A UNIQUE CASTE SYSTEM OF SINDHIS

By Sahib Bijani

As post partition Sindhis, we had often heard of Sindhi names/labels like Amils, Bhaibands, Sindhiwarkis, Hyderabadis and so on, but could not make sense of these so called ‘castes’ of the community. Sindhishaan requested veteran researcher Shri Sahib Bijani to simplify and explain the various ‘types’ to the Sindh community. Here is a summary of the extensive research conducted by Shri Bijani.

Sindhis don’t follow any caste system, but there are certain loosely defined ‘castes’ or ‘zaats’ that are distinct from each other as they have come to be associated with distinct cultural and behavioral characteristics. These qualities or traits arose either from their professional differences or from the cities and places of living. For example Hyderabadis are known because they lived in Hyderabad which was comparatively an advanced and prosperous city. Similarly Shikarpuris are people from Shikarpur. This way there are many classifications in the Sindhi community. We have tried to enumerate some of the better known types in this article.

AMILS – The word Amil comes from amal which means to practice. These are Hindu Kshatriyas who worked as accountants in the governments of Mirs and Kalhodas in Sindh. Nowadays their descendants are also known as Amils even though they may not be in service. Amils residing in Hyderabad would be known as Hyderabadi Amils. Some of the Amils also resided in Khairpur, Larkana and Sevanh. Hyderabadis are supposed to be of a higher Zaat, well educated and fair skinned because the city of Hyderabad in those days was an education and cultural hub.

BHAIBANDS – In Sindh, the business class of Sindhis was known as Bhaibands. These people were into trading and business activities in the kingdom of the Mirs. It would be possible to find one Amil brother and one Bhaiband brother in the same household. In those days Amils would marry only Amils and Bhaibands would marry only Bhaibands. Nowadays even though they may be in service, yet they are known as Bhaibands if their ancestors belonged to this caste.

SINDHWARKIS – Sindhwarkis are those Bhaibands of Sindh who traded in the materials made in Sindh and then exported it. In 1843, the British conquered Sindh and at that time, the Hyderabadi Bhaibands supplied the materials for daily needs to the British soldiers. Because of their contact with the British army they supplied all types of material to them, even from the villages of Sindh. Then these Bhaibands went to Bombay, from there to Columbia and Rangoon. In 1869 the Suez Canal was opened and many Sindhwarkis went to Europe and Singapore and then spread all over the world, and began trading from many other ports and cities. This is the now known category of Sindhi NRIs

CHHAPRUS – The word Chhapru comes from the word Chhappar meaning mountain. These people usually lived in the mountain regions in Sindh and later came down to stay in Karachi. Chhaprus have followed their own distinct rituals and customs. Some of the Chhaprus are also known as Saprus.

BHATIAS – Bhatias are descendants of Shri Krishna. There are thousands of Sindhi Bhatias all over the world today. They usually marry among themselves and are strict vegetarians. Many don’t even eat onions and garlic. Some of their sub-castes are Gajria, Kajria, Parmal etc.

MASANDS – Masands were appointed to spread Sikhism by the fourth Guru, Guru Ramdas. They would spread the message of Gurbani in small towns and villages and collect funds. Then on Diwali day they would go and meet their Guru and hand over the collection. They would then be honored by their Guru. Even today there are around 300 Masands in India; some of them are brilliant educationists and social workers.

THAKURS – These are the descendants of Lord Jhulelal. They are the official Brahmins of the Sindhi community. They head many Sindhi Tikanas and Durbars.

BHAGNARIS – There were two small villages in Baluchistan known as Bhag and Nari which explains the name of this Bhagnari community. They were the community of dry fruits and spice merchants of those days. Some Bhagnaris were also wine merchants. They strictly married in their own community. Some of the famous Bhagnaris are Popleys, Nanomal Issardas and so on.

LOHANAS – Lohanas are the desendants of Luv, the son of Bhagwan Ramchandra. They are the Kshatriyas who lived in an iron fort built by them in Punjab known as Loh-Ghar, which later came to be known as Lahore. They came to Sindh from Lahore from where many Lohanas migrated to Kutch. They are usually engaged in trading and other business.

There are many more such Jaatis in Sindhis and it is not possible to describe each and everyone in this small article. Efforts must be made to research, classify and tabulate these various castes and sub-castes because it has importance for the future generation.

Mukhi Awaz: The Sindh Voice of Generations

Dr. Suresh K. Bhavnani

When my mother was being wheeled into surgery after a hip-fracture, she saw the deep concern on my face. The surgeon had insisted that despite mom being 95 years, her fracture should be reduced given how healthy she was. But we both knew of the enormous risks she faced. As I held her hand, she spoke quietly and said “Well, at least you know my story”. Those words expressed both the potential finality of her life, and the importance of the stories of Sindh before the 1947 partition, that she so haltingly had told me just the night before. Over many years, on rare occasions after dinner, she would open up about her life in Sindh. But when I would inadvertently ask sensitive questions, she would abruptly stop and send me away. “Enough! I won’t be able to sleep!”.

All this changed after her surgery. As she struggled to recover, our relationship was permanently transformed. She was not just my mother, but also an urgent narrator of her life; and I was not just her son, but also a caregiver and a persistent recorder and custodian of her story. Many bedside dinners later, I gradually realized that mom was not just offering me stories about her life in Sindh, but was also revealing a glimpse of our family’s legacy that was tightly connected with the history of Sindh. This essay is an attempt to describe how I navigated the difficult terrain of her painful past, shedding light on the geopolitical changes that engulfed her family spanning multiple generations, and its impact on my own Sindhi identity.

Mukhi Palace: The Legacy. Mom came from an influential Sindhi family -- the Mukhis. In 1921, at the age of three, she moved into a palatial home she called the Mukhi Palace. While growing up, she heard stories from the family cook of Tarachand Mukhi, her great grandfather, who had negotiated with the victorious English army not to plunder Hyderabad, making him a legend in the community. She soon witnessed her father become an heir to an enormous fortune of 10,000 acres of land in Nawab Shah close to Hyderabad Sindh, an international gold business, a twice-elected politician in the Sindh government, and “Mukhi” leader of the Sindhi Bhaibunds.

In the 1930s, mom’s fairytale palace evolved into the prestigious Mukhi House, a physical and symbolic hub for influential people to visit from Sindh and around the world. She had personal conversations with the English governor of Sindh when he visited their home, attended garden parties held by his wife, hosted Lady Rama Rao, leader of the women’s suffragist movement, and knew which room Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India, spent two nights during his visit to her home. But she also witnessed her mother dying of TB, an assassination attempt on her father as he stood for elections, leaving home suddenly to escape to Bombay with only a small suitcase of clothes before the partition, and the subsequent death of her father in a fatal car crash on his way to Hyderabad. As I recorded the numerous details she recounted, I realized she had sat in the front row of history, witnessing first-hand the glories and tragedies of Sindh.

These stories came in bits and pieces over my years growing up in India, and to our young minds, they were frozen in a sepia-toned past of fuzzy pictures and fragmented events. But now, after her hip fracture, mom’s stories had a ferocious urgency with exquisite detail, and with little that was held back. Guided by her collection of about 100 photographs, we traced almost every year that she had spent in the Mukhi House. This journey helped me realized that my values about education, health, and society were not just a result of happy circumstance or genes, but a belief system that was an integral part of the Mukhi legacy, and intentionally handed down from my grandfather to mom, and then to me. I realized I came from a family that was not just influential because of their wealth, but because that wealth was a product of their engagement and respect for the very community that they were part of, and which was in turn returned to them through a cycle of philanthropy. “Distribute your wealth back to where it came from” mom would say. “What one hand gives, the other should not know”. I learned that when my grandfather lost his life while driving back to Sindh ten years after the partition, he was not just on a business trip, but was living the role of a Mukhi who had promised to serve the community that had elected him, and who were now vulnerable as they had chosen to stay back in Sindh. He had hoped for many years that his family would return to their ancestral lands to protect those people, despite the massive geopolitical shifts that stood in the way.

As the details of mom’s stories tumbled out, I sensed that her narratives were not just another set of nostalgic stories about Sindh, but rather held at their core, a progressive community-based legacy that had been nurtured and developed over many generations. Little did I realize that mom’s stories had begun a quiet but powerful transformation to my own identity.

Mukhi House: The Museum. After my grandfather’s death, our family attempted to sell the Mukhi House, but the distrust between the two young nations of India and Pakistan was too much of a hurdle to overcome. The Mukhi House slipped into a state of limbo -- we still had the property papers, but despite being at a drivable distance from Bombay and Delhi, the Mukhi House might as well have been on a different continent. The building and its legacy evolved into the family’s mythology, but was discussed less and less frequently as the years went by. While many Sindhi families tragically lost life and property, the Mukhis lost their moral status which had been refined over generations in the relatively homogenous context of Sindh, but had become much less relevant in the cosmopolitan context of Bombay.

Over the years, we heard news reports of how the Mukhi House suffered gradual deterioration resulting from collateral damage during the language wars, neglect due to the lack of ownership, and arson to burn down the building. Distant relatives who remembered the grand Mukhi house, sent smudged xerox copies of copies, made from clippings of newspaper articles published in Sindh. These copies were distributed among the family, folded and slipped into disintegrating albums, and tucked under clothes in dark drawers. These scraps of paper represented proud but painful reminders of an interrupted legacy going back hundreds of years, but were pushed into the deep recesses of our consciousness. Occasionally they were retrieved on those rare days when a curious child begged for the warm feeling of being told a story. “Mom, how many rooms were there in the Mukhi Palace?” I would ask, to goad mom into starting her stories.

A chance encounter reversed this tragic downward spiral of the Mukhi House. Indru Watumull, my mother’s sister who lived in Honolulu, attended a lecture by Dr. Mark Kaynoyer, a leading expert on the Indus Valley civilization in Sindh. Given his connection to Sindh, their discussion soon led to the idea of transferring ownership of the deteriorating Mukhi House to the Sindh government, on condition that it be converted into a museum. The building was legally transferred, followed by an extensive conservation effort led by Kaleem Lashari, archeologist from the department of Antiquities in the government of Sindh. Mom’s photographs, showing locations in and around the Mukhi House, helped the conservation team to recreate the former grandeur of the Mukhi House.

As a measure of gratitude for the continued philanthropy of the Mukhis, our family was invited by the Sindh government in 2013 to witness the newly conserved Mukhi House. During our visit, I was able to trace back each photograph from my mother’s collection to the room where it was taken, and relived the stories my mother had told me over the years. I ate Sindhi pakoras just like she did with her family, and I spun around in the courtyard looking up to the clouds just as she did as a child playing in the rain. Walking through the restored rooms, I was able to directly confront my family’s mythology. The sepia-toned past came into sharp focus visually and viscerally as I touched the walls that had witnessed her story and captured her imagination.

On my return from Sindh, I created the video “Legends of the Mukhi House”, which merged my mother’s stories, with my own experience visiting Sindh. The video was gifted to my mother on her 99 th birthday. She watched the video quietly, and then asked to see it a second time. She then thanked me and said that the video was an accurate reflection of her life in Sindh, and she felt as if she was back home. However, her lingering question was “When will the Mukhi House be opened to the public?” Unfortunately, twenty days later, she passed away peacefully, but with that question still lingering in all our minds.

Mukhi Awaz: The Next Generation. The euphoria of visiting the Mukhi House and witnessing its brilliant conservation was short-lived. During our visit to Sindh, we were told that the museum would be inaugurated in 2014, at which time we would be invited back for a celebration. But a shift in political leadership came with a shift in priorities. Our connections had moved on, and numerous emails, text messages and phone calls went unanswered. I had a chance meeting with a Karachi journalist visiting Houston in 2018, who transmitted our enquiries to the minister of culture in Sindh. We soon heard that the Mukhi House had been opened to the public, and a trickle of photographs from visitors showed up on social media. However, the Mukhi House was still not officially designated as a museum, and we were increasingly uncertain of its future.

In 2020, as the pandemic raged, I wondered if I could explore a different tactic by reaching out to the young students and professionals in Sindh. Would that generation better embrace the Mukhi House, and through a grassroots movement, impact the future of the Mukhi House? The task seemed daunting as I neither had close contacts in Pakistan, nor understood the current cultural context, nor was aware of the political hurdles the Mukhi House currently faced. Worst of all, I had no experience in engaging a community through social media, or even otherwise.

But the family’s disappointment, and mom’s personal wish after watching the video, motivated me into reaching out to the broader Sindhi community. After all, I thought, they were now the new owners of this building, and time for them to emotionally and intellectually take claim to its soul. Perhaps my mother’s stories had awakened a sense of community that had been latent in me all these years. But my goals were still quite narrow: Could I explain to the next generation that the beauty of the Mukhi House was not just in its handsome walls, but also what happened between the walls? Filled with doubt, I wondered whether they would respond to stories in the video, and understand the progressive community-based ideals of the Mukhi Family that had moved me. Why would people thousands of miles away care about the ideals of a family that had left more than half a century ago?

I searched out people who were friends on the Mukhi House Facebook page, and gradually began a dialog with a few young journalists. I requested them to watch the 30-minute video on the Mukhi House, which most often did not happen perhaps due to its length. But the few, who did watch the video in its entirety, had powerful responses. Some unabashedly said they cried, others thanked me profusely, and yet others just wanted to talk about Sindh.

Encouraged by these early responses, I created a WhatsApp group called Mukhi Awaz. The journalists shared with me many contacts which included journalists, writers, curators, human rights advocates, students, children, and parents. With almost 75 members, I tentatively explored with them whether we should have a community meeting in the Mukhi House. Their response was strongly positive, many of whom had not heard about the Mukhi House before. More than 50 people attended the first Mukhi Awaz meeting in the Mukhi House. They watched the video, which was followed by a Zoom discussion about the Mukhi House. The discussion centered on how to improve the experience of visitors at the museum, the need to increase awareness of the museum in the community, and a Mukhi Foundation in the future to help students in their careers.

As I fumbled along in my new community role, I learned about the complex composition of the Sindh culture, for which I was unprepared. During my visit to Sindh, I had been embarrassed by my ignorance that Sindhis consisted of both Hindus and Muslims. Our parents and grandparents had understandably focused primarily on their own partition experience, resulting in us hearing little of the other dislocations that had occurred. Furthermore, many in the Sindhi diaspora including myself, believed that being Sindhi and Hindu were synonymous, and that all of them had left their homeland after the partition. Not only was this second-hand view of Sindh incomplete, but was also frozen in 1947. Sindh clearly had indigenous Sindhis that were both Hindus and Muslims. These Sindhis had peacefully co-existed for generations before the partition. And yes, there were many of both religious persuasions that still lived in Sindh today. These were the very people whose genes I shared, and who saw the Mukhi House as their own. No more explanations were needed.

However, I also learned that those indigenous Hindu and Muslim Sindhis were a minority, and regularly face discrimination along many dimensions that I still need to fully understand. This realization strongly pulled me out of my comfort zone. I had merely wished to ensure that visitors and future generations of the Mukhi House understood what happened between the walls of the Mukhi House, and to explore how the progressive community-based ideals of the Mukhi family could be made relevant to the current and future communities of Sindh. But clearly, for a meaningful conversation, I could not ignore the complex social schisms in modern Sindh, with its inevitable political and economic ramifications. Was I prepared for this complexity? Were my good intentions sufficient, or would my ignorance and naiveté create a mess?

Fortunately, the young Sindhis mostly rallied around my good intentions. Soon, I was having long conversations over WhatsApp with journalists, students, professionals, parents, and children We had Zoom music parties, explored skits and songs with children, and engaged in small talk about things that make us human. I composed a song for children called “Sun Lo Mukhi Awaz”, just for the fun of it, and to which the children loved to sing and dance. Unexpectedly, the culture minister of Sindh, Syed Sardar Ali Shah, called me and said that he did not have words to express his emotions after listening to the song. He called the Mukhi House a pearl of Pakistan, and said that Sindh would thank the Mukhi family for generations to come. He said that after watching the video, he heard my mother’s voice each time he walked into the Mukhi House, and wished the video and the song to be a central part of the museum’s permanent collection. Just a few weeks later, I was invited to give an inaugural address for the museum opening. The Mukhi House museum had finally arrived.

As Emerson once said, “a house is made of walls and beams; a home is built of love and dreams. Based on my mother’s stories, more than 100 years ago her family dreamed of a home to embody the progressive community-based ideals of Sindh. While my goal over the last six months was to articulate that dream, it was I who was in turn transformed. Through extensive conversations with the youth of Sindh, I learned that the dream symbolized by the Mukhi House was alive and well in the hearts of Sindhis. That dream kept the Mukhi House alive, and through its inauguration as a museum on its 100th year anniversary, promises that we can enable that dream to continue. My mother’s wish had finally been fulfilled, and the stories that she so urgently told me in her last days, would be remembered by future generations, not just as her beloved home, but also as a microcosm of the geopolitical forces that rocked her world, and yet survived to see another day in Sindh.

Given my transformative experiences with the youth of Sindh, we are currently organizing a pan-Sindhi discussion with Sindhi youth from around the world. The goal is for us to engage in a discussion about what it means to be a Sindhi in an increasingly complex world. What would you like this panel to discuss? How would you like to take part in that discussion? Please send me your thoughts at the following email address: skbhavnani@gmail.com.

STATUS & SNOBBERY SINDHI STYLE

By Arun & Sabita Babani

Status and snobbery have been around in human societies since the early beginnings. In ancient kingdoms status was determined by the number of tigers killed or by the number of ladies in the harems. Which is why snobbery makes anyone look classy and it makes people sit up and take notice of your Dobermans.   

In Pre-Partition Sindh, particularly in Hyderabad, the snobbish Sindhi took roots and grew up. In those early days of status consciousness one would be counted among the higher ups by the number of servants at one’s house, or by the number of dishes cooked for dinner. Slowly the art of snobbery took shape and substance and today a Sindhi shows off the brand of his cell phone or his latest laptop directly purchased from Dubai, or even the surgeon he consults for his bypass that spells magic for his

status.

Sindhis, simple folk that they are, have not had much to flaunt by way of culture or class except of course their wealth. So with Sindhis it’s the V.I.P passes at the drama festival that make them feel powerful and enviable. Nowadays some wealthy Sindhi gents have also made to Page 3. Apparently they get there by their socio-political connections, so you’ll have a ‘social worker’ sipping a drink with Murli Deora, or an arty Sindhi lady discussing the finer points of tapestry with Tina Ambani.

Sindhi ladies, the bulk of them, don’t fit the bill of a truly snobbish Mademoiselle, but if you peep into their kitty gatherings you see that snobbery takes a new turn and becomes competition. Here the count of your husband’s socks or the name of your hair dresser raises enough eyebrows to feel secure in your snobbery. Actually the snob Sindhi woman is a Post Partition phenomenon, a product

of urban suburbs with a convent certificate. If the mother got her groceries from Ochi Pasari, the daughter insists on doing her monthly shopping from a super store, on her newly acquired ICICI

credit card. If mother cannot do without Thakur Cut Piece for her salwar suits the daughter has trendy boutiques with lots of snob appeal to shop from. If father insists on buying a 2BHK in Nav

Jivan Society, the son has an eye for a studio apartment in Hiranandani Gardens. Everything used to come with a price tag, but now everything comes with a snob appeal!

Sindhis play the snobbery game mainly to impress their friends and relatives, particularly their Senns, the in-laws. Here snobbery takes the form of who-gives-more-who-gets-more game.

Sindhi marriages are a big occasion for a Ping-Pong game of snobbery. (“If they do gold, we do diamonds”)

In his book ‘Status Anxiety’, the author describes the pursuit of status as the second “great love story” of every adult life. It is, he writes, “the story of our quest for love from the world”. In India our standing in society was always about caste, but with globalization

the rules of snobbery and status are changing so that now it’s about having the right address, right clothes, right hair colouring, right cell phone, and even the right parties.

Young Sindhi Gen-Next, born with a silver spoon and a set of silver cutlery too must be made to watch out for the sinister pace of snobbery because it’s an endless race with your in-laws that

might exhaust you sooner than you think.

Suhini Mehar

By Raj Dawani

During the Moghul rule in India in Gujrat city of Punjab a famous potter used to stay. His name was Tula Kumbhar. Kings and Aristocrats used the vessels made in his kiln. As a result he was quite a prosperous man.

He had only a daughter as a child. She was clever as well as very beautiful. Therefore she was called “Sohini” - Beautiful.

During that period in the city of Bukhara situated in Turkistan, lived a businessman named Mirza Ali. Though he was very rich and renowned, he had one unfulfilled desire, to have an  offspring.

Once, a holy man visited his city, he confided his desire to him and requested him to grant a

boon of a child. The holy man granted him his wish but told him that he will beget a son but at 16 years of age he will be separated from him. The Businessman was naturally saddened to hear this but accepted it as God’s will.

After ten months he was blessed with a son. He was named Izzat beg. He was brought up with all the love and affection in the midst of luxuries. When he grew to be a big boy he learnt about the riches and wisdom of India and many exquisite things related to India. He naturally wanted to satisfy his curiosity and visit India. Mirza Ali tried his best to restrain him but to no avail. The boy remained adamant.

He took merchandise and set out to India. His mother and father bid him tearful farewell and showered him with all the blessings for his welfare and safety.

When he reached Delhi, the capital of India, he indulged himself with all sorts of luxuries. He thought of going to Lahore from where he wanted to purchase delicate merchandise to sell in his city of Bukhara. On the way, on seeing the beautiful city of Gujrat on the confluence of Ravi and Chenab, he decided to spend some time in that beautiful city. There he befriended many people of nobility and aristocrats and he was told about the beautiful pottery work of Tula Kumbhar (potter).

He sent his servant to go to his home to purchase some souvenir for his family. There, the  servant saw Sohini and he related to his master about the beautiful girl in Tula Kumbhar’s house.

Hearing of her beauty Izzat Beg fell in love with her without having even set his sight on her. Next day he himself went to Tula Kumbhar’s house on the pretext of maKing some purchases. When he saw Sohini he was entranced and the same was the case with Sohini.

This seed of love in the heart of Izzat Beg continued to grow and bloom as strong as a tree. He forsake the idea of returning back to Bukhara instead he opened a shop in the Gujrat city itself where he would purchase earthen ware from Tula Kumbhar and sell it to others.

Often he would sale the vessels at loss. He was quite oblivious to everything except the fact that he was deeply in love with Sohini. Seeing him in this state his servants also took away all his money and went to their country.

He started taking earthenware on credit from Tula Kumbhar. At last a stage came when he could not repay the debts, he requested him to employ him as a servant. Tula Kumbhar employed him as a servant, assigned to him the work of bringing clay from the riverbank, and other sundry domestic chores.

Izzat Beg was not used to such a rigorous life and fell sick. Tula Kumbhar out of pity relived him of heavy work and instead gave him the work of looking after his herd of Buffalos. Thus he came to be known as ‘Mehar’.

One day Sohini came into buffalo shed where Mehar was busy milking a buffalo. On the pretext of having milk she came to Mehar. Taking this opportunity Mehar confided his feeling to her and she was also equally attracted to him. Thus they used to meet in the buffalo shed to share some precious moments of intimacy.

It is said that the love and scent of musk cannot be confined.

Sohini’s mother came to know of this affair. She tried to prevail upon her about the dangers, futility of such a move but Sohini turned a deaf ear to her mothers’ advice as well as her threats, and the mother had to share these going on with her husband. Tula Kumbhar immediately sacked Mehar and got his daughter married to Damma.

On her being forced to marry Damma she prayed to god that she should remain virtuous.

Miraculously every night Damma would immediately fall into a deep slumber and she remained untouched. All the time she would pine for her Mehar and would think of meeting him. Similarly, Meher also all the time was absorbed in her thoughts. He could not bear the separation from his beloved and renounced the world to become a fakir (a medicant).

In search of Sohini one day he reached outside the home of Sohini. He loudly asked for alms to be fed. On the pretext of giving food to a fakir, Sohini came out to meet him. She immediately assured him that she was pure and very much wanted to meet him. She told him that she was pining for him all this while.

It is said about lovers that six signs, i.e. cold breath, yellow color, tearful eyes, anxiety, restlessness and unceasing quest, can identify them.

Mehar was happy to see his beloved, but looking to reality he was overcome with sadness and went into Jungle. There he came upon the abode of guru Gorakhnath. He announced his presence there. One of the followers of guru came out and told him, “If you are Jogi you may enter”.’

His appearance and good manners immediately impressed the guru and he was admitted into their fold. He sincerely served his guru who was very pleased with him and granted him a boon. He said that he should be able to meet his beloved. He blessed him and said, “your wish will soon be granted, whatever wish you have nursed in your heart, your desire will be met, and you will meet beloved”.

Thereafter Mehar came and settled as a Jogi, on the banks of Chenab River on the opposite side of the river from Sohini’s house. Soon his fame as a holy person spread and fisher folk would give him food consisting of fish, butter and curd. His fame reached Sohini also and from the description of Jogi she was sure that he must be Mehar. Once she came to meet him.

They both were very happy at the turn of events. It was decided that Mehar would every night cross the river and the lovers would meet. This way both continued to meet oblivious to any thing happening around them. Every night Mehar would bring a fish, they would eat it and pass their time in each others company. When Sohini’s friends came to know of this they tried to dissuade her from such a dangerous behavior. Sohini replied to them:

“If only you were to see the face of Mehar, You would not prevent me, but would enter the river with your pots”.

One day a severe storm raged, the fisherman could not venture out and Mehar did not get any fish. He did not want to go empty handed to meet Sohini and belittle himself. He cut a flesh from his leg, cooked it and took it as a gift to Sohini. Due to swimming in the river and loss of blood Mehar reached nearly unconscious to meet Sohini. Sohini was surprised at all this; she did not understand the reason of this happening. When Mehar slightly recovered he told her every thing. Sohini was horrified and she pacified him by saying, “you have done your duty hence forth I will do my duty”.

Mehar did not budge and insisted on coming to her every night but due to extreme weakness he could not go to meet Sohini, inspite of his strong wish he simply could not move. At mid-night Sohini came to meet him floating on the baked pitcher. Soon it became a routine. Every night Sohini would come to meet her beloved. She would return before dawn and hide her pitcher.

One night as Sohini was going out, her sister in law woke up and she followed Sohini. She understood the situation and informed her brother about it. He became very angry. They tried to restrain Sohini from following this path. Sohini did not pay any heed, so they decided to eliminate her.

One day her sister in law replaced the baked pitcher by an unbaked pitcher, which would soon dissolve in the water. That happened to be a night of raging storm, strong winds and torrential rains, as if nature was trying to warn Sohini against embarking on her perilous journey that night. Even fishermen along the bank warned her, but Sohini ignored all the warnings and plunged into swollen river. On her pitcher disintegrated, she started futile efforts to save herself. She cried, ‘Mehar- Mehar’ hearing her distress cries Mehar jumped into the river to save her, though the river was very furious at that time. He could not swim due to wound in his leg, some how he struggled to reach Sohini and they both went down embracing each other.

“Only those who dare to pay with their life would take plunge,

Beloved will meet only those who enter the river without support,

Pitcher is broken, Weather was worst; all the means were lost,

Thereafter Sohini could hear the call of Mehar”.

(Shah Latif)

What Sindhis Need to know about Thalassemia

By Dr Meena Samtani

Q1. What Is Thalassemia and its types?

Thalassemia is an inherited blood condition. Where, your blood has fewer red blood cells and less hemoglobin (anaemia) inside it. The job of the hemoglobin is to carry and supply oxygen to all parts of the body

The two types are -alpha thalassemia and beta thalassemia.

In alpha thalassemia, your hemoglobin does not produce enough alpha protein. You have four genes responsible for making the alpha protein chain of hemoglobin. You get two from each parent. If you have one abnormal copy of an alpha gene, you won’t have thalassemia but you’ll carry it. If you have two abnormal copies of an alpha gene, you’ll have mild alpha thalassemia. If you have more abnormal copies, you’ll have more serious alpha thalassemia. Babies with four abnormal copies of the alpha gene are often stillborn, or don’t survive long after birth. The more mutated genes, the person will suffer from other types of serious problems such as chronic anaemia and have to go through regular blood transfusions.

In beta thalassemia, your hemoglobin does not produce enough beta protein You have two genes that are needed to make the beta protein. You get one from each of your parents. If you have one abnormal copy of the beta gene, you’ll have mild beta thalassemia. If you have two copies, you’ll have more moderate to severe beta thalassemia that can be life-threatening.

A person with a trait or minor form may not have symptoms or only mild ones. They may not need treatment. Someone with a major form will need medical treatment.

Q2. Which communities are affected?

Thalassemia affects approximately 4.4 out of every 10,000 live births throughout the world. This condition causes both males and females to inherit the relevant gene mutations equally because it follows an autosomal pattern of inheritance with no preference for gender

Alpha thalassemia most often affects people who are of Southeast Asian, Indians, Chinese, or Filipino descent. Beta thalassemia most often affects people who are of Mediterranean (Greek, Italian and Middle Eastern), Asian, or African descent.

In Indian descent- High prevalence of  BTT(Beta Thalassemia Trait) was seen in The Gamit, Vasava, Chaudhary, Mahyavanshi ,Gujarati, Lohanas, Sindhis, Prajapatis, and Ghanchis.

According to the ethnic-wise distribution, the Sindhi ethnic group had the highest prevalence of both thalassemia traits (63.86%) and iron deficiency anemia (69.02%).

Q3. What are its Causes?

Thalassemia is genetic or from birth. It is passed from parents to children through mutated hemoglobin genes. If one or both of your parents carry thalassemia genes, you may get mild to severe thalassemia, depending on what type of protein is affected.

Q4. What are the signs and symptoms of Thalassemia?

They will not be visible until a newborn turns six months. Some of the symptoms include:

Slow growing babies

Wide or brittle bones

Big sized Spleen (an organ in your abdomen that filters blood and fights disease)

Tiredness, Weakness, Drowsiness.

Pale or yellow skin/ Jaundice

Poor appetite

Heart problems, chest pain, shortness of breath, fast heartbeat.

In some people, symptoms show up at birth. In others, it can take a couple of years to see anything. Children with moderate to severe thalassemia usually have signs by age 2. Some people who have thalassemia will show no signs at all.

Q5. What are the Complications of Thalassemia?

These problems don’t happen to everyone who has thalassemia.

1. Anaemia- if it becomes severe, it can cause permanent organ damage and even death.

2. Iron overload can damage your heart, liver, and endocrine system.

3. Bone changes. Your bones may become thin and brittle. And the bones in your face can look out of shape or distorted.

4. Slowed growth. You may be shorter than others because your bones don’t grow normally. Puberty may be delayed.

5. Enlarged spleen. Your spleen filters old or damaged blood cells. If you have thalassemia, your spleen might have to work too hard. Sometimes a doctor may need to remove it. If a doctor has to remove your spleen, you will be at higher risk for infection.

6. Heart problems. Thalassemia increases your risk for congestive heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms.

Q6. How do you diagnose Thalassemia?

*Blood tests like CBC (complete blood count) & Hemoglobin electrophoresis test.

*Genetic testing can show if you or your partner carries any of the genes that cause thalassemia.

*Chorionic Villus sampling tests a tiny piece of the placenta to see if a baby has the genes that cause thalassemia. This test is done around the 11th week of pregnancy.

*Amniocentesis tests the fluid around an unborn baby. This test is done around the 16th week of pregnancy.

Q7. Does thalassemia weaken the immune system?

Yes. Because of this, people with thalassemia are said to be “immunocompromised,” which means that some of the body's defenses against infection aren't working, hence it is easier for you to get infections and you sometimes need extra protection, like flu shots and other vaccines.

Q8. What is Thalassemia Treatment and Home Care?

*Stay away from sick people and wash your hands often.

*Don’t take iron pills.

But if thalassemia is more serious, your organs may not get the oxygen they need, therefore treatment might include:

*Blood transfusions to get hemoglobin. Sometimes, blood transfusions can give you infection and can cause reactions like a high fever, nausea, diarrhoea, chills, and low blood pressure

*Chelation therapy. To remove the extra iron from your body after the blood transfusions as too much iron can cause problems with the heart, liver, and blood sugar.

*Stem cell  or bone marrow transplant. Can sometimes cure thalassemia.

*Supplements. Like  folic acid

*Surgery. Some may need their spleen removed.

Q9. What  Diet to avoid and what to take?

For those going through blood transfusions,

Avoid: Iron rich and iron-fortified foods like cereal, red meat.

*Avoid/Minimise- Tea ( it absorbs dietary iron), Apple, Green leafy vegetables (high iron), dates, raisins, red meat (pork, mutton and beef), watermelon.

*Consume Calcium-Rich Foods to strengthen weak bones, increase intake of milk, eggs. *Also, getting vitamin D by just taking a sunbath for a minimum of 10 minutes in the morning. Add supplements.

*Add banana, sweet potatoes, lentils and beetroot as it can reduce the symptoms of thalassemia because these foods have folic acid that can help in producing more red blood cells.

*Consume Tulsi Juice. It has load of health benefits, also good for diabetics, reduces stress, depression and anxiety.

*Drink fresh Wheat Grass Juice, empty stomach usually in the evening, You can even grow this at home by simply planting some soaked wheat in small pots and water.

Q10.  Can you donate blood if you are suffering from thalassemia?

No. Only in special cases if advised by the Dr.

Q11. Anything else on Thalassemia?

This blood disorder is something that can turn out to be very life-threatening if it is in its severest form.

*If a person was suffering from this disease before 30, then it could mean faster death.

*A person suffering from thalassemia can get married and have children similar to that of a normal person.

*You can die of this disease if it is in its severest form which means it a life-threatening disease.

*India tops the list for having over 10,000 children born with this condition every year. Not more than 50% of them survive until the age of 20, thus making this a dangerous disease.

Q12. What is the life expectancy for a person suffering from thalassemia?

A person with the thalassemia trait has a normal life expectancy. But many people with thalassemia live as long as people without it. If the person has the disease before the age of 30 then it could get worse and lead to heart diseases, thus reducing the life expectancy of the person.

Q13. How do you prevent Thalassemia?

*You can’t prevent thalassemia, since it’s in your genes, but you can prevent transmission to your children, by doing

*Blood test for thalassemia, specially before marriage and specially in our Sindhi community.

*Couples having thalassemia trait should not marry.

*Pregnant women or those trying to have a baby, must do tests to learn if your child will have the condition.

*If you and/or your partner carry thalassemia and your future children will be at risk, it’s possible to make sure they won’t have it with in vitro fertilization (IVF). A doctor will test the embryos before choosing which to implant. Consult a genetic counsellor.

Q14. Can thalassemia be cured?

A stem cell transplant is the only treatment that can cure thalassemia. But only a small number of people who have severe thalassemia are able to find a good donor match and have the risky procedure. 

An Ode to Papa💙

Written by your princess Harshita Thadhani

Happy Fathers Day Papa💙

I wish you from the bottom of my heart💙

As I hold on to my beautiful memories of you💙

An understanding, loving father to us💙

A caring, wonderful husband to mom💙

An epitome of perfection💙

As your compassion encompassed our home💙

We learnt to Thank God from you💙

You taught us our inimitable values well💙

Unsurpassed laughter filled our home💙

As on your path we dwell💙

Indefatigable discipline,strength, valor, your teachings to, I abide💙

Importance of education💙

Positive thinking is key to how well I stride💙

Gratefulness for the haves💙

The ability to share💙

Reverence for the elders💙

Patience is mother of virtue, we bear💙

Sabudana Wada. (Tapioca cutlet)

By Dr Meena Samtani.

In memory of her Late loving mother-in-law Dru Samtani.

Ingredients:

Boiled Potatoes- 2

Raw Sabudana – ½ cup. When soaked, it becomes- 1 ½ cup.

Peanuts, roasted and coarsely ground- ½ cup

Finely chopped green chillies- 2 -3 tsp

Grated Ginger- 2 tsp

Cumin seeds- 1 tsp

Dry Mango Powder (Amchur)- 1 ½ tsp

Fasting salt-as per taste

Green Chutney- 1 cup (Optional)

Oil for frying.

Method:

In a vessel, put sabudana and add water till you see the water just floating on top of the sabudana. (Tip- Don’t add more water, or else it will become very soft and soggy). Leave it aside for 3 hours or overnight. Strain and leave aside for water to drain for 15- 30 mts.

In a big bowl, add the boiled potatoes and mash them with a fork. Then add sabudana, roasted ground peanuts, finely chopped green chillies, grated ginger, cumin seeds, dry mango powder, fasting salt and mix well. Put 1 tsp oil in the mixture and mix well. Grease a tray and your hand with little oil. Now take some portion of the mixture in your hands and flatten it. Add some green chutney in the center (Optional) and roll it properly till the chutney is all covered and give it the desired shape- either round/heart shape/cylindrical Heat oil and fry the wadas on medium flame till golden brown.

Put tulsi leaf on it.

Offer hot yummy wada with green chutney to the Lord and distribute as prasad.

Launched with love for everything Sindhi, our newsletter, Sindhi Samachar, aims to be circulated amongst our Sindhi family and friends intended to forge unity and interaction within our community. We hope our brothers and sisters globally participate and contribute towards it with your views, Sindhi news, Sindhi jokes, or Sindhi recipes, which we will be happy to publish under your name.

Editorial Content

Raj Daswani

Vini Melwani 

Geeta Raj

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