Dipchand Khianra
Dipchand Khianra | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | October 13, 1913 Karachi, Karachi District, Sindh, Pakistan |
| Died | June 1, 1986 Mumbai (Bombay), Maharashtra, India |
| NSA member | India & Burma ???? - ???? India ???? - ???? |
| Counsellor | South Central Asia 1973 - 1980 Asia 1980 - 1985 |
Dipchand Khianra (October 13, 1913 - June 1, 1986)[1] was an Indian Bahá’í who served as a National Spiritual Assembly member and Continental Counselor for Asia. In his career he was a professor of Persian at the Jaihind College in Mumbai.[2]
Biography[edit]
Khianra was born in 1913 in Thathanagar, a village some miles from Karachi in Sind Province which was then part of India. He was raised in a Hindu family and at age twelve decided he wanted to be tolerant of other religions. His father passed away before he graduated from primary school and he became responsible for caring for his mother and sister with some help from an uncle. He moved to Karachi to attend High School and became a teacher straight after graduating before attending D.J. Sindh College in Karachi where he began studying Persian and Islamic culture.[3]
Khianra married a woman named Devki in 1935 and in 1937 he graduated from college with a master's degree in linguistics majoring in Persian with a minor in English. He eventually went on to become literate in fourteen language and was able to speak nineteen. Through his association with Persians in Karachi he met Isfandiyar Bakhtiyari who introduced him to the Bahá’í Faith and he declared in 1942 and was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Karachi and as a delegate to the National Convention of India and Burma the same year.[4]
When the partition between Pakistan and India took place in 1947 Khianra and his family had to stay in the Bahá’í Centre of Karachi and his family moved to Nasik, Maharashtra, in India with their children while he remained in Pakistan. As of 1949 he was serving on the National Spiritual Assembly of India, Pakistan & Burma.[5] In 1950 he made an extensive travel teaching trip across India,[6] and in 1952 he moved to India settling in Mumbai where he became head of the Persian Department of Jai Hind College and he also lectured on Islamic Culture. In 1957 he obtained a Vidhwana Degree in Hindi.[4]
Khianra continued to serve the Faith while living in India teaching at summer and winter schools, serving on the National Spiritual Assembly and Local Spiritual Assemblies, serving on the New Era School Committee, and travel teaching in Gujurat and Dang. His fluency in Persian allowed him to serve as translator for Persian Bahá’ís visiting India.[4] In 1973 the Universal House of Justice appointed him as a Continental Counselor for South Central Asia for an indefinite term and in 1978 he participated in the International Convention in Haifa.[7] In 1980 the Continental Boards in Asia were merged into a single Board and five year terms were introduced with Khianra being appointed to the new body.[4] He traveled extensively as Counselor visiting Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sikkim, and Sri Lanka in addition to traveling across India.[7]
In 1984 Khianra's health began to deteriorate and he was unable to travel but was able to continue corresponding. He passed away on June 1, 1986, survived by four sons and three daughters and four grandchildren and he was laid to rest in the Bahá’í Gulistan of Mumbai. The Universal House of Justice cabled the following message after his passing:
HEARTS SADDENED PASSING DEVOTED STEADFAST PROMOTER CAUSE GOD DIPCHAND KHIANRA. HIS DISTINGUISHED SERVICES FAITH DURING PAST DECADES AS LEARNED TEACHER CHOSEN MEMBER BAHA'I INSTITUTIONS UNFORGETTABLE. ADVISE HOLD MEMORIAL GATHERING VARIOUS STATES INDIA BEARING TESTIMONY HIS UNTIRING EFFORTS PROMOTION CAUSE. ASSURE RELATIVES FRIENDS LOVING PRAYERS PROGRESS SOUL ABHA KINGDOM.[7]
Publications[edit]
Books[edit]
- 1988 - Immortals[8]
Articles[edit]
- 1978 - India's Wondrous Women, published in Glory and Bahá’í News.[9]
- 1986 - One Kind Deed, published in Bahá’í World: Volume 18.[10]
- 1986 - Kaushal Kishore Bhargava: An Appreciation, published in Bahá’í World: Volume 18.[11]
References[edit]
- ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/223378318/dipchand-l.-khianra#
- ↑ https://www.gatewayhouse.in/bombay-bahai/#_ftnref10
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 20 (1986-1992), Pg(s) 829. View as PDF.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 20 (1986-1992), Pg(s) 830. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1950). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 230, Pg(s) 7. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i World: In Memoriam 1992-1997, p 35
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Baha'i News Letter (1927). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 20, Pg(s) 831. View as PDF.
- ↑ https://www.amazon.com/Immortals-Dipchand-Khianra/dp/818509117X
- ↑ Baha'i News (1978). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 567, Pg(s) 6. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1986). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 18 (1979-1983), Pg(s) 966. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1986). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 18 (1979-1983), Pg(s) 969. View as PDF.
