Jul 1978

I 1 JuSy 1978 Volume 2 Number 6 * Price 50 p. BPP ELECTORAL REFORM I Slow and Unsteady F In a A 99 are not we as The mills of reform in the Bombay Parsi Panchayet grind slowly. ' March the Panchayet trustees took decision to form a committee “to amend the Scheme for Election of the Trustees of the Parsi Panchayet. report was to be presented by July 31. On July 5 a press notice was issued that some new members had been added to the committee and on July 21 the first meeting of the committee was held. After some discussion, the committee members were requested to submit their suggestions “in writ­ ing with regard to the present scheme by August 31, The next meeting of the committee has been scheduled for October 13. And the committee’s re­ port is to be ready by December 31 As the public and the Press arc invited to the committee meetings, jmblish the minutes of the meeting ao the matter is of importance to the community. w Mr (Jal R.) Vimadalal welcomed all the members and stated that there was a feeling in the community that the present Scheme for the Election of the Trus­ tees of the Parsi Panchayet should be reconsidered. The Trustees had there­ fore appointed this Committee to see whether the Scheme already in exist­ ence needed any change or amend­ ment. The first thing according to hm to consider was whether there should be direct election, or indirect election as at present. He stated that personally, he was very much against election. He pointed out some or the evils of direct election and R.) stated that looking to our experience in the political elections held in the country there was a chance of votes being purchased and sold. A direct election, he thought, would open the door to a lot of mischief. Inspite of different opinions with regard to the election of the Trustees, amongst all the Trustees that had been elected till now, it could not be said that there was a single undesirable Trustee elected under the present system. He, therefore, stated that he would like to have the views of the members on If we find the system to be workable then it may not be found necessary for the Committee to suggest any changes at all. this basic question, namely, direct election or indirect election. “Mr (J. G.) Kanga expressed the opinion that the Committee should first examine the existing system and the question of direct voting or indi­ rect voting should be considered last. He also wanted to know whether it was open to the Committee to recom­ mend an entirely new Scheme. “Mr (S.P.) Dadachanji wanted to know what would be the plus and what would be the minus points, if the Committee were to recommend direct election. He wanted to know whetl^r'there were statistics as to the Parsi population and how many to give any split* or 21 who would eligible or effective voters were there among them. To this, Mr Vimadalal replied that there were about 95,000 Parsis in the whole of India of which about 65,000 were in Bombay, but he was not in a position to give any split- up of adults over 18 or 51 who would be eligible to vote. Mr Vimadalal stated that there was no register of births maintained by the Panchayat. “Mr (J.H.A.) Vakil wanted to know whether the Committee was to work on the system which was in existence or on any other Scheme. “Mr Eruch Desai drew the atten­ tion of the members that the resolu­ tion of the Trustees was for the amendment to the present Scheme of the Election of the Trustees and con­ sideration by us of whether to scrap this indirect system of election would be an exercise in futility. “To a question put to Mr G. P, Antia as to the number of Parsi adults who were educated and those who are not educated, that is, who had studied upto S.S.C. Standard and/ or bevond, Mr Antia stated that at least 50 per cent of the adults would come under this category of educated Parsis. “Mr Kanga suggested that in order to find out how many persons wm poor and were taking doles, infor­ mation could be gathered from vari­ ous sources, if we say that poverty is one of the main dangers to direct elec­ tion. “Mr (Nadir) Modi stated Oiat we were starting widx a Scheme which had worked well for the last over dO feto prepare and maintain such regis- therefore, thought that it was not ters. To hold election on adult necessary to go into details of the ¦ ” ’ ’ " ¦ ¦ ’¦ “ ; economic years in the sense that there has been not a single dishonest Trustee. He . thought that the right approach to franchise basis would also cost a lot statistics regarding the * ’ ’ ¦ " ' condition of the community. “Mr Kobad Noble stated that it was futile to talk of statistics of the Parsi community and it would be a sheer waste of time. We should con­ sider first what are the difficulties and defects that we find in the present Scheme of Election. If we find this Scheme to be not workable, then only we can think of other alternative schemes. “Mr Vimadalal thought that, ac­ cording to his opinion, there were two points to be considered. One was that the present system of the indirect election should have this problem would be to start from of money. This aspect of the cost the existing Scheme and to see what had also to be considered. are the faults, if any, of this system ¦ and find a solution to the same. If ' we find the system to be workable SCOD© of th© Commit- then it may not be found necessary _ . . for the Committee to suggest any changes at all. He did not think that question iS hOW tO ilH- tee is limited and the the Committee was formed to suggest ¦oyrtVAtVlA QVQtATn changes only for the sake of changes. PIOV© 111© pr©S©ni SySiem. If it is not necessary to change it, then we leave the Scheme as it is. “There was some discussion amongst the members with regard to taking a census of the Parsis as to how many were literate and how many were illiterate, how many on doles, how many were above the age of 21 and so on, when Prof. Khur- ' shed C. Sheriar mentioned about his personal experience and difficulties in some “On inquiry, the Honorary Secre­ tary stated that the corpus of the Re­ gistration Fund from which the ex­ penses of the Elections were met was indirect election should have a very small. It was about Rupees^ten broader base and secondly what ’ “ * weightage should be given to the donors of Rs 5,000/- and above. “Mr Vakil stated that the Scheme was working since the last 70 years and there had been amendments from time to time as and when they were The thousand and the income was about Rs 1100/. per annum. “Mr Kanga suggested that we start ____ ____ — with certain colonies to collect the in- irying'“to" obtain such statistics only formation needed as enumerated above, from a restricted area like Bandra. “Mr Vimadalal stated that such a “Mr (Jamshed N.) Guzder stated survey would take more than a year found necessary. The members that it would be a difficult affair to or two. . • • j should therefore only consider what maintain a register of adults, for every “Mr Eruch Desai again reiterated further amendments, if any, are necessary to this Scheme. Continued on page 8, col. 3 or two. “Mr Eruch Desai again reiterated ________ that the scope of the Committee was &conZ QUIZ 6 LEARN and EARN 1 I How much do you know about your social, cultural, religious and eco­ nomic heritage? Most Parsis are brought up on myths which they continue to believe till the dokhma. To help readers gauge the extent of their knowledge and also to keep them informed and enriched, Parsiana continues the Z-Quiz on behalf of the sponsor of The Lost Generation Essay Competition. The entry with the highest number of correct answers will receive Rs 75, the next, Rs 50 and the third, Rs 25. In case of a tie, the amount will be split among the winners. Send your replies to The Editor, Z-Quiz, C/o Parsiana,G.P.Q. Box 892, Bombay 400 001, by 15th November. Answers will be published in the next issue. 1 Can a Parsi couple adopt a child under Panu law? 2 What is the Geh Sama a recital of? 3 When is a Parsi male referred to as a var-raja? 4 What is the name for the central well in the towers of silence? 5 Why is the kumkum (red pigment) on the forehead long and vertical for a man and round for a woman? 6 In which towns or cities in India are non-Parsis permitted to pay their last respect to the dead after the Geh Sarna ceremony? 7 Aside from India, which other coun­ tries have agiaries or atash behrams? 8 What is the difference between a IQiandhia and a Nassasalar? 9 Which city of the world has the second largest Zoroastrian population? 10 Which Panchayat or aqjuman has the second largest assets in Lidia? t I 7. What is the literal meaning of navjote? Nav means new and jote, someone who offers prayers. There are three first prize winners versions, the Great (or Iranian) and for Z Quiz 5 (Parsiana, March ’78): the Indian. K. D. Chargeman, B. S. Surti and Ms K. F. Servai. Below are the answers to Z Quiz 5. 8. What is the Yasna? Yasna (to invoke, to praise) is a 3. Which orchestra in the U.S. does Zubin Mehta conduct? Till his appointment to the New York Pbilarmonic Orchestra, Mehta ------- , . 1. Which Parsi rose to eminence in the conducted the Los Angeles Philhar- prayer which praises God and his court of the Peshwas? monic. Intelligences and invokes their aid. Khursetji Jamsetji Mody of Pune It is accompai^ed by ritual and symbo- (1755-1815) worked for Peshwa Bajirao II as Sur-Suba or Revenue Commis­ sioner of the Carnatic. lie oflEerings. The prayer, which con- 4. How many initiatory ceremonies are sists of 72 chapters, is recited by two there for the Zoroastrian priesthood? priests; the 72 strands of the kusti are Two, the navar and the mar tab. said to represent these chapters- 2. What are the main themes of the Bundahishn? The Bundahishn or “Creation”, is a Zoroastrian compilation with three main themes: creation, the nature of earthly creatures and the history of the Kayanians. Also called the Zand Agahih (Knowledge from the Zand), it probably grew through different edi- grrat Parsi industrialist? tions after the Arab conquest to the — - 12th century A.D. It survives in two 9. Who was the first qualified woman architect in India? Perin (Jamsetjee Mistri) A. Bhi- 5. What is the sagdid ceremony? Sagdid, means “sight of the dog” and the ceremony is the bringing of the -------- -j— — dog to a corpse during funeral cere* wandiwalla who received the diploma monies. i*.---------- ----- — - - in 1936 from the J. J. School of Art in Bombay. 6. Which town in India is named for a 10. Who built the famous palace com* The industrial town of Jamshedpur plexes at Persepolis in Iran? in Bihar, named for Jamsetji Tata. Darius I and Xerxes I. + ; . ,, .................. . . . ¦,¦¦¦ .r . ------- . 3 IBOOK REVIEW Political Memoirs Manohar Malgonkar Bliss was it in that Dawn by Minoo Masani, Arnold Heine­ mann, Rs 30. k My initial reaction to Minoo Masani’s Bliss was it in that Dawn was one of disappointment and annoyance that it should tell its readers so little about the author’s life. The pronounce­ ment of the subtitle that it is a ‘Poli­ tical Memoir,’ may be the answer to this criticism, but hardly satisfying to someone Eke me who has known Masani not as a political sacred cow but as a warm and many-sided human being. Masani, the most devastating de­ bunker of Communism, Indian or of any other variety, is a familiar enough figure to most of us, but how many of us know that he was also the author of a book that sold over a million copies? As it happens, and perhaps of the other leaders of our country Foes of the Emergency: (left to right) C. R. Irani, A. D. Gorwala, Soli Sorabji, Ramnath Goenka and Masani. often proved to be right when most any hesitation, was for a single cell... the free hours of solitude was some- have been wrong. By quoting from thing I always enjoyed.” And again. his own and other people’s letters. > ment cell set aside for hard-case cri­ minals, and woke up the next morn­ ing “literally a fleabite.. .(with) a score or more of bugs still on me.” Inevitably, as it must in every book about the politics of the period, Gandhi figures prominently, not as the Mahatma, the colossus, nor a saint in > only because that book had the pro­ per political overtones. Bliss does his own and other people’s letters. “One of the finest things about prison mention Masani’s best seller (Out he leaves absolutely no room for life is the amount of reading one can India). But the fact that Masani was those who differed from him to ac- do.” Once, in his search for a quiet a powerful swimmer is brought out cuse him of hindsight. The^ image place away from “the dormitory atmo- almost apologetically, as a prop to ’ ’ underline his lifelong propensity for swimming against the tide. As a writer and a poor swimmer, I feel that Masani has done a disservice to him­ self as well as to his readers. Surely there was some interesting experience connected with this prowess as a swimmer that was worth telling? If not a beautiful maiden saved from drowning, at least a dessicated politi­ cian? Perhaps I can demonstrate my 1 I ? fundamental issues or clashed at open meetings, it does not seem to have made the slightest difference to their vexation better by revealing something affection for each other, that the book does not even mention, ”” ' ’ " ’ ’¦* that Masani was, at one time, a com- those who differed from him to ac­ cuse him of hindsight. ‘ . that takes shape is of a headmaster sphere,” he landed himself in a punish- shaking a finger and saying, with a well-bred chuckle more than in anger, “I told you so,” to a host of India’s leaders including.. .dare one say it... Jayaprakash Narayan himself. Masani’s understated reporting of his lifelong friendship with JP is one of the best things in Bliss. No mat- _______ _ _ _ ______ _ __ _ ter how much both men differed on sanctified garments, unapproachable, but as Gandhiji, the politically astute and civilized guide, philosopher and friend of the author. Masani describes him as a total revolutionary and a pathfinder, and dedicates his book to him. Knowing that Bliss was it in that Dawn is the first half of Masani’s poli- That such a friendship should sur­ vive the rough and tumble of politi- petent boxer. I Ijelieve that pugilistic cal life is equally a tribute to both skill is sufficiently unusual in a poli­ tician to find a line in the account of his life, even if he had no occasion to use it on the floor of the Parliament. Having begun this review with criticism, let me cite a further disap­ pointment. I found that the whole book is largely a stringing together of let­ ters sent by Minoo Masani to other startling offbeat observation on prison politicians, or by them to him. But "* ' then I realize that no other device would have served equally well in bringing out what I have always con­ sidered Masani’s special place in Indian political life, that he has so men, to their tolerance, their readi- ____ _______________________ ness to admit mistakes, to their tical memoir, I finished reading it with respect for each other’s integrity. a sense of anticipation as well as There is an amusing letter from JP foreboding, for what follows the bliss in the book alluding to “the happiest of dawn is the disillusionment days I have spent in prison,” when brought about by the harsh light of Masani was his fellow prisoner. Not to be outdone, Masani too has some the day. In the second volume, much of what Masani will have to say, must, . of necessity, deal with “the petty poli- life. “There is no place like prison ticking” which Gandhiji despised to size up one’s friends,” he com- — ments. “A sense of humour is what one needs most.” He scoffs at those who make a fuss about solitary con­ finement. “My preference, without he com- and to which the Indian leaders “re­ verted with his passing.” I can hardly wait. Courtesy'. The Aryan Path 5 ICOMMENT Point of no return! Homi B. Minocher Homji Extracts from the preface of and the birth of new countries, ideolo- genetic inbreeding, isolation from the book_ O Whither Parsis? gical conflicts between the haves and indigenous sister communities, and a weakening community structure re­ sulting from internecine disputes, the community failed to measure up to the requisites of the changed situation. .—- auTciuvviJuvjuu, Moreover, under the British free- such individualists that where breakup of the village society and of enterprise system, the Parsis stood on ¦ \ ¦ the joint family, intensive urbanlza- a common, if not a favoured platform s with all other sister communities. Religion was not a criterion for the British in distributing their patronage, nor was it any handicap. But conse­ quent upon Partition, the dominant majority communities on either side of the border became a very strong by Homi B. Minocher Homji Today, if^ a community leader was highly organised mass crimes, power- perhaps have to say: we the Parsis are ! three of us meet, there are four , ___ __________ irreconcilable views, none of which tion etc.; all these have affected us are based on logic, learning or rationality. We follow three calen­ dars, and five New Year days annually; that we have so blind­ ed ourselves with our self-woven cocoon of past glory, that we are un­ able to make a rational judgement on our own degeneration. We get more emotional on the ways of the disposal of our dead, than concerned about the rigid, conservat^e, non-changing reli- welfare of the living; that because _ _ . ” ‘ . we had survived Alexander and the that throughout its historical vicissitu- Arabs, we shall survive into the dis- <’ tant future by the Grace of Ahura of new customs, practices and langu- Mazda, even if we sit with folded arms, and do nothing about our dwin- the have nots, capitalist systems yield­ ing to socialism or to communism. asked to describe the Parsis he would fui weapons of total destruction, un- ~ i believable technological advancement. variously in this sub-continent, for­ cing on us changes in our individual life-styles. But as a community, the Parsis see no need for any reform or change. Haven’t we lasted 12 cen­ turies and more? Our anomaly is that economically factor to reckon with. Not to belong we are a free enterprise, capitalistic, to the majority community, placed a liberal society but socially we are a minority group at a very considerable social, economic and cultural handi- gious group. This, despite the fact cap and tended to edge it away from J .................... - the focus of power. The weakened des, its emigration and the adoption community structure was incapable J • , of providing any coherent or dynamic ages, and its instinctive courage for leadership or any corrective and com- : X -J pensatory programme of action. As a community therefore, it started moving down the socio-economic ______ ___ _ , _ ___ _.. serious nature or dimensions of this when we do, it is usually too late!__ make the community, wealthy and deterioration. Author Alvin Tofller in “Future powerful, whereas on the other hand The rich of yester years, became the Shock” says that changes are now its social rigidity had helped to retain upper-middle class traders of today; taking place in our world at such an the essence of our religious beliefs, the upper-middle class, became the accelerating rate, that the changes that customs and practices, despite the middle-class fixed income earners; and ’ ’’ i.._, '¦ * ' ¦ ¦ ' decades, exceed all the earlier changes t’ ¦ ’ ’ ¦ ' i * ¦ the entire history of mankind, tinuingly accommodate itself to absorb- _ ...___________________________ ing such rapid changes is greatly and neither do we change with the strained. He therefore wonders whe- times, ther mankind may not soon come to Ji_ ________ _i ,i„ a breaking point and whether it will fathering British and the proportion- ever have the good sense to institute ately accelerating advances in educa- drastic changes and reforms in its own ti____ J _i___________i ___________ _ ______ life-style, aimed at living in harmony ties, the comparative edge held by the visual evidence of an impoverished with such endless change, x.----- ... j . • • , , . . .. , . . . , During the life-time of an adult, < ¦ - - - __ „ _ ____ ____ cataclysmic changes have taken place, the Partition based primarily on a ¦ - two-nation perspective, the Parsis sud- non-technological denly found themselves divided. _____________ . new experiments and enterprises, the dling numbers or about our outdated community had already been endow- concepts and policies. Time moves on but Parsis do not; we do not rea­ lize when it is time for change and ... 2_„! make the community, wealthy and Author Alvin Tofller in “Future powerful, whereas on the other hand Shock” says that changes are now its social rigidity had helped to retain taking place in our world at such an the essence of our religious beliefs. ed with a high degree of elasticity, moving down the socio-economic social mobility and adaptability. On grading without even realising the the one hand, this had helped to ’ • make the community, wealthy and have J taken place within the last five suKrounding oceans of humanity of the lower-middle class became the ___ _ J different castes, creeds and customs, new poor of the community. The that have taken place cumulatively in_ But we did not know when to call a urban landed gentry and the heredi- the ent re history of mankind. The halt, before these characteristics be- tary fixed-income earning classes, capacity of the human biology to con- came counterproductive. In other through their own inaction or incapa­ city to move with the times, or through a lack of collective community gui­ dance or the inflexibility of family With the disappearance of the god- trusts, whittled away their precious inheritance. Whereas the majority, particularly in larger urban centres, gives d'stinct The halt, before these characteristics be­ came ( words we do not have the feel of time tion and enterprise by sister communi- with such endless change. Parsis, started to diminish around the and unhealthy community, frustrated. During the life-time of an adult, time of the second world war. With leaderless and unable to adjust to the over sixty years old today, several the achievement of Independence and disappearance of the British Raj, it rntaHvemin __ _ refuge by invoking a even ;n such comparatively under- two-nation perspective, the Parsis sud- community and racial superiority developed and non-technological denly found themselves divided, which in fact, no longer exists. Never- societes as ours. Multinational and without patronage and jolted out of theless there have been two notable binational destructive warfares, racial their placidity. Having to some ex- exceptions. One, is the young and and interaecine massacres, revolu- tent already degenerated through nar- middle-aged group which has thrown tions, jettisoning of colonial regimes row parochial attitudes, prolonged up a small number of more dynamic Multinational and row parochial attitudes, prolonged 6r I adventurous entrepreneurs and public led to the hardening of our religious • • • - the times and some even became the nouveau riche or practising top-level zation. Ironically, this myth we are professionals and executives. "" . ' ........................., x soon learnt how to rough it out with for decimating the very cominunity it professional competitors, t’ ™ . . sheer d.nt of hard work and they to wear the Sadreh and Kusti, as a If no positive intervention takes made good. The other, the still token formality, we are rapidly losing place, what will be the shape of things . ., , , „ . - come, and what will be its effect on the continuation or otherwise of the Parsi community as we know it the Navjote prayers. blame the young generation for evinc­ ing no interest in religion. How much worse will it be for parents abroad. These trying to uphold is mainly responsible whose children are exposed to a con- "t stant Christian ethos or a Godless through hopes to preserve. Though continuing mass media? ' ' ' to wear the Sadreh and Kusti, as a sector leaders, who could move with attitude and to its consequent failure 'to incorporate the necessary moderni­ zation. Can we then u younger lot, sick and tired of the 1 immobility, double standards and people and their children who find lack of genuine, honest and modernis­ ed community leadership, but fortima- tely still possessing a strain of the traditional pioneering spirit, moved away to distant lands. They sought a new life, a freedom of expression from both the narrowing polity and the out- ____ ____ _______ ______ ______ moded ritualistic religious conventions readily and with greater satisfaction. themselves afresh by their own grit, in These are our Pilgrim Fathers to the Faith a large number of adult . ' - - - ¦ - ¦ .1 no emotional satisfaction nor relevance or meaning in a religion riddled--by today? Are we degenerating, disinte- ritual, as applying to their day to day grating, bifurcating and disappearing? i’ ration attracts them to alternative faiths, beliefs and even spiritual ex­ ercise which they can follow more and constraints, so as to establish We are so cluttered up with our ritu- new continents. This exodus stilf conti­ nues. These are our Pilgrim Fathers of tomorrow. -- ------------ What IS left behind, is the status We have to now look for it in scholar- quo element of the old and the ageing, the rabid traditionalists, the meek re- ____ ________ ____ „ ________ ____ _ ______ formists and a community that is enough of the religion and have the this invaluable inheritance? Or, whe- numencally dwindling into extinction, time and aptitude to pass it on ther our present methods, concepts, m an attempt to maintain a mythical t . ............... ’ ’ ' ' ' - * purism. Th s mythical purism, and we shall Mobed who is invited—once in a life- see later why we call it mythical, has demands and life-styles. Such frust- Have we investigated, reasoned and understood this process? Are we, as a community group, going to sufficiently reorient and modernise ourselves to meet the demands of the time? Or shall we stick to our platitudes and self-imposed puritanism, unto death— a vanished race! The question then to be answered is whether we, this handful of remnants of a glorious religion and of a super- ly works. Few have that time. And culture, could continue to be, the pro- do the parents themselves know per custodians and propagators of time and aptitude to pass it on ther our present methods, concepts, to their children? ... or do they leave or'hodoxy, rituals and introvert atti- it hopefully to the teacher or to the tudes are not precipitating in fact the 1 ---------- _ 12-• liquidation of this shrinking commu- time for a couple of months, to teach nity. If our religion enjoins ACTIVE als and priest-craft and our borrow­ ed beliefs and social customs, that we have forgotten the pristine purity of Zarathushtra’s proclaimed religion. With the Compliments of: N. S. GUZDER & CO. PRIVATE LTD. NEVILLE HOUSE, BALLARD ESTATE BOMBAY-1 IBook Of Names The Parsiana book of Iranian Names will shortly be on sale. Order your copy today. Only a limited number pf books are to be printed. The names of boys and girls along with their meanings 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. Price Rs. 9, inclusive of postage and packing; overseas rates : £1 and $2 (rates inclusive of air mail postage). For orders over 10, a 15 per cent discount will be given. For U.S. and U.K. 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 propagation of all that is good and Elections—Continued from page 2 beneficial to the Kingdom of Ahura Mazda and equally active disassocia­ tion from all that is representative of Ahriman, then whose purpose are we really serving better by letting sleeping dogs lie and seeing the com­ munity decimated? Is all this change around us just a passing phase and will it eventually revert to ‘normalisation’ or will it con­ tinue to accelerate and intensify. In the latter case, will our present inertia prove so detrimental to us in future, as to inflict upon us irrevo­ cable damage, from which, later on, we will have no capacity to re­ cover. This self-evaluation is not going to be easy, for a traditionally self-virtuous society, with preconceiv­ ed, though misplaced notions of its own historical grandeur, and social advancement. This is a drill that we have to undertake now, bringing it to bear on the projected longer-term effects, some three or four generations hence. We have no choice. It is a matter between survival or extinction. In the author’s view the current crisis of confidence in the community is not a passing phase. All indicators are massed against us and the serious­ ness of the situation facing the com­ munity is comparable only to that which our ancestors faced in Kohis- tan thirteen centuries ago, though rather different in nature. We have already dragged our feet too long and become immobile and inelastic—^we have now almost reached the point of no return. Significant and unprecedented changes and reforms are required to be undertaken within the structure of our society with a bold heart and a clear mind. New institutions, new structures, new laws, new leadership, new norms and above all, a very liberal outlook is vital. Thus without destroying what is pro­ ven and useful in our religion and tenable in the community, we might yet with a scientific approach build thereon, discarding what is obsolete, harmful and retarding to our survival and progress. About the Author: A former United i^ations official who served in the Eco­ nomic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific as Chief of the So(dal Development Division, prior to his retire­ ment in 1975, the 65-year old, Karachi bom author published his book in March this year. An ordained navar, hie has served in the India/Pakistan Army Ordi­ nance Corps and in the Pakistani Govern­ ment as an undersecretary and deputy secretary. “Mr Vimadalal agreed with this jO proposition and stated that the Com- ’ mittee should first find out what the . defects in the present system were, <© and then the question of direct elec- tion if it was found necessary to do .fx so. “After some further discussion, the 2 members agreed to the following pro­ position: The sense of the meeting is that the Committee should start with the present Scheme as the basis to find out what are the defects, shortcom­ ings and infirmities in it, if any, and proceed to consider what improve­ ments and amendments should be made in the existing Scheme. “The sense of the meeting further is that, if necessary, the Committee should also proceed to consider other alternatives to the present Scheme. “There was further discussion amongst the members, and it was decided that suggestions in writing with regard to the present scheme be submitted by the members to the office of the Parsi Panchayet on or before 31st August 1978, and the office should cyclostyle the suggestions made by each member and circulate the same to each of the other mem­ bers. The Chairman Mr Vimadalal then gave, in short, the broad out­ lines of the present Scheme of Elec­ tion. “It was further decided to hold the next meeting of the Committee on Friday, 13th October 1978 at 6 PM at the Parsi Panchayet Office. “The Honorary Secretary Mr Antia was directed to find out, if possible from old records, the details of the order appointing a Commissioner for formulating a Scheme for Election of a Trustee in Suit No. 689 of 1906 (Parsi Panchayet Case) and the report of the Commissioner, if any. “With a vote of thanks to the Chair the meeting terminated. Members of the Committee are: Jal R. Vimadalal, Chairman, Nelie R. Noble, Jamshed N. Guzder, Eruch B. Desai, Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, Bart., Nadir A. Modi, Khurshed C. Sheriar, Jal H. A. Vakil, Savak P. Dadachanji, Jamshed G. Kanga, Dadi B. Engineer, Fali K. Sidhwa, Kobad R. Noble, Jeroo P. Karai, Savak R. Mistry. were E Hon. Secretary. In other PPP news. Dr Aspi F. Golwalla, whose ten year tenn ex­ pired in October, won reelection for another ten year term. k. 55 Also attending the meeting R. J. Mehta and G. P. Antia— Pnhiiahed and edited hv Idianair R. Patel at 285 J. DadaH Marg, Hoiiibay-400 O ff! and printed by him at G. Claridge k Co. Ltd., Shahid.Kiagat Singh Road,