gentleman, he was a trusted lieutenant, who preferred to work behind the scenes.The entire community owes him deep gratitude for his selfless service.
3. Sh. Anil Makhijani :- Mr. Makhijani's name brings a smile to face. He is the reason why I am able to keep up with my interest in "Sindh and Sindhiyat". Mr. Makhijani's photography / videography skills are nothing less than legendary. His youtube account has more than 1200+ subscribers and you can be assured that all major Sindhi events in Delhi will be captured by Mr. Makhijani video recorder and be uploaded on his youtube page in no time!. I owe him deep gratitude for recording and broadcasting events that I never even knew existed!. In addition to being skilled at videography, Mr. Makhijani is adept at playing a number of musical instruments as well.
I end with this wonderful Sindhi kalam sung by evergreen Saeen Rajan Jhangiani. Mr. Makhijani is on your left side playing the electronic pad/drum . The reason i like this kalam is not only because of Saeen Rajan's melodius voice ably accompanied by the dholak and electronic pad/drum and but also because of the wonderful dance by Dada Chander Jhangiani (at 5 min 46 secs in the video) ; the steps are quintessential Sindhi :) Reminds me of some of my elderly relatives and family weddings. Jiye Sindhiyat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfRletAFnR0
PS: *- The above list is by no means exhaustive. There are many more "Unsung" Heroes- both men and women who have tirelessly worked and dedicated a major part of their lives to helping preserve Sindhi culture ; however I have restricted myself to the three that first come to my mind. I intend to write more about such men and women in my subsequent posts.
Similarly, over the years, I have seen selfless service by a number of Sindhi individuals who have toiled hard to protect (and spread) "Sindhiyat" without coming into limelight. Living near to Sindhi Community Centre, I have always been close to my "Sindhi roots" . Today in the post, I remember three such men (two now deceased) who have contributed a significant portion of their lives for the community* :-
1. (Late) Dada Bhojraj Vanjani :- My first memory of Dada Vanjani is of him coming to our block to invite the community members to the various programs that were organized at the Community Centre. Always dressed in an impeccable white shirt and trousers, he was an extremely polite gentleman. Ever smiling, he always used to tell my mother " taan bhi aeinda kayo aen baaran khe bhi vathi aenda kayo" (You should come and bring the children along as well). He selflessly served the Samaj for decades and is a model for generations to come. .
2. (Late) Sh. Mohan Gurbani :- Another distinguished worker of the "Samaj", I have extremely fond memories of Sh. Gurbani. He was a devoted social worker, who worked not only for the "Samaj" but for countless other Sindhi organizations as well. The "Bespectacled" gentleman, he was a trusted lieutenant, who preferred to work behind the scenes.The entire community owes him deep gratitude for his selfless service.
3. Sh. Anil Makhijani :- Mr. Makhijani's name brings a smile to face. He is the reason why I am able to keep up with my interest in "Sindh and Sindhiyat". Mr. Makhijani's photography / videography skills are nothing less than legendary. His youtube account has more than 1200+ subscribers and you can be assured that all major Sindhi events in Delhi will be captured by Mr. Makhijani video recorder and be uploaded on his youtube page in no time!. I owe him deep gratitude for recording and broadcasting events that I never even knew existed!. In addition to being skilled at videography, Mr. Makhijani is adept at playing a number of musical instruments as well.
I end with this wonderful Sindhi kalam sung by evergreen Saeen Rajan Jhangiani. Mr. Makhijani is on your left side playing the electronic pad/drum . The reason i like this kalam is not only because of Saeen Rajan's melodius voice ably accompanied by the dholak and electronic pad/drum and but also because of the wonderful dance by Dada Chander Jhangiani (at 5 min 46 secs in the video) ; the steps are quintessential Sindhi :) Reminds me of some of my elderly relatives and family weddings. Jiye Sindhiyat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfRletAFnR0
PS: *- The above list is by no means exhaustive. There are many more "Unsung" Heroes- both men and women who have tirelessly worked and dedicated a major part of their lives to helping preserve Sindhi culture ; however I have restricted myself to the three that first come to my mind. I intend to write more about such men and women in my subsequent posts.
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