Jethmal Parsram Gulrajani Explained

Jethmal Parstram Gulrajani ڄيٺمل پرسرام گلراجاڻي
Birth Name:	Jethmal
Birth Date:	1885 or 1886
Birth Place:	Hyderabad, Bombay Presidency, British India
Death Date:	6 July 1948
Death Place:	Mumbai, India
Occupation:	Journalist, Publisher, Writer
Nationality:	India
Alma Mater:	Navelrai Hiranand Academy Hyderabad Sindh
Genre:	Prose
Notableworks:	60 books

Jethmal Parsram Gulrajani (sd|ڄيٺمل پرسرام گلراجاڻي; 1885 or 1886 – 6 July 1948) was a journalist, publisher, and writer from Sindh, British India (now Pakistan). He authored 60 books, launched several newspapers and literary magazines, and co-founded the Sindhi Sahtya Society.

Jethmal was known for his fearless journalism and activism. He was arrested and imprisoned for writing editorials against the British Government of India. He also founded the New Sindhi Library and Sasti Saahat series under which he published more than a hundred books of standard merit, original and translated.

Early life, education, and career

Jethmal Parsram was born in Hyderabad, Sindh, British India (now Pakistan). The exact date of his birth is unknown. According to G.M. Syed, he was born in 1885.^[1] however, Jotwani,^[2] states that his year of birth is 1886. Jethmal studied at the Nevalrai Hiranand Academy, Hyderabad and graduated from the Bambay University (now Mumbai University) in 1902. In the same year, he was appointed as a teacher at his alma mater, Nevalrai Hiranand Academy, and later at Sindh Madersatul Islam High School in Karachi in 1910. Lalchand Amerdinomal, a renowned writer, was his colleague at Sindh Madersatul Islam High School. Jethmal also briefly served as the Headmaster of New High School Karachi but resigned in 1911. In 1916, he joined the Home Rule League led by Annie Besant and actively participated in the movement.^[3] Jethmal's presence became essential at literary, social, and political gatherings in Hyderabad from 1916 onwards. He was also known for his powerful public speaking abilities.^[4] In 1922, he became a professor of Sindhi at Sindh National College (now Government College University) Hyderabad and served there until 1941.^[5]

Contributions as a journalist

Jethmal Parsram was one of the most celebrated Sindhi literary journalists. Together with his friend Lalchand Amardinomal, he founded the Sindhi Sahtya Society (Sindhi Literary Society) in 1914. Under the society's auspices, they launched the monthly Risalo, a literary magazine.^[6] After some time, Lalchand Amerdinomal assumed the role of editor for this magazine. In 1917, Jethmal launched the daily Hindvasi. As a fearless journalist, he penned an editorial titled "Kalalki Hut, Kusan jo Kopu Vahay" (Sindhi: ڪلالڪي ھٽ، ڪسڻ جو ڪوپ وھي), which translates to "people throne to the tavern to sever their heads in return for a draught." This title was a quote from the poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai. The editorial strongly criticized the killing of innocent individuals who had peacefully protested against the Rowlatt Act (1919) and condemned the Jallianwala Bagh massacre perpetrated by the British army. The British Government of India deemed this editorial seditious, leading to Jethmal's arrest and imprisonment.^[7] The daily Hindvasi underwent a name change to Bharatvasi during his imprisonment. Following his release from jail in 1921, Jethmal continued his role as an editor and publisher of this newspaper. Additionally, he introduced a monthly literary magazine called Rooh Rihan in 1921.^[8]

Around the same time, he initiated the establishment of the New Sindhi Library and introduced the Sasti Saahat (Cheap Literature) series, marking a significant milestone in Sindhi publication. Under this initiative, he published over a hundred books of exceptional quality, encompassing both original works and translations.^[9]

In 1929, he launched the weekly newspaper Sindh Herald. Furthermore, he took on the role of editor for the daily Parkash and served as the honorary editor for the weekly Sindhri.

Contributions as a writer

Jethmal was not only a freedom fighter and journalist, he was also an illustrious scholar and writer of Sindhi language. He authored around 60 books. An incomplete alphabetical list of his books is presented below:

Books

Source:^[10]

Anand Darbar [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: آنند درٻار]
Apanshud Gayan [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: اپنشد گيان]
Atam Veechar [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: آتم ويچار], (Thoughts on Soul)
Bhagavad Gita [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: ڀڳوت گيتا]. (The translation of Annie Besant's book)
Bal Hatia [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: ٻال ھتيا], (from Leo Tolstoy's play The Power of Darkness)
Bhai Kalachand [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: ڀائي ڪلاچند]
Budal Beri [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: ٻڏل ٻيڙي], (from Tagore's The Wreck)
Chamraposh-joon-Akhanyoon [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: چمڙاپوش جون آکاڻيون], (Stories of a Disguised Person)
Emerson [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: ايمرسن], (Translation of some famous vedantic essays)
Faust [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: فائوسٽ], (Translation of Goethe's epic poem)
Gal Blass [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: گال بلاس]
Hamlet [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: ھيمليٽ], (Translation of Shakespeare's longest play)
Hind aen Sindh ja Sant [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: ھند ۽ سنڌ جا سنت]
Hisabi Hisab (from Shakespeare's Measure for Measure)
Jagat ja Netao [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: جڳت جو نيتائو]
Margjoti aien Karan [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: مرگ جوتي ۽ ڪرم]
Maut Hik Bahanu [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: موت ھڪ بھانو]
Maut ta aahayee kona [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: موت تہ آھي ئي ڪو نہ]
Miran Bai [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: ميران ٻائي]
Monna Vanna [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: مونا وانا], (From Maurice Maeterlinck's play of the same name)
Nanik Yousuf [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: نانڪ يوسف]
Om-ji-Akhani [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: اوم جي آکاڻي], (Story of Om)
Paighamber-e-Islam [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: پيغمبر اسلام]
Parlok man Paigham [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: پرلوڪ مان پيغام]
Philosophy chhaa Aahay [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: فلاسافي ڇا آھي؟]
Poorab Joti [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: پورب جوتي], (adapted from Edwin Arnold's The Light of Asia)
Raj Gayan [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: راج گيان]
Richh [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: رڇ], (from Anton Chekkov's play "The Bear")
Sachal Sarmast [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: سچل سرمست]
Sada Char [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: سدا چار], (with Lilaram Premchand)
Sahati Rihan [[<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: ساھتي رھاڻ]]
Samya Vad [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: ساميہ واد], (Socialism)
Sanatan Dharam [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: سناتن ڌرم]
Satgur jay charnan men [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: ستگروءَ جي چرنن ۾],
Shabd Anahat [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: شبد اناھٽ], (The Voice of the Silence by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky)
Shah Bhitaia Ji Hayati [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: شاھ ڀٽائيءَ جي حياتي], (Life of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai)
Shah-joon-Akhanyoon [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: شاھ جون آکاڻيون], (Stories from Shah)
Shah-je-Akhaniyun-jee-Samjhani [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: شاھ جي آکاڻين جي سمجھاڻي], (Interpretation of Shah's stories)
Shakespeare Through Indian Eye
Sidhyoon ain Ghaker [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: سڌيون ۽ چڪر], (from Charles Leadbitter's famous book on Occultism).
Sindh and its Sufis
Sindhi Sahat Jo Khazano [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: سنڌي ساھت جو خزانو]
Sindhi Soonhara [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: سڌي سونھارا]
Sonu Gadahu [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: سونو گڏھ]
Sufi Mat [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: صوفي مت]
Sufi Sagora [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: صوفي سڳورا]
Sukh Panth [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: سک پنٿ]
Suraj Sagar [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: سورج ساگر]
Toofan [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: طوفان] (from Shakespeare's Measure for Measure)
Turung-jo-Tirith [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: ترنگ جو تيرٿ], (Pilgrimage of Prison)
Upanishad Gyan [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: اپنشد گيان], (The Wisdom of the Upanishad by Annie Besant)
Vidya Guru [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: وديا گرو]
Yoga ji Samjhani [<nowiki/>[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: يوگا جي سمجھاڻي]

Death

After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, he reluctantly departed from his homeland of Sindh and migrated to Bombay (now Mumbai), India, where he eventually passed away on July 6, 1948.

Books on Jethmal Parsram

Deepchandra Belani has written a monogram on life and writings of Jethmal Parsram.^[11]

Notes and References

Book: Syed, G.M. . جنب گذاريم جن سين . Sindhi Adabi Board . 1967 . ast . Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan . Sindhi.
Book: Jotwani, Motilal . A Dictionary of Sindhi Literature . Sampark Prakashan . 1996 . 1st . New Delhi, India . 47 . English.
Web site: ڄيٺمل پرسرام گلراجاڻي : (Sindhianaسنڌيانا) . 2022-06-15 . www.encyclopediasindhiana.org . sd.
Butt, Allah Rakhio (2019): The HindVasi Sedition Case-I, Leaves from History of Sindh.
Web site: Hindvasi-Sindhi Newspaper/Magazine-Edition: 27-09-2020- Zoom Page: 11- . 2022-06-13 . epaper.hindvasi.com.
Web site: Sindhishaan - Publishing in Sindhi . 2022-06-15 . www.sindhishaan.com.
Book: Bughio, Aziz-ur-Rehman . سنڌي صحافت جي ارتقا ۽ تاريخ . Institute of Sindhology, University of Sindh . 1988 . 1st . Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan . Sindhi.
Book: Girami, Ghulam Muhammad . ويا سي وينجھار . Sindhi Adabi Board . 1977 . Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan . 15 . Sindhi.
Web site: Jethmal Parsram - Sindhi Poets . 2022-06-15 . www.sindhipoets.com.
Malkani . M.U. . 1964 . Shakespeare in Sindhi . Indian Literature . 7 . 1 . 115–119.
Jetley . M.K. . 1992 . Sindhi Scene: A Rich Crop . Indian Literature . 35 . 1 . 180.