Dec 1974

'JiK! <. in Rt. J ¦ ' 5»; &• .1 f r H «MWM> •fUt*’ . * t .'V: * 4 ¦’a L * » S’ Vi *2® s^^WWKWii^* s? i a® sstir w-rt December - January 1975 I 1 I CONTENTS Page No. j EDITOR'S COLUMN 2 READER'S FORUM 11 If A TALE OF TWO JIMMYS . 16 5 AN AREA OF DARKNESS by Pervin Mahoney and Thrity Keeka 25 WOULD YOU MARRY OUT OF THE COMMUNITY ?............................................... by Feroza Paymaster 30 FIRE AND ICE by Geeta Doctor 34 J 'I J *1 marginal MEN " 36 IN MEMORIAM . . 38 Parsiana Cover of Pars! widow by Manjula Padma- nabhan i IAvi>-a OVER t700 1-tti Finest Hotels, Re^aurahts and Shops spread all over India display this sign PilMBWa GkUB ENJOY PRESTIGE SAFETY ^NVENIENCE BECOME A MEMBER (Q DINARS CLUB mOIA I^RIVATS I.IMITBO Dady House, JBO Vir Nariman Road, aOMBAY-400 023 4^ T'-' CaWa^ ; OINOLda ‘sat 'ssfc J“v —'-.ih ¦ e dttt ci^-’S c 6 iUBJTi «WA .jjpjy gai^ we .were con^ntrathK too^ much on the dokhtnas ha.d the covet Oft a freight train and live the n..#- i-kan tkaf littlA ISSUC IlVO^ voice inside, which had been ¦ ¦ / so- “Just a month In my final term in college) just before the exam whic^ would terminate four years of sleep and study, I had a great u^e to h^ of a trgmp. But then that little thoroughly indoctrinated by ciety, argued: ‘7—1 _ X more, Why throw it all away now, fool. You ’ll be free in a few weeks "" Needless to say I stayed on and * becanie an irksome duty. -. t • t riMMivrol zxT f^nA /^rmiAG Ti*rtm Tn w^ didh ’t we write almot stoty on the-'religion and saftes ’< '0B:‘?time Jow: In ____ .. ., MSaght ‘ we ’d foct^ on the Pat^-'lfttKchayat and put Ms Nelie l^dhleMaod-Bt K. Boman* Behram on ^te-icoa^'buf neither of them subs«lti^j People called us a sensationalistic rag. After that eaj:h subsequent issue j • . The arrival of the cQpies from the press were not greeted with our charac ­ teristic exuberance. Even the icing on the cakes we would buy to celebrate such occasions seemed stale. Subscriptions and '*¦ adver ­ tisements which we thought Would be flowing in, continued merely to trickle. We grew philosophical and started Wondering whether there was mpre to life, than Parsiana. Wa§ it a mistake? Should we haye gone in for pof- nography instead? What purpose were we serving and who were we pleasing besides the paper manufacturers, jblockrrnakers, and printers? Short-stafledy and iifCfeasingly short-tempered, one wdrt frqm pillar to Parsi attempting to bring out the magazine on time (we called it Project Time magazine and later changed it to Project Newslate). We had as much . luck as Ms Gandhi had haiaoing- When one staffer asked Jihmir Bufthr^SSS we^thought ^twe wo^ do wh 1 would sell like hotcakes, accumu- lated in our office and served as received the slip of paper which stated I had spent four years in such-and-such institution without disgracing myself academically, morally or socially. I worked here and there and went about learning my trade always looking forward to that day when the decision not to drop out would pay rich divi ­ dends. Seven years later, the decision still weighs heavy and one wonders if only fools are free. When we took over Parsiana, we thought it would be a roaring suc ­ cess. We envisioned such a great demand for the magazine that copies would be sold in the black. In my mind I even argued the ethics of accepting illegal tender, noting that while the government said it was wrong, one had to be practical. We finally decided that if any “on ” money was offered we would pause for an appropriate length of time to indicate a mental conflict and then accept the amount before the other party changed its garibi. Yfe ran out, I suggested phonipg the ? —... ovxTvw State Bank but was told they no supports for chairs and tables that .longer gave loans over the phone, hadlegs broken or missing. From dhansak our diet changed What kept us going (in the wrong to dosas. Staffers started getting direction), however, was the thrill restless about being paid in subs- of having started a new venture criptions instead of cash. Only (I couldn ’t eat for half a day). We after hitting two of them and J busied ourselves on the second breaking the |irm of a third did I issue, which we kr^w was gping they agree to continufi to work out to be the big money-spinner. Need- of devotkm.- t less to say, like the first it turn- And sq. another instnihnent of ed oht to be a money-spiller. the hmpes^e Drenm ro^^dlthe Gradually it be^n to dawn on us presses, in^ your homes. Xnt its that every Parsi did not consider arrival s^boKze the victory of ¦ Pars^a to be Ahura Mazda ’s \ mind over Aia^r to tl^ community. Here y«% were) readers, to offering people every thing anfi^nnc 4^1^. aljv^*^ant^- tw know .nbcfliit baby, sb --j* ¦" Wfte' not^ supp^s had legs 1 ?:li ' 1 3 And sq: smoth^ inst^|Ihn«M: of 'l4 I. hilrse; it. ‘ "Ws 'Swur IT1 ques, jewellery, Picassos and the elation is a well intentioned but ill Register can elect the delegates on like will be appreciated. All wills considered proposal. In a circular, behalf of the 70,000 Bombay Parsis. must be made opt in Parsiana's they requested other delegates to There are 30 delegates in all namcr preferably as the sole heirs, attend a memorial service for Dele- In a more serious vein (unless gates Gbolcher J. Patel and Khan you were not amused) the Delhi Bahadur Burjor Dhalla who ex- Parsi Anjuman has broken the pired earlier this year and “to come tlwinstitutional conspiracy of non- to a tea meeting. ...to enable all support (we ’ve become paranoid) the delegates —and wives —to meet the delegates have dealt the insti- behalf of the 70,000 Bombay Parsis. There are ' ’ _ of which a minimum of five are needed to comprise the jury. While legal minds continue to weigh the pros and cons of con- tte institutional conspiracy of non- to a tea meeting. ...to enable all tinning with the delegate system, support (we ’ve become paranoid) the delegates —and wives —to meet the delegates have dealt the insti- by sending us a generous cheque each other and form a Delegate tution a severe blow by adyocat- of Rs. 500. We can now count Association and decide upon per- ing the formation of an association, the number of donations received sons to serve on a Committee of And now a word of praise for over the past two years on the the Association. ” fingers of both hands (on which we m£^e all our calculations anyway, independent-minded accounting being our weak point.) who arrive at a decision solely on But honestly if you want us to continue to serve as well as ex ­ pand our services, you ’ve got to each other, extraneous matters may help out. The community being influence their decisions to the lectures, so limited in size, circulation is low and advertisers shy away. So unless we are heavily subsidized, we ’ll have to go back to cyclostyling. ing the formation of an association. And now a word of praise for the Rahnumae Mazdayasnan Sabha Jurors have to be by definition and its two active secretaries, individuals Sheroo Jal Vakil and Parvez L Katrak. The Sabha, which is one the basis of evidence presented, of the oldest surviving associations If they are well-acquainted with in the community, has arranged in addition to its weekly Wednesday , several question-and- answer sessions, a musical Kirtan on Zarathushtra and a well organiz- Association and decide upon per ­ sons to serve on a Committee of ¦4 f. to * * « jsA decision by six newly elected elected to office. Since the com- jurors of the Parsi Matrimonial Court to form a Delegates Asso- detriment of the judicial system. The Parsi Matrimonial Court is the only one in India where the ed annual elocution competition, jury system still persists (see Under the leadership of Erach Parsiana August 1973). The jurors Nadirshah, Adi Chinoy, Dasturs are referred to as delegates and Framroz Bode and N. Minocher- instead of being selected are homji and members of the manag- committee, the Sabha is one munity believes in total.democracy, institution which is striving to only the 189 members of the “E” anH bridge the cultural, social and t k- Have ever uualked on the b< alone ujith nothing on and uuith nothing on 9our mind except ¦ thinkinc 2 r ru/thnq paimz. co fhC' /’ym; the? in your hair the coo! breeze touching your face. the evening zun zhimrnering in your eyez and the zpray of zurf care ring your body’ 'Y ' ufi/e? ^cO^ ¦ 'i 4 i i i 1 ¦.f. 4 4 Shr • >• •*i . • „ c ; reeSing. 4 r- ' Ap/' UK -VVi 3 r -¦ - , «entiated the ess^ce qf the Heen _____________________________ as a way of life from Aieen or the The death of Sheheryar Kaoosji customs usually followed by the in Hyderabad on December 25th members of a community. Deen and the subsequent refusal of the is immutable but the y4teen5 change ’ ¦ ’ from time to time. To me the Gathas of our Lord Zarathushtra is the Deen and inspite of their being old and hoary, their teach- Nanavutty which is available for generation gap that divides the comm^hy to^y. By gearing its 50p a copy, prograpaS, W demands of moderp day audiences and litpiting to a ajinimum the introductory and concluding speeches that mar most such , functions, the Sabha may once again become a force in the community. , - , g.Fbr those interested in acquir ­ ing books on the religion, the Cal ­ cutta Parsi Zoroastrian Association (1, Saklat Place, Calcutta 700013) December 1973, 69 per cent of the has several books written by J. M. respondents were in favour of the Chatterjee : A tharvan Zarathushtra priests performing ceremonies for —The Foremost Prophet, (250 those who opted for . cremation, pages, price Rs. 12); Message of Instead of taking any action, the the Gathas, as reflected in the Masnavi of Moulana Jalal-ud-din Rumi, (204 pages, price Rs. 12); the Gosper of Zarathustra, in the Words of Moulana Jalal-ud-din . Rumi, (216 pages, price Rs. 20). and by conviction and am proud 19 year old pianist who died in a The above books are also avail- of it. I do not claim any scholar- plane crash on September 9th en ‘ able from Mahyar Patel at The ship but have always been a hum- route to America (Parsiana Se^^., Iranian ZorOaustrian Anjuman, ble student of history and religion, tember issue). The <* TTQ Prest^ Kermani Building, 2nd flckjx. Sir My contacts with meipbers. of dent, Ms Gool Shavaksh^i note^g Mphta -Road; Fort, Bombay other communities is ample, and I Rs. 17,000 has already been ccA^ 4bQ(Xll; tel: 2^01 as a way of life from Ateen or the in Hyderabad on December 25th members of a community. Deen priests to perform his last rites because he chose to be . buried in ­ stead of being placed in the Tower of Silence, is a tragic and sorry chapter in the history of the twin cities. The Anjuman was aware that at a poll taken in To me the I ings still hold good and will con ­ tinue to do so. ” When such men, who have serv ­ ed the community and their fellow men with sincerity and dedication are denied their last rites purely because they prefer ope system over another for the disposal of their bodies, it is nothing short of spiritual tyranny. A Neville Chinoy Memorial Fund has been started by the Time “I am a 2k)roastrian both by birth and Talents Club to honour the Anjuman decided to close the sub ­ ject “once and for all ”. In a letter he wrote to Parsiana on May 20th 1974, Kaoosji stated: plane crash on September 9th en; of it. I do not claim any scholar ­ ship but have always been a hum ­ ble student of history and religion. tember issue). The TTC Pxesi M?hta • Roadj ’ Fort, Bombay other communities is ample, and I 4bQWL tel: 2^01;V And for children the Calcutta Anjuman has a small booklet call ­ ed Fravarane (I Believe) by Piloo have spoken at many meetings Ucted. “Many people have given giving the audience a gist of the " ....................... teachings of our Lord Zarathushtra wherein I have carefully differ- Rs. 10 and Rs, ll>^&so, ” she said. Donations are tax exempt and may be sent to the Time and Talents 1 " s sS<. & Match your AMBITIOM to ai To do SO we offer you: • Diploma Course in Business Management • Banking: C.A.I.I.B. Course (Postal & Oral) • Commerce:G.C.D. Course • Executive Secretadal Couise • Private Secretarial Course e Telephone Operating • Telephone Operating-cum Receptionist Techniques • Shorthand & Typewriting • Punch Operating lifefgfcl Enquire at: .r I*..- i A I T tnquireat: Sir J. J. College of CoRini^' 14, Nenabhoy Lane, Flora Fountain, BOMBAY 400 001. W: 2m<85’ fi* _•> • .M 5 MlM ??¦ ¦1 5* I a lapse of ’almost five years and „ J though my step has not lost its Apollo Bunder, Bombay 400 001. f spring, nor my hair grown white, A press release informs us that I could not help but feel ancient, ” Club, Victory Stall, Old Yacht n Club Garden, G. Shiva ji Marg,^ to a trickle, ” he notes, “Canada is not a paradise for everybody. Some people find the right slot A press release informs us that rcoidd not help but feel ancient, ” while others haVe to move around Ms Anahita Kersy Satarawalla of said Feroza. While she didn ’t win for some time; It takes time to Maulana Azad Medical College in a onlH mpHnl PYammpr mnm adinsf?* New Delhi, has won the Univer ­ sity Gold Medal for standing First in Gynaecology and Obstetrics in years, Ms B. R. Shelton, who had the M.B.B.S. exam. She secured flown in from London especially first class marks in all other sub ­ jects, and stood second in Delhi University. She is the first Parsi to win this award in her subjects at the University. Her father, Kersy T. Satarawalla, IAS, was the Secretary, Ministry of Steel and Mines, Government of India and homeland. at present is Advisor to the Gov ­ ernor of Gujerat. In other academic news, our in North America, notes Bharucha. research in medical chemistry for Associate Editor Feroza Paymaster About three years ago they formed the Canada Packers Company, returned to her old school, the Zoroastrian Association of Most of the Canadian Zoroastrians Queen Mary ’s, to attend its cen- Ontario. “Before that there was are professionals and a few are in tenary celebrations: . ~ Your hair may grow white and Fraternity whose main aim was your step lose its spring Your girlhood be left far behind, But through all the mists that the long years may bring One longing will e’er fill your mind.... “I approached the school after laws, immigration has come down a gold medal (“the examiner mara adjust. ’ par khar karyo”), she got on very well with her^principal of earlier people who migrate to Canada " ” " are the “cream of the crop, I don ’t know it theit diildren will for the centenary week. “I always be brought up aS Hirsis, They ko/i f.,., ’> ckz. lost to the cominunity, ” The decision to migrate is not always an easy one. “You trade off the pros against the cons, ” he Bharucha feds many of the had an afiinity for you, ” she told Feroza, “because we are both tall. ” In Zoroastrians Abroad news. Dr. Keki Bharucha, a fifteen-year resident of Toronto, dropped by says. For professional people, for our office while on a visit to the example, “you cannot find the ' work here (in India) which you ¦ ‘ Bharucha himself which is the fastest growing city holds a doctorate degree and does in North America, notes Bharucha. There are about 800 Parsis in that Canadian metropolis find abroad. the Zoroastrian Association of Ontario. “Before that there was a loose body called the Zoroastrian business. Earlier this year the New South Wales Australian Zoroastrian Asso ­ ciation put an advertisement in tile Jam-e-Jamshed ' “ ' ~ to provide information for immi ­ grants, ” said Bharucha. Most of the Parsi settlers are from Bom- Jam-e-Jamshed and Kaiser-E- bay the next largest numbers being Hind stating “Fellow Zoroastrians from Africa and Pakistan. “Right intending to visit or immigrate to now with the tightening of the New South Wales (Sydney} Aus ­ tralia, will be provided with all The Bank that gets things done ....m BAMIRICANI MPHESSl American Express International Banking Corporation Bombay ? New Delhi ? Calci^a jMMaw1 . “We just provide food, life, be it 4x3^-os ^girl, is to give housing, and guests chat, swim and play it a name like Jehangir. ’ And finally, a classified adver* tisement in The Times of India offering an eye for sale aroused my mother ’s curiosity sufficiently to Bocessai^* ^iuforjaatiou . regarding Navroz. the object cards. When we first started these - homes ’ we had 25 or 30 guests. periocL ’* ' The last time we had nearly 200 the inquiries, requests and de- Diego, San Francisco, and Berkley, write and inquire about the parti* Promptly came the reply “I am having an eye in perfect condition. trian Association. “It ’s not a mat- Doctor replace my eye to you, then you can see perfectly. “So I am offering my eye for Twenty lakhs (20,00,000) and for details we will contact personally. ” The Editor is willing to offer one of his myopic eyes for ten lakhs prcvaftfa^ ? bbiKhtions, of siTO^mg over the transition period. ” They were so “overwhelmed by from places as far afield as San the inquiries, requests and de- • - j t, _ loancb iA iL fe- ARE YOUR CLOTHES LOST OR EXCHANGED 7 Stitch cloth woven labels of your personal name on your clothes. For woven labels, write to:— Nandkishor, 5A-161, Nehru Nagar, Kurla (East), Bombay-400 024. « M^y years.ago,4afi^4i TMa conceived of V philanthropy as a hation-building activity, to r equip the most gifted to serve the Nation best. 1 Today, thia M?i^tophy findsTulfilment in the variousTatsTfu^like the Sir Dorab Tata and Sir Ratan Tata Trusts and the J. N, Tata Endowment which provides the gifted and the talented, regardless of other considerations, with the facilities to develop their talents further. Thus, a philosophy, which went beyond merely clothirtg the ragged and feeding the poor, is today providing a strong technical and iritellectual base for national development. TATA ENTERPRISea 4-. 9I 1 II I ' I 1 «k READERS' FORUM tv- « f-V* — p srt d I -.nr* I Mary Clubwalla and others still stand out because of merit, achieve- , _______ ___ ment and character rather than referred to his collection of short riches alone. Above everything stones entitled The Queen of else, character counts most. The Beauty and other tales (price one single factor that has con- Rs. 9). Copies are available from tributed to the forming of the the author at Pumima, 40 C Ridge Parsi character of uprightness is Road, Bombay-400006. His ac- our religion and its simple but claimed weekly, Opinion, still has noble precepts —not its rituals and an annual subscription of Rs. 2, dokhmas. We have had our black the once price that hasn't gone up- sheep too —Nagarwala (of the State in 15 years.—Ed. Bank of New Delhi episode), Sammy Patel and others —but by Gloom at Twin City and large, if we are respected in this country, it is because of our character. Once, at These who wotd,d lit^ to read more of Gonetdd^ meriting are I am deeply grieved and perturbed at the cold indifference shown by the mobeds of Hyderabad and ------ , — a company board Secunderabad, and some mem- I congratulate you on printing meeting I attended, a lot of bers of the Parsi Anjuman at the such a wonderful article by A. D. • • ¦------------------------ - — ’ — - - - ----- - Gorwala in your last issue of *A Descendant of the Sun ’ company board criticism was directed against the ^neral of Mr. Sheheryar Kaoosji. Parsiana. If all your articles were Federation of Indian Chambers of of this standard your paper would Commerce and Industry on a be first dass. matter of principle. But the non- _ ______ ____ „ ______ Parsi head of^a l«ge iiidfistrid because, according to the wishes r was Gool K. S. Shavaksha Tatas for withdrawing from the The mobeds refused to conduct the gah sama ceremony and one member of the Anjuman refused to allow them to pray; all this Congratulations for in your November 1974 issue of Parsiana “A Descendant Of The Sun ” by A. D, Gorwala. house in the North put an end of the deceased, his body publishing to the discussion by saying that whatever the merits or demerits of the action, one could never dokhma here, point a finger at the Tatas. That a story" sublime in its simplicity, is the kind of name and reputa- and beautifully told. tion which has made the Gorwala has made the voice of community great. Dastur Meherji Rana ring the It is entered in the Parsi aramgah at Nizamabad instead of at the Mr. Kaoosji was not buried in a Christian graveyard, or a Muslim graveyard (for which there were offers), nor was he cremated on any Hindu pyre, but rightly en ­ tered in the bulk of Parsis live in Bombay pr $ ' f M ¦s^i Wi<^»e»l*'»d di|i e Kitto fussy about drinking mUk 1 Give them delicious custard pudding. Take 4 tsp BROWN & POLSON Custard Pbwttor, 3 tsp sugar, a little cold milk, Mix to a smooth cream. Heat a cup of milk, add ths mixed custard pow ­ der. Stir till boiling. Pour into lightly greased dish. Cool until it sets. A yummy way to give kids the goodness of milk every day. Cheer up fruit salad, cake, jelly-pour on custard. To . make up pouring cuatardt take 1z tsp BROWN & POL­ SON Custard Powder, 3 tsp sugar; a lfttle cold milL Mix IO a staedlh cream. Heat r mm of mUk, add the mixed, custard pOwder. Siir till boil­ ing. Sarve hot or cold. ;SJ SI I*’ • e • . Variety Custard Powder pack with super Aawoursi , Z*"'.. r ;¦ L Special trick : When you're rnakins ice cream, fanNaOa, kheer, : thicken milk with mwioith ereatny SHOWN. ' & POLSON Qj^rd fowder. Try the Variety Custard h}w- ' der pack: a comWnation of 6 < , super Amours. 'I'r* I» 1 !S>1 sa S>1 S>1 sa S>J B>1 S>1 SI S>1 =a sa sa •SS r S3 SI I Ba < ) i I J ias part of the 1961 census. They “Health and Strength League. ”^ published a special report on the He fought in thirty boxing matches, p^fela tion. Three Parsis of Greater Bombay which winning losing four and draw- McRpischer of the is an eye-opener for the com- Ltaiversity of Chicago studied the munity. -----,— — ¦ “ ¦ ¦ h ful as to how many intelligent members of the community have studied this work, although it is 1 ^^s have reaso^^Rl^r . Three l&cher of the Ai to t^ ye V subject of Parsi marriages with close collaterals. He was awarded . for his dissertation _ ‘Zbroastrian Iran between Myth available for a nominal amount, and Praxis ” (1973). Soon after Paul Mark Axelrod, from the University of North Carolina came to collect data for his dissertation: “A Social and Demographic Comparison of Parsis, Saraswat Brahmins and Jains in Bombay ” (1974). Axelrod studied the problems of the Parsis in greater detail than that of the two other communities and con ­ tacted a larger number of Parsis. In June 1974, Dr. Ketayun Gould who is an associate pro ­ fessor at the Jane Addams School of Social Work in the University of Illinois, studied the problem of fertility amongst rural Parsis. During the summer, she visited the villages of the Godavra area. She returned to India this Janu ­ ary. On both occasions, she went to various villages in the Surat and Broach districts, visited houses of Parsi families and gathered information on the sub ­ ject of Parsi fertility. I had the good fortune to go to the rural areas with all the above three scholars and feel that an enlightened community like ours should take a great deal of interest in these studies. It may not be feasible for many members of the community to obtain and study these dissertations carefully; but a Ph.D. letui However, bhe is doubt- ing two. He died at the age of 71, Still eager to visit America. Freny Pochkhanawalla ‘ Window shopping t What Ms Piloo Jungalwalla says in her letter in the last issue of Parsiana is perfectly true. We do not care to know our own religion. The decline in numbers is a subject which deserves careful consideration from the community. Ratan R. Marshall - Surat It is never too late to mend so Magazines could help us a lot in this direction by giving us some reading on the subject of our re- why not begin from the beginrdng? The Census report on the Parsis is available for Rs. 2.25 from the Census Operations Office, Ex- „ change Building, Sprott Road, li^on. We have Jearned Ballard Estate, Bombay-400 001. ‘ The Wheel Turns Full Circle ’ The wanderlust of the Parsi forgotten'religion in these publica- travellers mentioned in the book tions which would thereby be With Cyclists Round the World more interesting and readable to Freny Dalal and scholars like Ms Jungalwalla who could help to enlighten us by giving their discourse on our {Parsiana November issue) existed young and old. long before they made that monumental journey. In 1921 Gustad D. Hathiram and my father Keki Pochkhana- walla, along with F. J. Daver cycled from Bombay to Kashmir, a distance of 2,068 miles, in twenty days. They were all Boy Scouts. In 1926 Pochkhanawalla and a friend, Eruch R. Khan swam from Uran to Bombay, a distance of ten miles in five hours and fifty minutes. On landing at Apollo Pier they were given a warm wel ­ come by the Parsi Physical Cul ­ ture EiCague, and garlanded by ?; At iManchester University we have a two-year course for students on the history of Zoroastrianism which includes one year on the Parsi community. As a result of teaching this course, [Continued on page 28, col. 7) two-year on the which j ! Justice; Talyerkhan. In 1935 Npshir F. Dalal, and my father became the first Indian aviators to fly from Karachi to the Bombay Parsi Panchayat or Capetown and back in a Puss the K.R. Cama Oriental Institute Moth. While flying over Africa or a similar institution may ap ­ point one or two local scholars, well-versed in the field, to look into these studies, come to some conclusions, and present their report to the community. When so much trouble is being taken by foreign scholars and students on an important subject facing us today, we should take advan ­ tage of, or at least show interest in, the information that has been so pain^akingly gathered. Aside from these studies, it is Moth. they were scheduled to stopover in a place called Mpika. But the flares at the airport were unlit and the duo were misled by a jungle fire 20 miles ahead. With dark ­ ness approaching, they thought it best to force-land but in the pro ­ cess ripped c® the plane ’s under ­ carriage. For four days they wandered in the dense bush with no food and a meagre ration of water amid herds of elephants, buffaloes and rhinoceroses. On the fifth day they came across some important to note that the Gov- villagers who helped them back j emment of India also thought the J subject of Parsi fertility significant enough'.fo conduct a separate study to Mpika. Aside from his travelling my father was u member of the Warden is good J For sandatwood riead Offtee ' S78 Grant Road Bombay 400 007 and Branches Tel. 371464 Quality sandalwood Aggarbatties, guni henzdlln (loban) a0d other Perfumes A A, M] ft f'ltMillB —ii -- . I ¦ 35¦W I U ’ T B T 1 mHL Jbl ^ 'J j- *u * t' I- ii, ! ^WihFRIBNOS n«si £rtTm P-WURSI mnid M P^NCHAVMl. *<•<4 K J The news leaked out to the crowd on Dadabhai Naoroji Road through an open Window on the ground floor of the Panchayat. With cries of triumph men charged into the packed main hall to gar ­ land the victorious candidate. Jamshed ‘Jimmy ’ Nusserwanji Guz- der. As the large gathering broke out into tumultuous applause, the prominent entrepreneur was raised on the shoulders of his ardent supporters and carried to the closed doors of the Pan- chayat ’s inner sanctums. It was a scene without prece ­ dent in the staid annals of that august body. Even the stately appearance of Chairwoman Lady Hirabhai Jehangir a few minutes later to officially announce the re ­ sults failed to restore decorum. • But while the emotional catharsis may not have been in keeping with the institution ’s image, it was the logical denouement to a hard- fought, neck-to-neck contest that saw a record 83 per cent of the eli ­ gible 394 voters turning out to cast their ballot. Aside from de ­ feating his opponent, Jimmy Shroff, a lawyer and disciple of the Mystic Leader Minocher Pundole whose followers claim he receives visitations from God, Guzder ’s victory dealt a lethal blow to the Pundolite party ’s ambition to one day con ­ trol the community ’s vast assets vested in the hands of the Pan- chayat ’s seven trustees. The greatest casualty of the campaign, however, was Ms Nelie Noble whose behind-the-scenes manoeuvring earned the wrath of her fellow trustees, forging them into a united opposition that ulti- ,mately ended her meteoric role as the Panchayafs Kingmaker. She and Boman K. Boman-Behram headed the Independent Orthodox Party which swept the polls at the elections for the 189 “E” Register (So-nu-Mtmdf^ seats last Febru ­ ary. The voters of the “E” Regis ­ ter along with the 205 voters of the “F” Register, those who have Shroff, receives Guzder ’s > ij -r' I Car toon by Manjula PadmmiMim drt Guztter, No doubt stung by the aBegation, Ms Noble rushes to press a copy of a letter she wrote to Lady Jehangir and Boraan^ldiram. The act proves to be her undoing. In the letter Ms Noble states her supporters are ready to ac ­ cept Guzder if Vakil hands in his resignation by 31st December. She says this message was con ­ veyed to Guzder on 26th Decem ­ ber. “Mr. Guzder phoned me in the first week of January when I t

' T 11?^! 4 t J I 1 ^Firstl^iv^ Gr^^y ltfich, then leaf' so there are no medical expenses, jjn though she had a cataract opera- tion some time ago, and is at present being treated free for X-'^v -Sf^ * 1 I ¦i H 1 tion some time ago, and is at I suspected hernia at the Parsi “My day starts at 4.30 a.m. . t,____ - -1_____ ’ -"7—. Here the two booth, ” added Ratanbai. “I fetch bathrooms on each floor have no milk for about five families, dis- taps, so that all water has to be car ­ ried up as high as five storeys. “' ¦ ! cannot be given, allegedly because the wiring is too old, so that residents have to do without fans or irons. And I I The contforts provided are mtnimaf General Hospital. ( ¦* when I go 'and queue at the milk about five rupees. I ,..i_ 55 3 .J.. J n “T hnflirnrtnic An milk for about five families, dis ­ tribute it, and by then it is 6.30.” . , After attending to her personal Electric connexions chores and going to the market, it is time again for queuing for milk in the afternoon. That done, she has her lunch and rests.' because it is situated over a Evenings are spent either with neighbours from the colony or , reading, which she is very fond Such a first-floor room is used as of —“I have studied up to the sixth ' class ” (the present pre- Many widows quoted a monthly income of a hundred rupees, al ­ though they are helped rfong by donois < occasionally 7.6J t ' . i I V - 1 . ¦ : •*;< I - XV w ¦\ ‘Khai, pi, ne jnajaa handing round gifts of sudrehs, cash or food. The rooms of those who happen to be away are care ­ fully pointed out so that the packet Commerce year, can be dropped through the ever ­ present iron-sbarred window. Some ­ times the Time and Talents Club organizes a party; in Nowroz studying, how can they manage? ” she ask^ed, looking worriedly at her own son, who is in his Inter- where suddenly assume different proportions when they occur to the elderly women in their bleak, solitary rooms. When the eldest resident at Murzban Colony went to answer a visitor ’s knock, she fell down before, she could un ­ lock the door of her room. Im ­ mediately a hue and cry for help was raised by the other women. As anxious faces peered into the ill-lit room they saw the lady struggling to rise. She held on to the side of her four-poster bed and inched her way up. When she appeared at her door a feW moments later, she was greeted with much relief. “You shouldn ’t keep your door locked, ’’ chided one neighbour, but the bettt-up lady just smiled. And to her visitor ’s inquiry as to how she was faring, she replied wryly, ''Khai, pi, ne majaa” (eating, drinking and making merry). Without any prompting, most women talked gratefully of the benevolence of the trusts and of the older generation. But one spoke bitterly of having to queue to see the “shethji ” to collect her monthly pittance of forty rupees, and a few lamented the smell in their lane or the darkness in their room. In a land where the pavement ­ dweller aspires to the plastic sheet and the cardboard-and-corrugated- 5 i 1 As for relatives, one occupant noted dryly, “They often don ’t pay a visit until we are dead. Then they put in an appearance, , Baug kind neighbours from the saying ‘Oh, I’m her brother ’s Colony distribute clothes or f sweets when there is a wedding away. ” A surprising number of or navjot, and often help the widows had children living in Bombay; they lived in the chawls either because Mother-in-law couldn ’t get on with Daughter-in- parting law, or because of sheer lack of ¦'i space —^many residents ’ daughters !*1 were living with their in-laws. Yet, in spite of the lack of normal 1 daughter ’, and take the furniture away; widows along with food, clothes or an occasional treat to the movies. But money is always short —and Ratanbai ’s question was whether our visit had anything to do with some charitable institution. “Some time ago a lady social worker had family life, the pervading atmos- come here .,. they come and go, ' but they don ’t do much. ’’ Because of the housing short ­ age the Wadia Charities try and from urban living —So much so help widows with grown-up sons by transferring them to a low- rent flat in one of their colonies, cooking and cleaning, an Irani However, a Petit Chawl resident woman (who was no relation of claimed that many widows* sons hers) replied, “First I give Granny had to sleep round the Bhika lunch, then 1 eat. ’ Behram well. “But if they are Events of little consequence else- phere was one of overwhelming comradeship, a sense of community which has largely disappeared that when we asked how a blind resident managed to cope with her « /J » ' L' ^mwmZSXSmSSSCT. t Uh!']'!'!'”¦» wbRMW**** S^'-'wSSmmmSSSSmSx" '' * -tMMWMM^' lO'V J ¦>i “But if they are Hodiwalla Chawl: On the fringes of dockland 27Ms Velati: “ Money is always short ” ( Photo by Ian Pinto ) Unfair Most people are carnivorous i.e. non-vegetarian. They kill and eat all kinds of animals throughout their life. Yet at the end of their lives they do not wish to offer even their dead bodies as food to carnivorous animals or birds. This is, to say the least, very sel ­ fish behaviour on the part of non ­ vegetarians. These non-vegetarians want to be buried or cremated. Burial riot only occupies several hectares of land but also pollutes it. The body is eaten by bacteria —a diminutive form of life. There should, therefore, be no objection PeS Chawl is*Situated « vultures, a larger form of life, eat dead bodies. One may call them “big bacteria ”. Cremation pollutes the air, especially if the body is burnt electrically. Timber is definitely very costly for the poor Indian and the flaws of an electric iron hut, any roof over one ’s head is a blessing. However, side by side with the lack of modern sanitation, cooking and electric facilities in the chawis goes the fact that most of them stand on valuable land whose price has soared. L_— -------- in the heart of Bombay ’s busi ­ ness district where land would be snapped up for high-rent office buildings; Hodiwalla Chawl and Murzban Colony house a minute number of people in comparison to the land they occupy. If the ,, , trusts could act in unison, this real estate could be sold for multi ­ storeyed offices or flats and the money realized used to build more compact and comfortable accommodation elsewhere. This would permit a greater number of widows to be jointly housed in greater comfort —and the result would not need to be named “chawl ”. ¦ V 'Fotaee {Continued from page 15) I am writing a book on the re ­ ligion of the Parsis, To do this, 1 need help in obtaining books, magazine or newspaper articles, old letters and documents —any- thio^Wl^t the -BmSs, I* thip^ihQt the?Wrs9s, «R^« poka view, fcpm; (preferably in Englt!^)L?If have *any old books i of Parsi newspapers (like _.-- tk; Hindi Punch, The Parsi, Jlicir ' corpses in a The Young Zoroastrian,' Journal manner ^ conducive to the con- of the Iranian Association) lying tinned ^sfewival of vultjitra mon- ' archusl” Out of charity? I think not! Because they are enthusiastic Parsi, about and which you do not want, please send them to the Jt. Hon. Secretaries, K.R. Cama Oriental ornithologists? I don ’t think Institute, 136 Bombay Samachar Marg, Fort, Bombay 400 023, who will then direct them to me in _ . _ England. Thank you. invariably are, gluttonsH-^pn if John Hinnells the glutton in questi^ Was a Dept, of Comparative Religion, hooded beak, a rejmlsrvely, bald University of Manchester. in your September 1974 issue of Parsiana (Letters ’ Column). At present, India loses thousands of tons of valuable timber at burn ­ ing ghats. On the other hand dokh- manashini has many advantages: it does not require a coffin, costly clothes, or timber for burning; it leaves behind no air pollution, no ashes, no half-burnt bodies for disposal. K. D. Chargeman Vultura Monardins As I push my way through the horde of competing dinner seat ­ snatchers at weddings and nav- T ’ ^ suddenly illumined, ^^aieudoaisly enlightened. >t last found tex^ pet^ex- r The 4i^ do l^is • J i 1 so. Because they want to be ‘different ’? No. It is T respect, because they th« invariably are, the glutton in l^caW ’they y Kives :, ^uttbns-^0n in que^l^'' W head, a scrawny neck, arid a pair of monstrous wings. Farrokh V. Irani “Are ParsM Rich?” In your interview feature ’“Are Parsis Rich? ” (November, Par- siana) I am quoted as saying that 80 per cent of Parsis are rich. What I had stated was that 80 per cent of Parsis are middle-class. Adar Cama 1 1 Y.C.Z.A. (Young Collegians Zoroastrian Association.) Join, and makefriendsatourregular Weekly functions including: — Our Dances, Picnics, Whist Drives, Games, Film Shows, Hikes and Tours. Religious lectures, Shah Name Recitals and Literary/ Musical circles. Borrow from our Book Fund Library texts on Arts. Science. Law. Commerce. Engineering and Medicine at nominal charges and no deposits. For further details contact: Mrs. H. N. Modi. TelePhope No. 355241 Mcdi„ Lodge, 13, Vachha Gandhi Road? GamdeVi, Bombay-400 007 Modi,, Lodge, 13, Vachha GandhiWould yon Marry out of the Commnalty? 1 friterviews by Ferota Paymaster One characteristic of an urban and secular society is the ten ­ dency toward inter-communal iparriages. In 1971 every seventh day a Parsi married a non-Parsi; i» 1972-73, it was every sixth day. tn almost every Parsi family a relative, close or distant, has married out of the community. In the cases where there has been strong opposition to such mar ­ riages, personal relations have undergone a severe strain. Those Who have reluctantly accepted inter-marriages have often done so with a sense of guilt, if not shame, and the handful that have wel ­ comed such unions are considered heretics. Parsi institutions have not reacted to the phenomenon. In ­ stead of taking steps to absorb the new entrants into the fold, they have resisted any proposals for change. The children of women who marry out are still not considered Parsis, the non- Parsi spouses cannot enter re ­ ligious institutions and are barred from attending prayers. As a result a son or daughter ’s decision to marry out is an agonizing one for the parents. And as long as the restrictions exist people who can be an asset to the com ­ munity will continue to be treated as outcastes. institutions 30 A’i Kost, I love you.../ I A t . I 5 1 J t 78 V ft i Dr. Avabai Dodhi, 86, Retired “I don ’t think it matters. Those who want to can marry outside. Members of my own family have done so. I feel we should let people do what they like. Com ­ munity javani hashe to jaske, and _ _____ vice-versa. Nothing is going to adversely affect the community; In my grandfather*^ marriages she says. *‘W1^ is a man sanctified that his children only shohld be allowed in, and not the woman ’s. The male is no superior. Both are equal in the sight of God. ” Tijbreeding she feels does not happen because we say or write «^e are just as good or bad as anything. ” Ms Dodhi feels “If the non- Parsi wife chooses to come into the religion, we should let her. It is wrong to alienate anybody." Similarly for the children of inter- >» the others. time, things were different. Thert was religious fervour, now Parsis go to the fire temple only once ot twice a year. The ceremonies foi the dead too have been curtailed," >?1 are dwindling in number. ’ Jehanbux Chichgar, 23, Medical Studeitt “No, J believe it is the duty a result, hereditary diseases are ¦ very common, he says. On the I feel I would other hand if people keep marry ­ ing out, there is danger of the com ­ munity becoming extinct, Jehan ­ bux adds. “Our death rate is higher than birth rate and we are dwindling in number. ” The remedy, he feels is to accept the children of Parsi girls married out into the community and the reli ­ gion. “We should also accept the non-Parsi spouses into the com ­ munity. I am against fire temples only for Parsis. Anybody who wants to should be allowed. They are not desecrating the place, ” of Farsi men and women to pro- pogate the race. I _ ' marry a Parsi. However, if, I did like someone who was a non-Parsi, I would go ahead. ” His parents ’ reaction to this would be “very hostile indeed ” says Jehanbux. “They sort of told me I would have to marry a Parsi. “Genetically, at this stage, it would be better to marry outside the community. Most marriages are intra-family ones, everybody is a third or fourth cousin. The in ­ cidence of first and second cousins marrying is also very high. ” As L Siloo timboowalla, 41, Proprietor, Gifts and Things “I wbuW ’t mind. ‘^e feel others are different. If two people can think alike, it is more important. It just so happens that my better half is a Parsi. ” If she had married out, Ms Limboo- walla ’s parents would have dis ­ approved initially. “I think our community is getting more liberal- minded about inter-marriages though, ” she notes. “Genetically they say it makes a difference. First cousin marriages standing. ” about Why should may not be very healthy. Fresh blood should come in. ” To offset the decline in popula ­ tion, Ms Limboowalla feels, “we could bring up the women ’s children in our religion. ” favours conversion. what is wrong with accepting converts. If we feel that our religion is purer, we are labouring under a delusion. What our religion needs is better under- If She “I don ’t see » 9» Dhunjishaw Billimoria, 33, Clerk, G. Claridge “No, I don ’t think our views could meet. F* _ on regarding food, caste, religion, etc. Moreover after a baby is born, the non-Parsi wife might want to bring up the child in her own family is reunited and relations Disputes would go become normal. —J “According to our rules, the child of a Parsi father would -be considered a Parsi. A child bom of a Parsi mother and nomParsi religion. ’’ Billimoria considers it father I would consider half-Parsi. ” his duty to marry within the Non-Parsi spouses should not be accepted as they follow other r^igions, he feels the priests will not allow it. If Parsis marry out, the com- community, “so that the girls will not find it necessary to marry out. ” If he married out his parents would have opposed it initially, munity that came from Iran wiH “but after some years or follow- got remain, “there will be mixed- ing the birth of a child they would blood. ” Marrying in or out of be reconciled. I have seen so the community does no^ make a many i sickness or some other reason when the couple need help the ____ _ I have seen so the community does not m^e a instances when due to difference genetically, Billftnoria says, “It depends on the health of the mother and the climate. ’ 99 31»' ¦> MP iwin. ^£i P^rvin Zend, 38, Housewife pyit pro- . Cj use voRra wded I can be Away frdm my nity the diildrea are brb^ «»a» iSti-law^ and my family; Mdrital ’249r<$a&trians, therdisr in-laws.'* ci^/numbers from dam ulliiMr If Ms Zend had married a non- rapi^. “If ours was a commi- By marryi^ within the comaw- ............... ‘ »« S5i\ H Parsi, her family would have dis- H| owned her. -------- iT^ontuui^ w H opposed my action more strongly would have been ** The H than my father, ” she said, recall- least we can do on that' score she H ing her courtship days, when her says, i^give a womro marr^ to H father was scared her husband-to- be was a Mohammedan because “ of his name. On the whole, however, Ms Zend feels one is better off marry ­ ing within the community, there is any trouble, your own people are there to help you. Other religions are so different, it would be difficult to convert. ” if nify ;^ich took in peoide, lilte d Nobody would hive Christians and the least we can do on that score Ae _ _ , _ ______ » a nbn-Parsi the right to have her child ’s navjot petiormed, and ac ­ cept the child into the community. “Converts should be aaM ’fed. when inter-marriages occur/' As for the ban on non-Parws says, “I feel it is wrong. Thm is “If M entering fire temples, says, “I feel it is wrong. There is one Almighty who has created us all, so there should not be any discrimination. ” all, so there should not be Dr. Fredoon Antia, Age not given. Retired, Cement Marketing Company of India . of course if I had fallen a group for long. The total num- in love with somebody outside the ber in India I’m told has already community I would have. But it dwindled from 100,000 to 91 000 would have created problems with between 1961 and 1971—^ ’ religious and orthodox." In the present social set-up inter-marriages appear to be inevitable, and Parsis *____ have to accept them as such ” says Antia. “There is so much com ­ munication between young people . ----- ----- belon^ng to different communities Proselytization, wherever it is that it is not possible to isolate them. ” If inter-marriages are freely permitted, he feels, given “the should small number of Parsis and the relative strength of other com ­ munities, Parsis cannot survive as a group for long. The total num ber in India I’m told has already 1 per how in the inidst of ^'mdlion whicW^e estimated* to anmher at least 9(w million by the turn of patents. They were deeply cent drop every year. I don ’t whicW^e estimated* to number at “would century, we can continue to survive as a community if the present restrictions continue. The answer Antia feels is felt that the candidate is going to be ‘an asset to the community. Of course where either parent is a Parsi Zoroastrian no Question should arise in admitting the children to the Zoroastrian faith. They should ipso facto be con ­ sidered Parsi Zoroastrians.* ’ »» Dolly Mehta, 23, Accounts A^ssistant, Bank of Baroda Tf I find a smart boy from my own community, I would pre ­ fer a Parsi. My parents would be dead against my marrying out. My father is very strict, and nei ­ ther he nor my mother would accept it. ” The major drawback to inter-marriage, Dolly says, is that “our community would dis ­ appear in no time, especially since we do not accept any converts.' h^use, when the Pareis ««»»<«iu results in a greater n um , lu W they promised ber of mentally retarded and de- the Maharaja that they would not ' - ii a convert the local people, she says, and the custom has since per ­ sisted. “If a girl marries a Parsi boy, why can ’t she be accepted into the community and the religion? A girl should accept her hiwband ’s feith. Children of inter-mar riages polly says “are deverer and more intelligent. Science has proved that inbreeding causes nuMe dis ­ eases and results in a greater formed children. ”A» * * ¦* 'r I i, FIRE AND ICE by Geett iSbiMir “There was suph a blizzard, we were nearly blown the great moment when the first j:__ iiVTMaHifinn to Hanuuian peak, finally stood.^ sai4 ^Naazti^n JCatrak describing the great moment when the first Indian women ’s expedition to Haniim aa peak, finally stood on top of the 9,930 foot summit. “We were there only for about twenty minutes ” she said, “We put up the flag and had some toffees and hot coffee, while the Sherpas, who are very superstitious, made some offerings of agarbatties and coco ­ nuts to the spirit of the moun ­ tain. ” For Naazneen who was the youngest of the group, Hanuman peak marked' a high point in her mountaineering career. To crown it she has been selected by Com ­ mander Kohli of the Everest ex ­ pedition to go to Europe for fur ­ ther training in ice and snow climbing. “People often come and tell my parents that they should not allow me to go off like this, but it does not bother them at all, ” said Naazeen. Her father, Maneck, is an ex-military officer and obvi- ™^:r sr'what ’ weather W expect. If Si“re ITS to top “sTtie"our faces. Though going up . ® ,. , . , , 'tf r>rtiircA tVipv arf* verv shv. down. the mountain climbing career by join ­ ing the “Adventurers and Moun ­ taineering Society ” at St. Xavier ’s College. “All we needed in those days were a gpod pair of shoes with a firm grip. We explored the Ambernath Hills and tib^e Sayadri Mountains, usually during the rainy season when there are plenty of streams. ” Later she did a course in basic mountaineering and rock climbing under K. R. S. Mani in the Garwal Himalayas, ^he remembered the excitement of seeing heir first bit of snow on the yfay to I the Pindari Glacier. “There were about twenty of us and when we came to this patch of snow we all rushed to it and rolled about and started making snowballs. When h|aazneen was __ Jfirst a^E^ to join the expedition such" force that Sve to tent. ” to Hanuman Peak last year she be swept off at My ^menl. she was n: S-“ 1 “MARGINAL MBN* * by Pervin Mahoney Wt: p3od«-St There is a slightly uneasy feeling one ’s navel, the relative lack of Jb about belonging to a minority taboos on entering certain occupa- which is being dissected as an tions and the importance of agent for social change. In The rational, ethical behaviour. Parsees in India by Eckehard After analysing the influences I Kulke * the feeling is heightened which enabled innovators like the 7’" because all the achievements of Tatas and the Wadias and key the Parsis are firmly catalogued in political and social reformers the past tense. So, Kulke ’s Parsi like Dadabhai Naoroji, Sorabjee reader muses apprehensively, the Bengalee and Pherozeshah Mehta dinosaur, the dodo and me. to flourish, Kulke ends on a sober ___________ _ The 300-page study by the note: although the community and*7n'inl ih opinions, in morals _ . . . _ was destined to work again^ Minoo Masani and ^Homi British politick interests, bemuse J educaticm aawl social reforih created the desire for Indepen ­ dence. It also complicated the Parsi identity crisis : from it The division of the book re- stems the sad alienation to things Indian felt by Parsis till today. Kulke fits Pants into the concept of “marginal men ”: hybrids, with roots divided between India, Iran mediated between the strange and England, ways of the foreigner and the customs of the dark hinterland. was a^Mi social the iron and steel indhs^ty;. theory makes for interesting ___________But because Kulke^ why Parsis became India ’s first study is concerned largely with 7" _ . - ¦ the Victorian and EdwaMian erai, he , writes of the Pai^ ’ identiiy modern entrepreneurs is penetrat- Business contact with the . Hindu traders ahd" mer ­ chants occupied the third rung of not really able to convey how „ this alienation has stamj^d eveiy Ae caste ladder —Vaishyas, but aspect of life —from the Gujerati- interesting but highbrow first in Parsi society; this Gujerati to the young Parsi girl who feels more comfortable in a mini-skirt than a sari. Oddly, although the period of British rule occupies the most space (and, therefore, the ,, „—nationalist movement too figures desire for ref turns, and 7 tlte largely), Kulke does not sum ­ marise the different strands which made up the nationalist movement. The non-Indian reader is left tb , fend for himself, with oblique abolition of child allusions to Gandhi and Mehta i and the Congress, instead of a . ,^z wcre bf helpful chronofogical account, tackled zi. such Kulke ’s ability to condense u _ t vast amount of information and education given at the Elphinstone present it as a concise history ife College. ” ----- --------------- On their side, tiie British also aimed, ] ’ ' J ____ ____ _ Macaulay, at TOi^n^ iip a* cSk llSi was rdtected even in the make ­ up of the Panchayat. More and more Parsis acquit the qualifiCa- done, and Kulke is nothing if uot thorough. He begins where the Parsis began —with-Zoroaster and g^ut tackled was breathtadting. Iran ’s Sassanian dynasty, moves with the Parsis to the West coast iof India, and discusses how the tion of women with men,- Parsis were helped to gain their foM Mhools,; .., j leading p^ition in British IiKfla marriages, remarriage of widows by certain factors in Zoroas- ^ong Hindus trianism —the stress laid oh i^odd ja Dadabhai Naoroji listed fltem ’: ‘Temaie education, free aSSocia- in- ‘H Hindtts the probleins „__ _ such works as against contemplating were the first fruits of the English ?The Parsys Ib lisfaing House, Bomba^ pages 300; w Ayntof SociiU Change, Vikas Pub- price ^Rs 3ft* best seen ift his analyses of insti ­ tutions like the Press and tfaas in the words of Pancha^^ait. Tracinir the¦H Kulke's hfil^^iRalyses of KuUee la Wlitlculot^ to cold* ail^s % leHeb Fbrsis have bloodeda^. - We never glean — J,.-e» ------ ,particularly pro^essjye — which facets of the co^munity in Bombay, he-charts swdi as the divorce law and the he has enjoyed and wh^j|pathed. ^mtion to it in the mid- press —show that our best insti- Eyen though some sub- Witt^ba^rmers as NaorOji, tutions stem frtxn jour 19th cen- jects'of his chatacter-#n^bs 0t ^^ngatee,"Manekjee Curset- .. R. (>ma and D. F. Karaka, t] e growing Parsi ] O®r Ftersis h wlli^l^hed. i isOfe sub* conservative leadership, our in ­ stitutions show signs of stagnation. An outsider would sense the exact flavour of the Parsi-British relationship by see ­ ing the ubiquitous portrait of Queen Victoria in a Parsi home most Parsi schools have become than by reading all the expressions llltion to it in the mid- press —show that our best insti ­ tutions stem from jour 19th cen ­ tury liberal rdtetners. 'Now that outstanding Parsis were ne^jSnfor- »*.. *x. vauiQ aiiw *. n.ai^hind ,to in India. Ei^t years later she developed a pain in her che?t and marcl^,^ the married Jalbhai Fakirji Dastur, a was rushed to the St. Paul ’s Ho^- office and they injnted the whole businessman in Uganda whose tai where to succumbed to a story. ” The best part, xif she re ­ brother, Peshotan, was one of the heart attack. She is survived by calls is that'afterw^ds went first Parsis to go to that African her husband, a son, Nanu, and to the hospital tQ sjvisit a friend state. two daughters, Ms Piroja Amrolia who was horrified to, see her in At first the couple were station- and Ms Rhoda Mehta. her battle condition. , ed in Masaka where Ms Dastur jt is not surprising, ..therefore, served on the education board that Naazneen h^^ no patience for and took great interest in the let {Continued from page 34) those who preach a certain form welfare, and education of the of erratic behaviour but became, of behaviour for girls and another Asian and African communities, on the contrary, very calm. “I for boys. Even her brother In 1946 the family moved to am pretty hot tempered when I said preferred girls j^fho^nWre Kampala. Aside from the social am here, ” she confessed, “but sarees, their hair long and fiehaved work die performed here, she help- when I go up to the mountains I in a “feminine ” manner. . ed her husband ’s business, main- '" ’ ’ ~ “ taining the account books and also raising her three children. When Uganda ’s : President Idi Amin ordered the expulsion of all people of Asian origin in August 1972, the Das ­ turs, like many others, had to leave their life ’s work and pro ­ perty behind and seek shelter elsewhere. They opted for Canada. Despite the misfortune, Ms Dastur was “always cheerful and manned to ^^scape. ’ was a great asset to our com- ]' munity in Vancouver, ” noted the i . association ’s condolence pamphlet, they were totally indifferent. Her parents, 1974 for a grandcfold ’a, IJiavjot. But twelve ^ys before to develt^ped a pain in her cheat and was rushed to the St. Paul ’s Hospi ­ tal where to succumbed to a her husband, a son, Nanu, and two daughters, Ms Piroja Amrolia and Ms Rhoda Mehta. Ice (Contmned from page 34) oi erratic behaviour but became, on the contrary, very calm, am 1 , am here, ” she confessed, “but _ when I go up to the mountains I in a “feminine ” manner, become very cool. ” neen, who dresses generdly in Her sea level temper was evi ­ dent when during a recent poll- “I neen, pants and shirts has a short boyish crop and the tanned glow of a xenophobic tical demonstration she grappled healthy outdoor existence. ,_2 2 11—J with a pickpocket outside Marine Despite her love for the out- Lines Station. ‘‘I grabbed hold of doors she has not neglected the him the moment I felt that he had spiritual side. ‘‘I do not believe flicked my purse. We both struggled but he knocked me against the wall. There was a morcha going down the road that day apd in all the confusion he she did not give lip, however, but went to Despite her love for the out ­ doors she has not neglected the you have to go to the temples all the time to pray. But when you are up in the mountains you rea ­ lize that the only thing that let? you go up is God. With every step you take you keep saying, ‘God You ’Ve ^t to help me. ’ I kept ti^e Police Station only to find that repeating^lhe vofiv- I have . . -----ELj faifli in that prayer. ” “I j 1 1 "QUALin IS NEVER AN ACCIDENT-IT IS ALWAYS THE RESULT OF INTELLIGENT EFFORT.” -j.hn Ru.km / , 'C LONDON EXPCflTLY MEWEO F1IOM THE FINEST MALT A IMFONTED HOFS } wTP Lim WiST «C*NANT BY! AJBJU COWtALIM. INOIA * I With Compliments of : ASSOCIATED BREWERIES A DISTiLtERlES—CORTALIM, INDIA (WIembw «f : Moshlr kanl^&Mp CompaniesJ ! Hub&hdd and edited by Jehangir R. Patel at 285 J. Dadaji Marg* Bon^y-400 0®7iwd^l»ni^ by T G 'yii « mrb^ngn MJKr .T 4/1 QVial*»/l Ht«a<*A4 CX)1 * 2o2v24 CkaJiaFt ntraao* fiina^'On9<t. R<nnbaV-4Q0Q01. Ph.