Phulchand Sethi


Phulchand Sethi was a social worker, philanthropist, and businessman of Dimapur, Nagaland in Northeast India. He was amongst the first proponents of Jainism in Nagaland. He was awarded the Commendation Certificate by the Governor of Nagaland, Lallan Prasad Singh, on 15 August 1975 for Social and Humanitarian activities. He established the Dimapur Chamber of Commerce in 1959. He could speak many local dialects such as Angami, Sema, Lotha, Kuki, Manipuri, Assamese. He died on 2 October 1976 in Dimapur.

Early life and education

Phulchand Sethi was born in November 1911, in Kohima, Nagaland to Hardev Sethi. He was schooled at Digambar Jain M. E. School in Nagahills, an institution of which he was later the secretary between 1928-1940.
Sethi married Lada Devi Sethi in 1935, a well-known personality of the Jain community, and with her had five sons and six daughters. Of these. His sons all held various positions in the Digambar Jain Mahasabha.
Along with his family, Sethi left Kohima in 1944 due to Japanese invasion during World War II. They moved to Dimapur, Nagaland. His father along with his brothers had come from Chapra, Rajsathan to Kohima in the 1880s. They were the first non-Naga settlers in Nagaland.

Career highlights

Sethi successfully promoted and managed diversified businesses. He was the President of the Kohima Marwari Sammelan and founded the Shree Digambar Jain Temple in Dimapur in 1944. He was the first Secretary of Shree Digambar Jain Samaj Dimapur and continued in the post until 1976. He set up the Shree Digambar Jain School Dimapur in 1947 and also Dimapur Chamber of Commerce in 1959. He founded the Jain Mahavir Charitable Hospital Dimapur in 1974, the first charitable hospital in Nagaland. He also established the SD Jain Kirthi Stumbh in 1974, a very famous landmark in Dimapur. He was the first President of Multi-purpose Co-operative Society. He was also the founding Treasurer of Dimapur College of Arts & Commerce. He was the first Secretary of Durga Mandir Dimapur. He became the first non Naga nominated Member of Dimapur Town Committee in 1960. He was appointed Member of Railway Consultant Committee & Central Excise Advisory Committee by the government of India. He was also the Secretary of the first ever Jain Temple in Nagaland which was built in 1920 in Kohima.

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