Aspect of Jainology Part 1 Lala Harjas Rai

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Shodhpith Varanasi

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Lala Harjas Rai: Life and Ideals
Babu Harjas Rai and his brothers had large families and in course of time, Babu Harjas Rai and his family started feeling cramped and suffocated in the meagre accomodation at their disposal. After long deleberations and with great hesitancy, he approached his father and sought his permission to leave the joint family house and take up seperate residence. Chacha Ji did not approve of the proposal and asked his son to shelve the proposal for sometime. Babu Harjas Rai kept drawing Chacha Ji's attention now and then to his difficulties and problems emanating from joint family living. His sense of duty to his respected father did not permit him to injure his feelings and he did not force the issue. It was after the death of Chacha Ji and when his eldest son's marriage was approaching that he rented a seperate house in Lakkar Mandi, Later on, he and his younger brother built magnificant banglows on Maqbool Road in the Civil Lines and started living there.
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Babu Harjas Rai's sense of cleanliness has stuck to him throghout his life. He used to sweep his rooms, himself. He would then dust the furniture, books and registers and arrange every little thing in order. He followed the same routine when the family shifted from Amritsar to Faridabad Industrial township. Unfortunately his feeble frame and ill health do not permit him to do this job any more and the same is handled by others. Generally Babu Harjas Rai is very soft spoken and accomodating. He is never aggressive but at the same time he is not prepared to lose sight of his basic principles. I recollect an occasion when he showed his firmness and courage in confrontation with elders in Jaina brotherhood for whom he had great regard. I was a member of the marriage party which went from Amritsar to Sialkot to celebrate the wedding of Babu Harjas Rai's nephew. As was customary then and to a lesser extent even now, members of the 'Barat' would sit together in groups of five or six in a circle and the eats used to be served in large size Thals. Harjas Rai and I were in one group and were eating sweets etc. from the same tray. Some members of the party took exception a non-jain partaking of food along with Jains. Harjas Rai let them know clear and loud that he and his friend, viz myself, would eat together. There was some heat engendered but ultimately Babu Harjas Rai's persuasive arguments, put across a gentle but firm manner overcame their prejudices and things went on merrily. Business was not the only con