Survival of Sindhi Community in Danger

Today our Sindhi Culture, Heritage, Sanskriti and Language are passing through a crucial stage. We have sacrificed maximum in getting Independence of India, by giving away complete Sindh and leaving our soil forthwith, thus; Sindhis should be treated as freedom fighters. On the contrary, however, the condition today is exactly the reverse. Step-motherly treatment is given to Sindhis and the Central Government has conveniently forgotten all the assurances and promises given to us by great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru etc.

1. Nobody misses a chance to overpower Sindhis. Number of times our shops and houses have been looted or burnt particularly in M.P., Gujarat and Maharashtra. The sword of Damocles is still hanging over the heads for regularization of 855 buildings of nearly One Lakh Sindhis residing in Ulhasnagar. Since we are scattered all over India, our representatives cannot reach in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Assemblies and Municipalities by winning elections. No Vikas Board, University or T.V channel are established for Sindhis. No Sindhi is appointed as governor or Ambassador / High Commissioner etc. Sindhi Language is not printed on Currency Notes. No bank holiday is declared on ChetiChand Day. Leave aside other things, even trifle ‘Sindhi Jhanki’ is not permitted on the Republic Day. As a result, our community is drifting away from our rich culture, language and heritage. Neither the children are talked to in Sindhi language nor are they sent to Sindhi Schools. This has resulted in the closure of Sindhi Schools and has brought a continuous fall in the number of Sindhi language readers. The dilemma of using two scripts has added fuel to the fire making total ruination of our literature. One who sails in two boats simultaneously reaches no where. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

Friends, it is said that every problem has its solution; let us find out the solution of our problem and the raise the pride of Sindhiyat more than ever before. For example, as for the diagnosis of a chronic disease, one has to go deep and find out its root cause, likewise to find out as to why we have reached to such dreadful conditions, we have to refer back to the history of India.

2. The British Government separated Sindh from erstwhile Bombay Presidency in the year 1935 with an ulterior motive of creating seeds of partition with connivance of Muslim League. At the time of partition in 1947, though Bengalis got a part of Bengal state, Punjabis got a part of Punjab state. And although Hindus were in majority in at least in 3 districts / Talukas of Hyderabad, Karachi and Tharparkar, yet entire sindh having 5000 year old rich civilization and comprising of 55000 sq miles, was given away to Pakistan (In Dowry?). It was mainly due to the simple reason that our Sindhi leaders at that time were not farsighted and lacked adequate determination to push for getting a part of Sindh State. Though Gandhidham area was given to us at a later stage, all of us did not go there, as many of us were rehabilitated in different camps scattered in different parts of India and also, because some of us were partly economically established at those places. Consequently, we lost the chance of electing our own representatives in the political field. As per Congress resolution of 1935, linguistic states were formed in 1956 as per recommendations of the linguistic States Reorganization Commission. However we could not get our state then, as we were leaderless and were neither fully settled economically nor were we united. Time and again various Sindhi organizations such as World Sindhi Congress (now International Sindhi Forum), Akhil Bharat Sindhi Samaj, Bharatiya Sindhu Sabha and later on Sindhi Council of India have been trying their level best to make representations to the constitutional Review Commission and also to the Prime Minister of India, for getting their legitimate rights but they have not yet been able to achieve anything perhaps because the government has rightly sensed the weakness of Sindhis i.e. disunity and no motivation to fight.

3. It is worth taking into account that though total population of Sikkim, Andaman Nicobar and Mizoram is 3,4,and 5 Lakhs respectively, yet each one of them has two elected members in Lok Sabha and over 30 elected members in State Assemblies. But in case of Sindh, with a population of 13 Lakh before partition, we had at least two elected members in the then Central government and twenty-two elected members in Sindh Assembly. Yet Alas! Today there is not a single Sindhi member – even nominated – in Lok Sabha, State Assemblies or Municipal Corporations and hence we don’t get anything out of five years plans. This step-motherly attitude of the central Government is a complete betrayal of its promises given to us. Therefore we have become political orphans.

4. There is popular proverb in our Language which says that, “one Stroke of an Ironsmith is equal to 100 strokes of a Goldsmith”. Therefore there is only one “Ramban” (Perfect ) solution of all these problems i.e. to get Sindh Land in India (or to get landless Sindhi State or to get at least reservation of linguistic minority political rights for the time being?). It is also remarkable that in case of every need, we have done many daring and enterprising wonders such as; progressing economically, establishing schools, colleges, hospitals, temples, etc. for the benefit of all communities. We have got Hinduja Brothers, NRI Brothers like Shri Ram Buxani, Shri Murjmal Manghnani and other philanthropists who are always ready to help us. We have shined with bright colours in every field. We have greatly contributed in each and every field and in the development of the country at large. As compared to others, we are always ahead in paying government taxes. Whenever required, we have succeeded in Supreme Court & in front of other authorities in vacating an attempt to remove “Sindh” word from the National Anthem, an attempt to remove words “Sindhu Darshan Yatra” in Leh (Ladhak), an attempt to remove Sindhi Syllabus from Gujarat Educational Board and on many such other occasions by getting united, exhibiting courage & foresight. Recently we have demonstrated admirable unity in closing of all shops, Railways; and bearing ‘Lathis’ for saving the 855 buildings in Ulhasnagar. This means if a situation genuinely demands, we have the capacity to persist till we succeed. Consequently, Maharashtra Government was pleased and persuaded at least to promulgate an Ordinance for regularization of these buildings (Through it yet remains to be finalized).

5. I have personally visited over 100 cities & towns of India in the last 20 years and have met with the officials of important Sindhi organizations there. I have felt that the morale of Sindhis is very high particularly in small towns and Sindhi language is normally spoken proudly by them among themselves and in their homes. They are more advanced and enthusiastic in celebrating annual festivals like ChetiChand etc. as compared to the big cities. Therefore, my heroic Sindhi brethren! Remember it is never too late. If you have had the milk of a Sindhi mother and enjoyed her “Loli” (Lullaby) in your childhood, please compose your mind and plunge into this movement. It does not matter even if we may get only 5 villages (like the proverbial 5 villages demanded by Shri Krishna from Duryodhana for Pandavas before Mahabharata war).

6. However, for that achievement we have first to submerge all our differences and misunderstandings among ourselves and get united by boosting our morale and will power with fortitude. We should also form a co-coordinating body/High Command represented by all main Sindhi organizations of India and abroad. We have also to search and find out commendable Sindhi leaders with the qualities of selfless service, courage, foresight and humility etc. (as guided by Dada J.P.Vaswani).Then we should make a common minimum programme by consensus and obtain our legitimate cultural & political etc. rights by constitutional methods as per Articles 16,29,30,330,331.332,338,350 etc. of our esteemed Constitution as far as possible (or also by adopting other reasonable methods as the situation demands).It is said that even a mother does not give her milk to her child unless he/she cries (nowadays “fights:”). So let us all stand together and voice our demands. In addition, it is our revered duty to talk in Sindhi with our children. Sindhi subject should be taught and made compulsory in at least the schools & colleges run by Sindhi managements. We should solve the two scripts problem by consensus. Create interest for Sindhi language among young generation through electronic media and should not relax till we get Sindhi State/Land in India. The whole world can be stirred but there should be a worthy person to do so. Even if we get a deserted land, we can definitely make it an oasis as Jews have made their land Israel. However we have to persevere in maintaining sincere love for our land & language like Jews. Even if we get a small land like that of Gandhidham, our all problems will automatically be solved. It may not be necessary for all Sindhis to go there. Some may go there & other affluent Sindhis can purchase buildings and plots there. Even all “Sindhworkis” stayed outside Sindh in pre-partition days. During vacation time when all students go to their native place, where can Sindhi students go? At least then they can even boast of going to their native place like their friends from other states!

7. Not only that, today there has been an attack on the word “Sindh “in National Anthem and the word “Sindhu Darshan” yatra in Leh (Ladakh) as well as attack on Right of Indian Citizenship of Sindhis in Chhatisgarh State. Who knows tomorrow there could be a possible attack on inclusion of Sindhi language in National Educational Board (as once it unsuccessfully occurred in Gujarat State recently) and the then there could be an attack on inclusion of Sindhi language in the VIII Schedule of the Constitution of India and our very existence would be at stake. If there is fundamentalism on linguistic basis in the country, where will Sindhis go? (As it has happened a number of times in Maharashtra when non-Maharashtrians were asked to leave Mumbai!).Will we go under the Arabian Sea? Is this the “compensation” of scarifying whole Sindh by all Sindhis that they have become escape goats? Therefore, we have to achieve our goal under any circumstances even if by scarifying our life. No one gets anything significant without any sacrifice. For example Andhra Pradesh State was formed in 1956 after the sacrifice of life through fast-unto-death by Shri Sri Ramulo.

8. Recently when new states of Jharkhand, Uttaranchal and Chhatisgarh can be formed, why can’t Sindhi community with the total strength of over 70 Lakh, get their own State particularly when they had their own State in pre-partition days? As we can not pardon past Sindhi leaders for unintelligently “donating” complete Sindh, similarly if we now don’t acquire Sindh State in India, then the next generation will intensely curse us. Moreover, we can consult famous advocates like Shri Ram Jethmalani, Ram Punjwani etc. to fight legally by filing a Writ Petition in the Honorable Supreme Court and /or by moving an amendment bill in the Parliament by creating such public opinion etc. to achieve our object. I am quite sure that after considering all these avenues, if we take some practical steps in this direction with a strong will and determination, God willing, we will be able to achieve our aim and thus all our problems will be automatically solved.

Mohan G. Rohira

Advocate

Sindhi-Dham

Fifty years ago in 1947, Sindhis became stateless and homeless, after their home-province Sindh was sacrificed at the altar of Indian Independence.
When approached by Sindhi leaders like Acharya J.B. Kriplani and Bhai Pratap for alternate home-land for Sindhis, Father of Nation, realizing the plight of Sindhis, uprooted from their ancestral lands, for no fault of theirs, suggested that Sindhis should settle down in the princely state of Kutchh, adjoining Sindh.
On the advice of Mahatama Gandhi, Maha Rao of Kutchh allotted 15000 acres of land spread over 20 sq. miles around Kandla on seacoast, to provide alternate home for migrating Sindhis. The land was transferred, after legal formalities, to Bhai Pratap, who established a Public limited Company named Sindhi Resettlement Coorporation, to man the land for raising a township and settling the migrated Sindhis there. The township which ought to have been named Sindhi-DHAM sacred home of Sindhis-home of Sindhis-was graciously named as Gandhidham by the grateful Sindhis, after the immersion of Gandhiji’s ashes in sea and establishing second Gandhi Samadhi, in the town on 12th February 1948.

Gandhi-Dham thus became the only legally constituted Sindhi speaking territory in the whole of partitioned India.
The selection of the soil of Kutchh by Mahatama Gandhi and Sardar Patel, the then Home Minister, for the alternate home for migrating Sindhis was based upon the following considerations:-

1. The Geographical, Topographical and climatic conditions were similar to that of proper Sindh, especially of the lower region around Hyderabad Sindh
2. But for, Runn-of-Kutchh separating the Sindh province and Princely State of Kutchh, the entire territory belonged to same Geographical setup. Holy river Sindhu used to flow through Kutchh before submerging with sea near Lakhpat town in Kutchh, as late as 1850 A.D. till she changed her course, leaving behind Holy Pilgrimage center of ‘NARAYANSAR’ as testimony.
3. Had it not been a princely State, Kutchh like Sindh would have been politically part of Bombay presidency;
4. Sindhis and Kutchhis belong to same ethnic stock of people. In fact majority of the inhabitants of Kutchh, have migrated from proper Sindh at one or other time of History. Even today, people living on both sides of man-made border have close blood relations;
5. Both Sindhi Hindus and Kuchhi Hindus worship Jhulelal, the incarnation of VARUN DEVTA, and have almost similar religious believes as well as ritualistic practices. Sindhis therefore feel completely AT-Home in Kutchh territory.
6. Sindhis and Kutchhis have age-old affinities in the cultural field. Both have similar customs, folklores and folk songs;
7. According to linguistic experts, just as Haryanvi, Bhojpuri, Rajasthani, Bihari and Chhatisgarhi of Madhya Pradesh are the dialect of Hindi language in the same way, Kutchhi is the dialect of Sindhi language. Thus, this is the only territory in Indian Union, where, the language of Sindhi people can survive and florish.
8. Both Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel acknowledged that Sindhis being primarily traders, having ancient commercial links with almost all overseas littoral countries through mighty Karachi Port, can do away with fertile agricultural lands, but cannot survive in a land locked province. Both leaders were sure that enterprising Sindhis would transform the economic face of entire Kutchh State and would develop the hitherto ignored Kandla on the sea shore, into major all-weather sea port comparable to Karachi port of pre-partitioned India, which eventually would reduce the pressure on Bombay Port.
Thus after careful consideration of all aspects. Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi and Integrator of princely states Sardar Patel assigned the challenging task of developing the arid territory of princely State of Kutchh to enterprising Sindhis in 1948, through the medium of a public limited company named Sindh Resettlement Corporation (S.R.C.).
Imagine the miseries of people who were required to develop total forest area into flourishing modern township, without the active assistance of Government machinery. Poor Sindhi refugees, who left all the worldly possessions in their ancestral homes, had to work day and night with almost empty bellies, as there were very scant means of livelihood in the forest area. How can one expect to earn full livelihood in an area, where there was hardly any railway line, hardly any road, hardly any fertile agricultural land, hardly any factory, hardly any big government office. They were paid Rs 2/- only for killing a snake and Re 1/- only for killing one scorpion (Bichhu) by the Sindh Resettlement Corporation (S.R.C.) as an incentive to expedite clearance of the place, infested in those times by poisonous snakes and scorpions. But how long can one survive on this meagre and dangerous avocation? Hence the initial enthusiasm soon died down and most of the immigrants left in search of livelihood in other big cities like Ahmedabad, Bombay, Baroda, Calcutta, Madras and Delhi.
Fortunately, with the laying down of the foundation stone of Kandla port in 1952; inauguration of Kandla Airport in 1959; inauguration of Kandla Free Trade Zone in 1964; laying down of broadgauge railway line connecting Bombay with Gandhidham in 1969 and opening of IFFCO fertilizer factory and spinning mill, the trend of DESERTION of home, allotted to Sindhis has temporarily has been halted, But the people who left, were settled elsewhere in India never to return to the promised province, because of the memories of the past hardships.
The S.R.C. was able to develop excellently planned modern township of Gandhidham in face of heavy odds, but the task of converting it into a big city like Karachi and Bombay is still incomplete. S.R.C. is still alive and doing its utmost to achieve the goal.
Presently Gandhidham complex comprises of mainly three settlements- Proper Gandhidham town, flanked by Adipur, about eight kilometers away on its one side. And Kandla port about 15 kilometers on its other side. As soon as the gaps between three towns are filled up by resettling about 5 lakh Sindhis, the original objective of the establishment of Sindhidham could stand fulfilled.
It is not impossible. It is not even difficult. It is only the question of effective publicity for attracting the rich Sindhis of Hongkong, who are bound to return after the merger with mainland in 1992 and for persuading Sindhi traders of gulf countries to repatriate and invest in Sindhidham-sacred home established by Mahatma. Sindhis living in other provinces and Union Territories can also invest their surplus funds and send atleast retired persons to live peaceful life there to achieve the target of resettling five lakh Sindhis in their allotted home.
Is it difficult for fifty lakh Sindhi Hindus to spare only five lakhs for the far reaching objective? Farsightedness demands planned hard work by all who have burning desire to preserve “Sindhiyat” till eternity.
Common objective can only be achieved by common sacrifice- the sacrifice of routine type- sacrifice of surplus resources – sacrifice of luxurious and lethargic life style- sacrifice of extravagance in social ceremonies. This is not at all difficult, if we look into the sacrifice of others for similar objectives.