D. D. Thacker facts for kids
D. D. Thacker (1884–1961), also known as Diwan Bahadur D. D. Thacker, was a very important coal miner and a kind person who helped many people (a philanthropist). He came from Jharia, a town in Dhanbad, India.
About D. D. Thacker
Early Life and Business
D. D. Thacker was born in 1884 into a Gujarati family in Bhuj. This was in a historical region called Kutch. He studied there when he was young. He became interested in the coal mining business because he knew the Mistris of Kutch. These were skilled builders and engineers from Kutch who were leaders in the Jharia coal mining area.
He began his career in coal mining in 1905. He partnered with a company called Seth Khora Ramji & Brothers. Together, they bought a coal mine called Pure Jharia Colliery in Jharia. After Seth Khora Ramji passed away in 1923, D. D. Thacker bought the rest of the mine from his family. He then became the only owner of Pure Jharia Colliery. He worked hard to make his coal mining and trading business much bigger. He bought several more mines in different parts of India, like Bengal and Bihar.
Helping the Community
During his life, D. D. Thacker held many important positions. He was the Chairman and Secretary of the Indian Mining Federation. He was also the President of The Geological, Mining and Metallurgical Society of India. He even served as an Honorary First Class Magistrate in Jharia, which meant he helped with local justice. He was also the President of the Bihar Chamber of Commerce and the Indian Colliery Owners' Association. He was a supporter and trustee of the Jharia Anglo-Gujarati School.
D. D. Thacker cared a lot about the people who worked for him. In 1928–29, his Pure Jharia Colliery started a primary school. This school was for the children of the workers in his mines. Later, in 1939–40, he opened another school in Jharia. This one was called Rao Bahadur D. D. Thacker's Labourers' School. It helped train workers for the coal mines.
In 1954, he gave money to create a special award. It was a Gold Medal called the Dewan Bahadur D. D. Thacker Coal Mining Gold Medal. This medal is given every year to people who do great work or research in coal mining. Even today, this award is very important. It is given by The Mining, Geological and Metallurgical Institute of India to people who are excellent in the coal mining industry in India. Also in 1954, he donated money for a sports trophy. This trophy is still used for sports events in the coal mining community.
His Legacy
D. D. Thacker passed away in 1961. His sons continued his coal mine business under the name D. D. Thacker & Sons. Later, in 1972, the Government of India took over all coal mines in the country, including theirs.
