>JJMC89 bot III: Merging :Category:Indian male social workers to :Category:Social workers per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2021 July 3#Category:Male social workers

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Merging Category:Indian male social workers to Category:Social workers per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2021 July 3#Category:Male social workers

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{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}}
[[File:Chhaganlal Karamshi Parekh 1999 stamp of India.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Parekh on a 1999 stamp of India]]
'''Chhaganlal Karamshi Parekh''' popularly known as '''Chhagan Bapa''' (27 June 1894 – 14 December 1968) was a noted [[philanthropist]], [[social worker]], who worked for up-liftment of poor, education and social reform of women.<ref name=a/>

==Birth==
He was born in 1894 at [[Rajkot]] in Gujarat in a [[Gujarati people|Gujarati]] [[Vaishnava]] family of [[Lohana]] caste.<ref name=a/>

==Career==
===At Jharia===
In year 1912 at age of 18, he came to [[Jharia]] with help of Damodar Kunwarji Trivedi. He started his career as a clerk at R. A. Mucadam & Sons' Chanda colliery in Jharia owned by [[Parsi]] gentleman, Rustomji Ardesar Mukadam in same year. After a year he switched to Khas Kusunda colliery owned by Mistri Pancha Devji At salary of Rs.30/- per month, which was later raised to Rs.40/- per month. This colliery was managed by Mistri Kanji Khengar, who trained him well into job.<ref name=a/><ref name=n/> Later in 1914 he joined Lower & Upper Jharia Collieries located at [[Tisra]], which were owned by [[Mistris of Kutch|Mistri]] owners Gangji Dossa Jethwa & Khimji Dossa Jethwa of [[Nagalpar]].<ref name=a/><ref name=n/> The owners were very much impressed with his work and promoted him.<ref name=a/><ref name=n/> From here he progressed to start his own coal supply firm.<ref name=a/>

He was among the committee members of historic [[All India Trade Union Congress]] meeting hosted at [[Jharia]] in year 1928 and shared dais with other notable colliery owners like, Ramjush Agarwalla, the host and others like, [[D. D. Thacker]], [[Khora Ramji Chawda|Karamshi Khora]] and other dignitaries.<ref>{{cite book|author=B. L. Mehta|title=Trade union movement in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BAggAAAAIAAJ|year=1991|publisher=Kanishka Publishing House|isbn=978-81-85475-05-9|page=78}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=AITUC--fifty years: documents, Volume 1|year=1973|page=108|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4-osAQAAIAAJ&q=karamshi+khora|last1=Congress|first1=All-India Trade Union}}</ref><ref name=n/>

===At Calcutta===
But in the year 1949, there was change in his life. He took retirement from his work and dedicated his life towards social service. He got inspiration for social work from [[Thakkar Bapa]] and became a member of [[Servants of India Society]] and served in [[1950 Assam–Tibet earthquake|earthquake]] relief works in [[Assam]] and [[1956 Anjar earthquake|earthquake]] relief works in [[Kutch]] and tribal upliftment in [[Himachal Pradesh]]<ref name="Himmat , Volume 16, 1980">Himmat, Volume 16, 1980</ref>

After, leaving Jharia in 1949, he spent almost a decade in [[Calcutta]] where he already had a house and offices for coal supply business.<ref name=n/> Here, he helped founding Laxminarayan Temple & Dharamshala and Laxminarayan Trust Hospital at [[Bhowanipore]], both the establishments were funded by Gujarati diaspora of Calcutta, which included a handsome donation by him.<ref name=n/> He also helped starting couple of schools in Calcutta.<ref name="Himmat , Volume 16, 1980"/><ref name=n/>

===At Bombay===
However, he later dedicated his whole life in social works and later shifted to [[Bombay]].<ref name=n>Natwarlal Devram Jethwa (1998) ''Diary of Golden Days at Jharia – A Memoir & History of Gurjar Kashtriya Samaj of Kutch in Coalfields of Jharia''. Raja Pawan Jethwa (ed.). Calcutta.</ref>

During the [[1956 Rann of Kutch earthquake|earthquake of 1956 in Kutch]], he worked relentlessly for the relief work, collecting funds and doing other humanitarian services. In course of his works he was also responsible for laying foundation of Anjar General Hospital and the first only girls school of [[Anjar, India|Anjar]] known as K.K.M.S. Girls High School for which he was able to generate a munificent donation from Khatau family and Smt. Maniben Khatau Sethia of Calcutta.<ref name=a/>

At Bombay, he was inspiration behind starting of [[Lijjat Papad]] in 1959, which is a noted women's cooperative<ref name=a>{{cite book|author=Rāmanārāyaṇa Nāgaradāsa Pāṭhaka|title=Punyashlok Chhaganbapa: godfather of Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H9C1AAAAIAAJ|year=1980|publisher=Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad}}</ref> based at [[Mumbai]]. He was also one of the founding member of Gujarati Dharamshala at [[Haridwar]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.gujaratidharamshalaharidwar.com/ | title=Welcome to Shree Haridwar Gujarati Dharamshala Trust|publisher=gujaratidharamshalaharidwar.com}}</ref> Manaji Jeram Rathod of [[Madhapar]] was a close friend and associate since Jharia days and one of the founders of Gujarati Dharamshala, who worked with Chhagan bhai in raising funds for the project<ref name=n/>

==Death==
He died on 14 December 1968, at Bombay, survived by his 2 sons -Ratilal and Mulchand, and their families.<ref name=n/>

==Honors and memorials==
The Government of India issued a [[postage stamp]] in his honor in 1999.<ref>[http://www.angelfire.com/in/jalnews/910991.html NEW DELHI: A set of four postal stamps was released here on Saturday as a part of "India's march towards progress and development" to pay tributes to four visionaries of modern India.. Gujarati philanthropist Chhaganlal Parekh, better known as Chhaganbapa]. Angelfire.com. Retrieved on 27 November 2018.</ref> [[Shri Laxminarayan Temple, Kolkata|Shri Laxminarayan Temple]] at Kolkata, have named the Hall in name of Chhagan Bapa as a memorial to him.<ref name=n/> From 1980, Lijjat started giving Chhaganbapa Smruti Scholarships to the daughters of the member-sisters in his memory.<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TigxDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA180|page=180| title=Transitions – History and Civics – 6| isbn=9789325993945| author=Anuradha Sud}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Parekh, Chhaganlal Karamshi}}
[[Category:1894 births]]
[[Category:1968 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Rajkot]]
[[Category:Gujarati people]]
[[Category:Social workers]]
[[Category:Indian women's rights activists]]
[[Category:Founders of Indian schools and colleges]]
[[Category:Indian businesspeople in coal]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Social workers from Gujarat]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian philanthropists]]

Chhaganlal Karamshi Parekh - Revision history

>JJMC89 bot III: Merging :Category:Indian male social workers to :Category:Social workers per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2021 July 3#Category:Male social workers