Seth Jai Parkash Ji (1912-1971)

Seth Jai Parkash, the 2nd son of Seth Mukand Lal was born on September 5, 1912 in their ancestral Village Radaur now in Yamuna Nagar District of Haryana. Since the family migrated to Lahore in the year 1915-16, he was brought up at Lahore. He was a man of simple habits and generous nature. He was blessed with a sacred soul and spirit of Ramayana. He grew up in the times when patriotic fervor for freedom of the country was growing and the freedom movement was taking a shape all over the country, Lahore being the nerve centre. Deep impact of freedom movement, ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, the nobility of his illustrious father Seth Mukand Lal Ji and the values of Indian Culture shaped his vision.

Mukand Parivar shifted from Lahore to Ghaziabad in view of the partition of the country in 1947. While two of his brothers, Seth Ved Parkash & Seth Jagat Parkash shifted to Bombay. Seth Jai Parkash decided to settle at Ghaziabad. Delhi Iron & Steel Company having already been established at Ghaziabad by the family.

Healing of the wounds of partition, re-settlement of the refugees and the reconstruction of the society were the challenges of his times. Seth Jai Parkash Ji came forward to contribute his humble bit as his social responsibility. Sushila Model School at Ghaziabad in 1948 - was primarily established for the children of refugee settlers from Pakistan.

Charity and service to the Society was his passion, Education and Health-Care became the fields of his ’Karam Kshetra’.

After opening of the Schools, he ventured into Higher Education by establishing Inter & Post-Graduate Colleges such as Seth Mukand Lal Inter College, Ghaziabad (1954), Sushila Inter College, Ghaziabad (1958), Vidyavati Mukand Lal P.G. College for Girls, Ghaziabad (1961) & Mukand Lal National College, Yamuna Nagar (1955).

Earlier while at Lahore he got a Municipal School established at Badami Bag, Lahore which became his first experiment for his long journey of dissemination of education.
In the field of health care, he established Mukand Lal Municipal Hospital, Ghaziabad (1954), Kusum Lata T.B. Hospital, Ghaziabad in the year 1957 and Mukand Lal Civil Hospital,Yamuna Nagar (1966).

For the smooth running & the furtherance of the institutions established by the family, he provided large sums of money & formed & got registered a trust in the name of ’Vidya Kendra’ at Ghaziabad in 1954.

He also founded societies for starting engineering and medical colleges but due to unfavourable policies of governments, could not do so in his lifetime. However, he left large chunks of land and huge investment in equity shares and fixed deposits for establishing such institutions.

Helping the needy & destitute was another area close to his heart. He established two orphanages at Ghaziabad & to impart skills to the helpless girls of weaker sections, he also established Mahila Shilp Niketan, Ghaziabad (1965).

The cause of helping the destitute women was so dear to him that once he admitted some poor girls to the women polytechnic Ghaziabad beyond the merit list to which the then Vice-Chancellor of Meerut University objected. The reply of Seth Jai Parkash Ji was blunt & clear. "That it is the ladies of economically backward classes and the poor widows who required necessary skills and jobs the most." Their admissions were regularized as a special case.

Establishment of Gau Shala for the stray Cows & a Temple like Manav Madhav Mandir were a matter of solace for his spiritual instinct.

Not only he himself donated large sums of money for the cause of education, he would inspire others also for the same and created dedicated teams of citizens both at Ghaziabad & Yamuna Nagar for the smooth running of the institutions.

He had vast knowledge & deep faith in Ramayana and was fond of interacting with Scholars, Saints and Seers. To inculcate the spirit of Ramayana in the younger generation of the family, chanting & singing of sacred Chopai(s) & mythological stories was a regular feature of the evening life of the family.

Mukand Lal National College, Radaur was his last project in 1971 for which he worked hard. Despite being unwell, just a few months before his demise, he traveled all the way to Radaur to donate a large amount for the establishment of M.L.N. College, Radaur which started functioning in August 1971 i.e. three months after his passing away.