Humanitarian Trade Unionist Jhabvala’s Pioneering Efforts for Workers’ Rights Renana Jhabvala havaksha Hormasji Jhabvala his early years. However, I could not to be the bulwark of trade unionism was a prolific writer. He wrote find much about his role as an early and the launching pads for many Sin newspapers, journals and trade unionist. In books on trade prominent trade unionists. It was only pamphlets. He published over 30 unionism, his name appears, but after 1920 that trade unionism in books on a variety of topics. Most of usually merits a few lines. Nowhere Bombay became a rapidly growing these articles and books were on could I find out much about the ‘ vital movement. It could take off only topics he felt strongly about— father of many trade unions’, nor because there were already a number prohibition, leprosy, trade unionism, could I understand why he could not of these trade union organisations in the Gita, a History of the Parsees, remain the ‘master’ of any. the city, and the concept of ‘organise and the poems of Sant Kabir. He did Finally, I read closely his defence and unite’ had already taken root in not, however, write about himself, his before the Additional Sessions Judge the workers’ consciousness. own thoughts, his development, and at Meerut in 1931. There, in his own However, the newer trade most important, his own actions. He words, he attempts to analyse his unionism turned from a humanitarian saw himself as a karmayogi and yet actions and the actions of those he cause into a political movement; the he rarely wrote about his own deeds. worked with. I have used this as my trade unions formed by him were So, even though he is my grandfather, primary source and have quoted him ‘captured’ by new people and, more when I began to write this article I had liberally. In fact, this article is nothing important, new ideas. At the same time very little about him that I could use. I but an attempt to write his story in his the Government began to become was interested in his days as a trade own words. I have, in particular, suspicious about trade union activity unionist, in his experiences as the concentrated on the period of his most and the new ideas behind it. In 1929, founder of many trade unions in the active trade unionism, i.e. 1914 to 1929, they arrested a large number of days when trade unionism was little in an attempt to understand both his Bombay trade unionists on the charge known in this country. own contribution to trade unionism of (among others) a ‘conspiracy to A veteran trade union leader once and the foundations of trade unions deprive the King of his Sovereignty.’ said to me, “Your grandfather was the in India. To my surprise I found that Jhabvala was finally cleared of all father of many trade unions and the until 1920, that is, until the charges, and released several years master of none.” In our family we were international implications of the later, but by then the trade union often told about the hardships that Russian Revolution made themselves movement had changed, as had the the family had to face during his time felt in India, he worked almost single mood in the country. And as he says: in custody during the famous Meerut handed and formed a wide variety of “Imperialism has conspired with Conspiracy Case, which was a result trade unions, many of which went on communism, and between the two a of his trade union activities. After his poor humanitarian like me has been release from jail his life seems to have “Imperialism has crushed.” changed. Most people remember him conspired with communism In this article I have tried to reveal as an old man wandering in the streets events through Jhabvala’s eyes. In of Bombay, in typical Parsi costume, and between the two, a addition I am grateful to Mr. Ravindra with newspapers under his arm and a poor humanitarian like me Pinge who had recorded many bag hanging from his shoulder. I have has been crushed.” incidents of his life in a newspaper drawn on his obituaries for details of article in 1971. Perhaps there may be 22 MANUSHI inaccuracies, and I invite the reader He started his life as part of the “I am only a seeker after truth to point these out as well as provide editorial team of a monthly magazine and in the search thereof, I am me with any material that she may devoted to the ideas of swaraj. simply passing through various have, in order to throw further light However after some time he decided experiences of life. I undertook the on the events of those important that he could better serve the country work of organising the masses years. by educating youth and he became a simply from a human-itarian and Vows of Early Years school teacher in Devlali, near philanthropic point of view. I had Bombay. As a teacher he advocated been dragged into the vortex of Jhabvala was born in Surat in 1884; the Gurukul approach, as he felt that trade unionism simply because I his father was a school teacher. He this would bring the young closer to felt largely for the poor toiling studied in primary school in the ideas of swaraj and away from masses of the motherland. 1300 Government school in Surat and later materialism. years ago my community landed joined the Irish Presbyterian Mission He spent the rest of his working upon the School for matriculation. In order to life either as a journalist or as a school soil of India. Since then my finance his education he used to sing teacher, advocating and living the predecessors and myself have during Parsi marriages. After ideas he believed in. He had a restless been eating the grateful salt of this matriculation in 1901 he came to nature and could not stay for long in country, and the little rippling voice Bombay and joined Elphinstone one place, or with one school, one from within has always asked me College. He completed his BA, but magazine, one newspaper. He went the question why if I could live studied Law only half-way, until he from Bombay to Nasik, to Agra, and happily I should not help others got inspired by Dadabhai Naoroji’s back to Bombay. He worked on well who are fallen, who are miserable ideas about swaraj, and decided to known newspapers and even brought and who are naked. The dictates of work for society and the poor. out his own. However, both his my religion are that we should try Although the new ideas of swaraj journalism and his teaching were to serve others... I have always were the catalyst for him to enter public secondary to his true mission in life— thought charitably of the poor, the life, in fact he had been waiting for serving the workers. weak and the ignorant, whose such a chance. As he says: seething masses swell “Long ago when I was a around us all over the young boy, that is in 1897, I world. It was this feeling had seen much human that led me to organisation suffering in my native place of the working class.” for those were the dire times (pp.716-717). of the great famine, and my Start of Social Work silent soul wept within me ... I took vows that when Jhabvala’s first introduction I grow old and capable to social work came with his of running my life meeting in 1911 with independently I would pay Gopalkrishna Devdhar, a back my debt to God and disciple of Gopal Krishna Gokhale, who taught him how offer service to the poor to use his incomplete legal people of my country, training in a systematic way to sacrificing a part of my own serve society. Devdhar also energy and time to their introduced him to Hindu cause. So when I was able philosophy, and he became so to gain the independence, absorbed that he went to I thought the vows must Benaras to study further. There be fulfilled and twenty years he came in contact with Mrs. thence entered into the Besant and Babu region of fulfilling the Bhagwandas. Later he wrote a vows.” (p. 787). Jhabvala with his family treatise on the Gita. No. 127 23 On his return to Bombay, he joined “It was not only “The town of Bombay especially the swaraj-inclined Bombay a time of rapid opened out a vast field for an active Chronicle. At the same time he met a industrialisation and kind of organizing effort wherein group of lawyers who were part of the urbanisation, it was I could best exercise the sympathy Home Rule movement and members of also a time of turmoil which throbbed within me... the Servants of India Society and of the in ideas and strate- I would stand at the end of the Theosophical Society. These were gies for social justice, street when the factories were Barristers Baptista and Pawar, Solicitor both in India and world-wide.” whistled off and would cry ‘Ye Ginwalla, Diwan Chaman Lal and many Around 1914, when Jhabvala first who are fallen and miserable, others. He was a young man in this older started his humanitarian work, the come ye here and I shall help you group and became the most active. As ideas of trade unionism had been tried out of the slough of distress.’A he explained: out and had succeeded in Britain, few letters were scribbled on “In the early days..