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Late General Mancharsha Rustomji Avari was a legendary figure loved by the masses for his heroic participation in the Indian freedom Struggle. Born in a Parsi family on 29th May, 1898 in village Gandevi in Surat district of the present Gujrat State. Mr. Mancharsha Avari took his primary education in the town of walsed. He shifted to Bombay where he did his Matriculation and did his Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Bombay University. He was a merit student throughout and passed his Engineering Degree in order of merit. On Scholarship he was sent abroad to Detroit in U.S.A. on his return he stopped in Zanjibar, now a part of Kenya. After his return he was selected by the Tatas to work as Apprentice Mechanical Engineer in the Empress Mills in 1920.
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Soon he came in touch with Mahatma Gandhi’s movement. A surprise meeting with Mahatma Gandhi in 1920. Congress session at Nagpur changed his course of life. Mahatma Gandhi knew his uncle Khan Bahadur Avari, a rich businessman whose business interests spread over Bombay, Simla, Karachi & Northern India. Ultimately he became an ardent follower of Mahatma Gandhi and soon resigned from job because of his active involvement in Gandhiji’s movement. In 1923 he lead the famous Jungle Satyagraha in the then C.P. & Berar State and was awarded his first jail term. In 1926 he lead the famous Arms Satyagraha against tyrannical law of the British that no Indian will carry arms. His movement was a defiance of the British. However, Mahatma Gandhi objected to his Arms Movement saying that it will go against his principles of non-voilance. Young. Mancharsha Avari personally met Mahatma Gandhi and convinced him that his movement is only of the defiance of the Britishers and none of his followers will use those Arms against Britishers. Mahatmaji was convinced and gave his blessings to the movement. This movement roused the masses of the country. In one of his public speeches, Mahatma Gandhi while praising Mancharsha Avari and his Movement called his General Mancharsha Avari. Since then he was known as General Avari. He was fibre brand leader with revolutionary farvour but his movement reflected the principles of simple Gandhi an life. This brought his into conflict with his own father who wanted his to pursue career in Engineering. Ultimately his father disinherited him from his family as a protest against his joining Mahatma Gandhi’s movements. From this day General Avari vowed that he will not amass wealth and renounce all luxuries. (This principle has been strictly followed by his children also.) He came in close association with all the leaders of Freedom Struggle specially with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Netaji Subhashchandra Bose. Moulana Abdul Kalam Azad and Dr. Rajendra Prasad. In all he spent 14 (fourteen) year in British Jails and undertook many fasts, the longest being that of 61 days.
He was a member of the Constitution Assembly, which wrote the Indian Constitution from 1947 to 1950. He was in ardent Socialist. Due to political difference he left Congress in 1951 and along with Acharya Kriplani, Acharya Narendra Dev, Jaiprakash Narayan joined Kisan Majdoor Praja Party which later on merged into Praja Socialist Party. In 1952, First General election, he contested on KMPP ticked against Congress in Nagpur and own the seat. He was a major Opposition Leader in the then Madhya Pradesh Assembly. From 1952 to 1957 he was a renounced Parliamentarian and a revered Opposition Leader. He was a solace to the down trodden and economically backward masses, a fiery orater in English, Hindi and Marathi. He knows Persian, Urdu, Arabic and Telgu Languages also. He wrote 2 Books in 1926“Rays From Asylum” and Letters to My Brother in 1928 besides many publication and articles to his credit. There was a proposal in 1956 by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to make his Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh if he along with his group of MLAs crosses the floor of M. P. Assembly which he turned down on a matter of principle. (He was against floor crossing). In 1960 he joined for 3 months in Nasik and suffered heavy injuries in Lathi Charge. A very Strong and healthy person, he was irregular performer of Yoga and had an excellent health (Till his death he used to climb 6 stories and had his all teeth intact). He died on 1st July, 1974 after contracting Cancer of Throat at the age of 76.
He married late Dalerbanu d/.o Mr. Pestonji Zaiwalla of village Bordi in Thane district in 1936. She was the neice of the famous poet of Gujrat Mr. Khabardar. He had 4 Children. His elder daughter Jer Avari is Ex-Professor of English and Vice Principal of L. A. D. College for Women. His elder son Hoshang Avari who was in Johnson & Johnson Co. died in a road accident in 1969. He second daughter Mrs. Zarin Rendelia is now serving in Empress Mills. His youngest son in is Shri Gev. M. Avari, Ex. M.P. Ex. President of Nagpur City District Congress Committee, and now member of All India Congress Committee, New Delhi. He has followed in his father’s steps and is in public service since 1975.
लोकनेता जनरल मंचरशा आवारी विचारमंच नागपूर
कार्यालय : जनरल आवारी निवास, सिरसपेठ, उमरेड रोड ,नागपूर
मार्गदर्शक : मा. श्री. गेव्हबाबू आवारी, माजी खासदार (लोकसभा)
संयोजक : श्री. रमेश गिरडकर
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