A Parsi gentleman arrived and took his seat after greeting me with ‘Namaskar’. His face was expressionless. He was sitting with inclined eyes. He wouldn’t speak or move. When I saw after a while, tears were rolling out of his eyes
[Editor’s Note: This is Part 30 (Eminent Personalities – Part – 3) of a series of articles based on a pre-partition book named “મારી સિંધ યાત્રા” (“منهنجي سنڌ جو سفر”) in Gujarati authored by a scholarly Jain sadhu Shri Vidyavijayji, narrating his experiences of Journey and his Stay in Karachi for about 2 and a half years between 1937 and 1939. It would be advisable to click on the Introductory Article and read it to better understand the series. – Nasir Aijaz, Editor Sindh Courier]
Vimal Shah, Mumbai
Edul Kharas
It was 24th October 1937. I was preparing to go to sleep at about 10:30 at night after having a tiring day full of public discourses at three places and religious discussions with various people in the remaining time. In the meantime, someone told me that ‘A Parsi gentleman has telephoned and seeking your time’ I asked ‘Now?’ he said ‘No, whenever you are available’. I gave time at 4 pm the following day.
The following day a Parsi gentleman arrived right at 4 pm and took his seat after greeting me with ‘Namaskar’. His face was expressionless. He was sitting with inclined eyes. He wouldn’t speak or move. When I saw after a while, tears were rolling out of his eyes. I asked him ‘Brother, what’s the matter? Why are you so scared?’ How would he respond? I could see that something was churning in his heart. It seemed he was pained at heart. It looked like he was highly repenting. I held his hand and made him sit beside me. I spread my hand on his back. I suggested him to calm down and open-up. I felt his soul is in very deep thoughts. He raised his head after a long time once his heart had lightened and looked at me. Then he told me:
“When you had a discourse in ‘Khaliqdina Hall’ yesterday, I was present like an ordinary listener. Your sermons have left an impression on me, so I decided to come to you and sought your time last night. Now I want you to listen to my story:”
With these words, he narrated each incident in his life until now, beginning with his grandfather. I was getting aghast as he was moving forward. On one side his ‘biography’ was going on and on the other side a lot of churning was happening in my heart. I was drowning in deep sea of thoughts. ‘He is a Parsi gentleman, I am a Jain Sadhu, we have no prior acquaintance, and what is he telling me? He considers me worthy to share all these matters?’ A son would not be able to share with his father, a disciple would hesitate to share with his Guru, whereas a Parsi gentleman neither had any hesitant nor apprehension in sharing all these. His candidness was clearly visible.
After narrating his complete life for about two hours, he said:
“Maharaj, unless a person does not open his heart frankly in front of an appropriate Guru, even a drop of nectar from the best of sermons does not last in his heart. That’s the reason why there’s no change in sinful, filthy, and full of deception, evil hearts despite sermons by so many Gurus.”
In my journey of thousands of miles across several regions of Hindustan if I ever met anyone who disclosed every incident of his entire life frankly, fearlessly with the purpose of spiritual awakening, it is none other than this gentleman. And that is Bhai Edul Nusserwanji Kharas.
And that’s the reason I hold him high among the eminent gentleman of Karachi with a population of three and a half lakh despite not being a famous personality, volunteer, orator, or known by his donations of lakhs of rupees.
Today the entire family is living on simple diet. It can be understood what kind of difficulties this family must be facing in living on simple diet when their entire community is non-vegetarian
There are a plenty of donors, plenty of orators, and many others. But there’s scarcity of frank hearted, selflessly serving others. I have seen these virtues in Bhai Kharas, I have personally seen and experienced, and that’s why the popular saying ‘The Earth is full of Gems’ is justified.
Despite being a Parsi, his life has turned around in the past ten years. He has given up everything like Mutton-Fish-Eggs-Wine. After being acquainted with us, even his wife and sister has also got rid of that kind of food. Today the entire family is living on simple diet. It can be understood what kind of difficulties this family must be facing in living on simple diet when their entire community is non-vegetarian. But Kharas understands and believes ‘Nothing is impossible in this world. You can achieve anything with your efforts, you just need the self-confidence’.
Bhai Kharas and his wife Pilloo Behen are leading an ideal householder life. They have complete faith in their religion and are fans of virtues. They bow down wherever they see virtues. They believe ‘Sermons are for following in life and not just for listening’. They are prepared to extend all the possible help to anyone in the misery. Even his sister Bachoo Behen and her children are also influenced by their high spirits and holy life. Ever since we are acquainted, Bhai Kharas and his wife Pilloo Behen have selflessly extended their services to us – Sadhus with full dedication. That would astonish any other devotee – what a nobility!
M B Dalal
You would certainly find a youth having studied at a college of this Education Lover in all the small and big companies, offices, and Banks of Karachi. Gujarati, Sindhi, Pubjabi, Marathi, youths of all the communities are educated in his colleges. That’s the reason this person’s name is taken with respect among this whole multi-cultural population.
He is unparalleled in the whole Karachi when it comes to establishing new institutes. He is the organizer of the Gujarati Cooperative Bank and Sindh Newspapers Ltd. He is the one who nurtured ‘Sharda Mandir’ in their initial period and adopted them since their beginning by extending them the use of his college building free of cost. When the Hindu students and teachers were deserted due to the disputes in the ‘Mission School’ of Karachi, he established a brand new ‘Union High School’ for them by taking the risk of bearing all the costs by himself. He started the school temporarily in his college building and later shifted them to different buildings. He not only established but accepted the responsibility of Principal and developed the school. This school enjoys a prime status in Karachi today. This the same school that is popularly known as ‘Haribhai Pragji Karia High School’ today.
He is a big advocate and propagator of women education and child education. He has authored several books for children
Despite having studies English medium, he is not carried away in that flow. He participates with interest in helping known or even unknown people, extending cooperation to the administrators of any organization, helping with donations, and anything related to uplift of the Gujarati community. He is the President of several popular organizations. He is not like those known for creating a turmoil these days. He only knows how to work sincerely, perform the duty, and still knows how to remain detached from all that – that’s the specialty of his life.
He is a big advocate and propagator of women education and child education. He has authored several books for children. He frequently influences the population by writing articles on Society, Industry, Skills, and Science in all the newspapers of Karachi. Thus, he is a propagator of manifold activities.
When it was required to orient people towards ‘Swadeshi’, he had opened a ‘Swadeshi Pradarshan’ at his own strength in 1923. And he had served for the uplift of the nation even by absorbing financial losses.
He is popular as an Accountant and Auditor in the Finance Department. He has benefited several organizations to the extent of thousands of rupees by extending his free services. It is said that he can solve the most complex legal issues.
His peaceful nature, ever pleasant smile, serious face, tall body, magnificent forehead, and sweet words would not remain from drawing attention of anyone who meets him.
[Note by Vimal Shah: There’s M B Dalal Street in Ramswami, Karachi]
(Continues – Read Part-31 on Sunday Aug 20, 2023)
Click here for Part-I, Part-II, Part-III, Part-IV, Part-V , Part-VI , Part-VII , Part-VIII , Part-IX, Part-X, Part-XI, Part-XII, Part-XIII , Part-XIV, Part-XV, Part-XVI , Part-XVII, Part-XVIII , Part-XIX, Part-XX, Part-XXI, Part-XXII , Part-XXIII , Part-XXIV, Part-XXV , Part-XXVI, Part-XXVII, Part-XXVIII, Part-XXIX
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About the contributor of the series of Articles based on the book
Vimal Shah is a follower of Jainism by birth and is based in Mumbai, India. He is a Computer Engineer and holds a Diploma in Jainology from Mumbai University. He has an immense interest in reading, writing, studying, and teaching Jain Philosophical subjects. He conducts classroom as well as online sessions on Jain Philosophical courses. He continues to study various subjects and remains a student of Jain Philosophy. He has significantly contributed to the Translation Project of the ‘Compendium of Jainism’ from English to Gujarati – an initiative of the JAINA India Foundation. He is also associated with a Project for the translation of Jain Aagams (Scriptures) from Gujarati to English. He has a special interest in the history and preservation of the Jain Heritage in Pakistan. He was part of a Delegation of the Jain Heritage Foundation, New Delhi that visited various Jain Heritage Sites in Pakistan in May-2023.
