Sir Cowasji Jehangir, 2nd Baronet, Date of Birth, Date of Death
TweetSir Cowasji Jehangir, 2nd Baronet
British-Indian Baronet
Date of Birth: 
About Sir Cowasji Jehangir, 2nd Baronet
- Sir Cowasji Jehangir, 2nd Baronet, (16 February 1879 – 17 October 1962) was a prominent member of the Bombay Parsi community.
- He was the son of Sir Jehangir Cowasji Jehangir Readymoney, 1st Bt.
- (1853–1934) and grand-nephew of Sir Cowasji Jehangir Readymoney (1812–1878).
- He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge.Cowasji Jehangir campaigned for a prominent role for the Parsi Zoroastrian community in independent India.
- He had become a member of the "Western India National Liberation Federation", at its founding in 1919, and was elected its president in 1936 and 1937.
- He was also active in the reactionary "Parsee Central Committee", which was critical of Congress Parsis like Dadabhai Naoroji and Pherozeshah Mehta.At the second "Round Table Conference" in London during 1930-32, where the framework for the political and constitutional future of India was laid down, he was one of the three political "liberals" to represent the Parsi community.
- To the Minorities Committee and the Franchise Committee he advocated a graded franchise based on the standard of education which would have given the Parsis an immense over-representation in future elections.
- Such a scheme was never taken seriously by any other party in the discussions.After 1939, when it was apparent that independence was to come in a short while, a large number of Parsis became active in the "Western India National Liberation Federation", whose meetings were often held at his home.
- As a last-ditch effort, on the eve of independence in 1945, he pleaded to the Viceroy in a telegram not to forget the claims of the Parsis.
- This appeal, made as the president of the "Parsee Central Association" was nullified by a telegram from a group of Parsis calling themselves the "Freedom Group" which rejected any special privilege for the Parsis.
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