83-year-old Dayal Chimnani shifts dexterously from one language to another; and from a time that was decades ago to the current day. As he narrates stories of his community and this city that he made his own, it would seem difficult to assume that he once did not ‘belong' here.
Being able to so beautifully camouflage into the city's skin, it seems, is not Mr. Chimnani's attribute alone. It stands out as a mark of the entire Sindhi community in the city today.
Among the Sindhis who fled the Sindh province over half-a-century ago to make Hyderabad heir home, Mr. Chimnani speaks of the city as endearingly as his community. In the ‘Sindhi Colony' that epitomises all shades of a Sindhi life, nearly 2,000 Sindhi's are gathered to begin their New Year ‘Cheti Chand' on Saturday. Worshippers of Lord Varuna (the water god), the community that is spread across the length and breadth of the country, prides itself in adapting to new cultures as if it were their own, with the very flexibility of water.
“We have established ourselves in every sphere here. We have everything. It is only a native place that we lack; a home of our own,” says Shyam Madhnani, convener of the community. “We came here as refugees. But today we are giving back something to this home of ours. Every Sindhi provides employment to at least 10 people.”
Initially established as merchants of textile or money-lenders, Sindhis today have found their space as hoteliers, educationists, doctors, software engineers, cloth, readymade garments and jewellery traders, among others. “We believe strongly in good education. We are an enterprising community,” beams Mr. Chimnani. Believers of the sanathana dharma, Sindhi's here are a predominantly Hindu populace who also worship Guru Nanak. Besides celebrating all Hindu festivals, they also celebrate Guru Nanak jayanti along with Sikhs in the city. “The Guru Granth Sahib also adorns all our houses,” said Mr. Madhnani. From a mere 50 Sindhi families who came here in the 1950s, they are today a 25,000-people strong community.
