Jul 1972

[ I 7r-***wy JULY 1972 VOL. VIII No. 9 ? 9 UJ ’ • Price SO Raise w { nf^n medium iot old udadom ? 'u ¦ n- . . 1 r- I I k r 4< k « t * u ! 4. j Jotindra Mohan Chatterjee Eminent Gathic Scholar?? OU ? ?? ?? i a JULY 1972 CONTENTS P«ge 4 E^tmial, ^i^Iation Stirtn^ics of Parsis and thdr applh»tidn P;B.W. 3 5 NWS > VIEW& SWEET S0P Managing Editor : P. B. WARDEN, M. S. (Bom.). D. P. M. (Bom.) ADVISORY BOARD $ Mr. P. R. B. Gassed, Advotsate-Rangoon, Aden, Nairobi, Bombay, libs. Oool R; Sbavak^a Prof. Nadir Ardeshir Mody, M.A , LL.B. Dr. Sbhrab H. BatUwsda, PbJ>. Mr. Bejott N. Dtesai, M.A., B.Ed. Mr. Faribourz Nariman, (Ar^itec^ Mr» Homi Bur^r Dlmlla, M.A. fHarwd] Mr-Mahyar By^^ Yearly sutecription tor 12 isaaesi Rb €/- fbr fehnd; Sb. U K; aiid§ 2/-for U S A Single Coi^: 50 Nds® Office Address: Opposite Aiquman Atash-Baharam, (21-Jagannath Shankarshet Marg, Bombay-2. BR Publiahei md edited by Editor*Proprietor P. B. Warden from 621-Jagannath Shankarshet Marg. Bombay>2 B R^ and printed at Kaleid Art Printers, 5-B, Shalimar Industrial Estate MaWnga, Bornbay-19 and immeogr^pbed ^t 621-Ja^nhatli Shankarshet, Bom|>ay>2. BR.ht- f I EDITOaiAL When the EDITORIAL was under preparation the following letter reached me. Looking to it» urgency the entire letter is reproduced in the place of Editorial. The Parsi Zoroastriah Association, I, Saklat Place, 4 Calcutta 13. The Editor, Parsiana, August 18, 1972. Dear Sir, We have been reading with great pleasure and interest the various letters and articles which have been ^pearing in Parsian^ Kaiser-i Hind and jam-e jamshed about the duty of the Parsi Community to invite Mr. jatindra Mohan Chatterji to Bombay and to felicitate him publicly for his signal services to the cause of Zarathushtrian studies. # As hM been pointed out earlier, Mr. Chatterji l« now eighty-four years old, and though generally in good health, is quite unable to make the Journey to Bombay to receive in person the warm affection of his many admirers on your side. You will be happy to know that the D. B. Mehta Anjuman Atash Adaran of Calcutta will be completing rc rtf ovlefon/./, I “Jb-U I ____I - -___ _ i___________ ® many admirers on your side. sixty years of Its existence on 13th October 1972 and a two-week programme of its Diamond jubilee Celebrations is being arranged in the second half of October. On this occassion, it has been decided to allot an evening specially to felicitate Mr. Chatterji, and messages gifts received on that occassion will be presented to him. < As many of Chatterji ’s admirers outside Calcutta have expressed a desire to associate themselves with any expression of gratitude to him, we Wish to approach them, through your Journals, to send us, if they so wish their messages and/or gifts for Mr. Chatterji. which will be gratefully received, duly acknowledged and passed on to him. ** is being arranged in the second half of October. On this occassion, it has been decided to allot I • g ** • w • »>0 TI I J U I IB C* 1*1 * V* I • \l U * | II wl Tf SO wish their messages and/or gifts for Mr. Chatterji. which will be gratefully received, duly acknowledged and naccAd on <*z\ him * Whilst on the subject, it will not be out of place to enlighten your readers about the Work of this learned man. .. „ . After the publiction of Chatterji ’s first translation of the “Gatha ”, published by the late Mr. Ardeshi- M l4llimrtB»i>« _ ______ _ KjI.. x**I. - *1 ¦* . * _ ir N. Bilimoria of Navsary, aboutLthirty-five years ago, Mr. Chatterji virtually dropped out of sight of the Pars! Community and our Association has had the happy previlege of “rediscovering” him about ten or twelve years ago. Since then, we and sqme others like Mr. Mahyar Byramji Patel of Bombay have been actively “re-presenting” him to those interested in Gathic studies, and thanks to the munificence of several generous people, we from ¦itiaft. *¦- CalcuttahaVepublishedtheundernotedworksbyMr.ChatterJi: “The Hymns of Atharvan Zarathushtra ” A 1,000 page volume containing almost word-for-word translation of the Gatha, detailed commentary and a learned essay as an -Introduction. “Atharvan Zarathushtra.The Foremost Prophet” A reprint, with about 100 extra pages of the ‘Introduction’ mentioned above. “Message of the Gatha-as Reflected in the Masnavi of Moulana Jala-ud-din-Rumi. ” “Gospel of Zarathushtra-in the Words of MoulanaJalal-ud-din-Rumi ” In Print. These books have achieved much distinction in the world of schclarshlp. ' About five years ago, the Parsis of Calutta had organised a special function at the Anjuman Atash Adaran and publicly thanked Mr. Chatterji, and presented to him a shawl and a silver salver, suitably inscribed, as a mark of our esteem and affection for him. ' The function that is intended to be organised in October 1972 will be on behalf of the entire Parsi Community and the messages, gifts and contributions requested may please be sent to: Mr. Rustam T. Saklath, 4-A, Auckland Square Calcurta-17. «) 2) 3) 4) Adaran and publicly thanked Mr. Chatterji, and presented to him a shawl and a silver salver, suitably 4f'kCX’l*i KaH aC a mav*l< xmii* L.z.^ * I Yours faithfully, THE PARS! ZOROASTRIAN ASSOCIATION, J. R. Mehta for R. T. Saklath President.i^' 4^WiSXlQ ^£3^8-' ''44/, O'- ’^adio Offu . '- tr^i in has shrunk to less th^ W'"’^^^3x0 ^ according to the latest 1971 statistical fiS^®; - , li^ly ih ezcess by 1540 in ntc*44803 males Of the total of 91,266 the majority shrunk to less than .0^ 'a t. . y (India), total of 91,266 Parsis broken up ag^.inst 46,443 femaleSs a only 72266 are in Maha- Poona may te ranking second with ah out 4000 and the rest di stribated in small pockets in diff^^ towns. U- Ihe Parsis are a purely urbanised race sharing the^.a^^^ and loaded with thrir handioapw and year after year more and more ge • cau^t into this spider's web. More and more people from Gujara^ are mi^ating to Bombay,selling off their land and houSes, leaving them no way'of escape in the event of. any calamity, overhelming Bombay city and depriving -toemselves and their families o. any chance of change of aivironment so necessary for mental healt - Gujarat ranks second md holds the Parsis population of 15131^ The rest of the total Parsis are scattered in small groups in di erent, parts of India constituting Parsi pockets of population holding on ta'their orthodoxy in customs and religious practices , of life. However there are no Parsis in .Naga" laad,Tripura, Laooadiv and ether islands in the Indian Ocean «d within this sub-continont. the above statiBtics of the sis raaht^a TflQtJx preponderance in ^1^ their specific way Bombay alcne* oups as . other out of the way areas One noteworthy thing in the preponderance of females over males. This is a unique phenomenon amongst all the races iust few more males than females $25 f©males to 1000 males. Sikhs finales imity almost PABSIINA JTO. 1972. IS <; and Communities in.India who have . Hindus and Muslims have, arc^d and Buddhis have around 960 to 1000 males.i Amongst the Christians there i 990 and amongst Jains wider disparity around 940 .s close projf 65- T-'' ? ^4 f^ee per lOOO’iiiale.s. One amai'eur statistioim oaffuallyrEiBair^a^ that any race with ay)5®S8 of women cahnot die out many must h?.ye mi grated* .ur hollow-life. ' y - ' 'Gar Prophet has advised us to marr strian without without the- devis which i in p opulati on explo s i on without first learning voluntajrily to reiibpose do ’. richness. Then look at a hood herself or in c.— u find the * s 1 yegetating existence-good but undefined’mania for life pesters "our n withv » One cannot be a true Zoroa" •use no life is complete 1 of its consequences. God has to loapn.t V > sp 4 a ¦i. ¦; Spouse and tot.al consummation tsnafraic .c? ConsurasatiOT for man- and^oman to 1 oajrn to -oTcroome thv-grting life in S-H throughout entire will have to ar man to ¦overthrov; inhibition .it,which is what is OS inhibition life though Strict family but not ¦and later learning meant by ’Ham -dorHamera . Homi Menta if Petit Parsi'General Hospital telle me th^t es have gone doin from 1200 to o50 pei accident or desigi’ First determine this and this +.e increase ar si population. Besides tins Dr the number o year. Gan it be and then build hou^^es to increase Mehta referred to V.D. who do noV marr^ , hater) and some odd one.may declare himself, a usually fakes. Sorab ¦declared himself God) but foolishly added him of Jalaluddin exconents of Sufism in terms jmbod iment o f uni v e rsal love, tran/^oer to Love's 'i? ¦p J. 1 delivery cas X 1 From those mi sogyni st (woman misogamist(Hator of Marr i ages K-al yah wri t esk o f nashi -or he hates Roni,one whi ch Tne g: PIRSIANL JULY 1972. yj 5j ad in^ V ] j “p the comunity. hctrdly anybody calls himself a ) , Both ar visitor to him whc hudaikhidmatgar Cone to serve the love of woman. Kalyan spoke to of the greatest God is the beloved and is ¦oat Sufi told the man" >1 Ui a 3. declare id Khudasa” Tove in the If thy steps b¦ ¦ love and then return ", The man bowed his head ; pabhway^Depni^^l^^^^ tn Zoroastrian scrip titres first comes "Ashem"(happiness to others. Happiness z 4 matter p in shame. +ii ----- - x -i na "to him through whom happiness to others. Happiness without love is^ , mkoTO; and then comes-Yatha’CAlnii^ty's way of rule through o ' g«od-mind,who cannot be good without love). Married love is a .invn- unitive Configuration of -Love^Chiversal that Ahura-Masda has estab. -lished and Lord Zarathushtra has pronounced as duty-as f fact the 5th Gatha is a sermon on "How to be happy though Marriod . Housing probieA may be considered n-yv. The posture of hope the gesture of sha^ which the Fanchayqt assumes-^rom^ ti^Jo ae is 3n empty show. The Trustees to lacs an a sermon on p 0 - -i-^ifrom time to no money. What . in year after year .La.te back to help them find from their own funds. He received no cooper ¦ and all the others got is of the Trusts are i say lacs of Rupees pouring. ¦Mr^Hustornji- Sidliwa of Karachi some yeo money i- answer ; moneys , tn ess 0 ^Hon. Charity Conjmissioner free and nsfe'tixomoto — resources on men rces. open land. Mr. his '----- - homes at their-own expense there is me IS ppens X-' >1 ,rs "all moneys are ,make them ation. The only armnarked". AH usuHly ear-marked. The -Zest and eames- f Trusteeship demand that they in consultation with the __ ‘ unearth the hidden treasures the benefit of the Gommunity and not waste like Bajan and n' It is a sh.ame.They may have ' ¦' . Nanabhoy Byramji Jeejeebhoy is a vast areas at Goregaon but people will have were also t permit Bajan to cripple resou land and there may be donors of potentiality with to build their oim __ise, Ihen things were cheap,houses fcoing begging. toe cost of land and construction arc both proh­ ibitive and beyond the means of too Panchayat. One construction has been erected at Goregaon but the moneys c donated. ViTe must now promote schemes similar to those Ghurch A.uthorities. They take 15 to the first instalment. Subsequent three FARSI AMI JULY 1972. f construction were ) of the Ibtholic 20 % of the estimated cost as instalments yearly are of 9.4 ' * around. IC^^ of the cost., further tliree instalments at of the cost and so on until by 20 years the cost is repaid in progressi­ vely dimi'iniWijng amounts year after year with 6% interest to the Church. The buyer has option to pay off the full or any bigger amount earlier if he can afford to. Most of these flats are taken up by working class couples who earn .ani premises. Jjy inquiry reveals that quite a number of earning Par si families in need of accommodation are ready to participate if b... such scheme be floated by some responsible institution moneys will thus be build blocks of varying income groups from Psl5,000 to ible if 1 and is donated. Ifr. Nanabhoy Byramji Jeejeebhoy is our hope and may prove to be our salvation. Dr. Aspi &olwala has a couple of schemes, along this line, but the ground being expensive the cost must mount and it can ¦ As a corollary to' the preceding scheme should be ad ,<•1. pay and finally own the Cominunit;, ’ s vanced .and not spent out.Such colony may .g sizes to suit the pockets of different 0? 45,000 each, whi ch sho ul d be po ss ** c A trial venture possible for our young on and industrialization suit only ths upper income group, cheme't to make as many members of the community as possible better or bi^er bread-winners. There is no organised scheme on the hands of the Panchayat to inculcate the spirit of independent Indus- men. Our entire education is bo ok-work, chair-work, ledger-work-. No one is vdlling. to see anything beyond the nose because no one is competent in any of the industries. But the world is moving is expanding with minor and major projects and we do not share , the prosperity it creates all-around us. bjhy that lethargy^ ,it is not lethar^. It is ignorance. In every age we must.move with the times. In building resi­ dential colonies we then moved ahead of the times .and now as if a sort of craving for such Ofdonies has developed amongst our PARSIANA JULY 1972. 10. • F i9Community members. Something .of a. slog^ passes around. ’^No Colon^^ Ko Parses* as if the colony is the panacea of ail ill suffering fronj. y^e may build colonies and yet we moy not get occ- pay rent. Colonies may not opened spite subsidising,advancing loans for payment of arrears oi rent there are a number of ejectment suits pending against Parsi occur, ants. Lasses we are Tf upants for their want of capacity to sorted if simultaneously avenues ,of income ar C.. ut. De- ‘ -----X It is hi^ time we now divert our'mind from goody doling charitee,The goody,the Trustee and the Charitee are all fast approaching the exhaustion attention on creating money so that the fresh neurs may prosper,'Employ more of our men in their industr small scale,medium scale or cottage industries and thus an atmosphere of diligence and prosperity.! have visited Industrial Estates where I have found here and there and they are doing well. I have come by several with know-how who want to plunge into manufacturing line. They o,re in my mind healthy hew generation.. Some of them have small capitsl enough to get going but not much to sink into monthly rent a lack level,with deposit insecure and facin^^ blackTmail eleven mnnth interval for pay more, or see the door. Thes persons deserving timely help from the Panchayat. Estate is a must for the.community. It will fix o .attention on production of things with them. It will open their eyes to futile:to b. gs'ody Trustee int. We must no;? rivet oUr crop of entrep- 1 s os- o.rouse .several few Parsi .ucated young men •4- .L every ___ese o.re the /In Industrial - ur, youn and new we.alth for themselves a agree that p cry of .des- born recently will have ad reflection on the and those connect thousand and one items yet untouched. It others have already entered the field. That would-.be pair. Would anybody say that youngsters uld be a i= .'I .a rjothing to do on their own?Such PlRSI/uNA JULY 1972. IE p men ’ s 11.(¦J A. , Dr id SQ in tho beginning on any block is fully recovered. ,rn c.md p^^y rent outside .r residential G •KG G®* ly Jehangir. reputation to th part of the community.All those vrho had taken rooms in Indust ' rial Estate earlier got themat ^.5 paise per ^puare foot.Later "one got at Ibl/- per square foot direct or from middle men ‘Who hade business^aut of it. As middle men thrived'.the,rent fjent up to ^1/25. Average areas o echoed'are around hfjp, sq.ft, each. Thoeewho prosper may expand.Industrial Lstates are .power,water and unrestricted working hours Oise such estate or take tion on subsidised rent basis and more till all amount spent Young men will get going. They will their residential needs. The clamour for grovdually fade out. The experiment aill be proclaim.ed course of time. The chances of its failure are small becan entrepneur will be intensely ea.mest and not as one Bajan does under his protege L tand thrat she owes her dignity members vho hold her in high respiect,as I too < lop’sidedness in insisting on having Bajan- thrust upon the le resourGGS of the community ...with fat pay license for unfair pr tices andano performance to his credit. Wy I opp he ha.s done many oinworthy things to the notice of the Trust to be They ; can be unearthed target. For ten blocks the Panchay.o.t may have to ; per month in early days from the beginning and fully rsoovoroble gr.adually prosperity of the PARSIANA JULY 1972. the; rent drent . ft.each. Th prtviledged places aith . Tanchayat,must:build over at least ten such blocks for distribu- •asis in the beeinnins ond recover mor or colony will a success in each ating out our resources She must.unders- e c o mmunit}’’ except for her^ .0- Bojon is that vhich I have' recorded and brought i ees adth all. dhe .force at my ismayed. Let his lapses and my dismay be brush; are all on record. The past is buried 'end may ranain any day but the future is the bull' ana 4 , ; I J ..w: rl The par •)r ti F? A VO J h« disposal side. bur io d ^ind the posit Rs’.&jOOO ana all that amount is piortly recoverable rd the growing younger generation. Hzpansion then may begin. G. f 4 What are the Panchayat doing*^ Ihey p^^^ commercial units in " charge of some pet or -favourite like Bajan,Fho Jmows n his assi^ument. He has reduced profit from 80,000 a year >a clean loss of income per year and ear to 20;^6b0 is making ' further losses of 40,000,20,OOOC and 10,000 year after year v/ith aspects of success. Yet Lady Jehangir obstinately hails the ¦a clean loss V( J no , performance as good show and hands to permit such losse account of above losses accountant Mr. Bajan gets Bsl5,000 per year,Mr. Dravid draw’s Is 9,000 per year end an assistant in acc" ounts gets Ib6,000 per year. It means to record a loss of 10,000 per year Panchayat raa.intains a staff of it pleases Lady Jeh^gir to retain dla JanJih’ thei'P^ncbayat at the, , cost of the community’s Trust moneys,which do not afford a rise of 10 rupee note to someone deserving dole. Bajan eats the dole iS P- g some .of our emasculated Trustees to mount. Punctiliously to keep the and Lady Jehangir takes the cake. p. ;anJih’.th©i'P^n 30,000 per year because LIMWCK o .. There was a young fellow from Dice V/ho remarked: If one is a bore Try two,thre For the plural of spouce is .spice. ' ''O' i' A M I think 'Beganq^ or four, nice; PIRSIANA JULY 1972. . 13.I .r I . ms & vim. . ¦ SOP, /Congress Parliamentary Party in its recent seating started a talk g'pfacontrol on prices of essential coramodities-specifically sugar, . cereal a and-clothe ^11 the high and mighty were present including Indira :Gandhi and Ministers with portfolios. The burden of the song was-control prices-increase. the. number of fair price shops from ths present number of 125,000 to whatever it may be ahd spread the aroma of service to the nation. The only snag that come up before the meeting was the problem of shady transactions in these shops to such an extent that Shri Azad wanted ah inquiry to be made - in their working. Where two parallel currencies are operating-namely the Govern­ ment currency and the black money currency the angel face shop-keep­ ers have a hard time remaining angelic,particularly where there is insatiable demand and unsaturated black-money-bags ready to out and share the contents. is (pen Somebody pointed out an anomaly that prices of cotton were falling and prices of cloth were rising which the irmocents on the round table could not understand. In their perennial absent-minded- nessthey could not recall thqt they are playing to the gallery by offsetting any advantage with new loads of excise,income-tax and much vaunted welfare by wage revisions and amenity provisions as exhibit!onsof triumphant vanity,without helping the labour or the industry. Industry just forks out more money and. the labour pays out more prices in a merry-go-round of the black market circus. The desperate public stays in distress. fixed with the Industry and for the dea­ lers controlled in a novel way-’We pay less,you earn more call the device k Sweet Sop. PARSIANA JULY 1972. As sugar prices are W-, ¦we can 14.