Dada Rochiram Thawani: 

An Unsung Hero of our Freedom Struggle

By Dr. JYOTI  PATIL

Great lives are always sublime but humble and modest in their attitudes who do not know their own worth it is up to us to see their greatness in their selfless dedication for their concern to others.

Dada Rochiram Thawani in his nineties is still going strong and fit to make the younger generation blush. He is popularly known as ‘Chacha Nehru of Sindh’ because of his love for children and dedication for the country. Whenever asked about his age he answers that he is not 92 years old but 92 years young. It is true as he is still going hale and hearty without taking any medicine or having any disease. He still has a charisma to make the children burst with clapping and cheering whenever he comes to talk to them. The children enjoy his company and celebrate their special occasions such as Birthdays, parties and festivals with him as he always gives them a jocund company.

As a young man he participated in the freedom struggle from Sindh, now in Pakistan as he was highly motivated by Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, Bhagat Singh, Jawaharlal Nehru and Hemu Kalani. During Congress session in 1933 at Karachi, he was assigned duty as a volunteer outside Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram. As per Gandhi’s clarion call that young people should leave Govt. jobs and join the freedom struggle, he left his Govt. service and became Assistant Provincial Organizer of Congress Seva Dal.

During freedom struggle he was assigned the duty to visit different cities of Sindh Province to motivate the young people to join the struggle and intensify it by proper planning and coordination with other leaders. He had to change his name and identity for this revolutionary activity. But ultimately he was arrested on 26th Jan 1943 and remained in prison for two years. His whole family participated in the freedom struggle and earned name as “Nehru Family of Sindh” as ten members of three generations of his family were arrested for participating in the struggle. Young Rochiram’s father, his two elder brothers, their wives, his elder sister, his wife, his son and his niece were labelled as freedom fighters and were arrested to thwart the activities taken up by them. Aruna Asaf Ali was given shelter by them during her stay in hiding.   

Later unfortunately the decision was taken to divide the country into two parts and his family got shifted to India but young Rochiram had more tasks to finish and he stayed back for the welfare of the rest of the Hindus in Pakistan. He took systematic military training by State Military of Rajasthan for the safety of Hindus in Pakistan. 

He left Sindh for India in December 1947 as there was a great influx of Hindus from Pakistan and he was assigned to monitor the safe passage for the people who were coming from Sindh Province and appointed as Docks Captain on behalf of Ministry of Rehabilitation, Govt. of India. He refused accepting any salary for the work and did the work honorary for the country. He worked in different capacities for relief and rehabilitation work up to 1955. After reorganization of states in 1956, He was appointed member by the Govt. of India in the committee for starting industries in so called refugee colonies of the state, but he refused any salary for his service to the nation.

He has donated his entire pension amount for the welfare of the poor people of the society and is a regular donor to Dayanand Arya Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Mahatma Gandhi Centennial High School, Girls School and Rajkumar Kewalramani College for library, computers, basic amenities and awards to students as well as teachers for excellence in various fields. He is still serving the country in his own limited way, making Nagpurians to be proud to have such a living legend amongst them.

To see his ever helping and always happy countenance one feels it is true, “smooth runs the water where the brook is deep.”