“Dunya Mai’n Dil Jo Matlab Pooro Thyoo Ta Ch Thyoo” (It’s irrelevant if the wishes of your heart were fulfilled) crooned Dadi Leelawati, punctuating the conversation, every now and again. Age may have confined her to her cot but at 99, she still retains her passion for singing and her harmonious vocals are still intact. Clad in a pink coloured gown, she feels comfortable in her house which is reminiscent of the past with age-old ventilators, French windows and wall cupboards; a wooden almirah storing her personal belongings sits to her side.

Dadi Leelawati Harchandani is among the great people of Sindh who were born and grew up here, enriching Sindhi culture, history and music in the last century.

It was an honour meeting her, made possible by her son Dr Pardeep. But her fading memory makes it difficult for her to register new information and she often drifts to her singing, leaving the conversation hanging in the air.

Partition was not easy for the Hindus who lived in Sindh; whether voluntarily or per force most had to move to India but Dadi Leela preferred to stay back. Reminiscing the days of dismay, she said, “While leaving for India, Dada Sadho Waswan advised me to stay back with his parents to serve them. He prayed for me, and I believe that it was because of his prayers that I have lived my life peacefully without any obstacles and hindrances.”

Trials and tribulations of a centurion educationist of Sindh

“With the emergence of Pakistan on the world map, we were happy and thought that we had achieved independence as we were not forced to go to India,” she continued. “Our ancestors had never thought that we would have to leave our country where we had lived for centuries.”

Dadi Leelawati was born on Dec 20, 1916 to Dewan Hotchand Wadhwani. Leelawati is Sanskrit for “green” and perhaps that is reflected in her evergreen personality. After graduation, being an ardent lover of music, she became a music teacher, which remained her career for the rest of her life. For this position she was interviewed by G.M. Syed, the then minister for education; and Syed Miran Muhammad Shah, the former Speaker of Sindh Assembly.

She would take her tabla and harmonium to school to train students in music. She encouraged and gave support to girls who were prohibited from going out of their homes for education.

Dadi is considered a prominent propaedeutic educationist for Sindhi girls. She served as music teacher in Women Training College, and till 1975 was working as additional director of schools, Hyderabad. She also performed as deputy and provincial commissioner for the Girl Guides. She is fortunate to have worked with the leading figures of Sindh, such as Allama I.I. Kazi, Allama Umar bin Muhammad Daudpota, Syed Panha Ali Shah, Ghulam Reza Bhutto, Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah and Muhammad Ibrahim Joyoo from whom she learnt a lot.

She is the guru for a number of students who are now being considered Sindh’s distinguished artistes, such as Zarina Baloch (Sindhi folk artist), Rubina Qureshi (Sindhi vocalist), Ameena Sadique, Sushila Mehtani and Mumtaz Abassi.

At the age of 20, Dadi participated in the All India Music competition along with participants form Bikaner, Jodhpur, Ahmedabad and Barodha and won the All India Music Competition Award held in Sindh.

After the death of her mother and migration of her two younger brothers to India, she was left alone at her house. When she joined the Training College in Hyderabad as a teacher, she would invite the poor (who could not afford to live in the college hostel) to stay at her house free of cost. “When assailants and rioters attacked my house, with the prayers of Sadho we were protected,” she told us.

She also joined Radio Pakistan as a vocalist. “I was studying in NJV School doing my B.T degree when the school authorities arranged a tour to Radio Pakistan. We were led by our principal Usman Ali Ansari who informed the station director that Leelawati sings very well. I was auditioned and selected. When my song was broadcasted, my father could not believe it because he always thought that I couldn’t sing. He also scolded me for not taking his permission to perform for the radio; but when I told him that Usman Ali Ansari took me there, he forgave me and advised me to continue to learn music.”

In 1954, she married a civil surgeon Dr Tulsi Das Harchandani who rendered his services in Central Prison Hyderabad. Her son, Dr Pardeep Kumar takes care of her now.

She became a member of the Sindh Assembly in 1985, and worked for the spread of education with great zeal, visiting different neighbourhoods and villages to encourage women to seek education.

The writer is station director-Radio Pakistan, Mithi

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, January 17th, 2016