Nov 1972

I Price 50 Raise November 1972 » VOL. IX No. I I <1- ’ » » • ; • new medium for old wisdom « I * I 2 T # tf I * i MR. SOHRAB P. KOTWAL CHIEF JUSTICE BOMBAY (Retired) - OfTicet. K,) /¦ Aj (India). FIRST OMBUDSMAN (Lokayukta) OF MAHARASTRA AND FIRST OMBUDSMAN IN INDIA • AV SR Oi 4^'* ¦Si:" ' a '*; ' > > # « •V' > a ... ' ¦*'11^ VOL. IX. Mo. I. < htoy0nl^t ^312 * M M r * « •t. ? EdTtoria^on Election Resting Place of ZaraChushtra Mr. S. E:Kot^^mJDn^dsm«^ i Panohayat’s Bo^ th«£ never came out yet paid for Voting Camp^^jVy P. B. WARDEN •?AKHAND PARSA” .jf I ¦A. •t. * Mauagng Editor : P. B. WARDEN, M* S. (Bom.). D. P. M. (Bom) ADVISORY BOARD •>* <¦ r Mr. P. R. E. Cassipd, Advocate-Ran^on, Aden, Nairobi, Bombay. Mrs. Gool K. Shavaksha Prof. Nadir Ardeshir Mody,<,M.A , LL.B. It Dr. Sohrab H. Batliwala, Ph.D. Mr. Bejori N. Desai, M.A., B Ed. Mr. Faribourz Nariman, (Architect Mr. Honi Burjor Dhalla, M.A. [Harvard] Mr. Mahyar Byramji Patel Yearly subscription for 12 issues: Rs. 6/- for Inland; Sh. 12/6 for U. K.; and§ 2/-fot U. S. A. Single Cojjy: 50 Ptise Office Address: Opposite Anjuman Atash-Baharam, 621-Jagannath Shankarshet Marg, . Bombay-2. BR Published and . edited by Edit-Proprietor P. B. Warden froi^., 62kJagannath Shankarshet Marg, Bombay 2 B R, and printed at Kaleid Art Printers, S-B, Shalimar Industrial Estate M atu ng a. Bomb^-19 mid mimeographed at 62-Jagannath Shaidcarshet Marg, Bombay-2. BR* «EDITORIAL >:.• It W.B just history of the rise and fall of a We may now say similar thing about Parsi Fanchayat 6 ’Decline and Fall of/the Holy Roman ire Gibbon wroste.that the Holy Roman >5)ire was neither Holy, nor Roman nor an Bi5)ire» nation. Ti^st. We may trace its rise and fall, rise from nothing tc> a lofty status reached aid retained in a dignified manner by . the stalwarts of the prSG^9di;5^‘S generations and the fall that is. imm inent by the corrupt concept of Trust, conceived and concretised by a. set of Trustees ijho have belied trustworthiness To be able to discern that what is true is true and that vfeat is fal^e is false and act on it is the mark and sharacter of trustworthiness. . Mere smoke of respectability puffed around Parsi Panchayat Trust is clearing up. nor a Panoha-yat as a congEpmeration of clean minds for a clean purposes, nor a Trust so above board, as to create tot^ Aonfidenoe in ail Trustee^ Caesar is dead but all qaen and women in Trusteeship in any Trust should be like Caesar’s wife above su^icion of foul play 'or unfair intentions, community is cau^t stiff r them crushing, three of th^ pressing and one a loose, screw that snaps. voice and the self stated ^outhzpiece of the Parsi Oomraunify thou^ a non-TepresentatiVp body. It’'is neither Pro*Parsi » •The a seven pronged vice^Threo of This.is Pars^'Panohayat that claims t6 be the r It is a clumsy committee authotitative, totalitariaii and unprodixc.tive. It is outliving its p^iod of dean life, declining in dimity, liruping and lingeriMg for a fall. The ^^tink from the inner Gxbala is so offensive thigt’tiost gooi 'men-do not widhi to enter it to serve the community because they feel they cannot perform I FARSIANA, November 1972* i. itheir duty under a stran^e^hold. ^oked to suffocation or suppressed to nonentity. hC “ “'»»* I*-!"- »a . of broad toitaro of «'•“ f ‘t ooUooa... fyr -Uio furniture of their mind and one has to bsoome just like Ihese Several of the members are Our fomer 9 ¦^ency at colleagues for “the there is no room in the Pancha^at Before I succeeded Pochkhanawaia of the Cent: ^0, , , . squally good and equally competnent then vacancy. It in the- Anj-i^an Atash Behram on Khordad^^aal Ih.v th o- +i - man tnlH t • , ^wraaa- Pew fcilouters from Reshmar its minarW^®aa h^ seehw The people ofRei^bDBr and surrounding village call it the grave of Zartosht and thqy believe it because what they know hasibeen hwrdkfrom ancestors from chest and memorised* The minaret is dome-like made of two ceilings (floors) one upon the other floor half of which is in ruins is 2§ metws high* The people of Reshmar say that there had been a basement (under ground) -r *01© i^per rOSHMA UoTCttibar 1972.Dihere th© coffin of Zartosht had been placed with gold cups or flower pots iaround* Around the coffin there had beej^ sever^ candles constantly burning ^4iidi never exxfcingui&ed. On portic® of the minaret, there had been golden inscription 5ihich had been removed by foreigners but the outline can be seen. The under* • • ground is oade in Salgoug style and is built with pieces of stones and a kind of mixed material whiah has ^d© it strong. Plinth is made of bricks and mosaic and it shows that the Resting Hao© has been re**built long after the death of the Prophet. OP Z^TOSHT, PINE ------------- - One of the miracles of Zartosht is planting of Holy Pine. In religious books it is in Kashraar. Firdousi has ihus described it "ZaStosht planted a Fine at the gate of city of Kashmar, it grew so hi^ and thick that no lasso could meaaire it. find a pine like Pine of Kaahmar? God has told me to come to heaven. in Shahnamdi5 A message passed throu^out the country,where else can you "It is sent, from heaven and n * n With this poem of Firdousi the ^ory and greatness of Soly Pine cannot end but with this there must be a trace of Holy Pine nearby the resting place of Zartosht. Historystales that the holy pine planted by Zartosht was cut down by the,.older cf . Abbasi and the pieces of tree were transported Bagdad for construction of a palac©^ _ A^ the place ^er'e this pine is planted there are two <^ghere people at th-e time of dig^n^ and cleaning of the GdOls PARSIANA November 1972. Sb.4 have pome face to face with thick and old roots of the Holy Tree. - 'Climate of Eashmar is most suitable for Pine Trees. - Recent photogr^hs show tirem as beautiful and gi^tio. lha Pine of Zarafhushtaa is reported to be 27 meters in circunfer anre and so tall that it cast its shadow for length. pree. .aimate of Eashmar is most suitable for Pine Trees* • The over a mile in Ihe aj^n fur ntfcing the Zarithosht pine' is better known to Motavakkel Abbasi who himself ordered its fitting. .Althou^ in some books the ctuse of cutting xWVgiven as its Use for "• • construction of a piace* They have also hinted that he wanted to see that pihe in hiown metropolis but this does hot seoa.to be ti*Ue because he must have known well that it had been imposBible in those days to transport such hu^ thing with no meons of tran^ort* < It had to be'cut Into pieces * Also it cannot be believed that by loading those leafless and branchl ’esa pieces of wood Bitavakkel could It would not be worthwile suffering high coats for its transportation to writer and specially people of Ehorasan is, fundamentally during th© as shown in the history of the world the conquerors army iidiose standard of culture is lower than tint ruin andplvwi^ not agree., ancient times Af^anistan was called Aryans. ( Afghanistan then s part Af. J^orassan. ) and Zorastrian influence is there in its ancient History. As no Irani teady to cut the tree, •after some l^ng time one carp alter frota Naibhapur by Kassein ahd know as Hallaj vho was not li^ahi was persuaded tS make a special saw and cut the tree. Mien tree fell on the ground as if an earthquake took place, wells and surrounding canals were ruined. Birds of all species that were Xivjn g on the tree when it fell they flew away with mourning and their number was so gr»t that like cloud the earth was darkn^i chicken being killed blood ran on the grouni. Ihe Khalif the tree cut into pieces and great expense took it. peached the ; vicinity of Bagdad news came, that Motavakkel had een assasinated by his own slave. -X ¦ were friendly with tho^of or bride collect-^ a huge 'prevent In . was ^en it ^IXowing the news of discovery of resting place of Zarthoah we correspondent of a newspaper eonducted Ifr. Itezaban I asked him his view in V- I' Khuahravarian te the resting place. ^e natter. Mr. Khusravarialn answered I had throe journeys tw tn^snar and I have seen everything from nearby. Khushravarian seen ever, ^as sp^t two years in search, and research in the area. ’ my first journey to ReshQar I saw the minaret under whicht resting place of Zarthosht is situated. I asked from a jtonBT shqpherd who was grazing his flock of sheep in the PARSIANA November 1972. 7..1 asked him who are you? He aaswered 1 Of course this shepherd and other *¦? they knew hardly anything about Zorastrian, peopl e of Kashmaj and the existence of people attribute^^ to Zarthtysht made l_ _ rese'' '''± for fining out truth about tbe J - vicinity of KeAmar, what is thia miriaret? The tod'shepherd answered with his particular local accent, -IHE ®WjS np ' ZiteTHOaiT, - - - - “ ¦ cuL c ue .sLHswerei 1 am ZorastriM. Of course this shepherd aM other, pa-stjis met aftemrards, they knwv some of the ferastriai,customs bit i.,,,^Jaigh faith of monum^^tatsiid works "that me more inter^stedrin'- ^^T — ------ --J moniimi^ts and histarlfe cal works of Kashm^. In fact in my view whatever exists in Ki^shmar is the real resting place-of Zarthosht on i^ich morg-'t research must take place, OF IhsvCorrespond^t of^^this paper thereafter contacted Hr. ; J^aAT^i (ar^sssep of Ihlversity and Xeading researAer). = I asked Mm his in this natter. Q-. ‘ihi^vashi. said I have ‘ , fhearir*many things from persons, who-have seen the above mentMned work and I have seen photos. J^Wstorioal facts and considering the photos that I have seen, ' the cave, of Keahnar cannot be the resting place :of-Zai-thosht and there ia no truth -in it. Eeshinar is m entirely. Islamic oaistruction. Hit we can agree that the undergrotnni cave is'probably one of the- -• Ihe cave in Sal jugian style has been - seen, But we prowlsl ^ib holy places^. buiTt long afteirv/ards re Kashmar had been nrfth^ the birth place of ^hosht not .dMth- pi aoe and. not even residaital pl acs.' In Zo'raatri an Religion , 8. PARSIMA Novemb^ 1972*»*' i -t' the transport of dead body from one plane .to another plapejs. not allowed, sp therQ is no reason to agree that the body of .. Z^tho^t'had been transp?onted to thf*^ plaoe 'O ' -rr. • The Tieis AtrSsponS^t ia'it not possible that-fo'r'pf'bs frying and safety, of t the body from enemy "it" jmi^t haTe’'be'^ transferred to this place? ' Dr. I!ara.T;ashi "answered ., he had also strong h^p like Goshtasp the Kayani King, connection that he had witir-rOyal fomily of Goshtasp he is considered one of the member of royol;fax^ly, of such an influential person & is npt likely. It is possible anirf^ous person they named their children Zarthosht historical place of Keshmar may be conneete-d with one such Irani 2»a£rthosht and not, Zartihoslit the ancient Proi^et of Iran, I .. ¦-X-; i, ¦sV 1. . \ t i i enemies > Besides with the marriage To' ke^'^th e body ,r<3mpt^ plase,inbogniio;; ' some people in view of ahspicious This 'ft 1^8 Kai*avashi said about th^ holy pine»&^S^S6hiar'is centre 0^ grow*^ of pine tree. ^e.people have across old roots 0^ a pine but in fact we cannot say these roots are the same as 0^ the holy tree I to the original subj ect ^thoshtat the time of war a^inst Tur barat ur was killed at, tokha How was the body taken to Keshmar? Itr is said Bn.l kh or ^3akhdar bad contained Khurasan also and most probably the' ^i^ting took place in Ehorassn and his resting place has beeh .de the pine vhich may be done according to Prophet's will ' 'V' ft ' I ,&s is shown in ¦fcho history Asho How was the body taken to Keahrngp ^? Itr « Hoveoib^ 9.^4 in* my In conclusion I am happy to meet the Governor of Keshmar last journey vfeo had written an article about the j)lace of Zarthosht and lli<.pine at Ke^u^r and the said rfiatin g place. He was of the opinion that it is the duty of Zorastrians in particular to built the few kilometers of road whidh stretch fron the main road to the resting place, and yearly the attention of thousands of tourist may be attracted towards this place. es ( Continued frem page 3.) and deprivation of human dignity about which tho present day imn is wide awake* Samyukta Par si Praja Mindal is ccming up for its cainpaign of voters. " AKHAND PARS! •” ( solid Parsi Body...) of. We ha ve , Stnrs are reputed td Which const el 1st ion P. P. K. join or whether he .Astronomers from time to time discover new sts^s* yipotted a new star Shri P. P. Khambatta. determine the future of persons and r^os. in the Galejcy of Trustees will runs hi s ovn course will determine the fate of the dissuaded dumb Par sis. Ifey we say tomorrow —This was our Lucky Star; as conjuctions and oppositions of astrologer ’s could not divert him from his path as he came to know more and more df the m.?! ady that is Parsi Pandiayat. Path of ri^teousness is tho only path. paths. . 111 other paths arc no »1 £ , ONE BT I*. iHK PAiresfcmT- K SWiB^ • 1 ^®<*b *¦ e. •'r ¦H-, ^fore the dgiXerable episode of the Godrej Printing Press ly the Trustees of the Bombay Par si Panohayat ife fi^Uy J J*®®®® another glaring insttooe of. closed, mismanagement by them. T ¦ *e ¦ ! run , ! tiiePSCfsis are not fully aware of their istoiy . of their once'great ajjire in Iran before th ey oane ¦ over to Indi*, and ef their surviral and progress in this country for more than 1,300 years, the Parsi PanehajB't of ^ntoy undertook a scheme in about. 1963 te bring oijt a di in En^ish, .and^ a substantial ^ount set aside by the Trustees for this task.' Br. Jal P, Bulsaa , OS, with no conc^tion ;nf history, • a Bombay imdertook ! history ef -the Parsis > was one of their .foimer Secretari was appointed the Eiitor af the-book on a salary of Rs. 500/“ month and each, contributor was to be paid Es. 10/- per page submitted by him^ plus hie typing one of their then espanses, and Mr. Shapur P. es, to'look after the VAien the contributiors were sS^pters of the Desai, < - - - inplemcitation of the scheme, approached by the Eli tor to write different book'! th? farj of banotioned payment to them, as maitioHed above, vias not disclosed by him to them, and some of than got-tto payments after much reluotanco and difficulty, vhile he himself got his salary month after month. Tnis state of affairs P A R S I A N November 1972. gave» ¦ ' rise to protests from the contributors ani the editor's salary was uXtinnt^^^ppedg^^^rYS^^Htia^^^ The book is not couplete and out as yet even after some ten Jong years, there been no protests frcxn the contributors • longdthe Jditof Trustees,,^ with^*^ ben- .2aSL^ id er a how '>'?ouid have been continued by the community. 19 fl P A R S I- 4 n: V and trusts founded by stalw,,rts in tho pet for tho -good of ¦ & oonmiunity did yeomaa serrico to its mombors till account ..of the .s^g,ess md doroted serWces bf''€ho-if'wifkers' ¦md tr^tees. BuU today they arc rostly run f 4 B S;.I.4\Na answer these ^gu^tions without ! ?• ¦»T> ¦ PARSIANA November 1972.: i-' - : !•- .0® BIRST OfflUDSiiAN Mr. Justice Srrab P. Kotwal, retired Ohief Justice of Bombay ' Hi^ Court, becauae of his hi^ talent inpl id t faith in proper judiciary system and eagerness fcr clean administration, and because of his lofty character now becomes the first Lokayukta (Onbudsman) of Maharashtra. He will look into of character deterioration in Government at all levels save-the Qiief Minister. >io will be cutside his jurisdiction as the sole ezoeption. Nepotism, corruption, departmental indiacipli": at hi^er level have in^)!anted a Tree of j£vil, spreading out with its inany branches and loaves, perverting minds and shackling conscience of men in high positions. By virtue cf his new office he will be empowered to call upon any minister "or ce of Bombay in ^se me < a hi^y placed parson in Gov6rnm®it to explain his action, plan or choice to clarify his position in the interest of clean Government and to satisfaction of re-establish confidence, call from t^im will have the effect of suranons binding on any person to attend before him as a suspect or as a witness such OR. sea will-be' ref hired to him and he will submit hia' report Such an office was long over­ due in view of the deteriorp,ting administration in Government . and public affairs. to thy hound; to: protect.;, The cpmmunity'vhas no voice.: Nobody can ask than ahyrvquesstion ;and th er e is no^ing hindi^ on /them to from.th^fceopyer^eht distance between themselves and public *they a posiMcn ,-U hurl insults, indigni ­ ties and lawless ^dstr®^fes. ^?ith dn^uihty they do just exactly T^at public do not.wa^t-favours and waste over unworthy employees sJ^ort of Court proceedings community members are helpless and Court proceedings mean ^justice delayed is'-j^usti ce denied",' thouQl elderly>ohes?may g3t brilliant posthumous award. This question cropped the office of. the Hon. Chaidty, commissioner when we ehlightbfted the office of this ancfely and were told that eeveral' Panchayats have arrangements for public meetings' Were Trustees hav©' to app'ear for answering, fesservanji •Vakil (former Judge of Ahmedabad),Mr. ^vaJ^ Vakil election cahdidate), Mr. Jimi Shroff (Pieligion and rituals j5er3oni.fi ed), Late Mr. lifeneck Mistry/(over whom some Bombay ^Trustees showered lip syn^athies in public meeting and chairoan of .to Mr. Gheyara expressed sincere empathy) have advised oiir community members to desist fromrushing to courts, where’law may be brilliantly discussed and,justice may be Shelved,' despite all the sympathies of the Presiding Judge. have to free ojurselves from the shackles of 335. >*6 must organise a strong.body of intellegent and earnest mgn and wom^n. boys and girls and form Samyukta Parsi Mandal for AKHAND PARS! (Solid Body of Voters) for ^expanded franchise, Tshich ^e claim as our Birth ri^t and shall have it. ^.ARSIANA. November 1972 • 19.V't' ^'11 Programme of ikhaoi Parsa 4 . I ,' (1.) Total «r expanded, frotic^i se« ^hen all must resi@i ani seek (2*) Trusteeship period tro be shortened to five years election all togetlw with other cancHOs iihcTmay Seek elootioni (3i) Persons seeking, election may be proposed and seConded^ by anybody# kt present 335 not only vote in the vote out anybody if they choose to,.. hf 335*- 44. ) Trustees ---------/^public in general meiiings be convened by the public^or the purpose. . there should be nothing so rigid that other Tnetees cannot look into the working or management of Trustee in. charge • of any department other than his _ _____ ____ total monopoly over any departmait sc thaK individual or joint ’responsibility issue can be determined and responsible Trustee can,j3e brought to look and reproached in general meeting# * Trustee .but also can ' _ community cannot be left to the mere; should be made answerable to the Pari owi. No Truetee can exercise (6>) Assets and finances of the Trust could be reor^xnised within the freedom parmitted under law or by special appeal to ^the Hon# Qaarity comnissioner for his sanction. financial condition of cur younger generation industrial iiistatos should be built or takoi on rent and yo^un^ ’^'^ple with know-how should be ericpuraged ‘ to (8») A number of cottage industries sould make many families self-supporting. May be that donand for (7.) and (8#) may increase as selfrsupporting younger people can pay current rent in the city and suburbs .^d lesson pressure on demand for housing. ( 9.) Our Housing Problem is acute and the Trustees have done nothing worthwile. Constructions by three societies have only helped the upper middle class.who could but flats out ri^t. Those who could pay Rs. 750/- rent in posh localities c ould be r eor^xni s ed (7<) To into small scale industries -t 20. PlESIllK November 1972.r have occupied these buildings vhere rent and othor exponsos wc3uld work out at Rs. 400 p.m. Fanchayat baS thus helped the risher soction ahd i^ored the poor and those down and ,out I Akhand Parsa propbsos that the Pahcha0i or other ind^ehdent bodies should fora Housing Soci eties on lines ofwGatholio Housig Societies which build for Catholics and recover cost, at low rate of interest included in monthly rent for 15 or 2Q years of, capital recovero.ble in paymoits of 15 or 10 per cent by instslments for severe?! ysar-s as could be possible by joint earnings of couples^ (IO.) Tint way will b encouraged. t ca] 10 (11.) 'As both will be working, Baby Care Centres would be absolutely necessary to avoid raothr’a’g: being stz^aniedaod distressed without extra inc one contributed by them to-the family. Ihe phrase "Waand Paraa" has been coined after “Baagho Parsa", a book written by Sorabji, the son of first Sir Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy Bart. In this the word Parsa has no connection with Pars or'Pars, the province in Iraii from which we, Fars is take our name, sentiments. appropriately conveys the sense and sentiments of modem Parsis, Tiho clamour for their birth-right to vote. Parsa means persons with Humata pr good mind and fine Parsiona has coined this expression as it Me have discovered P. P. K. and are happy. We shall be equally happy with Sir Jamshedji or Mr. Vakil, I name the former Pure, Product and the latter Intelligence Index. Both elements are equally necessary. My decision was to vote for both but I am warned a^iinst such recklessness — so I shall have to coo^romise my conscience. We shall welcome whosoever comes but we pray that if the old stock is fossilised the fresh ones will be refreshing the dulled souls and activate tho minds which have become apatheticoto’ all thit happens in the Panchayat, which PAR3JAN4 November 1972. 21.studiously ignores and calculatirgly refuses to take the members of the'coranunity in their confidence. ' 4 Parsi Ppjichayat is a hard- ut to crack, our way up is -the WHX to VIN. need resources to- hold < ‘ ‘ work on us from their position, of vantage shall not tire us ^ut. The master key to win To sustain the will to win we on indefinitely that the process of . "Join Parsiana as Subscribers. Join Parsiana as Subscribers. Join Parsinna as Subscribers. • v; -¦ • ¦ Rs, 6/- per year for 12 issues will bring life force JLn our-comnunity throu^ AKHAND PARSA AKHAND PARSA AKHAND PARSA . This is SCGL^ RlfiSjiiARQi. Please send your honest reply* replies will- bSt our guide-lines. Your PARSIANA November 1972 •