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Ahmedabad municipality and Subhas Chandra Bose, Chief Officer of Calcutta
Corporation, Gidvani became Chief Education Officer of Karachi Corporation.
His premature death in 1935 cut off a brilliant career.
Professor Ghanshyam Shivdasani, life-long public worker, and leader of the
Sindh Assembly Congress Party, 1937-47, was an embodiment of Mathew
Arnold’s definition of culture as “sweetness and light”.
Harchandrai Vishindas Bharwani (1862--1928) was chairman of the reception
committee of the Karachi session of the Congress in 1913. Here, for the first time,
he voiced the demand for separation of Sindh from Bombay --- and its
constitution into a separate province. He was president of Karachi Corporation
during 1911-- 1920. In 1920 he was elected to the Central Legislative Assembly.
Speaking about the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy, he said: “If you have tears, prepare
to shed them now.” Though on his death-bed, he left Karachi for Delhi to vote
against the Simon Commission. He died in Delhi before he could cast his vote.
His pall-bearers here were Motilal Nehru, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, Lala
Lajpatrai and Vithalbhai Patel.
Jamshed, though not a member of the Congress, was elected on Congress ticket
from Dadu in 1937. He was the maker of modern Karachi. He was the arbiter in
all disputes, which were many in public life.
N.R. Malkani (1890--1974) was professor in G.B.B. College of Muzaffarpur when
Gandhiji stayed with him for a few days on way to Champaran in 1917. During
an evening walk Gandhiji asked him: “What next, Professor?” That was the
turning point in Malkani’s life. He resigned his job, joined Gujerat Vidyapeeth,
later helped build up the Harijan Colony in Delhi, and later still took up
constructive work in Sindh. He helped influence Allah Bux in favour of the
Congress --- and even introduced the Congress, complete with its charkha, to the
formidable Pir Pagaro of the Hurs.
Among the women leaders, Ganga Behn, wife of Acharya Gidvani, Kiki Behn,
sister of Kripalani, Ambi Khilnani, daughter-in- law of Kauromal, and Kumari
Jethi Sipahimalani played a significant role in the public life of Sindh.
During the freedom movement, national leaders were lionized all over the
country. Gandhi, Pandit Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose were particularly
popular in Sindh. However, Pandit Nehru never felt particularly drawn to Sindh,
even though the Sindhis adored him. As he wrote to Padmaja Naidu on 16 July
1936: “I don’t know Sindh. I don’t feel attracted to it.” In another letter, 26 July,
1936, to Padmaja, from Nawabshah in Sindh he wrote: “The Sindhi people have
their good qualities and I rather like them. But they are a curious mixture of the
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