TOUR REPORTS/ARTICLES OF SINDHIS STAYING IN M.P. - 2000

 TOUR REPORTS/ARTICLES OF SINDHIS STAYING IN M.P.

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RATLAM (MP) : (Oct 2000) and every alternative year thereafter

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See Joint Report/Article 4 (MP, Gujarat, Rajasthan)

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INDORE (MP) : (Dec 30, 2000) and (Oct 2005)

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Published in (1) "Chingoon" Sindhi dated 12-03-2001 (2) "Sujag Sindhi" Devnagiri dtd. 23-04-2001

TOUR REPORT OF SINDHIS OF INDORE ( M. P. ) dated 30-12-2000

(Mohan G, Rohira)

Recently, I got the golden opportunity of meeting the Sindhis of Indore particularly with the members of BSS (Bhartiya Sindhu Sabha) for one day (i.e. on 30-12-2000). The meeting with them took place at Kranti Kripalani Nagar for over 2 hours wherein various matters were discussed for strengthening the organization and for preserving our Sanskriti, our rich culture and our spiritual values. The report in a nut shell is as under:

The total population of this big and important city is 24 lakhs including 1 lakh Sindhis who mainly reside in big pockets like Larkana, Kranti Kripalini, Kamla Nehru and Vasanshah Nagars as well as Katju, Jairampur, Triveni and Bhagat Kanwar Ram Colonies. Nearly 60% of them speak in Sindhi, 5% speak in English (particularly those who stay in posh localities and are in service) and the rest speak in Hindi. They have only one Punjab Girls (Sindhi) High School with Sindhi (Devnagiri) as one of the subjects but there is no Sindhi Primary School. The city has 15 sindhi Dharamshalas and nearly 25 Sindhi temples including 2 Jhulelal Temples, 1 Radha Swami Satsang Bhavan, 1 Prem Prakash Ashram of Swami Teoonaramji and a big ashram of Sant Asharam Bapu.

They celebrate important festivals like Chetichand, Bhagat Kanwaram Varsi, Guru Nanak Jayanti. etc. with big processions and langars. On the occasion of Chetichand, a big procession is taken out with decorated colours and electric gadgets (with 80% contribution of BSS Workers) throughout the important Sindhi belts wherein over 5000 people including the local population take PREETI BHOJAN. Moreover the city has 4 statues of important sindhi personalities such as those of Bhagat Kanwaram, Hemu Kalani, Dholumal Gera and Dr. Kamalkumar Sachdev. 2 magazines are published by prominent Sindhis i.e. "Samrat Dahar Sen" in Sindhi (Devnagiri) by Shri Rajendra Sachdev & “Indore Mulakat” in Hindi (but with important Sindhi activities) by Shri Nandlal Sachdev. They have 22 sindhi panchayats but no central or general panchayat.

The BSS is active in the city. They have 100 active members who give more importance to good character and behaviour. They celebrate Sindhi Smruti day (14th August) every year. They also organize Swasthya shibirs (medical camps), distribute good literature, propagate for eradication of social evils like the dowry system and show and glamour, along with the co-operation of other sindhi organzations. Shri Vishindas A. Moriani is president & Shri Shankar Lalwani is Maha Mantri of BSS. The latter is also Parshad (BJP) and chairman PWD, Indore Corporation.

Thus on the whole, the Sindhis in this beautiful city are more or less well settled socially and financially and command good respect in the city. They also strive to preserve the rich culture and language. However the arrangements for learning Sindhi is very poor, which is disturbing.