Seth Mukand Lal Ji (1885-1952)

Seth Mukand Lal, an ardent Gandhian and philanthropist of Northern India was born on 05.01.1885 in a remote village of Radaur – Yamuna Nagar.

Born in a simple, hardworking lower middle class family, he did not have any formal education. After trying various ventures at Radaur, Kota and Karachi, he ultimately reached Lahore where he started civil contracting and later trading in iron and steel. In 1928-30, he founded Mukand Steel Works at Lahore, the first steel furnace in Northern India, which was inaugurated by Mata Kasturba Gandhi during her visit to Lahore to attend session of All India Congress. He established Delhi Iron & Steel Company at Ghaziabad in 1936-37 where the family shifted and settled after independence.

Inspired by Gandhian values, he started wearing khadi and adopted austerely/ideal simple life. He used to perform ‘Havan’ every morning and spin charkha every day. He established ashram for destitute women at Radaur in 1930s which he later provided to Mata Kasturba Trust to run job oriented courses for destitute women.

In the year 1945-46, he turned to his roots to pay back to the backward undeveloped area of his birthplace and set up the first school of the area in the name of Mukand Lal High School, Abdull Pur, (now Yamuna Nagar) and also established Maternity Hospital at Radaur. He founded a cinema at Yamuna Nagar, income of which was to be utilized for the purpose of education and social welfare activities only.

He passed away in 1952 handing over the baton of charity to the next generation of the family led by his son Seth Jai Parkash.