Narhari Dwarkadas Parikh was a

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, pla ...

independence activist Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the sta ...

and

social reformer A reform movement or reformism is a type of social movement that aims to bring a social or also a political system closer to the community's ideal. A reform movement is distinguished from more radical social movements such as revolutionary m ...

from

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the nin ...

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

. Influenced by

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, Anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure ...

, he was associated with Gandhian institutes throughout his life. He wrote

biographies A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...

, edited works by associates and translated some works. His writing also reflected Gandhian influence.

Biography

Parikh was born on 17 October 1891 in Ahmedabad. His family belonged to Kathlal (now in

Kheda district Kheda District is one of the thirty-three districts of Gujarat state in western India. Its central city, Kheda, is the administrative headquarters of the district. History Formerly known as Kaira district, it was divided in two with the sou ...

). He studied in Ahmedabad and

matriculated Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now. ...

in 1906. He completed his

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

in History and Economics in 1911 and LL.B. in 1913. He started practicing law with his friend

Mahadev Desai Mahadev Haribhai Desai (1 January 1892 – 15 August 1942) was an Indian independence activist, scholar and writer best remembered as Mahatma Gandhi's personal secretary. He has variously been described as "Gandhi's Boswell, a Plato to G ...

in 1914. In 1916, he left his practice and joined

in social reform movements and later the

Indian independence movement The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947. The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...

. He campaigned against

untouchability Untouchability is a form of social institution that legitimises and enforces practices that are discriminatory, humiliating, exclusionary and exploitative against people belonging to certain social groups. Although comparable forms of discrimin ...

, alcoholism and illiteracy. He also worked for freedom for women, sanitation, health care and schools run by Indians. He was associated with Rashtriya Shala (National School) run by Satyagraha Ashram in 1917. He joined

Gujarat Vidyapith Gujarat Vidyapith is a deemed university in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. It was founded in 1920 by Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement, and deemed a university in 1963. Etymology "Vidyapith," in many languages of ...

in 1920. He also managed Harijan Ashram from 1935. He served as the president of Basic Education Board in 1937. He was also principal of Gramsevak Vidyalaya in 1940. He was secretary of Gandhi for some years. He had also served as the Chairman of Navajivan Trust. He had stroke of paralysis in 1947 but survived. He died on 15 July 1957 at Swaraj Ashram in Bardoli following paralysis and cardiac arrest. After death of Gandhi, his ashes were kept at his

Haveli A ''haveli'' is a traditional townhouse, mansion, manor house, in the Indian subcontinent, usually one with historical and architectural significance, and located in a town or city. The word ''haveli'' is derived from Arabic ''hawali'', me ...

in Ahmedabad before being immersed in Sabarmati river.

Works

Parikh wrote some biographies of his associates; ''Mahadevbhainu Purvacharit'' (1950) of

, ''Sardar Vallabhbhai'' Part 1-2 (1950, 1952) of

Vallabhbhai Patel Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel (; ; 31 October 1875 – 15 December 1950), commonly known as Sardar, was an Indian lawyer, influential political leader, barrister and statesman who served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of ...

and ''Shreyarthini Sadhana'' (1953) of Kishorlal Mashruwala. ''Manav Arthshastra'' (1945) is his work on human economics. His writings on education, politics and Gandhian thought include ''Samyavad and Sarvoday'' (1934), ''Vardha Kelvanino Prayog'' (1939), ''Yantrani Maryada'' (1940). ''Atlu To Janjo'' (1922), ''Karandiyo'' (1928) and ''Kanyane Patro'' (1937, with Mahadev Desai) include his thoughts on education. ''Kautumbik Arthashastra'' (1926), ''Bardolina Kheduto'' (1927) and ''Sarvoday Samajni Zankhi'' discuss contemporary social issues. He edited ''Namdar Gokhlena Bhashano'' (1918), ''Govindgaman'' (1923, with Ramnarayan V. Pathak), ''Navalgranthavali'' (1937), ''Mahadevbhaini Diary'' Part 1–7 (1948–50), ''Sardar Vallabhbhaina Bhashano'' (1949), ''Di. Ba. Ambalal Sakarlalna Bhashano'' (1949), ''Gandhijinu Geetashikshan'' (1956). He co-translated some works of

Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...

with

such as ''Chitrangada'' (1916), ''Viday Abhishap'' (1920), ''Prachin Sahitya'' (1922). He also translated some works of

Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...

; ''Jate Majuri Karnaraone'' (1924) and ''Tyare Karishu Shu?'' (1925–26, with Rang Avadhoot).

Personal life

Parikh married Maniben and they had a daughter Vanmala and a son Mohan (born 24 August 1922). Vanmala Parikh wrote biography of

Kasturba Gandhi Kasturbai Mohandas Gandhi (, born Kasturbai Gokuldas Kapadia; 11 April 1869 – 22 February 1944) was an Indian political activist. She married Mohandas Gandhi, more commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi, in 1883. With her husband and her eldest so ...

, ''Amara Ba'' (1945), with

Sushila Nayyar Sushila Nayyar, also spelled 'Nayar' (1914 – 2001), was an Indian physician, veteran Gandhian and politician. She played a leading role in several programmes for public health, medical education and social and rural reconstruction in her ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parikh, Narhari Indian independence activists from Gujarat Gandhians Indian social reformers 1891 births 1957 deaths Gujarati-language writers 20th-century Indian biographers 20th-century Indian translators Indian editors Writers from Ahmedabad Translators of Rabindranath Tagore

Biography

Works

Personal life

See also

References