Mary Clubwala Jadhav: Indian Contemporary Social Reformer

Introduction:

Mary Clubwala Jadhav (1909-1975) was an Indian philanthropist and a recipient of India's civilian honour Padma Shri. She has been the reason behind the awakening of the dawn of several NGOs in Chennai and the rest of the country. Often credited with setting up the oldest organized social work bodies in India; her contribution is unparallel. Her organization Guild of Service operates more than a dozen units related to the orphanage, Female Literacy, Care and Rehabilitation of the Disabled etc. She has been honoured with Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour of India in 1975. 

A.    Her Life

Mary was born in 1909 in Ootacamund in the then Madras Presidency to Rustom Patel and Allamai, member of the 300-strong Parsi community of Madras city. She had her schooling in Madras and married Nogi Clubwala at the age of 18. They had a son, Khusro, in 1930. Nogi Clubwala died due to an illness in 1935. After this, she devoted herself to social work. She later remarried to Major Chandrakant K Jadhav, an Indian army officer who was also working in the same areas of social work.

B.     Her Contributions

1        She Championed NGOs and Juvenile Justice

In 1923, the Guild of Service was started by Mrs. Waller with a group of women to do social service. The aim of the Society, to serve humanity, not with a view to compete but to co-operate with existing organisations, and to start new efforts, appealed to Mary. She joined it in 1935 and soon became its livewire.

That same year, Mary was appointed Honorary Presidency Magistrate and she held a record for continuous sitting in the Juvenile Court. It was through her persistent efforts that Lady Magistrates were appointed to preside over the Juvenile Courts and, almost entirely, manage them. She also helped found the Juvenile Guidance Bureau.

2        She founded the Indian Hospitality Committee to cater to the needs of the Indian soldiers during WW II

In 1942, with World War II raging, Mrs. Clubwala founded the Indian Hospitality Committee with helpers drawn mostly from the Guild of Service. A large number of Indian troops were stationed in and around Madras and they had very few amenities. Mrs. Clubwala persuaded women from all communities and walks of life to join in the effort to organise mobile canteens, hospital visits, diversional therapy and entertainment programmes. The public donated generously to the War Fund started by the Hospitality Committee which continued its efforts after the War by helping ex-servicemen and their families rehabilitate themselves. The victorious 14th Army presented Mary a Japanese sword in appreciation of her tremendous efforts. Mrs. Clubwala was called "the Darling of the Army" by General Cariappa!

3        She started various care-homes to cater to the needs of the vulnerable sections of the society

As the War drew to a close, Mrs. Clubwala and Lady Nye, the wife of the Governor, threw open the doors of the Guild to men. After the War, Mary’s focus was once again on the Guild of Service which became a banyan tree which put down roots for various projects like health centres, bakery units, an adoption centre, family assistance schemes, Meals on Wheels, rural development projects, a school for the deaf, to name just a few.

Mrs. Clubwala’s concern for destitute children was responsible for starting the Seva Samajam Boys’ Home and the Seva Samajam Girls’ Home in Adyar in 1950. These Homes gained an international reputation as model institutions. In 1954, she helped get started, through the joint efforts of the Guild and the Madras Rotary Club, the Bala Vihar in Kilpauk, a school for mentally challenged children.

4        She establishes MSSW in 1952

Perhaps Mrs. Clubwala’s most significant contribution was establishing the Madras School of Social Work in 1952. The School is the oldest in the country, after the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, and offers courses in Community Development, Medical and Psychiatric Social Work, Human Resources Development, International Studies, etc.

She was the first Indian woman voluntary social worker to be invited to the United States under the Leader Specialists’ Programme. She gave numerous lectures on social service activities in the U.S. In 1957, she was appointed the UN Correspondent in India for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders.

Conclusion:

Today, there are lots of NGOs that are working for the welfare of the people as a whole, with a particular focus on the poor. It was Mary Clubwala Jadhav under whose initiatives many programmes and organisations started to cater to the needs of the people. Lastly, in order to contribute and continue her spirit, she established MSSW which in turn produced and are producing many more committed social workers.

In spite of social issues and gender inequality, some persons like Mary Jadhav could rise above these social conventions and served the people in need. She continues to inspire the social workers and the student social workers to believe in the effort to bring about quality life for all the sections of the society.

References:

“Contemporary Social Reformers.” 21 Oct. 2018,  https://www.indianetzone.com/67/contemporary_social_reformers.htm

“Mary Clubwala Jadhav.” 21 Oct. 2018,  

https://wikivividly.com/wiki/Mary_Clubwala_Jadhav

“The ‘darling’ of Madras.” Madras Musings. 21 Oct. 2018,  

http://madrasmusings.com/Vol%2018%20No%2015/the_parsis_of_madras_3.html

Image Source:https://www.socialworkfootprints.org/articles/mary-clubwala-jadhav-and-mssw