Talk:Lekhraj Kripalani/Hardy

From; Struggles and Sorrows ~The Personal Testimony of a Chief Justice by Justice Hardayal Hardy. Vikas Publishing House PVT LTD 1984 IBSN 0-7069-2563-7

Justice hardy wrote

Another case I did involved Dada Lekhraj Kripalani of Hyderabad who owned a jewellery shop in Calcutta. He sold his shop and returned to Hyderabad with approximately Rs 10 lakhs as his assets. He bought a house and settled there. Dada Lekhraj was about 54 years old.

He believed that like Lord Krishna he has a message for humanity. He belonged to the Bhai bund comunity among Hindus in Sind. The Hindus in SInd were divided into two classes, the amils and the Bhai Bunds. The AMils were highly educated, the D.J. Sind College, a co-educational institution belonged to them. In Hyderabad too they had a co-educational college. Most of them resided in Hyderabad and Karachi. A majority of them were in Government service and occupied high posts or were professionals. The Amils in Sind reminded me of Kayasthas in India - highly cultured, polished and educated holding high offices. The Bhai Bunds did business and were not greatly educated. One hardly found a Bhai bund boy or girl who could matriculate. THey were scattered all over the world. They had their parent offices in Hyderabad but they had branches in Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok. WHile the men lived in the branch offices abroad, their women lived in Hyderabad. Once in two years the men would return to Hyderabad and bring a lot of gold and foreign gadgets from abroad. They would not stay for more than a month. The men had their mistresses aboard but their women were expected to live a chaste and moral life.

Dada Lekhraj felt hemust do something for these unfortunate women. He founded Om Mandli and surrendered his wealth to the institution. Scores of women joined the Om Mandli and contributed their wealth to this institution. Dada Lekhraj preached the Bhagavad Gita and preformed Ras Lila with them. The Ras Lila became very popular. Dada's hosue became the headquarters of Om Mandli. Many women left their homes and resided there along with Dada Lekhraj's family. Dada Lekhraj, his wife and grown son and daughter lived in the same house, which indicated that Lekhraj could not have any immoral relations with the women living in that hosue. Soon many cases of kidnapping and abduction were filed against Lekhraj by the families of these women. The magistrates in Hyderabad issued summons against him. Parmanand Kundanmal asked me to go to Hyderabad, meet Dada Lekhraj and appear for him in the cases. I went and stayed with Dada Lekhraj. I could have stayed in a hotel or in the house of Hiranand Kundanmal, but I wanted to meet Dada Lekhraj and see things for myself. Om Radhe, young unmarried woman was in charge of the organisation. She was a talented girl and I have seldom seen so much wisdom and virtue as I found in her. My contacts with Dada Lekhraj were equaly profitable. His face indicated his character - a man like him could not be lecherous. His knowledge of the religion was not very deep - even his grasp of the Bhagvad Gita was not something that would impress many educated and intelligent men but he knew the basic teachings and could explain them to the uneducated Bania women.

I appeared for him in one of the cases where the charge was of kidnapping and abduction. I requested the magistrate that he should visit the premises of Om Mandli and if he did not agree with the way I summed up the conduct of Dada Lekhraj, he could summon the accused and take steps against him. The magistrate agreed and was fully ocnvinced. Dada Lekhraj did not appear in any case and in course of time all the cases were dropped. I remember the case of Sadhuram Tolani, a rich merchant doing business in Nigeria. His wife had become a follower of Dada Lekhraj. he came to see me when I was appearing in another case at Hyderabad and complained to me. I asked him to go to Dada Lekhraj and meet his wife. He came in contact with Dada Lekhraj and thereafter was a changed man. Like his wife he too became a follower of Dada Lekhraj.

When people found that criminal cases were not going to help them they approached Mukhi Manghamal, who wa son friendly terms with Sir Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah. The Government of Sind issued a directive under the criminal law amendment act declaring Om Mandli to be an unlawful association. Parmanand Kundanmal and I made a representation to the Government of Sind. Sir Ghulam told Parmanand that if Dada Lekhraj left Hyderabad no action would be taken against Om Mandli, Dada Lekhraj and his followers in the institution. Dada Lekhraj left Hyderabad, took up ahouse on rent at CLifton where he carried on the activities of the institution. It was said that every night after twelve Dada Lekhraj and the inmates of the house performed Ras Lila on the sea-beach.

After partition the instution shifted to Mount Abu in Rajasthan. Apparently it changed its name, and is nolonger called Om Mandli. I lost contact with the institution after the partition.