Feb 1975

Price Rs. 3’-{¦ ^‘1- 7"’ ^ ;¦>?- C'' 1. .niMy j.S'J a-* J ’/r^i I :i!^ 1^' 3* 'v < , i ¦v ' i' 1 '*< A i. ..X4; K ¦* f » /5 i-2MjiZ.i..*. bjJ. - -u t. 1*r t r- ' '"T"- ”, JJ ¦ - ' * , *> eONTEMtS , ?>? P i’y ' '*4 X.’S-J, ^-r. Y '¦^- ; . - < ' i'^'- t Fe^^aiy-# *-N«'?<.. 4 h * * Z MN i t /¦*' 5 "< 1-09* tmelad ^'and^ . THE ATTACK (Ml THE KAISER ' ' * BLUEPRINT Fpfl PLANM^./^ .^j lfe'-ilal by^Pervin Mafmeyi>i^ e K wlK ¦4 . . .... *' • -¦( I ' '* ‘’?fa^ ' *'• E^’ *'^,F '' . **¦ « ^.1 > JI V ¦» tfS h r EBBTIDE .; by John Htnnells 1^ < or ITAL M- ‘llf '9 ' S r > * 3"^ - 4 'M '!> *» ¦ H' I A *4 4 »¦« ,- ', I,.. J ¦ . ..»*•¦ 1^ F. Mehta * TH^iuti^ - THE last PF THE SETJIIAS' Parsiana Cover designed hy Mamuta Padman^ hji te | -. b. ®'. L, 4 #.,-, .f K1MG . . h J- H' .i .4 7 ’ "'Sfcr ' b* . . ' J* t,. W< y»2tj iu-‘ '? Sib .^- • 1, f<.~- ¦If *< -5’j J yafoms Zoraas^fom .j^associations nunfoer : < in tite U.S. and Canada. ” 2(X) 2toroastrians 4» And from Australia we received includes adults and chfldbig iL list W* w^an to feel the a short write-up on the New unfortunately unable to South Wales Asscxziation by its on the number of Zoroa«ri4M Honorary Secretary Emani Giam- living in other states of Austrsffi^ buzz!, r ¦ ¦ Read'on: "j ___ _____ ____ _ _____ out here, I personally am not a about 8 to JO families in ___ Zoroastrian, but am of Italian des- bourne. There are, to my knowb . ^bimmunity was going to the vultures, heartening'news arrived. ;The Zoroastrian Society of Ontario reportedly proposes to hold a Zoroastrian World Conference in Toronto in 1977. A major con ­ tributor for the finances of Qie . conference win be the Canadian cent tmd belong to the Roman, e^e, no other Zoroastrian Asso« ftnwmTn <»^ttj with member asso- Catholic Church. However, I ciations formed as yet in the ciations chipping in fo** th e initial have been more than fortunate other states of Austrdia but we cYpen ses . The objective of the marrying a Zoroastrian. Mv in New South Wales hope to guide conference as reported by the newsletter of the 2toroastrian Associate of Greater New York, , “is to pr^nt our community, its achievements, its adaptibility, its culture and its way of life to the North American continent and to the rest < 1 J 1 i 1 follows in the wake of a one-day narnnbers of foe Australian^om- “The Australian Zoroastrian lands, especially in the case «| Asswiation of New South Wales Navjo^s. We can only hope thalj ,was started four years ago by a we-will be fortunate to receive d small number of resident Zoro- in our midst sttaetime in astrians. ] serve as a medium to hold the __ __—________ ___ _ community togeth^, to adi^i^e earned us a tot of sympathy and /- .................. ______ _J relations the members creditors. Hovering on the brihH of the comihimily in Australia of economic bankruptcy (always axtd guithnce to newctmiers <<,Ae .be' to s^^ movie. Ami so whifo official approach avenues with a suicidal "state d mind, bri^teni^ view to help future Zoroastrian only by Ms Gandhi ’s buster, im- 1. yr-. - ---------------- J -T----.w- VW* **** V* preserve cordial and fraternal re- lead characters turn to Humphrey lations with all other Zoroastriam Bogart (Nomi Boga) and^ say; Ass'Tf J a '*n ’n ' r tion of Parsi Charities and Social i Services. Correspondent Thrity Keeka checked with Ms Velati who stat- What gd that she received monthly Rs. 30 from Jam-e-Jamshed chari­ ties and Rs. 20 from the Parsi . » ------ ---- ------- -------- ------------------ Panchayat; Ms Velati noted the “An Area of Darkness” 7” .i.. --------------j I am writb^ this in reference economic conditions in which they month initially then increased it to the covet illustration of the are forced to live. We felt that the Jlanuary 1975 ij^i^ of I coyer slwuld somehow convey the not th^ h is in good taste, loneliness of^the widows rather The cover picture often depicts the than sbnply their poverty or heljh thoughts or habits or way of life l^ssness. We considered several the illustrated, ‘ ' says “Parsi Widow. ” Is it neces- an imaginary and symbolic re- that a Parsi widow should be presentation, for example, of a hvipg as in the illustration? It is woman with her family but with the picture of poverty personified, the man of the household con- plus starvation and misery with a spicuously missing, or a concrete capital M. As a Parsi, I take ex- jungle of high-rise sophisticated ception to it. There are rich and apartments contrasted with a poor in all communities, and I am drawing of one of the modest sure we do all we can to uplift the buildings of the chawls. Even- standards of the unfortunate of our tually, however, we felt that the community. The very sight of The jmost zsoeurate and piquant state- picture makes one wonder if this is die lot of Parsi widows. It is not necessary for a woman to be a widow to live in strained classic quality, a timelessness circumstances. A wife with an which would make the observer i ailing husband, or one out of cm- stop and want to find out more j ployment, with a string of children about the subject because the pic- • will, perforce, have to live uncom- ture communicated something : fortably. I am sorry that those beyond mere physical poverty or ; responsible have been pleased to melancholy. i publish such a cover. I have read your interesting J Ms Dilla J. Nalladaroo article “An Area of Darkuess ” in j Madras the December-January 1975 wse j of Parsiana. , May T co^ri^ s As the cover' was in reference one faqt and jtl^ to the article on Parsi widows of Mrs. ftatanbai' VeTati receives ; 30 per month from the Jam-e- ; Jamshed Charity Funds, Rs. TO per ! mpn^ from the Parsi Panchayat Funds and Rs 10 from the Panday Fund. The first two stipwids arc arranged by us and we have also arranged for lj«r free medical treat ­ ment at our Health tMt I ? '»•••*?%# 'O J to Rs. 30 but the loa payment was j made on January 29 after which she has not received-any money from them. 1 The 'caption ways of doing this, scone btised on Godiwala Chawl Is it neces- an imaginary and synibolic re- qp^i^la Chawl was incorrectly ; named Hodiwalla Chawl in our article “An Area of Darkness. ” Parsiana regrets the error. i J ment would be made by showing a re*- - ... . ^Al^ERTISING 2 $ mourrmAt CiltE TaMM & 35MM ¦ .Z.; Phone: 263723 rAsmoM J ’’ -5 r f Patel Cbarhbers. 5th floor Gonbow Street, Fort, I Bombay-1 i 5 1wi& an exau^, 1 cite imp(»tant current evmts and d(^d- -isaue in which o{»hi^ m otr »Kiety; and tx> give authors and one and all a friatform to voice invariably portray Parsi todividtj^ oj^nona faWidy? boys as indolmt. hraonistic, and about pertinent matters m mo com- _________ '3.'' Thas magazine jyas of sp^M in- unambitious. a young Paisi munity. male myself, I must take exception _______ to this developing and mali^airt tm^t to me because 1 am deeply stereotype. Of all my Parsi friends and re ­ latives, and I can thinkM^ at least two dozen right off the bat, only But since one and all seem to rea- one could possibly be considered an under-achiever, and even he is _ doing much better than the average generation into doing sme^ng .. . _ . . ... . . . .< rest are all aggressive, ambitious, talented and successful young men; feeling, all are in their 20s. The list in- ___ J eludes two medical doctors, eight Ms Jungalwalla, Ph Ds (one of whom is also a male myself, I must take exception mter^ted in our community and its firture, which seems C ¦?' •ns lit dhr who a passage if else they were the coals for it! it surprised me to note the re- tfction at Shiavax Vakil who dis- misaed as Homi Bana ’s suggestion that Parsi Women, after the menopause. bxiis SmT^ ‘pure nonsense ” Dr. ^uld be allowed to pei^m religious ceremonies. Actually, Dr. Bana was being extremely ortho ­ dox when he made that remark, for in ancient Iran, and in India in the early days of the Parsi settlers here, it was a common practice for Zoroastrian women to perform certain religious cere ­ monies in their own homes. But alas, which Parsi lady today is capable of performing any cere ­ mony of our religion in her own home? Even with my background, I plead guilty of not knowing the 92 chapters of the yasna by heart, nor am I capable of performing a in the home. It might be a veiy good thing to revive the practice of parents performing religious ceremonies in the home. Not only would the parents know the meaning of the ceremony, but the children them ­ selves would feel excited and learn the significance of what was taking place before their eyes. There Would not then be the scorn and contempt for our ceremonies which we find today. It would also be a very good thing to make Navjote-age chiM- ren chant their prayers, slowly ai^ ^eady with the chant rhythm flowing with its own beauty, remember, learning some of our ancient chants from Dr. Jivanji Modi who performed my navjote. It took him a full half-hour just to recite the kusti prayers. But what am. experience for the listeners! Even as childrrai, we would stop shouting and plaj^g as soon as those sonorous notes reached our ears. We would tiptoe silently away, each finding a quiet comer just to sit and listen to the chant- ibg. I am haqjpy to say that in our I ^r-i* ’Mehier at Delhi, our priest, Darius Bs^i, stilf chants with great expressitm and great beauty, all dur prayers at any ceremony he is ^ed to perform. Fnoo Jukgalwalla' New Delhi L>i AHK..' Ls/€ > Aw/e«r«stt^ WHteu speuus>/bui I fl snvFu PUBLIC ITV public ITV , COW^JkUTAL T*Vt., UTb. lUwiNOKA 1*L DinSH^ ‘ g»»>. op<.o> S-E-L-W-t!' j iat- ©TANDTHEC the first four days? I t^ it that the Federation and Parsi Puncha ­ yat have placed no Such restrictions oh this issue, if they have, thrai the tipie bias come for the Fedwation •? of the Parsi circulated to the m^bers for diSan gAhimnans of India is information. 5> Italia ’s letter hotedi I “The-death of a H > from bur community. As it is, it is difficuh to sustain the interest of the Youth of our Community in oUf religion ahd various ortlmox world we the elders five to change our Orthodox views without in any way jeopardising the tenets of our “I, therefore, would like the Federation to consider the issues involved at the next meeting and pass such resolution as thought fit for the benefit of those who arc for the changing times but believe sincerely in our religion. I, for one, personally see no reason why the benefit of the last rites should not be given to those who prefer to be buried or cremated as long as these „ _____ ________ _ ____________ ______________ , p^bns have ‘maintained the While the change woufd go first to the Tower of Zoroastrian Religion throughout ¦ ¦ '' " — ¦ ¦ ' ¦ ' ' their lives. Let us not drive away our youth from our religion. Let us find ways and means to meet them half way. ” According to the minutes of die mating, “Nargolwala stated that ligion and was well versed in it. The deceased had left a wish that , . . _ he should be buried after death at powerful religion. ___ _____ the Parsi Burial Ground at Nizama- general body bad about 110 miles from here. There is ho Tow^ al Silence at Nizamahad. We ^vc_^o Towers > not a^ednst the Tower , of Silence. their bodies to be cremated or buried should not be deprived of the last rites as per Parsi Customs. Whenever any Parsi death occurred he, as an officer of the Anjuman, in leadership from Nadir Mulla to Silence apd have the place cleaned some of the delay, it does not fully Tower of Silence and see that all “The most unfortunate part was that the Mobed Sahibs -here refus ­ ed to perform .the dhesami and __ --r_ — offer tl^ four days for this J B^b^“w^ L^ iehan^r gentieman after hiOeaffi though could not attend due to ill health; i^iavax D- Nargolwala; President of the Delhi Anjuman. pre^^hKh One of the items on the held (»i offer the four days prayers for thk I they were willing to poform all I tbe other ceremonies 4tnd prayers . after four days. This has led to a ^at deal of ill-feeling amongst t coiain sectioiis of our community, i specially the youth. The reason 1 given by the Mobed Sahibs ' for not performing the main four days prayers and Ghesarni that under their tenhs of agree- agenda pertained to a ^letter that Jamshed Dinsha Italia, acting President of die Hyderabad and Secunderabad Anjuman, wrote to the,^ederatiott ’s executive secretary, N. H. Vacha, cbn«2etning the d^th , , a • of Sheheryar Kaoosji in Hyderabad ment with the Iranshah Authorities on Dcccniher 15. “I would like this qu^rion to be l^en up at the next meetings, ” wrote Italia. But •« o'lnaTRiiMnj i*i»ii»if iw] Kids fussy about drirSdng itilik? GIvs Tham d^ow oustard .puddipo. Taka 4 tsp BROWff & POLSON Custard Powder, 3 tsp sugar, a little cold milk. Mix to a amootb cream. Heat a cup of mlllQ add the mixed custard pow ­ der. Stir tilt boffing. Pdur kMo Ikpttly grM^ dIsIu Cool setiL A wnofRy W BNe u<** eolmNS If Bilik every day. Qieer up cake. *-*^*^^ Ta dukMid Powder;' 3 tsp ; j« • • ^r-**M**w?*- VarietyCuatard Powder (I 1* coper Newauml ,^J S>1 sa 2«l ^3 S>J =>1 E>3l SJ ^?1 iem^p^ eh dmrd. To nm J9 Pewrine cuat^; S^ll tsp BROWN a POL- BCM OeiM'd Powder; 3 tap aupar, a Httle cpkl miik. Mix to a wnooth cream. Heat a CMP of nUik, add the mixed, eiiatard powder., Stir till boil> . Ing. Serve hot or cold. Special ^iek : When yoe're makiao tea emam, fewoda, fchaer/ rab«y : thickian oMc vHtb ampoth creamy BROWN, ft POUSON Oustartf PodrdMr. TrytheVari^Ouatanl Pow« ' (Nr paclii BiepHibinaliori tit 9 \ auper flairei^ < ,,..£C6Wt0t^ Browtt- ¦ itLLL WWPM ^no'\ bl « 1^ ¦4mm* ;* :«edffiv:c«i do. But as Dtpcm* .0^ W regard to the earlier miK^* i»ogress has a great pity, in time£ dor owl .^Sfe I, ‘ *e Itaei; ¦witaMp*M«.tnilytlw ‘bw' WWSw' Pewew' yw sea Kmo * ; ixdi .on nw PONn. aMMys. C^Mbb^ Co. (W) fB|4t<4M9y ^>1 ¦i- r-l- si ) IQda April at about Trustees ’ meetings due to ill- without registering the Trust? It S^jibfe dr six Parsi goon- health, but on her return to ctfBce would certainly reflect on the inte- into my office and a resolution condemning the attack grity of tite premier * > led my desk. One of is expected to be passw. the guardian of the commuaityA j- hd=ty fellow, caught me The letter, which Was published The Kaiser pressed its attack in " collar and said Sala mugo in the April 20 issue of the weekly, the issue of April 27 with anothfer hid tvse to taru mote avelu samajje notes that the Pundolites are col- article under the headline: Ptmrole (Swfee, if you don ’t shut up con- 1 _ ader yourself dead). They dealt in Udwada. Althou^ the crum- nte some blows and I raised a 1” „ " ' '' v cry for help. The others working an atash-behram in which bums in the press rushed to my assist ­ ance and the intruders fled. ” The attack on Jal Heerji- behdhin. Editor of the 93-year-old mented with an taianm, an asso- Kaiser-e-Hind weekly, followed a date structure in which a fire series of unfavourable articles the burns (see Parsiana Sept, issue: journal had carried on the mystic Udwada: The King Md the Vazir). leader Minocher Pundole and his group. Heerjibehdhin, who runs the r ............................... with. ..... . ........ ,, .... . that l^nddO ’^had accepted funds cer^ony. from the ppblic without having acemmted for the money. In a long letter to the Parsi Pan ­ chayat Chairwoman Lady Hira- bai Jehangir, the Editor complained takes an active interest, can collect about the manhandling. The 83- donations from ignorant and un ­ year-old Chairwoman has been un- -2 -L. -------------. able to attend the recent fortnightly without giving proper receipts and and to make and maintain proper I 1*. > One of is expected to l>e passM. The letter, which Was published notes that the Pundolites are col- ____ _______ lecting funds to construct an adaran Group In Hot Legal Soup. Akk^.ini, <.!,<. “Our ihguirias have reveded, ” bling Parsi Mecca already* houses ^d the article, “that Pwtd^ has paid no taxes whatsoever on all offdn^ received l^ hW ffior all these years in Bombay d^t- ed disciples which amount, accord ­ ing to our information, runs into six figures and the Income-Tax au ­ thorities should call upon him to ______________ ________ ___ file a Return and on his failure to Ms Nelie Noble, a Trustee of the do so. to make an assessment Parsi Panchayat, is a devotee of against him. ” “It is a very well known fact that the practice of religion amounts to a vocation. If. there- the revered Iranshah, and an agzart/, the Pundolites daim the atash-behram must be cmnple- i Gujerati-Pndish tabloid along Pundole and was reportedly present > Soli, alleged at the Adaran's foundation lapng pertin^t qimstioo.** forc. the p<»ition as expoimded by ^er, “is whether an unfe- Puodde and his disciples. .. “The pertinent qirnstion, ” ays fore, the p<»ition as expoimded by the Kaiser, “is whether an unfe- Mr. Puodde and his disciples. .. cognised group of persons, in which if taken as the correct factual posi- a Trustee of the Parsi Panchayat tion. . . Mr. Pundole is und» obli- " : gation to pay income-tax on all the ________ _____ ________ ____ __¦ amounts of the gross offerings wary members of the community made by his disciples and followers, books of account for the same. ” Puttdole, 67, is a declared insolvent. In reply to jEm inquiry by the Asastant Charity Commissioner of Smat m “Funds few new Parsi Affary’\ Pundtdites Kai- kobad Hormusji S^ffiWa and' Behram Hormusji Bharda noted “mj public trust has been created so far and it is not the intention of any of the parties to create any public trust. ...” The Kaiser noted that; XJl^ is further stated in the said reply Stidhwa has made a spare plot of lana befoftpi^ to him to Pundole since he “It is further stated^ of aboutt zs weu-piad - stantial Parsi gentlem^ in Bom- j ‘ bay have got together and contri- {_ taitdS a fund fof est«®SlS!®B|f^^^j trBiSi®OB BINT FOR PLANNING W-^«fTO Mahoney » K^’.: '¦it«,y.< hB Bi I ¥ ««h«nMM llll l ¦. fip? • i a property Purd^tametas Jitdkurdas Hostet {Photo by Cyrus Dordf) to others, especially our Parsi . \ " XX L, are lying fallow and serve no one. Central and Maharashtra govern ­ ments started a scheme wher^ grants were to be given to voluntary agencies to build hostels. •“For a whole year we hxrfsed for a suitable btulding, but all our efforts proved fruWess be4 cause we would not give money below the table, ” Ms Masani re ­ called. “Bventtj^ly we appealed . to the Government of Maha-^ rashtra to acquire under this scheme, amd ^they did so from the Port Trust, with WGU paying compensation. ” But with the land WGU also acquired a sea of troubles. Their right to the land was disputed by a third party, and the dispute dragged on for an unbelievable ten years. Fortunately, civic- minded lawyers provided free counsel —“otherwise we would have had to give up, ” noted Ms Masani. Litigation began in the Criminal Court, progressed through the City Civil Court and High Court till it r^ched the Supreme Court. In the last three courts the Government of Maharashtra was made principal defendant, and WGU a party to the suit. Looking weary at the mere memory, Ms Masani, who has a painful spine ailment that often comjdetely incapacitates her, recalled, ’ WGU metqbeii wPuld just no4 dlow themselves to be brow-i beaten into submission ^sustained! us through this long-drawn-ouh agony. “Then came the last straw.; trusts who lidbS large assets that The property had a hoi^ which,; “A little property yrith a garden, that was all we had envisaged, ” ‘Only the fact that| The deoath of housing in large ture should riot serve as a model cities is the source of much lament. But while most people are content to fust state the problem, the tenacious members of the Women Graduates Union , set about constructing a hostel for mused Ms Dolly Masani, chair- working women. For 15 years 7 they battled numerous obstacles, committee. That was how the WGU with the magnitslte successfully fought a lengthy organization of graduate women task, the owner demolfeh law suit, raised ftmds, and with- f stood the ravages of time and years ago. “At the annual general undertake the construction of a^ red tape to make the Purstuj-, meeting pf WGU, a senior mem- hew structure." tamdas Thakurdas Hostel for her proposed that, being an In 1970 Wg^on end^. Taking with some alterations, would haves suited us very well. Wifli repairs, the project would not have cost ’ „ _ ___ , ___ more than three lakhs^ But in of the WGU hostel order to dissuade an(| frighten* ~ ‘ ‘ ¦ ^>of^e5 |shed the \ woman committee. That was 'i first embarked on their scheme 15 building. We were forced to; »> red tape to make the Pursho- meeting pf WGU« a senior mem- tamdas Thakurdas Hbstef for bet iptbposedi 11^ being an Working Women a reality fast educational .bo^, we should a de^ h •t ¦J A •’9 C< ‘f Dolly Masani '‘long drawn-out agony" ...*S . the eats, when i^^^Jwcfe tidkea - Patil, lil^ra^htre'i ^'\ Limca Ut'AL Al4p LtlAON* < "> ?c ¦i •Such an account would not have J^^ed in Gujerat be- whi^ hundb^ or sometimes r Iran who to his were in great danger, so, the Qissah-i Sanjan relates, they Offered Below is the abridged text of the lecture ^Recent Parsi History' de­ livered by John Hinnells of the Department of Comparative Re- the text they prayed: ligion at Manchester University, under the auspices of the K.R. Cama Oriented Institute earlier this year. Hinnells has made two visits to India in the past two years to gather information for a proposed book on the Zoroastrian religion and the Parsi community. Parsiana carried a full length interview with him in the Decem­ ber 1973 issue. _ The first part of his talk deals with the role of the Parsis in India before the arrival of the ^tish and the second with the ^oblems Confronting the com­ munity and tfie pas^Ie spltitions. the Emperor Aurangzeb for the British and obtained for them very prayers to God. In the wor<3te of valuable conditions. Only a per- ‘“Deliver us from this strait and keep us sound. We are resigned to everything that comes from the Lord, for save Him, we possess no other friend. ’ By the blessing East India Company, a position of the Fire of the glorious which many Parsis later came to Bahman all of them luckily hold for many British firms, got over that trouble; their son of repute, esteem and influence could have interceded in this way with an Emperor; Rustomji, had previously assisted the British in their dedings with ministers of state and became broker for the position and mentality of the Parsis. They are said to be a hard-working people, th^ drank liquor, but not to excess and were to be found in all manner of jobs save smith ’s work and other jobs which involved the use of fire, they had a reputation for hard bargaining at trade, but not prayer. for stealing. For helping the poor Such an account would not have and not allowing their own to been written by an oppressed beg. Their faces are described as pale and generally fairer than the Europeans. The men had hook prayer if they were not happily noses and long beards. settled here in India. Similarly ” the story of Meherji Rana ’s visit got over that trouble; their We have several reports from supplications were instantly travellers of the time as to the heard and the Lord came to the rescue. .. Then providence so ordered jt ^t -dl those people arrived near Sanjan. ’’ Thus in 1^, wheh this text was written, the Parsis already looked ....... __________________ ___,on their arrival in India as some- I have heard very many people thing ordained by God, their settle- Bombay say that it was only ment in this land as an answer to ^ith the arrival of the British that the Parsis came to power, ^d that it was with Indepen- dence and the departure of the people, it would never have been British that the fortunes of the presented as God ’s answer to their IParsis began to decline. I wish to dispute both parts of this belief, settled here in India. Similarly The travellers almost always Contrary to popular opinion, the story of Meherji Rana ’s visit refer to the same things —fire, the community did not merely to the Emperor Akbar shows the work, monotheism —there is nO ’exist but actually flourished prior secure and respected position held impression of a community ill at to British rule. The Qissah-i by the community. It may be ease with its neighbours. Ovington,' Sanjan relates the story of the that the Parsi accounts eff this for example, on his Voyage tp arrival of the Parsis in India, event have been glamourised, but Suratt, 1689, writes, “They (the ^|his text embodies older trafli- an emperor would never have Parsisy own and Adore one .^ns but it inay be taken 'as accepted at court —-nor made Si^reme Being, to whom, as he Harassing the attitude of Parsis &. fodia in the year it was /^ittetter-lh Op AX3. r It states that secure and respected position held by the community. F that the Parsi accounts eff this event have been glamourised, but an emperor would never have _ .1 at ( ....\ grants of land —to the priest of is the Original of all things, they a despised community. dedicate ^e first Day deff evC^ The very first recorded contact month, in a solemn observance , , between the British and the Parsis of his Worship. And enjpM and His shows the Parsis already holding besides thes^^ some others for the Th® influential positions. Celebration public prayers. At JEL. i_ T— In Briti^ were having f^tivals, whiffi^ an ^cai. luiukUK-jr *Hi« auM^uug uAUGi huudce^'ot sometime^ r^ in the 6^iat regiem becaq^ of sor^^ ih the Jlu^ubs eff the <1^ a Ws dis- at ’ • In 1600 &e British were faavii^ jr ’ religion ^at difficulty i^ starting trade set' 7 *’ " ¦ ' local Mtidim ofO^ls.* It M^ a man jl JEUigtom. ttem.Western lived in Bo Parsis in thcL of Pailiamenf at Westminster were charity is famtnis the worW over — to people as far i^rt as earth- triUM Spafl PherobmhateMehta —a Parsi. The tury pm M tol P««i to uh^lheM. Jdr tiie^ - . - . ¦ ¦ - . a aS rtf their oW- Simtiments in r..2„l_. _____ aoKirt' the Pocm *. and are very ready India and began the tra^ unton to provide for the Sustenance and ' ' ' Gcmifort of suoh as want it. Their universal kindness, either in em ­ ploying such as are Needy and able to work, or bestowing a seasonable bounteous charity to such as are infirm and miserable; ... —----- - - - leave no man destitute t afford to. _?^ost Eckehard Kulke in his book The Parsis in India, published in autumn 1974. Yet we all know this is not the end of the story. To ­ day the coonnunity can stfll hold tt WM Iiot W dqpartv'c British that brought about the community ’s decUae^but the departure of Zoromtriao ideals. its head up high —but its position Gujarat and the result is even more does not compare with that of a poverty. hundred years ago. Why? When I visited Guprat in January The Act of h^dependMW , has this year, I met an Ameren pro ­ affected the community. Whatinay fessor, Ketayun Gould, a Pmaj^ be for the good of the whole coun- m tty is not aWys to die good of a to and MW. to see w tot hy rrfcra,c«- is that it WM «« the SLu sec.Sn-«id ± period of British rule which unde word for tto , commum^ B now ae has not ya tabulated toe » the Parsis powerful, but their own represents 0.016 per c^ w traditional values of hard work, total , hone^, and charity. So the foun ­ dations later PatSi success were laid before the British rule. ?s“s;s«s,™ —s-i-sssns:; irsi nisiory? deteriorating. Tirtwe of dte The first problem facing the clied more thmw^ere 114^90 Parsu m under tlM British. ' that success is so well known that fault — is i I don ’t need to relate it. but a few Pa^i Wstory? examples will suffice. Bombay grew because of the dockyard, a dockyard built, owned and run by Parsis. The main ex- port ctf Bombay in tl» 19th cmtuiy been declining at ¦ was textiles. In 1915 Pa^ owned cent per dec^. f*** more muis tnan any oiucr jui^tmu was «i iw *!*‘o*"*-^ community, and they m^died more theiwwere 114.890 Parsu than half the mill jaan^ia-^ffiete W 1^1 there were omx ° were mote Parsis than Europeans f ‘ ' ** ZSS’fi- 2.771.933. . 1 I do not need to out to you , i^biems of living m Bo®^* a few statistic may help to reinforce your inffiesaions. In » years the poptdatiuMi of Bo mhW m 1!«1 lucre were uwj has mote to douHcd. Taww this decreasing i T.;oh.M- emten^ 1931 it was 1,161,383, u i it was 1,161,383, in 1'suburbs and counts only the centre, wl^ is what I did- with the last set (rf^uros, then Bombay has . a 21,17 children' were bom. This density of populatic^ fer higher meamt Mot only a shrinking eom- evftOi than that eff the not(xrious munity, but alro one with a higher Calcutta. Whereas Calcutta has ’ * ‘ — 73.182 people p^ aquare mile. „ _________ _ ___ _ Bombay city faRs 1(15,839 people liest year for which I could get The average age of tfe community has, therefore, increased by one- third. As the average of the you can see that this is a distinctly wcouen 33.5 children were bom. In . fact of the matter is that it was not 1961 fof . every 100 Parsi wcmen Ind^ndmce and the withdrawal 21,1 (children were born. mea^ Mot only a shrbkjng eom- ratio of older people. The avwage age of all Parsis in 191 hrdflie ear* per ^are mile. B(MBd)ay also has figures was 28.7. In IMl it was 37. a higner pm^tage of people liv ­ ing in hutment areas and more pavemmt dwellens. ______ You know better than I do what total Indian population is*^ only 24, effect this has had on the cost of you can see that this is a distinctly livmg in general and on housing in Parsi problem. In short, the migra-, particular. This is one of the chief factors in the decrease of the Parsi population. With the community ’s munity. Obviously this is a vicious traditionally high standards of liv- ‘ ’ ...................... ' ing young Parsis have delayed mar- riage until they can provide them ­ selves with a home (ff their own. The average age for a Parsi man to get married is now 33.5 years, wh^eas the average age for men dined as the migration has cpntinu- titoaugbout India is 24.78. Similar ­ ly Tarsi women tend to get married their average marriage age is 28 while for women throughout The result of delaying marriage tion to Bombay has resulted in a smaller and a more .age4 eom- circle, and viewed in human terms it is inevitable that these tenden ­ cies will increase. The Parsis migrated to Bombay to seek their fortune. Ironically die overall wealth of the community has de- the ]^ti^ wfai^ were the fun ­ damental. causes (Ml the com ­ munity ’s piobleniaT-toit the migra ­ tion to Bombay. That whkh pqhtfi^Jlre^ The T Fariyas can offer the best variety of P^asi DISHES . can buy maximum enjoyment is guarantcedMth&i a limited bn^^, be it a quick business liuidi or a rdmeedihn^ dhmer. undert^i^at rates. f /.O') FAR I YAS £5, OFF, ARTHUR BUNOER HOAU. MBAR STRAND CtNEMA, COLABA, BOMBAY-S. GRAMS: ••FARIYAS" TEU JiiSjlf (7 lines)/ 5 2 •5 I 1 1 I IZ. flm —aw» HW I i' f '^l;i I'/' •¦J.. t 4 t I. t » tV c. ncMsw noH ibb aww jwiml s.. TT Jv •¦’I I ( *j ilii « ¦» t W' ill ^,'jii ft ft 1 d (! JilHj r r»!^d :q I Ir Ik < b I .^gass^ijs^gxgga ’Mm«< ytee most cartoons rated, Imt there is a ¦ IMK J FI0K1 .-I. -J- • MSM-ThuhT W» J» W.w W BW u4 wtt* M (Ma M I (••( »Mk Omi XagtoaS. . . * LI* aZjS —ggr5.I>«M MaMaUMNtolM «• (tol; a«»-*«»»»»«»!iy^ JW-gW,mymSrawW • ¦" • ’ ’—¦. ..•• ¦ •|_amB^si"»"»7wwz^w< ftJtooo —T1 •8 ¦lir i w /ffri I 'I ’/ W IW lSFm, 'i '< > jA—¦ l1 ¦¦ hj. !1 ¦¦ ’¦'•li'''!! wife as soon iasl eoi^ h^ from tapted into taking anflRnpishbeauty ’ Can ’t we marry at twceT !W8 oidy one Dinoo in the wide wcfrid f _ (Right} neantime the JMM* committee lesoM to aonait noi^ V t We ffiatTv etefieeT' ^Dady — . '( Dinoo doesn ’t »elj4uite sure ) IE PARSEE CfflWz THE PERIOD ri — Do you knoarhow to opoka fowl? __ ithi — You ’ll next warn me tOtW^ you if I know where the cook-r^ is 7 - - - " *‘ ' mBy«-* SRBbBa«ha^wa^alS»w0 ------- ----------- ‘Lirsss*?; and piMmi-SiiWBjW iiM IIbwi ' opportunities for all forms themselves in an uiuivdled'posi- ___ _ ___ ________blpQ to take the top }t^. 'TW Parris wwo vety diga* .7^lwt opce again, ironicaUy, fliat _ _7 ' * ' *¦*’* '¦ ¦* “ 1 with the' times." to" take any- g^ i^grinrful was responsible for its pre- eveiy opportunity open tei - an* problems. In takii^ toWostem trimve all in 1^1 education, the community becagdo 84 of westerniz^. Although SadO'. . was a propOttop far b (PUase turn to slow to make use of the q^ypottuni- ties <^Enred hjr W^gtmn tion. '72 . ‘ "', _ r«it. They were prepared to change '.M^ made the community so &4 of ^-PlX^Jpopilstl^ was ' fileniie, a ph^oit^ tu m jt h H HARE PARSIS DYING OUT? Interviews Feroza Payrhaster and Pervin Mahoney From the villages and towns of Gujerat, to the bustling metro ­ polis of Bombay the writing is on the walls. The community that once fled Persia to survive is slowly dying out. In 1961, the Government of India Census figures placed the numerical strength of the Parsis at 100,772. Ten years later the census figures were down to 91,122, a drop of around one per cent a year. The declining birth rate, the pre ­ ponderance of eltterly people, the tendency towards migration, late marriages, and smaller families are all indications that the trend will continue. The root cause of the fall has been a failure of the com ­ munity to adapt to changing times. Reforms are non-existent. Parsi institutions have proved unable to cope with the community ’s prob ­ lems and Parsis themselves are generally indifferent. But by and large the community is aware of its decreasing num ­ bers. That consciousness may be the first step in the right direction. -! >1 Rati Bhabha, 18,[Student, St. Xavier's College Of course. It ’s discussed at home, with friends, in most households, because . old«^P>W are concerned bound to Bombay. If your father that there won ’t ,be any Parsis left! ' The! younger generation don ’t con ­ sider it an earth-shaking calamity But emigration isn ’t a reason for because they aren ’t so communal- dying out; those who leave for Iran minded. ” and the UK have the freedom to practise their religions and form Zoroastrian Associations. “It ’s unportant that we survive, because we have given a lot to India, and because we stress ethical values. The older generation feel that the ’ community will never . All through history it has been said that we would die out, but we have ‘‘So far, parsis had tremendous only lessened. Although I feel the religious faith. The temptation of death-rate wilF dntnhmber the birth-rate, I" ^uldn ’t bet^^^^t^ Parsis have teatrffic staying power, ” »» Instancing late mmiages and the ban on conversion aS factors con ­ tributing to dwindling numbers. Rati adds, “Pairsis have less child ­ ren because they marry older, vdtile a Hindu woman has to be married off hy <20 or she ’s considered ow the religious faidl. 1%^ of manning out was shunned;now paim^ accept it if it occura, “Also a lot of Parsis did not emigrate in the past. They were was a cashier you were groomed to be a cashier and fill his place.I I B No^r Metibora, 45, Junior Enginaor, Bombay A/lnoiqii^i j^Sl^^eeasus figures jay 'that tfife -ffous knowledge musn ’t decline. W epmmurnty is dyings out. ' Ten survived so long because Farsis had jrearerfW the i^^4tipn of an ..... MeaJnXfistrict Surat ^‘fami ­ lies. Now there are dlily 20. Of eburscy This is also <^au^ by migfofion to cities; and emigration. “Nbwadays a man <0 think tAvice before he gets manrwd* ’^ says telligence but no family background Medhora. ... 17. ¦f i lfauCSS«2i!«?$Ra&i>«^^ ££S3S!K»I o a. monopoly in certain trades, and the-income from these was enough to support a family. Since 1947 in ­ comes have gone down. M^t Par- sis have changed from business to service. Many of our boys have in- “The average marriage which encourages them to go in age (rf Parsis is over 39-T-in my own for higher education. The Parsi case too. Women should adjust to Papchayat should take up the issue spending Jess; that would be a big seriously. They could movide sub ­ improvement. ” . . < . ¦> . - . . Medhora believes that the ques- tidn of whether the cbfiimuhity will survive will never art^ b^use “our religidh and culture can be main ­ tained even if we arc only 20,000. Quality is more ’haportant than jjuamj^; our intelligcnce andteli ’ iRir^ Alarielwala, 64, Embroidery Designer ’‘HoW ifo, weu knoWiv ^mw?!pt. by spite of having a population of only studji^'.^ census figw^? Mving !^ut a lakh. l£our numbem are ia Bomfo^i the p®iire the muittty, we seefo tp be ntpfe or less static. Of course, Parsi couples do for economic reasons. Strangely blood, though most Parsis might enou^, lower-income seem to have larger families than .higher-income ones, perhaps be- cause c'jOur charities help them. T^pti^r reason, why numbers may bp '^^c|nuhg is t^t so inany Parsis have ippved out India. ^‘ItX'm^ that we survive Tiecau^ we ha'ven ’t done ba<^ ®s a Community; we ’ve provided many figures Pf worldwide eminence, in ; S £ jr^n for higher education. sidized hdusing and free education of a high quality, so that after SSC talented Parsi boys don ’t join a bank or the municipality or the LIC in jobs where their salary will never go beyond a thousand rupees at retirement. ” dwindling, we should take in the children of Parsi mothers who have ___ _ ______ _______ _ married non-Parsis. This would restrict the size of their feunilies bring in an influx o£ «ke fre^ couples roar at the idea. ” Recalling that when Parsis land ­ ed in India they promised the King that they would not seek converts,' Narielwala noted that our suiyival speaks particularly well f^ the ep uMnunit y “because we have never Bsk^ for any safeguards^^preroga- ti«» OT prii^^s. So confident are we as a community. ” Hf I ) i H H I J 't ! f' H- .ti h ! ( 1 1 Rohinton Irani, 28, Partner, Brighton Restaurant “Certainly. There are fewer Parsis to be seen in Bombay. I’ve also read about the problem somewhere, two years ago. Our death-rate is higher than our birth-rate. I give be improved. We should ^icow^ge the community another 100 or 150 the young to go into bwJ&seiS, and years. . h^p them to get houses; After “It ’s high lirue we diagnosed tlw $0 many Pansis still live in large reasons for this decline. There is flats. They should be asked to give a one-way traffic out of the com- -rooms to couples who want to get munity: girls marry put and even married. If we do away with pomp change to other rd^ions, while and unnecessary spending At wed- we d(Mi!t Accept epny^s- -Couples .yjp poor won ’t fed they are but dpnt for noc#* and will be endoucaged. to d^e or ax iyeansHfe^c®®®^ - - . .. ... they donH havfosdl tl^ amenities, like hou^. and Vii “If Parsis can^-J»pdVA;fo JWf* they ^ can ’t survkft-JW^hO says Rohihlon^ai^^fo^^b^- exist munity should continue to because “what our religion teach^ us is among the best.' “Our economic situation should the young to go into aM many early. So our .population will ^owr^nd if the quantity is the chances also be greater. hand in hand. ” . 3«V t i I .t I>•' * mitrnilMtafW Architect, "It ’s obvious. The aonual of tte Parsi Panduyat show ffm oar death-rate oulstr^ our birth ­ rate. Inter-marriages aggravate the situation because only the children of Parsi cab become Parsis. ___ _ Nowadays die yming^ ge^atitM basically evoyone respec)|t his own i - F*Ar does pot think that any will reverse the (Weeing numbers. “ We acoej^ oon^ufts, o^ the poorer das^ will to take advantege of our du^table foods, because ____________ ______________ .. I wants a ^ee life, and the ccooonuc reii^it I don ’t goffer quantity situatioa hne makes ft difficult to but for quali^ maint ain a family. So even ooi^les who have married young don't teive children for five or six y^«r-4md most ancient religion. It might take after that diey mij^t not be able caituries for us to diminish to any major extent, and the world too might pot survive. We won ’t wet be wiped off the face of the eturth. ’’ to hav($ brain drain is anotiher reason fot the drop in nMmbers. ” “The community should con ­ tinue to exist, because ours is the Aban Kamboi. 25, Stanographer, Univarsal Ferro and Allied Chemibals “Yes, I think so. Patsfe maity tele reason for dwindling numbers, and have very few children —hardly Aban remarked, ‘ We must have one or two. You can see 40-ycar- fresh blood to prevent defects of olds, or even older pec^e. stiU not inbreeding. Parsis are too orthodox; getting married. I don ’t understand they don ’t allow youngsters to mix it and have very few cfeildren —hardly Ab^ Remarked, <__ — ____ ” . olds, or even older pooj^e, stiff not why. Some people n»itti0B hmmunities. So some or money problems; othds say Uwy ywing pet^le go abroad and marry ate too and boys say either out of the community; if they we that gida Me not hutwoAiit ot r.nnn, he that 4ey work in «¦«. (Md Bast heat up a. Paias. dominate their htehehib mImm. Both boys and girls say, 1 earn too little; I can't get married. But peo ­ ple over 25 ^ould get married. Of course, housing is a problem, but we do have the advantage of having coltmies. ’’ Citing intermarriage as a furtlwr Say for another hundred years? ’’ Firdaus^Nariman, 22, IVI.A. Student “I don ’t know. But I gather are from an article in the £coRomic Weekly. We ’ll pro- b^y be Wund tor tury. Compare u4 ^th other o^- muniti^ s^ you see our pumedMl 4)ur survival doesn ’t matter from weakness. ' ' ’ ’ * " ' “Parsis don ’t marry for ecoainaic reasons. If you a«fc gi ttihg f ' a high stan&rd 1^ _ high exjiectancies, and lead to adt teeoefit everyone, what sort of future you ciu gtee “The size of a community is not your kids. Our tevri ¦* ' ‘ .' ' * * -"4 ¦¦ '* - < Zi 't. ' ¦ (Ms is kike Executive Vice- find wll^aid 0t>s, pa^fy due also ¦ ’Date marriage is one cause of President of the Indian Council to the wish not to slog specially a higher incidence of mental ill- Mental fl^cne.) for low remuner^g®, J|^y< ^rls ness. But marriages d^nd on ” ’ marry out of the community, ' ‘ _ ___2. “___ 2 . 2.2-2- India, some people say, is full originate in psychological condi- of corruption an4 some Parsis f are corrupt too; but . because of have to precede , economic revolu- our boldness many of us do not tions. IE we are a ricb^ com- have to be as sly dr apathetic as munity it may be because of Aose who feel bullied by Fate do. our enterprise. Dr. Marfatia also - J . 22--- 2---------.J emphasized that the incidence of proclaim from public platforms communities, bringing about the depression is high among Parsis. that Pav0s are more mentally cludta hai hota hai attitude. If Parsis as a group are" richer disturbed than the other com- In the scriptures of the world than other co mm unities as munities. Even the j-----' • • - . . - - - - psychiatrist, late Dr. J. C. Mar- Parents2 ” In India the holy fatia, pointed out in his paper books write “Thou shalt honour “Parsis and Mental Health ” (pub- ’ •• • lished in die B. D. Petit Parsi i ___ _________________ General Hospital Diamond Jubilee all change. " Parsis, however7are Souvenir) that a result of a survey usually an exception here; we are taken of his patt^^ts. showed ,J^t the revrfutionaries against tradi- Parsis had a higher percentage of tion, more adaptable tanew ways, neurotic troubles, though as far less apathetic and more question- * cr — ----- *—j ~ . communities incidence. But while critics focus on our ________ ____ ____ negative ^aspects they should not bay women in general gav^ the in the community ’s favour. We have contributed to India ’s wel ­ fare due to our cosmopolitan outlook, drive and excqption^y high incidence of talen^, spouse^ ate militant —^too militant, centage-wise. _—i__rj Our cpsHwi^litan otjtlqok is __ ______ __________ exemplified i» .the percentage of culcated by ’ the "miUtanw of literaty in our community, our ----- -x_ •_ _ , non-communal charities and our relative lack of parochialism, r —* _ -. Parsis is about ninety per'cent, dence of certain ’” phi^ical dis- TMzIln 2a. 1_ • i _« are made to feel inadequate; even resistance to infectious are President of the Indian Council to the wish not to slog specially for^Mented Hygiene.') ‘ Many people assume Parsis to . have a greater incidence of mental illnesses than the other Indian communities. Some Parsi youths also share this view, have also heard two or three professional Parsi women, esti- .w. w » x b,® ««. mable an^^ capable ^n their fields. Religious fatalism breeds in many that Pa^s are more 'mentally chalta hai hota^ hai attitude In the scriptur^ of the world than other communities as a noted it is prescribed : “Honour thy whole and show more depression. Parents. ” In India the holy it is all due to our psychological J make-up; yet a high incidence of and obey thy parents. ” This talentedness grows in such an makes many people resistant to atmosphere. Dr. Marfatia indeed lets forth a very sound warning when he relates the high incidence of senile dementia to the early conditions ihg. Some of us are too aggressive. Perhaps due to our being a mar- imunfty. a higher incidence of n^tal ill ­ ness; But marriages depend on the socio-economic climate which tions. Psychological reyc^utions f i ‘V ’I i i . t i * fe* ;2 I Even tions. ! ii .. - . * _ _____- ______ • prevailing in childhood experiences, as insanities are concerned other ing. Some of us are too aggressive. Perhaps due to our being a mar- show a higher perhaps we are too adaptable, not ginal community, Parsi mothers “ ‘ ' are too ambitious and with the wish that the family survives, the - . ---- - — o ------- — _ __ mother expects too much at too forget the compensating pluses lead to Indian women, and I think early an age of her off-spring. Parsi women gave the lead under She then aggressively lays down Dadabhoy Naoroji to the Bombay the law. She is also beset by the women. Many Parsi women and Easf-West conflh;t —-whether to men " in the role of parents and follow eastern modes or copy the "2““'¦; "¦ , wester® patterns of Uvihg. At- I am ajEraid- tendant oii the high incidence of The .feeling of inadequai^ in- complete emotional intolerance of : what is considered ‘bad ’including parents in early life can,' like the foibles of other communities, ( - - - ___ - - - later to a reactionary arrogance. The percentage of literacy for If P^^s show a higher inci- whereas for the whole of India it is about thixty per cent. Most are made to feel inadequate; concentrated in Bombay. They non-Parsi charities are sectarian> even resistance to infectious are an uncomniohly talented whereas Parsi youths do not get diseases can go down due to community. Paiw j^r^ off 12 admission into many Technical emotional imbalances. Dr. Mino- of India ’s major mbdei® indus- Institut^ endowed by Parsis. I cher Mody once in my presence tries, others helped lead India ’s have heard, self-made Parsi asked a patient, who had contract- independence struggle. ” But we magnates announce to young Parsi ' ‘ . . h^rd. ¦i' a digging our roots sufficiently deep. Katherine Mayo wrote Bom- tehdant oh the high incidence of what is considered ‘bad ’ including J-,---—w— .... iixv VUUf vzx vzkUVA VWAAlAAl UlU VACd| too much indulgence, also lead there is also the urge to achieve much. Time magazine wrote in its 1st April 1974 n|imber “Indian ------ -------- Parsis number only about 100,(X)0 eases it may b'e because they worldwide, 65,(XX) of them are emotional imbalances. Dr. Mino ­ cher Mody once in my presence asked a patient, who had contract- independence struggle. ” ed herpes, whether he had recent- - ’ magnat^ annoutrce to young Parsi ed herpes, whether he had recent- hai^e to pay a price by way men looking for jobs that they are ly felt very worried and tro^ earotiq^ exaggerations. * Indians first mid Parsis after- r • ' — - - - wards, ^quently a depart- that time a bout of ' biishiels W ment fe ;^ed with members of troul^ss. Dr, other coinmunities as most non- t„_. Parsi bosses-da^mi,share the same everywhere in non-cornmonal s&iim^t as many ' Parsis -r _____ -___ _ —awu< Pi. strange seqvel is thi^t whes; whidi are partlyjaaioitainefi aiacer^ ters, on the whole large mu^em of^ Parsis do not ing to jwtptio^ statics. serene and mor^;^ Indians first mid Parsis after ­ 4. bled. The patient did, have ^t < ^If in the orchestra of India^ * * -1- * *) we are to survive a®^- - . Mody explaiited contribute to Incfia ’s weal, we that iiffections are to be hjwc, te be allowed our eccentri- 2 ¦ the am t^t dtles, and yet face and lessen our we coiftmct the^*^.^ wi&C^ self-deceit, fed , upon pur bodily andTm^tal^^^ Jets hecdcally about .man® ma&. >> 1 I i 1'^ I ¦^1 ing tojMaptioiaft statics._ * • M •"•v V j ....... 11® ;« r F iro] his chicory-blend “Fn^h^ 1 ... . , ... ... ¦.?>.. . r.. .i^ J. jgfedher; the Pat^c Ocean* wepj being t- t I«lt- of I SO call0 for the French toci^ ft j was made froBOb ; Whra the Boer War in ' fer .ffe ^ti^ trWbps cdaSihg via South Africa, Enj^and p^wlged^ I , " I colonies for rations to feed the strangle^ and at this poi|t Polson * Imperial troops, and among these ' ' * were consignments of Polson ’s, the British, laments fe Asia. coffee from Tnputout till irv 1946, it -peaked at sup^se tlf comj^ un^^^GApeili^teith^ starts humbly, when a thirteen- which the cream was produced as cSs of toe BtoiSb^" milk scheme, year-old boy named Pestpnji well as ensure the dairy fanners Polson went on to set up large Dalal left home to seek his for- the regular income which made it dairies in Bihar and Patna, gain ­ tunes in Bombay. Scraping to- worth their while to produce ing recognition from the State a hundred rupees he cream. Convinced that India Government for his services to the boughr himself a small hand- ..... operated coffee-grinding machine. In the heart of the city he rented a tiny room for eight rupees a- skill and heavy machineiy from coffee powder, combining in him ­ self all the functions from pro ­ prietor to peon. Fate smiled on his nascent industry, and by 1910, he had successively outgrown rooms in Crawford Market and put of three" million pounds ’”«• the Times Building, settling finally butter, in Frere Road behind the General * • Post Office. A touch of nostalgia, perh^s, prompted him to name • his concern “Polson childhood pet-name _ ____________ ___ Initially earning a reputation for" Services, substantia the uniform quality of his product, cheese were bf quality.. II b t i artificial flavours, the saga of an It archaic methods. often had to trek long distances often had to trek long distances In 1945- the Government of to cream merchants. There was ¦ India honoured Polson ’s achieve- no way of guaranteeing that the ments by requesting him to be final result would be wholesome responsible for the supply of or palatable. Polson faced the whole-milk tp Boxnbay city. Ris- Charotar area in the kaira Dis­ trict,^ In this maB^y co^ which the cream was produced as the regular income which madfe it worth their while to produce cream. C ’ ¦ - 3 '' ______________ _____ ______ v.. v..- could make dairy products of the dairy industry and the farmers it same Polson imported the technical m --M: I I Kh OOOOOOO ??mmDO I vi ^’^1 T SIfi I ggQ wl ’Puj « Jb. r* -a? &«. »opoopq \. onaoaooopooDoap •»< s o oooDOOQoooaocxiOQno ‘•l r » 1 01 li^ R= e OtXidtlOePDPB ePOODO. . DDOI<€^ OQKJpCXJQOPP^O OP aaizD 8 ^[33 03133 8 SrtDgQQD g- e; I ¦ '1 rJ ii' rm ¦ w .olQ. T 3^ *THE LAST OF THE SETHI AS’ earning a monthly remuneration almost four to six times what graduates in Arts and Coi^erce were then earning. Thus was Shapoorji launched into a career that over a^pOTod of name inseparable from Ae history nificence of the solid structures of the Reserve Bank, Ae Mercantile Bank, the Bank of India, the New ________ ¦ 1_ I rough weather. Shapoorji was the life-time . .. tbexonspicuous failure only one of his father ’s sons to ‘ " enter the rougji-nnd-tumble con- tra ^ng trade —a trade known for adl its hazards, its fluctuations and its labow problems. Yet his very — . ¦ _ , first undertakii^, the construction seven . “Me his of the Chowpatty Footpath, gave l’zz. / ~ TT,.~-.. y— j___o _________ him a view of life that was to eni- oL modern Bombay. The “ag- ipA gold- Such was Shapoorji bolden h^ in j^rs A -* Pallonji IdiMy. the “last of the take massive jobs of ^mstoa^on Pafsi gi^ Aias ”. a.«8 a top executive befm^e which oAer .. . Would cower. It was a small coftT- Adia Assurance, and more rewnt- tract of about Rs 12.(XX>-Aecades ly the State , Bank o£ India J»ear ,.v __ -__J_____ - later, mdividual contracts of more fiathffi^fiim. Rallonji Littlewood Aan Rs 5 crores were to be com- C&'in I90L he was only 14. mon —:but it left him after nme l^d^^“”dy establish- months of sweat and toil with a. self as of con- He was a legend in his own L ..... at sAool vAo becs»ne the “master- builder of modem Bombay ”, the daring entrepreneur who faced in ­ numerable diflSculties only to emerge triumiAant eadi Ane, the man endowed wiA Ae Midas touch which turned eve^Aing he toirched PsAonJi Mistry, Ae “last of Ae r__: :-2 " h^ed han on the day of his fune ­ ral. March .1st,. At Ae rime Aat he joined his f ’¦" and The ed i1 tractcKs, han^ mrk wiA Gardens in I92S. young can^ onWni the Gcmopany was passing At jatsd testiinoiiy to his contribution to the world of banking and insurance; the Tty Mahal Inter-Continental luvuuis _ _________ and Ae Oberoi-Shecaton, rivals Rs Young Shapooqi Apugh they may be. were conttact- drew from this the most, important ed by Shapoorji i calculation for his future life. If struction m tbe late 1930 s ^ Ae i wiri^ nine mosAs he coUld earn: Mithapur Ccanplex of TaA^^- . in thia ‘Sriaall contract Rs .2,000, he, r ’ non-matriculate, was mvoM of Imldng andJUMwance; ac^l the Oberoi-Sheraton, rivals cals at OKtaunandial the then hipest chimney in India and of theSafes’ .V'«S.3 in the carfy WSGY ^would B©t a is Kalyan modem peiwmd manago'. yet eMBiples of the spirit there was never a single strike in ^adventure with which the skujed^ his^establishmrat ov^ a t^rlring ’^dtsnjj® and engineers of' life'of mora t||aa de<|wiw. ‘ Shapoorji Paflonji were to go to He would return ^ greerogs of far-off places, brave the hardships the poorest with a bow. Yet many of staying in barely habitable places, and then oidow these under ­ developed areas with townships and and many a Parsi hospital, Parsi industrial factories. It was this school and Parsi atash^)eram will spirit of adventure which embol ­ dened his firm to embark upon what is possibly the first major in ­ ternational contracting work under ­ taken by an Indian firm, the con- struction of the Palace of the Sul ­ tan of Oman at Muscat. By now. the total value of the foreign con ­ tracts has run up to £13.5 millions with an Indian complement of over 500 engineers and workmen. Shapoorji ’s industrial career is esi^ples of the spirit tWe was nev^ a single strike in Hte would return the gree^^ of of his'charities. lavish as th^ were, were donated without a flourish- miss his silent yet substantial dona ­ tions. Each month his contributions to needy students poured in. His known charities have run into lakhs. At a time when the major Parsi institutions, particularly die,hous ­ ing estates, the hospitals, and the atash-beram are facing a growing crisis of resources. Shapoorji ’s silent, sustained and significant contributions to their preservation will be sorely missed. Yet. befitting admittedly less well-known; yet it a Parsi. his charities ware also is worthwhile to note that the firm spread out to other ccnnmunitiBs. of Shapoorji ^ptmji. thfoi^ its It# Was part of the Sethia ’s cul- im^stoents m Bradys. Bombay ture to dare, ever to dare and to Dyeing. A.C.C.. and the like was ranked among the 20 largest indus ­ trial houses of India in the early 196O’s. Since then, the firm has gone back with a vengeance to its “construction heritage ”. For the student of modem man ­ agement familiar with the growth of large corporations, the pheno ­ menal growth of the firm of It# Was part of the Sethia ’s cul- „ J________.J dare ever more. There was a time when he found himself tied in in ­ creasing knots in the making of a film; nearly a crore and a quarter was to leave his coffers in the rescue of “this Mugbal-E-Azam ” operation. Yet courage and hope never left him. The pay-back came and came in torrents. It was this same courage that made him dare Shapoorji Pallonji would provide a to take the contract for the building classic case of the now slowly fad- of the Braboume Stadium —for ing-out culture of “the Sethia ”. His years he never knew whether he ties with his employees were not would folly recover his costs. But organisatitwi. but personal —barely he did—and India gained its bigjsv an hoi^aft^ his wife was coined ‘ to the Towers of Silence, his risks. no ± _.-U-] ? poorest employees thought nothing continuous refrain, and a^ati^l of warmly hugging him in a spirit faith in the miracle of prayers as- of shared sorrow. For the Sethia hi.., iLo uol^ had himself known poverty, and had sunlight at its end. had known it in the raw —there a little-known i were days on end when a meal was Shapoorji was . tl» foct : two major occasions, he stak ­ ed the greater part of his fortune to stand by his benrfactors. T^t both these benef^tors —<^||^en were, directly or in- culture now directly, -tfie establiduneitt, We are today Coc^itions of work in the Sethia ’s of tqp profemwa ^j^ai y ; jn skust, a nisiw ‘‘oiganiaadaiiMS** «r ‘*c(»p(»ate ’* . @ultiue now . We are today aFS^ a oonBrnsmity ivhs^ Public sclieel* NmUe 2 CHOICE SCHOOLING FOR YOUR SON Recognised as a Public School by Department of Education —for Merit Scholars. ExCellrot Climate —AlLround " Edur cation : Indian All Acadendc SidaaectB — Technical Subjects : Radio and Wood-Work Tech ­ nology, Farming —^Mnhig in Self-OoTernment ^ough Elected Qggnas — Physical Training —Daily Aaaembly with Oongke- gatiroal Prayers —Weekly intensive Geeta —Koran Excellent ModOTh O Pining Room far; —Airy Dc^nRodes ,d nde Fees. Cormer Deserving Stude jfl @OQ^i&eaxms, f ZoroBstriro — rlaflPQs . JHFWiYTOm ADMB3I0N tl, I ' Troar:^ J si »• j V* 1-1 ' ?¦ * : -5- 5 ^•'i ^^^clerira, Entrejnen^F built flats with Ae^^e dedin^ yet we he built, Shapoo^ used the ^st 5 to remind ourselves that it materia^, the most astute ar- ,.-within ow own lifetimes that chitects. and picked die most glori ­ ous designs for his structures. The facade of the buildings were solid stone, the ceilings high, the steps grey and white marble, the walls pastel colour^, the brass fittings superb, the railings of the staircase in finest wrought iron and polished brass. Shapoorji never used any- The tiny pebbled pathway, the wrought iron gates they were all in harmony with the building. He once sab that he picked this piece of land because there was a little rito^t^takmg form is graciousness and good taste. * <» dedine; j«t we he Shapoor|i used the "best ~ ---------------------2: ma€^^. a person, not bom to great riches nor a recipient of great degrees, built up an empire in the fonh of monuments that this country will long cherish. ? « Below is a personal sketch of Shapoorji Pallonji Mistry by Ms Rotan Karaka whose family had thing but the finest for his tenants. a long standing association with Shapoorji. For him life had been turbulent, exciting at times, even thrilling. To most his name will be synonymous with success but to those who knew bungalow there diat had belonged him well he was also a symbol of to the first Sir Jamshedji Jeejee- ‘cheer ’, of fun. There was something bhoy. He thought it was very for from then on Shapoorji built some of the finest apartments in the city. Windsor House opposite the Oval, Southlands in the deeper SQU^. Mayfair, Mayfair Gardens, Sterling Apartments, Hampton Court, just to name a few. Even the names of the homes he built had cadence and charm, the as ­ sociation generally being with the west. Each Monday morning he would call on my family as he did on a great many of his tenants and say: “Now^what would you like done? A change in c»lour to any of the rooms? ” “A hew fan? ” “Is that . ... ‘Are the geysers working? ” Hc would sip a to the first Sir Jamshedji Jeejee- K about the man and his exuberance lucky to build on it. Luck it was that filled you with delight. Coming from a very modest background, the dizzy financial heights he rose to did not change his essential character nor his sim- , , „ __ ,___ ___ __ _____ _ pie habits; he lived from beginning Heliopolis," Petropolis, ACTtpblis ’ to end simply. ,• Like the Parsis of old when he took off his pugri he never kept his head bare. A soft, silk, black Parsi cap covered his crew cut length hair. The pockets of his long Parsi coat bulged with spec ­ tacle cases, notes, cheque books, slip books and a wad of notes. He liked to pay cash on the dot. All day he rushed around in his old, red Ford sitting always at the edge rooms? ” “A hew fan? of the hack seat holding on to the marble polished enough?' front scat, directing the driver. t , ' _____ The man who spurred him on to cup of tea with us and generally success and help^ start his career acwmipanying him was, ” was that financial wizard, F. E. partner Rustomjee Patel. Dinshaw. Dressed in simple, white, I ' \ __ __ L , duck pants With the coat buttoned fully, ” Shapoorji used to say. “I in front, a black and yellow spotted I” ’ ‘ 2_____ 1 Z pugri on his head, Shapoorji came like my property" to be in order. ” each day to Dinshaw ’s French-styl- ’ ed home. He would stand there in one comer, bis hands clasped, not out of servitude but respect, and _ ____ ___________ say, “Sir, what can I do for you pie apartment off the Causeway today? ” Dinshaw, a rather tern- called Dantra House. ‘1 like this pestuous, excitable man who mixed _ ____ with only a few people, would give lucky and I’d be sad to part with it. ” him instructions. Shapoorji usually So it was witih his (Ace in Mea- met thfr challenge. dows Street. A steep one flcx>r ric ­ kety stair case led you to a room with a giant ceiling. It was dark in there and the light came in XJply today?' >>» ?»> <« actxnnpanying jmrtner r like my tenants to live beauti- H' him his “I like them to enjoy themselves. I Later taxation worries caused him to sell many of his great homes. But though he built hundreds of flats he himself lived in a most sim- called Dantra House. “I like this spacious old house, ” he said. “It ’s him instruction^. Shapoorji usually met ther challenge. The toddi^ Shapooiji con ­ structed mBc®ibay were ‘Firdous ’ and ‘Bahistan ’. In those days B^^^ tenderness for a man who 1^ se^ a good life and was down because of certain circumstances that had overtaken him. ness. person failed tbo ’e was never a word of reproach, never an angry scene, but always a Helping hand. - - He know how one gets excited.^ and liked to see pretty faces and shape- proceed to pat his back and the ly figures. “What ’s wrong with ad- game would go on. miring beauty, ” he would say and ‘‘wh„ jjjs eygg twiidded to see a modem miss whiz past in Her self-driven car. With his own children he was very liberal. He could hot under ­ stand “all this niod^ btisiiiss^? ’ but he realized' mar mey ht^ a childheh wehe happily settled. Socially he would seldom accept an invitation except from those he knew very well. But come an illness or a sad moment, Shapoorji would be at the door to comfort, advise and guide. And though for many summers he lived rather a secluded life he was never forgotten. He liked to feed the poor and comfort the sick but if he was solving a parti ­ cular problem and someone irrita ­ tedhim for a donation he could .i perhajK ^ot pf giving and one on his purse in the rising inflation l’’ • 'WRvel chair, s Fear him there were no cocktail ___ _ ________ I parties, no dinners, no spectacular Shapoorji gave a helping hand s shows. Shapoorji loved his tot of for many causes. He helped a young j &otch in the evening and the odd girl start a pictorial newspaper, he j little bits of small eats to soften the helped a man dig a mine, he help ­ drink. He enjoyed his game of ed another start a challe nging busi- bridge and when his partner made ness. “Help others and 0^ wilj a mistake he would jump iip from help you ”, was his credo and if th^ his chair, get terribly excited, slap him on the back and say “God, what a fool. ” This would be prompt- followed by, “I am so jrau ainiretT beauty. proceed to pat his back and the fy figures. “What ’s wrdng with ad- game would go on. ... “Why don ’t you travel around the world? ” I once asked Shapoorji. “I have no desire, my child, ” he replied “I once took a plane to Bangalore but never again.* ’ Ges ­ ticulating wildly he said, “as sooii ______ as the aeroplane took off I ran up pbilt j^ vief; He saw to it tha^is and down the aisle, ” rmd he demon- - « .. . . strated by running up and down the verandah. “I was crazy up in the air with nothing tolling on to. ‘Stop at once and open the door. Let me out. You can keep your modem travel, get me out on some land. ’ That was the end of my tra ­ vels. I prefer to stay in my own Bombay, firni on land. ” He disliked Western clothes, he found them un ­ comfortable, “All this nonsense about coats and ties and waist-coats __ __ .... ..___ and particular shoes and hats. get slightly The man had ¥* giving miu unc of Mia^orjis m^ey ; ocn^y^undersjand the immense pull , «.«!Qjj his purse in the rising inflation oL^ later jfears; Of his own free (vows). The late Mother Anna Huberta said that when Shapoorji first saw the condition of St. Catherine ’s Home then a mere cow- MAZDA Elevator Company Electrical Mechanical Engineers Lift Specialists & f* - : one who wasitt a tight spot. He was < ‘ who wanted to help himself, anyone was never the hard-hearted finan- Licensed Contractors J '1 ! a certain wish of his came true, he would build a nursery that was worthy of his power. He did. On another occasion he rebuilt a Parsi well where the faithful said their prayers morning and evening. Above all was his devotion to God. Each niorni^ at sunrise after .an said his A vesta prayers, and "he never set ourto woit wtOiout once ' sitting down to his flrogal rep)^, he —~ •’—at dusk he said hiiS^ longer praj^rs « Tata Mills C operative Housing Sa Ltd.. Elphinstone Rj| Parel, Bombay TeL No. 4473i J 45-New Sto^ *Bidg., 6th fia Street, Fort « Bombay 4^1 Tel. No, 257J •I I I 71from page 23) ing the bigg^ dgars middle¥ajBOt ^Kom the . munity knew toore about its sist the onslaught of missionaries. But what Wilson and other mis- siemariN failed to do, and what many who at present are givf^H the Arabs failed to do —crush opp<^Buity_ wiff able^ to .O ism, materudbm and religious in- heritage. difference are doing very effectively. I stress the n^ for tm all-^H Whereas before the Prophet ’s fol- religious education because itj^| lowers have acted decisively, now to me that when Parsis hpve1^| it seems little is done. ed religion they have most ^^| I know of several individuals^ — concentrated op language st^® you all probably know of many — Of course languages are nUfl L- ___ __________ 1 tant —but it is the content B fillment within Ae community, and merely the language of the so they have turned elsewhere —to phet ’s teaching which is urser ‘' ‘'“ ’7^ om its own ideals mad d^erted 5 traditimi, they and those like lem are not true to themselves. was nof" the British who created le Parsi community —it was the aching of Zarathushtra. Zoroas- .. . . „ , . ianism was the foundatiem of the ligious debates. But there is one students are given ap isanian Empire, it was keq> thing I would say —seek above all course in ffie histpty and tea^W It seems pointless to take measures wbi/^b muia include la to increase a community unless w that .community has an identity, could themselves hMp to And rim idemrity M this fxmmmnity others m Bbnffmy. If the cpmmBn^ 1 is bas^ teachings of sririies for rias to be dtm^U J Zarathushtra. great n^, it ije dope. This is on© specific ¦ seems tq me, is for die r elig ious posal, it alone would obviously education of rile comnmnity by all be scratching tlte surface of the * possible means —by classes in the problem. The main work, the work, _____ _ ___ It is there in pe^ from which nothbg has Hum: gmiWticm (^parted loll measure, but they are not I “____¦ shown it. ‘ You will notice that I have de ­ liberately avoided the questitm of with sufficient academic cqoa^ conversion. I have done this be- tence and above all the will to cause it is not for me as an out- about their faith, i Will ensure^M sider to comment on internal re- at Manchester University ayi Let me, therefore, make onc^xi fic proposal. If the ct^mura will raise the funds to seoH stockm ive the t aanhin^ s of the Prophet the conversion of the community, of their faith, Aftw a jpear ’a i lat the Parsis ewe to India, it tov« z.«„rcA wbi/^h mnW incliidg as Zoroastrian l^diOons which ;pt the Pai^is a distinct com- unity in 11^. and it was the inciples of Zoroastrhmism that ere the basis of the li^ of the eat Parsis —^he ideals of troth, inesty, charity and work. Without that basis there can be > heart, no soul, in the emnmunity. iless you hold racialist views like ose of Hitler you cannot justify 3 distincthl^o^ of the com- j than by . _ _ come down »m the Pre^het. It was not the parture of the British that ought about the community ’s cline —but the departure of iroastrian ideals. What 4s so terrible is that many of the commupity do not nw ueir heritage. 1 am only It^ng a comment countless rsis when I say that the tide of igious knowledge is at a really p ebb. Whm mis* 1^. J. boys and puMislied a& attack " jnity hl an^ oti^er way 3 ideals wm^ have coi '• 2. nrio StRtwmmt about Ownarahip and other Partieutorg about PARSIANA Form IV (Saa Rula 8) Bombay ‘Monthly. J.S. Khamaara ^^tfldga a fSt), Ltd.. C*xt«o Houm. Sbahid Bh(g*t Singh ffoad, SMb^-dObOOt Jahaaflr R. PaMi Indian 2K, ). fMaji Mam.. Bombay 400007, JntaMtir it. Paul (edteii 2|^ {. Dadaji Mam. Bombay 400007^ lobangir R. Paul 285, |. Oadaji Marg, Bombay 400 007. 4. Wha tb^43Bbti«a . Woa^Mtod 1843 the com- “¦ » ei Publication .^riodicity of its Publication 3. Printer ’s name ....................................... Nationality Address ................................................... Publisher ’s name Nationality ........................... ,. Address .. Editor ’s name Nationality ..................................... Address . . ........................... < Names and address of fndieiduati ! who own the newspaper and nartnors or sharnheldm bolding i^e wan onp I, Mianglr R. I^el, bgraby declare that the particulars given above arejp^d-w^to^MB.^ nowle^a eod'Belief. 5. « ¦I j* per cent »f the capi^ I* ¦ V^.T’’. my lutowledi^ eetf^lelief. "Dete; Makh I, 1975 t ’ - i0 - ege ?SU»^±e:?^l Sr.dr,FunMe!.^»^ ‘»^;^ wr.l,. “O«eu make a f#l -^Unts wtd'd*, 1 ctosute oJ aU tte I h lax. nc also hereby gu I these P®°P^® 1 ,a ... = to sta$e . th^ J p^d** ?L <1 ^l^ “On« °JLl ’T,TeOTeri»>ent SeS2J,ing=Sil2«^*'' ftways Kmemter«^y, don ’t you jmdothers —tnust^ official t^r®t2^^._^^gjay here? ’” vesti^ fe to be^l^ bringa^P-ootan dJStsy Sver « Oiser (Con.^-^ I'‘^ ^s “* “ Bui "mS trssS'^i ^=“ ” world wo»'a '’tinsWio.^;^^ ,Hat ••it » «“? —- -5“ ¦ ri".x“(S *¦— i (Coitimal /'<«" ^public «re nl'have ”to 'S'*** Ae.«»«?« “15:?MIhe M£/Sd a pioper Trust rhaifC ’in^^l^^ odtbut ihe --" /the distinctiveness 01^ XLhowever large or - WV • ^rKmnnit^ may 1 only Income-Tax on 4 Wealth Tax. V/e i have all upon i This is an en: also hereby private W>totr^- _opera- tirelv septate^^d Have all tiuu. ' ' Withdrawn mon^ ^»ou.a> &ti^; J'X.'^aSiSfW —----------T =QrS “re,u»^ .....--- - ' . public are » “Jft ta« to dectiou »d .h«r ra^;^& »d a proper Trust to cou.nwn_ is important have to be cr^d.^. Ea^ber A?)'X’ i “" “ seems to r^fi^ their own Sjdhwa and handed them over to have otherwise. ” . Pofsiana appeal is made to • J 1. - in any n)ay Trustees \ - ' and a proper Sederati» to .’ IjBce of ^Beating to . get on ' ,'the problems Eaity. ” -'-J involwd ^''L^Trust to Now" ¦ A<^ J , ‘ received no r^ . . jjj.be J ' “'^'~ '• niiyate Trust then questions Sj^e^ satis- .iftiJgei-as =«Sfi."4£?-' " ¦ ‘’^ ffiSs?=ai22B5i5^ i“\Se facing tne r' I 2®5* - I'' < * ' .1^ J V fl -t xl *» w E^ « _^i "XS'^king CtW* ’*' i ... ' .-AJ L •:? ¦: • J^' ‘ ¦¦ ?.J T 1 :*. i «> 4^ 21-1. ;i Di ’ e W -