Jethmal Parsram Gulrajani

Jethmal Parsram was born in Hyderabad, Sindh, British India (now Pakistan). His correct date of birth is unknown. According to G.M. Syed, he was born in 1885,[1] however, according to Jotwani,[2] his year of birth is 1886. He studied at the Nevalrai Hiranand Academy and passed matriculation examination from the Bambay University (now Mumbai University) in 1902. He was appointed as a teacher in his alma mater Nevalrai Hiranand Academy in 1902 and Sindh Madersatul Islam High School Karachi in 1910. Renowned writer Lalchand Amerdinomal was his colleague at the Sindh Madersatul Islam High School. He also served as a Headmaster at New High School Karachi but resigned in 1911. In 1916, he joined the Home Rule League of Annie Besant and took active part in this movement.[3] From 1916 and onward no literary, social and political gathering in Hyderabad was complete, if Jethmal did not attend it. He was an aggressive public speaker too.[4] He joined Sindh National College (now Government College University) Hyderabad in 1922 as a professor of Sindhi and served there till 1941.[5]

Jethmal Parsram was one of the most celebrated Sindhi literary journalists. He and his friend Lalchand Amardinomal founded the Sindhi Sahtya Society (Sindhi Literary Society) in 1914 under the auspices of which they launched the monthly Risalo (Literary magazine).[6] After a year or so, the renowned writer Lalchand Amerdinomal became editor of this magazine. Jethmal launched daily Hindvasi in 1917. As a fearless journalist he wrote an editorial entitled Kalalki Hut, Kusan jo Kopu Vahay (Sindhi: ڪلالڪي ھٽ، ڪسڻ جو ڪوپ وھي) meaning people throne to the tavern to sever their heads in return for a draught. This title was a quotation from Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai's poetry. The editorial was written against the killing of innocent people who had peacefully protested against the Rowlatt Act (1919). The editorial also condemned the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by the British army. The then British Government of India treated this editorial as seditious. Consequently, Jethmal was arrested and sent to jail.[7] During his imprisonment, he wrote his jail diary titled Turung-jo-Tirith (Pilgrimage of Prison). This was the first jail diary in Sindhi language which was published soon after his release from the jail.[8] The daily Hindvasi was renamed as Bharatvasi during his imprisonment. He was released from jail in 1921 and continued as an editor and publisher of this newspaper. He also launched a monthly literary magazine Rooh Rihan in 1921.[9]

About the same time, he started the "New Sindhi Library" and "Sasti Sahit" (Cheap Literature) series, a milestone in Sindhi publication under which he published more than a hundred books of standard merit, original and translated.[10]

He launched weekly newspaper Sindh Herald in 1929. He also served as an editor of daily Parkash and honorary editor of weekly Sindhri.[5]

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:

After creation of Pakistan in 1947, he reluctantly left his homeland Sindh and migrated to Bombay (now Mumbai) India, where he died on 6 July 1948.

Deepchandra Belani has written a monogram on life and writings of Jethmal Parsram.[12]