Khora Ramji Chawda
Khora Ramji Chawda, better known as Seth Khora Ramji, was a noted railway contractor, coal mines owner, banker and philanthropist of the early 20th century in India, who worked from Jharia near Dhanbad.
Life-sketch
He was born in the year 1860 in a small village called Sinugra in Cutch and belonged to small but enterprising KGK community. He was one of the reputed Railway Contractors of his times and his exploits were mentioned by British authorities. He is also credited by them to be the first Indian to break monopoly of Europeans in Jharia coalfields. He established his first Colliery name Khas Jharia Colliery in 1895 and moved on to establish five more by 1910. He was also a financing partner in more than 10 collieries of Jharia coal belt and additionally worked as a Private Banker. Seth Khora Ramji and Jethabhai were all together five brothers and all were partners as HUF in the colliery and railway contract business With his brother, Jethabhai Lira Jethwa he owned Khas Jinagora Colliery, which operated under name & style of J. & K. Ramji.Railway Contract Works across British India
As per British records – a few lines are quoted –Some of the works done by Khora Ramji Chawda of Sinugra are : 1880 : 100 Miles work in SPDR & North [Western State Railway|NWSR], Hubli Loco Shed & other station and yard works, 20 Miles Work in SMR, 177 miles in 1882–84 Hotgi to Gadag with his brothers in SMR, 22 Miles Railway and a bridge in EBSR, 1888 – 128 miles in Bilaspur to Jharsuguda with fellow Mistris section including Bridge over Hasdeo River at Champa in BNR, in 1894 Jharia Branch line of EIR, 1895: Railway line in ECoSR & Bridge over Rushikulya near Ganjam. His last Railway work was in 1903: Bridge over Ganges river in Allahabad – Lucknow section 32 Miles Railway in GIPR.
Shift in career from Contractor to Miner
His last Railway work was in 1903: Bridge over Ganges river in Allahabad – Lucknow section 32 Miles Railway in GIPR, while working for this bridge, he was harassed by Engineer-in-Charge A. B. Gale, so he decided to stop railway contracts. By this time since 1895 to 1901 he had already started two collieries in Jharia. A. B. Gale later realized his mistake and offered him contracts in other section. But Khora Ramji declined the offer and diverted all his energy to coal mining business, in which he was assisted by his brother's and their sons. He also started a new venture as a private banker at Jharia. He rose to such a height by 1920 and became Seth Khora Ramji from Khora Ramji that British had to mention his name in Encyclopedia of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa. He had studied up to fourth standard in his native village school but still managed to build railway bridges which requires technical knowledge and mathematical calculations.Coal Mines at Jharia coalfields belt
Khora Ramji and Brothers established collieries at Khas Jharia, Jeenagora, Jamadoba, Balihari, Fatehpur, Gareria, Bansjora & Bagadih. In Pure Jharia Colliery Khora Ramji and brothers were partners with Diwan Bahadur D.D. Thacker. Khora Ramji was also partner in Khimji Walji & Company's Indian Jharia Colliery located at Tisra. Seth Khora Ramji was also held partnership stake in Goa Petha Chawda & Co's Khas Jeenagora Colliery. The GPC & Co was partnership between Goa Petha, Seth Khora Ramji, Bishram Karman & Seth Tricumji Jiwandas. In 1930 after death of Khora Ramji, the successors sold their stake in the colliery.The credit of being first Indian to break the monopoly of British in Jharia Coalfields goes to Seth Khora Ramji of Sinugra. In the life sketch of Khora Ramji given in Encyclopedia of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa – the British have noted this fact in year 1920 – "In Jharia Coalfield he was first Indian to seize the opportunity and by his prompt entry into colliery business, he was able to remove the stigma that would otherwise be levelled against his community as economically backward class." Further, details are given in the book Diary of Golden Days at Jharia – A Memoir & History of Gurjar Kshatriya Samaj of Kutch in Coalfields of Jharia – written by Natwarlal Devram Jethwa & Pawan Jethwa -Quote: He similarly purchased about eight coal-fields from years 1895–1909. Further, he also encouraged fellow Mistri contractors to purchase the land and even financed them to do so. The location of his three collieries named Jeenagora, Khas Jherria, Gareria is mentioned also in 1917 Gazetteers of Bengal, Assam, Bihar & Orissa. As per details given in Diary of Golden Days at Jharia – A Memoir & History of Gurjar Kashtriya Samaj of Kutch in Coalfields of Jharia – written by Natwarlal Devram Jethwa & Pawan Jethwa – "Seth Khora Ramji headed the first association as mentioned by British authorities in Encyclopaedia Bengal, Bihar & Orissa ."
Shipping Business at Cutch State
Seth Khora Ramji and his brothers also owned a fleet of ships based in Cutch State, which was used to deal in importing and exporting dry fruits and spices, trading from Tuna Port and Mandvi with Muscat, Mombasa, Mzizima, Zanzibar. After the death of Khora Ramji, one of his grandsons, Jivram Jeram carried on a shipping business for a couple of decades until 1945.File:Chabutro Sinugra.jpg|thumb|A Chabutro built by Seth Khora Ramji standing at Sinugra Village built in 1900.
Death
Khora Ramji died in year 1924 at Jharia.Philanthropic activities
As a philanthropist, in his native village Sinugra, he had built and donated a Hindu temple, wells, welcome-gate, Chabutro and a primary school, which is now named Seth Khora Ramji Prathmik Shala in the year 1910. He also donated major fund along with some other Mistri colliery owners to start a Gujarati school named the Jharia Anglo-Gujarati School at Jharia in 1905. He also owned more than 500 acres farm-lands, the produce of which was given away to poor and needy. In the year 1920, when he held a large public charity event and a yagna at Sinugra. At the time of this event, Seth Khora Ramji was honoured by Maharao of Cutch, HH Sir Khengarji III Sawai Bahadur, who sent him a Paghdi by hands of royal messenger. Further, at Mathura he along with Jetha Lira Jethwa of Sinugra had built and donated a Dharamashala now named Kutch Kadia Kshatriya Dharamshala in the year 1889–1900, when they were stationed there for railway contract job.Seth Khora Ramji was one of the sponsors of AITUC meeting held in 1921 at Jharia, hosted by Ramjush Agarwalla. As he had become old and was unwell, his eldest son Karamshi Khora, represented Seth Khora Ramji & Brothers and was among the dignitaries, who shared dais in historic All India [Trade Union Congress] meeting held at Jharia in 1921 by prominent AITUC labor leaders like Joseph Baptista, Diwan Chaman Lall, Swami Viswananda, Swami Darsanananda and Savitri Devi, Hardevdas Aagarwal and Shyam Sundar Chakravarty. The meeting was hosted by colliery owner, Ramjush Agarwalla and dignitaries representing various colliery firms present on dais were Karamshi Khora, D. D. Thacker, Chhaganlal Karamshi Parekh, Gangji Dosa, Keshavji Pitambar, R. A. Mucadam, Madhavji Jiwan, Nibaran Chandra Sircar and others.