While we speak of the social responsibilities of modern business, we seem to have lost out on a long standing system, the commitment of fulfilling our need to give back to society a part of our earnings, the system of giving dharmada from all purchases done during the course of business. Hardly any of our entrepreneurs today know about the term dharmada, whilst the elders who know about it, say that it used to be an intrinsic part of the system of purchase or sale of goods, i.e. jewelry, loose gemstones, diamonds etc. but, it is no longer followed.

I spoke to a few industry seniors to gather more information regarding the subject. Kranti Kumar Parekh, an octogenerarian jeweler and erstwhile president of the Delhi Jewellers Association, a body representing the gem and jewelry trade of Delhi said, “the dharmada account was separately kept in the books and ‘5 aana saikda or in other words 0.30 percent was deducted by the purchaser of goods from the money paid to the seller and half of this went as weighing charges to the dharam kanta and the other half was kept in books as a dharmada account and was utilized from time to time to help gaushalas and people in need.”

Rajendra Badher, partner of the famous Moti Jewels Palace, belonging to one of the oldest jeweler families of Delhi, recollects that the dharmada account was maintained by all jewelers and was deducted as a ritual from all payments to sellers of goods. This money was utilized for social causes and the onus of utilizing it for right causes and not for one’s self, was left to the conscience of the jewelers concerned.

Going by these accounts, one thing is certain, that there existed a system of giving away a portion of your hard earned money to be utilized for the needs of society and other good causes.

I owe my knowledge of the subject to my father, the late Inder Chand Ji Chauradia, who was a lone crusader for such causes. He followed and preached this system throughout his life and gave us the vision and courage to follow this practice, despite stiff resistance from sellers, who probably didn’t know about this practice in full detail. But once we explained to them the full merits of the dharmada and showed them how this was utilized, they willingly agreed. 

Those who still don’t wish to part with this percentage are marginalised by us. We politely but strongly refuse to buy their goods in future.

We utilize this money mainly to subsidize the medicines bought by needy patients at children wards at LNJP Hospital, New Delhi, where about 200 patients are treated for severe ailments ranging from leukemia to thalassemia, at any given time by the doctors who know about our mission. Everyday we receive a few prescriptions with doctors’ recommendations. 

I sincerely feel that there is urgent need to revive this system in the entire trade and feel it can go a long way to creating a better society. Just imagine that a significant sum of money would be available at all levels of the trade for social causes in times of natural calamities, for the upliftment of the downtrodden to run educational institutions etc. We will then be self-sufficient and will not look at the government for aid at different levels. Above all we shall create a new and compassionate generation.
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Atul Jain is a noted personality in Delhi’s jewelry trade, having 25 years of experience  behind him as the managing director of Atul Jewellers. He is also credited with establishing Delhi’s first world class diamond grading laboratory, A.R. Diamond & Gem Grading Services (DGSL), in technical collaboration with Indian Diamond Institute, Surat and also for beginning GIA’s coveted education classes in New Delhi.