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PUJ KHUDABADI SONARA PANCHAYAT (REG.) JAIPUR

Author: Rtn. Gangaram S. Purswani (P.H.F.)

The entire Hindu community in India is divisional into manifold social group based on their individual customs and moral for their spiritual, cultural usages. Mostly, India has lived in far flung villages since ages where the controls of rulers could not reach to ensure the preservation of social matters, rules of conduct and established usages by individual members of various groups. It, therefore, become necessary to establish voluntary institutions by consent of members of the groups which could undertake the responsibilities to exercise these powers. Such institutions have been established for ages, all over India and are named Panchayats. These Panchayats continue to play important role in social conduct of their respective groups even today. The main and primary functions, responsibilities, duties and exercise of powers of a panchayat are to oversee that members abide by the  social, moral, spiritual, cultural conduct and established usages to maintain traditions. Also to have generally, to guard the cultural heritage of the groups and to promote spirit of botherhood between members at large and prevent discord within or between families so that those families lead a happy life. The secondary functions of Panchayats may include the rendering of economic assistance to needy members.

            The Puj Khudabadi Sonara Panchayat is a very ancient organization of more than 300 years old. Earlier, the Puj Panchayat was known as “Adi Panchayat” and was headed by a Mukhi. It was re-named to Puj Khudabadi Sonara Panchayat, when the community shifted to Hyderabad, Sindh, around the year 1800 A.D. They started keeping the written records of meetings as from December 14, 1930. The Puj Panchayat was headed by a Mukhi until 1951. When through historical changes, Late Dr. Udharam Jhamandas Purswani (at the age of 31) took over as democratically elected President from Late Mukhi Shri Bassarmai Hassomal Hingorani. Puj Khudabadi Sonara Panchayat under the presidentship of Dr. Udharam J. Purswani used to hold all its managing committee meetings, general body meetings, various community activities and social functions at the Panchayati Hall, Nawab ki Haveli, Vidhyadhar ka Rasta, Jaipur. This tradition continued when subsequent presidents came into power.

            Finally, the Puj Khudabadi Sonara Panchayat became a registered body on July 19, 1974 with Reg. No. 71/1974-75 and its registered office at Khudabadi Sonara Community Centre, Plot No. 39, Sindhi Colony, Bani Park, Jaipur. Puj Khudabadi Sonara Panchayat is being managed by Managing Committee. All sorts of Financial Assistances, Charitable and Cultural activities are being carried out through Joint Donation Committee, Sahayata Committee, Kanya Shadi Fund Committee and Bal Vidhya Fund Committee.

After the unfortunate 1947 partition, Khudabadi Sonara  Community members migrated to various cities of India. About 600 families out of about 2000 families now live in Jaipur and all of them are the members of Puj Khudabadi Sonara Panchayat (Reg.), Jaipur. Our community members are peaceful, hard working, hospitable and open-minded. They have built an image of Indians abroad as prosperous people. At least one person from 90% of our community families lives abroad. Our Community Members are cosmopolitan in their approach and are free from inhibition of caste, creed and religion. In our temples, the deities of Shakti Durga Mata is worshipped side by side with those of Shri Rama, Shri Krishna, Lord Shiva, Jhulelal and Guru Nanak.   

AIMS & OBJECTIVES

1.         To promote love, unity and brotherhood amongst members in particular and with other communities without any discrimination of caste, creed & religion, in general.

2.         To promote new developments, social reforms and family values amongst the members.

3.         To maintain high ethical standards in business and professions. To recognize the worthiness of all useful occupations in dignify each member’s occupation, as an opportunity to bring glory and respect to the community and to serve it whole heartedly.

4.         To help and to promote education by means of scholarship or payments of fees and/or providing books etc. to poor and needy students.

5.         To provide free medical and health checkup and medical aid to poor and needy persons.

6.         To grant aid to homes for the aged, orphanages, destitute, widows, physically handicapped and mentally retarded persons and to the poor and needy persons, for their livelihood.

7.         To give monetary help or other assistance for relief from natural calamities like floods, cyclones, tempests, fire and earthquakes etc.

8.         To promote growth and upliftment of Sindhi Art, Culture, Literature and Language.

9.         To organize and celebrate Religious, Social, National Days and Festivals.

10.       To do all that is necessary to achieve the aforesaid objectives and other goals, for the benefits of the members and of the community as a whole.

            Puj Panchayat invited its entire sister panchayats from other cities of India, in Jaipur on September 8, 1974 and formed Akhil Bhartiya Khudabadi Panchayat. Shri Purshottamdas Gangaram Gurbani was elected its president. Puj Panchayat celeberated its Silver Jubilee (1951-1976) under the presidentship of Shri Fatumal Lalchand Vasnani on 30.07.1977 and Diamond Jubilee (1930-2005) under the presidentship of Shri Gangaram Shamdas Purswani from 04.11.2005 to 08.11.2005 with release of a souvenir to mark the occasion and honoring not only the dignities of Khudabadi Sonara Community but also dignities of many other Sindhi Community Oraganisations of Jaipur.  Earlier. Late Shri Naraindas Gagumal Ramnani had published and circulated a newspaper known as “Jog Maya” from Baroda (Gujarat) and later Late Shri Ashok Gangaram Purswani had published and circulated a news paper called “Durga” from Bombay (Maharashtra) for a long period of time.

            With the efforts of the Puj Khudabadi Sonara Panchayat, Sindhi Swarankar Association, Jaipur was formed in the year 1966, to establish uniform tariff for making gold ornaments. All Sindhi Swarankar of Jaipur were its members. Shri Mangharam Fatumal Vasnani of Khudabadi Sonara Community became its first president. The Sindhi Swarankar Association fought with the Govt. and get allocation of a large piece of empty land in Ram Nagar (Shastri Nagar), Jaipur, calling it “Swarankar Colony” and distributed a piece plot, measuring of 200 sq. yards to each of its members, free of costs, to combat the adverse effects of Gold Control Act 1962.