May 1978

\i ir&r waDsiDUDM posiiHiiQBjisi iiiim 56 ID BQIIHIIBBBBBBOa nDBBBQDilOQ& I I Kia Hi fiU BQDOOnj A.?S‘v?4^— jjWVjjAA*^ r*_- VWiVLMJ *1 ¦l • 4* MHM MM s May-June 1978 • Price Rs. 3.50 9 OOBOOfl&fifiWI HQOBOODQOQQSH QDflDQDDUDOOHDO 000900DB :S m I i t A' s. lOBflaiiiDaBPiMflaa DDBiBMa Spang BDB OhQOODOOSDDOlQOBOOliei^ I r MWM5] B’fflim * =«: > BID IQID [LjgiLjjaii iruw Siotf >1 AM jiuu I n mi)9 DID oau II MB waai pyg jiiMioai! J I ! I 'o I o. May-June 1978 Vol. 2 No. 5 CONTENTS EDITOR'S COLUMN READERS' FORUM EVENTS AND PERSONALITIES NEWS FROM THE MEDIA ZOROASTRIANS ABROAD THE CAMA BAUG EPISODE Interview by Shireen Gobhai INTERVIEW : Shiavax Nargolwala THE GIFT OF WINGS by Jeroo Gorimar LISTENING FOR MANAGERS .. Book Review by A. D. Moddie 3 5 6 11 15 18 26 38 43 Parsiana cover : Sketch of Bombay's Sodawaterwalla Agiary by Architect Uttam Jain. f ‘j d. it t t 5Editor ’s Column worship of God or the supernatural ”. So it is clear that if any differences arise in any matter pertaining to re ­ ligion, no discussion can take place. A fought for his children ’s rights. There was the possibility that through behind the scenes negotiations, Enty could have obtained permission to use the In short the community ’s apex body hall, but he preferred to take the has negated its role as an apex body, matter to the public and thereby did Perhaps the next resolution should be the community a great service. By that the council should not discuss setting an example of what a deter ­ matters pertaining to the Zoroastrian mined individual can do, he has made community. This will ensure that no others aware that they have a right to controversial questions pertaining to use the halls, even if they have mar ­ The saga of the Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India is slowly assuming the proportions of a soap opera. The climax of the cur- ... rent chapter hinges on whether or not controversial questions pertammg to use the halls, even if they have mar- the disgruntled trustees of the Bombay community arise. Shortly after ried out of the community. Of course Parsi Panchayat (BPP) will rejoin the Federation and find true happiness or whether the Federation will become just another affair to remember. Amidst the suspense, intrigue and anguish, the drama unfolds in Bom­ bay, Delhi and the far comers of the country. Indeed so crucial has the question of the BPP resigning or re- that the council should pass a resolu- this right only extends to Parsi males tion saying that no discussion on any because ours is a backward community subjects should be permitted and the in many respects, but perhaps now delegates should gather only for com- some women will come forward and munal prayers, falooda and malido. fight as bravely as Enty did. If change This would ensure the much desired will not come from above, it must unity, or what Mahatma Gandhi termed “the peace of the graveyard.' So long as the BPP trustees view the Federation as a threat to their char is evidence that there are many hegemony, it is apparent they will in the community to help such people sabotage its functioning from within or fight community causes. without. Thus we find that though the BPP severed its ties with the Federa- _ _________________________ _ ___ _ tion, they stUl tried to pressure the come from below. The gratuitous assistance rendered to Enty by both Rusi Sethna and The Bombay Sama- 99 I joining become that people have lost sight of the larger issue, namely what ? i ls in the best interest of the com­ munity. Assuming that the BPP trustees want to remain out of the Federation, should they be enticed back? So long other member anjumans to resign and as there is no unity of thought can a Federation comprising all the Anju ­ mans in India serve a purpose? One found in the past that on a subject because they felt they were unloved — - - - and that the Federation served no pur ­ pose, the question arises as to why so In many of the other anjumahs followed suit? Why did they not exercise their sign a requisition demanding the A HUNDRED YEARS AGO Federation be wound up. While the BPP left the Federation genuinely felt the Federation served no purpose, why did they not resign ear ­ such as the uplift of the Zoroastrian priesthood, on which all delegates were in agreement, nothing was done. L. meeting after meeting, the representa- . . . tives were informed that time was individual judgement? Why did they required and a report would be ready forsake^their leadership role? If Jhey for the next meeting, but to no avail. At the Executive Council meeting _ - in Delhi on July 15, the delegates Her? A few Anjumans such as Cal- passed a resolution to the effect that cutta and Secunderabad & Hyderabad have not signed the requisition and have also made it clear that they will not kowtow to the BPP. With their co­ operation and that of a few other anju ­ mans, the Federation can and should continue. In d»e time the other anju ­ mans will eithei come around or form a parallel body. If they form a second In his speech at Nowsaree, Sir p Richard Temple dwelt upon the fact that the Parsees, who were once an agricultural and military race, are now neither cultivators nor soldiers. They are merchants, shop-keepers, and clerks, most of them being anxious to live by their brains rather than by their hands. If they continue to increase in numbers. His Excellency said, this state of things cannot con ­ tinue. Parsees must take to agriculture, to handicrafts, even to soldiering. To this statement we might take the pre ­ liminary objection that it is very doubtful whether the Parsees are “continuing to increase. ” They are said to have ceased to increase and multiply, and are now in some dan ­ ger of experiencing a slow decline. For marriage is looked upon by many of the younger generation as a peri ­ lous venture not to be entered into untd the future is made more or less certain. A certain standard of com ­ fort, or, if the word is thought more controversial religious questions would not be taken up by the council. The resolution which is a sop to the BPP trustees, has made a mockery of the Federation. Cannot the representa ­ tives of the various anjumans of India, people who control crores of rupees of .. F___ F-J to discuss religious matters? Is it body, let them do so. Competition is - - - - - often a spur to achievement. What the community needs today is leaders not tmst funds and properties, be relied on 1 that the community feels the funds are safe with these people but not oui traditions and principles? And what peacemakers, constitutes a religious controversy? If a representative were to say that the sale of sandalwood should be sub ­ sidized and another representative The Cama Bang incident in which differed as he felt it would mean the trustees of the hall initially re ­ subsidizing an individual ’s religious fused to permit its use for Soonnu beliefs, the discussion would have to ~ * * applicable, of luxury, has been set up | Enty ’s navjote as her mother was a non-Parsi (see “The Cama Bang Epi- . fit a controversy as “a discussion marked community where too many Zoroas- by the community, and habits of ex ­ travagance and display have been ac ­ quired which will possibly have the same effect in encouraging a prone- cease. non-Farsi (see "me cama uaug npi- ®®ss to celibacy amongst the Zoroas- The Webster ’s Dictionary defines sode ”), has its brighter side. In a tr-an community that the progress of controversy as “a discussion marked community where too many Zoroas- nineteenth century civilization has especially by the expressing of opposing trians have been indifferent to the plight had upon our middle class at home. Rusi Enty took up the cudgels and Prom The Times of India, 7-3-78. 3 fl I views; ” the definition of religion in the of thejr fellow community members. same dictionary is “the service and F . ‘ . *_ * 3 ¦Bi w I 4 I i READERS' FORUM 1 !i Scapegoats compound) houses photographic Parsis should refrain from making colour exhibits of what appear to be inter-marriage a scapegoat for the such Chinese embroidered work, internal ills of the community. In However, the plates have been gene ­ houses V- A' 1'1 1*776, i *" •'••in »> ,1 J a mixed marriage —if ‘torn ’ children rally bunched together in large picture exist, the cause is not mixed marri ­ ages, but the immaturity of the par ­ ents who come to live together as one, yet refuse to compromise. Where taken irom a book on Indian em- there is unity of purpose in the minds broidery written by a Frenchman at of the parents, dualism in religion or culture can never exist. As for mixed marriages leading to frames along with Indian embroidery. The curator informs me that this information and the plates have been taken from a book on Indian the turn of the century. I wonder if any one who knows whether these are __ __ ______ _ of Indian or Chinese origin, could the extinction of the good qualities Apts., Off Parsis are noted for, are other races not endowed with a sense of charity, enterprise, tolerance, honesty etc? It is asked that if ail people belong to one family, why did God give them different physical characteristics. The answer is how can there be any type of “sameness ” in a world family when even in a nuclear family the members are not the same? Even in a nuclear family one child may be dark, other may be fair; one upright, an ­ other a swindler —and all of the same Differences in pattern, colour and trait, are a result of genes, geographical and atmospheric loca ­ tion and surroundings, and not a re ­ sult of “creation." Altamount Road, Bombay 400 026. Ms S. N. NANPORIA One Hundred Years Ago For some time past the Guzerati papers have been full of complaints regarding the defectiveness of the law regulating marriage and divorce among Parsees, A recent, issue of the Sammachar gives publicity to a com ­ munication from a Parsee at Surat who is so alarmed at the social abus ­ es which have crept in through the laxity of the law now prevailing, that he loudly calls upon the heads of the community to set about amending it, lest scandals abound to the utter deterioration of domestic morals amongst his people. As matters stand now, the most flagrant breaches of conjugal duty are treated with a leni ­ ency quite disproportionate to the gravity of the offence, and thus it , happens that the endurance of so come Zarathushtrians, they cannot do 1978). light a penalty as a short period of in- so as they lack adequate support and The kusti is neither cracked nor carceratinn mieht suffice tn release priests to perform the Navjote whipped, but is gently shaken with the either party to a marriage from all Ceremony. We are willing to arrange right hand, toward the left hand side obligation to behave to the other as for and perform such navjotes. Inte- of the person. It matters little whe- his or her wife or husband rested pcrsoIB may contact us at ther yoS face the Sun, east, south or " “X 2/3/77 Readers' views are welcome on any subject of interest to the community and should be sent to The Editor, Readers' Forum, Parsiana, G.P.O. Box 892, Bombay 400 001. Letters are sub­ ject to editing for reasons of space and parentage, clarity. and an- KASHMIRA B. BARIA ZEST Services Directions, please Many Zarathushtrian mothers who K. D. Chargeman inquires about are married to non-Zarathushtrlans, find that though their husbands arc 'to allow their children to be- willing cracking or whipping a kusti and the direction to be faced while doing so (Readers ’ Forum, Parsiana March 1 The kusti is neither cracked nor priests to perform the Navjote whipped, but is gently shaken with the for and perform such navjotes. Inte- of the person. It matters little whe ­ ther you face the Sun, east, south or Zaruthushtrians for Emancipation west, so long as you do not face & Socio - Religious - Transformation North in accordance with Zoroastrian (ZEST), C/o Y. M. Khambatta, scriptures. If one ties the kusti after Uranwalla Mansion, Opposite Family sunset, one must face the light, be it Planning Hospital, Parel, Bombay . . _ 400012. „ ____ ____ ____________ Those priests who are willing to what? Perhaps a scholar can help. ... register themselves with us as part or f, f. mullan full-time priests, may kindly contact udvada us. All correspondence will be treat ­ ed as strictly confidential. We are organizing volunteers to im ­ part Zarathushtrianism to children in a lamp or electricity. But if the light Rashid D. Bamanbehram Professional Photographer, Press Photographer. For photos of weddings, Navjotes and birthday parties contact : is on the North side of the wall, then Made in China? I am interested in collecting any information on Chinese embro ’deries selected age groups using modem {gha^as, jhublas, borders) made^ for methods and available aids. Those who wish to volunteer to teach may contact us. Y. M. KHAMBATTA the Parsis in western India around the turn of the century. Bombay ’s Victoria and Albert Museum (in the Jeejamata Udyan and Rashid D. Bamanbehram Flat No. 3, First Floor No. 6 Wadia Block Khareghat Colony, 30A Hughes Road Bombay 400 007. 5J Events and Personalities "The Gathas" The _____ books on 2Loroastrianism is a major handicap to the study and understand ­ ing of the religion. Aside from a few second hand book shops and from a few Parsi households, there are hardly any other sources for acquiring the out of print books. Burjor Tara- porewala, whose father was the renowned Zoroastrian scholar, Irach J. S. Taraporewala, has over the course of the years reprinted some of the books penned by his father. These ___ ________ , include The Gathas, Daily Prayers stood first class first in the M.Ed. ex- and The Religion of Zarathushtra. ------ ’ ’ ¦’ ’ ’ But “during the last ten years, ” notes Burjor Taraporewala in _ ____ addressed to those interested in re- ________ __________ printing the books, “the cost of book degree in education; Ms Banoo Soli publication...has risen steeply. I have been unable to republish the books ____„__ ______ _____ -_ —-- for lack of finance ”. Taraporewala the Higher School Leaving Certificate proposes to reprint the combined examination, securing 85 percent and Gujerati-English edition of the The 84 percent respectively. Gathas for which demand is consider- In the transition column are list ­ able both in India and abroad. But ed: Dr Jamshedji Byrams hah Jagus, as each copy will cost between Rs 25 ' ” ” " ' to Rs 30 he adds the reprinting will only be possible if there are “suffi ­ cient ” funds at his disposal. amount should contact Taraporewala at India House No. 2, Flat 14, 3rd floor, Kemp ’s Comer, August Kranti we may encounter him, the collec- tary. Dr Maesimund B, Panos, inform ­ non-availability of scholarly live effect of this small gesture would 7—. go a long way to build up his pres ­ tige not only (amongst) Zoroastrians an examination, but also in the eyes of people of other communities. ” In other news, the newsletter notes that: Neville Homi Irani, pre ­ sident of the Young Zoroastrians Youth Association, stood first class in the B. E. (metallurgy) First Sem ­ ester Examination. Neville is a Na ­ tional Government Merit Certificate holder; Ms Zarine Lam (Karani) amination and earned the Lok Manya rri’l 1 T-v • scholarship from the University of tuted with Wadia as one of its mem- " ¦ ’ ‘ " bers and later chairman. Wadia notes that Parsis have been pioneers in homoeopathy with the substantial contributions of doctors such as the late Burjo Behram, Edul Behram and Navroji Mehta. “All these three doctors were allopathic graduates like me but opted for homoeopathy, ” notes Wadia. “This class of allopa- ing Wadia of the award for which he had to submit a thesis and appear for a letter The first Indian to be made a fellow of the Hahnemaan Medical Society of America, Wadia has held many pro- minent positions in national and in ­ ternational homoeopathic organiza ­ tions. When homoeopathy was not recognised in the old state of Bombay, Wadia along with a committee of seven others impressed upon'the state government the need for formal re ­ cognition. As a result the Homoeopa- ___ J- thic Act of 1951 was-passed in the Tilak Prize. She has reportedly won Assembly and a tribunal was consti- the Denver in the U.S.A, for a master ’s Irani and Hoshedar Feroz Tamboli were among the top 20 candidates in In the transition column are list- one of the Trustees of the Poona Parsee Panchayat for the last 20 years, was connected with the Lions .----- ------- Club, Blind Men ’s Association, who can contribute or help raise the Jaycees and many other organisa- ptnAimt ___ 1 _ m • • t •» . « . at India House No. 2, Flat" 14, 3rd f ” / * Marg, Bombay 400 036. Those tions; Shapoorji Nusserwanji Ankles- aria, well-known businessman who had brought the name of Poona and his concern on the transport map of India; and Mottu Darashah Mohta- bhoy, who aided the community ’s Respectfully Yours Youth Wing, following an accident in The Poona Parsi Panchayat, one of factory. the few anjumans in India to publish a newsletter, has suggested a simple, economic and effective way of uplift- Homoeopathic Pioneer ing the priesthood, namely, educating Dr Sarosh Wadia the noted Bombay behdins. “It is incumbent upon every homoeopath has been made a Diplo- Zoroastrian that whenever he comes mate of the American Board of across an Athoman Saheb, he should Homoeotherapeutics, (ABH) the first wish him and show respect to him, ” non-American to be so honoured notes the newsletter. “If all of us since the last six or seven years, make an effort to extend courteous “We all know of your fine work” respect to every (priest) whenever noted a letter from the ABH secre- since the last six or seven years. “We all know of your fine work” Wadia: “Fine Work” 6I » a a nominal hire, and assisting children to gain admission into schools and night classes at reduced fees. The HH workers can be contacted on any Tuesday, Wednesday or Fri- 10.30 and noon at St Sebastian ’s Goan High School, St Xavier Street, Girgaon, Bombay 400 002. * * J The Inner Eye Bombay eye surgeon, Keiki R. Mehta has been honoured by the American Intra-Ocular Implant Society for his _ . ------ innovative work on a soft lens im- Thejrime^ and Talents Club, one of plant for cataract patients. Mehta J „ '¦ picked up an “appreciation ” award zations, is the Helping Hand (HH) and certificate earlier this year in Los project which completed its second Angeles when he presented a paper anniversary this July. Created with the along with a demonstration film, at objective of counselling women in the education, employment, marriage. Mdita: Soft Lens Implant Helping Hands Among the many services offered by mj_ (-»1< .am.. "L Bombay ’s leading social service organi- project which completed its second Angeles when he presented a paper TL .... objective of counselling women in f ' / ____ children, divorce, the law, taxes, medical and other fields, the com­ mittee has banded together a group of professionals “specialized in var- —x,, ious spheres to give the best possible tors S. N. Sathe and S. D. Karyekar, College Jubilee help and guidance where necessary. ” the Mehta Soft Lens Implant is now Twenty-five years ago the Sir J. J. Over 70 cases had been registered being “routinely fitted and we haven ’t College of Commerce had its humble till March; these included saving a had any problems, ” says the 37-year- beginnings as a typewriter institute in marriage between an inter-caste cou- old doctor. the Sir J. J. Parsi Benevolent Institu- ple, obtaining a divorce for a woman While a contact lens is fitted on tion building on Dadabhoy Naoroji from an “unendurable marriage, ’* ‘ '' . of professionals “specialized in var- the invitation of the Society, the lar ­ gest of its kind in the world. The paper, based on 35 cases, was also read at the National Eye Research Foundation Conference in Chicago. Developed in conjunction with Doc­ tors S. N. Sathe and S. D. Karyekar, the Mehta Soft Lens Implant is now a Fellowship in the Royal Society of Health, London, last year. “India has a large cadre of skilled ophthalmic surgeons, only held back by the high price of imported instru ­ ments, ” Mehta says. “If we were al ­ lowed to purchase research instru ­ ments at cost, India could soon rank among the best in the world. 99 » help and guidance where necessary. dll March; these included saving a had any problems, ” says the 37-year- -X • . doctor. While a contact lens is fitted on the eye and is removable, an implant Road. The funds came from the un- an J•A sisted of Sir N. J. Wadia (as Chair ­ man), Prof P. C. Hansotia, Mr R. P. Dalal, Dr R. C. Cooper, Mr R. Nanabhoy and Mr J. H. Cama. The utilized monies of a madressa fund. Today, the Sir J. J. College of Com ­ merce is one of the leading institu ­ tions of its kind in Bombay and offers ----------- . an array of courses in the secretarial, enlarged educational operation also commercial and business fields. Occu- involved a larger financial aid. and pying almost an entire building in the the Trustees, with the permission of Fort area, the college which functions the H-gh Court, were able to annually “under the overall umbrella ” of the divert a part of the income ^ccruing Bombay Parsi Panchayat trustees, is ‘ "" a self-sufficient body and a model for other trusts to emulate. In an article written on the occa ­ sion of the College ’s silver jubilee, Homi D. Mehta, the institute ’s hono ­ rary director, noted the college “has a unique identity and its functioning is interwoven with sound management principles and practices. ” Jamshed N. _ 1___ _1___ ytzxll managing committee and leased for the anniversary that “in the context of recent happenings in the where because of constant changes cipal. The Trustees were also able to students completing High School have spare some premises in the Dhun been thoroughly demoralised and fru- Building at 14 Nanabhoy Lane and the Strated, institutions like the Sir J. J. ’ ’ ’ College of Commerce, imparting much needed commercial education, have I proved to be a great blessing. ” involved a larger financial aid, and the High Court, were able to annually under the Sir J. J. Madressa Fund. “There was a steady increase in en ­ rolments and the Institute was fortu ­ nate in attracting good faculty mem ­ bers who considered the assignment more as a social service than a means of livelihood. There was also a need to have separate premises to run the institution on a full time basis. “The year 1960 was essentially a turning point in the history of the in ­ stitute. The Trustees of the Parsee JEENA & COMPANY (E8TD. 1900) IATA AIR CARGO Clearing, Forwarding t. Guzder, chairman of the college ’s managing committee and a noted -------- — businessman stated in his message re- Panchayat appointed ’Mr Maneck Pheroze Mistry as the Chairman of the then Advisory Committee and Prof P. C. Hansotia as the Hon. Prin- educational system of our country. students completing High School have spare some premises in the Dhun institute was housed there. It started to operate its shorthand and type ­ writing classes on a full time basis and its diploma classes on a morning part The story of the Sir J. J. College of time basis. In the same year, with a ¦ - — - ’ • view to complying with Government regulations. Sir J. J. Commercial In ­ stitute was retained to conduct only courses approved by the Government of Maharashtra for their commerce Diploma, and all other courses were transferred to another institution Commerce goes back to Sir Jamshet- jee Jeejeebhoy, “a man of great fore ­ sight and vision, ” notes Mehta “who earmarked his personal estate to establish a chain of institutions which could be the temples of learning. In the area of office training and com- transferred to another institution merce educat ’on, an institution styled styled as Sir J. J. College of Com­ as Sir J. J. P. B. Institution Commer ­ cial Classes was constituted as early as in 1914, to be run under the aus ­ pices of the then Trustees of the Parsi Panchayat, Bombay. These classes cove ’-ed the subjects of typewriting, shorthand and book-keeping. The 1968, launching of the executive secre- classes were essentially on a part time tarial course for graduate students — basis and they served their utility for the first of its kind in India —and est- almost four decades. ’ " ' ' - ’ j- - “The then Trustees of the Parsee Panchayat, as a part of their program- merce. ” Some of the subsequent highlights in the history of the college include establishment of a full fledged secre ­ tarial division in 1966, affiliation with business colleges in the U.S.A, in ablishment of a foreign students divi- s'on in 1969; in the succeeding years a publication div'sion, and a computer me for the amelioration of the Parsee wing for punch operating were started, youth through education, felt it op­ portune to convert the “Ccr^ncrce Classes ” into a “Commercial In- sHtute ”. Hence, upon the recommen ­ dation of an expert committee set up from the Indian Merchants ’ Chamber by them for th's purpose, they trans- for conducting the course leading to formed the Commercial Classes in+o their diploma in business manage- the “Sir J. J. Commercial Institute ”. This was done in June 1953. The Trustees also appointed an Advisory Committee to advise them on the aca ­ demic operations and the administra ­ tive set UP of the Institute. “The first Advisory Committee con- • the correspondence course division was ‘Commerce established in 1972, and in 1975 the college started the business manage ­ ment division and received accredition ment. As Bombay Parsi Panchayat Chair ­ man Mr B. K. Boman-Behram noted in his coneratulatorv message, “I am sure the Silver Jubilee will mark a further milestone in the growth and progress of the college. ” >» Warehousing and Insurance Agents 10, Veer Nariman Road Fort, Bombay-1 Cable : ‘Justitia’ Telex : 2313 PHONE : 312032 Branches : E. 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Dady House Bombay 400 023 . Telephone 291249 Cable Dinclub > Telex 011-5917 /I News from samy, Air-India ’s managing director, * presented Mr. Tata with a silver model of the Puss Moth which he flew on India ’s first scheduled air mail flight from Karachi to Bombay on October 15, 1932. {Indian Express and Times oj India}. the Media As it is not possible to .^impersonally contact the large umber of Zoroastrians who feature in the news, Parsiana will carry items on Zoroastrians from the various newspapers and journals. Readers are welcome to send in clippings. President's Police Medal Inspector Minoo Irani of the Jogesh- > wari Police Station who handled the communal riots in Bombay ’s Jogesh- ¦' wari area in 1974 and 1975, has won • the President ’s Police Medal for meritorious service for his several f detections of housebreaking, thefts, busting of gangs of car thieves and - bullies in the suburbs. I A former student of Bharda New I High School and Ruia College, Irani I joined the police force in 1950. He I was posted at Nasik and later to the | Baroda District. He is credited with detecting the Asaj Village quadruple Chinoy: researcher and teacher murder at Baroda District and since his transfer to Bombay in 1957 has served at various Police Stations in the city and also in the Detection of Crime Branch and Foreigners Branch, C.I.D. Lt.-Gen. Sethna is MGO at army headquarters. New Delhi, July 30: Lt.-Gen. A. M. Sethna, AVSM, has taken over as the master general of ordinance at the army headquarters, says an official release. He was the commandant of the defence services staff college at Wellington and has been promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general on as ­ suming this appointment. Gen. Sethna was closely connected with the planning and execution of the operations in support of the Mukti Bahini during the Indo-Paki- stan conflict in 1971 and in recogni ­ tion of his distinguished service of an exceptional order, he was award ­ ed the ati vishisht seva medal in 1972. {Times oj India.} A & Award for JRD Bombay, June 15: The former chair ­ man of Air-India, J. R. D. Tata, has been selected for the Tony Jannus Award for 1979 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the deve ­ lopment of air transport. Appropriately enough, the message informing him of the award was re ­ ceived by Tata as he was being felicitated by the Air-India staff in his office today. The message re ­ quested him to accept the award at a special ceremony in Tampa, Florida, in March. At today ’s reception, K.G. Appu- Kutch-Bhuj in Gujarat. He obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees with distinction from Bombay University in 1929 and 1931 respectively. During that tenure, he was awarded the Dakshina Fellowship of the Royal Institute of Science and the Research Fellowship of Bombay University as well as the Foreign Research i Fellowship for further studies in the J United Kingdom. He joined the ' Imperial College, London University for his Ph.D. degree under the guid ­ ance of the world renowned botanist. Professor F. G. Gregory and obtain ­ ed his Ph.D. in 1935. On his return to India, he joined the Indian Cen ­ tral Cotton Committee, Lyalpur as a Physiological Assistant. In 1941, he joined Indian Agricultural Research Institute as second Assistant Econo ­ mic Botanist. In 1947, he was ap ­ pointed Reader in Botany in Delhi University where 1^ continued work­ ing upto 1959. as ’ i " * ing upto 1959. Dr. Chinoy joined jy Gujerat University as Professor of Botany in 1959 and from 1962 to 1974 ¦ he was the Director of the Univer- j sity School of Sciences. For the last 50 years he was closely associated with pure and ap- i plied research in agricultural botany and plant physiology and his work has received worldwide recognition. In 1959 he presided over a session of : plant physiology section of the IXth ; International Botanical Congress held i at Montreal, Canada. He was elected i “Physiology of ; Botanist Flowering ” Session at a conference ¦ Professor Jamshedji Jijibhoy Chinoy held in 1960 at the Indian Council of was born on 18th February, 1909 at Agricultural Research, New Delhi. In j -Lii. 1 ¦ rt. >w Irani: meritorious service In 1972 he arrested Phiroze Daruwala who had murdered four persons at Bombay ’s Dhobi Talao area. Irani was promoted to Asstt. Inspector of Police in 1973 and as Police Inspector in 1977. Professor J. J. Chinoy—Leading Chairman of the 11I T awarded Give the picture a caption him the Dr K. G. Naik Gold Medal for his brilliant research. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi awarded him the coveted H Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Memorial Prize H for 1974-75 for his researches in the ||v field of Agro-botany and Plant R Physiology. On 12th September. 1976, K| Professor Chinoy was felicitated by IF* The Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat. K Professor Chinoy ’s researches on Wl Physiology of seed germination, i j drought resistance, growth and deve- atsM lopment, energy requirements of plants, cellular and molecular aspects of floral induction and the role of corbie acid in plant metabolism ¦r st** * lO * 4«k ¦iUH. as- -------------- are embodied in 251 research papers which are well-known and highly ac ­ claimed in national and international circles. Most of the work has been I W reviewed in scientific monographs and is often quoted in books and reviews, t t In Gujarat University, he has estab- lished a strong and internationally re ­ cognized School of Plant Physiology, and more than 100 students have ob­ tained their Ph.D. degree under his guidance. Chinoy passed away in Ahmedabad in May 1978. Submitted by Ratan Marshall from Navyug Science College journal. II. 1 •.S' i** **¦ ¦4^ ' ' JUKiamiTY PROHIBITS WATER OF THIS well FOR DRINKING rmsrses. S I i The photo of a Parsi drinking water from the Bhikha Behram Well, despite a municipal notice, was t^en by Farokh Reporter. Suggest a suitable caption for the picture. Prize for the best caption Rs. 50. Send your entries by November 15th to Parsiana, Caption Contest, G.P.O. Box 892, Bombay 400 001. The Zoroastrian Link Subscription rates for India and abroad For a one year subscription of 12 issues Rs 20 (save Rs 4 over single copy price) For a two year subscription of 24 copies Rs 36 (save Rs 12 over single copy price) Single copy rates Rs 3.50 and 50 p Foreign subscription rates inclusive of postage : For twelve issues by seamail ; Rs 36 or $4.50 or £2.25 by airmail; Rs 80 or $9.50 or £4.25 For twenty-four issues by seamail: Rs 66 or $8.50 or £4 by airmail: Rs 150 or $18 or £8 For U.S. personal cheques add $1.50 to cover bank charges. For Indian upcountry cheques add Rs 2 for bank charges. Cheques and drafts are to be drawn in favour of Parsiana and posted to GPO Box 892, Bombay 400 001. Cash payment and money orders are accepted care of the Hopeful Playgroup Centre 40, A. K. Nayak Marg (Bastion Road) Fort, Bombay 400 001. For further information phone 262624. If you are already a subscriber please pass this form along to a friend who ought to be one too. I NAME ADDRESS I CITY AND STATE PIN CODE ( 1 13 IZOROASTRIANS ^ABROAD 99 .59 The young ones “A young lot starting out, ” is how Mahbanu Ostowari, secretary of the Australian Zoroastrian Association (AZA) in New South Wales, describes the Australian Zoroastrian communi - ty. There are approximately 300 to 400 Zoroastrians in Australia, all of whom are “well settled, ” most of them highly skilled professionals with a few in business, said Ostowari, who was recently on a visit to India. A mother of three who works in the public relations department of Bristol Meyers, Ostowari traces the New South Wales Zoroastrian community ’s genesis to 1967 when the population „ comprised of three or four families. “We started (an informal association) on a small scale around the end of 1969” when there were around seven or eight families. Since 1970 the num ­ bers increased progressively to the present 200. “There was quite an in ­ flux from Calcutta, ” she recalled. The Whites Only Australian emigration policy restricted entry to larger num ­ bers but Ostowari noted that once m the southern continent, there was “no discrimination. About four years back, the Zoroas ­ trians started “in more earnest ” to form an association. A constitution was drawn up, office bearers elected and a newsletter published. The as ­ sociation has three main get-togethers namely at Jamshedi Navroz, Pateti and Christmas. “The Christmas gathering is invariably a bhel puri party, ” says Ostowari. In addition, I B an annual jashan at the commence- ment of the year, picnics, theatre par ­ ties, discussion and study groups are held; every second Sunday, religious classes are conducted for youngsters, mainly in the five to fifteen age group. Stories from the Shahnameh and other sources are related by Far ­ rokh Mistree, AZA’s treasurer and prayers are taught by Dr Peshotan Katrak, the association ’s vice-presi ­ dent. Three navjotes have been held in the last three years; “people prefer to come here ” (to Bombay) for the navjotes, said Ostowari. Elections are held annually and members of the association are eligible to vote; Ms Gulu Billimoria was elected pre ­ sident last July. The AZA also had the distinction of having a non-Zoro- astrian secretary a year ago, Emani Giambuzzi who served three terms. “He was really good for the associa ­ tion, ” said Ostowari. “The 99 A “big factor ” in the young asso ­ ciation ’s existence was a visit by Farrokh ’s brother Khojaste Mistree, the charismatic, scholar-cum-preacher whose lectures attract large munbers of the community in India as well as overseas. Other visiting scholars in ­ cluded Framroz Rustomjee of Sri Lanka, author of The Daily Prayers of the Zoroastrians and other books who expired in Australia recently. The AZA so far “has not felt the necessity to look for guidance ’ community matters to Bombay or anywhere else says Ostowari, the issues being resolved by the AZA as and when they arise. The associa ­ tion ’s plans for the future include a community center for which a build ­ ing fund has been started. “We are still working out the feasibility, ” she replied when asked their target for collection. The community Ostowari notes is “still very young ” but she foresees for it a “flourishing ” future. in of Canadians of the Future One of the primary objectives of Zoroastrians overseas is to enligh ­ ten the community at large as to who they are, what they contribute to their host country and what they ex ­ pect in turn. In Canada, the Cana ­ dian Consultative Council on Multi ­ culturalism held hearings earlier this year on the problems “confronting visible minorities in Canada. ” The Zoroastrian Society of Ontario (ZSO), presented a brief entitled “Canadians of the Future ” which was prepared by Jamshed Mavalwala, a former president of ZSO, and presented by Sarosh Bharucha. We carry below extracts from the brief as published in the April Z.S.O. Newsletter: “The Zoroastrian community of Ontario still upholds the values and morals preached by Zarathustra, our Prophet, six centuries before Christ. As the first monotheistic religion our basic tenets are Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds. Our faith exhorts us to actively participate in society to further human good. Zoroastrian charities are well-lmown in Iran, India, Pakistan, and Great Britain, and we hope that the acts of our tiny community in Canada will be of benefit to all Canadians. “We see ourselves as committed Canadians, committed to a multi ­ cultural Canada, and committed to a united Canada. We support and Canadians, praise the Government of Canada for its multicultural policy and hope that all of us in Canada will learn to enjoy the diversity of peoples here, and the cosmopolitan excellence of our cities. We would urge the Gov­ ernment of Canada, through your Council, that in implementing its multicultural policies it go beyond grants for ethnic dances, and ethnic food. We, like thousands upon thousands of others, who have come here to make Canada our new home. . .seek with the many thousands of peoples in Canada like us, to live rich and full lives in this country. We seek to secure a proper recognition of our similarities, and an apprecia ­ tion of our differences; to serve our country in meaningful ways. “We are a community of doctors, lawyers, businessmen, university pro­ fessors, school teachers, and accoun ­ tants. .. We want to be treated as mainstream Canadians, not as ‘ethnics ’... We need encouragement to help us communicate with each other in Canada. We need encourage ­ ment to participate in Government at all levels, municipal, provincial and federal. We need to feel that you ; in your Council, and those who you advise in Ottawa, see us as we see ourselves, not as immigrants only, or as new Canadians only, but as Canadians of the Future, helping to build and strengthen a glorious new Canada. ..” Plans for the “Mehraban Guiv Darbe Mehr Zoroastrian Temple, ” the fifty lakh rupee project financed by Iranian millionaire philantrophist Arbab Rustam Guiv. are progressing : despite legal and technical hitches, notes the May-June ZSO Newsletter. The bulletin notes the general body voted in favour of acquiring the Mazo de la Roche property in Ontario. The society ’s consulting architect, Dinshaw Kanga, pointed out the major struc- | tural changes planned and “work on legal agreements, changes and in ­ corporations to the existing constitu ­ tion and bylaws etc. still continue to occupy the attention of the Trustees and the Executive Committee, ” says the newsletter. “Meanwhile, inspite of strong re ­ presentations made by the Trustees and friends like Dr Robert McClure? and Dr Willard Oxtoby on our tie- j half. North York Council •upheld the j restricting bylaw to permit only single j family uses in the area in which the ! 15% ¦y ‘SS Mazo de la Roche property is located. Bombay, noted that Ms Rustam The vendor has sued North York Sarfeh, whose husband was instru- Council in the Ontario Supreme Court mental in ZAGNY receiving a 15- and as of today, the case is still under lakh rupee donation from Arbab consideration. The Newsletter will Rustam Guiv for the Darbe Mehr in keep the communi ty apprised of the New Rochelle, died recently follow- ¦ ¦ ~ '. ing an illness. Both Dr and Ms Sarfeh have contributed considerable time and effort to ZAGNY and the Zoroastrian community in general. results of this action. But, this too, we hope, ‘we shall overcome. 9 99 ZAGNY Chief Dr Lovji Cama, who has served the Zoroastrian Association of Greater New Quebec Board New York (ZAGNY) since its incep- A new executive tion, heads the association ’s new board the Zoroastrian of directors. He takes over from Prof. . Erach Munshi, another stalwart of the 1978-1980 term, notes the June the Greater New York community, issue of Gavashni. The committee Both Cama and Munshi helped build members comprise Jimmy Bharucha, up the association into an influential Dolly D^toor, Jangoo Divecha, Gul- body in the world Zoroastrian com- nar Irani, Gev Karkaria, Fall Shroff, munity. The other office bearers Rukhshan Surty and Jehan Bagli. elected for the 1978-80 term are: Framroze Patel, vice president; Faroke Gandhi, secretary; Nariman Deboo, joint secretary; Sarosh Sukhia, trea ­ surer; Prof. Kaikhosrov Irani, ---- — . ---------- ----- Dinshaw Mehta, Fred Morris, and Montreal, PQ H4Z IJ9 Canada. Ms Navaz Bhavnagri, all members of Cheques should be made out to the the board at large. “Zoroastrian Association of Quebec Prof. Irani, who was on a visit to {Gavashni}^ A new executive committee of the Zoroastrian Association of Quebec (ZAQ) has been elected for committee Association Those wishing to subscribe to Gavashni may send three dollars for an annual subscription (bank drafts can be sent from India) to ZAQ, P.O. Box 654, Station Tour de la Bourse, 99 BOYS’ TOWN Public School Nasik 2 CHOICE SCHOOLING FOR YOUR SON Recognised as a Public School by Department of Education —for Indian Merit Scholars. Exce llent Climate —All-round cation : Edu- All Academic Subjects — Technical Subjects : Radio and Wood-Work Tech ­ nology, Farming —Training Self-Government K IS Book Of Names The Parsiana book of Iranian $1.50 to cover bank charges. Names will shortly be on sale. For Indian upcountry cheques add Order your copy today. Only a limited number of books are to be printed. The names of boys and favour of Parsiana and posted to girls along with their meanings GPO Box 892, Bombay 400 001. originally appeared in Parsiana. As those issues of the magazine are out of print, the lists are being reprinted in an attractively pub­ lished 24-page booklet. Rs. 2 for bank charges. Cheques and drafts are to be drawn in Cash payment and money orders are accepted care of the Price Rs. 9, inclusive of postage Hopeful Playgroup Centre and packing; overseas rates : £1 40, A. K. Nayak Marg and $2 (rates inclusive of air mail (Bastion Road) postage). For orders over 10, a Fort, Bombay 400 001. 15 percent discount will be given. Fort, Bombay 400 001. For further information For U.S. personal cheques add phone 262624 Zoroastrian — classes — in through Elected Boys’ Office-bearers, Games — Physical Training —Daily Assembly with Congre ­ gational Prayers —Weekly intensive Geeta —Koran Excellent Modem Kitchen and Dining Room facilities —Airy Dormitories. Mode ­ rate Fees. SUBSTANTIAL CONCESSION AND FREE- SHIPS OFFERED TO DESER­ VING STUDENTS. Any help from Social Workers welcome regarding commendations and ad ­ mission of boys. Social re ­ APPLY TO THE MANAGING TRUSTEE P. N. Mehta Education Trust Cooks Building, 324 D. N. Road Bombay 400 001 or to the Principal. plThe Cama Baug Episode * It started out simply enough. Rusi J. Enty, the principal of Unity High School, wanted to perform his daugh ­ ter, Soonnu ’s navjote at Bombay ’s Cama Baug on May 2 this year. His family had an emotional and spiritual attachment to the place as he had been residing next door since his childhood and prayed regularly at the agiary in Cama Baug. But when he submitted his application for the loan of the hall he was pained and angered to find the trustees had refused him permission. tude which we are advising our client to take does not seem to evoke any 1* ” _ ' '¦ _ our client from the draw you have breach of trust and have also denied and violated the rights of our client and his daughter as Parsi Zoroas ­ trians. ” __ ______________ ________ c ^several meetings between tempt to help me. In fact ’hey humi- Mulla & Mulla and Craigie Blunt & amas,” said Enty. “I was in a panic. I. r ..1 red from participating in the draw and offering the use of the Cama Baug favourable response. .. by excluding halls “on any day convenient to him our client from the draw you have ... even in the month of May, the committed a totally illegal act, a Baug is available, on 7th May, ” or ’ ' amas, the last day of the moon ’s cycle, considered to be a very inauspicious time. “The trustees made no genuine at- Sethna, Burjor Antia, a partner of liated me, then gave me (a booking for) Mulla & Mulla and Craigie Blunt & amas," said Enty. “I was in a panic. Caroe, advocates for the Cama Baug People had told me to be practical, to trustees and the trustees themselves, ' ' ’ ' - - Boman-Behram and Guzder reported- - ¦ „ ~ - ‘ use of the halls, while JamaspAsa report- 6n March 24, Antia replied, stating his clients “regret ” that Enty was bar- Chief guest Madhukarrao D. Chaudhari, Soonnu, Enty with Parvin and Ms Enty . —AWXMKZV/U AXAXXX ^/VXXXAlOaXVXl. The reason; Rusi Enty was married to a non-Parsi. »«. 1 Dastur “I didn ’t sleep for four nights, ” said ly agreed to permitting Enty the Enty. “I felt my children were paying < " " ’ ’L, 7____ for my actions ... I take them both to edly resigned from the trust, the agiary evety day before we go any ­ where. This is what I did as a boy. My wife, Harsha, speaks like a Parsi, cooks like one, looks like one. I wai ­ ted nine years till the families gave their consent for me to marry her. Soonnu knew her prayers since she was three years old. My mother taught her. Other functions of mixed partners are held in the baug. Why did they pick on me? ” Fortunately for Enty, the law was on his side. A child of a Parsi Zoroas ­ trian father is by definition a Parsi. The Cama Baug trustees, B. K. Boman-Behram, Jamshed N. Guzder, both trustees of the Bombay Parsi Panchayat, Dastur Kaikhushroo JamaspAsa, high priest of the Anju- man Atash Bahram and Munchersha Billimoria, the managing trustee acted in violation of the law of the land. Enty found two strong allies to help him in his fight, Rusi Sethna, a partner in the law firm of Romer Dadachanji Sethna & Co. and Jehan Daruwala, Editor of The Bombay Samachar, the prestigious Gujarati daily. Sethna wrote a strongly worded letter dated March 1 (see “Dear Sirs”l stating his clients right to use the hall, threatening legal action and offering to meet the trustees to “discuss this matter. Despite Sethna ’s letter, when Enty went to Cama Baug on March 2 to participate in the draw for the halls, the secretary of the trust,'E. M. Well ­ ington, told him that under the rules and regulations of the trust “I regret you cannot be allowed the booking of the Cama Baug Halls." Sethna dispatched another letter on March 8 to the trustees noting that “it is apparent that (the) conciliatory atti ­ have the navjote performed and then fight it out. So I rushed to Allbless Baug. ” The Allbless Baug trustees agreed to renting Enty the hall. “They said they wouldn ’t back out. ” Still the family was “in suspense. My wife who was one hundred percent » - 59 18r for the navjote, and Soonnu, who also got stubborn about this along with me, were all tired and tense. ” Invitations were sent out on May 4, three days before the navjote as Enty wished to keep the Allbless Baug location a sec ­ ret for fear of any last minute hitches or refusal. As a result, says Enty over 100 guests could not attend due to the short notice. He himself had no time to get clothes made for the occasion and wore his wedding clothes, buying only a new pair of shoes. “I wanted to get it over with. I also had my work to worry about, though fortuna ­ tely they knew my case in the depart ­ ment and were sympathetic. ” The navjote was performed by Enty ’s family priest. Ardeshir Jijina and his son Rusi. with Maharashtra minister of revenue, Madhukarrao D. Chaudhari as chief guest and the police band “for entertainment ” and support in case of any unpleasantness. “We were careful all along, ” says Enty who took the children to Wadiaji ’s Atash Bahram after the ceremony. “Of course, the way is now clear for my other daughter, Parvin ’s navjote! the voluble schoolmaster laughs, but site Cama-Baug Agiyan. vitees who happen to be members of I am not satisfied. I want to have a (2) that we have regularly been all the communities including Ayahs. reception for the navjote attendmg Cama Baug Agiyari for our Ramas, dheras, bhangis and chamars there-not just a jashan which they daffy-prayers. (ajj sons-creat;ons-of God). Even cant refuse me —which all the people (3) that I and my sister have passed the stage on which the Navjote & who couldnt come to the ceremony almost every evening of our child- Marriage & Birthday Ceremony is be ­ ltself, can attend. This tune I will hood as well as of our school career jng performed is bufft bv non-Parsees Ihe family and friends have all sup- ------- —.........................o ported Enty ’s struggle, he notes and total strangers who read about the case in The Samachar have written to congratulate him. A Maharashtrian only gentlemen, one of whose family mem ­ bers has married a __ asking for an invitation to the navjote and attended it; Enty says this is “the Thanking you in anticipation, kind of reaction I have generally got. ” ~ " " Other Parsi men married to non-Parsis have written for advice and Enty says that there are several other similiar _____ ___ _____ cases up at Cama Baug though he has 780101 (per) dated January 12* 1978 had “nothing whatsoever ” to do with ................ - . - ’ them. “There should be equality, ” answers __ _ _____ ____ _ _ __ _ „„ Enty when asked about the admission ed by Mr Bomansha Sanjana the pan- into the religion of the children of thaki of Cama Baug Agiary I saw Mr. Parsi women married “out ” and is Eruchsha Wellington who said willing to help anyone who wants to " ' '' . test such a case in the courts. Enty, who also, teaches at Unity High School which was founded by his parents, feels the community “will do better if we go ahead with modifi- __________ ________ _ xxxxx..^ cations. One has to change with the Lady. I received such a great shock times. Keep your orthodoxy at home, ” ' ' ‘ ' . - . . he advises. “A man must have a right to his own opinions. ” Dear Sirs 5> 99 We carry the correspondence per­ taining to Rusi J. Enty's battle with the Cama Baug trustees. The letters were first published in The Bombay Samachar's Parsi Tari Arsi column of April 30 written by Editor Jehan Daruwala. If Sir, I beg to say that I would like to book Cama Bang (Motto Ottlo) Big Hall —^facing Dreamland Cinema side for Adar Roj, Adar Maha i.e. Tues ­ day —May 2, 1978 to celebrate the Navjote Cerjcmony of my daughter Miss Soonnu Rusy Enty. Further, I personally feel that it is our privilege to make the above men ­ tioned request on the grounds men ­ tioned below: — (1) that since 1942, we have been staying in Pow-walla Bldg., just oppo­ site Cama-Baug Agiyari. (2) that we have regularly been who happens to be a descendent of Sena Dastoor family of Surat) that, one might not believe that 1 was bed ­ ridden for a couple of days. May I request you to enlighten me on the following points: Is Civil Marriage an offence? so, under which law? 2. Even taking for granted that in your eyes Civil Marriage is a sin even then no reasonable man in the world would ever punish an innocent child for the guilt —so called guilt, of his father. 3. When according to Parsee Law, the child is a Zoroastrian child, is it justifiable to deprive such a child of his right to have his Navjote Cere ­ mony performed in Cama Baug Hall? Navjote Ceremony is to be per ­ formed in Cama Baug Hall (Wadi) which is a public place in the sense that it is frequently visited by the in- (3) that I and my sister have passed almost every evening of our child ­ hood as well as of our school career playing in Cama baug. x uavt seen (4) that my Navjote Ceremony, my Sr^n^iT^i^rwSied- an^clSm sister ’s Navjote Ceremony, as well as - - » p u auu vicdu my sister ’s marriage ceremony were _ __ _ celebrated at Cama Baug (big hall) a) wherrthrbnthd^^'^remony (5) that we are good neighbours Parsi wrote staying just in the opposite buildings. ‘ ! God bless you and your. Amen. 99 Cordially yours, ROSY ENTY Sir, Please refer to my letter Ref. No. a copy of which is attached herewith for your ready reference. On Monday 23rd January as direct- ed by non-Parsees. 4. I can cite you minimum 3 events ' / was performed of a child whose father is a Parsee Gentleman and the mother happens to be a Christian woman, b) Two Navjote ceremonies —one where the mother happens to be an European Lady and the other where the mother happens to be a Muslim Lady. Of course, I shall have to in ­ vestigate the exact day and date of the performances. 5. Suppose, the beloved non-Parsee mother of the child passes away (God Forbid) after giving him birth, then the Navjote ceremony of such a child can be performed in Cama Baug. 6. Suppose, the non-Parsee mother is dead (God Forbid) and the Parsee — ------ e woman as his second wife then who happens to Eruchsha Wellington who “Avane Naa Parrij, Bija Trustee E _________ ____ Wandho Lidho” (‘He said no, the husband takes the Parsee other trustee took objection ’.) I was I' 2, _ ___ taken aback to hear that the objection be the step-mother of the child of was based on the ground that my the first marriage then the Navjote as wife was non-Parsee —Gujarati Hindu well as marriage ceremony of such a was based on the ground that my the first marriage then the Navjote c_ T. r,. X marriage ceremony of such child is allowed in Cama Baug, isn ’t it? 7. Suppose, the Navjote ceremony (rather the second one, the first being one on the sad demise of my beloved _ _____________ _ mother Smt, Piroja Jamshedjee Enty of the child of a. Non-Parsee mother 19is already performed and the marriage ceremony of such a child with a Parsee gentleman or woman as the case may be is to be performed that I think no trustee of Cama Baug Charity Trust will have any objection to that? 8. Suppose a Parsee couple adopts a child from an orphanage without any knowledge of the religion of the adopted child who by law carries the name of his new adopting parents then the Navjote as well as marriage ceremony of such a child can be per ­ formed in Cama Baug or even in Agiary. Isn ’t it? 9. There are cases of so called High Society Parsees who smoke cigars and pipes and cigarettes and who do not even wear sudras and kustis at all and the Navjote and the marriage ceremony of the children of such par- ents is allowed. 10. God knows so many Navjote and marriage of such above mention ­ ed children might have been nay must have been peifomed in Cama Baug Hall and Agiary. If I had asked you to permit me to perform the Navjote Ceremony of my daughter Soonnu in Cama Baug Agi­ ary where even present panthaki has no objection and even he cannot take any objection and the trustee would have taken any objection though it would have been invalid illegal, im- lawful and bad in law and hence in ­ operative I would have not consider ­ ed the said objection of the trustee absolutely unreasonable. In the cir­ cumstances may I request you as well as other trustees to reconsider the whole issue purely on Humani- I , tarian grounds and permit me to per- form the Navjote of my daughter in Caina Baug. Now, looking the whole issue from the other angle, I would like to know (1) Whether my letter was put be ­ fore the board of trustees? (2) If so, is the meeting recorded in the minute-book of the trust? (3) The registration No. of the trust. (4) Which trustee took the objec ­ tion? (5) The names and addresses of the trustees of the Executive Committee or of the managing; Board as the case may be. Further, I have to request you to supply me with a copy of the Trust Deed or the Memorandum of Associa ­ tion, of course, against cost. And if you fail to comply with this request then I shall have to obtain the same from the Charity Commissioner. “By excluding our client from the draw you have committed a totally illegal act, a breach of trust. )) It will not be out of place to men ­ tion here that I am also one of the managing trustees of a Public Trust holding the designation of the Vice- Chairman or the Vice-President. Please do not take this query about the details of the Trust as any threat, I would just like to know who are ths worthy trustees? , The third recourse, I think open for me, is to approach the Court of Law naturally after consulting my Senior Learned Friend Mr Soli Andhyarujina (a college-mate): Mr Phiroze Vakil and Mr. Piloo Irani my beloved Pro­ fessors of Law: Mr. Seervai —Ex- Advocate General: Mr. Nani Palkhi- walla my idol and none but Mr. Boman-Behram —a friend, philosopher and guide. The fourth course open for me is Controversy in News Papers. I do understand that there is time limit as the month of May is approa ­ ching fast and to take recourse to courses no. 2, 3, 4 (the result of which may not come till December 1978) is not advisable at all as I being a petty school-master may be easily defeated or even if the decision comes in my favour my conscience will not permit me to enforce the same upon you peo ­ ple. No doubt, there are rules and rules but at the same time there are excep ­ tions to the rules too and I with folded hands once again request you to con ­ sider it as an exceptional case and not disappoint my daughter Soonnu who is bent upon getting her Navjote being performed at Cama Baug only. To conclude, in spite of all the above arguments and the points of discussion the reply to this letter comes negative then I think I might have to come to the decision to give up the Zoroastrian Religion and not to follow any other religion at all and at the same time might not perform the Navjote of my daughter nor allow her to follow any other religion at all. The delay in posting this letter is due to the fact that I had to think again and again whether this letter will serve any purpose or might be thrown in wastepaper basket consi ­ dering it to be a bundle of nonsense. But at the bottom of the heart I feel that I have performed my duty towards my child in the capacity of a beloved father making you request in this letter to reconsider the whole issue. Now, I leave to Almighty (and here is the sound of nine strokes of bell of Cama Bang Agiary) to decide the whole issue through the trustees of the Cama Bang Trust who in my opinion are acting as His agents. I do feel guilty that Mr Manchersa Billimoria has unfortunately become victim of this whole issue but I hope he will try to understand how the negative reply has hurt the feelings of a father. God bless you and yours, amen. May I request you to expedite the matter and oblige. Cordially yours, ROSY J. ENTY To Mr Rusy J. Enty, Unity High School, 10th Khetwadi Back Road, Bombay 400004. Dear Sir, We have received your letter dated 24th January, 1978 personally deliver ­ ed by you to our Office Manager on 11th February, 1978. We have noted the contents and in reply have to inform you that the booking of Cama Bang Halls for Marriages, Navjotes, and other reli ­ gious ceremonies is subject to the Rules and Regulations of the Trust. These Rules and Regulations are printed on the reverse of our Permit forms, which can be perused by you in our Office. Your attention is parti ­ cularly drawn to Rule-8 which is self- explanatory. Yours faithfully. Managing Trustee The Trustees, Cama Bang Charity Trust Fund, Raja Ram Mohan Roy Road, New Chami Road Bombay 400 004. Dear Sirs, We write to you under instructions from our client Mr Rusi J. Enty. Our client has placed in our hands the correspondence exchanged between him and your Managing Trustee Mr. M. R. Billimoria with instructions to state as under: — By his letter dated 12th January, 1978 addressed to your Managing 21 LAgiary or any part of the premises by a Dastur, Mobed or Athornan who performs a Navjote or marriage ceremony therein referred to. Our client is neither a Dastur nor a Mobed and although he is an Athornan he is not going to perform his daughter ’s Navjote. However the larger question is whether in the face of the law, you can at all make a rule like Rule No. 8 and also whether any such Rule is valid and or in consonance with the ‘ ‘ Other functions of mixed partners are held in the baug. Why did they pick on me? ” Dear Sirs, 1. We refer to our letter No. RS; 1257 of 1st instant addressed to under instructions from our client to you on 2nd instant by our client 2. In the last para of our said letter, we had expressed the hope that you would not take any steps to pre ­ judice the rights of our client and his daughter pending a reply to our letter. 3, Despite this, our client instructs us to state that when he attended your office on 2nd instant to participate in the draw for booking the big Otla of Cama Baug for 2nd May 1978 (be- Maha Adar Roj Adar according Shahenshai calendar), our client not permitted to participate in the draw. When our client protested —¦ Secretary Mr E^N. Wellington to put it down in writing, Mr Wellington gave our client a letter on your letter-head that under the rules and regulations of the Trust, our client could not be allowed booking of the terms of the Trust on which you hold you under mstruc,™ uom „ the trust property. , . ' ’ Our client instructs us to make it . clear that it is a settled law that a personally child of a Parsi Zoroastrian father and a non-Parsi or non-Zoroastrian mother is a Parsi-Zoroastrian. Our client believes that the object of your Trust is to hold the trust premises for the benefit of Parsi Zoroastrians and particularly to hold the halls for per ­ mitting Parsi Zoroastrians to get aus- ¦ ¦ ; and inauspicious ceremonies "performed thereat. It is therefore clear that the appa- mg t rc’scn for the change of mind to > "the part of the Managing Trustee was and IriTd^ghter onigte which and requestedyour rent reason on t _ jT — - is totally invalid and deprives our client u ------ - —~ they are entitled to enjoy as a Parsi Zoroastrian. Our client has instructed us to take up this matter with the appropriate string authorities and if necessary to ap- Trustee, our client requested that he should be allowed to hold the Navjote ceremony of his daughter Soonnu on the big “Otla ” of Cama Baug on 2nd May, 1978 and mentioned in his letter the grounds on which he requested your Managing Trustee to allot the said Otla to him for that purpose. It is our client ’s belief that your Man ­ aging Trustee agreed and actually marked the booking on the Parsi Cal ­ endar at his residence where our cli ­ ent personally delivered his said letter to your Managing Trustee. On 23rd January 1978, our client was requested by the Panthaky of Cama Baug Agiary Mr Bomanshah Sanjana to see the Secretary of your Trust one Mr. Erach Wellington and our client saw Mr Wellington. Mr. Wellington informed our client 'Ythat your Managing Trustee had declined our client ’s request because the other Trustees had raised an ob- jection. Our client inquired from rang Mr. Wellington as to the reasons why the other Trustees had raised an objection, but no reasons were given. Our client believes that an objection has been raised on the ground that our client ’s wife is a non-Parsi. Accordingly, our client addressed a letter dated 24th January 1978 to your Managing Trustee (which was deliver ­ ed at your office on 11th February 1978) setting out his stand. The rea ­ son why our client waited for several days before delivering his said letter to your office was because he wanted to give deep thought to the matter. Bv vour renlv dated 20th February _ 1978 you have informed our client hpS ^o any favourable response from your that the booking of Cama Bang halls d s^uss^ ffijs m^tt^^^ ^aye been V. for marriages, Navjotes and other _ instant and that in done, was to pemit our client to religious ceremonies^Trlst ft' meanttal you will riot take any participate m fte draw Rules and Regulations ot tne irusi - -¦ - . .. .r — and you drew our client ’s attention to Rule 8 which you stated was self explanatory. Our client has perused Rule 8, a reasonable accurate translation where ­ of is as under; — “If any Dastur, Mobed or Athornan performs the Navjote or Marriage ceremony of any Juddin in Bombay or elsewhere, either in public or privately, the Trustees will have the right to stop him from entering the Cama Baug Agiary or any part of the building or Otlas of Cama Baug, for 3.ny auspicious (_.¦¦¦——---- any Parsi Zoroastrian. ” In the first instance, instructs us to point out that Rule 8 has no application whatsoever to our client ’s case because it deals with the right claimed by the Trustees to re ­ strict the entry into „ up STcom of Law to redress the could not be allowed booKtug o. me wrnnff done to him. However, before Cama Baug Hall. he does so, we would like to know 4. It is apparent that a conciliatory whether your Trustees would be wil- attitude which, we are advising ou Hn? to S us and our client and client to take does not seem to evoke d s^ul: this matter „ any favourable response from your We trust that you will let us have end.^ . „„ client to participate in the draw and if there ­ after our client was successful, the matter could have been discussed across the table and a reasonaWe solution could have been reached. By excluding our client from the draw you have committed a totally illegal act a breach of trust and have also denied and violated the rights of our client and his daughter as Parsi d'scuss this matter. ---- - reply by 9th instant and that in Steps to prejudice the rights of our client and his daughter. Yours faithfully, RUSI N. SETHNA Advocate and Solicitors, High Court, Bombay. Dear Sir. L/Cal OU- < . . • ofnote ,ha. unless we hear J^ed'S^Ung Ca^a Baug „_^lu «o « ?* taitMuUy, »«! “o altem. ’tiye but to adtnse E. M. WELLTOGTON our client to take further steps in the matter ir*wx***-^— filing a suit to restrain the holding of any function on 2nd May 1978 or the big Otla of Cama Baug. Foi this purpose we have to call upor you to furnish the full name and ad dress of the person who has been sue 2' including but not limited to. occasion concerning our client The Trustees, Cama Bang Charity Trust Fund, Raja Ram Mohan Roy Road, New Chami Road, Cama Baug Bombay-400004.i A f dedicated for this purpose by charit ­ ably inclined and generous Parsi Zoroastrians, this correspondence may be treated as closed. 6. We are instructed by our client to express his grateful thanks to your clients Mr J. N. Guzdar, Mr B. K. Boman-Behram and Mr B. H. Antia for the creditable and honourable manner in which they have discharged cessful in the draw which took place — on 2nd instant for the big Otla of , Cama Baug, although our client PeOplG tiaCl tOlQ me tO should not be deemed to have admit- be piactical, tO have the me correctness or validity o( such navjote performed and 6. Our client will at the ap- then fight it OUt. propriate time and place disclose the entire conversation which took place — at your office on 2nd instant when ___ our client attended to participate in Dear Sir, their duties and we personally also the draw. 1. We are in receipt of your letter add our thanks to these gentlemen. 7. We would also like to take this No. BHA 10617 of 24th instant to Yours faithfully, opportunity of correcting a statement hand yesterday in the afternoon and rusi sethna made in para 7 of our letter of 1st instant. Our client informs us that he is not ‘Athoman ’ but a Behdin ’. Please therefore note that the said Rule 8 could never have any applica ­ tion to our client ’s case. Yours faithfully, RUSI N. SETHNA I*- M/s Romer Dadachanji VJ Sethna & Co., Advocates for Mr Rusi J. Enty. 1. We are in receipt of your letter are instructed by our client to state as under: — 2. With reference to paras 1 and 2 our client expresses his great regret that your clients should have taken The Bombay Samachar, Sethna sent an- SO long to reply to our letters of 1st other version of the letter to the Samachar and 8th March 1978. In fact, our which was termed the ‘Correct Copy’. client had already instructed us to file According to Sethna the above letter a Suit and the draft Plaint for the was only a ‘draft’. In the second purpose was ready. It is only out of copy the respect which we have for some of your clients that we advised our client to wait. Dear Sirs, 3. With further reference to para May 7 issue. 1. Our clients, the Trustees of 2, the “misunderstanding ” could only Cama Baug Charity Trust Fund, have be on your clients part, particularly placed in our hands your letters to ’ ' ‘ them Nos. RS: 1257 of 1st March 1978 and RS: 1406 of 8th March, with instructions to reply thereto as under: — . , . . . 2. Our clients say that they could ly, the date 2nd May 1978 is a ihistake not reply to your letter under reference earlier, as the matter was under our clients ’ consideration and also under discussion between your Mr R. M. Sethna and the writer. Our clients regret that due to some misunder- Subsequent to the above letter appearing In fact, our I the criticism has been toned down and the reference to publicizing the episode, paragraph 5, has been deleted. The ‘Correct Copy’ appeared in the paper’s m view of the fact that the legal posi­ tion was quite clear. Our client was Hundred Years Ago not allowed to participate in the draw on 2nd March 1978 and not 2nd May 1978 as mentioned by you. Apparent- New Tower of Silence Great preparations are in progress, says the correspondent of the Jam-e- in your letter because that date has Jamshed at Nowsaree, to meet the con- not yet come. clients must no doubt be aware that 7th May 1978 is an Amvas and as such, our client is not in a position standing your client was _ not allowed to accept your clients ’ offer. If and to participate in the draw on 2.5.78. when our client hereafter requires the ¦ ’ _ ¦ ~ hereafter requires the 3. We are instructed to state that Cama Baug, he will avail of your L your client can utilise our clients clients ’ offer. Baug on any day convenient to him 5. With reference to para 4, in and may approach the Manager for view of the expression of regret by the same. Even in the month of May your clients and the offer made in the Baug is available on 7th May and para 3 thereof, our client has in- if your client wants to utilise the Baug structed us not to initiate any legal on the said day, he is requested to contact our clients ’ Manager im­ mediately. Baug on any day convenient to him proceedings. Our client, however, re ­ grets his inability to accede to your ___ clients ’ request not to give this matter 4. Our clients hope that your publicity, because as a public-minded client will accept this letter in the Parsi Zoroastrian, our client feels that spirit in which it is written and avoid this important decision on the part of any further publicity of the matter your clients deserves to be made and close the matter. yours faithfully MuUa & Mulla and Craigie Blunt & Caroe Partner M/s Mulla & Mulla and Craigie Blunt & Caroe, Advocates for the Trustees of Cama Baug Charity Trust. ' , " ¦ • venience of Parsee visitors during the 4. With reference to para 3, your ^ew Tower of Silence dedication cere ­ mony. to take place early next month. It is expected that the temporary struc ­ tures erected for their accomodation will hold nearly ten thousand people. The five hotels, opened in connection with these pavilions, together with a variety of stalls for the sale of fruits, ice, sodawater, and toddy, will also contribute to their gratification during the festive period. Three special trains for the conveyance of passen ­ gers to Nowsaree will start from Bombay, of which the first will leave at 8 p.m. on the 7th. proximo. His Excellency the Governor, who has been invited to visit Nowsaree by Mr. Nusserwanjee Tata, the builder of the Tower, will leave Bombay on the evening of the 3rd proximo, and stay as Mr Tata ’s guest for a whole day, tent accommodation being pro­ vided for himself and staff. His Ex­ cellency ’s presence at Nowsaree will draw thither, H. H. Sayyaji Rao, the Resident, and other distinguished members of the Baroda Government. Times of India from The Statesman Parsi Zoroastrian, our client feels that this important decision on the part of known through the press for the bene ­ fit of the community as also trustees of other institutions who are in a similar position as your clients. Our client having proved his point that the child of a Parsi Zoroastrian father and an alien mother is entitled to get his or her Navjote ceremony perfor ­ med and for that purpose to utilise baugs and other similar places 27/2/78 submitted by Rustam Saklat. 25 Li "SKT Shiavax Nargolwala: THE VOICE OF DISSENT I i He is the President of the Delhi Parsi Anjuman but Shiavax Dinshaw Nargolwala's sphere of influence extends to the entire Zoroastrian community. More than any other individual or institution in present times, the 63-year-old former Indian Civil Service officer has affected the course of community affairs: he fought successfully to permit free and frank discussion at the Third World Zoroastrian Congress, was charged by the Bombay Parsi Panchayat (BPP) as being primarily responsible for their resigning from the^ Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI), and under his guidance, the Delhi Parsi Anjuman (DPA) has emerged as the intellectual and spiritual catalyst of the Zoroastrian community in India. Like Shiavax R. Vakil, the provocative, former BPP trustee who shook a lethargic community to its roots five years ago, Nargolwala is also the most controversial figure of recent times in the community. His statements from public platforms, including the World Congress, chastising the leadership of the BPP for their archaic election system to the shirking of their role as leaders of the Bombay community, earned him their enmity. BPP President, B. K. Boman-Behram refused to attend an informal, reconciliatory meeting of the Federation representatives if Nargolwala was present (see A Tale of Two Federations, Parsiana April 1978) The Bombay leader was annoyed over the publication of one of Nargolwala's many statements in The Bombay Samachar, the prestigious Gujerati daily that has been espousing liberal causes. *26 And to add to the litany of orthodox woes, the DPA is the first anjuman to permit the child of a Parsi mother and non-Parsi father to enter a fire temple, namely the Kaikhushroo Pallonji Katrak Dar-e-Mehar in Delhi. At Its last annual general meeting in March the DPA general body passed two resolutions, one conferring honorary Anjuman membership to non-Zoroastrians and the other permitting non- Zoroastrian spouses to become members of the Anjuman but with certain limitations; a third resolution, permitting children of Parsi mothers and non-Parsi fathers to become full-fledged members of the Anjuman was rejected because even though a majority favoured the proposal, it did not receive the mandatory 75 per cent. A practising chartered accountant, Nargolwala has a distinguished academic record. A first class Bachelor of Commerce graduate of Bombay University, he received an economics degree from the London School of Economics in 1938, the year in which he also passed his I.C.S. qualifying examination. In government he held senior positions such as Commissioner of income-tax, joint secretary defense and additional secretary, finance, before retiring in 1973. He has been President of the DPA for the last 18 years and vice- president of the FPZAI since its inception. Parsiana interviewed the silver-haired, pipe-smoking ,dissident leader In Bombay on April 9 following the Federation's Executive Council meeting. The intervievy was given conditional to his being shown a copy of the transcript prior to publication. What are the major PARSIANA: Why do you feel the Delhi Anjuman has an image amongst the other anjumans, especially Bom­ bay, of being more radical? NARGOLWALA: Because the Delhi Parsi Anjuman consists of highly educated, motivated people, holding very important positions in govern ­ ment as well as business, banking, industry, commerce and trade. They are, therefore, always actively think ­ ing of progress. Of course, another reason for this image, right or wrong, is that we are a very cosmopolitan society in Delhi, practically every state and every union territory has its members living here. The concept of national integration is stronger in Delhi than in the State capitals be ­ cause the State capitals reflect the society of the state but in the capital city of India the image is more cosmo­ politan and in that sense more progressive. PARSIANA: What are the major issues confronting the Delhi Parsis? NARGOLWALA: There is no major issue because we have been the most harmonious anjuman. We have a system of adult franchise whereby trustees are elected for only a short period of three years. Then they have to stand for election again. PARSIANA: Can anybody vote? NARGOLWALA: Yes, any member of the Anjuman can vote. PARSIANA: What is the qualifica ­ tion to be a member? NARGOLWALA: To be a member the person has only to be a Parsi Zoroastrian over the age of 18. A non- Zoroastrian spouse can also become a member, subject to certain restric ­ tions. PARSIANA: fees? NARGOLWALA; There is a mem ­ bership subscription; for an individual resident member it is 24 rupees and for a resident couple it is 36 rupees per annum. For non-resident members it is less. In return for the subscrip- J Has he to pay anyWhy should not at least to meetings ot to anjunm. It ts just an honour. “Why should not at least an honour, it is like the honorary 40,000 or 50,000 be involved degree of the university, lujuuvwr w,vvv« _ PARSIANA: They cannot the trust funds or enter the agiary? NARGOLWALA: No there is no question of availing of trust fund^ be ­ cause they themselves are v. c” I* they are Zoroastrians they will natur ­ ally be entitled, whenever they visit - , - Delhi, to enter our agiary and all that, dramas, picnics, sports and all the know the agiary and J__ ________Wd ItlVlfP ’ * -r--w • ___ _ ______ 1,, various scholars and people of repute ! Delhi Parsis. a. __________ ____ 3 ' JJ in the process of electing the trustees?" if The opportunity for young boys and girls of the community to know each avail of other, and get married are not as great as in a place where the commu ­ nity is concentrated in an area. So I lutiuo ../V- mixed marriages are occurring in Delhi, well-off. If though as I explained to you we have made every effort to promote friend ­ ship betwven our own boys and girls at these functions and various other gatherings. By and large our girls and boys have been marrying within the community in Delhi, but quite a few cases occur where either the boy or girl is a non-Parsi. And the second resolution which was put forward at the annual general meeting was that such children of Parsi mothers, whose navjot had been performed regardless of the fact that the father was a non- Parsi, with the consent of the parents, .'rf they should be allowed to become ft members of the ahjuman. But the K requisite majority of 75 per cent was H not forthcoming and, therefore, this B resolution has not come into effect. ¦ But the Trustees of the Delhi Parsi ¦ Anjuman following the decision of ¦ Saklat versus Bella of the privy coun- ¦ cil have decided that any child of a H Parsi Zoroastrian mother' who has I been initiated into the Zoroastrian religion by the due performance of the navjot with the written consent of both parents, can worship at the agiary. ' far as the agiary is concerned, it decided by the privy council in Saklat versus Bella that it is at the discretion of the trustees to decide who should be allowed and not be , ------------ o--— aiivwvd. The privy council decided a Parsi, would that entitle him to trustees objected then Bella enter the fire temple? had no right, legal right, but on the NARGOLWALA: It depends on the ; ^^her hand if the trustees allowed her law of the land. If a person comes ' ^o other Parsi could object. The orivv council made a distinction be- the Tehran Anjuman and by the laws trust properTy. The privy council said - 4 When issues arise in tion the members can attend all the functions, the Jamshedi Navroz get- together, the Pateti function, the lectures which we arrange.^ We invite j ^amgah in Delhi are nof only for to come and talk, not necessarily on ' religion but various other subjects. , And all these services are provided without charge. Also the Dipanjali magazine which comes out twice a year is sent free to every member. And now there is a monthly news ­ letter as well. 24 PARSIANA: When issues arise in Delhi, does the leadership itself take a decision or do they look for guidance to Udwada, or Bombay or Iran? NARGOLWALA: Well, you see no issue has arisen so far which requires an outside decision. And the leader ­ ship is provided by the trustees them ­ selves. But once or twice in the past occasion has arisen for consulting high priests, for example when we con ­ structed our new agiaiy we consulted . Dastur Hormazdiar Mirza. Similarly a question was raised when one of ; our members died and the family wanted the body to be cremated; the question arose whether religious cere- monies should be performed of such PARSIANA; If an honorary member a person and we took the advice of of the anjuman were to become a ---- Dr Mirza and he said that if the family Zoroastrian, even though he were not allowed, has decided on cremation then they --------- - ------- ... must arrange for the funeral services, enter the fire temple? had no right, legal right, but on the - - ’ • __ _____ i _____ So we followed his advice. law of the land. If a person comes ' jjq other Parsi could object, '^e The three resolutions from Iran and he has married a ““ ------- H j tween an agiary and other kinds of — • ---4 of Iran can ^come a Zoroastrian. yQu "have funds of a Parsi i SI i *4 the anjuman should not make arrange ­ ments. So we followed his advice. , PARSIANA: The three resolutions from Iran and he has married a non- that were taken by the Delhi Anjuman Zoroastrian, the lady, by the laws of at the annual general meeting ... was 1 this the first time any anjuman in ----- — ----- - 4 ----- j -t India had taken up such resolutions? Such a person would be admitted into ¦ zoroastrian trust and if you allow NARGOLWALA; 1 am not aware : ««« - whether any other anjuman has ] honorary membership but it was ab- i------------ . , xt, + ' solutely non-controversial. We felt tianity. We have not reached that , that people who have rendered signal stage yet. But if according to the laws service to the community or reputable of his own counriy, his wife has legal- scholars of our religion and ancient ly become a Iranian culture of whatever nationality, ' such as Dr. Prof. Mary Boyce or L----- Dr. Ali Jafarey were to be made an issue honorary member of the anjuman, then it would be a great honour to us. PARSIANA: \ _ the membership entitle them to? NARGOLWALA; There is no privi­ lege as such, because they don ’t pay any subscription, they don ’t vote at then the other persons are deprived an agiary. But not a person who say S ^he use of the funds by such a person, has simply converted himself to Zoro- ^hen the other persons are deprived astrianism from Hinduism or Chris- to that extent. But so far as the “This idea of a clash ly become a Zoroastrian then we . «ersonalities, I do not would accept that lady in our agiary. to ” PARSIANA: What about the second SUPScrwe w. :__ e of Parsi girls marrying out, and their children being admitted in the e a great honour to us. Are temple; you say this issue has right of wSim to What prMeges does Kc„ debated in the commumty for “™Vsons ar?^^o" derived of to about two years? NARGOLWALA; Yes, actually the debate is because of what I said ear ­ lier, Delhi is a very ( right of worship in the agiary is con- other persons are not deprived of the right to worship, so no harm is cau^ to them. And there is no desecration cosmopolitan of the temple or anything like that be- 27 I.r>^trustees cause that child has become a Zoro­ astrian by the performance of the navjot. The decision of the privy coim- cil was that in such a case it is for the trustees to decide. If they allow admission, nobody can of " '' PARSIANA: When did take this decision? NARGOLWALA: Since the resolution most of the friends who are non-Parsis did not get the requisite majority such a child could not become a full-fledged member. The action of the trustees was a separate decision to allow mere ­ ly the use of the agiary to such persons. would like to pay their last respects. So, unfortunately 15 to 20 years ago we had the system of making these people sit outside on the verandah, not in the bangli itself and they were not allowed to see the face of the PARSIANA: And the third resolu- dead person after the ceremonies were performed. Then gradually non- Parsi relations were allowed; take tion? NARGOLWALA: The third resolu ­ tion pertains to the non-Parsi spouse /for example Captain Engineer who of a Parsi member wlm before could died in the air crash when the Chief not become a member, tt was a rather Minister of Gujarat was also killed \j|humiliating and embarrassing situa- during the Pakistan hostilities. His ^tion that the wife was a member and wife was not a Parsi, all his Air Force the husband came as a guest; or the friends. Air Marshall Arjan Singh, husband was a member and the wife they were all very prominent people, came as a guest. And there was no and they wanted to come and pay equality between the husband and their last respects. In fact Air Marshall wife so far as the membership was Arjan Singh even left the conduct of concerned. J We felt that this embarras- sement or' humiliation was uncalled for, that both should be allowed to gradually first the relations, and then become members because we have non-Parsi friends were allowed to pay joint membership in our anjuman. No their respects. Mr Rusi Bhote of the non-Parsi married to a Parsi can be ­ come a member unless both of them become members. We don ’t recognize India in New Delhi —^passed away single membership if the person is recently. His wife is a Parsi but many married. We have only regularised of The Central Bank staff had come the de facto position by this resolution to pay their last respects. Probably by allowing the non-Parsi spouse to as many as 200 to 300 people. And become a member of the anjuman they were all allowed to pay their last with only three restrictions. One, that respects before the body was put in .since he or she is a non-Zoroastrian, the coffin and buried in the ground, ^he or she cannot enter the agiary, he / And this is good not only for the or she caimot claim to be buried in image of the community but for the the aramgah and he or she cannot family also. They get moral support become a trustee. Subject to these j when they see all these friends sharing three restrictions, the non-Parsi spouse / in their grief and coming forward to since he or she is a non-Zoroastrian, will now become a full member of ^respect the departed soul, the anjuman with the right to vote ......... and participate in the affairs of the anjuman. PARSIANA: In Delhi, after the geh sarna ceremony is performed, are non-Parsis allowed to pay their respects? NARGOLWALA: Yes, about 15 to 20 years ago when I took charge of the affairs of the anjuman as the pre ­ sident, we had to face this problem because in Delhi, Parsis have more non-Parsi friends than Parsi friends. Which is natural if you are only 500 and are living in a city of about 30 to 40 lakhs, naturally most of your friends will be non-Parsi. Therefore, when a death occurs in a Parsi family “If the people want good leaders then their right to voice honest criticism of their leaders is very sacred. ” the war and came to the cemetary for two hours to pay his last respects. So Central Bank —he was the number one man in The Central Bank of im fa: PARSIANA: How many trustees are there in the Delhi Parsi Anjuman? NARGOLWALA: There are nine trustees who are elected by adult franchise for three years. The election always takes place in March at the annual general meeting. Suppose I am elected in 1975 then I will vacate in 1978. Somebody who is elected in 1976 will vacate in 1979; so there is continuity. We have also introduced a rule whereby the elected trustees co­ opt two more trustees so now we have 11 trustees. Nine are elected, two are co-opted by the nine, and by conven ­ tion these two are always ladies to give representation to the female members of the community. PARSIANA: Would you say that these trustees are only the custodians of the funds and properties of the Delhi Anjuman or are they also the leaders of the community? NARGOLWALA: We have a dual capacity as trustees. When we estab ­ lished the agiary, the dharamsala and our religious funds, we made separate trust deeds for these institutions. So the administration of these institutions is done by the trustees of the Delhi Parsi Anjuman. Nobody else can administer these institutions except the trustees of the Delhi Parsi Anju ­ man for- the time being. But then we are also a registered society under the Societies Registration Act of 1860. As a registered society we have to elect a managing committee and frame our own rules and regula^ns describing the powers of the managing commit ­ tee, who will be the office bearers, what will be their functions, who will incur what expenditure, and so on. So the elected trustees of the Delhi Parsi Anjuman are also in a dual capacity the trustees of the religious and charit ­ able institutions. The society has other funds also, for example, we have a general fund —^the membership sub ­ scription that we collect is put in the general fund —these are used for general purposes. We have a scholar ­ ships scheme. PARSIANA: Would you say that most of the other anjumans in India have this system or are the trustees basically just custodians of the trusts and properties? NARGOLWALA: wind of change now. You take the Parsi Panchayat, Bombay, or the Surat Panchayat, they are the trustees of the funds and properties entrusted in their care by the various charitable persons who foimded those agiaries or dokhmas or other institutions. Even schools or colleges could be run by trustees. dividual anjuman, how it runs, whether it runs as a trust of the funds and properties or whether it runs as a registered society with a proper sys­ tem for the election of office bearers and so on. PARSIANA: Do you feel that the Bombay Panchayat and the Surat Pan ­ chayat have taken shelter behind the fact that they are only custodians of the funds and properties and have thereby avoided issues, or do you feel that this is their role? NARGOLWALA: No, my position is that I would like them to be leaders of the community. I do not like this nebulous position where on the one Well, there is a It depends on the in- anjuman. 29n' ¦ 1 cable give-and-take, it was decided to have greater confidence when taking form a Federation. The original idea action. At present because the was to form an association of Zoro­ astrians but finally the idea of form ­ ing a Federation of the member anjumans was accepted by all; and zonal representation was given, based on the population concentration and the importance of the community in that particular area. That is why the Bombay Parsi Panchayat was given the pride of place, both in the president ­ ship of the Federation as well as in the forums, there is no reason why adult council. The same with Surat. So also franchise should not be introduced to a certain extent with Poona, here also. But I do realize the validity Madras, Secunderabad and Hyderabad, of the other argument also; that if we Calcutta and so on. try it straightaway we might introduce PARSIANA: What was the main politics into our community affairs, objective of starting the Federation? -- - - — — - . - , . The main object of starting the Federation arose from the first World conference held in Tehran. It was felt there should be a three years to be reelected. But the if not graduates and there are also national federation and this national Bombay Parsi Panchayat ’s electoral qualified doctors, lawyers, engineers, federation would be further affiliated system should be changed and their architects, etcetera, so adult franchise" to a world federation. Now we had franchise broadened. It is argued that for our community is not as dangerous anjumans in India, big and small, and adult franchise is too wide, and per- a proposition as it would be for a ’ ’ haps undesirable people might create community where illiteracy is high or hand they are only trustees function- community, and they in turn would ing in their capacity as trustees and I on the other hand also functioning as action. At present because the leaders of the community —but without franchise is narrow, any action which the necessary legal sanction. example you take the case of Delhi or some other anjumans, there PARSIANA: the people who are elected as trustees are in a sense not only the trustees of the properties of the anjuman but are also leaders of the community. They are elected by adult franchise simple reason that if it is used satisfac- for a short period of three years. They torily for election to state assemblies, have to justify their existence. They parliament, and in various other strength of its trustees in the executive have to go back to the electorate every f - - - .. anjumans. If for they take must satisfy the small por­ tion of the community that elects them. _ jjj. favour of adult franchise for the election of trustees? NARGOLWALA: Frankly, I am in favour of adult franchise for the to r “Our people are prominent in medicine, in law, but in the government they are \9osing ground. 91 people will buy votes, or people will What did it hope to achieve? be influenced as most politicians are NARGOLWALA: influenced. Mind you in our com­ munity literacy is 100 per cent —most of the boys and girls are matriculates if not graduates and there are also architects, etcetera, so adult franchise" to a world federation. we had concentrations of Parsi popula ­ tions in certain areas like Gujarat, where education is low. But it does Bombay, Calcutta, Nagpur and so on. We felt that all these anjumans should trouble. But nobody disputes, not even the trustees of the Parsi Pancha ­ yat, that their present system is very narrowly-based. There are about 5,000 to 6,000 people on the register. They thing I am sure about in my mind, that ' ¦ ' it should be a direct election. You may have on the Registers, graduates. And the trustees professional people, or people who pay . . , . income tax, or wealth tax, or people succession, marriage and divorce. The who hold certain office, in government idea of a Federation materialized and its objectives have already been stated ¦ in its Memorandum, the objects are very wide but they can be summed up in one sentence —that whatever would do good to the community, would promote its welfare is the object of the Federation. PARSIANA: major accomplishments of the Federa ­ tion have been in the years of its existence? elect a very small number of persons to form a committee, who in turn elect the trustees, x__ _ _ ______ are elected for a long period. They themselves have now appointed a committee for electoral reform. People say there are 65,000 Parsis in Bom- « ^bay. Why should not at least 40,000 Njmr 50,000 be involved in the process not follow that we should jump straight away into adult franchise. We have a common organization where they could exchange views, take each other ’s advise, make a sort of sustained representation to Government when ­ ever the occasion arose about changing the laws and so on about adoption. can have some other system. But one it should be a direct election. **To inculcate the spirit of enterprise, no minority of electing the trustees? The present commission can help you indifference of the Bombay Parsis to the Bombay Parsi Panchayat is be-, cause the franchise is not broad-based. Then also there must be a system of and so on. That would keep the base annual accountability. You may be elected for 10 years but every year you must lay before the persons who have elected you a report of the work- in that. 99 What do you feel the narrower than adult franchise, but it would be a direct vote. It is not desir- . able that they should elect some small NARGOLWALA: The most import- number of people and who in turn ings of the institution, what the people should elect the trustees, this I don ’t who have been elected have done, approve. x* . - You must invite suggestions, com- PARSIANA: You have been one of body, it is not directly m^ contrm oi ments, resolutions and take some concrete actiom Once you have this system of a broad franchise, annual NARGOLWALA: accountability and ant accomplishment is the elimination of the communication gap. You must appreciate that a Federation is an apex communication approve. PARSIANA: ________ ___ the founders of thTFederation. Could any'funds or properties of any anju- you tell us how it was formed? i^man. It is like la father or a grand- NARGOLWALA: The idea was i father in a family. Everybody respects mooted in 1962 and was reinforced 1 the elderly person, everybody respects It is like rop ijT father or a grand- idy Js vhl between the community and the at the Second World Zoroastrian 'f his advice and his ^idance.l^ to my leaders of the community, then the Congress held in Bombay in 1964. It 'mind, and I think I can say this with- Parsi Panchayat ’s image will improve, 1 _ it will become better. People will between the leaders of the community bring their problems to them, look from all over India, conflicting claims up to them as the leaders of the were advanced and finally by an ami- Congress held in Bombay in 1964. It VVligjlVOO XXV/XVl XXi AiX I. X.. ..------ . . - ... took many meetings and discussions jout hesitation, the communication gap ’ ¦ • ' -x ^jhas been eliminated for the first time I in the history of the Parsis in India I running over the last 1,300 years. We I 313 “The freedom given to the press, the eminence given to the press, is reduced by its own action. )) lishment ot an agiary or a dokhma. Parsi Panchayat is that it is not a These are matters for the individual truly representative body of the Parsis anjumans. But this closing of the in Bombay, that its election system is I communication gap is bringing all very narrow, and because of this nar- I Parsis together, and turning their row base, the right type of leaders are F attention to certain pressing problems; not elected or even if they are elected and even the Third World Zoroastrian f their functioning is restricted. All these Congress would never have been held criticisms I have been makiug since but for the initiative taken by the i 1962. I made the criticism when Mr. Federation. I would not claim that i Nadirshah Mulla was the chairman of Ae initiative came only from the Delhi j the Parsi Panchayat, when the Federa- ’ ........ - - . - - . cussions, we put the proposals. 'Jehangir was the chairman, when Mr. PARSIANA: Why do you feel the Erach Nadirshah was the chairman Bombay Parsi Panchayat left the and I made the criticism when Mr Federation? Boman-Behram is the president of the Parsi Panchayat. So it has nothing to have now a body which can communi- cate from one part of the country to Federation. I would not claim that i Nadirshah Mulla was the chairman of the other. And apart from the Federa- the initiative came only from the Delhi j the Parsi Panchayat, when the Federa ­ tion the idea of zonal conferences was Parsi Anjuman, but we started the dis- j tion was formed, when Lady Hirabai introduced; the south zone should cussions, we put the proposals, 'Jehangir was the chairman, when Mr. have a conference, the north zone ” - ... - should have a conference, and so on. Because the east zone has very few Parsis therefore we had a combined NARGOLWALA: It is a delicate conference of the north and east zones in Delhi in January 1977. And in Bangalore we had a south zone con- __ __ ____ _____ _ _____ ference and a lot of exchange of views unwarranted, unauthorized and unpro- I matter. One reason given is that the do with a clash of personalities! What Federation has not served any useful happened is that until very recently, purpose. The other reason is that there was a lot of free and frank dis- ____________________ cussion between us and the various and so on. Then this question of the voked attacks have been made against anjumans, but unfortunately when amelioration of the priestly class was the Parsi Panchayat. These are the the idea of this Third World Zoroas- taken up after many, many years, reasons they have given and I have trian Congress was mooted there.was And then there is the question of re- given my views, to the press. an orthodox section in the communi ty presentation to the govenunent. We PARSIANA: People say that one of they did not want the congress to be l^ve made a representation on adop- the reasons for the Panchayat leaving held and naturally the trustees of the tion, we are now going to make a the Federation was the clash of per- Parsi Panchayat living in Bombay and representation in regard to the mar- sonalities? being in close contact with the various riage and divorce laws, succession NARGOLWALA: No, no. section ... they were a bit nervous or laws. Then we have the Minorities PARSIANA: Between you and hesitant. It must be said to the credit Commission. We have to put our Boman-Behram. of Lady Jehangir that she saw the problems before them. So the achieve- NARGOLWALA: " ' ' * ' ments of the Federation caimot just be counted in terms of something visible, like a housing scheme or the estab ­ amelioration of the priestly class was the Parsi Panchayat. And then there is the question of re- the Federation was the clash of per ­ sonalities? NARGOLWALA: No, no. Between you No, I would not strength of our argument that it was ¦ high time a world congress was held. J And this was all done before Mr. criticism that I have voiced of the Boman-Behram became the president say that. This idea of a clash ofi^r- sonalities I do not subcribe to. JThe £ I i £ FIRST INDIAN BEER TO GET WORLD RECOGNITION FOR TWO SUCCESSIVE YEARS WINNER OF INTERNATIONAL AWARDS IN WORLD SELECTION OF BEERS LONDON-1976 LUXEMBOURG-1977 I LONDON PILSNER I SYMBOL OF THE INTERNATIONAL QU/ SYMBOL OF THE INTERNATIONAL QUALITY 32 1976 1977u the Federation in the last five or that reply should also be published, personalities; it is a question of this pressure from the orthodox section and pressure from people who are . __ ________ _____ supported^ by some sections of the hearing "is not given to the other side created the situation as we find it now. PARSIANA: What part do you think of the Federation. Then because we the press has played in the break up once decided to hold the congress, and of the Federation 1’ ¦ ¦ ' . orthodox section started first of all to __ __ __ _____ __ ______ try and prevent the congress from believer in its freedom. I am also a conciliation. And time itself is “I may be wrong, no human being is perfect. But I am hurt when motives are ascribed to me.” seven years so it is not a question of The right to comment is absolute. The press can comment. The press can pursue policy ‘x’ or policy ‘y’. But if in the pursuit of that policy a fair press and who are vocal, that has then it is self-defeating. The freedom .u-j ,1.^ '' given to the press, the eminence given to the press, is reduced by its own ac ­ tion. So I am hopeful. The history of , r. ' 7 - ------------------ - all institutions has ups and downs, that was a unanimous decision, the NARGOLWALA: Well I have great There are sometimes differences, they orthodox section started first of all to respect for the press and I am a lead to a break and then there is a re ­ try and prevent the congress from believer in its freedom. I am also a conciliation. And time itself is a great tamg place and when that attempt great believer in the proposition that healer. We cannot stand aside wh^ tailed, they rtied to prevent discussion the press, which has so much freedom the whole country is moving forward I of any of the controversial problems, and so much eminence, should ex- PARSIANA: If the Bombay PancEm lhat also failed and when the con- ercise restraint over itself. Now if a yat does not rejoin, do you feel the ^'ess was such a great success, and paper constantly goes on publishing Federation could continue? views were freely and frankly exchang- one side of a discussion or a debate NARGOLWALA: Well, it is not a ed, the pres^e of the orthodox sec- and indulges in encouraging personal question only of the Bombay Parsi K Panchayat increased attacks and so on, then I personally Panchayat. It is a question of what , Aoecau^ they felt they were losing feel that it is not playing the proper will happen if the Bombay Parsi Pan- vy ground. So propaganda was started role which the press should play. I chayat does not rejoin so far as the and it IS this that has been described ..... as a clash of personalities. The presi- ____ _ ___ _____.............. dent of the Panchayat is the president port ‘x’ or ‘y’ policy and it is fuUy en- of the Federation He is the supreme titled to do so. Its proprietors, its vmc xoxox rouvuayau juxu» Federation. Who can shareholders, its editors lay down the the Federation or does not join, does challenge him? Who can have a clash policy and it should do its best to ’ ' ' with his personality? The four vice- presidents are four eminent personal!- there be a clash of personalities? And the other side. And this is particularly whether it joins or does not, even if personalities keep on changing. We so if any personal attack is made. If it does not join and if it carries out the have had three or four presidents of the person attacked sends a reply, then objectives of the Federation, the Fede- and so much eminence, should ________ _____________ ______ ercise restraint over itself. Now if a yat does not rejoin, do you feel the freely exchang- one side of a discussion or a debate NARGOLWALA: Well, it is not a ' " j -------- ¦ and indulges in encouraging personal question only of the Bombay Parsi accept the position that each news ­ paper has its own policy. It may sup- I chayat does not rejoin so far as the other Panchayats are concerned. As I have noted there are certain intangible objectives and certain tangible objecti ­ ves. Whether the Parsi Panchayat joins it not have to tackle the housing promote that policy. It may support problem in Bombay? Does it not have -. . - - * ------- one version of a problem but it to tackle the problem of the priestly ties from the four zones. Why should should not shut out a fair hearing of class? That has nothing to do with I..* <1 * - . ~ ----- WlXVtXlVX AU JVXUO VX UUl, even U persoMhties keep on changmg. We so if any personal attack is made. If it does not join and if it carries out the kt TRAVELLING ABROAD? TAKE-OFF WITH CENTRAL BANK'S HELP WE'LL GIVE YOU THE CLEARANCE AND the EXCHANGE Under the new Foreign Travel Scheme we can give you an eligibility certificate at any of the undermentioned branches. Just bring your passport. 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But i “If they xejoin then the continue with the Federation if you the first question was in which coun- ( unity of the community is felt there were a few people willing to try it should be headquartered, not in ’ ‘ ¦ — — ¦ -• which city. There, conflicting views were expressed, some said London, some said Geneva, some said Tehran, and so on. Now I said that if it is in India it would be preferable to site it If they rejoin then the a restored. The Federation . can speak for the community as a whole. 9) stay on? NARGOLWALA: This is a question which only time can answer. I don ’t have any authority to answer because I am only one member of the Execu ­ tive Council and of the Federation. It outside Bombay so that it should not would then depend on all the remam- “ ing members to decide on the future course of action. h ..... ...... ............. c t] ration will be happy. There is no con- would then depend on all the remam- be dominated by any Federation as ti flict of interests. But if they rejoin, ing members to decide on the future such or even by any constituent mem- u then the unity of the community is course of action. ber of the Federation. This idea of h restored. The Federation can speak PARSIANA: Assuming that 50 per having a common secretariat, you cent of the members wanted to stay have seen what has happened with the on and continue with the Federation withdrawal of the Parsi Panchayat would you feel that it were possible and the Surat Panchayat from the Cl claim that it is speaking for the com- to do so, financially and in every “ ii munity. That situation is unfortunate other way? B and it should not have taken place, it NARGOLWALA; ft would have only been fair to the com- [ '' “ a: munity if these objections of the Parsi Federation is very, very minor. A few ai Panchayat had been discussed at the thousand rupees a year is sufficient, ta executive council meeting and then But if the remaining members decide A the Parsi Panchayat could have taken to carry on we will carry on and the pi a decision to remain or not to remain, f hl But unilaterally withdrawing without people who have left to rejoin, til the slightest discussion in the proper PARSIANA: What prompted you to re forum which is there for discussion, say at the world congress that should ri this was unfortunate. a world body be formed, it should not pendent, autonomous, world body. Be- ~ cause you must appreciate* that the NARGOLWALA: Well, the point is problems facing the Parsi Zoroastrians differ from place to place. Even in s; for the community as a whole. If E they don ’t rejoin then the position be- P comes nebulous. Each party may claim that it is speaking for the com­ munity. That situation is unfortunate Federation. We have to think of reor ­ ganizing the entire works. This causes Finance is no disruption. And it permits one compo* problem. The finance for running the nent of a constituent body to have an ~ " excessive grip or influence over a world body. That is why I had sugges- i ted that if it is to be headquartered in India, then it should be outside door will always be open for the Bombay, preferably in the capital city of the country. Suppose it is in Iran, it has to be in Tehran and so on. The idea was to have a sort of truly inde- no forum which is there for discussion, this was unfortunate. la PARSIANA: Suppose the Bombay be headquartered in Bombay? C Panchayat, Surat and some of the ’ ~ pi other panchavats do not rejoin and that I was not so much against it he ­ rn cc lil Tai-lnt«rcontinental Hotet — Bombay if* Sgs5 'r iih*j SsS J. I 32 34 a LET’S BUILD THEM TOGETHER! 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Obarol-Sharalon Hotel — Bombay J 'Muscat Palace of His Majesty the Sultan of Onian; «« hK IT M « Mir & Enqirief New Ifi Romhny 400 030 Inciia SHAPOORJi PALLONJI & CO. (PVT.) LTD.¦f “Whatever would do good to the community, would promote its welfare, is the object of the Federation. hold, and the motives of those views, jobs in government service, that their that it is for the good of the commu ­ nity and not because I want to oppose some other panchayat or some other anjuman.X PARSIANA: Is there any possibility personal laws are very diflEerent. The Christians have their own problems. We have never made any claims as a minority. We have never asked for a seat in parliament, we have never asked for anything to be done special ­ ly for the Parsis. We have always taken a national outlook and view ­ point. But our laws are now antiquat ­ ed. The Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act when it was passed in 1936 was if of a parallel body coming up in Bombay? India they differ from place to place. NARGOLWALA: I would rather Today for example you hear about wish the other thing would happen, the villages losing aU their Parsi popu. That the Parsi Panphayat would as- lation. It is the same in Iran, the sume its true and rightful place as villages have all been denuded and leaders of the community and based ahead of the legislation governing other people are now concentrating in on a wide franchise, not necessarily communities. Now it is at the bottom. Tehran, Shiraz and so on. In Canada adult franchise; but if they don ’t move The Hindu Marriage Act has been and America the problem is to pre- with the times, if people are dissatis- enacted, revised, made into a modern serve this great religion, to have hed with their leadership, then the law, and a special marriage act has knowledge of it so that it can be pas ­ sed on to the children. So I meant no disrespect to the Bombay Parsi Pan ­ chayat. I felt that a world body head ­ on a wide franchise, not necessarily adult franchise; but if they don ’t move with the times, if people are dissatis ­ fied with their leadership, then the chances of a parallel body coming up made marriage laws for all communi- are quite frightening. Because people ties more rational, logical. Now take are not now prepared to just blindly the succession act, there also we are follow their so-called leaders as we far behind. Now what happened in this Air India crash (on 1st January 1978)? Most of the people who died in the cabin crew were Parsis. And they were So I do hope that the Parsi Panchayat young people, most of them 18, 20, 24, 30 and 35, many of them would not have left wills and instead of the com- we ijAjiartered in any country should at have seen in Indian politics. Today the ^^ast be in the centre of power of that leaders are more criticized than leaders country, and its organization should be have been criticized ever in the past, delinked from any of its constituen ­ cies. It should have its own building, its own secretariat, its own managing committee and so on. , , „ - __ ___ PARSIANA: Your critics charge the Surat Panchayat and the Parsi the children, it would go to Jhe parents, that you are trying to build a follow- P ’ , ing ^f^like-minded people? phase, they began to lose their leader- widow is left with hardly anything, ship role; they began to lose the res- Now if our succession law had been pect of the community. Then people attended to earlier, this sort of tragedy would itself assume a proper role and a proper leadership position. _ ______________ Even 100 years ago —150 years ago pensation money going to the wife or Panchayat passed through this very the brothers, the sisters, and the poor NARGOLWALA: There is no perso ­ nal axe to grind so far as I am con- ship role; they began to lose the res- cemed. I work for the good of the came up and made them conscious of would not have arisen. So the Minori- - community in what I feel is the best their responsibilities and they assum- interests of the community. Jl may be ed their proper role. And now once ) wrong, no human being is perfect. But again this thing has happened. Again j I am hurt when motives are ascribed it may change. I to me. When people think I am doing [ this to collect a following, or I am doing this to go against some person people want good leaders then their in the Parsi Panchayat or Surat Pan ­ chayat/...it is absolutely incorrect. ties Commission is very important for us too. In the legal and the socio-eco ­ nomic sense, it is not important to us for having seats in the municipal council, or legislative assembly, or If the parliament; it is not important, be ­ cause far more than by our numbers, we on merit achieve distinction in all —J—, ........ ........—- J .........—X oxxxvvxvij walks of life. Qur real problem is,the I^M^hat interest have I in doing such a hope that there will be unity in the motiv ation of our youg^er generation, ^^ing? I have been the president of Federation and that it will continue to Our youth is not willing to go out of the Delhi Parsi Anjuman for the last play its useful role. Otherwise we will Bombay. They prefer clerical jobs. 18 years. Never once has there been lose valuable time in tackling our pro- They must have their cinemas and a contested election of any trustee al- blems. ' ' ' though we have adult franchise. What PARSIANA: interest would I have in disunity or going against anybody for my perso ­ nal interest. There is not the slightest reason on earth why I should be motivated except for the good of the _ _ _ __ community I have not stood for any reUttons,"and th^ political office. 1 have not canvassed any vote from any section of the com­ munity so that I would go their way _ - and oppose somebody else. fl have respects (tO the dead), been absolutely non-political through- out my life and also absolutely cosmo- politian and non-communal in my NARGOLWALA: Well, the terms of outlook. When I say non-communal, I reference are very wide and in our use the word communal in its ‘bad ’ The price of liberty or the price of progress is eternal vigilance. right to voice honest criticism of their leaders is very sacred. But I sincerely hope that there will be unity in the the Delhi Parsi Anjuman for the last play its useful role. Otherwise we will Bombay. They prefer clerical jobs, a contested election of any trustee al- clubs or dances. They are not enter ­ prising enough to start new businesses. In the old days in Bombay we had small shops run by Parsis, we had small businesses run by Parsis. Take for example a business like aerated waters, the name of Rogers and Dukes are famous. In Calcutta Byron was famous for aerated waters. They were all Parsi businesses. Now to inculcate the spirit of enterprise, no minority commission can help you in that. You have to help yourself. One important A thing which we must drill into our I younger generation is that unless they j join government service, join the ) armed forces, and other civil services , in the country, we will not be able to . * „ - - -- ------ have our voice heard in the seat of i will be reached of the view that I vantaged, that they don ’t get enough power. The bureaucracy is very strong. How will the Minori ­ ties Commission stand to benefit the Parsi community? "So gradually first the non-Parsi friends were allowed to pay their 99 case the benefits will differ from say, for the Muslims or the Christians. The 'I hope a proper understanding Muslims feel that they are the disad- I ^nse/So this is what hurts me most. */And hope a proper understanding 1 i 35“Whatever would do good to the community, would promote its welfare, is the object of the Federation. ” hold, and the motives of those views, that it is for the good of the commu ­ nity and not because I want to oppose some other panchayat or some other anjuman.X PARSIANA: Is there any possibility of a parallel body coming up in Bombay? NARGOLWALA: I would rather wish the other thing would happen. That the Parsi Papphayat would as ­ sume its true and rightful place as leaders of the community and based on a wide franchise, not necessarily adult franchise; but if they don ’t move with the times, if people are dissatis ­ fied with their leadership, then the chances of a parallel body coming up are quite frightening. Because people . _________ ______ are not now prepared to just blindly the succession act, there also we are follow their so-called leaders _ ... ' - - have seen in Indian politics. Today the jobs in government service, that their personal laws are very different. The Christians have their own problems. We have never made any claims minority. We have never asked for seat in parliament, we have never asked for anything to be done special ­ ly for the Parsis. We have always taken a national outlook and view ­ point. But our laws are now antiquat ­ ed. The Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act when it was passed in 1936 was ahead of the legislation governing other communities. Now it is at the bottom. The Hindu Marriage Act has been enacted, revised, made into a modern law, and a special marriage act has made marriage laws for all communi ­ ties more rational, logical. Now take , ---------- -------- ...------! far behind. Now what happened in this Air India crash (on 1st January 1978)? Most of the people who died in the ” cabin crew were Parsis. And they were young people, most of them 18, 20, 24, 30 and 35, many of them would not have left wills and instead of the com­ pensation money going to the wife or as a a India they differ from place to place. Today for example you hear about the villages losing all their Parsi popu ­ lation. It is the same in Iran, the villages have all been denuded and people are now concentrating in Tehran, Shiraz and so on. In Canada and America the problem is to pre ­ serve this great religion, to have knowledge of it so that it can be pas ­ sed on to the children. So I meant no disrespect to the Bombay Parsi Pan- ¦V h^^t. I felt that a world body head- luuow ineir so-caiiecl leaders as we „ ----- -i have seen in Indian politics. Today the .jast be m the centre of power of that leaders are more criticized than leaders V J -____-*<* ¦« 4 • •• delinked from any of its constituen ­ cies. It should have its own building, its own secretariat, its own mana ging ago —150 years ago pensation money^going^ to the^wife*or PARSIANA: Your critics charge the Surat Panchayat and the Parsi the children, it would go to4he parents SJ through this very the brothers, the sisters, and the poor NARCOT they began to lose their leader- widow is left with hardly anything, nti o? . V®'® ® P®'®®’ ^he res- Now if our succession law had been nai axe to grmd so far as I am con ­ cerned. I work for the good of the _ ________________ community in what I feel is the best their responsibilities and they interests of the community, a r 2 . „ wrong, no human being is perfect." But -—JxkL I am hurt when motives are ascribed it may change. to me. When people think I am doing “ A|iartered in any country should at ^Wcast be in the centre of nower nf that country, and its organization should be have been criticized ever in the past. cies. It should have its own building, i*" ---- ----- X ¦ . .. committee and so on. So I do hope that the Parsi Panchayat would itself assume a proper role and a proper leadership position. . . , - - . - -------- Now if our succession law had been pect of the community. Then people attended to earlier, this sort of tragedy came up and made them conscious of would not have arisen. So the Minori- ties Commission is very important for us too. In the legal and the socio-eco ­ nomic sense, it is not important to us for having seats in the municipal doL fhi tn O’- I am progress is eternal vigilance. If the parliament; it is not important, be- I ftiLV cause far more than by our numbers, phn^tt / > Panchayat or Surat Pan- right to voice honest criticism of their we on merit achieve distinction in all ^ayat /...it is absolutely mcorrect. eaders is very sacred. But I sincerely walks of life. Our real problem is the th ^'’ch a hope that there will be unity in the motivaUon of SSFl^er generatiOT. npih- pj • *® of Federation and that it will continue to OuFyouth is not wiIIiHg' to g5 out o^^ 1R S Anjuman for the last play its useful role. Otherwise we will Bombay. They prefer ^clerical jobs 18 years. Never once has there been lose valuable time in tackling our pro- ' - • - a contested election of any trustee al- blems. though we have adult franchise. What PARSIANA: interest would I have in disunity or going against anybody for my perso ­ nal interest. There is not the slightest reason on earth why I should be motivated except for the good of the *«,^*.«** community. I have not stood for any political office. 1 have not canvassed and then any vote from any section of the com- „ -------- munity so that I would go their way avowed to pay their and oppose somebody else./I have respects (tO the dead).” commumiy in wnat I teel is interests of the community, h —-J assum- may be ed their proper role. And now once t again this thing has happened. Again The price of liberty or the price of How will the Minori ­ ties Commission stand to benefit the Parsi community? “So gradually* first the non-Parsi friends were They must have their cinemas and clubs or dances. They are not enter ­ prising enough to start new businesses. In the old days in Bombay we had small shops run by Parsis, we had small businesses run by Parsis. Take for example a business like aerated waters, the name of Rogers and Dukes are famous. In Calcutta Byron was famous for aerated waters. They were all Parsi businesses. Now to inculcate the spirit of enterprise, no minority commission can help you in that. You have to help yourself. One important A thing which we must drill into our ’ younger generation is that unless they I join government service, join the ’ armed forces, and other civil services i in the country, we will not be able to \ have our voice heard in the seat of i power. The bureaucracy is very strong. ' been absolutely non-political through- __________ out my life and also absolutely cosmo- politian and non-communal in my NARGOLWALA: Well, the terms of outlook. When I say non-communal, I reference are very wide and in our , benefits will differ from say, , ----------------- for the Muslims or the Christians. The I hope a proper understanding Muslims feel that they are the disad- wiIJ be reached of the view that I vantaged. that they don ’t get enough , use the word communal in its ‘bad ’ 4.1.Z- _____t __ X j senseJSo this is what hurts me most. # a proper understanding n 1 i 35:<¦ tn Ae old days many Parsis joined the civil services of the states. You re ­ member even in native states, a Parsi “The Third World tvcu m uauvc siaics, a rarsi divan was preferred. Entering the civil Congress services is something.which the Fede- would never have been ration could encourage. It should select held but for the initiative some boys and girls who and give them the necessa^ financial help. Tatas do that for their concerns, send people abroad for training in various professions and so on. They have the Tata Administrative Service. Our people are prominent in medicine, in law, but in the government they are losing ground. When I say govern ­ ment, I mean bureaucracy, the actual, executive limb of the government. In the armed forces there are very few Parsis joining. This is a very serious problem. Now here also the Minorities Commission cannot help. You have to help yourself. < Nevertheless the future of the com- unity, taking the world as a whole, is very bright. But I am worried about the future of the community in Bom­ bay. I am not worried about the future of the community in places like Bangalore. Madras. Take for example Dolly Madon. He left Calcutta as a young boy and single-handed he established one of the biggest busi ­ nesses in Madras of stevedoring and supplying of stores to ships and so on. There are many instances like that of Parsis out of Bombay who have built up a reputation which any community can be proud of. But what will happen in Bombay, if remedial action is not taken, is that after 25 or 30 years the community will consist of two cate ­ gories, one clerks and the other pro­ fessionals such as doctors, lawyers. 1 help yourself. are brilliant taken by the Federation. ” ‘We have now a body which can communicate from one part of the country to the other.” don ’t want to name any names, but I am an advisor to many b’g business houses. They have great faith in Parsis, they still have that respect for Parsis which they had in their father ’s time or grandfather ’s time. One company had a job of Rs 4,000 to offer, with all perquisites. There was a young Parsi in Bombay who was interviewed. going to a big town in Uttar Pradesh. Ultimately because of the pressures of his parents and his family, he gave up that job. He did not take it. He would have become the finance director of one of the biggest companies after five or ten years. PARSIANA: After you retired from government service what have you been doing? NARGOLWALA: Apart from having been in the Indian Civil Service for 35 years, I am a qualified chartered accountant. I did my C. A. from Eng ­ land and Wales. So after I retired I started my tax practice as a C. A. and also financial consultancy, company management and things like that. And with God’s grace I am quite happy. With Compliments from GLOBE THEATRES PVT. LTD. Established April 3, 1915 Controlling : * who was willing to go and he had ac- cepted the appointment. He was on the point of going and his parents said if BaiH you go we will commit suicide. We can ’t live without you. His wife said no, I am not prepared to go. Mind you, he was not going to a small village but Warden is good For sandalwood Head Office 378 Grant Road Bombay 400 007 and Branches Tel. 371464 REGAL BOMBAY * CAPITOL BOMBAY Quality sandalwood Aggarbatties. gum benzoin (loban) and other Perfumes * GLOBE CALCUTTA * ROXY MADRAS 37'W* M yr f**-. The Gift of Wings Jeroo Gorimar The one-engine plane with its small cargo of mail taxies down the grass strip at Juhu, to stop next to half a dozen of its tiny, winged brethren. A bullock cart trundles vp with fuel for the Puss Moth as its 28-year-old pilot, Jehangir R. Tata, alights after a his ­ toric flight from Karachi to Bombay. While inaugurating India ’s first air ­ mail service 46 years ago, Tata who had yet to assume control of th^ 900- crore Tata empire, gave the gift of wings to the country. Without radar, runways or airports, with only one Leopard Moth and a Puss Moth, a handful of employees and a palm- thatched hut for an office, Tata Air- ' lines with Tata in the cockpit and at the controls, grew to be the country ’s international flag carrier, spanning five continents, which reaped an estimated profit of Rs 25 crores last year. As Tata himself said on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the airline, ‘If Tata Airlines had been a failure it would never have become Air-India ... it (Air-Tndia) would not be what it is today. ” On 4 February 1978, after a long innings, the 73-year-old chairman of Air-India was summarily relieved of his responsibilities by the government. Air Chief Marshal P. C. Lal, chairman of a Calcutta-based Tata firm, was ap]^inted joint chairman of both nationalised corporations, Air-India and Indian Airlines. "If Tata Airlines had been a failure. It would never have become Air-India." “Air-India has survived despite the fact that the airline business is most vulnerable to political, social and __ _____ economy changes everywhere in the had not shown a keen personal inte- world; Tata is largely responsible for i—_ _____ Its survival, ” notes K. G. Appusamy, comprehension Air-India ’s managing director and joint vice-chairman of Air-India and Indian Airlines. His deputy, N. H. Dastur aircraft interiors; from who retired a year before he was due to do so, says, Tata was largely length of a hostess ’ hair, Tata rest, according to his colleagues. “His * ’ ' I was remarkable,' says an associate. From the intrica ­ te J X XT TT- ----- aviation to flight schedules and His deputy, N. H. Dastur aircraft interiors; from passenger ; comfort to crew uniforms and the I was responsible for the high standards of reportedly a stylist and gave meticu- service. He would rather give good lous attention to every detail. He had service than make a profit, though he ™ did like both. He was a finer socialist than many others who pretend to be socialists. ” Dastur ascribes the former chair ­ man ’s success to his “instinctive feel about the airline business and his jud- 9» gement which was always right. He was a fine administrator; he trusted his officers, delegated responsibility and never interfered. He took decisions only after a consensus had been reach ­ ed. ” No matter how busy he was run ­ ning the Tata empire, “he was always available for advice. He somehow^ managed to give you an appointment on the same day you asked for cn: ¦ This made for smooth functioning,' says Dastur. There was not a single aspect of the airline business in which Tata one. 9» i9 1 i J a tidy mind and a tie set awry ___ steward ’s shirtfront irked him ac much as a hostess with chipped nails or fat around her waist. “From time to time we seem to be getting lax about the weight of our hostesses ... any fat around the waist on a as ¦1 < ? 38 JUF >¦ ¦ I ¦ 'IB i ¦if r' » 'W/ i as* ; w 4 ¥ *s»4* « i J r 1. r- jj becomes clearly visible and is exag- taken on his suggestion that blue Arrival at Juhu of the inaugural mail gerated into an unsightly roll fiuid should be used in aircraft flight from Karachi. Second from left, when the hostess bends down while lavatories. “It looks better, ” he ex- Capt. Homi Bharucha, Tata, and Neville attending to passengers, ” Tata would plained. For years, Tata hammered Vintcent. caution time and again. According to at his colleagues, “Always aim at Dastur, “After every flight he would perfection and be satisfied only with excellence. ” “Tata ’s high standards of perfection and taste were responsible for the ling, the state of the aircraft, crockery Air-India Boeing 747 decor, consider- and cutlery, down to a broken tin ‘ opener which might need replace ­ ment. At Tata ’s insistence, aircraft cabin lights had to be on during meal ser ­ vice so that when tables were laid in first class, “the cutlery would sparkle. He didn ’t want Air-India to switch to plastic glasses even when other air ­ lines had done so as a measure of an return with several pages of notes on < {iow to improve service, ” having ob­ served everything from ground hand- Tata would make generous allowance for human error. When a terrified Air-India hostess spilt coffee on his immaculate suit, he laughed it off with, “Next time make it whisky. ” “He rarely lost his temper with his staff, ” according to Dastur “and tried to 99 ««* ed to be one of the most beautiful in the world, ’'* says Jal Cowasji, Air­ India ’s publicity consultant and one ­ time head of the publicity department. Cowasji recalled that it was the chair- "After every flight he would man ’s farsighted policy of beautifying return with several pages of Air-India offices all over the world ' ¦ ¦ with paintings and murals by Indian artists and Indian artifacts which “any other conservative chairman would have felt was a waste of time and ... . . money. ” During their 23-year work- "He would rather give good ing relationship, the consultant re- »» notes on how to improve service/' maintain the personal touch, ” even after Air-India had become an estab- . _ _ „ ------------- X-, .— ------------ lished and running concern nationaliz- ServiCe than^ make a profit ceived many midnight telephone calls ed and somewhat impersonalised. “He though ho did like both." at home from Tata, suggesting “how was dear to his staff because he was a message on an Air-India hoarding genuinely interested in their welfare, ” might be unproved by the deletion or says Appusamy. After the recent addition of a word. We had to give New Year ’s day airplane crash, Tata so much of ourselves because he reportedly visited the bereaved fami- . ¦ lies of the 23-member crew to per- Though a stickler for perfection, sonally offer his condolences. economy because Air-India had to be better than the others. At one regional heads meeting he reportedly wanted gave so much of himself, ” he says, to know why no action had been 39“K he was occasionally strict with his senior executives he was kind and humane with the ‘lower ’ cadres, ” in ­ formed Cowasji. The consultant ’s and having joined Tatas as a partner in the venture, he organised the ser ­ vice, small as it was in every detail. ‘ .... long association with Tata has given Airlines did not have an all-weather him an insight into the man who despite the numerous claims on his airstrip; “the airport ” was a dried grass strip near the sea, usable for the Leopard Moth, the Fox Moth, the only eight months of the year. At high Miles Merlin, the Waco and the De tide during the monsoon, the strip ___ _____ would be flooded and the airline soon, the strip ^Ould be would have to transfer operations to flooded and the airline would ®mall strip at Poona, next to the have to transfer operations Yeravada Jail. No facilities in the to a small strip at Poona. At high tide during the mon- time, thinks nothing of taking his on the route, night flying was impos- gardener ’s children for a drive or re- f ” ’ _i„„ gularly visiting his old and ailing hills, vast deserts, swamps and the Khansama (cook) at the hospital. ] ’ According to a story circulating in aviation circles, the chairman was ¦ once discovered sitting on a fence at | the airport, nattering away with the | loaders while waiting to take a flight 3 < 8 99 99 99 to Delhi. In fact, he never missed the opportunity of chatting with the pilots “as an old pilot, ” or visiting thtk engineering base to know all about the latest developments in engine technology, avionics and air-frames. For all the time and attention he lavished on Air-India, Tata ’s friends jokingly accused him of ulterior motives. The chairman would re ­ portedly reply to the charge with T characteristic good humour: “My ca friends say that my great interest in st Air-India is due to the pretty air d( hostesses. This is only a slight exag- bi geration. ” On a more serious note th he admitted, “The international air- Je line business is still the love of my to life, ” and that he had been “nuts about flying from childhood, ” much m of which he spent in France where ha he was bom. And on the occasion of cr the thirtieth anniversary of the airline, Wi Tata recalled how Air-India had been m nurtured from the smallest beginnings L< “with little more to sustain it at first ha than the love, the sweat and the thi devotion of those who worked for it. ” Between the wood and fabric of the th Puss Moth to the gleaming metal, ini thrust and deep-throated roar of an co Air-India jet are Tata ’s years of pr struggle. After acquiring a pilot ’s Ta licence, he started the airline in 1932 th along with a former Royal Air Force “I ofiicer Neville Vint cent. “He was in- it deed the founder of Indian air trans- • •. port ”, said Tata in an interview with is 1 Air-India ’s house journal. Magic loi Carpet. “It was he who visualized of the possibil ’ties at the right time, his worked up the scheme with great care Hr L' 38 40 storms, torrential rains and clouds ot locusts. Despite the formidable odds, Tata airlines flew 160,000 miles dur- Bombay, the principal base of Tata ing the first year of operations with unbroken regularity. Soon the Puss Moth bowed out to 99 a small strip at Poona, next to the Yeravada Jail. way of navigational aids were avail ­ able to guide the primitive little planes in bad weather and as there were no lighting facilities at any of the airfields sible. The route ?rossed""5,00b ft-high planes had often to contend with dust the thirtieth anniversary of Air-India. Tata handing over a mail bag to Maha­ raja Scindia of Gwalior during a stop- over on the inaugural flight. Tata and his wife, Thelma, after the reenactment of the inaugural flight onV Havilland Rapide; with new aircraft, new routes were opened but the second world war brought about a temporary lull. Tata who had by then become the chairman of the entire Tata Group, established a training centre for pilots and an aircraft fac ­ tory near Poona. Until the end of the second world war it was neither practical nor econo ­ mical to carry both passengers and mail. By 1946, however, Tata was satisfied that he could operate a first class service to England and so the airlme ’s name was changed to Air- India. To preempt a government decision to have a state-owned airline, Tata sent a memorandum to the gov­ ernment in late 1947, in which Air- India offered to create Air-India International as a joint project in which the government would take With Compliments from t ^^19 per cent of the shares and Tata ’s ^®would undertake to hand over to the state two per cent of their holding anytime they asked for it. To Tata ’s surprise, the government agreed to the proposal in its entirety. Air-India International was born and its service to London via Cairo inaugurated on 8 June 1948, at least two years earlier than could otherwise have been pos­ sible. Within the next four years, the air ­ line had doubled its operations, mak ­ ing a profit till 1952. By July 1953, 10 more airlines had emerged on the national scene and the government nationalised them all in the same year. Air-India Limited was merged in the Indian Airlines Corporation and Air-India International Limited was taken over by Air-India Inter ­ national. At the request of the Gov- .^^emment of India, Tata agreed to be- ^^FCome chairman of Air-India Inter- national. His farewell message at the time he handed over his airlines to the nation read : “And now the time has come to say goodbye. As we turn the last page and put away the book, regret or bitterness has no place in our hearts. Instead we may find content in the thought that what we did was worth doing, that we set our standards high and would not lower them, that we never need part with our memories. .. How did Tata feel when he relieved of the chairmanship of the airline he had conceived and nurtur ­ ed? According to Dastur, what he had once ruefully admitted a few years ago perhaps still holds true; “Because I was present at the birth of Air-India I feel a little like a mother who can ’t realise her baby has grown up. ” was EMPIRE ESTATE Liberty Building 41/42 Marine Lines Bombay 400 020 41F » a % t BOOK REVIEW Lend them your ears Listening for Managers by J. B. Madan, 92 pages. Modern Marketing Consultants, Rs. 12.50. author has provided an example ot • this in the appendix in a rather ex- I emplary, cut, dried and correct way. Such situations require more discus ­ sion. The good example may be good as far as it goes, but most people learn ________________________ better from a bad example, even a the rest of the organization, with caricature. Beyond the person-to- person situation, an experienced man like the author would himself recog- a ministry or department as in the public and private sectors. More than just communications go awry when there is distrust and dislike between two or more top men in an organization. Their communi ­ cations sometimes have seismic effects on 1 _ reverberations on many a graph. The reviewer finds fault with two areas of Listening for Managers. The nise the added dimensions of the pro- first is that it seems to be written on blem. Here, a very useful learning blem. experience, that of listening to and interacting with more than one person in situations of inherent conflict, has Madan ’s book reminds one of an old-world Pelman course (a popular the assumption that managers are a correspondence course for the devel ­ opment of the mind); it takes you through several lessons in listen ­ ing, each with a brief presentation of salient points, “a wrapping up ” of the lesson, a pondering point for stress, planning of scarce time, and that is an suggestions for “the ceneeientle ’ee important precenditier.. So ere pre- .. _ . manager ”—^presumably the chap who viously agreed objectives for any a good listener is one with whom it -v wants to listen —^and finally some group activity, so that the limited time is a pleasure and a profit to talk, one ^A’elman-style home-work in the shape is used to the best purpose. Without who also makes you feel that two ^^of a “quiz ” or questions at the end. it there is waffling, impatience and heads are better than one; and that He is certainly a “conscientious ” not enough time for all the desirables you are then an augmented indivi- ¦ • " ' - ¦ ¦ ' ’ dual. Result? Added value. Indian managers are Indians first, and hence a talkative lot. In such a tribe of many tongues and a few pens, Madan lays claim to being the first cept of “Executive Listening ” is situation is relatively easy. But what and only “ear ” in book form. Most derived from a Harvard Business about a more problematic communi- of us could make a bettef beginning School advanced management pro- cations session between manager and with good listening, as executive or - - T spouse, parent or friend. leisured class, and that even those with the best of intentions are not bedevilled by the pace of events, the been omitted, pressures of work and lack of time. Good listening has to go with the the conscientious important precondition. So are pre- group activity, so that the limited time is used to the best purpose. Without it there is waffling, impatience and not enough time for all the desirables The second criticism is that the person-to-person situation, which Madan has chosen, is too limited in managerial experience. The interview situation is relatively easy. But what derived from a Harvard Business about a more problematic communi- of a “quiz ” or questions at the end. He is certainly a “conscientious ” _______ author, laying a careful net for the the author rightly recommends. ' reader or pupil to ensure he does not ~ escape the lesson through casual Apart from the fact that the con- pt of “Executive Listening ” is reading or lack of purpose. situation. gramme, this is really a homespun unionised workers and their officials? work in a brief 92 pages (a reflection what about interdepartmental meet- of managerial inUke capacity?), ings on really knotty problems? The Madan ’s collaborators are his daugh- . ter and son, “the inspiration, devo ­ tion and attention ” are from his wife, die anecdotes are largely drawn from eastern India and the publishers are bis own consultancy firm. There are, of course, acknowledgements to others for their help. A maiiager . bcould conveniently read it on a single ^Indian Airlines flight, if he does not have another talkative Indian beside him 1 In which case, this inexpensive book could be gifted to his neigh ­ bour. There are many worthwhile pass- ages. For example, the chapter on “Upward Communications ” is espe ­ cially relevant in a hierarchical society where belief lies in one-way communi ­ cations —downward, no matter if the senior is “clever ” or not. In India, communication is like water, the natural flow is downward. Like water, it is regarded as unnatural —some ­ times even impertinent —when it flows upward, unasked for. The chap ­ ter on “Barriers ” to good listening, complements the earlier one. In a society which is both hierar ­ chical and functional, the point made about the consequences of dis­ trust and dislike at the top is of major importance, as much as in s Alr-conoitionedi with public address sy^em and catering service according to your needs Cl I Xia even I And, finally, who is the ideal list ­ ener? The author provides a page and a half of unexceptional desirables, but no “wrapping up ” this time. Perhaps etc. .CK> A. D. 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