Sindhis came to a city - Bombay, the commercial capital
of India -- which was already facing housing problems.
Many were staying in refugee camps in Bombay though
the same was not the ideal thing as proper accommodation
was the need of the hour for many. Sindhis
who had already used to private living in their
own houses before the partition adjusted themselves
in Bombay by staying in lodges and the facilities
which were available with friends and relatives.But,
thing changed for the better, as Bhagwandas Basantsing
Advani, belonging to a Sindhi family pioneered the
ownership flat system even before Sindhis started
coming to Bombay. It was Advani who initiated a
housing scheme; the members who wanted to form a
co-operative society contributed. While in Karachi,
Mr Advani had already preplanned the starting of
Shyam Niwas and Nanik Niwas in Bombay.
Another
attempt on the housing front was that of Gopal Sippy
- G P Sippy - who purchased partly completed block
of flats at Colaba and with the help of a few individuals
made them into individual flats.Sindh Chambers (1947)
was the first building in which flats were available
on ownership basis. Nanik Motwane, General Secretary
of Hindu Sewa Samiti inassociation with Darhyanomal
Jhangiani acquired land from the Bombay Municipal
Corporation at King's Circle-Koliwada and Sion Railway
Station where Sind Sewa Samiti Nagar - now Sion
Sindhi Colony - is located.
Ishwardas
Bhatia and Ram Jawahrmal Advani started construction
of buildings on their own and selling the flats
to buyers; this was the beginning of ownership flat
system on a commercial basis. Even the office system,
which exists now has taken a leaf from the flat
system, which Sindhis introduced. Ther persons who
commercialized the flat system to the largest number
of people is Miss Jethi T Sipahmalani and Mr Mangharam
Thadani; and credited with starting the biggest
co-operative scheme of its kind in Asia - the 15-storied
18 block Navjivan Colony at Lamington Road, Grant
Road, Bombay. They also built three big colonies
at Mahim, Matunga and Chembur.
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