Born in a middle-class family and professionally independent due to the family’s carpentry skill, the self-reliant Bhaishri Ratanshi Shivji Nakrani was born around 1896 AD in Ravapar village of Kutch. Being well-educated according to the times and having a special interest in reading and writing, he was prominent and specially renowned in our community in Karachi. The lion’s share in establishing the Karachi Yuvak Mandal and organizing the conferences of our caste held in Karachi goes to this Ratanshibhai. This brother can also be called the architect of perhaps the first night school started for the education of the caste and the first mouthpiece of our caste like “Patidar Uday” printed for public awareness of the caste in Karachi.

In the dark period of the caste, not a single opportunity that could challenge their power was acceptable to our Gedheras living in Kutch. Talk of education and literacy in the caste was like a crime for them. An experience of which also happened to our Bhaishri Ratanshi living in a big city like Karachi for years. This scholar brother, proficient in education and initiation and active in writing, never had a special experience of these Gedheras before this. Ratanshibhai, who considered Gedheras as ideal and protectors of interest in those days, realized this when he unknowingly prepared a text to print a book about community awareness thinking that our caste is very backward in education and conduct. When our leaders living in Kutch came to know about this, they got instigated and called Ratanshibhai’s father Shivjibhai and despite knowing well that there is nothing wrong in this book written for the awareness of our community, they fined him 25 Koris and threatened him with severe consequences for writing such things in future. When Ratanshibhai studied about this incident, it was found that the leaders whom he considers well-wishers of the caste are immersed and engrossed in the intoxication and enjoyment of power by extracting so many Koris in the name of welfare of the caste. Ratanshibhai, insulted by this incident, made a firm resolve in his mind to do something for the organization and literacy of the caste. (Source: Report of the public meeting of Pirana Panthi Kadva Kanbi of Kutch country held in Mumbai, Page No. 23)

There was a dire need felt by our caste community living in Karachi for true reformist leaders and platforms for community unity who could fearlessly and selflessly unite our pitiful community living a life like slaves exploited by Gedheras, without caring for these leaders of Kutch, and lead them on the path of religious awakening and education. Moreover, encouraged by the establishment of youth groups and the start of meetings by the reformist brothers of Ghatkopar and Kutch, such feelings started becoming strong in our community having a large population like Karachi. This situation proved to be like wings to fly for Ratanshibhai.

Establishment of Karachi Yuvak Mandal

In 1918 AD, along with friends like Bhaishri Nanji Pachanbhai Nakrani of Nakhatrana, Shri Shivaji Kanjibhai Parsiaya and Shri Kheta Dosabhai Pokar, Ratanshi Shivjibhai Nakrani formally laid the foundation of Shri Kutch Kadva Patidar Gnati Sudharak Yuvak Mandal at Karachi with the feeling and enthusiasm of all enthusiastic brothers of our community. Based on merit, Ratanshibhai was entrusted with a responsible post like Joint Secretary in this newly formed Mandal. 

About a hundred years ago from today, in the beginning of the twentieth century, if there was the largest settlement of our community anywhere after Kutch, it was in the Sindh province around Karachi. It was not that only the economically weak and ignorant people in our community, which was almost four times more than Mumbai, were victims of the oppression of Gedheras. Living in a city like Karachi, even the economically capable and business class people were not untouched by the oppression of these tyrants. Even they had to burn in this fire of immorality. When those people used to go to their native Kutch by putting jewelry on their women and good clothes on their children, they used to take off everything as soon as they landed at Mandvi port because the fear of Gedheras living in Kutch remained in their minds. If someone stood in front of Gedheras of Kutch wearing good jewelry and decent clothes, then even that was not tolerated by them and they had to face threats of being outcasted to snatch everything from them with special harassment. Overall, whether it was our weak class who was economically backward and laboring or resourceful and self-reliant, everyone had to suffer. (Source: Report of the public meeting of Pirana Panthi Kadva Kanbi of Kutch country held in Mumbai, Page No. 11)

With the establishment of the youth group, corresponding to this anger and expectation of the community, the burden of responsibility on the office bearers of Karachi Yuvak Mandal was also somewhat more. Therefore, Ratanshibhai, who was active in writing and educated, and his team started public awareness by printing pamphlets for religious awakening and literature for education and distributing them in the caste and organizing small and big meetings. In a short time, on the saying of Swami Shri Revanandji, Bhaishri Narayanji Ramji, the pioneer reformer of our society from Mumbai, and Minister of Ghatkopar Yuvak Mandal Shri Ratanshi Khimji Khetani were invited for guidance on the rules and regulations of the Mandal. At that time, a candid opinion was given by Narayanji that we will be able to do good work with such sporadic activity but if we want to make our work more effective, then it is very necessary to call a special general assembly of our entire Kutchi Kadva Patidar brothers and discuss the interest and self-religion of our caste in this meeting and make rules and regulations and strong resolutions with consensus. Agreeing with this advice of Narayanji, the enthusiastic youth group of Karachi accepted the responsibility of organizing the first conference of our caste in Karachi itself.

First Conference of Caste – Karachi

By making preparations in just one and a half years, under the chairmanship of Honorable Rajarambhai Shamjibhai Dholu (Mankuva) on Date 08‑Aug‑1920, with the presence of specially invited saints and dignitaries and with joy and enthusiasm, the first conference of our Kutchi Patidars was organized. Speaking about one of the various resolutions of this conference regarding education and training of children, General Secretary Ratanshi Nakrani stated that our condition is currently pitiful and we ourselves are the ones who brought this pitiful condition. When we were crushed under the burden of ignorance and illiteracy and when selfish people oppressed us, we got suppressed but now in this era of education, the oppression of these oppressors cannot work at any cost. You are all farmers so you must know how much pain you endure to raise crops and produce grain and yet there is not enough grain for your family to eat or enough clothes to cover the body. Despite knowing all this, we have never tried. When will this situation improve? Darkness has covered your vision so we cannot see anything good or bad. If this curtain of darkness is lifted from our vision and education, discretion and diligence are generated in our minds, then we can improve somewhat. In today’s era, lack of education and foolishness are considered as tools of poverty. We are illiterate that’s why merchants take advantage of our foolishness. Even if you could not study, educate your children and give them practice in a good business line. So that our condition improves..  (Source: Report of the first conference of Kadva Patidar caste of Kutch country held in Karachi, Page No. 28)

While the establishment of youth groups and preparations for this first conference were going on, something happened that the support this movement received enthusiastically in the beginning started waning gradually. Because our few brothers who became Sanatani by completely abandoning Satpanth started pinching like pebbles in the eyes of Gedheras and Kutch leaders and their innocent relatives living in the country (in Kutch) had to suffer. For this reason, beyond the insistence of reformist brothers not to take brothers without body purification and wearing sacred thread into reformist groups, despite suffering the oppression of Gedheras, due to family compulsion, most people started preferring to adopt Sanatani rituals and manners while remaining in the old sect of Pirana currently. Thus public awareness started running in the same direction but with two different methods like railway tracks had begun. Therefore, exclamations about the sin of Pirana and oppression of leaders were loud in our conference but being the very first conference, the organizers knowing the above fact had to make compromises on time with both these decisions related to religious fanaticism for the sake of unity of the caste. Due to many such reasons, despite having an opportunity, despite having a bursting feeling and enthusiasm in mind to do something, a competent person like Ratanshibhai was forced to work behind the scenes in this conference due to family pressure. The reason for that compulsion was openly accepted by him in the second conference of the caste held two years later.

The first conference was like grade one and a difficult exam for our caste. But it gave a good experience to the office bearers of the youth group on how to move forward unitedly to achieve caste interest. Our caste gained the knowledge of mutual trust and coordination from this conference itself. Despite adverse circumstances and such a big fear of Gedheras, the unity and energy obtained from the first conference was unprecedented was. Encouraged by this and learning from the mistakes of the first conference, enthusiastic workers of the youth group took a vow to organize the second conference of the caste again at Karachi itself within a short period of just two years. (Source: From Pirana Satpanth Ni Pol Part 1 )

Second Conference of Caste – Karachi

In a short period, once again Karachi Yuvak Mandal criticized the bad condition of the second conference of our caste with a huge mass community in the presence of honorable saints and dear guests, under the chairmanship of Shriman Mavjibhai Punjabhai Jabuani and making Ratanshibhai Shivjibhai Nakrani the General Secretary of the conference on Date 07‑Oct‑1922. The self-strength and confidence that was generated in our innocent pigeon-like caste enduring slavery of Gedheras for years after the first conference was clearly visible this time from the population present in the assembly hall.

Presenting the historical resolution about the very important oppression of Gedheras in this conference, the General Secretary of the conference Shri Ratanshi Shivji Nakrani stated that our Gedheras and leaders living in the country wrongly believe that they themselves are the leaders of the caste and try to keep our brothers who try to walk on the path of Hindu rituals trapped in the unrighteous sect of Pirana and keep the whole caste drowning in it. And they try to harass the family of those who go against their wish by outcasting them. By collecting taxes like Dashond, they waste the money of caste panchayat in wrong ways which do not suit Hindu religion. And do not give accounts. Therefore, addressing the leaders whose names are in the previous resolution number two, this resolution is made that “believing themselves to be the leaders or Gedheras of the caste and having the power to do justice and decisions themselves, they should not do any work of caste panchayat after today. Moreover, a resolution is also made that even after knowing this resolution, if they do not stop oppressing our ignorant and naive brothers or making decisions of outcasting and are found doing Gedhera-giri, then this conference strongly recommends every member of caste groups to stop them legally”

Mentioning about the oppression of Gedheras, Ratanshibhai recounting his ordeal mentioned the first conference of the caste along with the incident mentioned at the beginning of the article and said that during this conference of the caste, on the saying of my father that “We are already straight in the caste and if you take part leading in the conference and register name in the committee, then caste people will try to ruin our ordinary family economically by harassing and bothering more”, due to this I was unlucky to serve you actively in the first conference against my feelings. Still, those mean leaders outcasted my grandmother and my mother in the country while I and my father were still in Karachi and tried to harass both those helpless women. After some time when we went to the country for marriage purpose, on the advice of the Gedhera of our village, we went to Karamshi Gedhera of Netra and asked for explanation about this, then he shamelessly said that only if you believe in Pirana religion, accept Saiyads as Guru and feed them at home and write on stamp paper as Gedhera says, then only we will include you in the caste otherwise not. Hearing this my father got very angry and said that I will not be able to obey Saiyads and neither I nor any of my children will make Saiyads Guru and now we will not stay outside for many days either. After these incidents, the feeling of hatred towards these Gedheras and leaders crossed the limit in my mind and brain and the desire to free the caste from these burning oppressions started gaining momentum.

After the above historical resolution about the oppression of Gedheras by Ratanshi Shivji, the way the Minister of Ghatkopar Yuvak Mandal Shri Ratanshibhai Khimjibhai Khetani, who stood up for approval, described the name and misdeeds of each Gedhera of the caste fearlessly with incidents, it was as if wings were attached to the feelings and courage of the public mind present in the assembly hall. Thus Karachi and Ghatkopar’s both jewels with lion-like roar placed the resolution against Gedheras and leaders of Kutch, hearing which such a life-force of enthusiasm blew that the fear of leaders suppressed for years evaporated like steam and flew as a flame and cries of shame shame started echoing all around. One after another speakers suffering grief for years and suppressing anger described their own ordeals in approval of this resolution and lightened their minds. In this way, this second conference of the caste proved to be the one to awaken a ray of self-confidence and hope in the mind of the common to common man suffering oppression of our caste. (Source: From the report of the second conference of Kadva Patidar caste of Kutch country held in Karachi)

Start of Patidar Uday Monthly – Ranchhod Line, Karachi

Furious with the success of the second conference, the leaders of Kutch started attempts like breaking the engagement of Ratanshibhai’s son which was fixed in Nagviri to harass him. But how could Ratanshibhai be stopped by any trick now. To challenge the Gedheras with double enthusiasm, he started printing the first mouthpiece of our Kutch Kadva Patidar Samaj from Karachi in the month of July 1924 AD. Explaining the purpose of printing this mouthpiece, he wrote that for a long time due to the fascination of some cunning and selfish people, our society has left the right path and has been led astray. To save from it i.e. from the Muslim religion in the form of Pirana Panth, there is a primary need to realize true Hindu-ness. Apart from that, we especially need to come out of old customs and rituals which put the society in decline and walk on the path of ethics and justice. There was no medium in our society for such main reform till now and its lack was felt by every reformist caste brother for a long time. But since such a defect can be removed only when circumstances are favorable, that work could not be done till now. Currently removing that lack, we have started this circular named Patidar Uday. Full financial as well as other cooperation of Khimjibhai Shivjibhai of Mangavana and Khetabhai Dosabhai Pokar of Nakhatrana was received for this mouthpiece of Ratanshibhai. Caste reformer Shri Narayan Ramjibhai stated about the importance of Patidar Uday that this periodical started by Bhaishri Ratanshi Shivji reflecting the future rise of Kutch Kadva Patidar caste was very much needed for the interest of such caste so that our caste brothers and sisters living at different places understand the truth and get free from the terror of tyrannical leaders and Bhaishri Ratanshi has fulfilled that lack. With the grace of Param Krupalu Umiyamata, the inspiration of caste service that sparked in Bhaishri Ratanshi Shivji, editor and publisher of the monthly, and the way he has demonstrated it with inner feelings by serving hard work to implement it at the cost of body, mind and wealth is truly praiseworthy.

In this monthly periodical, opinions and thoughts of reformist brothers of our caste, orders of Mandals, detailed information of conferences and meetings, reports of saints and speakers related to socially useful subjects like social education, public awareness, ignorance, bad customs, rituals, child marriage, health and remedy were published every month. Along with that, information related to profession and business and self-composed poems were also printed in this. The periodical was delivered by every post to wherever our community lived. As there were no tools like television or phone at that time, this periodical of Ratanshibhai proved to be a strong medium for caste contact. The credit for delivering detailed information of the third conference and information about the resolutions of the conference to our entire caste community can be given to this Patidar Uday of Ratanshibhai. Annoyed by the reformist religious awakening articles of Patidar Uday, the so-called religious leaders of Muslim Pirana Panth also tried to harass him through court office but they faced defeat in that too.

The credit for conveying detailed information of the third conference of our caste held at Ghatkopar in 1924 AD to our entire caste community can be given to this Patidar Uday of Ratanshibhai. Ratanshibhai, a core member of the subject committee of this conference who came to participate along with other brothers of Karachi in the third conference of the caste, stood up and took a pledge that now the stigma of Pirana sinful Panth cannot be kept on head even for a day. Hearing the heart-rending picture created by scholar brothers and Pandits in our conference today, my heart is torn apart. I assure this assembly that I pledge to take body purification atonement with my family by calling my family which is currently in the country very soon. After keeping his important thoughts on resolutions, approvals in this third conference, when he returned to Karachi with other colleagues of the Mandal, he and his inspiration and brother-like Laljibhai Somjibhai Nakrani of Ravapar, his companion in every happiness and sorrow, together got body purification done with other friends of the Mandal with family in the presence of Brahmins in the month of Vaishakh. (Source: From the monthly issue of Patidar Uday)

As if someone’s evil eye fell on this Mandal of Karachi which led two initial conferences of the caste and so many public awareness works, incidents happened one after another such that even enthusiastic youths of the Mandal like Ratanshibhai and Shivjibhai had to live in the darkness of discouragement for some time. Among the four foundational pillars of Karachi Yuvak Mandal, one Bhaishri Kheta Dosa after the second conference and Bhaishri Nanji Pachan after the third conference passed away and departed to God’s shelter. The sorrow of losing such intimate support dampened the Mandal and both its enthusiastic ministers. Amidst this slowed down Mandal, one or two such incidents happened that completely shattered the mutual brotherhood of the Mandal. To mobilize again the Mandal which had gone into wounded state for five years in this way, Ratanshibhai along with other fellow friends tried again. By chance, the presence of our pioneer reformer Bhaishri Narayanjibhai who came to Karachi made peace and reconciliation of the bitterness that had happened for years in the minds of some brothers of the Mandal and started the unfinished reform works again with new enthusiasm and zeal with new rules and regulations in the name of Shri Kutch Kadva Patidar Gnati Sudharak Mandal.

Start of Night School – Karachi

The law to propagate education was framed in our caste mandals many days ago. But till today no caste mandal had implemented it properly. Training and education was anyway Ratanshibhai’s most favorite subject. Brothers who had received education equivalent to him were countable on fingers in our communities at that time. Ratanshibhai knew well that the root cause of our caste’s ruin is lack of education and ignorance. And if true upliftment of the caste is to be done then they will have to emphasize more and more on literacy of the caste. But at that time the condition of his Mandal was not such that it could bear any expense like school. Anyway, at that time the condition of most of our caste was also weak. Seeing the passion and desire for caste service of Karachi Yuvak Mandal, a brother of the caste Shri Laljibhai Pethabhai Pokar voluntarily expressed desire to serve as a teacher without salary. So the privilege of starting perhaps the first night school of our caste in the month of October 1938 AD also goes to this enthusiastic youth group of Karachi. In this school not only children, any of our brother going to work during day could take literacy at night. With the gradual increase in the number of students in the school started for free, it was decided to take a negligible fee of four annas for arrangement. So that the number does not decrease due to cold in winter days and studies are not disturbed, arrangements for vests for students and shawls for masters were made by raising funds from donors through the Mandal. As the number of students increased day by day, need for one more master was felt. So again, the younger brother of Bhaishri Laljibhai serving as current school master, Shri Narayanji Pethabhai also expressed desire to contribute as a master. So more classes could be made from one. Calling an annual meeting for students passing in exam, a book of next standard and a packet of dry fruits were given as prize from the stage by the hands of special guests. Gifts like wrist watches and shawls and dhotis were given to masters. In one such annual meeting, in the presence of gentleman Shriman Dr. Popatlal who came as a guest, when Bhaishri Ratanshi Shivji read out the accounts of the school, he said with surprise that I have also run two-three night schools so I have enough experience that no institution can teach students in such a short expense. For this the school administrators deserve thanks.

In a report of this night school, Ratanshibhai has written with helplessness that brothers of our caste forgetting Sanatan Dharma have gone astray and are wasting their money in the name of charity. Looking at other educated communities, our community has wasted so much money behind the enjoyment of other communities. According to a saying “Gharna chokra ghanti chate ne upadhyay ne ato” (Children of the house lick the millstone and flour to the priest), if brothers of our caste spend even half the money they waste outside in the name of charity for the advancement of children of their own caste, then we would not have to depend on others. (Source: From the report of Night School of Kutch Kadva Patidar Gnati Sudharak Yuvak Mandal)

Thus, a laudable attempt has been made to pay Sanatani tribute to the work of this talented young brother who remained at the center of every small and big reformist initiative for the upliftment of our poor and ignorant caste living around Karachi and General Secretary of the largest Mandal of the community at that time and the historic second conference, by giving a small place in the book of history of our caste today. (All sources of this article have been obtained based on the link of Real Patidar Library given here. For which many thanks to their entire team. Link: www.realpatidar.com/library)