Gunwanti is the daughter of Naomal Tinani and Radhabai (nee Dudani).
Gunwanti affectionately remembers her Dad as "Baba" and Mom as "Aai". "Baba", she used to say always enjoyed listening to "B.B. London".
Gunwanti has two sisters and six brothers.
Gunwanti believes "Baba" was re-born as her son, Rajoo.
Gunwanti's family are Sindhis, one of the many languages of India, and lived in Karachi, India, now in Pakistan. They were forced to flee following the partition of India and Pakistan. They had to leave their property, valuables, and friends, or else face certain death at the hands of extremists, as law and order had collapsed.
The family, ironically aided by Muslim friends, fled together with thousands of other Sindhis and Hindus.
They fled through every means of transportation. Some of them landed in Gujerat, and subsequently settled in Adipur and Gandhidham in Kutch, while others went onwards towards the province/state of Maharashtra, in the city of Bombay. Gunwanti's family was among the later, being settled in a refugee camp in Mulund, Bombay.
As things settled down, the family progressed. The community organized itself. The Sindhu Resettlement Corporation was formed to assist and resettle displaced Sindhi families in Adipur. While in Bombay, Dadi Jethi Sipahimalani formed the Navjivan Society, the largest of all known societies in Asia, with multistoreyed buildings, self-contained 2/3/4 bedroom units in Mahim, Matunga, Chembur and Bombay Central.
Gunwanti's brothers were close friends with Dadi Jethi and her son, Dada Mangha Ram, and with their assitance secured apartments initially in Chembur and then in Mahim.
The family spread out, with part of the family relocating to Vile Parle, Santa Cruz, Dadar, while some stayed on in Mulund and Chembur.
Gunwanti herself acquired her own flat in Santa Cruz in a Society, of which she subsequently became the Chairperson.
Gunwanti was very popular and was sought after due to her many skills and talents with prayers, household work, knitting, gardening, childbirth advise and help, and above all her delicious cooking recipes - both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Her very name "Guna" means "talent", and "Gunwanti" means "one of many talents".
Gunwanti's four children grew up in Santa Cruz and went to the same catholic school at Juhu Beach, one of Bombay's more popular beaches. Thereafter the children, after finishing school, and college, were all suitably employed. Gunwanti's son became an apprentice with Dada Mangha Ram, who after the passing away of Dadi Jethi, continued in her steps, and was involved in the re-developement of Seva Samiti Nagar at Sion-Kolwada, into multi-storeyed buildings with self-contained flats. Dada Mangha Ram also involved himself in the construction of yet another project in Malad, Bombay, for housing needy families, which is now called Sadhu Hiranand Society, and houses over 100 familes in self=contained flats. Dada, always humbly dressed in khadi clothes, also manages several charitable trusts, a charitable clinic, apart from doing honorary work for the Bombay branch office of Sindhu Resettlement Corporation Ltd., and in his capacity as Special Executive Magistrate. Inspite of his busy schedule Dada always found time for Gunwanti and her family, and personally attended her daughters' marriages.
Two of Gunwanti's brothers found employment with the prestigious India Steamship Company, where they were employed until they retired. The remainder of Gunwanti's brothers also found suitable employment.
Gunwanti's family now had spread out in Canada, and United Arab Emirates, and soon Gunwanti was grandmother to four healthy and beautiful grandchildren - two boys and two girls.
Gunwanti and her family immigrated to Canada, and her family still lives here in "Gunwanti's House", appropriately named after Gunwanti, as Gunwanti and her son had spent considerable time looking for a suitable house.
Gunwanti is fondly remembers and missed by all her numerous friends, for she made a friend of everyone she met.
Organizations such as the Independent Living Resource Centre, the Thunder Bay Multicultural Centre, The Thunder Bay Fifty Five Plus Centre, The Thunder Bay Immigrant & Visible Minority's Women's Organization published articles and a photograph of Gunwanti in their respective newsletters. Donations were made in lieu of flowers to Wesway, however, that did not stop her friends from bringing in flowers. Messages, cards, personal visits were made by an overwhelming number of Gunwanti's friends.
Messages of condolence and rememberance came pouring in from Vancouver, Toronto, Sioux Lookout, Hamilton, Kenora, the United States of America, United Arab Emirates, and India.
Gunwanti shall always continue to live in the memory of her friends and family,
JAI SHREE JALARAM
JAI SHREE SAI BABA
