Jun 1974

ras' •v' fe?^ ¦ It - ^§5 /,».' ^ssIt, r . » > 4 SL ! ¦1 ‘ « * i > ? June-July 1974 CONTENTS Pdfl^e No. EDITOR'S COLUMN . LETTERS THE MAKING OF A TRUSTEE THE t WiLIGHT of THE PUGREES by Sanober Marker INTERVIEW:*MEV1LLE WADIA DO YOU PREFER THE PUGREE OR FETAH? by Feroza Paymaster THE SOUND OF SILENCE by Pervin Malioney PARSI PIONEER: SORABJEE BENGALEE .. by Jamshud Pavri THE PANCHAYAT ELECTIONS by P. B. Warden THE E|.IGHT OF THE euSYBEE by. Geeta Doctor 2 7 11 12 14 18 23 26 29 32 PARSIANA COVER of a yesteryear Pars! family desijined by Ms Mini Boatwala. (Prints courtesy Tfm History of the Parsis by Oosabhai Framji Karaka, Macmillan & Co.) 3 »-J 5U . New ^ear is a time for nostal- gia, for kxdtiag -back and wcKud^ng hpw we managed to survive yet asiother rotation of tiu sun and how many^^ more we >^ve to alight+,^om the general meetings of several Tata really ask you to excuse me this occasion from answering your questions on Farsi head-gear. Perhaps tome ttrne ’ when ^hksh I can p^ forward my ioUSj^ I shdl be happy to* answer ”)^ Soli Godrej -- , J,------ --------— (his P. A. phoned to say he was wouaet cover, designed companies, I regret it has not out of the country and tfeiu^ he ify Ms Mini J^tWa, , harkens been possible for me to p^ up ^i^ould bK^eturning shmrtfy he b^ to the ^s or theypur qu^tionnaire to him._ In ^ouid ndB^ave time to asfy'ease, as Mr. Tata receives Naval Godrej (no reply) and ’Homi ”"7’''''*'' Sethna (no reply). Anyway, this ' Acmong those who did not res- executive assistant wrote in to — __ . __ _ __ . with matters connected with the , cirdes we wttl complete before annual accounts and the annual looking -back pond were J. R. D. Tata (his on say as Jeh was * extremely* busy . (Qpjc is one '”dBt' companies, I regret it has^ not ................ ’ me t* rf ”7 to him. In to up and /ama-picfe»a, of -the Icnag' sleeved blouse and lace sudreh, ot velvet slippprs and embroi ­ dered jhablas, to a time when and articles, etc from various the community ’flourished and organisations all over the country, you could identify a family by and as owing to extremely heavy the pugree^ th^ wore. Old insti- pressure of work it is not possible tutions die hard but they die and for him to respond to all of them, once where there were fifty-two jje has made it a policy to decline THMtree makers in India, today there them uniformly rather than dis ­ it only one. ¦ ’ So unless some one else learns the art of pugree-making, our interview question this issue, “Do You Prefer The Pugree Or Fetah ” may be an academic one. We ’ll all have to wear the fetah. Aw^w, in keeping with our new bmky of getting everyone ’is views maumij m . on everything so as to keep letter ”), Nani P^khivala j!^e , we asked eight jflied^l^so^y^^jm^ing^ ijH^ COTtinuesu And whib 5 figum i» addition to our cus- iSS^h? w^ St their heads over whs* . tj ^.r y cross-section of Parsis it Nam and noted he was so they preferred. And either due to the pressure of time or _ the TTiin d-boggling enormity of inability to accede to _ Ae question they all refrained request for certain answers, from making their views known r ——Mr Tp I dkcept for Piloo Mody. For his gir J I numerous requests for answering Sethna (no reply). Anyway, this questionnaires, sending messages prevent the Karsiana staff X coming up. with suitable headgear for these eminent gents (see cartoon). Whple we ’re on ^e subject of headgear, our readers ^may ; be interested- in learningthe of hats as related in the Parsiana History of Parsis Other Greats Vol. II: , “prom whenever it was decided that , skin and hair \Vei% not adeqs^attf to shield the body from the on ­ slaughts of natut^ people, have sought various v\^s to adorn themselves. From loin cloths to. three piece suits^and fnma from coming up. with suitable i inciu UllllUtlltlJ lai-uvx vxeeeee •_;_ criminate between them ”), Naval Tata (his P. A. wrote to say he was out of India for a few days and that “even after his return, due to his other pre-occupations, I do not think he will be able to respond to your request. I, there ­ fore, hope you will understand his inability in replying to . your " I, Nani Palkhivala ^e^ re- gersonally addressing the it “Nani ” and noted he was *s6 hard pressed for time that you will kindly excuse me for my accede to your __ ” He apparently mistook me for Jehan- —ceuL lui irixwk. ol- Patel of Gokak-Patel-Volkart <^gi d<»ration he has our vote for fame!), Mino© Masani (addressed lift » even if he should decide to me as “My dear Jehangir no «Srge with the commies. His mistaken identity this time —and amcv of gettinfe everyone s views so i to keep letter ”), 1 as / Usiv^ Wa- . n^KI>. a .. ..s, <:,... 'iiU i’ V >" o ISaiii v^s tt) ad(»a lefl^th go^a to the , bikini, K •“iO > ') f 09 IW jR‘^4 SetKua S,EG,Jrej 1 J K 'kl’ ¦'»f A M« join r „ ___ ________ ment was established 80 years ago articles and/or cloth such as by! Jamshedji Tata arid has since —' --o -~ awarded loan scholarships to the ^j^g continuous rise of daily com- over 900 Indian scholars. While this is a cause for rejoicing, the real test of its worth is to be ___ _________________________ determined by the per cent of niness, deaths, weddings, navjots recipients who return or join Universities in America, England and Canada. The endow- by! Jamshedji Tata arid has since tune of one^ crore^of rupe^s^ to mo^fities we pay half their house wzi.,1,. rents, and their electricity bills. We also have a small Saving-cum- = Aid Scheme to help thm , in employed and once employed are and old age, “All these activities need funds, hence we jqjpeal to Patsi firais Uot overtaken by ffc ass the tropical sun and Chief Guest Homi Lala still moves around in a plain white cotton bushshirt. It X.V —* _______ is reassuring in.these days t^^know books, and at the three-week>old still are peorie who^eWd foreign newspapers, and .at their Sunday mornings t^ng to ¦ the gentlemen snoozing in * ’ ** reading-room. I overheard be fetched from the godown. I waited for an hour and a I looked at all the new ((' in the _ __ 1 a chat between the librarian and an admirer. I mused on the architec- inculcate in youngsters the need for good thoughts, good words and good deeds. May their tribe increase. - * MAKE YOUR CAREER WITH DAVAR’S WE OWR A WIDE RANGE OF COURSES • Personal Secretaries Course • Personal Assistants O^se • Punch Operating Course • Shorthand & Typewriting Course . • Personality Development Course »nH<»tessmg Course , • EnfSi^Ckiur^ I Bn^O^rrespondence Course • Rapid Readily Course • tel^one Technique Course • Receptioiiii^ Coiffae t.' u ... - T •* i(' ' I Inquire Today ; DAVITS COLLEGE ' 51, W Gi Road. Bombay 400 001. Tel: 251463^ ” '' ... " ' ' ' ' 1i> •% “f3 '1 i'r .1 * % > ^•4 » . , 4’ xiui ’ wwuo —- *“ — * The training our priests have mj premises of t^ church. AU this dre Senunaiy -- — ’ - "—’----- outdated. I feel that a price s 'i know-r [1 as ber MSSS»’**4rW^ »lU.—R I »V^d**V*^*' ** 4*^* * -y 3 •'n ’n *3 Hot words would ensue in the .iXA.- AH 4-lhie spoils the atmosphere. Perhaps veiy -------- . tha t is the reason. should, have a MiptQ.Ugh Dinshaw Buxbv ledge , of Ayesta as well fluent in EngU^-/nd able toj? express tVe “meanings " ' prayers in*'good English. ug very sad to see our young peoplel- i of either thoroughly mdifferent tor and our prayers, or being drawn to ­ other religionsy-specially fOT '^OTle and performed in En^^ a le^ag^/ 1 NoRetum Ms Barbara Irani states among Other things in the last issue < ” ¦ : “The services i— are in an ancient Persian of OUl^ Parmma: SSe" ’ wt‘ fte/ Prayers are f . . if they don ’t understand them f . ’ - ’ fully agree. Solicitor (Ea^nd) Proctor S. C. which they can undm«tand. they lose their significance. ” I Priests . . must bd Tc^er mea- For such pec^le, ^ho wish to dfedrcate^eir lives Framroze Rustomjee J.P. U.M. to helping peojde l;d 'i^derstijnd! Solicitor (En^nd) Proctor S. C. their religion and to live up to Separate But Equal & Notmy Public, Golombo has its tenets. We should^ prepared I read in the last issue of pubH^ed a book in 1959 «»ti^ to pay them wefl, ^or-OTe a fund Parsiana C‘The Doongerwadi Ban ”) “Daily Prayers of the Zoroastrians which will pn^idq^^r ^eni and 'the following 4^tenS- “No one in English with transliterations their chfl^en m ^ir educa- hal legible to Xe ’^ words .of the We start havings answer^ whv non-Parsis Avestan Text, also a-free trau^- , fewer pnests I ' I in , En^ish with transHteratioos heip their chfl^en in i®bir educa- * ’ ' ‘ t. We «sent writer is a cover /his h«a< ii'dn Europe, Aft OU1 ¦> Better Priests. FASHION 1 INDttStl feeing the faok of an underStan^i- ¦faig of the prayt^ that CtNIS Ur ^I^ISING t monied. If any the tiaeaning' unable to answer/ ’of gives some garbled explmiation saying that we must have faith. Of course I not referring to our High bid* ' to^ he would ^^t ipmnbiye hfa felt hat .. am not referring to our High out of OttStmn there Priests. (Dasturs) who are very isi- ’fconsidei«^ ‘”>Mj®P'^"Whsi^Pi^' ‘“faanied ‘.’ '-¦¦¦ ¦- - r PatelGhambe'rsr^th floo r i Gunbow Street, Fort s Bombay- 1 ! ¦' ¦ ;• >W '» t. 1* 11 * '¥4'^ ¦•' J n* have sa^ apron ’ Costs Rs. 80/- and the Parsi commuAity on mmters that of the oaae sacred Aread fJbastp) costs M 3a sa imminendy affect its futt^ jp young people The -majoritj/ cannot these M would be a grwt shame if t jMSuJy/ to Catholic pricey hencei .^ dowriffl of Ae wmniumty Aat h^ done so tnudl nd being baptized, only 4 wkvoastrian ^^on. for its adopted country and Ae sy cA xtotktioWGujeraA ; *- T b Darowala rest of the hu^ should, idarst ynd mjj* praycts, " through lack of*^iter^il l>y its _ - . . - nierii^m, cease to exist.. Hfaweyer, f;<»<«i1yg ly dtfi and largely written Duty Boiind I reali^ Aat it is y<^ dt^ fo The issues of Parsidna srit raising point out Aese ^conAtiOM and to as naany new mxestions as they ~ f tjie latest developments. Thus, a healthy sigh. Aose Aat do act U d^ _ «n.frnm a sound basis of factS. 1 trust you as I « chi c lot imderstand cmr prayets. th^ Eaghsh ttansiatiems id ye^ uieAoc^ EngliA. Trans^ Of our Gathi^ Ae Yashis aha oAxst snuA, beautiful prayers should be more freely rendered, Ae* words, and in language Aat flows like that of Juan Mascaro in his translations of Ae Upani ­ shads and Ae Shagvad Gita about which Rabindranath Tagore wrote : “Your translation ... has caught from Aose great words Ae inner voice Aat goes; beyond Ae boundaries of words. ” , Parrem Lalkaka X- keeping in mind the spirit behind ird these I^would be a grwt shame if a ton. T. B. Daruwaia rest of the hl through lack members, cease to exist.. Hbwev^, I reali^ that it is your duty to are ^wering. This, I think, is But I am dimtpppinted to read so much about what appears to be apathy on the part of the Namlxued Days Why this hue" jsmd cry alwut the _community ling are "^^uite obvious an A can ­ not be stopped. They are: marrying out of the community, marriages delayed for want of accommodation, family planning and emigration. Many changes have taken place in Ae tenets and fundamental religious cere ­ monies of Parsis m Ae past few years and allowing those who opt for burial or cremation to have their way will not in any way , diminish the zeal or number of ' our community. In fact, crema ­ tion and burial are not at all new to Parsis and burial grounds far exceed Ae number of dokhmas all over India, virtue or an evil? Panchayat of India (Federation of India) should sit in a round table conference along wiA other in tellig entsia and find out a media befojsxt is too late, lest this (mode of disposal of dead bodies) becom^ another cause for dwind ­ ling. dokhma waA •^M^manishini when the iirsi community is fast dwindling? The causes of dwind- Is orthodoxy a The Parsi '*¦ Ae latest developments. Thus, so from a sound basis of facm. M C. Cxuto Tehran, Iran w—— ’ J. D. Mistry Secunderabad the community Prices are i^lllKBCe of The de^ is las^w soariau^M. religioW^^ta|n^es,?W^a^ood ' costs. piece of mut - '». 'J. . * IIw *7 i > ..r ••X ¦W 4’ TUak World - J apptpciRt^d" greatly ypur edito^ i^e of Poryzt^ you declared you werfe, 6^ I cid^en^ this world. ” z^y*; Int^i^ you ‘ to know z that ,’Ins , Cojean, Lidn Inter ­ national J^^i^nt for ;the year the world : i ;?*lljink Inter-' natitMally, ” If j^^people, espe- ciaJIy^ th5»e of tl^ rising generation, could follow 1^ ;slpgan Seriotisly, the^ would surely be peace in this rft^, wicked world. 9> Dhun Mehta Pa^ Way of Life I a^ keen on writing a paper on the Parsis especially the cul ­ tural 'of the youttger mem ­ bers pf ^le community. Opinions on .immunity from-old and -- d ate -¦ . . . . be mai the fo|lpwin| address: Mr" L Ale^^ ’hrdter, .. .Behind Ichanath Post: Nanpura, Surat. J. Alexander bers pf ^le community. Opinions on t^lfe immunity from-old and either sex would It^tly , appreciated; Any ijiay .be sent to me at Ale^djer,.. Behind Apriip ’c^s . In Kd^rwgw whpn :the common era of Kali) man talks the involvement of America ’s in a scandal or two, I ^he article il|^fiis:l^re of -the dokhwa, ¦ ’hfttpse and Cvt- , The .reiAeSentthe ; f l i Pr®d(jnt in a scandal or two, I ^oti ejqiect Tihue (April 1) to be intellectually ho^^^;_4n publishing the article ¦ WltfPaScicture of Ihf* tinlrh^n ’ a cer^ dokhiA tainly I —-‘^nd iL -1__ ,¦ I ic- _JT IffiWT Iffie'^^^fdgrapher ' has ¦pot truthfully sai?-W 1fteWogra?h"Fhas ^attempted to fool the ¦ readers of ffime magazine the world over. N- K. Todiwalla jdtezvieiv of die ffime magazine the world t •¦ ; The GoldfHi Mean Kow fair j g.t'ft" “ ‘ tJur-^ftiTsi What is the jieod of t^-- ’ ¦ munityF mio, we are aware of the , “ newsprint. Many »?r papers • P^rtahil^ - s r a , - shortage of newsprint. Many people are in the habit of writing ----- : are many on p^e 4Q^ c&l, 1} 310 'JjWlg lectures end there are many If w • * J A waa ¦* J'*'* r. ¦ x y -¦ .‘i? »¦ I' ^oday Chei^ Kids love iti ¦ Lots of fun h when set in ' nini bowl*^ one for each of them. (*^ednes^suij;^^ Raspberry A shiny red. ¦ 'a- ^f^ay surp»2j^ f*»Wba -Wne M|th i^39i^ aegnwnfe orange. fe-*" -I' ?' #' MOf- A demetis A denmous adventure! Wen 1 yt^ want to fi try something y different on family or friends! : Strawberry , Grandmother's j) deliflht but welcomad by averybodyj -y iMuan X ziAQy •ntertairtiirl 'Keeps the > party snappy 'n happy I i)J^ Sunday suiprise: ^w*iy*8 most favourite fruHv f tor seconds! "‘ost favourite fruity REX ®?‘^ '0PP®d : . ®*np*to makel ffhatevo, else you fancy! ' ; Made from the finest ingredients. procdMM with extra care, ftEX Jelly Crystals thw*lW very best you can ‘f * •‘TsW’: buy. Keep a pack in your home,.. aiwayslAnd make happiest pud* dings every day of-the week. ¦4'. J^amu Can PndMlt Ck (iMfia) LtC BombM* H nS^nt',st?lde» Ms NfeBe- » * 4 -J' ' * > OFU TltOSTEE 1 I J '-I...- 1 ; -li- increments to ?ing funeral prayew or viewing the l^Hfeiiidfends, sala^':' _ ..... tiikrehdd into the Panchajg(i*? ’^e poorly paid Panchayat s,ta^ aiid droeased following^the uer eroo ni^, on ’^ectiolC day, her colojjff- aif''unprecedented rate,of nation by a vote of four to twnc*^ . tetfeg the funds and properties tionmg ^udependentlyi,^ra^i wit- entrusted td it. Its resolutions and nessed by t$ recede regRin^ng?^ pronouricenierits on all other^issues • '¦ __ la? — l«ZtTTZfk ' MA Ia/VZiI - wi/vjtrtl A«« gena&en." And to Trusts ErMh hution-requiring,. Pafe : to w fuj'^^ed, sai^ billowing in the diml^iit ’lobby. pn hand were het paj^^aiiftifuls hq^ elected theii^i in the country, the PanchayM may sha, Golwalla, Vakil and ^hltm- well be on the brink of ecp^omic batta in favour of rescinding and ¦' Boman-Bdbram and Nelie Noblfe against; Lady Jehangir was absent). ?ike, ne.mkov - spinngiy Dciorc was lurneu 'jvsm WhUe the rescinding of ’dte r^ .;®5^°ay Pars gj^igyax Vakil at theU^olng solutiemBs Noble had chan^M^ Chairman ’s last meeting at which so ardently must have b^ri mis- Boman K. Boman-Behram was trating to a candidate..whose mani- absent. Vakil ’s plans to streamline festo was devoted |^ely tppre- and-|re|huffle| <^ finales Wer^- sefvfcg ;the thtv^^ when at4he rfext meet- g^rw^, » it will not he her last iilgT-^ absent-- such experience. The DOonger- Ihe portfolio ’was wrested awa/ " 'Wadi estate, already in the, red and ‘i^rusW«to thdJ new Chair- by around Rs- 30j000, has sanc- wbrnmi, La^ J Hiraimi . Jehangir. tioned approximately _ Rs. ;?^000 The crucial iBoance portfolio ’ which Mulla had" handli^ unin- spiringly before was turned over Laidy Jehangir 1 I I I \1 I fa' di4?«ot seek re- hext >- ¦'¦S trating to a candida|e*.whose mani ­ festo was devoted '^atus (donors), elect the trus1|fes of the Parsi Panqhayat. The only opim- sition ,cami^te. Dr. Pestonji '’B. Warden, sta^ he ran for office only because he believed the eleC- tidii 'Should not go uncontest^ hnd voters ^uldPhave a choice. ' But judging* from the lopsided 228 to 13 return^ it became apparent that thej voters did not want an alternative to ‘Mpn Nelie ”. War ­ den, in his election manifesto, accused his opponent of resorting to “back-door tactics ” in the past ? „ j" ' ’• Ms Noble for Ijj^ part refused to shake and of “misguiding ” voters. hands wittjThim on election day, beWf ' tmable ’ to attend ^the fort- ni^ly trustee meetings due to a kidh^y'Uilment. i ¦ The game of musical portfolios is only a symptom of the bitter infightmg amongst the trustees themselves. With Boman-Behram, Nelie Noble, Lady Jehangir and Dr. Aspi Golwalla at one end, Erach Nadirsha and P. P, Kham- batta in the middle and , Shiayax i ? ¦* entrusted td it. Its resolutiorK and the infamous Doongerwadi reso- have no legal, mo^l or reli- " gious binding on Parsis. But in many ways Ms Nobte ’s electioh FrS to sigu a giouS ’ binding on Parsis. But in statement to the effect that non- many ways Ms> Nobte ’s election tcSi? ’as a ’SSi*” X from attend- has changed Jhe trad^al cojn- Jwedls^S^-SS’p)^ ' . „ h t«s.t,on of the Panchaya^^ statement to the effect that noo ’ see). Ms I^oble ’s election manifesto is equally vague. Aside from stat ­ ing she ’ was orthodox, a staunch ;^oastr^ and in favour of dofehribnmshfrit, the doctor cum so(riM'work« put forth little else. Paa^siaf^S' rarest for an interview, th« 8!et0«d\'such ’^tition; did not even meiitfa'response. The^ PsUK:hayat Ms Noble will Be9olution Re9cinded He trustees the I^rsi Panchayat have rescinded by a vote of four to two die- infamous Doongerw^ the aloof and staid preserve of tnen of great standing or wealth or both, today it is wry much caught - up in the hurly-burly ’ of^ Parsi politics. Whether this will make it more responsive, to the needs of the comiaunii s®in?es ^ner4.,'“ J'S Z^The making of theClieiifs Hrsf came the fetah, Fetahwallas Nor does he have the inclina- pap*e was preceded with a Mgmt- sidered ^^the pugree Tndm 5; He doesn ’t even know how to A wedding dinner an^ bottle of corrup^^^^ true Persim even know now ^i^ere sent to W pngt^- headgear^ Tijfexxmtroversy raged. POMsn a pugree. iMker on the occasion of Jflie But Other evefitswere fast over- a rrir.a« -“-.t' — ------ / •? v» tafcii® the p^i^. Aside frrnn the remark^ the venerable old pugree- m/o (Those were go^ ^e^, fickleness ot^fashion, a reidizatiott maker when asked wheflier he remarked N^nuan. As the de ­ dawned that Tmir was 'adequate ¦ ^-ould mind handing over his art mand for pugrees deOWOd, so spvermg for i the ;head-Ht was no atfemale. “Byt, ” he went "on, “it did the pugree-makere who either ,^^ger considered ; undean, it had " died or gave up their pradice as ^^B^ mtofil^ own;, concealed-heels : b<^t /Oded ' to-' height; ' cars' became pugreenaaker (xf ihbl -^a^^ ,;^eeker and not conducive to Ifi^ ; ig^to-Narimmi. ‘Tie (durgedAs. 'headgear and jostting crow^ per pnpec wl^ Others ew^ ruined many a hat. Uneasy rested lts.;3'hadOBoe you wwlus pug^ the head wore the pugree. youwodd i^ver want to wear ahy- “Before we were busy ’ making p wS threcpugre^ayearforthe fashiott. thebUsm^ aHt^sam^ cons/ousi P^i,” notes Nariman to Bangalore and opened a Pu^ireewalla-in his antupiated " chlmbeis-i^ed: • t® -the Bomheq^ Chronics g&cq . "HovtAdays ^e one that ’s, ipade for the lading is first and the lab?* ’ Wet^ if r the demand iwere to the ; Pard ' pugree - could stfil b^ome as extapot as tbft.dc^ , The march of history is marked by mjpiy subtle milestones. Most of tifese seemingly innocuous eventsSslip by uhnoticed. There was a period when every respect ­ ful head had a pugree perched pro ­ minently bn it; Parsis, Marwaris, Kutchis, Gujeratis and many world- O&r conimuhitips wore them with pnde. (^de fronj protet^g, the head from f Kutchis, pirae, (As! head froiti one left. “I am famous, ” he notes with melancholy pride. “Who else is there? No one. Neither here with nor in Bombay, nor in the me, is after one and a half years of ap- _ _ __ ¦ ¦ -' I to learn the trade from his fether ae iroip prui^mj “S S,™‘ 4m ' fh& vasaries of nature, teach ^em, wSd Nariman, tho va^es or nobody is willing to learn the art of pugr^making. They all's^ they would like to learn kut never ’ come. ” Nariman hhs a son to whom he could have tau^t the tra^ but, he comments, “It is not ih his des ­ tiny. Nor does he have the* inclina ­ tion. He doesn ’t even know how to ne^ increase height, distinguish 3k was the heyday of the r..o.Jes and the Parsis. Then came the fetah. Fetahwallas con- i. J&idc from the notes Nariman his antiquated ¦' «' the time he was nine he_wa^s able i «adt ig the rfee was preceded with a sagan. P’ wine were . sent to pugree- ihaker on the occasion of the client ’s marriage jre soro iciimrKi^ All.. __ ______ M/0 (those wefc good time^.** maker when asked whether he _ remarked Ndriman. As the de ­ “I don ’t mind teaching anyone, ’’ remarked the venerable old pugree- hr- 'Ji VThe first pugreeM were huge, J---J- -Wtito on what he years, ” said Homi felt was a “da^d "s^ject ”^ But he ._____father owns the B. J. Mirtiy Hat swent on to explain that “the hde *The jshprtes^ ia the Adenwalla ‘and Cap Depot at Kalbadevi, It on the crown of the pugree is so ' ’ ’ .................... ; . , . X—u xu ----- (lish. ” IS ^xaiiyjRxiuci, WUL uue wx xuv , jnm\- .. ,x.x xxxxxxxw: »«» . sons branchel out and started his and cloth and had to be todeed pwgree, is the Desai pugree. ine own cap shop. Both shops produce after carefully if you. Punegar pugree; is ^ghtly larger fetahs biit toe pugreeS they sell preserve the polish. A fetiAhon the than the Desai. The conupohest are made by Nariman Pugreewalla. other hand was made out of felt shape is that which suits the face. j t xv x and was not only mpto durable The gap in the crown of toe pugfee The demand jor ^tl^ fet^ and you could have it repaired is of recent origin, claims Nariman. MiSt^. The fetah prbte^ly Came , Originally the whole head was ^People dont wear it any more from China where it was knpwn kept covered as a. mark of respect, because they wMt to go to ceto- ^s Khokhas. According to Mistry —............... ’ thin men should wear the fetah . while the pugree was more suited to tall “hefty ” men. “A mah Wist be fair, otherwise "a pugree doesn ’t stand out, ” he added. Though 99 per cent oi the Paras buy fetahs or pugrees at thft tirne of 3their marriage, M^try remlfked that the demand is goings dovfn because of the increasing tendency for inter-caste marriages and dtK to people migrating to places ’ like Canada. “The art of pugree-madciiug wdi die out with Nariman Pugreewala, ” Mistry admitted gloomily. “No ­ body is prepared to waste two years to learn the trade. Making pugrees is an art. I am not a pugree-maker. ” < pUgiUK^four and three quarter is a hereditary concern started by that you do> ’t towh fte pplis io^hes. hi^ A slightly bigger cme, Homi ’s gran^ather, but one of the , The pugree was madem cartfix); fUgree, is the Desai pugree. The own cap shop. Both shops produce af^ carefully if you. v^W^d to than the Desai. The commonest are made by Nariman Pugreewalla. other hand was made out of felt “The demand for the fetah and pugree is dropping, ” ^d Mist^. “People don ’t wear it any more because they want to go to cere ­ monies in English dress. In the agiary you can see for yourself, they wear only Parsi caps (made of velvet or soft silk), they don't “But today they wear a pugree and smoke a cigarette at the same time, ” shrugged Nariman. The former custom was to buy , . the material, wash it, and give it wear a fetah pr pugree. to the pugree-maker who charged to the pugree-maker who chsu^ed ‘^The fetah is made from felt,' four annas to make it. Qradudly he ^plained*. “The raw material the price increa^ as the demand must come from foreign, then we for it droppt^/ ays The will pr^re it. Indian wool is very cheapest p&g^ tcqny c^tetS; Today C. S. M WADIA (" ¦ } J they often fail to ntentiori, the ft iStfTio eijehe tjp say , that the yre a household . ..... iu v More Parsis lipei^n housing eprir, families like the Wadias,~^atas and' they , want jto^l^^use.tnats one stnteted td tlmt family than any Petits. But despite snubs, thing, they pan t dp a^the poinent. cohere lii the taorld of business, these families have ne^- turned’ You eapnot e^iecf the ^pulatiw xhippii^, textiles}' their name is their, back on tfie 'CQpnnunityi'- tpf ’inpre^^iiinb?|iXW. “.i®’^ ‘I®™ legf^ ^ary. v'Yet for cdl their cpfir The, Waditi Trusts,, which .fiave- to? get^j|pa^ied.<3^ttitt^ hou^ng trifiution to, the country and tfie built ^several hoytsi.ng colonies for is really ^^e number one factor. cpmmunitydth6t^''^ia of the iecan^t in^tbe' community. read im fire templet or attending ifjhieral/ m^t^s fifist e^^^ewerrts-^and-, cm^hi^t.'of xaanaes,v sui^^ ceremonies at . the Towei^ of b^ed his, predti^f^ . . Silence. Gn' jhibUc plat^jrms ifitture/o^, its when Parsis speaks of 'ortho- . ment and genetic^ ch^rakte^ dox' contribution to the cifintnuhi^y . (Photos Farc^,^^pdrtef^^ id ofia b^^y ^^^ddbestfiSbi^^ix^ ^on, yem worse than any other epptwmity ? I don ’t think so. I thihk there are more suicides, crimes and all the rest in other I piean take a Parsiana: What do you see as the major strength ot to Parsi communi^? Wadid^t The fact tot toy have niaintaiaed their Identity as a community, is one of to strongest pEto^* There- ’s no doubt you can. rpBpgnize h Ptoi - - -- S^a or to *wofl , _ ___ _____________ ____ fbisrcouhtjy vdll mist^e- ^o theyf^gious phjlosoph^ a IParsiJfpf miybody; else —very, x., '¦ 've^ rarely. Thertot®^ 1 think . yery difficult thiae are these things,! certain genetic strains in the community — thito Hketoto groto^tceter^ -. .- ——r; Wh»t.it has anyfting to do with, »•“' “».?*' toj^e. ;OflKn™_ . mMts our eatms h^ts -'or our drinking habits j deH*t know. Our envi- °’'?M®^°takemanms li^ lhat communities. I jnm a ^d. know that ^Par^s Have Sweden, ^ere are ^over the^rtd. hav^ ^^icides in Swetfen than in absorbed so mudi from others. ^thpr rn„ntrv in the world. <^t we have still maintained our itientity. This is" a^ very strong . "Parsiona: Pdr^a^ --------- is due to genetics and what percent Or stabilize? Or lessen? tz. .. WeuSre ’ve got to get fPodia.: it ’s very difficult to r^tdp^ted. We ’ve got- to keep pace S#ie it up hut I think, that growing or the d^ging ^etica^.spe:^ng you've got tot conditibns. in ^^ywhere fid. Certainly ____ , to aiiy other country iii to world. I would assume were less affected than most. . _______ : Dp you think to What percent of thiP poverty among Parsis will increase? to and lest. For i^dance ew .«there ’s 'a| ’is<9® « certam habits «^at the religion that 11s cimtact gets albofbed by tl^ .Cl^ getietica^.spe^ng be a stfcmg You can ’t help p^irsidha: Do you f6|i adjust- thatino^r to-'^rvive. ;Ofterwiae .a^s^'are beba ma^ or is there you get absorbed and fergoUefl EgaHij,; rigi^? ’ ...._________________ 'S*; rthereVajim « «rt™ '¦“.S' ***** *' ifeiinain a * reagience Wib ‘ *«^Mi?^b q i r I t 4;^^ * » * V Do-^ou see ond sur ­ viving Wh<^ the other? Wadiisu I think it ’s yery impor- I thiak it is id great fltHn ’t hiiiTrl they should' survive togetbt. I do^ think the Parsi before, event if there I were certain risks i involved. The major need was housing for the that out. My father wasn ’t either.: I o 14^ hppftfflf* a Pliristian on his oWn The dbjeci^'ve shdUd not be mean we don ’t fed very strondy I t»**wi**K* V* foj. tjie ^^oujgaunity, and would I set !t.i4e fot theeake of aopte.technical detaiU. Ok meopie comiWnity eould possibly survive without them surviving together. Parsiana i Have you ever consi ­ dered standing for the Panchayat? Wadiai Well I can ’t becau% I’m not a Zoro^tnhn, so that rules He became a Christian on his oWn and by k>elief, ^en before h^ met my mo^er. But that does not think my very great I think especially the orthodok ^leople 5^ would say, ‘Gfii no, he kno^noth- that if Parsis were to marry out kept our identity, kept us apart, ing about our religious habits and ; of the community this would affect ‘ ........... ..... ’ - - - - the genetic strain? Wadia : y®s- 1 how, especially among western intermarriages the Parsi genetic munity. Today strain is always there. You can -’ "" distinguish ; * father mimh &ore as a Parsi than u^h tbe*s«^«®f his or her tamed? Do .. ......... mother. Y^m-^can see it right is greatly threatened? away. -He or she stands out a mile. Why it is I don ’t know. For blue eyes manning a dark person, ¦ . ate . _ _ ing about our religious habits and ; k^t us distinct. I think that ’s very alHffie re^ of it. ’-' C4. Parsiow: Haw TO r: Well it ’s bound to, Parsiana : Statistics show^ tjat But W Mttite extraordinary ““X? marSd ”S of ’ff’com ’! especially among western 4 Pa^i marred out of tte com .. ;...7 ..day,-g/ juish awer^n with a Parsi them, much fce as a Parsi than So how will thi^ iden^ " " you noiJteeL tbatlit attracts ybta to the religio -*•’*“"-*'1?^ \yeU, J think it ’s a good/ Statistics show that Pfutsianif What do you feel are What to the reli|ion? Wadia: I d» ’t ilhink so and, reUgion. It ’s reason^le, simple, . ___________ ____ I repeat especially in the ca^ of straightforward, and it teaches instance, < you have a blond with the man going^road and people what they should (^ 5^t blue eyes mariying a dark person, a,, xuicigu »»uuian, i/imtwvw —,—- ——-o——-o- three oat of on-aa^ ch^ren are brought a&rltarsis,^l-Jb de, iSc Wadia: A, forei&i woman, proyid^ the. is correct, what are the ^JotiBngs iI jfe*- of ^roaster .are as ’ g6o^ as"W- ‘ No ,;^'TOT: W "a«a^ W haS body else ’Sf^'Ta fact it has a gjr^t Bonflict at aU. deal iaMth Jhe Chr^an Pars^a: A^t mottvated ’faAer to TurO!^t^ay« 1 is^J^^^^todjid'^'^eSSfas Mieve'^roB^r ;^jp rpphfe impressed by the teat^gs of thTsme oneW^^^^li^^ Asfor<»e |e^n^^^^ia^. fathers 4here. They ’re very devptod . a« t Parsiana-,:. Ar^ .yu can practise :. I diij^ that ’s -f V- Do you feel there is back to the 2^roastrian faith? | Wadia'. Wgll I’ve pev^rThought ___ . about it. y\^en I w^ a yq^g p^Srin^ng euMgy JW Tarsiana'. , E>o ybu , Panchayat > is doin^ ‘ jeflj? I don ’t think, they are Well I’ve never thought I you4{ W: t man it would have been frowned upon and I might have had a lot of difficulty^ dmng it if I had fi^*^^ ’the~Chur(^'^'En^iS, active enpn^ and doi^g things. ”1- - ___ 2--J (Q^ntimtedenpi^fi34) wanted to. BhtTm perfectly satis- and I like it. I love the services To Paralana. More than ever before events and personalities are radically Change ing the fbrtunes of die Parsi Com ­ munity. To keeppacewjth these U.K. , developments ‘ Par^^ focuses in each issue On the SWM/eep- < . Nanje nomic, cultural, religioos and pcUitiCaal happenings injtheipomr munity. For professional i coverage^ ocoup^on (optional) and analysis subscribe today. (Cheques payable to Parsiana). V s -¦ 4#' * lFat//a ; I I ti Post Box 892. G.P.O.r^<^bay 400 001. ' - - Please send me Parsiana by subscription at substantial savings over ’thrTsingtree^sFPftee^d^Ri^t^ ’^ ? One year Rs. 30 (save Rs 6^, Fori^gii ’ ^^Sr* u.s.A. aT11 or Rs'75. ? se.or>.>' - Q CS'bO orfls 6© n - .'t . r- -J • ¦R." • ¦ti* — Adefress . ,. City .,.,. s « 1. ' If ‘' '‘¦' 4''' r ¦f ¦«r’ i**'* *. >,** ¦ • ¦ •<•• w «»¦¦ >-tyiaiY> rmifl! ruuFH^I^ t. ,l^if)i>i jDuau . i^aiaiiuj] duuf o,iup, ’ . . ¦?......... ' ""’9' 174- Do PrMter TKe Pugree Oi^Fetgh? Interviews ;by ^aroza- f^ymairter Ahaayfi glad to htdlp d controi^sy\alive (Vdd to further divide the ccatnnuni^, Parsiana has chosen fxtt:, this of the most controversial subjects going--^thcd of headgear, to our s^en interviewees as • - < yf: Yes, re5. iPu^ee. Q : ¦. Does your head pain *•> ¦ 1^5; • « •A,' • ;,i4 .t i. i .JA i i .i the most controverted subject^ going —that of headgear. Bekne are the questions we put to our s^en interviewees as well as the answers &ven by Piloo Mody^ fdP (see Editor ’s Column) • , Which. do >»^refert th^ pugrve or the fetaW At Pu^e^ , Qt 1^7 Is it more aesthetically pleasing, e^fpiortable, durablel A: Adds to my height. Q: Which do you or your famitb traditionally wear! A t Pugree. Column) when you wear it? A: No, I never wear it long enough. Q -. When did you have your first one made? (or when did your spouse, brother or son . have their fir^t one made?) For what occasion? A: Navfote. Q: Do you have more than one? A: Yes. Q: Why is there a gap at the top of the pugree? A: Obviously for ventilation. Qt Are the fetah and pugree ¦Wf »; fl i-’J i- ..M» Q: On what occasions do you wear it? When do ^ fbel it should be JPom? A '. Navjotes, Marriages, Deaths. Q: Does it enhance the looks of the wearer? Js it masculine? Which is more masculine? goin^ qtd of .^y/A? A t IP would appear so. QI Could you su^st f^y modifications to popularize it', change in colour, different material, modifications for greater comfort ...? 1 T?U; ru : made in the old days out ones ____ hedoy . .... . remain as ^¦. .i*IWl W"*" • Do you feel it shoul^ .... £# 1.1 Perhaps^'’’ 1 Mani Karkarla,42, Housewife “I prefer the fetah. feel that it m0es one look so much younger. Ot is comfortable, lighter and less expensive.') It is I personally for ventilation. I hive seen, people put hankies id the gap. It must be stuffy. ” Ms Karkarih I^ls the Ughter''and°iessSxpensive.'\ It is fetah inust be hhComfortable be- also more masculine. Andif looks s^Cause. her J. resembles occasionally, , , i At ^rst I hag to ear oi tne oiuums, hold it for himi, so I told hi^ whlUi is also wrapped up. It why do you bting ;it at all?, enhances the loc^s of some people The fetate and pugre|iWi rgbW thoueh out jcif style, saj^ Ms tnougn. “It is a bad thing, 1 fbd fhe Parsi “My husband, father original. The pugiffte the headgear of the , SindhiSj ¦Which is i' XV AO •* v*****gj, • dress should renlaiw/t l3Pte- coloi# SCU'lU wcai wi UM*, --------¦ —------- _ brother has^ remain the same* since it is “ * OL JM ® i^wlh^ i^gr« iVt^UUlUU^t llttV JWVO^ - --------- I w , rhust wear '‘Our c^ be adjusted according to the “My husband, father and brothers all wear or used' to wear of the pugree and fetah should the fetah. Only one 1------ -- - — a pugfee. My husband wears the men. _^e^aM fetah to weddings, naYjotes^and Venice. The sHa] traditional dress at least on su^ height eff the occasions. The slit in the top is wise it shoyld remain as it is. .. The slit in the top is wis^^ should remain as it is. ”. is i stV *¦ ’ ..SIWTffr en^iwBOr of . Wilson Colfe^e ' “I have both and I wear both — not simultaneously ' ”L.„ iiJ complements the. band wears thef>ugree to weddings dugiees. However, today people and funerals. “He borrowed It usually wear suits and the pugree when we got married and he still _*___________________________.. r» ____ _________ ItovTA <^T flic AWll- doesn ’t have one of his own. Pheroze Madon. 22, Student “Which one is which? ” he asked. After being told, Pheroze said he preferred the pugree. “It is what my dad wears to weddings* and looking at it. is much cooler. If I had to wear one — - pugree. L , . „„ when I get married, but nobody e^uuch. ” (The slit in tise pugree has insisted so far. ” He does not permits tfte skull cap to be. re- thirW either of them enhances moved. <*1 saw it being done in one ’s looks or makes the person a play. ” ) preferred the pugree. i„j -1_2 --------- _ funerals and I am very used to looking at it. I do not we^ either. I prefer the skull cap, it K any ­ thing he feels “it is cuni|»F^pme _ ___ _ _ _ 'J- J The pwgree Pheroze feels “is quite mod looking and ’has a uni qne shape. I think .the of them, it would be the _ _ ____ I suppose I’ll have to n^wi^pBper. • ' - M ‘ He does not permits when I get married, but nobody e^iarch.' 1__ • IJa /ImAC nnt appear more masculine. to carry around and look aftet*. ” The pugree Pheroze feels “is quite mod looking and ’has a uni que shape. I think ,t^..-fW®[ and pugfee should remi^ W aife. Idmi ’t know what'^^fWw is made of, I think >1^ i» WhW> lacquer, |cWlh mid M 3oveu. Piay. ’^ / f. •/ 1ft ¦> Mehra Ruttonsha. 12, Housewife “I like both but it depends on •» f— suits “well built and tall people, of . distinction, r Hicre is Tto fetah, medium sized people. ” ‘ ‘ nS Ruttonsha ’s husband^ wears the The pugr^ according to herfmdces ,irn^e of “some sort of'gtoz^ a man ’ ' tu-d.f _______I “IraniS'wear red fetahs, so do The pUgrec srWe Parsi families —it is their *¦ 1,, variety in the pugree.'* Some are Mad^, others maroon, though the . t- ...i... ’’ pugree V.VW. ...VAX i._________ i' The slit “Y^rs badcT boys wore the fetah the t<^ “must be for air ”. How- what* suits whom. ” -.p ,, ___ - . The fetah, medium sized people. ” , V — «rz^rk«»C< <-Ka variety in the pugree. ’ fetah and her brother, the pugree. latter is very rare.' look more masculine, j^clodi with printed dots, ’ and, pug^ by the rime they wer? ^ever, ^people used it- “for st^C^ 22-23 years old. iSut today my ^their snuff boxes and son doesn ’t have either, ulthou^ cases. ” There was a. fimuy S<^ __ doesn ’t have either, ^thtn^ ^e is 40. He says ‘Where do we . ; carry it i^their hands. Pebifie go to weddings in suits. ’ To the fire temple,,he wears a topi with ’ the son 1 cases. - about the pugre»d»vhich said tha® . . ^ she «attributes ; to tjiei possibility TU. ,----- -I Xi.- ' aoout me pugrew jrvuivil aaiu uw* *tseit? Peoplf *5®“ “the pugree had bugs. ” Its origin that .“people* wore their pugrees to weddings in suits. ’ duglee. * till they were really dirty.' 4 ?5THE SOUND OF SILENGE by Fe^si^'i^aTibhey Twenty-seven fraught years of precarious existence ended this July when Pam >fnaz joined the sad fraternity of dead journals; Fervently devoted to the cause of propagating the, esoteric Zoroas- trian philosophy called. Ilm-e- Kshnum, the eight-page Gujerati weekly lived for only nine months- after the death in October 1973 of its founder, Jehangirji Chiniwala. For those last months it has been edited by 47-year-old Kaikhushru Dastoor, who managed to com ­ bine this time-consuming vocation with a fulltime career as Legal Officer with a leading bank. Now a stoical smile failed to cover his dismay as he refieeted on the re ­ actions to its closure. > I have drawers full of letters from people demanding ‘Why hais it closed down? ’ People seemed to have a sort of spiritual intoxi ­ cation'for it. At the end of the mystification rather than mysti- week they thirsted for it. It was ~ ' just like craving a drink. People actually came here ”—he gestured to the bustling open-plan office high above Bombay ’s Nariman Point —“and wept. ” Yet, in spite of these demon ­ strations of solidarity, the number of subsoribeirs shrank inexorably. “At the beginning we-had started with 3,000 copiqs. Grathially this dwindled to 9W and finally fell as low as 600. Towards end we were losing three or four thou ­ sand rupees a year. __ __ ____-t- xw “People RpAD Parsi Avaz but distinguish fact from fiction, which _______ _______________ fhAx, tazHttIHtt’i- c=TToer.0T,.„ promp^ Dasto^ tojpreface his the sign to start. As he was wpn- u.vixiig uuTT vv» i.>vgui uia iiiioaiuU, ‘Perhaps he noticed a small group of Parsi ‘uncle allowed him the freedom td i wander wherever pleased. “One day, as Bahramshah was doing his kusti in the hills, a figure like a jabardast moto dastoor appeared before him. He con ­ vinced Behramshah into going with him to a remote spot ill the ‘Demavand mountains. This was the dwelling place of the Saheb Dilan Clan, consisting of two or three thousand Parsi sages* They i were Parsi yogis —aabed, from which is derived our present word mobed. Behramshah passed through certain ordeals and was considered of being taught He remained here for three years, till the chief sage, Srosha-Varez Murzban, informed him that it was time to go into the world again. Some day he would be told i when to start teaching. ®11 then j he must remain silent ” Putting his hands to his lips, Dastoor paused strategically, as if to whet one ’s appetite for more. “So one evening- as his uncie was sjtting with a drink and his _! vener ­ able figure with enormous beard. Of course, lie did not re- . - ___ ___ _ __ _ __ a school of thought, it ’^ the anth^ astounded to discover who it was; entic heart of Zoroastrianism. ” ' everyone had thought the The founder of the movement ~ ' ......................... was Behramshah NaorOji Schroff, who was born in Surat in; 1857* J disappeared So many strange stories circulate about him that it is difficult to r v I 1 * Dastoor: Spiritual intoxication While the; followers of Ilm-e- Kshnum claim that it is the mysti ­ cal core of Zoroastrianism, its de ­ tractors allege that its aim is Befaramshah cism. Dastoor leaned forward and explained with intent relish, *'Ilm means knowledge, e is a suffix meaning of, and Kshnutn is __ __ ___________ an Avestic word which means he Saw i^s >huge ecstasy —^spiritual ecstasy. Our * * " . . beliefs are not theories —they are ____ ________ the truth! Dm-e-Kshnum is not jcognize ^hram^h, and was entic heart of Zoroastrianism.' able figure with a» txA »» He fished out a copy oi Scien ­ tific American and ppehed it to an article Which at a cursory glanCe seemed to suggest that an electron accelerator —“Do you realize, it would stretch from here to Dhobi ? 24 Cable: “jiistitia ” Telex: 2313 PHONE : 258413 Bnmches: E. Merc Hbnse 19/B, Shakespeare Sarani ( Formerly^ Theatre, Road ) CALCUTrA-16 PHONE: 444711 “Jeena, House, ” 50, Hant|man Road Cbf^attght Circus "NEVV DELHI f*HONE : 310821 ¦, The importance of Ilm-e-Ksh- num lies in its being a genuinely Zoroastrian way of filling a gap theosophy or yoga —or, at present, by Parsis taking up such offspring of Hindu philosophy as Transcen ­ dental Meditation, the Hare - . ----- Krishna moven^pnt or the Divine ance; often they affect one ’s whole Light — see, the chasmo whidi Western protons and neutrons were “point- point-like entities was made more these Were real flesh-and-bi^d writing! ” DastoOr' ’exclaimed. Of cities; when they found that th^ course, ; thd ; same inspired gu^ did not telly with geography and had also ^en made two thousand map-making, they dislniiteed this ywite ago by a Greek named portion as incorrect. Actually this Demokritus. is a inystical reference. The six- — teen cities are the sixteen plexi (or ^what the Hindus call c/zaArro) of an ______ _ astral body. In addition to the whi^teid*hiAerto bwnTfilled-^y ruvan or soul, each individual has ’ three such astral bodies —which no doctor will find on an operation table. These kind of differences in interpretation are of great import ­ ance; often they affect one ’s whole Light Mission. “Behramshah ’s understanding of the Gaf/ias. You teachings revived the Parsi cbm- see, the cncsmo whidi Western ‘ scbda^ wear is quite different/. . Similariy, Ilm-e-Kshnum teaches the true significance of other m^ttetelike thfe sMdro-Arusft andriie Meditation, the Mission. ihunity at a time " when Westerii attitudes were eating aWay at bur religion. ” Perhaps the clbsure of n. J , . Ws|S pre-ordained, be- like the sudro-kusrianddie j imc* effect of prayers, which the ,tithe Was not yet ripe for a -_______ -________1 rc wal. Dastoor noted with ba£9ing ieligioh. ’ CausCjB^O^iamshah had warned that mam _ ___ i^sr tod^ know noting fofi-S mysticif i^roartrian about. My grandfather nsed tb „;iL b«JIuuK spend two hours over a particular faith, ‘7ehangirji Chiniwala used prayer —and his com^ntration was. " V would not know huB. And it was true —-v^Sh* he if a bomb burst. r^y didn ’t know where to ^turo. Two of Betiramshah ’s disci^l^ tar get help. were chosip to propagate the faith, htW aiitr Parsi Ava:^ has clc»ed, the brodiers Frapiroze and Jehaitt- ^ir Ghini'^tela.^ This w^ the.pW- pose of P?rsz ^az. But nOv this vbiee is stilfed, what medium re- to say that someone always helped I have had many offefa frbth ped- saying that 'th^ Wou^ help fittahciaU^ in starting Skfflcfe otherParsi Pioneer: $k>ral>jee Bengsd^ i' The committee established two Marathi and four Gujarati part- time schools with volwQ^r tea- chers. Sorabjee Bengate» one of the 15 Parsis' on the ’Book Committee which brought out three graded readers entitled the family ’s The material for this article * restore the family ’s finances, was sent by Tamshed Pavri Shapurjee died; he was only 25, from Cdhudfl. Paiwna ,i^tW^ and his son Sorabjee was 15 gd pecmle in Bombay and Visited^ several institutiotis to gatBer supporting inforrry^on. She cof-. sent by /artfshed Ptwri i son Editor Pervin MaJumey months old. Sorabjee did not enjoy a silver- spoon-in-the-motndt start in life. ____ ___ ---------------- Instead of a forqial higher educa- Bodhak. arid her own. (Sketch by Manjula tion, he had to start work at the age of 14 as a clerk in the Commer ­ cial Bank. From there he moved to the newly started Mercantile Bank and within a year was made Deputy Accountant, a position until then only held by English ­ men. However, beyond this position Sorabjee could not advance —Indians were just not eligible for higher appointments. Luckily the chance for getting out of this rut came when he was offered a post with a private banker, who was guarantee broker to Messrs. W. A. Graham &. Comi»ny. This was a turning-point in his business iffe, for Graham ’s ?octt asked for his services and his rise was, as they say, meteoric. He became Graham ’s guarantee broker, made numerous trips abroad,'established * a branch at Calcutta and was , l i- \ finally asked by Mr. WUliam attended public iunctions). Mtet ¦¦’’praham to start a London branch, some time Karsandas Mul)i, _ While establishing himself as a businessman, he was also gaining stature in public life. His resent ­ ment at having had to leave school aroused in him a thirst for know ­ ledge. ‘’His education began when it had apparently ended, ” says his. lated the story using Pavri's notes His , interest His . interest in publishing Wakened, he started two ventures, both monthly journals, Jagat Mitra, started in 1850, was devoted to progress and reform, furnishing the Gujerati reader with some of the latest Western thought; Jagat Prendf StatTte^d m 1851, attempted to re-educate Parsis about the magnificence of ancient Iran, and run articles on architecture; sculp ­ ture and archaeological finds. For two years he was alsq editor — without any pay —of Dadabhoy Naoroji ’s . progressive bi-weekly Rtfst Goftar which, week after weiek, attacked fi^eevP t^i^ targetswere Padmanabhan.) In a quiet comer of Bombay ’s Oval Maidan stands an imposing marble statue. The grass nearby is sparse and worn from the footsteps of generations of passers-by, but the statue ’s fate consists ___ hurried past than in being looked at. Like all memorials, this figure of Sorqbjee Bengalee has become a natural part of the city ’s landscape. His gown billows eternally, whether the wind drops or rises; the proud face looks upward in the same direction as it has done for 74 years. Already erosion has be ­ gun, gnawing in sepia at the creamy marjjle. »-But fortunately other, more alive memorials to Sorabjee Bengalee exist —notably the institutions he was instru ­ mental in creating in Bombay. Bengalee came from an adven ­ turous family. His grandfather, Nowrojee Umrigar, was one Parsi community.* He was one of the founders —and a vocal figure —of the Bombay Association bio^apher, Nowrojee Sorabjee formed in 1852 by Bombayites of Ben^ee. Till well past 50 he aO;&«W!mmnities and religions to _- En^ish literature, sehted to the Bombay government history, economtes, archaeolof^, §^t to England, calling for the French and Persian. His curtailed improvement of the conditions schooling also gave him a desim prevailing. to help others acquire education. , « . • So V^n the students of Elphin- of the noteworthy actwities cuu,... __ -..d ____ -Z—Z-. • Bombay Association was ship%rD5dabw 'Na7io)4,fo^ .its^ght against .the Trade and ^av ’s a cmrimittee with the object ot ^^ybt^oa proposed by the French and Persian. His cnrmiled — -- to hi^^ers acquire education* impairting education to women, Gbveihment of India. Bengalee was a staunch opponent of this levy. ¦ .. - ,, ibi -.1f. * \ 1 * 7 *• r r r >- t ‘i’ - * »J w Ri^', "is..! “iT!W~> -'ir?: t I’ However, one Pestonjee By^amjw Dantra -suggested that the govern ­ ment Should instead levy a tax on marriages and' other .religious qeremonies like Navjote, baptism^ and Janoi thread ceremony, calcu ­ lating that this would bring Rs. 26.7 million a year to the Treasury. This appeared to find favour with the government, but income-tax was introduced instead and all debate came to an end. Bengalee was Secretary of a Samast Anjuman meeting called to discuss important issues arising out of age-old Parsi customs, espe ­ cially succession and inheritance laws. After almost six years of discussion, the matter was finally referred to the India (M5ce in London by a Commission appoint ­ ed by the Government of Bombay in 1861, recoiAmending special treatment to the Parsi community. The Commission ’s recoittnjenda- tions subsequently became effec ­ tive law. * Bengalee was ‘instrument^ in creating more than one school for * Parsi girls in Bombay. He stimu ­ lated Cawasjee Jehangir Ready ­ money to establish in 1859 a school at Khetwadi for Parsi girls, which he supervised until 1864. He alw , informed the Director of Public Education of the necessity of a girls ’ school near Thakurwar, offering to meet half the cost; and in 1873 a school Was established next to Banaji ’s Atash-Behratn, with Sorabjee providing furniture, maps, books and other materials at his expense. Once, when he received an unexpected profit from a certain transaction, believing it was Ex ­ pressly given to him for the purpose he loved so much, he decided to build a girls ’ school in memory of his mother. Obtaining land and financial aid worth Rs. 36,835 from the Government, he himself met the remaining cost of 66,787.Tlre 4* * Through ail the changes of he was appointed a Trustee of the bay, and presented to the city of the years, notes the principal Bombay Port. When the Prince of Bombay in 1876. Ms, J^OEshed Pavri, .the Sfchool Wales laid the foundation stone of This was an eventful year, for has heveyi lost sight of Sorab-, -------------------------------- ----- • - . . ’ 4' Ms, Khorshed Pavri, .the School I"'. ¦'s ’'" "*"*’*- . ice ’s main ’, aim —that ofM^iyi^g perfC^ed according to masonic girls (tomestic as well as literary rites. Among the representatives of training, ;'so that they would be the English and Sottish lodges educated and also be useful mein- ' ' - - - bers of their households. ' Sorabjee Bengalee was the very first person invited to give his views when a commission was _ __ appointed by the government to Empress of India, meeting of investigate and report on the edu- - - - cationd system prevailing in India. Aliqost all his recommendations were recognised. Bengalee entered politics when Wales laid the foundation stone of Princess Dock, the ceremony was girls (tomestic as well as literary edueatfed and also be useful mein- were a'large number of Parsis. A silver tablet has inscribed on it Bengalee ’s name as one of the Port Trustees. When Queen Victoria became he was first i^ointed a member of- the Governor ’s Legislative Council of Bombay, then he was made Sheriff of Bombay, and fin ­ ally he received the Ude C.I.E. Together with one Mr. Cart ­ ridge, he started a fund, with a dual purpose in mind: to mvite a lady doctor from England in order to open a clinic for women and children and also, if possible, to give medical instruction to female medical students at Grant Medi ­ cal College. Forty thousand rupees were collected and the leading Parsis of Bombay was called at Bombay Castle, Jamshed- jee Jeejeebhoy ’s residence, for preparing a message of congratu- _ . —____,,______ ____ lations. All Parsi homes and were collected and shortly the management of the Bombay business establishments were to be afterwards Pestonjee Hormusjee ' ‘ ’¦ ' . ......................... ...... Camajee ‘donated Rs. 120,000 to _______ ______ ______ ________ J the Government for tiic purchase which drew up the congratulatory of land and the building of a ______ ______ __ memorandum, which was then hospital, as well as Rs. 15,000 for 32 were elected by approved by a Samast Anjuman nurses ’quarters. Land was bought “ ~ ............................. ....... next to Elphinstohe High School; Dr. Miss Edith Peachy, M.D., was _ ____________ _____ _ called to Bombay to be in charge the Bombay Municipal Corporation of the hospital —^now the Cama and Miinirapality was changed. Upto gaily illuminated. Bengalee was a then it had been managed by a leading member of the committee grpiip of Justices of the Peace. Ndw a total of 64 corporators was formed: property-tax payers, 16 were J.P.s, and the remaining 16 were Gov ­ ernment nominees. Among the 64 corporators 46 were Parsis: 10 dected, five? J.P.s, and one nomi- „__ ____ __ . . hated. Sorabjee was elected from direction of Mr. Pedder, a previous Road (Mahapalika Marg). the Fort area. Soon afterwards municipal commissioner of Bom- {Continued on page 39) meeting, signed by the Parsi resi ­ dents and dispatched to the Queen. He also got a special banner of prepared in En^and under the Albless Hospital on Gruikshank If** NATIONAL AND GRINDLAYS —the international bank at the nation's service. i' fr /r f* iJjL *1^ A oc jN Pt-AX » ¦gs— ^*¦4 1 BembcBY Branches. 90/94, Mahatma Gandhi Road. Lloyds Branch, 270/273, Dr. D. Id. Road. 110/111, Kazi Syed Street. Mandvi. Mint Road. Lloyds Branch, 21/28 Shamaldas Gandhi Marg. 24B, Club Hoad, Byculla. Advdni Chmbers, August • Kranti Marg, Cumballa Hill. Shivaji Mandir. N.C. Kalkar ', Road, Dadar. 65F, Linking Road, S^taeruz. Shivaii Path, Jambhii Make, thana. . Smitkiran W. Swamy Vivekananda Road, Vile Parte. ~ 43, Mahatma Gandhi Road, NATIONAL’ AND , QRINDLAYS GhatkopH (Eatt). bank limited INCORPORATED IN TM£ UNITED KIMGDOM. TME UABILITV OF MEMBERS-HNWTEO.g The Qctions By Dr. fc'B. Warden Founder Editor of Parsiana Independent Orthodox party not- j * ' ____ -____ — ing that as 1 had stood first in they are not of a religious order. I have been struggling for the Independent Orthodox party not- some privileges so have they, but last several years to correct our ing that as 1 had stood first in they are not of a religious order, anomalous and archaic flection the last electoral college 1 would They refer all religious disputes system. In the August 1973 —j j?—? issue of Fam'ana I wrote an out ­ line of my ideas for modernising three y^re orthodox by tempera- the scheme under the title i Akhand ¦ Parsa —^a consolidated what Indqjendent Orthodox group of Parsis who should be meant. Did it mean that the able to replace the fossils and restrain the upstarts from getting orthodoxy as he liked? Then I as into full control of the election, an unqualified orthodox was more which by now has degenerated stable and therefore superior, into a mechanical aritiunetical formula. election based on This formula allows the election L__ ________________ of a trustee to be made by 380 of voters, there was no sense in my joining any group as any real work to be done is with the Com- surely be re-elected and welcome. It was a sporting offer. We all to thQ dastoorjis .and give dilu ­ tions accordingly not because they are religious heads but because ment. But I could not understand they have some privileges as T J J--. j aforesaid, nothing more. Now coming to owf two-stage election, the first stage is the electoral college. In this hope- # lessly archaic system, the electo ­ rate body appoints a trustee. As I was against this system of Obviously this type of pr eliminar y election based on extremely body should, preferably, consist of restricted franchise by a handful persons of status and education what meant, candidate could stay or leave an unqusQified orthodox was more persons of status and educatioi^ who have the capacity to asse^ the qualifications of a trustee-to-^ be, and not a biased lot of blind ' „ * ¦. Such people may do untold harm, especially if / are prone to confusing administration with religion. The people, «half of whom obtain the ri^t * to vote not through any democratic process but by paying munity. Till then Ms Noble ’s leadTn^ the blinZ Rs. 5,000 to the Panchayat as a manifesto was not out and donation. C___„__________ ___ ____ 2 _ And unless and until the protected areia by any declaration, franchise is broadened to include a wide circle. of able and emittj^nt personages who at pre ­ sept g»mBt|pWS«ited, w harming Doongerwadi. Greffiatitm . 'religion rCjm expect fimm a restricted i ' - - - — which, barring «ome exceptions, i consists of men and women Whose people sitting aside. Burial whs vision of the future carinot first proposed by another haiEmT less person and not 1^ any trwBteei The issue of Doongerwadi was raised for propag^da purposes and it served its purpose well. To protect one ’s own religion by any one person or clique^ to • s«ve his or her end. This tends to prevent the best elements in a society from expressing or im- _________ . _________ plementii^ their idea§ and, worse Homi Banaji is exuded, with only two votes. Mr. Jamshed D. , Senior Wrangler with a Mathe ­ matical Tripos from Cambridge the qualifications of a trustee-to- ’ manifesto Doongerwadi was not named a they manifepto or edict. I never knew any man nor do I know any man religion are entire^ unconnected upto this day who intended and they muSt W kept apart, emotionally was and remains only a demand, tinged, administration implies a and control!^ Sectoral college which cannot be granted, and deeper sense of , reality. Though . 1 demanding it are hamffe^ life needs both, each has its own corisists of men ^d women wh<^ people sitting aside. Burial was separate sphere. The roots of ‘ * \ ' ', ? . It devastation are already sown any means be regarded as sound less person and not Ity any trosteei wl^n, by some subterfuge, the or even sensible. The issue of Doongerwadi was ‘E’ register becomes a biased The stark fact is that the Parsi raised for propaganda purposes group having only one set idea to Panchayat Trustee election is a and it served its purpose well, work on, which could be han dled controlled system which negates the accepted principle of any jg the duty of every person. One election —namely the element of need not arrogate to Oneself a chance. Tlut can be taken away nacmopoly and misuse it to make by manipulation. ^ny for a trusteeship. Does not H at pqison exercises his inde- c _ L________ .2„ “ pendence the trained dogs howl is not a Sacerdoi to drown his voice. L' „ „ «„ .uihiuxohmutc umve uuv. put as a wall-flower he achieves having no jurisdiction Over religion, nothing and belies the expectations The Panchayat manage sefaods. Of the community. Our Panchayat housiag colonies, fiances, chari- becomes a body sworn to maintaitt ties, :etc., but not a single otosh status quo. behram or af^ary ot offier Doon^iwadv IBs WllStf ihtcF^ University —cannot fit in * witil ichs^! dogs howl is not a Sacerdotal Holy Order; If he stays it is an administrafeve office only, nothing and belies the expectations The Panchayat manage scfaods. of the community. Our Panchayat hoii$htt colonies, fSces, chari- becomes a body sworn to maintaitt . but not a single otosh the status quo. [ ' 2__ A little before the election of place , of Zoroa^riaB worship. the electoral college of 1974 two r former members of the Anjuman lui^ and the tr^sitees manag ft it, “TT- n# A CU*M> UXXC *>« W3R<>W%li>9 MaOUCI^W lUf 9*Mit adsii as jois tl^ anil as |» nfaa|^ Maaix kme demands of administration^, and Kapadia —a. ¦i l ¦T ¦MWMmKWI I J the '1 conti^!^ *2^ *»• ^wraffls- - RaviS persbnaHy experienced during my canvassing campaign for ^fla^n Itoch-. khanawala/ Whose raudidature I' had sponsored., Mrit itochkhana-z wala and l have —by and large, barring healthy exceptions —a very sad memoi^ Ofi^ die calibre of this electorate and also of the then ‘E’ register. Trulyi^*it is such experiences which have made me champion the cause for chbige in our election system. The preisent ‘E’ register is obsessed with Doongerwadi. With ejected re ­ presentatives playing tp the ' gallery the next trustee in order to be eligible to compete will need a No Objection Certificate frofc Boman-Behram and Ms Noble dr keep out. My action has the approval of many thinking and mature minds. My intention and my hope has been stated above, I shall patiently wait for its fulfillment; wait not passively but work actively —with, I hope, the help and support of my community —for my pro- , gramme of Akhand Parsa and for ' , ’ J my manifesto, . , : as c?ui<^date one is number with T’ liigi^ti^ on the elected dr not. '1 look, upon any other —when It is known that cer- manifesto as a deceitf^iMocunient tain individuals control a certaih it is not intended . bi be daffe from seeking election. B^nd every evil the^e lurks some junfathomed good. ’ If my defeat brings home to the com ­ munity the need for some urgent changes, it will have served my purpose in bringing about a change in the pattern of the electorate from an unconscious emotional control of the crowd to conscious constructive control by individuals. This way the defeat may yield a grand slam or at least a little slam. We may thus go one stage further in think ­ ing about our future seriously and electing the right type of trustees. In my circular to all members of ‘E’ and ‘F’ registers I have clearly stated that my opponent was unsuited for trusteeship and so was I, and if by chance I was elected, once the community found the right type of person I would walk out within a week. y^af is pur election worth/ ___ witH, total control of ‘E’ register implementing on one hand and its parity ’in whether i < " other-when It is known that cep is not intended hi be ¦ or not a candidate succeeds in the election. number of ‘F’ register votesT impfemented whether There is no room for reasoning / Agaili A ifffi, San&y Dyeii^ ivat aiforieJ the Ceimmieat Avard/or . fCublaidiiig jMRer^gfnMwe. Neiv the/ve Hgft agtitt—-irtih Ae eevetej ^jpCf A^evemeatl iMl jA« Aii^pmJienw Hbmeaf Q.3. f <;» MIUJC^ tesCgiOf^. ¦S (Ri. vi^i^^}—Aaiftee» J ^M^dent iiila^e textile e^^eeo te J Attexilig kty^ A* V.SJt V.K., irtfgx 9x^ and 41*^' Ta eaxjiete udA intenmA - * textile gAb, jalfve got to xAitelx Aiptienatty ki^ standenb ^AfiArie ftal^ end indMdnal ¦ ' desi^, SametAg Boixbef Pfeb^ heee ahaajif Ax titli^. I * 1 II' : ’/ •a4 - 1 .LWifit I > p>^r -i. THE FLIGHT ©F THE BUSYBEE Review and 'Interview' by Geeta Doctor And if there were a hundred does not have the charm of the that he employs with th® per? ’ Busybees reads the blurb to his real one, flitting lightly as ^e does sistence of a buzzing bee; the book, they would be welcome from place to place, giving us a most noticeable one being th^ for the spot of sunshine they bring bee ’s eye view of a Test match, already mentioned fondness f^ into the hearts of his 100,000 or visiting an Udipi restaurant or sentences starting with an ‘‘And readers. The writing has all the peering through the eyes of an The more sentimental he gets the hallmarks of his style —the sentence urchin as the Big Top goes up more “Ands ” he uses so that his storing with “ And ”, the note at the Azad Maidan. He has a language takes on a sobbing of lyrical exaggeration and the genius for picking up those small quality, an impression which is re- cliche thnt will hit his 100,0(W moments in time which flash inforced by his constant glorifica- readers right in the centre of their momentarily into consciousness tion of the poor, the sick and the- humdrum J^rts and have them and then are seen no more. This lonely. Together with his fond- crying, Busybee, e ’est moil ” is what makes him so successful neat for conjttnctive paragraphs, he There is no doubt about the ® columnist and less so cohabines wliat can oh]^ be l . t.b I Boxer who talked before. , i “He doesn ’t like journalists? ’ It ’s just that I don ’t believe , »? I don ’t like the idea of . 9U.VU.5 UM*<^** •'¦^' '' •'He ’s a vpry patriotic dog, ” sid^ “Weil it ’s enough if you give ,pie » T coi/l the interview, ” I said. “Anytime ” said Busybee. “What ’s your opinion of Art Buchwald? ” I asked. “Who ’s that? ” replied Biisybee. . . - . , u "Oh you know he ’s the guy who smgmg about her used to write in The HeraU Tri- . “ud Bolshoi J interrupting. “P"" going all soft again. I thought you ‘Don ’t tell me you ’re “Bpls^oi is a clever dog, ” he v« UMM, 3«*iu. »u9jus» wiiu -—-i ooMiderabJe lack of enUiusiasm. upderstand everythmg. Like he “He ’s not too bad. But you know doesn ’t know what it means to be he ’s not really an American or a, a Human being. Jew either, he ’s not married “Like he doesn ’t know what it and those kids he ’s always writing means never to be elected Man of about are not real either. ” the Year. ” “Would you quit knocking a “Like he doesn ’t know what it fellow journalist, ” said Bolshoi, means to grow old and know that “Next you ’ll be saying that he you ’ll never be young again. ”, doesn ’t have a dog either. ” “Well if you ’ve finished repeat^ “I’m sorry, ” said Busybee. “The Ing yourself I think we ’d tettc^ funny thing is that people often said Bolshoi getting up witii a say that he writes like me. ” . decisive shake. “If she,thinks you ’re “BV the wav, ” I said c hanging so smart why doe^ ’t she just read thOubject, “I read your bool^^^ your book a^ani. ’’ , gii^t. Just like your dai)^ columns. ” “Hey wait, ’* I cried. “There ’s “As a matter of fact they are one more thing I wanted to ask you nw daily columns. The editor Mr Busybee. ©id you really cry ^^^t it ^ould be n goqd idea when you saw Love Smzy? ” < toput them all together? ’ ; But there was no answer. Even “It ’s fantastic, ” I said. “You as they wtdk^ down the street, the imi^ r get tired them, man and the dc^ had vanished mlo Pto^lar^ that bit about crid^. thin air. Y^ know When T^arson Sur^ And ft fiud atmted raining , says^to. . He ’s not too bad. But you know doesn ’t know what it means to be Jew either.^ Md he ’s^ not married about are not real either. ” w ¦f fl Wadia (Cc»//««c thing if more of the cn mmnru' ty tax, as there .J; ' a.'... pirii •. C systeih could be ret?rganized? it^s fine when it was^a small commu- mty, when there were a few major I understand those sort of people who contributed originally arc -c;.- fast fading out. Obviously when by the course of time , I . modem conditions, should be ' Wadia: Parsi, is ^ucated--before, ¦w^^ Papchayat It would be a good Were allowed to vote. . Tfe wh^ systeni could be reijrganized. It was fine when it was a small commu- tety, when there were a few major families who w^e the leaders. But I understand those sort of people who contributed originally are now one ‘ We must solve,it. There are a lot. • cases be usefully sold and^ the money, which is vety substantial, be ploughed back into building ’ houses. . Parsiana: Axe you getting co ­ operation from other ikusts to Wadia: Unfortipately or lprtu- Ratdy, ifr don ’t know whichj toe two trusts, RN. and NLM.,: were uw.. monies from syiywhere elte. They are Are you getting .government;allowed us to contri- bnt| free of tax^ as there “ c^ilfiig oh the percental of die profit yon pan give away in charily. Sb we chanhelled them thrrn ^ the Ness Wadia foundation. j helped to build up some funds , pemut^ monies disasters and things like that Be- ^eeh the fund and Bombay Dye ­ ing we ’ve done a lot of relief work. Parsiana: These funds are non- IS a J jhtfflt you can give away hi charily. Sb we chanhelled them thrrn ^ the Ness Wadia foundati nn lO and kept some aside, naturally, for ^eeh the fund and Bombay Dye- system is being eliminated ------ -----! a new, ___ more appropriate system, to meet communal? S-dvS Yes. We have our two evoiveu. 1 tmnk nowadays every • ¦ - Parsi, is educated —before, ¦when these original forms of elfectiohs were in existttice mily 50 per cent were, maybe more, ’ fijaybe less, Are you Jtill connected ^ith the different Wadia charities^f t Well we have this com ­ mittee of the two [trusts, the , kN. and the 1J»M. Wadia ^Trusts for housing. • The'board of Panchayat and two of us. Andive hieet at fairly regular intervate^ . - - We do the actual; afiSce woik here ®^P$“sive —a person can get a flat an this biplding. p< . LLZ. And what, is tt,e main <*,ect>ve the Charites? - P«rsio«,r^at Fyo# see aS Wodw: WeU whe^, we started the solution;to this problem? the; Ness Wadia foundation the "^^a: Well ¦ it ’s are completely Not encfugh ctmim^'^ut about trusts conung together aad These funds are Wadia: ] _ _______ holding-the-fort mentality -> M non-co mmimal , getting mto battle? and atfack- ¦o „ log the problems which are facing P^siana: For which activities is the community.^ We want more toe money from the Wadia Trusts drive and utilj^d for Parsis? ITadia: ' ;trusts . are only for housing. ParsiOfia: . more housing now? _ ,. , . the problems which are facing For which activities is the community.^ We want more _ Wadia: 1 ___ agement conasts of the plans but the costs are going man- And what is the nKiih i%, attacking me M Well these two main Parsiana: Do you feel ^at _ Parsis should stay m India '^r go Are you planning any abroad? • ¦ Wadia: _____________ Cfe yes, yiH’ve got plenty any^mg wrong in either travelling ' l l- —abroad or s^ng here. Pie bted- up enormously. How do we finwe Quarters . of the Pansi o you feel ecsop pin w. p/\n/l<44Makfi T.U Jl ’2_ . -' _ cive as abroad? ” Wadia : No, I don ’t think they are as conducive, nor 4o T ^thjnif ' the Cost of a flat today? It ’s very these problems'^ I don ’t think 'that there ’s are still bound to be in W ftiys eff eight hundred square feet which J . Parsiana: T can he affprd the i^? conditipiu in India are as ’^du-.V* they canbecause of ^er want® to know what • fi^ he.T people, government anjJ weigfcta&K4«^^>popi»fiati6n-ih ahotild go-into, what--voc^tH^t business anBi;so forth. We have . jtj^k ’ of Walking /bi^iness or job he should t0e"hp? a C®ty-good .S|)read of intei»®^' ^^r^ ¦ of fote^t^ given the, communi^ this ataae dver^onate of the other pushed off the pavement while in ‘ thbse days you had it to yourself. The b«8^f«icrease in peculation came tSqrBombay m 1931, of course . H . 11 1 J-* J. J we uSed to export ion tonnes of wheat a W Katiirchi alone. India ______ when you get, married you go out and live jbn foY making people t^k for thw- selyes and I shc^ ^ss not many move without going to the head of the Clan or family and saying. playing the piano. Nothing wrong in it.h find many peoplf inittSi i sno,^ •^^^nmunity who have very definite ..nin® rn the h^d two million tonnes of wheat a ;zipa. ggg them with grandchildren ana everything, but they are on their own. I think this is very healthy. Is this what happened Oh yes, definitely. When ihe boat docked at seven o ’clock inside them whit^ gives them the TlTey ’re very individualistic. You ’ll their minds about the life yes, definitely.^ When want to lead or the profession they I came back on October 15,, ivoi want to follow. It ’s quite unique ihe boat docked at seven ocle^k 35¦4. fast and the cai^camerth th# door and 1 as w^ Aehl me, , ato FfOing? ’ And he said, ‘You ’re * going down to the mill, ’ and by nine-thirty I was at the mill. That ’s fiv I started work. Same morning. at was a* very good thing "kud I did th^ same to xmy son too. I made him go down to the mill. He didn ’t like it then but now he, blesses me for it. happy thftt I did. . Par^anar Wheh you graduated from college were you keen on j^ogig into die uiills or did you have some other vocation in mind? Wadia: . Nd; I had the full intention of going into the mills. Funjiily ehou^ I didn ’t have any body in this oflSce writes to me upto now because I’ve been too conception of what life would be individually, each company cor- busy. Quite the contrary, I find like here and I went to my father responds with me. I’m busier than ever and I have and I said I’d like to come back Parsiana : What is your age now? so many things to do. I love to to, Bombay and I-d like to go to Wq^ia '. I should be sixty-three fiddle around in the, garden, play v^dS?- So he §|i^ *Right-o come in August; With the dc^^s^there are so many on,y and he l^ught me back. Parsiana: Do you plan to retire things to do, so many friends... Pafsiana: *Hdw nip^ time do "Ime? • j; i* . you spend in India now? iFacfia: Well I’ve been trying to Pdi'siana: Wadia', I^ now restricting my­ self to a total of three hundred successfully. and sixty-five days in four years. Par^ana : What would you do if Parsianq: ^en you are abroad you retired? ___ _ _________ _______ _____ are you still active in the busiuess? Wadia : Oh when Tm at home to slow down and let other people Wadia: Oh yes! The telephone in Switzerland I’m very busy. I get on with it. After all none rings from Bombay, the cables thought I was going to play lots of us is immortal. We ’ve got to come, a pile of mail arrives of golf, read books and do all the recognize that. We. ’ve got to leave practically every day, nearly every- things I haven ’t been able to do something behind which will go on. t my father where he te he -Says ‘It ’s not for r j^r-you. ’ So I said ‘where He ’s very ¥• I think they should havibv a little youhget blood in. the Parsi Panchayat ... it would be a good thing if more of the Community were allowed to vote. s* §a< corned August; ^ught me back. How tmich time do "^me? if^ very pleasant. trying to F^siana'. You would not miss for some time, but not very kybur Work? Wadia'. Well, yes, of course, one Par^ana: What would you do if misses the activity, but life is ^en you are abroad you retired? changing. I think you must learn ? Wadia'. Oh when I’m at home to slow down and let other people Oh yes! The telephone in Switzerland I’m very busy. I get on with it. After all none ? of golf, read books and do all the recognize that. We. ’ve got to leave . Parsiana : ?* WBOIT-IT IS^M THE RESULT OF | B lNTEUifi^^ EFFORT.” —John Rusicin M. ¦’ i WNDON 8MRW SREWBDfMM THE FINt«t«M.T EXPORT I Ol'AI ITY I aaw,. W ¦ 'I^IMPORIW hops HHbI wn^sNi^ IrffdI BEER -i ¦«TP:1TOg MWIKN. wcsrcaMMY - F • ( ¦Y: A».. COWTMIM. INDIA With CojnfUiments of : ‘ ASSOCIATO breweries & PISTtiLLERi^l|^¦ dwhV- r 'i? T . a w Sfor 400 boys. Under his chair^Qship a a Bamalee iC^ntinued fnm pag^. Ben|n^ spitved on many com- _____- mittees with diverse^ objects. sanatSm aCNS'for wom^ three Parsis on a of all communities. Dr. Ms Peachy yCOTttmit^ appointed to establish Phipps was given 11 acres of land, -‘ a,branch of the St. John ’s Ambu- c. '.z’xxgclwvTo vxvwcu lance Association in Bombay ; he two ifemed in memory, of Sorabiee A rather different kind of meet ­ ing was convened one January day in 1884 at the residence of Jehan- girjee Cawasjee Res^ymoney. Its purpose was to start a sophisticat ­ ed, elite Parsi Club. Sir Phiiozshah Mehta declared that over 200 Parsis had enlisted their names as founder-members; this became the well-known Ripon Club. By donating prizes, Bengalee encouraged sportsmen, especially Bombay ’s cricket-players. He was the spirit behind the Parsi Cricket lities upto standard fi' 1 meeting,, was convened to a of all communities. Dr. Ms Peachy K m.!..*..*.. —_ ___ ^1-______ _ IS ________ « _ , --------- > on which bungafows were erected ^t on committee appointed to Bengalee. ' , ; look into . the f’actory Act and recomntendalkms to the ' ^vemment; and*^he was on a Commission appointed by the Gqyernment to look into the • Abkfri 'I,aw^ and- the hardships encotmtered bywine merchants ^id toddy vendors. Four hearings w0 held; thg memorandum sub- mkted to,* the ’ government .tamed over |^00 signatures. ifis i^d-raising activities cover ­ ed a wide vBt^ty of causes. He was a memb^ of a committee formed under the patronage of club. Lady Reay to eoUo^t funds to Indian Wofoen to study 'mcdieine. He chaired a meeting i^ich counted Rs. 12,000 towards la?^ wa^^moviS imporiani topics 01 tiw oay. ”1'”^ Unfortunately we, could nq« t«ce COD- Selections from his writings were published in two large volumefe, taken from the many articles and papers he had ¦written on almost all the important topics of the day. to Outram Road " Uiuoriun aieiy we , could not trace lovutram Koad. them either in the Asiatic Library He was also one of the first or in the Cama Oriental Institute. ^stees_ of tte Byramjee Jeejee- When he passed away on April 1893, prominent ladies of all .. .. . . communities held a meeting to raise funds to perpetuate his memory. The money collected was H used for the sanatorium at Nasik 1 for women and children of all I ? copuBunities,. . A close . fi^nd,. I Mangaldas Rarsandas Mulji, pub- lished a book in his memory,; 13cko trustees of the Byramjee Jeejee- which provided educational faci ­ 4’ 4 ,?• s Warded b gcBd ^(i»B9nibi|wood ¦* * , co;Qmumtie&,. A 37vQn Bombsy400^T ', ind B^heha* Quality ta^lwOotf (loban) ” ^^Umaa ; vX’'"' Quality aa^lwOotf ^Oarb8ttla%;igiijm banzoin Poban) and othw t BOYS’ TOWN Public school, Nasik 2 CHOICE SCHOOLING FOR YOUR SON Recognised as a Pablic School by DejMotiaent ot Edncati^hc^l^omhiittee with a request [ to the Municipal Corporation to I purchase a house at Karelwadi for The Charni ^oad Girls ’ School founded at his initiative and to be . I nameaih his memory. His contributions to soctel pro- ¦ gress were manifold, but he especially espoused the cause of women —their education and their .health. He would have been grati- -InetUtO see what m immeasurable chan^ ^education mis brought about in the , status of women. Suiely he would have approwd of the jMinciplesj if riot the <^>^a^ ^pheri^a, of uteihien ’s lib. ^meeting;^ called by the Sheriff of thousand ‘ ' -size the mnainder las ls brought i^iely he would aj^ot^ of pheri^a, of ^ihien ’s lib. r. All Academic Subjects — Technical Subjects : Radio and Wood-Work Tech-" nology, Farming —Training “ Self-Government through Elected Boys* Offioe*bearers, Physical Traiidng- -Daijy Assembly with CSBhigre- gaflpnal l^ayers —^Weekly --------------( Zoroastrian — classes — Games^ “ ¦ intensive Geeta —Koran Excellent Modern Kittdiar and Dining .J^|^xn . facilities —Airy Dormitories. Mode ­ rate Fees. Concessions to Deserving Students. APPLY TO PRINCIPAL FOR ADMISSION f J ¦¦¦b - » I¦ P^age 10) w^ yiil givj^ "^em full sppporfe pe#e* ~ aogans against religion and they ^re very dangerous people. But for mottt|s^^ to^thet* tSfey keep repeating tlie same old thing. I am not a reformist or an orthodox, t ' -. ,' fothers. (Ui . z- jyitfe^^he 189 members of die the^ ’ttu^e^p^ : then an- 4onors ’ ‘F’ Register (those whb nobnced heir chndid^. J D.. b^dents are at logger-heads with ¦, journal. But this time it inight w people. E* tifey President to , felicitate her on thtfe ,___ L am the follower of _ _______ ffie foiddfe path: set by our fore-; turned it down. Nanabhoy Jeejee- fathers. i will worlj. wg<|4!^a in bringing peace and unity to the community fogether. Unity is today ’s vital question. Before attempting to solve religious questions we must _ Establish peace and unity in the Flooring refused bn grounds of community; only after that can .................. ' ’ ’ the other questions be solved. H .unity does not prevail, the community cannot work together ^litically, economically and re ­ ligiously and will never rise. This cannot be achieved if only a few get together. r felt very sad to note that Vakil over his disclosures con- a monthly —ana it must oe_ jn persons who had no success by ceming the dokhmas; see Parsiana English. Because otherwise Iln| writing in our local papers had October and November issues). e-Kshnum will regain a closed to go^and write the article in Shortly thereafter a letter appeared bb^, an es«eric philt^phy which tini. in the fonze i^ned inwm members of llfo eombiuttity, for persons who had no success Qimmy) itreprene .„J; Vakil over his disclosures con- by cerning the dokhmas; see Parsiana to go and write the article in time. , S. M. D. Nahalladaroo ><4- A K monthly —and it must he in only the older generation knows about. ’ 9» •F « 4 1 J 1 ".g WIdi Complimente brom iSa^POORJl PALLONi^l & CO. TO, ..Mellows street, BOMBA¥r-400 OOl ' ¦ *¦ Tel Nos: 31 1274 - 234^*^ - 242^44 4 % »¦ • > • It. , ¦. r. * / ¦ t ’,' o aoQooD Kona 1 '^ooiop V 117oppo ’n/aona ‘3 t OP^ct* ^nnoflO^ ’\(nl-n au d - ?? ^tfBiae I" loaooaa L ¦A I f\A(\a/\AAnl I *' « r IfBaaoac)^ ‘V ¦’V' » '^11L*» mob. J I l»»*V 1 BteofiDa,! S“.« . uaoofloi • OBflllClO I M fj ’IT' « I,. "S V t ' V , K » i i ^oaoo ESji.nn §s "fl- ¦'**i k ¦