Mar 1982

r I 1 / 'j^ 3S:; ¦/I > It March 1982 Rs 5 1 \ '<2 Ik 1^- '-' - B'T- '-J. w » { -A. ' j ^x., W r- S-y -' wi: , , A • ;/¦< L5i > mOESHIR M. IRANI FATHER OF THE INDIAN TALKIEMarch 1982 Volume 4 No 9 f •¦^1 Readers' Forum Zoroastrians Abroad Father of the Indian Talkie The Politics of Healing Are These Parsis? The Parsi Punchayet Case - VI The Life of Dastur Dhalla - XXJII Sports Britain's black MPs Books Cover design of Ardeshir M. Irani by Sean Mahoney. Photo courtesy: Screen. EDITOR Jehangir R. Patel EXECUTIVE EDITOR R.P. Thanavala ASSOCIATE EDITOR Abraham Mathai DESIGNER Sean Mahoney DESIGN ASSISTANTS Chetna Shah Kranti Shilotri ADVERTISING Veera Patel Zarin Billimoria MANAGEMENT Hanita Irani Cheryl D'Penha CIRCULATION M.R. Ambujakshan Nair Geeta Gupta 3 8 12 18 30 35 41 52 59 66 .V la a f ? Parsiana is published by Jehanqir R. Patel at C/o. H. L. Rochat, Navsari Chambers, ground floor, 39 A.K. Nayak Marg, Fort, Bombay, 400001, printed byiiim at Jyoti Industries, 324 A toZ Industrial Estate, Bombay 400013 and phototypeset at Decora Printers, Bombay 400 009. All rights reserved. Address all editorial and business correspondence to Parsiana, G.P.O. Box 892, Bombay 400 001. Phone: 268730. Annual inland subscription: Rs 30 for one year (12 issues); Rs 55 for two years (24 issues); Foreign subscription rates: Seamail Rs 60 for one year, Rs 110 for two years; Airmail Rs 120 for one year, Rs 215 for two years. ¦i’ - 4 i For U. S. personal cheques add $2 to cover bank charges. For Indian upcountry cheques add Rs 3 for bank charges. Cheques and drafts are to be drawn in favour of Parsiana. Single copy price Rs 5 and Re 1. All rates subject to change in postal rates. '*5 WZZ^ :^WV ¦< J I . ¦«- >;««^’f Ri if; ' . .J 4 g. , '' 'w| 'fit tir' It -H: 4; i?’ l<: ¦X- «fc .T iilM Ifi- S» itM.f* I ^>1:! i ; In Memoriam Mr. Fali Meherji Variava, INiectiNr BLAZE ADVERTISING PVT. LTD. AND ASSOCIATE COMPANIES,Readers ’Forum its 1260th Anniversary on Adar Roz of Adar Mah last year (1350 YZ). Our sacred fire now at Udvada was conse- _ crated by the leader of the group Nary- osang Dhaval of Sanjan on Addr Roz of Adar Mah in the year of 90 YZ (721 • A.D.). We did not bring any fire from Iran. Nine families known as Sanjana Tola of Udvada are his direct descendants. If — our Western oriented scholars had approached them they would have got with the same lamentable lack of knowl- their facts from the horses mouth, edge of the contents of the Bill. rj katii a MRS AN PATH BLIND TRUST PILGRIM FATHERS RaMtofs' views are welcome on any tubject of interest to the community and should ba sent to th* EdMor. Readers' Forum. Parsiana. G.P.O. Box 892. Bombay 400 001. Letters are subject to editing for mesons of space and clarity. I IGNORANCE AND ADOPTION requested and convened to discuss the have even twisted facts about Zardust be utilised in educating the blind from Parsi scholars today continue to harp primary to graduation, as well as in Regarding the Adoption Bill going before Parliament, and the campaign i* A1 HUiJKiS I was surprised to read about the var- being conducted by the Zoroastrian ious trusts that do not function for some community to oppose it, I would like to Amongst scholars and those who study reason or another of (Trusts and Dis- draw your attention to the manner in the history of the Parsis perfunctorily trusts, Parsiana, November 1981). I am which this campaign was conducted in there is a lot of doubt about the move- not very clear whether the study was Kanpur. ment of various Zoroastrian groups in confined to those trusts where the A lenghty cyclostyled letter from a Iran immediately before the accession income is meant only for the Parsi com- Mr. Wadia of Bombay was circulated to to the throne by Shahanshah Yazda- munity, or whether the founders were the Zoroastrian community together gerd Sheriar and after. This is due to a Parsis, and the income could be used for with blank sheets for signatures endors- lot of reliance being placed on Western general benefit. In case the latter holds, ing Mr. Wadia ’s views. No copy of the scholars whose researches in our past I would appeal to these trusts, and the Bill was attached, nor were members were based on conjectures and prejudi- trustees thereof, to hear a plea for capi- advised about the contents of the Bill, ces where they could not lay their hands tai funds. An objection was raised to this method on authentic proofs. These Western About 15 years ago, my grand- of gathering signatures and a meeting scholars with the exception of a very few mother left about three lakh rupees in requested and convened to discuss the have even twisted facts about Zardust various investments in a trust (named topic. The meeting had to be abandoned and his religion, some of which will be after her, Bai Navajbai Perojsha Sett) to as no copy of the Bill was available, and examined in this paper. no one present could admit to haying T read the Bill to advise the rest regarding on the unauthenticated Western view the contents of the Bill, and why that out ancestors left Iran in 936 A.D. Zoroastrians should oppose it. The For any schloar to say that the Arabs meeting was abandoned on a very conquered Iran in the seventh century unhappy note. A.D. and “graduaUy ” imposed their A request was made to the President religion taking almost three centuries to of the Zoroastrian Anjuman that no kill us or chase us out is to rewrite his- formal communication voicing... oppo- tory and give respectability to these illi- sition to the Bill be forwarded to the terate marauders. Further, to say that in Prime Minister until a copy of the Bill the early tenth century a small group of was received and discussed. This was Zoroastrians seeking freedom of wor- accepted by the President. ship and economic redress left Iran and professional degrees. As my grand- A few days later a similar letter, but a found “Heaven ” in North West India (in mother died shortly thereafter, estate more impassioned one, was received ' ~ ....... .._ from the same source from Bombay, and circulated together with cyclostyled had to hide from place to place till 696/ trustees to sell the shares, debentures, write that Zoroastrians have attested pie ” and set sail from Port Hormazd depleted) capital in long-term bank dep ­ arriving at the Island of Div in Gujarat osits. The Bank of India is the managing in 697 A.D. After staying at Div only 19 trustee, and I am also a trustee. years, they set sail again for an income from this trust is chan­ unknown destination and destiny ®eled through the National Association _____ f ’ .. ................. ¦ ¦ ¦ 1 - to the coast of being, utilised as under: A.D. 936) is absurd. Actually they were duty took a bite of the capital. Recently, so harassed and persecuted that they Government policy changes forced the forms for signatures. I deeply regret to 697 A.D. when they became “boat peo- efc-. ®”d invest the remaining (and sadly their signatures to the forms without knowledge of the contents of the Bill. Opposition to the Bill is certainly not unanimous, since two members at least ____ _____ have not signed and have resigned from brought them - after enduring storms f®*" Blind (NAB), and has been, and the Anjuman in protest against the and hazards at sea - to the coast of being, utilised as under: manner in which the campaign was con- Sanjan in 716 A.D. (a) Scholarships are given to blind ducted . Irrefutable evidence of our advent in children to study in open schools from During my recent visit to Bombay I India earlier than 936 A.D. is our most the primary to graduation level, and for unfortunately found the same willing- venerable and sacred Atash Behram professional courses. A blind solicitor is ness to lend support to opposing the Bill Iranshah at Udvada which celebrated our best advertisement. anf ' stay in the Madressa. There are at pres ­ ent six such students. More students can be taken into this Madressa, if philan- t A sum of about Rs. 3,500 and over per annum is required to educate and main- t I, i (b) Providing capital grants for insti- sum of Rs. 1,00,000. tutions engaged in training/educating the blind. For example, the Merwanji Institute for rehabilitation of the blind teaching staff, a library and reading in Mt. Abu has been more or less com- room, gymnasium facilities, a commun- pletely equiped through this trust. The ity hall and residential facilities for stu- Happy Home at Worli and some other schools in Bombay have received teach ­ ing aids from here. A small committee formed by the “Sampurna Yozdathregari, ” both in NAB scrutinises the applications theory and practice with academic edu- received by the trust (I am a member of cation upto “S.S.C. with Avasta Lan- this committee), and scholarships guage ”. Students desiring to graduate in granted through such recommenda- “Avasta Pahelvi ” are given facilities to tions. In the event that some trustees of the trusts referred to in your article are too busy to meet, can we not get together throphic persons give financial help, and pool our money? If some trusts have too much money, and pay tax instead of using money for charity, can tain one student, who is provided free we not use the money for charity? boarding, lodging, medical aids. As the Bank of India is the managing tutions, books, sports and welfare amen- trustee, you will appreciate the lack of ities, etc. A student stays in this Mad- office staff, etc. The Bank arranges for ressa for about 10 years. He enters at the annual audit, keeps track of the require- age of six to seven years and leaves when ments of the Charity Commissioner, he is about 16 to 17 years. All these years and takes a small commission. Surely the Madressa looks after him and edu- this is enough evidence of the bona fides cates him. of our trust. We, therefore, approach you to What we need is capital funds. The donate to the Madressa. Cross and needs of the blind are immense; our order cheques drawn in the name of the efforts are small. Any and all donations, “Athornan Mandal ” should be sent to specially from large trusts as above, will Farrokh Jehangir Sidhwa, Fali Sha- be welcomed. We may consider merging purji Master (Elavia), Jt. Hon. Secretar- other trusts along with our trust, if the ies, Athornan Mandal, Navsari trustees can arrive at some consensus. R.D. SETTNA “i-J -..4 '-3 With best compliments from CIPLA Standard-setters to the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry^ ¦’I Xi ‘5 ”7 >'1 The proposed extension will have, ? residential accommodation for the dents. This Madressa has at present 38 stu­ dents who are receiving training in Athornan Mandal, Building, 2nd floor, 240, Dr. D.N. Road, Bombay 400 001 or Rustom Post Box 19125, Prabhadevi, Bombay 400 025. Noshirwan Panthaki, Principal, Athor- ATTA Boarding Madressa, 651/652, Fir- AIjt AIwalla dausi Road, Muncherji Joshi Parsi MUSEUM Colony, Dadar, Near Five Gardens, Bombay 400 014. DASTOOR K.A1KOBAD D.P. DASTOOR ERACH A. NADIRSHAW FRAMROZE B. PANTHAKI JEHANGIR F. SHROFF FRAMURZE K.F. MADAN RUSTOM N. PANTHAKY OLD BOYS’ APPEAL The F.D. Alpaiwalla Museum at Kha- reghat Hall, Khareghat Colony, N.S. Patkar Marg, Bombay, is open to the public from 10.30 a.m. to 5,00 p.m. every day except Tuesday. The museum . remains closed for lunch from 1.30 p.m.to 2.30 p.m. There are no entrance fees. P.H, BALSARA Asst. Secretary, Bombay Parsi Punchayet MADRESSA JUBILEE FUND The Athornan Mandal decided to cele ­ brate the “Diamond Jubilee ” of the Athornan Boarding Madressa in Dadar. To commemorate this occasion the Mandal plans to construct an exten ­ sion to the existing Madressa Building for which the Mandal has kept aside a I J ¦¦'1 * J 1 The Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Parsee Char­ itable Institution Old Boy ’s Unioh appeals for donations towards its var­ ious funds: Education, Scholarships, Milk, Medical Relief, Books, Uniforms, etc., for the needy students of the Insti­ tution. All Cheques should be in favour of the “B.J.P.C. Institution Old Boys ’ Union ” and sent to the Institution Opp. Charni Road Rly. Station, 33 M. Karve Marg, Bombay 400.004 G. DORDl & DR. E. DARUWALLA Jt. Hon. Secretaries 'a '4 ¦ 3, - J* ¦' 289, Bellasls Road Bombay 400 008. i 5! i- CAPTAIN OOKERJEE Such a programme calls for the invol- station supervisor in the London Trans- vement, co-operation and participation port Underground Railways and of the Zoroastrian at all levels. Send us member of Lions International had the the names, bio-datas, achievements etc honour of participating in the Royal of the talented Zoroastrians from your British Legion Remembrance Day (Poppy Day) parade on 8 November Although we would very much like to 1981 carrying a wreath to the (Cenotaph, offer this opportunity to all talented White Hall. Zoroastrians, we are compelled to res- If you have any knowledge of any trict the programme to a duration of Parsi having previously participated in Whilst I found the article on Captain Sam Aga informative (Parsiana, October 1981), I am sure your readers will be interested to know of the late Captain Kavas Ookerjee the first Indian captain of a sea-going vessel. He was the first Indian to be trained on H.M.S. Conway in England; passed the exami ­ nation of master mariner held by the board of trade in August 1911; was (Cap­ tain of S.S. Mahamadi and Zainani performance on stage, owned by a Persian Shipping Com- k pgazdar pany and plying between Bombay and General secretary, ELOCUTION WINNERS Basra from 1913 to 1916 and marine c.e.r. Youth wing superintendent of Scindia Steam Navi­ gation from 1919 to 1948. If you have any knowledge of any about three hours which would amount this parade, please let us know. to our selecting the best talents for the MS E. DARUWALLA, London, England. '^3 >'. !| '^4' .i /S- 5 On 9th of January 1982, four students of Boys ’ Town Public School, Nasik won prizes at the Elocution Competi ­ tion conducted by the Iranian Zoroas- trian Anjuman on the topic “Problems Facing Our Community and How I can Help to Solve Them. ” the first and the third prizes were won by M.J. Pateland N.H. Karanjawalla respectively. BEJON N, DESAI Principal, Boys ’ Town Nasik BAROT WEDDING? S- I. ¦ I ’ On the 9th and lOth January the Pundo- lites made their annual trek to Mount . Barot. There, after breakfast, Jashan ceremony was held and the blessingsTjf the Iran Shah were evoked for the Parsi community and a special mass prayer was recited for the safety and welfare of our Irani brothers in Iran. Mount Barot was the place where Parsis had taken refuge in the past. There are natural caves on the top and natural cystern in which fresh spring water flows. Some brick masonry work was observed in the cave. It was said that 70 years ago a Parsi had performed PTf^CSSiOBal PbotocnnlMr ioc his daughter ’s marriage there. Can HlOtos of WcddOKS. Nsviote i anyone throw light on this? <—-¦ -i: ¦I- RaiUd D. BMMwh ahiMff '‘•V r I and Birthday parties. CobCbcI: ’.•Hi Z.M. ZEND BAN THE BAR Flat No. 3, First Floor, No. 6 Wadia Blodc, Khareghat Colony, 30A Huglies Road, Bombay 400007. the Phone: 826074 ship Dufferin. Ookerjee also inaugu- DHUN MEHTA Jahabux Pestonjee Bhandara a contemporary of the late Captain Kavas Ookerjee was also a pioneer of Indian Shipping - Editor. . 'z'JB Non-Parsec mourners at Parsee funer- Capt. Kavas Ookerjee debarred from paying their last respects to the deceased because custom Ookerjee attended several loadline forbids those of other faiths to see and maritime conferences as a delegate f®*^ of the departed ! It is high time or an observer. Along with Captain Zoroastrians put an end to this ridicu- Digby-Best he inaugurated the training *ous practice. ship Dufferin. Ookerjee also inaugu- largely attended funerals with rated the naval training establishment non-Par sec mourners present, it near Bori Bunder in Bombay. is shameful to have to witness their hurt feelings and observe the acute embar ­ rassment of the Parsees. It is also imperative to replace the gruesome method of disposal of our dead by a humane method, preferably burial. The existing practice of disposal by birds of prey (Vultures) is abhorrent We propose to stage a Zoroastrian Tai- to say the least. ent Parade Programme in the first week of July, 1982. The object of the programme is' to provide a platform for the recognition and appreciation of the talents, of the participants. sf' (Bd post card^ etc./waBted Advertiser wisiies to buy.OLD picture postcards, photographs, c^ait cards, playing cuds, posters, prints, illustrated bodes, albums and other related material Willing to pay top inices for single items or entire colleetions. Please send, detailed list with e:q>ected rarices to The Advertiser. (OLD) C/o. Parsiana, GT.O. Box 892, Bondbay 400001. TALENT PARADE I T.C. KATRAK Calcutta ROYAL PARADE I Ervad Eruch Rustomji Daruwalla, a 1L'' % Committed Classes EIGHT YEARS ago ZAGNY started religious classes with two tochers - Dhausak Fhed Rice ? Dastooqi Pervez P. Patel and Dr Lovji Cama who “committed ” to carry on the THE FEARS of the orthodox Parsis ZAGNY’S joint secretary, are: “lack classes even if one student were present, notes the 14 December ZAGNY new- the community may be coming true, volunteer to cook; each time we had to sletter. “A milestone was reached this The Zoroastrian Association of Greater request the same eight to ten families to year when instead of one - four students New York celebrated their fourth anni- bear the responsibilities for cooking for graduated after five years of intensive versary not with palav dal but a Chinese over 200 people; significantly different training in Kusti prayers, ancient Iran- (Szechuan) lunch. food habits of our congregation; our ian History and general knowledge of Zoroastrian customs and rituals.”They sacrilegious, the ZAGNY newsletter (14 money ’s worth and at the same time add are Frian Hakim, Ku rush Morris, Pashang Patel and Rohi Sukhia. Three students, children of Mr and Mrs Kavsy Dastur, travelled 185 miles (each day) to attend the classes - they were among the students who were awarded certificates. “This is dedica ­ tion, commitment and devotion, ” notes the newsletter. The Board of directors recognised the contribution of every teacher since the inception of the religious classes and thanked Lovji Cama, Noshir Hormuz- diar, Pervez Patel, Hoshang Unvala, Navaz Bhavnagri, Nancy Daniwala, Niloufer Daver, Ivy Gandhi, Zahver Morris and Armaity Patel for their work. heavenly is the right word. ” To the Chinvad Pu! on Chinese food !!! The mitigating circumstances cited for this reformist act as noted in the newsletter edited by Ivy F. Gandhi, that Zoroastrians overseas are lost to enthusiasm among .the members to the community may be coming true. As though that was not sufficiently moral responsibility to give you your December 1981) heretically went on to a few dollars to ZAGNY’s general note “the food was delicious, may be fund. ” Gift shopping at its best at Gifts& all Ji ; the friendly Gift Shc^i at Bombay Swadeshi Stores Ltd. Sir PJ4. Road. Bombay 400001. Tel: 253443/252730 ZOROASTRIAN ARTEFACTS & SILVER PENDANTS AVAILABLE r Mdt’f Big volume Performer V-* I I f Doubles Efficiency of Kitchenware Washing Operation in Hotels. Restaurants', Canteens, Hospitals and Institutes. * Fully automatic double tank dishwasher * Wash and rinse spray giving full coverage of rack from above and below. * Designed for easy maintenance and cleaning of machine. * Pushbutton arrangement requires minimum effort Nat Steel Equipment (Pvt) Ltd. (incorporated: National Steel Equipment Co.) G.D. Ambekar Marg, (Naigaum Road), Dadar, Bombay-400014, Sales & Service from—BOMBAY • DELHI • CALCUTTA • MADRAS • BANGALORE CD z s Q. < d '1 I ¦I ’¦'5 ?2; *1 . .'S‘3 i THE first thing that strikes me about Hollywood —with films like ‘Shah Zebunnisa, Ermeline, Gohar (who later ’ Ardeshir or for that matter, any other Jehan ’(directed by Ardeshir and Naval moved to Rarijit), Sulochana (Ruby | film pioneer, ’ is the absence of “first- Gandhi) and ‘Razia Begum ’. The clos- Meyers), Mazhar Khan, Yaqub, E. Bil- person ” documentation due to several ing of one and the setting up of another limoria, D. Billimoria and that 30- socio-0ersonal factors. I’ll indicate just enterprise in such quick succession rupee-extra Mehboob Khan, who rose ' one: they did not hope to be respected could be due to any or all of the follow- to become the Supremo of Indian'* and remembered by posterity. Ardeshir ing factors: Competition was growing cinema. Apart from an amazing variety Irani was born in Poona (now Pune), with more and new banners coming up; of movie-fare. Imperial produced a host according to one date on December 10, cinema ’s early star images were begin- of directors and technicians. 1885; and, according to another, on ning to take shape; audience tastes were Ardeshir ’s total output —the largest December 15, 1886. The Indian in the process of change, due to Holly- for any Indian producer —is estimated National Congress was founded in wood films worldwide sweep; and the at 225 or 250 films, of which 125 or 150 1885: the process of industrialisation silent cinema was entering a phase of are silent films. This huge output falls had been initiated by the Tatas and later great maturity and development as an into four categories: the mythological by the Kirloskars and Wagles; Ardeshir art form. and devotional films which have always grew up in rather different times which attracted audience attention; the reper- partly explain his courage and zeal for Founding of Imperial torre of the Parsee Theatre (which innovation. Indians were beginning to JUST two years after he set up Majestic, included Indian mythological lore) Per- have a national purpose and a national Ardeshir “hoisted ” a new banner, the sian/ Arabic or Indian love legends and identity. He began as an exhibitor of popular operas of the time, such as imported films as early as 1905 and was A ‘Heer Ranjha’ and Pandit Daya so successful that he was designated the ShankerNaseem ’s classical Urdu opera, India rep. of Universal Pictures. g % ‘Sahrul Bayaan’ (filmed as ‘Prince Further, he was able to acquire Alexari- g % Budur*); Indian equivalents of Holly- dra cinema in partnership with Abdu- g % wood comedies, such as on marital life lally Esoofally. This raises a wide range g > and finally socials, as wide-fanging as of questions about film exploitation ‘Khuda Ki Shaan’ (which ran into techniques in the first two decides of^ "We had trouble for a-character impersonating this century. no dialogue writer, Gandhi) and ‘Madhuri ’ (Sulochana ’s no lyricist, no hairstyle became a rage with women) to Long Partnership y director" > ‘Dulhan’ and ‘Dhanwan’, both featur- The Irani-Esoofally partnership lasted g % ing Rattan Bai. 55 years until Irani’s death in g % Stylistically, at the hands of Bhav- November, 1969—the longest in the his- g % nani and Ezra Mir, the Hollywood-style tory of Indian cinema. What moral code g costume and spectacle film hecame an and business discipline characterised Imperial trademark. Ardeshir filmed those times that made such a long part- almost all the major love legends of nership possible? Irani once said, “We India and made bio-pics about some then honoured even verbal promises. ” Imperial Film Company, in partnership famous women of Indian history. He But, by the early 1960s, even written with Abdulally Esoofally. Imperial also tried to dub his earlier hits into agreements were being ignored. Meh- started as a giant and staged a giant; it talkies. When he did not like the results, boob had a bitter experience of it in the left a lasting impact on Indian cinema. case of ‘Son of India ’, And today, friend- At 40, Ardeshir was now a big name — ships are bartered for money, while exhibitor-distributor, studio-owner- Man of Many Tongues every other Hindustani film talks of producer-and-director. At this stage, I Imperial was the only institution to “dostana ” and “yaari”. Professional must add that Ardeshir ’s film career make films in several lan^ages — rivalries have obviously taken on a dif- — . _ . . . - . . _ ferent hue. According to one source, Ardeshir World War in 1918, because, as an Irani set up the Star Film Company in 1917. According to another, he did so in 1920. But the company ’s maiden film, ‘Veer Abhimanyu ’was released in 1922. Those days, films were made in just Second World War in 1939, visualising and Harbance Kumar). The story of about three to four months. Ardeshir the fall of the movie industry as he knew Iranian cinema begins with ‘Dukhtar-e- has gone on record confirming that this it with the advent of the war. Hence, Lur’ which Ardeshir made in Persian, film was his maiden venture, and that it cost Rs. 10,000. Later, films were bud ­ geted for less. Two years later, Ardeshir bution to the development of Indian ‘Shirin Farhad ’, ‘Firdausi ’ and other set-up the Majestic Film Co. and Royal cinema. Persian films, with an Indo-Iranian Arts Studio. If Star concentrated on Imperial was a veritable nursery: it cast. This was repeated in 1970, with A. mythological. Majestic devoted itself gave Indian cinema a large number of Bhimsingh ’s Subh-o-Shaam ’. Burmese to historical subjects more accurately to ‘stars’—the largest for any banner in the and Indonesians came to him for the the cinema of spectacle on the pattern of history of Indian cinema —Jillobai, filming of their first talkies. He also - 13 "We had no dialogue writer, no lyricist, no r music director" « he remade them as talkies. spanned the interregnum between two Hindustani, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil, wars: He started at the end of the First Telugu, Burmese, Malay,Pusfatu and Persian. Ardeshir, in fact, is among the intelligent exhibitor of imported less than half a dozen Indians who fig­ movies, he could foresee the collapse of ure in the film history of other countries the European cinema after the war and (the others being Himansu Rai, Meh- called it a day with the start of the boob, K.A. Abbas, Ismail Merchant it with the advent of the war. Hence, 1918 to 1938 is the reference period His partner, Abdulally himself took the within which to study Ardeshir ’s contri- print to Iran. Later Ardeshir made cinema. Imperial was a veritable nursery: it ^Sf-' i f a J Jtried his hand at making English Ian- the occasion of talkie silver jubilee func- got recorded in disc form. The first disc guage films (‘Noor Jehan ’ and ‘Temple tion of IMPPA on December 22, 1956. of film songs was cut in 1934. ‘Alam Ara’ Bells ’). All these reveal not just his enor- “There was not even a shadow of any set became popular in India, Burma, Sri mous enterprise but sheer confidence pattern for us to follow, ” he had stated. Lanka and West Asia. establishing Imperial as a global .film Rustom Bharucha and Ardeshir learnt Filming the songs, was another centre. The story of a captive market in the technique of sound recording in just ordeal. “There was no model for pictur- West Asia for Indian films really begins about a month and recorded India ’s isingsongs, ”mused Ardeshir. There was in these early attempts of Ardeshir. first talkie. no boom. All songs had to be filmed by direct take. A little cough and a little Hectic Days From stage to screen lapse in articulation, and you do it all His Imperial years (1926-38) were the ‘Alam Ara’ had been an important pro- over again. Indoors, the problem was most hectic as he continuously strove to do duction of the Parsee Theatre. Joseph solved by a person holding the mike out something new and something out- David, who adapted his own play for the of the field. Outdoors, the main diffi- standing. The first Tamil talkie, ‘Kali- screen, was one of the outstanding Jews culty was to hide the mike by ingenous dasa ’was filmed on ‘Alam Ara’sets with who contributed to Indian drama and camouflage. “Technically, ” said Arde- Tamil dialogue and Telugu songs (this film—the others being Ezra Mir, Sulo- shir, “the single system which we were may sound crazy but then Telugu, chana, David and Nadira. He died in called upon to follow in the beginning, because of the preponderance of Sansk- penury in 1948. had its plethora of problems. In this rit, was a better vehicle for Kalidasa ’s There were songs in the theatrical single system, the sound track was poetry). Ardeshir filmed the golden production and they came into the film exposed at the fag end of the camera jubilee of the Aga Khan (the grand- while the pictures were photographed in father of the present Agha Khan) when A the front. ” the greatest of all Ismaelia leaders, was Jk Departing from the usual practice of weighed in gold. He despatched his shooting in sunlight with reflectors, team to Quetta to film the devastation t W Ardeshir shot indoors' with “half a of the 1935 earthquake. The famous / \ dozen lights.” “It was a novel expe- clock, silenced by the quake, is even " * " . ..................-- - today a symbol of the Quetta tragedy. The following year, he begap prep^ ration for making India ’s first colour film ‘Kisan Kanya’ using the cine-colour process. Even the second colour film, ‘Mother India ’ (not to be mistaken for the Mehboob epic of 1957), was his and Ardeshir was happy that the film ran for 32 weeks. But others failed to follow his lead and consequently not until Mehboob ’s ‘Aan’ in 1952, did colour filming come to this country to stay. Ardeshir was a man not frightened by the advent of any new technology. Rather he saw in it a challenge for him­ self. As you can see in that he made the had nO dialogue writer, no lyricist, no first Indian talkie. There were songs in the theatrical single system, the sound track ? rience, ” recalled Ardeshir. Night shoot- _ ing, resorted to avoid daytime noises, thus came to stay as a regular feature. A great cast had been assembled: Elizer, Jagdish Sethi, Sohrab Modi, Yaqub, Prithviraj Kapoor and W.M. Khan. The lead roles were played by Zubeida and Master Vithal, who could not speak Urdu. In a last-minute change, Vithal had replaced Mehboob as the lead player. (The casting of Vithal , had led to a legal suit against Vithal by the company on whose payroll he was. It was Mohammad Ali Jinnah who appeared for Vithal and won the case for as well naturally. Said Ardeshir, “We him). , > Despite all the problems, the tena- music director and everything had to be cious Ardeshir completed the 10,500 ft. started and planned from scratch.” film within the schedule —in four Ardeshir himself selected the tunes and months, at a total cost of Rs.40,000, and released it at Majestic cinema on March ments were used: tabla, harmonium and 14, 1931—to enter history. It ran for an violin. India ’s first talkie, presenting the impressive eight weeks. “Popular enthu- ___ 3 siasm was almost delirious, ” recalled over to showing talkie pictures). It talkie, bore no credit card for music Abdulally Esoofally. inspired him to make India ’s own talkie direction, lyrics or for singers. The title of “Khan Bahadur ”wascon- “in our national language. ’’‘Show Boat ’ was “only a 40 percent talkie. ” Early talkie pioneers in America had pro- _____ _______ _______ _______vw ...... ceeded guydedly. Ardeshir could also things: breaking new ground and con- on December 22, 1956 as “the Father partial talkie. But he decided to make Ardeshir gave Indian cinema its first singer, and V the first song. « The first Indian talkie The talkie was not a welcome revolution chose the singers. Only three instru- the world over. Ardeshir saw ‘Show Boat ’ at Excelsior cinema in 1929 (his own Majestic Cinema had not switched first songs in the history of the wo*fld ’s direction, lyrics or for singers. By using songs in the first talkie, (Par- ferred on the 46-year old Parsi pioneer see Theatre incorporated elements of for his multiple contribution to cinema. Indian folk theatre), Ardeshir did two When the film industry honoured him have opted for a safety margin in the tinning an old, tradition. Ardeshir gave of the Indian Talkie, ”'Ardeshir repHed partial talkie. But he decided to make , India ’s first talkie a “hundred per cent I" ‘ ~ - talking picture. ” In Europe, a debate ke naampar pyaare, taaqat haigar dene was raging against the talkie. Ardeshir ’s ;•••—• - decision was bold but “too hazardous, ” strel, became a ‘type ’ that has lasted in as there were “no facilities, no equip- Indian movies ever since. Unfortu- ment and no experience, ” as he said, on nately, the music of ‘Alam Ara’ never Indian cinema its first singer, W.M. i ............... 1 - - _______________ Khan, and the first song; “De de Khuda ody should lionise me for producing the I_ _ __ _ . 1 . > ki. “ This Saayal geet, song of the min- with humility, “I do not think that anyb- first Indian talkie, because I merely did my bit for our national industry. ” Reprinted, with permission from ‘Fifty Years of Indian Talkies ’ published by Indian Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Science, Bombay. 15•T The Politics of Healing Interview with Bombay Parsi Punchayet Chairman Dr Aspi Golwalla first published in 1951 is now in its 12th edition. The other popular publication is Clinical Diagnosis co-edited by the late. Dr R.H. Vakil. Other books by Gol ­ walla are: Electrocardiography for Stu- dents and Practitioners; Diagnostic Medicine, A Handbook of Emergen­ cies, Practical Prescriber and ABC of Medicine. Dr Golwalla was elected Fellow of the American Colleges of Cardiology in 1969. He is a co-Editor of The Indian Practitioner. Golwalla ’s association with the Parsi Punchayet began in 1950 when he joined the medical panel of the Parsi Punchayet Health Unit and Cottage Hospital. He was first selected trustee of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet in October 1968 and successfully stood for a second term in October 1978. He is a trustee of the Banajee Trust, Sir Phe- roze Sethna Memorial Fund, H.K. Kolah Trust, Zoroastrian Association, Masina Hospital and the Fort Gratui- The influence of great institutions is ¦ determined by their ability to adapt to I changing expectations, time and events. I In the last decade, the Zoroastrian com- I munity underwent a social and religious I revival. Those institutions that were I slow to respond to the new conscious- I ness were confronted by an antagonistic I community. I Perhaps the institution that bore the I greatest brunt of the community ’s dis- I pleasure was the Bombay Parsi Pun- I chayet and its board of seven trustees. I ' Through the trauma of a World Con- I • gress, a fractured Federation of Parsi I Zoroastrian anjumans and a keenly, oft I times bitterly, contested election, the I 300-year-old body saw its prestige and I . influence decline. Though rich in I I endowment, the Punchayet appeared I i ineffectual in stemming the communi- ? ; ty’s economic rot. But the winds of change have come to Parsi High School in Karachi, com- the venerable institution on 209, Dadab- pleted inter-science at the D.J. Sind i hai Naoroji Road. In the short span of College and won the Coyajee Scholar- three months since he took over the ship of Bombay University. He joined tons Dispensary. He is chairman of the ’ chairmanship of the BPP, Dr Aspi Gol- the G.S. Medical College and K.E.M. Pirojsha Godrej Foundation and walla, a nqted cardiologist and social Hospital in 1940, graduated in 1945 and Honorary Secretary of the Parsi Lymg- r worker, has moved quickly and effec- took his M.D. in 1949. in Hospital. r' tively to bring the community together. He was appointed as tutor to the An active member of the Lions Club V Both well-wishers and critics of the Pun- Grant Medical College and Honorary for 15 years and a former committee chayet are being approached, largely to Assistant Physician at the G.T. Hospi- member of the Indian Red Cross assist in what Golwalla believes to be the tai in 1949. In 1951 he was appointed Society, Golwalla has been chairman J number one problem facing the Bombay Honorary Assistant Physician at the for the last 12 years ofthe Parsi Medical K.E.M. Hospital, and later. Honorary Amateurs Association, who from the ........ .................... Emeritus Professor of Medicine. He has performance of the plays of the late Dr the Karachi-born physician gives been examiner for the M.D. degree for Jehangir Wadia, has distributed lakhs ¦ * *’ * ' -- • »« js of rupees in charity. Married to Bhikhu (Sahiar), Gol- and Honorary Visiting walla has a daughter, Meher. Aspi Sat- tha, who works in Kuwait Airways and a^on, Sharukh, who is studying for his D. >4' 31 He was appointed as tutor to the community today, housing. In the following interview with Parsi­ ana, t— __ . . his views on the Punchayet and the com ­ munity. Born on 21st August 1920, Dr Aspi Gol- Specialist, Tata Memorial Hospital, walla had a distinguished academic A noted author, his most widely- record. He graduated from the B.V.S. selling text book Medicine for Students several Indian Universities. He is Medi ­ cal Adviser to the Atomic Energy Com ­ mission A noted author, his most widely- IS1 s Question: What are your thoughts Thg Ijgst wav is tO buUd on about the Parsi Punchayet Anjuman Committee elections held fast year? Answer: I think it was a more fair elec- tO part with the management advance rent. We don't want tion in the sense that the so-called king- ^nd the ownership of land. ma Kprs han Inst tneir cn V in #np f*lprtinn z' A\7ii7A ?hA rfcT ' J • • ¦ r The late Arbab Rustam Guiv gave us institutions to support them, and still a donation of six lakh rupees for hous- children. Nearly every Other community shops at Mahim - Contractor Baug. It able to find employment and at least also faces a housing problem but con- took us two years to get the sanction some accommodation. Mr. Pestonjee tinues to increase in numbers. So aside from the Municipality - there is a heap Davar from California donated 56 lakh rupees to the Punchayet - his entire -3 the population decline? today things are not straight and we, as wealth. —___ ________ That means there are people who still g Of course unemployment may play a to give any unofficial money to hurry have high regard for the Parsi Pun- g part. As you know the standard of living things up. People say these donations chayet. If we have lost some prestige, of Parsis is a little higher than of other were given and blame us. But only when my task will be to revive the prestige oi communities. This may be a reason, y-----------------------—----- - Sometimes the boy is not earning the obstacles we have to surmount. told you, to see that the other Parsi enough to feel confident to maintain a family. Undoubtedly, from my expe- _ rience, housing is the biggest problem, ready in a few months. This would have munity. S Look at the number of couples waiting been completed much earlier, but for Also, the community must be kept on the list to get accommodation. That lack of cement. Another step we are fully informed about what the Parsi g in itself will give you an idea; it is a fairly thinking of now is that people - Parsi Punchayet is doing. We have already large number. philanthropists living outside the coun- taken two modest measures in this try can donate cement as a gift. direction. One is the Quarterly Review. Yes, with the permission of the The second issue will be ready soon. tion of the Statistical Outline. We want -j you are in the Punchayet do you realise the Parsi Punchayet. And of course, as I the obstacles we have to surmount. told you, to see that the other Parsi Now the first building in the Godrej trusts, co-operate with us in solving the Baug with 40 one-room flats will be various problems that face the com- J Also, the community must be kept Question: What is the role of the Yes, with the permission of the The second issue win oe reaoy soon. chairman of the Punchayet? How does Reserve Bank - this is permissible. We Another modest attempt is the publica- | it differ from that of the trustees? have already approached one or two t.. have already approached one or two With Best Compliments of : C. J. INDUSTRIES (LNL) Manufacturers of : 'PRESTOSIGN/PRESTOGRAPH' INTERCHANGEABLE DISPLAY&CHARTING BOARD INDOLA" GRIPS, GRIP COVERS & ACCESSORIES FOR SCOOTERS, MOTORCYCLES, & MOPEDS. A HAMPTON COURT N. PAREKH MARG BOMBAY 400 005 PHONES : 213103/212752 It 15 -.i ¦¦ r.F i' I to form new action committees. I have portfolios is done by the chairman of the found that after I became the chairman, Paisi Punchayet ? at least, the response from people is An^cn Yes, it is done by the chair- favourable - stalwarts of the community man. I’ve already done it. It was alread y are willingly coming forward to ask done before I took over, but if any of the where they can help. I hope they can trustees wants to change the portfolios spare the time because today the gift of or to come on the other committees he time is the biggest gift an able person can do so. A month has passed and I can give to the community. have not received any requests. It seems they are satisfied with the allocation. Question: You mentioned the poor But any trustee has the right to attend image of the Punchayet. How did that any meeting. come about? Answer; I think it was this communi- _____________ cation gap between the Punchayet, the tee because we did not want to exclude community and the Press. Now we are any trustee. The allocation for flats has trying to bridge the communication created such rumours and problems in gap, because the Punchayet should have the past that it is much better if all the nothing to hide. Once we bridge the gap trustees are present. and have more dialogue with the Press, things should be better. In fact, I think Question: Youmentionedacommun- we should have a meeting with the Press ication gap. One was perhaps meeting once in three to six months. A section of the Press, the second was the Quarterly the Press has been slightly antagonistic Review and the statistical booklet. Are to the trustees for reasons of their own. you considering any other kinds of Sometimes they have-printed letters meeting with the public? where there is no truth-at all, without Answer: Yes, we will, of course. Not verifying the facts. And once the public the entire public, that is not possible, but reads these letters, it of course creates a we must have meetings with the present bad image. Anjuman committee and have a tete-a- Another factor is the disunity and dis- tete. See what problems there are for us, harmony among the trustees them- how they can help us and what sugges- selves. I am sure this is a thing of the past tions they have to offer, at least once in and we are all going to work in har- three months, if such a meeting is held it mony. No doubt differences of opinion would be very useful. In fact, the Anju- have to be there because differences of man committee is very anxious to do opinion help solve problems. But they that and I am sure the trustees are going should not turn into conflict. If we work to respond very favourably to this, in harmony for the good of the com ­ munity, I am sure all of us will find very Question: During the Anjuman com- active support from the Anjuman and mittee election, many people said the from the Press itself. There is no doubt Punchayet should be run like a com ­ about that in my mind. pany; there should be more professional staff, more delegation from the trustees Question: On the board of trustees, to the staff, what is your thinking? the chairman is the first amongst Answer: This is a good suggestion, equals? There was a suggestion that either we Answer: That’s right. should have a executive trustee or a chief executive. We already have a chief Question: What other powers would executive in Mr. Rusi Anklesaria whois he have that the other trustees may not a retired IAS officer. We find that since have? Answer: Though the chairman is one ___ ___ . among equals, he has added responsibil- gradually giving him" more and more ities. Much of the correspondence is powers so that laying down policy is our addressed to the chairman. Some urgent responsibility and execution is left more decision are taken by him, sometimes to the chief executive and his assistants, even without consulting his colleagues. So that we devote more of our time and As a rule, he heads a number of subcom- energy to imporUnt problems, rather mittees. More members of the commun- than dealing with minor proble ms of no ity want to see him with their problems consequence. than any other trustee. As far as the administration goes, of coures, it does need some change. Question: And the allocation for the Another administrative difficulty is our The only committee which has all the trustees in it is the Allocation Commit- Leach & Weborny *» his taking over, things have started hap­ pening in the Punchayet. In fact, we are 1 • 1 '3 .’J -i J i Dry Cleaners & Dyers CARPET CLEANING IS OUR SPECIALITY '¦i V' }V A Tlaccounts department. It is very difficult completely free. We are giving him 30 to find suitable applicants. In fact, we are also willing to take non-Parsis. We have already taken one since there are people are willing, old people who are no suitable Parsi applicants for the post. We have so many sub-accounts and the mofussil Anjuman accounts that it is a they will be very well looked after. But big problem for us. We are trying to sort you cannot force anybody, you can only this out with the help of specialists in persuade them. this line. — rupees a month, just as help, and he's come and settled there. So wherever begging, we are willing to accommodate them in the Parekh Dharamshala where Question: In what respects would you Question: Does the Bombay Parsi like the community to be of assistance to Punchayet, aside from its own funds the Punchayet ? For example, the com- and properties, also look after the funds munity keeps saying that the Punchayet and properties of other Anjumans? Answer: Oh yes. There are so many would you like the community to do for mofussil Anjumans. There are institu- the Punchayet? tions and trusts like the B.P. Petit Parsi Answer: The community can help us should do this and that; What in turn 1 1 JEENA COMPANY ESTD. 1900 IATA AIR CARGO General Hospital. All these funds are first by not criticising us because this For\A/drdiriQ ivUK lie Q InrkV rkiiv* fn erkrn** Avtpnf with us and we look after them. Of hampers our morale to some extent, course, we take a service charge, of five especially where criticism is not due. percent from a institute like the Parsi Again, people are not always co ­ General and 10 percent from others, operative. I will give you an example, since our monthly wage bill itself comes You know when we started building ' to about 1,10,000 rupees; so unless we additional floors, because Cusrow Baug have these charges collected, it would still had a good FSI, the tenants were not be possible to run the Punchayet. not at all co-operative. The people who had to shift, demanded all sorts of things Question: In the past, say about a from us. If there were three air­ hundred years ago, there were no Parsi conditioners, they wanted all the three beggars, yet today we see them. What do to be fitted although it was only a shift you attribute this decline to? Answer: Whenever we come across a Parsi beggar, we try to get his name and that Mr. Neville Wadia (the noted address and we ask the Liaison Commit- industrialist and philanthropist) tee to investigate. The Liaison Commit- decided not to build any more addi- tee has helped us to do this and beggars tional floors, and the work stopped. So have been approached. Some of them just because you have lived in comfort, are young and in good health, but they you should not forget the needs of oth- say, “No, we don ’t want any doles from ers and this is also where the community the Parsi Punchayet because we get can help us. As I said before, the trustees much more money by begging. ” We have nothing to hide. But if the com- have an employment bureau, and we are munity co-operates with us, realises our willing to employ them though these difficulties, much can be achieved. people are not very intelligent. They are lazy and they are just not willing to Question: Since you have been work. What can we do ? We are helpless. for a few months. With the result that we got so fed up Question: Is this a moral decline? Answer: This is definitely a moral decline, no doubt about it. involved with the community for a long time, you must have observed various developments over the course of the years. What does the future of the com ­ munity look to you 25 years from now? Answer: Many people have of course Question: Isn’t there anything that the said that there are doubts about the sur- community or the Punchayet can do for vival of the community. But I think with * them? the awakening of the spirit which has Answer: We try to persuade these peo- been created both in this country and pie, through the help of various social abroad, and the intellectual, emotional organisations. We have succeeded in apd religious revival that has come some cases. I’ll give you one example-a about - all these are harbingers of a person was begging at Doongerwadi. I hopeful future. We have had a glorious said to him, “Please don ’t beg. ” He told past and we have made an outstanding me that he had nowhere to live. I accom- contribution to the nation in various modated him in the Punchayet Parekh ways. For a versatile community like Dharamshala - free accommodation, ours, the future cannot be but bright ! Warehousing and Insurance Agents 10, Veer Nariman Road Fort, Bombay-1. Cable : 'JUSTITIA' Telex : 2313 Phone: 312032 BRANCHES: E. Merc House 19/B, Shakespeare Sarani (Formerly Theatre Road) CALCUTTA-16. Phone : 444711 'Jeena House' 50, Hanuman Road Connaught Circus NEW DELHI Phone : 310821 C.14, Devtha Plaza, 1st floor Residency Road Bangalore-25 Phone : 564474 No. 26-26-24, 2nd floor VIZAGAPATN AM-35 Phone: 62018 79 4.^I I 30Are These Parsis? Shiraz Nanporia “An Indian Nabob with his son." Source: Painting by George Chinnery reproduced in "George Chinnery 1774-1852". While strictly true - a nabob being a rich man, George Source: Shoberl's Hindoostan (Vol.ll) Pub- Chinnery had made several paintings of Sir Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy and the fire;burning in the background, details of dress etc. clearly fire before their habitations and strictly suggests he wished to emphasise the Parsi aspect. "Hindoo ladies paying a visit to a Parsi lady" lished by Ackerman -1822. The text mentions "The holy females who take care to keep up a observe the rites of their religion are held in great veneration by the Parsis. The annexed engraving represents one of these women receiving a visit from a lady of her religion, accompanied by her son and daughter. The boy falls at the feet of the saint, while the mother presents her with some fruit. By her side, in the fore-ground is a fire, in which pie­ ces of various kinds of fragrant wood burn. K .... .............. it from the portraits now extant'of. the And so it goes on through the centur- progenitors of the Dadysett, Wadia, “But the burden was after all too ling on the ship ‘William ’ with a fleet of heavy to bear, and a reduction in weight FROM antiquarian books to modern culim, ‘a rich merchant well known to K.N. Kabraji writing at the turn of the day publications, one sometimes comes common fame. ’ Sir C. Markhan notes century noted that, “the head-dress of across photographs, prints and paint- that when Bahadurshah ceded Barcaim the Parsis has undergone various ings of people wrongly listed as Parsis. to Nuna de Cunhas, Khoja Perculim changes. The orthodox turban of old Sometimes the reverse is true. Whilst served as interpreter and he then became was a heavy bundle consisting of many scholars like Shakuntala Rao Shastri in known to Garcia De Orta. However as yards of cloth wrapped round the head, her Women in Vedic Times has shown we all know, “Khoja ” Perculim could The iyeight of the turban was accounted £oroastrian influences had a liberating not have been a Parsi. In fact Professor a measure of the dignity and respectabil- influence on Atharva-Vedic times, the Hodivala suggested that he was Khoja ity of the wearer. One can get an idea of general wisdom of the day is that Parsis Pir Quli - a Moslem. it from the portraits now extant'of. the were affected by their close association And so it goes on through the centur- progenitors of the Dadysett, Wadia, with the rulers of India - Hindu and ies. In 1626 the well known traveller Sir Banaji and other families. Muslim - after they took refuge in India. Thoam Herbert informs us that travel- As early as between 916-1153 A.D., an Arab traveller informs us that “the two more ships “300 slaves were put was made until the head-dress took the Mussulman and the Parsis as well as aboard; they were Parsis, Gentoos^ Ban- form of mere skeletons of turbans, made others living between Cheul and Cam- nares and others. Rustom Burjorji of cloth mounted from, pasteboard, bay put on the same type of dress and Paymaster in his ‘Early History of the Subsequently Parsi merchants from wore their beards in the same style. ” Parsis in India ’ is horrified at this refer- China introduced a round faced turban Garcia De Orta writing in the 16th ence and vehemently states that “Herbert with a facing of a particular kind of silk Century refers to a Parsi called Khoja Per- mistook some of the slaves he saw to be cloth. Again the distinguished poet and Parsis.” orientalist, Mulla Pheroze, put a round Maria Graham writing as late as 1809 phenta or shawl wrapped round a blood informs us that “the women put on gar- red cap, and this fashion was readily ments similar to Muslim women. ” Mr. adopted by the young. It has undergone 31 "A Parsi Family" Source: The Last Empire - Photography in British India 1855-1911. Pub­ lished by Gordon Fraser, London 1976.i; Are These Parsis? “A reduction in weight was made until the head dress took the form of mere skeletons of turbans, made, of cloth mounted from pasteboard. ” quite a transformation in recent years, having being greatly reduced in bulk and weight. ” Until quite recently, Parsi and Bohra/ Khoja children used to be seen wearing jhablas ’ and the Gazetteer of Bombay City and Island (1909) has interesting pages of head gear worn by different communities and it is amazing how sim­ ilar the turbans of Bohras from Kathiawar and the Vanias from Surat are to the various turbans worn by Parsis down the centuries. Clearly the confusion has come about because of some similarity in dress, cus­ toms and perhaps the fact that all these chroniclers were foreigners, travellers and scholars of a sort. 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Tel: 211925—215094 Grams: EDTOURS, Bombay 33 ¦W -1 »Petit vs Jeejeebhoy VI 8^^ The Untouchables THE JUDGEMENT SO FAR In 1903 R. D. Tata married according to Parsi rites, a French lady, after having her navjote performed. Tata claimed his wife “had become a Parsi professing the Zoroastrian faith and consequently she was entitled to participate in all the charitable and religious Funds and Institutions of the Parsis” including the right to enter fire temples and have her body consigned to the Towers of Silence. Thus the scene was set for the historic court case of Petit vs Jeejeebhoy, also known as “The Parsi Punchayet Case. ” The question before the two judges of the Bombay High Court. Justice Frank C. O. Beaman and Justice Dinshaw Dhanjibhoy Daver, was whether a person born in another faith but converted to Zoroastrianism was entitled to the benefits of certain community trusts. The plaintiffs (Sir Dinsha Maneckji Petit; Tata and others) contended Zoroastrianism enjoins and practices conversion and that converts are entitled to all the benefits provided. The defendants (Sir Jimsetji Jeejeebhoy and others) while admitting that Zoroastrianism permits conversion state that “ever since their (Parsis) advent into India (they) have not admitted a Juddin (person belonging to another religion) into their fold. They admit, however, tkni children bom of a Zoroastrian father by an alien mother has been admitted into their • fold by the performance of the Navjote ceremony. ” Daver in his part of the judgement discredited the evidence of witnesses claiming to know of “concrete cases of conversion. ” In the last instalment he spoke of the traditions, circumstances and attitudes relating to conversion. The fact of the matter is that for yea rsand years after they obtained a foothold in India, their position in the country was most precarious. They were allowed to. land and settle in the country on suffer ­ ance. They had no claims on the Gujerat Chief who allowed them to settle in the country. They had no Funds, no Dokh- mas, no Atash Behrams or Agiaries. The observance of their own religious rites and the performance of the ceremonies enjoined by their religion must for years have been matters of the greatest diffi ­ culty. Who were they to convert: their then enemies the Mahomedans —the people whose persecution had driven them out of their fatherland —orthe Hin­ dus, the subjects of the Ruler who had given them refuge? If they did attempt anything of the kind, the chances would have been that they would have had to go in search of another place of refuge. It is all very well for the Parsis to say we did not attempt to convert Hindus to our faith, because it would have been ungrateful of us to do so. This may sound well; but, if the truth is told , they made no attempts because they knew not only the utter hopelessness of any such attempt, but they knew further that any such’ attempt would have been so seriously resented that it would have resulted in ruin to the community, living in the swftwavscs., Tkwi 'wVktssifc further countenance in the country depended on the good will of the ruling classes, the Hindus. Far from trying to proselytise, the Parsis, as years went on, adopted a great many of the customs and usages of the Hindus, and so adapted themselves to the ways of the people they lived amongst, that they earned their good will. As they increased in numbers and prospered, they began building Dokhmas, Atash Behrams, and Agiaries in various places where they settled in large numbers; hut centuries had to elapse before they were able to do this? Although Parsis came to India 1200 years ago, most of their religious institu ­ tions came into existence in compara ­ tively recent times. From the earliest days of their advent into India up to the present day, anything like even an attempt to proselytise other people and induce aliens to become Zoroastrians is wholly unknown. Although Parsis are now settled in various parts of India.and as communities are in many places both influential and wealthy, no instance is known of any Parsi ever attempting to induce a Juddin to become a Zoroas ­ trian. Even when, at the earnest desire of fathers, children born of alien mothers were allowed to be invested with Sudra and Kusti, it was done more in a spirit of toleration, and that, too, not without a growl from a section of the community. Under these circumstances, while I find that although the conversion of Jud- dins is permissible amongst Zoroastri ­ ans, I also find that such conversions are entirely unknown to the Zoroastrian communities of India; and far from it being customary or usual for them to convert a Juddin, the Zoroastrian com ­ munities of India have never attempted, encouraged, or permitted the conversion of Juddins to Zoroastrianism. During the progress of this case, it was abundantly clear that the Parsi commun ­ ity of Bombay, as a whole, most strenu ­ ously objected to the admission of Sviddm. 'XemaAe gTfeal tfiorts louring this suit to a termination in an amicable manner. My learned brother Beaman indicated the lines of a fair settlement. One of the terms we suggested was that the Defendants might treat the case of these two ladies as exceptions and admit them to the benefits of the Funds and Institutions in even a limited form, and the Community of Parsis may then make what rules and pass what resolutions they like for futureevents. The Defend ­ ants said they could not agree to any such course without being guilty of breach of trust, unless they obtained the sanction of the Community. We adjourned the hearing of the case to enable them to do 35I IL I k f i Si **¦ .'tl ' A- ^.s-\ : 4 There is no Parsi - and there never has been a Parsi - who has followed the occupation of a Sweeper, a Barber, a Butcher or a Shoemaker. gQ explain the position he took up were after death to be taken to the Towers, The late Sir Jamsedji exerted himself most puerile and even he had not the but he would insist on Bhangis giving up toputthematterbeforeaPublicMeeting grace to s . ofthe Community, but the result was the Lalias. Not so Mr. Sheriarji Bharucha, unanimous refusal to accede to our sug- who, for eleven years, was the paid agent gestion. The Plaintiffs ’ Counsel said this of the Rahanu Maye Mazdyeshm Sabha. was due to a “wave of fanaticism,” and in His mission in life, in his own words, is an unguarded moment said that the Pub- “to reform religion, correct supersti- lic Meeting was composed of the “riff- i raff’of the Parsi community. Such an i.-o - imputation against the composition of witness is undoubtedly a learned man but ever, are qui e the meeting had apparently nothing his zeal for reforming religion led him opinions. f* whatever to justify it, and was calculated into giving some very disingenuous ans- rec?r_e ---- to give great offence, but I feel sure that the learned Counsel never intended to . . • ,r give any offence or seriously meant what that kind . A man may launch hirnself on ® Into *«Al«rvinrk he said. community of Bombay Parsis, as a scriptures, but there must be something to conformito religion accoi^ding to my whole-with the exception of a most radically wrong with the religious per- opinion, then 1 consider them good microscopic minority —are most unmis- ceptions of a man who starts on a cam- authorities. n.irino thp . ... , • . -----.•— This witness admits that during the explain the position he took up were toputthematterbeforeaPublicMeeting grace to was due to a “wave of fanaticism,” and in stop short at Sweepers and theirdirtyworkfirstbeforebeingadmit- te'd to the Fire Temples. He then institutes an analogy between a Bhangi and a Nassesalar. He bases most of his opinions on the Ravayats, which, in another case, he said, were who, for eleven years, was the paid agent His mission in life, in his own words, is tions, and disseminate religion accord- compilations of third rate authority. His ing to the ideas of the Sabha." This conception of religious writings, how- as peculiar as his other . Referring to the answers .........____ ______________ - recorded in the Ravayats, he says they wers when he was asked about the con- would be binding ifthey are conformable version of sweepers and other people of to our Avesta, and if they were reasona- ____ _ ____ ¦ ¦ ¦' I ble, then alone they were considered a mission of expounding his religion and binding. He then makes this remarkable "Th'^fact, however, remains that the disseminating that religion as found in ............ tv statement: “If I find any of the Ravayats ''I -sa 1 radically wrong with the religious per ­ ceptions of a man who starts on a cam- takeably opposed to the admission of paign of ""reforming relig^on^ ana^ Juddins into their fold, and the reasons are most obvious. Who are the people o Sabha. that are most likely to ask for admission ? Generations may elapse before a well ­ born, well-educated, and cultured per- . son like the French lady would ask for any enquiries, and he is not under anj' admission; but throw the door open and obligation to take anybody ’s permis- thousands of undesirable aliens —such sion. ” as Bhangis, Mahars, Kahars, and I . Dubras —will seek admission; and men amongst Parsi priests there are of the stamp of the Plaintiffs ’ witness, 1 Sorabji Punthakey, are always ready to sheep he called them. He never seemed to perform their Navjot ceremony tor a small monetary consideration. The funds of 50 odd lacs of rupees, richly- sheep when he advocated wholesale con- endowed Institutions for poor Parsis; ’ . L comfortable homes for the blind and permission of any responsible person, infirm. Dispensaries, Sanitariums, Con ­ valescent homes, would attract many thousands of the most objectionable people. Plaintiffs say there should be no restrictions to the admission of all Jud- dtas. If thck contentions are to prevaU ren have The Zoroastrian religion the ruin of the Community wouW be their Hindu brethren liave accomplished in as many days as it has jjjgjg (Jjg ParsiS entertain the ¦,eaches cleanliness at every turn. Parsis, taken generations to attain to that posi- .... , . . __ _ tion of prominence and prosperity which samC feclingS tOWardS a however poor, have never taken to occu- uuiiuiptoiiuuviivva , 7 nations which may bring them m contact V 'i “o X"r Hindu of the lower castes as ^,h unclean things. There is no Parsi- examined on this point, his attempts to *he Hindus themselves. and there never has been a Parsi-who disseminating it according of the ideas of whole time he has lived in Bombay, “he has never known any instance of any Mr. Sheriarji Bharucha, in support of effort being made by his co-religionists to the Plaintiffs ’case, said: “Any single pri- convert an entire alien. ” He also says; est may convert. He is not bound to make “The practice of conversion has not been •, in vogue since the Parsis came to India. ” But nevertheless, he sees no objection to converting all the Sweepers, Mahars, He followed this by admitting that and Dubras of Gujerat to the Zoroas- 7 ; 7 _ ¦ J trian religion ! The evidence of a witness 1 poor and unscrupulous men - black such as this, however great may be his ‘ J _____ _ 1 -1_ * learning, does not help the Court, and 71 realise that he was putting the whole such blind and erratic advocacy is not j Community at the mercy of such black likely to help the cause advocated. This ] _„7____ 7 . ’ ¦ witness, more than any one else, has version without enquiry and without succeeded in demonstrating to my mind how very unreasonable is the attitude He would ad mit M ahars and Bhangis to ad opted by the Plaintiffs on the question Atash Behrams and allow their bodies of the conversion of Juddins. ______________ _____ _ Centuries of association with Hindu ¦HiSSSSSiSiiSHSH^Si brethren have made the Parsis entertain . the same feelings towards a Hindu ofthe Centuries of association With lower castes as the Hindus themselves their Hindu brethren have >¦ - •»( 'f same feelings towards a Hindu of the lower castes as the Hindus themselves. 37J ps, iar veneration. On death the body is washed and purified arid then handed over to the corpse-bearers, who recite tt r i »• r has followed the occupation of a Sweeper, a Barber, a Butcher, or a Sho ­ emaker. Though in all other matters they have prayers over it and clothe it in pure white lived on terms of great friendship with linen. After the Suchukvani ceremony is their Hindu and Mahomedan fellow- performed, no one could touch it, not subjects, in religious matters they have even the nearest relatives. Before being been most singularly nervous of any association of any kind with Durvands. This word again is not used in any offen- performed: relatives and friends - and sive sense. To a Zoroastrian, his best in the case of a well-known person, all friends amongst Europeans, Hindus, or leading members of the Community - Mahomedans are as much Durvands assemble and prostrate themselves from a religious point of view as the before the body when they are taking humble Hamal or Massal who serves in their last look. his household. No Durvand (non-Parsi) is ever admitted inside of a Zoroastrian ’s Atash Behram, Agiary or Dare Meher. No Durvand is allowed to remain in the at a dead body after the purficatory edifice where Muktad ceremonies are ceremony is performed, much less touch being performed. No Durvand is allowed it. Many a time it has happened that to go beyond a certain limit in the when a faithful servant of a European is grounds of the Towers of Silence. No dead, his master, entertaining kindly Durvand is allowed to look in when any feelings toward s him and wishing to have of their religious ceremonies are being a last look at his faithful servant, goes to performed; and this feeling is carried to the house of the dead, only to find that his such an extent that the most honoured request is, with many explanations and guests who are sometimes invited to wit- excuses, refused. The bodies of persons ness a marriage ceremony are not who have suffered capital punishment, allowed to have their chairs on the carpet the bodies of suicides, and the bodies of over which the chairs of the bride and people on whom Post-mortem examina- bridegroom are placed. Even at the pres- tions are held, are supposed to be con- ent day, as Dustoor Darab told us, “an laminated and not fit to be put in the old-fashioned Parsi will not drink water same Dokhma as the bodies of ordinary touched by a Juddin, and he will not eat Zoroastrains, because their bodies after food cooked or prepared by him.” death have been touched by Durvands. The last resting-place of the Parsis— In Bombay, there is a separate place for the Towers of Silence —are regarded by these bodies known as Chotra. In other them with sentiments of the utmost places, ifthere is no Chotra, some unused reverence. They are regarded as Dokhma which has fallen into disrepair places of the greatest sanctity. When a is used fordisposalofthese bodies, as was new Tower is built it is consecreted with said to be done at Surat. most elaborate religious ceremonies. Thousands of people travel long distan- would be defiled if an alien ’s body is ces to be present at the consecration, taken in, because of the associations. Such presence is regarded as a pious act sentiments, and religious feelings of the of great religious merit. Once the Tower Community, which are attached to the is consecrated, nonebutaNassesalarcan place as a sacred place. enter it; and the Nassesalars lead a life of exclusion from the members of the com- communities of Zoroastrians in India munity in various ways. The dea,d body object to the conversion of aliens. of a Zoroastrian is regarded with pecul- to be continued taken from the house for being carried to the Towers, other solemn ceremonies are The face is covered up and then the body starts on itsjourney to the Towers. No Juddin or Durvand is allowed to look Mr. Jivanji Mody says: “TheTowers... It is under these circumstances that the With Compliments From H.M MEHTA &CO Cotton Merchants 39 >< I fl ' ^4 ¦n JI .. 4 J I 1 I I I Ml IJ 1 6’a other communities. There is no dearth of money. Where spending is concerned the community surpasses all other com ­ munities. If mere finance were the impediment to solvingthe priestly prob ­ lem, the community would immediately '' ¦' shower thousands and find a solution. The aggregate income accruing from behdins for the priestly flock is suffi­ cient to maintain everyone most honourably; but because of the heredi- tary constitution of mobeds, the distri ­ bution of the income is unsystematic and unbalanced. By reproducing hereunder certain Aek Atmakatha is the autobiography of the late Dr. Maneck Nusser- passages from my article on this subject wanii Dhalla, high priest of the Pakistan Parsis and a scholar of which appeared in the Rahnuma’, a ® , niiorfarh; riiiRKckoJ kiz mt, m IQOA world repute. This is the 23rd edited and condensed extract from-the book “Dastur Dhalla - The Saga of a soul ” - an English translation by Gool and Behram Rustomji of the original Gujarati, published by the gress of society, we say that the main „ . w, .. unit of society in the east is the family. Dastur Dhalla Memorial Institute, Karachi. western society, however, the unit of society is the individual — the inde- Despite the community ’s frantic efforts pendent man alone. Similarly if we wish of a 100 years to attain a highly qualified to find out the causal, central and chief t unit of our present day priestly sect, it is modern conditions, its hopes aTid aspi- not the so-called High Priest but the rations have not been fulfilled. Instead ‘punthaky ’. Nominally the Dastur ranks of trying to tackle this puzzling question higher —functionally the punthaky superfluously we should examine the supercedes. From the economic angle root-cause of the problem. We can see they are the principal spiritual leaders, approximately 800 white turbans in our The religious life of the community Parsi population of less than one and a revolves around the punthaky. Knowl- quarter lac in India. In Navsari, edge plays an insignificant part. Cere- Aek Atrnakatha THE PRIESTLY PROBLEM The life of Dastiir Dhalla XXIII quarterly published by my son in 1926, some light may be thrown on the topic. “When we study sociology or the pro ­ THE STORY SO FAR » Born to a poor Dastur family in Surat and enlightened priestly class to suit on 27 August 1875, Dhalla moved with his family to Karachi three years later. He was married to five-year-old Cooverbai when he was eight years old. After failing his matriculation, Dhalla sought employment while educating himself in religious matters. With the assistance of the Karachi Parsis, Dhalla studied Iranian languages Udvada, Surat, Bombay, Poona, Dec- monials are more prominent. They are in Bombay and then proceeded to Columbia University in New York, where he was awarded a Ph. D. in 1908. On his return to India he was nominated monthly income ranges from two to dear as life itself. The community cares head priest of Karachi in which capacity he tried to critically evaluate old religious beliefs and customs in the kies earning Rs. 150 or 200 to Rs. 500 or sermons and speeches or not, whether light of his broadened outlook. 700 p.m. he develops their literature or not. The This approach caused him to clash with the more orthodox section of the who do not have a punthak of their own single day without a punthaky but it can community and he became involved in several religious and social controversies. But despite the opposition, Dhalla proceeded with his efforts to educate the community and resolve old conflicts. One of Dhalla’sprime concern was the intellectual, spiritual and financial while some who find no work or do no priest or punthaky as an integral part of condition of the priesthood. In - - . - . ...................... . the January and February issues of Parsiana Dhalla spoke of “the accident A few there are, with or without baresh- trian home, unless some unprecedented of birth creating our dastoors and our mobeds, ” and of the steps taken to create a more enlightened priesthood. can Hyderabad, Karachi and other citi- the quintessence of life, hence the pun- es, the community is maintaining thaky who is the hereditary guardian of approximately 15 dasturs whose the family ’s ritualistic activities is as three hundred upto 2,000 and more. It not whether there be a learned Dastur in provides for approximately 300 puntha- their midst or not, whether he delivers 700 p.m. Apart from these about 300 mobeds community cannot be reconciled to a but who take the sacred bath and work adjust itself to a life-time without a das- on a paid basis with some punthaky eke tur. A punthaky is a necessity m the out about Rs. 75 to Rs. 100 p.m. Of the religious life of a community whereas a remainder, those who do not take the Dastur is an ornament and a luxury, sacred bath but exist on whatever incid- “A Zoroastrian family, besides being ental jobs they may get from time to composed of its offspring, its .parents, time from the punthaky, manage to get its brothers and sisters and other close approximately Rs. 50 tb 60 monthly, relatives, takes into its fold the family work are constantly begging for alms its spiritual life. Just as the sacred flame and are despised and condemned by all. is kept akindle eternally in a Zoroas- num, who try to supplement their incident occurs, the punthaky is linked income by doing some other job simul- with the family forever. Notwithstand- taneously. ing the death of the senior member of a This means that the community is family, just as the home fire continues to spending a great deal of money to main- burn, at the demise of the head of a tain its priestly fold — in fact more than behdin family, the punthaky remains. 41 ! '/ • J 1 4 4’ J* '"I 4 i FT “In case the punthaky himself passes first to approach, wins the race. Since ’ away, his son, by right of inheritance, there is wisdom and the welfare of all in immediately and automatically secures abiding by this self-made system, as far his lineal linkage with that behdin fam- as possible, every mobed is careful not ily. In ordinary terms a behdin youth to encroach upon the rights of other could say to his family priest: “Your mobeds. Wherever this cooperative great grandfather was my great grand- arrangement is sufficiently strong, in father ’s punthaky. ” Many times it so times of dissension the layman has to happens that if both the behdin and the succumb and come to an understanding punthaky are of compatible tempera- with his own family priest. But when this ments and have warm feelings for each cooperation amongst mobeds is slack, other, they participate in each other ’s then it happens that, opportunity aris- joys and sorrows as though they are ing, efforts are made to capture each bound togetherbytiesofblood; in times other ’s business, resulting in rancour, of trouble they stand by each other, they So long as such a situation does not arise guard each other ’s family secrets like and disharmony does not find its way joint treasurers. At times the behdin into the priestly fold, each continues to families themselves do not remember enjoy his own rights and privileges. the death anniversaries of their “Just as there is an understanding departed ones as well as their puntha- between the mobeds of a place not to kies do. Where there is such an exem- interfere with each other ’s rights, there is plary relationship between the layman a similar agreement between one city and the punthaky, mutual respect and and another, one punthak and^another affection reign supreme. punthak. Glancing through the opening of the Khan Bahadur Pra­ kash ’, it will be seen that as the popula- If a working mobed is honest tion of our community spread in the and noble, he wins the favour of a behdin family and becomes its punthaky. “In any human institution whenever group of families. No one had the the question of hereditary rights and authority to venture beyond his limits to responsibilities is involved, the senti- earn a livelihood. So long as everyone ment to safeguard the same is most abides by such an agreement all is well, keen. Accordingly our punthakies are But such a period of peaceful co- always alert to preserve their own privi- existence does not last long and as a leges and should there arise the slightest result at intervals we witness dissensions danger of snatching them away, they between punthaks. tenaciously fight against it. In Central “In the manner in which our religion Europe, wherever Guilds and later is practised, ceremonies play a major Trade Unions exist no non-member is role, and our priests are constantly allowed to carry on business there. Similarly mobeds living in a cer ­ tain city and working through some ral that the priests who perform the ‘punthak ’ did not allow any outsider to ceremonies get a large portion of the laxe the ‘bareshnum ’ nor did they grant foodstuff, clothing and other commodi- him the authority to practise as a priest ties utilized in ceremonials. Thus, in there. addition to a punthaky ’s cash income he “Even today in every town and city is given useful articles — the chief where groups of mobeds are conducting among them being flowers, fruits, their ’own practice, an unwritten but sacred bread, rice, coconuts, sweetmeat, unmistakable law exists not to trespass dry fruits, prepared meals, sacred shirts upon each others ’ rights. All have the and utensils, which are used in ceremo- authority to monopolize the business of nies. any newly-arrived behdin family. If the townships of Gujerat, such bonds of agreement came into existence amongst the mobeds. A limit was laid as to the extent of the jurisdiction and mode of conduct of each punthak and every occupied in performing ceremonies for the dead or for the living. It is but natu- any newly-arrived behdin family. If the “This system of a punthaky ’s income jiew arrivals have some relative already is very profitable to him. Senior puntha- living io that city, the punthaky of that kies receive several ‘chasnis ’ daily from relative has the right to claim the new- their respective laity. On Baaj days comers. But if this new family is per- sweetmeats and dry fruits are included fectly alien to the place, the most alert in the ceremonies. Evening meals are and enthusiastic punthaky who is the dedicated to the deceased and on many Burjor Framji & Co. Licensed Plumbers Sanitary & Drainage Contractors MARINE MANSION 1ST MARINE STREET BOMBAY 400 002. THIPHONt 313207 43•8?" V such occasions large feasts are prepared, panics the couple to the Fire Temple. All these eatables and utensils help a “In a small-town the punthaky takes great deal in the up-keep of the family up the responsibility of catering for the and thus senior punthakies are quite wedding feast. His whole day is spent in comfortably established. cooking and in the evening attired in his “It is true that the punthaky gets this traditional garb he welcomes everyone, income, but in return he is not only the bestows the nuptial benediction and, spiritual guide of the behdin family but that duty over, supervises the meal and also the caretaker and contractor of its proposes the toast. He looks to the sign­ ceremonial life. Let us examine the kind ing of the Marriage Registration Forms of relationship between a punthaky and by the required parties. In Bombay these a behdin. Imagine that a death occurs in signatures are taken on the spot. In a behdin family of Karachi at midnight. Karachi and other places, on the second Immediately someone from the-family or third day, the punthaky goes to the runs to the punthaky, knocks at his door respective residences sometimes and informs him. The punthaky ’s duty more than once if the party is not con- commences from that moment. He tacted and collect^ all the signatures, immediately informs the corpse- and, as a finale to his mission, gets the bearers, brings pure water, fetches a marriage legally registered at the office dog, brings the necessary clothes, of the Registrar. Should a wealthy behdin so desire, he “In short, just as a contractor in a runs to a blacksmith and orders a new military organisation or a stevedore in bier and makes all other arrangements, a shipping company supplies the requi- site foodstuff and other commodities earns the punthaky has been acting as a con- • tractor to a behdin family. If a major punthaky has under his jurisdiction 50. to 100 or even more of such behdin homes he has the contract of supplying all the goods. Ordinarily it will be seen that a panthaky ’s income accruing from “In a smalltown the punthaky takes A major punthaky ’s condition does not, in any way, differ from that of a businessman. When everything is in order he returns the purchase of these commodities home at dawn. He is the first to arrive in ' ' the morning, arranges for the perfor- ¦S' exceeds the proceeds he earns from prayer. In a well-to-do family having mance of th'e funeral rites, looks to the faith in prayers for a departed one, the seating accommodation of the assem- aggregate expenses of all the ceremon- bly, arranges for the prayers and cere- ials throughout the year, plus the Muk- monies during the various parts of the tad, Nirangdin, Hamayasht, Navar and day and night and helps the chief other ceremonies, would amount to mourner to salute the congregation on nearly 2,000 to 3,000 rupees. Trayfuls of the third day. sweetmeats, food, clothing, utensils etc. “The behdin informs the punthaky play a major role in this expenditure, that all the requisites for the various ‘ \ . ceremonies are to be purchased by him all that he has spent on his cliept s e.g. the muslin for the sadras that are account. At times a controversy arises to be given to the mobeds together with their gratuity, the sandalwood, incense and flowers, cloth for the shroud, silver, copper or 1________ means -of the family, etc. Similarly on . the tenth day, the monthly, six-monthly sies are not of recent origin and anniversary ceremonies, the order for everything needed is given to the cious event in the family, like a Navjote resolution in 1796 to the effect that :*In or a wedding,' the behdin informs his case a ounthakv has a demand on a punthaky, who prepares the damn, of happy augury—in his own home. He place the facts before the Anjuman brings all the necessary requisites for the which will decide the case and secure for ceremony, greets the guests as they him his just demands; but with imme- arrive and ushers them to their seats. He diate effect no mobed or punthaky shall performs the marriage rites and accom- register a complaint in the mayor s-court “A Punthaky later draws up a bill of over this bill. Just as a customer bar ­ gains with a shopkeeper over the pur­ chase of some article, a bickering and brass utensils according to the bargaining goes on between the Pun­ thaky and the behdin. Such controver- ¦ I they have been going on since early times. The Parsi Prakash reveals that the Samast punthaky, With the advent of any auspi- Parsi Anjuman of Bombay passed a case a punthaky has a demand on behdin, or a Mobed has some claim varadhvara sarya, papad, etc, foodstuff against a punthaky, the party has to which will decide the case and secure for With Compliments From Starlite Electrical Works Electrlcal Engineers & Contractors Fob Hook, 13, OrmistOB Road, Bmnbay>400039 Tel:-241496 45 3^ t' '0 E 19- S' ¦ !' ¦rt- 'F ' ¦3^ T 5> or at his residence or seek for justice mind that in big business, a firm having Rs.40 per month plus meals. At some irom an Englishman.” “It is not surprising that-such argu- bad debts which have to be written off at ments should ensue. Our method of the end of the year. In spite of that the repaying our priests for their services is overall excessive annual profits wipe off meals, gratuity, etc. does not exceed such that it is bound to create misu nd er- these minor losses. A major punthaky ’s Rs.75 to Rs.100. per month. These standing. Many a time the matter condition does not, in any way, differ mobeds who take upon themselves all reaches the court of law, while some- from that of a businessman. the punthaky ’s work are skilled and pro ­ times both parties arrive at a comprom- “Asa punthaky ’s clientele increases, it fessional priests qualified to perform all ise. Sometimes it so happens that the becomes necessary for him to invite the major ceremonies. Night and day behdin family incurs a large debt due to assistance. These paid assistants they pray at the expense of their health, the punthaky and owing to straitened shoulder the responsibility of all the perform various ceremonies, go from circumstances is unable to repay any- work. Formerly such mobed-aids home to home on foot, endure untold thing. At such times the punthaky loses earned a monthly salary of Rs.lO to hardships and earn the above- not only the payment due for his prayers Rs. 12 from the punthaky, plus meals. In mentioned meagre income. but a- also what he owes to the return for his income these helpers are “In the economic parlance of this grocer, green-grocer, fruitier, florist, bound to perform all the prayers and industrial age it can be said that the butcher, fishmonger, eggvendor, wine ceremonies of the behdin families that punthaky is the ‘capitalist ’ of the reli- merchant, toddywalla, sandalwood are under the punthaky ’s control, gious class and the paid mobed is the seller, draper, cobbler and black-smith Besides personal tips he gets nothing, representative of its ‘labour ’ party. In for the purchases made on account of a but the punthaky has the right to receive the field of industry it is well-known death at a client ’s home. Such losses payment for whatever ceremonies the that the person who controls the finance sometimes run into hundreds and over, paid mobed may have performed at the has the lion ’s share of the profits, while The ink has not yet run dry in penning homes of his clientele. Similarly the the worker receives the left-overs. This these lines while a good punthaky has salaried priest has no right over any of system on which our priestly fold runs come along with his tale of woe that the articles or foodstuff or clothing util- seems virtually like an industrial con- there is hardly any hope of recovering ized in those ceremonies. ” cern. Rs. 2,000 which he has spent on behalf “At present, when there is a shortage of “A very large majority of paid of his behdin client. mobeds and there is a world-wide com- Mobeds go through life on this method “Such events are of frequent occur- plaint of the good old times having gone of more work and less pay, but a few rance and we can sympathize with the and expensive days being round the fortunate ones witness more favourable punthakies. But it should be borne in corner, these paid mobeds earn Rs.30 to circumstances. These few rise from the a 100 clients, is sure to have one or two places conditions are sightly better. Yet the aggregate income of such paid pri­ ests, including income, expenses for “Asa punthaky ’s clientele increases, it fessional priests qualified to perform all also what he owes to the return for his income these helpers are “At present, when there is a shortage of mobeds and there is a world-wide com- Mobeds go through life on this method With Best Compliments from Gharda Chemicals Private Limited Manufacturers of Bulk Drugs, Pesticide Intermediates and Process Consultants. 4S, Hill Road, Bandra Bombay - 400 050. 5 ''ty /.•J • -/yjf 1 '.4 Si. ‘M j iff ¦ <1 '3 i •ff 47 J 31 Si ASS 1 I * •impediment to solving the immediately shower state of labourers to the status of the punthakies. We know that as,our priest hood is hereditary the punthakies are careful to keep their clientele under If mere finance were the their control during their own life-time and see to it that after their death it is handed down to their heirs. At times it priestly problem, the happens that this arrangement fails due community WOUld to certain natural circumstances. It may happen that a punthaky dies without leaving a male issue. Under such cir- thoUSands and find a cumstances, the punthaky ’s widow car­ ries on the work personally with the assistance of the paid mobeds who were under her husband ’s control. The widow continues to employ the priests and manages to keep her late husband ’s punthak in partnership with the paid punthaky is naturally unable to keep in mobed or she takes a ‘goodwill ’ sum from him and sells the business to him and frees herself of all responsibility. “It may even happen that a mobed having a large clientele expires. His son may have studied English and works as a clerk in some office or does some sort = of business . He has mantained no contact with the priestly practice. Yet, should his father ’s punthak be fetching a good return he is anxious not to lose such a lucrative business. He arrives at an understanding of a percentage of part­ nership with his trusted and expe- solution. rienced salaried mobed and manages to safeguard the income occuring from the family punthak. But this office-going constant contact with the behdin clien ­ tele, whereas his paid mobed goes daily into the behdin families for prayers and ceremonies and builds up a firm rela ­ tionship with them. Thus, as time passes, they become more friendly and ultimately the mobed prevails upon the behdin to pass on the business to him and he becomes the punthaky. “We have seen that there is an under ­ standing and unwritten law between mobeds regarding their respective flocks and each feels it is his bounden duty to abstain from trespassing upon his brother ’s jurisdiction. Under ordi ­ nary circumstances this sort of arrange ­ ment is faithfully adhered to, but when the bonds of cooperation weaken or some confusion sets in, then all codes are set aside and ‘might is right’. Some ' behdin may be dispfeased with his pun­ thaky and is anxious to change him. At such a time a client-less punthaky gets an opportunity of building up a clien ­ tele. If a working mobed is honest and noble, he wins the favour of a behdin family and becomes its punthaky. “On the other hand a paid priest may be crafty and loquacious and may con ­ tinue to encroach upon his boss ’s busi ­ ness and make it his own. At times the layman may have entered into an argu­ ment with his punthaky over a bill. He wishes to pay less than the stipulated amount while, the punthaky demands more. At that juncture a third party offers to work at a lower rate and man­ ages to snatch away the punthak. The bartering that constantly goes on in bus ­ iness and industry is reflected here. But it may be repeated that it is unwise to blame our priests on this score. Cus­ toms and conventions are responsible for such irregularities and malpractices. Wherever priesthood is hereditary, such scenes are of common occurrence. fO BE CONTINUED 1 4 X With Best Compliments from ROGERS & CO. PVT. LTD. . ¦ 64, Mirza Galib Marg, Byculla, Bombay 400 008. 7 Tele: 371681 - 371682 49i I •3 ’ I »r 1 yl • t J 4^ i nJ SP.RTS 1 i I I Is I Long Jump Champ An unassuming,'tiny and timid lad — Ray­ omand Elavia of St. Mary’s S.S.C. became the first to write his name in the record books of the 88th Annual Athletic Meet of the Bombay High Schools, when he leaped to a new mark in the first final of the day — the long jump — for boys midgets at the Bra- bourne Stadium on January 14. Rayomand, the St. Mary’s midgets cham­ pion, was a picture of calm and confidence as he took off for his jumps. With correct step ­ ping from the board, he made sure of his total in the 90 kg weight (middle heavy) record-winning leap of 4.31 metres, to category at the 34th National Weight ­ improve upon Savib D’Gama Rose ’s 1978 Lifting Championships held in January in record of 4.27 metres. Cochin. Indeed, it was a good day for Rayomand, as he finished with the best timing in the 100 metres heats. Free Press Journal. 16 January 1982 The existing records set by Daroga him­ self in this category were 128.5 kg snatch and 285 kg in total. In the Inter State event in this category Russi Daroga took the second position, lift­ ing 245 kg. 52 Daroga’s double Cochin, ,Ian 21 (PTl) Vispi K. Daroga today won the gold and set two new national records - 132.5 kg in snatch and 287.5 kg in The Daily, January 22. 1982 Discus Deewani Dodhy Binaisha Dodhy of St. Agnes shattered the discus mark in the intermediate girls event on the opening day of the 89th Bombay HighSchools Athletic meet at the Brabourne Sta­ dium on January 5. Binaisha flung the disc to a new distance of 32.18 metres and bettered the meet record by 8.8* metres and the National mark by a metre. Kashmir a honoured Table tennis player , Kashmira Patel, is among the 34 winners of the Maharashtra ’ Government ’s Shiv Chhatrapati award for 1979-80 for excellence in various games and athletics. TTje Daily, 20 February 1982 Ace Addle ¦ Kozhikode, Jan. 31: Maharashtra’s 23-year- old Adille Sumariwalla reaffirmed his class as the ace sprinter in the country here today. Making the most of a good start, he pegged back the spirited challenge of Kera ­ la’s K. Premachandran, who was bidding for a treble today, the last day of the Inter-State Athletic Championship here. Adille ’s triumph was doubly satisfying to him because he had also equalled the meet record of 10.4 seconds, which was set by Tamil Nadu ’s R. Gnanasekharan in 1977 at Madras. The Daily. February I. 1982 Bakhtawar’s Best Maharashtra’s strong woman Bakhtawar Khambatta completed a grand double with a record shattering effort in the shot putt event at the 20th Inter-State Athletics Champion ­ ship held in Kozhikode in January. Khambatta won the discus event and in . the shot putt she improved her own meet and here today. National mark, with an effort of 13.62 metres, which betters her previous mark of 13.59 metres set in October last in the Open Championship. Uniled New of India Anita, Persis set records Maharashtra women swimmers continued to dominate and their star performers Anita 11 * Bakhtawar Khambatta IT' Sood and Persis Madan shattered two more National records to place their team on top with 104 points in the 38th National Aqua- . tics Championship on the penultimate day Meher-Homji wanted to do exactly the reverse. “That was Meher-Homji, a fine crick ­ eter, an excellent stroke-maker, and a flashing wicket-keeper. ” In the 400 metres freestyle, Anita had a cakewalk victory when timing 4:54.3 secs and bettering her own 1980 National record of 4:58.9 secs. Anita has already bagged six golds and set five National records while her team mate Persis has collected two golds and broken two records. Today Persis won the 400 metres butterfly event with a timing of 2:40.7 secs and improved upon her 1980 record of 2:45.4 secs. United News of India. 16 November 1981 Cricketer Meher-Homji K.R. Meher-Homji, former test wicket ­ keeper-batsman, 71, died on February 10 in Bombay. A contemporary of D.D. Hin- dlekar, Meher-Homji was Hindlekar ’s dep ­ uty during the 1936 tour to England and played in one test. At the age of 19 he took three catches to enable fast bowler L. Ramji, brother of Amar Singh, to get a hat-trick. He also played for the Parsees in the Quadrangular from 1934 onwards and in Ranji Trophy matches. 1 Press Trust of India The noted, former test cricketeer and sports commentator, Vijay Merchant in his weekly radio broadcast of 28th Feb ­ ruary paid tribute to Meher-Homji both as a wicket keeper and “a very attacking batsman...one particular year, he was in such fine batting form that his Captain used to send him in the opening, for the Parsi Gymkhana. In the Match against the Islam Gymkhana, he would flog A.A. Hakim for fours and sixes. Co ­ incidentally, the Parsis faced the Mus­ lims in the first round of the Pentangular Tournament of that parti­ cular year. “Finally, when we went toEngland in 1936, he had an injured hand during the later part of the tour. Major Britten- Jones, the manager, asked him to get himself operated upon in England, but Meher-H omji would not hear of it, say­ ing that he would prefer to be operated upon by his own doctors in Bombay, and not by some foreigners in England. The manager was very angry with him and told him that, while people in India went all the way to England to have certain delicate operations performed. A . .1 -1 J.; •• ' i '1 "3 f 'fl 1 Coiirle.sy: Thaeker.sey Group oj MUh Umrigar Honoured Veteran Test cricketer and chairman of the Board selection committee, Polly Umrigar, 53 *-? J a “I ’Mhas been maae an honorary life member of nity was poorly represented and among the the P.J. Hindu Gymkhana. “ ' *' Polly joins distinguished sportsmen Wil­ son Jones, Michael Ferreira, Prakash Padu- kone, Sunil Gavaskar and Cricket Board president S.K. Wankhede, who were the only ones to receive this honour earlier. Presiding over the function, another vete- zi ran cricketer, Vijay Merchant, just recovered from a third heart-attack, said Polly was one of the few cricketers who retired at their peak. Umrigar expressed his gratitude to his the city. Humble and honest, Homi as he was known to the faithful, captained Bombay in - wife Dinoo for having tolerated his out ­ bursts at home after a failure on the field. The Daily, I December, I9SI A bachelor, Homi was weddedto sport. Few can claim to have given back to the respects, were Vijay Merchant, secretary of game as much as he had done and his adnii- Bombay Cricket Association secretary, a Bombay and Indian selector and even the Though Contractor was more known for manager of the India team. his deep involvement with the Kanga ’ Library, of which he was the trustee after Association was formed, he was invited to being the secretary-cum-treasurer from the inception for 27 continuous years (1951 to . 1977), he was one of the finest sportsmen of service to badminton, tennis and table tennis assocations brought praise from all quarters. Unlike many, he had no sinecure motives. Between 1946 and 1956 he was the secretary of the Cricket Club of India and refused few, who were present to pay their last the*Kanga library'S.V. Kadam, Cricket Club nistrative ability was recognised. He was the of India secretary Keki Tarapor and veteran " ’ * statistician Anandji Dossa. When the Bombay Provincial Hockey serve on the committee and he could claim credit for the rise of Bombay billiards. His City Cricketer Contractor Homi Contractor ’s battle against death for about two months, ended on December 6th. Apparently not many had heard of the efficient badminton player. With the late demise of the SO-year-old sportsman and Casmiro Comms he proved to be one ofthe great administrator, for the sporting frater- powerful doubles combinations in the city. the inaugural year of the Ranji Trophy and circumstances. The late Homi Vajifdar, who equals and badminton players of yesteryear was chosen to lead the side, could not play. Contractor was amongst the reserves and to the pleasant surprise of all he was elevated to lead the side, which eventually won the national title. Though in the early years he was known the Kanga Library. The only genera! body for his batting, very few know that he was an his appointment came under very peculiar payment. As a disciplinarian he had few still talk of his role as the tournament referee. For his services to sport, he was the first administrator to receive the colours of the Sports Journalists ’ Association of Bombay. Four years back his portrait was unveiled at meeting that he missed was the last one on September 14, 1981. The Times of India, 8 December, 1981. 4 For Pure Diamonds JEWELLERS I 324. GRANT ROAD, BOMBAY 400007. TELEPHONE: 371483 appointed valuers by the government of INDIA 55r - A I; I Cricketer Palia son, Bapoo and daughter, Shirin. Bapoo, followed into his father ’s footsteps and has earned laurels for Bombay. Shirin, 1. P. E. Palia, who played in Tests for India too, was popular in the same sport, in England in 1932 and 1936 died on Sep- The Daily. 2lsi January 1982 tember 9 in Bangalore at the age of 71. He was suffering from cancer. A dedicated cricketer, Palia captained the Parsis in the quadrangular and pentagular tournaments in Bombay. He also 7 lamed Mysore, U.P. and Bengal in Ranji Trophy matches. ‘King of the Road’ Bombay, Jan. 31: Homi Bhatena (Maha­ rashtra) won the gruelling 170 km. road race to establish himself as the ‘king of the road ’ on the last day of the 8 day National Cycling Championships here this morning. The 18-year-old local collegian, who had Cycling Legend It is the Parsis, more than the others, who put Bombay, nay India, on the world cycling earlier won the inaugural Baroda-Bombay map. People from this community gained road race, thus enabled the hosts to finish on a winning note. Mehernosh Hakim (Maharashtra) fin- prominence in this sport because they not only loved cycling, but also cared for their machines, many of whom could boast of ished third, imported ones, as they would care for their wife or children. ESKA y in the Free Press Journal, 23 January 1982. Of the 88 participants from.l 09 entries, 20 completed the 10 laps, each of approxi ­ mately 17 km. Homi clocked 4 hours, 49 minutes and 49.91 seconds. The field was led by the pace setter Pandu- Olympian Malcom B. Malcolm, the popular Bombay cyclist of yesteryears died on Janu- rang Gaikwad till the seventh lap. However, ary 19, at the age of 69. Malcolm first shot into the limelight way back in 1933 and dominated the scene in a large measure for a long spell of 27 years. with powerful downward thrusts, Homi pedalled furiously to wrest the lead and went on widening it as-he raced up the Walkesh- _ war Road and the Malabar Hill climb and During this triumphant trial, Malcolm then back to the starting point at Oberoi not only shone on the track but unselfishly Towers, contributed towards the betterment of the sport in the country. He was the brain behind the introduction of novel events such as Team pursuit. Devil Takes the Hindmost and Madison Cycle Race. In 1935, his notable win came in the 3000 metres Scratch grass track race of the Bom ­ bay Presidency Olympic Association inaug- rual meet. Malcolm also cornered the glory in the same event of the All-lndia Olympic meet and won the 15 miles race, his pet event, in the Amateur Athletic Association Cham­ pionship for nine years in a row. His perseverence fetched him interna ­ tional fame when he claimed the honours in the Road Race around the Oval, Bombay, in which he got the better of E.V. Mills and J. Bradick, both representatives of England at the 1938 British Empire Games in Australia. The same year Malcolm was sent to Eng­ land and Europe. In the All-lndia Olympic Games, held every two years, Malcolm won all the events from 1938 to 1960. It was in 1948 that Malcolm represented came into being and exercised absolute con- India in the Olympic Games at London and in the ’54 Berlin-Warsaw-Prague race before calling it a day early in the sixties. Malcolm is survived by his wife, Pilloo, Amar Singh managed to stay close to H orni but could not overtake Homi who rode in majestically to claim his second individual gold. He had earlier won the 30 km point race. Homi. besides, was a member of the Maharashtra team, which won the 100 km road time trial. The Daily, I February 1982 fully stage several long distance races, including the Bombay-Pune challenging events. Jimmy, as he was popularly known, was a stickler for discipline and it was this that got him info problems with officialsand cyclists. He relinquished his control of the various cycling bodies, but from behind the scenes kept encouraging the promising ones. Most of his charges reached national class and the news of his sad demise cast a gloom over cycling circles. Jimmy, who was 54, suffered an attack earlier while on duty in the personnel depart ­ ment of Messrs. Bennett Coleman and Co. in which he served for over three decades. The Times of India October 30, 1981. Gold & Silver Cycling’s Malabar walla Cycling lost one of its most selfless workers in the death of Jimmy Malabarwalla, who succumbed to a heart attack after a month ­ long struggle at a city hospital on October 28, 1981 ¦ Malabarwalla arrived op the scene after the bifurcation of the Bombay Provincial Olympic Association in the early fifties when cycling was given autonomy and the Maharashtra State Cycling Association by three laps. _* _ U ZWM » olp/V 'S.' 1 ¦•I '1 "I J Bombay, Jan. 27 Maharashtra continued to dominate the women ’s’ section of the National Cycling Championships. At the Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium on the fourth day, today, Armin Arethna and Avan Anita bagged the gold and silver, respec ­ tively, with record timings in the JOOO metres ¦ individual pursuit event for women. But it was Maharashtra’s Homi Bhatena who cornered the day ’s glory. In the most exciting event of the day, the 30 km points race, Homi did his state proud when he . struck gold. It was not the gold he achieved that drew a standing ovation from the stands but the manner in which he won it. The event, consisting of 65 rounds of the vellodrome, was introduced for the first time at the National level. Homi suffered an early setback when in the very first round his rear tyre gave way. Joining the bunch a round later, after changing his cycle, Homi con ­ tinued his pursuit for the gold. During the early stages of the race, Maha­ rashtra skipper Bapoo Malcolm rode with excellent speed to occupy the second place for the first three sprint laps behind Bihar’s Ravinder Singh. Then came Homi in the 10th lap. With a brilliant burst he came from behind to over ­ take the lot at the bend and bag the second place in the fourth sprint lap. Then in the 13th lap with vigorous piston ­ like movements, Homi broke away from the group and maintained a blistering pace. This . feat Homi performed to lead the field of 14 trol of the sport in Maharashtra. He took over as secretary of the M.S.C.A. and stayed in office for almost two decades. Under his points, stewardship Bombay were able to success- Homi also bagged the double points awarded to the leading cyclist in the 33rd and final lap. He won the event totalfing 3 laps The Daily, 28 January 1982. J. I bi .'¦’Si it 4 -’I" i •4. •S' f- I '4 A 57^ rJ -1r- I Britain ’s black MPs How they confronted British racism Britain ’s three Black MPs, Naoroji (1892-95), Bhownagree (1895-1905), Saklatvala (1922-23 and 1924-29), had to face racial hostility, religious prejudice and political bias of the British society. The racial and cultural barriers they encountered then remain relevant to the problem of minority representation today. Zareer Masani, an Indian author and journalist settled in the UK, recapitulates some of Naoroji ’s experiences. (N ITS RECENT survey of the 1979 general election, the Commission for Racial Equality, while pointing out that black minorities hold the balance of votes in several marginal, inner-city con ­ stituencies, lamented the absence of any black representation in Parliament dur ­ ing the last half-century. Ironically, the only three black MPs ever to have sat in the House of Commons were Indians elected in a distant age of empire by an exclusively white British electorate. The racial and cultural barriers they encoun ­ tered then remain relevant to the prob ­ lem of minority representation,today. D. Naoroji (Liberal, Central Fins­ bury, 1892-95), Sir M. Bhownagree (Conservative, Bethnal Green, 1895- 1905) and S. Saklatvala (Labour/ Com ­ munist, North Battersea, 1922-23 and 1924-29), were all Bombay-born Parsis, members of India ’s smallest ethnic Group. Despite widely divergent politi ­ cal affiliations, all three claimed to represent, not merely their inner- London constituents, but the Indian people, then denied representation at either Westminster or Delhi. That all three were fair-skinned and anglicised Parsis was not coincidetital. Adherents of Zoroastrianism? world ’s first monotheistic religion, the Parsis migrated to India from Persia in the 8th century after the Arab conquest. Traditionally traders and artisans, they were the first community in British India to adapt to the introduction of western education. The Parsi commun ­ ity, though numbering under 100,000, was soon leading in every sector of col ­ onial life, from politics and administra ­ tion to the professions and industry. Initially a loyal buffer-class collaborat ­ ing with the Raj, the Parsis gradually emerged as competitors with British capital and founders of India ’s national ­ ist movement. iental l; IC • .'r rb Li i -1^Dadabhai Naoroji (1825-1917) epitom- followed from his efforts to build a pro- stone ’s Home Rule Bill and the Liberals ised both the pioneering spirit of Indian gressive India lobby at Westminster and themselves split on the issue Naoroji ’s modernisation and its ambivalence from his role in India as a founder- chances as a committed Home Ruler towards British rule. Born into an leader of the Indian National Congress, were hopeless. But he put up an impres- impovenshed and semi-literate priestly Armed with the Congress mandate, he. sive fight, appealing particularly to family and educated on charitable returned to England in 1886 in search of 1....;^ .-.'..uvLiavu grants, he was one of the first graduates a parliamentary constituency. But his votere, whom "he " addressed * from of Bombay ’s Elphinstone College, approaches to the Liberal Party pro- mobile cart-van. While still in his 20s, he became Bombay duced a University ’s first Indian Professor of 1 Mathematics, founder-editor of a local ported him because ‘the Parsi was a very attracted public curiosity. Now dressed femie education, school expansion and The Natives, knowing both and reconcil- < :„__ ________ reform. ing both, possessing much common- Naoroji had changed his name to Mr "30, and stayed on to set up a cotton-trad- Another strongly recommended leader of the Indian National Congress, were hopeless. But he put up an impres- newly-enfranchised working-class a r was patronising and evasive Puzzle for British elettors respon^. One Liberal politician sup- Though he was defeated, his campaign newspaper and leader of movements for good element between the Enghsh and Fn w7stem7ttire,^^Nawdl was Zc\ihurli lemle education, school expansion and the Natives, knowing both and reconcil- enigma in Victorian London. ‘If Mr rel^ious reform. ing both, possessing much common- Naoroji had changed his name to Mr He first visited England in 1855, aged sense and exercising moderation ’. Brown or Mr Jones, ’said one press 30, and stayed on to set up a cotton-trad- AWher strongly recommended my report, ‘no one would know him to be a mg firm in London. His business col ­ lapsed in the cotton crash of 1881; but by then Naoroji was entirely absorbed in imperial politics, travelling back and forth.between Britain and India. In retrospect, his nationalism strictly constitutionalist and moderate. His complaint against British rule in India was not that it was foreign, but that it was ‘un-British ’, due to the ignor ­ ance of British public opinion about the autocratic bureaucracy that governed India. His famous ‘drain theory ’blamed Britain for the impoverishment of India through an adverse balance of trade and unjust revenue demands. But his own solution was Home Rule within the Empire, not independence. His imme ­ diate demands were for greater Indiani- sation of the Indian Civil Service, equitable adjustment of imperial finance and gradual introduction of representative government in India. Thus reformed, the empire could, he believed, benefit both countries. His role in Britain was to lobby Parli­ ament for Indian reforms. Through the 1860s and 1870s, he campaigned vigor ­ ously to publicise Indian grievances. ‘We Indian people believe, ’he told Brit­ ish audiences, ‘that although John Bull is a little thick-headed, once we can ^netrate through his head into his changing the (Parsi) headdress to an wjw«vu nmui ungim brain that a certain thing is right and English hat. Better to appear altogether being an Englishman ’ proper to be done, you may be quite sure like an Englishman.’Yet another sug- - - that it will be done. ’ His campaign won gestion was that he should find a Scot- co-operation from radical MPs like Gha- tish constituency because the Scots were rles Bradlaugh, John Bright, Henry ‘far more liberal than the Liberals of Fawcett and W.S. Caine, from Irish England ’, nationalists whom he supported on _ ____ . Home Rule, and from the famous Brit- suddenly offered the LiberaF nomina- j-L - - - involved him in a public refutation of 1886 general election. That Sidney lb ** 1 A T'... ft. _ ___ . fl fl fl fl * fl, fl fl . fl ^^neticist thesis on the inferiority of Liberal Committee, shared Naoroji ’s unconstitutional and ’ refused to stand Asiatics . 1 ” ¦ ' . . . -. Indian lobby at Westminster 1....... ..................... Naoroji s decision to enter Parliament With the tide strongly against Glad- Parsi. But Naoroji... a puzzle for the British elector... has the appearance and the manner of a cultivated English gen ­ tle man, his face a shade or two off- colour... but certainly not darker th^n many Australian, tanned from long exposure to tropical suns ’ With his impressive, salt-and-pepper whiskers, ‘his bright eyes ’ twinkling over gold- rimmed spectacles, a ‘keen sense of fun’ and a perfectly fitted frock-coat, Nao ­ roji cut an excellent platform figure, ‘an admirable speaker, with a strong voice, capable of many inflections; from the deeply earnest to the piping playful, with command over the indignant and ironical, and his mastery of our lan­ guage is marvellous. ’ After presiding over the second ses ­ sion of the Indian. Congress, Naoroji returned to the electoral fray in 1887, seeking the Liberal nomination for Cen ­ tral Finsbury, a marginal Tory seat. Anticipating racial prejudice against him. Liberal headquarters reassured its local branch: ‘Though bearing so strongly Indian a name, Mr Naoroji is to all intents and purposes an Englishman as well as an English subject. His long residence in this country, and his tho ­ rough mastery of our tongue, added to his English appearance, take away any objection which might occur... to his not ‘I doubt if we have yet gat to that point of view where a British constituency wouid elect a black man.’ 1/ Nevertheless, the four-year nomina ­ tion dispute that followed indicated overt and latent racial hostility to Nao- roji ’s candidature. In August 1888, he ______________________________________ - was elected the official candidate of the nation^ists whom he supported on Nine days before polling, Naoroji was local Liberal Association. But two ”nd from the famous Brit- suddenly offered the Liberal nomina- weeks later, a requisitioned meeting rev- ish Mai^ist H.M. Hyndman. But it also tion for Holborn, a safe Tory seat, in the ersed the choice and selected Richard involved hitn in a public refutation of 1886 general election. That Sidney Eve, runner-up in the previous vote, the ethnologist John Crawford ’s crudely Webb, then Secretary to the Holborn Naoroji dismissed this reversal as "Aeintire’ ' j.’"”" !...................—’ ------------- » mivuuoiiiuuuimi auu iciuscu lU Stand • radical views on imperial finance may down — ‘They have thus thrown the have contributed to his nomination, gauntlet to me and I have picked it / _. _ ¦ up’. Liberal headquarters at first 61f’l' 1 I f ' encouraged him to stand firm. Schnad- < ' horst, the chief organising officer of the candidate. The seat was hotly contested. National Liberal Federation, wrote at especially since his manifesto included thetiipe: Although a Parsi is much h^n- the entire Liberal reform programme. Naoroji is not only the better man and prejudice, as Tory propaganda whipped politician of the two, but is more likely 1. ’ to win. Naoroji will be more liked the him as a pagan fireworshipper, fire better he is known — Eve just the oppo- being a sacred symbol for Parsis, much site. ’ like tbe cross for Christians. __ ____________ ______ Wh^ Naoroji ’s supporters approa- crowd of several thousands outside the I the eral election as the official Liberal by Salisbury and other Tory peers. But the Maharaja of Baroda came to Nao ­ roji ’s rescue on polling day, lending him twenty carriages to bring voters to the National Liberal Federation, wrote at especially since his manifesto included the tiipe: ‘Although a Parsi is much h^n- the entire Liberal reform programme, iwcmy vama^cs 10 onng voters 10 me dicapp^d in an English copstituency. Inevitably, he also encountered racial polls. Naoroji is not only the better man and prejudice, as Tory propaganda whipped Naoroji ’s victory, by a maioritv of politician of the two, but is more likely r- ------ • t—-- ............ ...... better he is known — Eve just the oppo- being a sacred symbol for Parsls, much site. ’ like tbe cross for Christians. Later, alarmed by a split in the local ___ _________ __ _______ * Pheadquarters suddenly ched Loyd Carlisle , for assistance, his National Liberal Club welcomed . . . - . -------- — J-----------r—t news of his success with thunderous accept arbitration. Seeing this as a Christians to help a man who worships applause, audible ‘at St Paul’s on one fire?, A retired army officer wrote indig- side and Chelsea Hospital on the other, ’ nantly to the papers that Naoroji was an while the ‘half-benignant ’ tone in which up Christian sentiment by portraying three votes, solved the problem that many voters had in pronouncing his name. Henceforth, he was known affec ­ tionately as ‘Mr Narrow-Majority ’. A I changed its tune and asked Naoroji to wife exclaimed: ‘How can you expect breach of faith, he refused to submit, even after the party leadership trans­ ferred its support to his rival. ‘I must go on for the sake of India herself, besides my honour, ’ he maintained, ‘be the result what it may. I cannot allow it to be said that bullying and persecution can easily drive away an Indian from his resolution. ’ Rejecting an offer from Lord Ripon, ex-Viceroy of India, of a safe seat elsewhere, he appealed instead to the voters of Central Finsbury, whom he had canvassed assiduously through ­ out the prolonged inner-party wrangle. Naoroji ’s struggle for the Liberal nomination received aid from an unex ­ pected quarter when Lord Salisbury, the Tory Prime Minister, commented pub ­ licly on Naoroji ’s defeat at Holborn: 7 doubt if we have yet got to that point of view where a British constituency would elect a black man... I imagine the colour is not exactly black, but. at all events, he was a man of another race. ’ Overnight ‘Lord Salisbury ’s Black man’ became the hero of the Liberal press. While Indian public opinion was outraged, the Libefals made political capital of the Prime Minister ’s gaffe. At a public meeting in London, Gladstone warned of the great offence caused by Salisbury to millions of Indians and demanded an apology. Naoroji was flooded with let ­ ters and invitations from well-wishers iS'^. *51 the Times greeted his election suggested that ‘the echoes... had penetrated Print­ ing House Square ’. The next day, Glad ­ stone publicly announced his ‘great satisfaction ’ at the return of ‘what Lord Salisbury called a black man’. The reaction of the Tory press predictably hostile. ‘If the electors of Central Finsbury, ’ the Specator com ­ plained, ‘like to be represented by a fire ­ worshipping Asiatic, that is their affair..., but Mr Naoroji will pose as the Native Member for India. That is not a just pretension. ’ St St epen’s Review was more- outspoken. Giving thanks that Naoroji at least belonged to a ‘civilised ’ Indian community and was not ‘a Ben ­ gali Babu ’, it declared that ‘Central Finsbury should be ashamed of itself at having publicly confessed that there was not in the whole of the Division an Eng­ lishman, a Scotchman, a Welshman, or an Irishman as worthy of their votes as this fire-worshipper from Bombay. ’ Having at last arrived at Westmins ­ ter, Naoroji was one of the most active private members in the Commons, cam­ paigning relentlessly for Indian reforms. His efforts were partially suc­ cessful when a resolution was adopted in favour of holding the Indian Civil Service examination in India as well as in London, and again when a Royal Commission was appointed in 1894, with Naoroji as a member, to enquire ’*8—’ into British Indian finance. In 1893, Against such bigotry, Naoroji Naoroji also found time to visit India, < X- ¦m m V : i Others ’ strongly recommended my changing the (Parsi) headdress to an English hat all. over Britain. Queen Victoria herself alien, belonging to ‘a race of mere trad- was reported to have reprimanded her ers, none of whom ever drew a sword or Prime Minister for this insult to one of pulled a trigger either for or against ------ -- - — • •, press report,... appreciates very highly was her Indian subjects. ‘Her Majesty,’said us...’ into British Indian finance. In 1893, appreciates very highly Against such bigotry, Naoroji Naoroji also found time to visit India, the Indian servants whom she now pos- received valuable support froip Labour where he received a hero ’s welcome and JI AAA AA A a* J A 1* • a - — darker than Mr Naoroji. ’ The National Burns, who canvassed for him, while his Liberal Club replied to Salisbury with a advocacy of women ’s rights won him ivuuiimiautu tenquet in Naoroji ’s honour, with Lord the backing of prominent women like candidate for Central Finsbury in the Ripon presiding. Florence Nightingale. Most decisive, 1895 general election, this time the odds Christian prejudice Having thus lionised Naoroji, the Lib ­ eral leadership could hardly jettison him in Finsbury. His local rival with­ drew, and Naoroji fought the 1892gen- sesses, and they are most of them much leaders like Keir Hardie and John presided over the annual Congress ses ­ sion. Though he was renominated Liberal Florence Nightingale. Most decisive, 1895 general election, this time the odds however, was the material aid he got against him were insuperable. Threa- from the Maharaja of Baroda, one of tened by Liberal policies on death India ’s leading princes. His Tory oppo ­ nent, an influential local landlord, had a duties, land tax, labour legislation, tem ­ perance, Church disestablishment, vast fleet of carriages put at his disposal reform of the House of Lords and uni-. 63 4 •J - •^'4, 4 ¦fl A h a 1 -w s '^1E ! versal suffrage, ‘the parson, the peer, the publican and property, ’ Naoroji observed, ‘were fighting a life-and- death struggle against the coming doom ’. Despite the backing of Labour and the Irish National League, he was defeated by a Tory alliance of Anglicans and publicans. Though now in his 70s, Naoroji con ­ tinued to attempt a parliamentary comeback. In 1901, he accepted a unanimous invitation from the North Lambeth Liberal Association to be its candidate. But there followed a sordid replay of the old Finsbury dispute, as the party switched its backing to a local bedsteadmaker, ‘with a long, civic record and an even longer purse, ’argu­ ing that Naoroji ’s preoccupation with India would be detrimental to his local constituents. As before, Naoroji refused to accept arbitration or withdraw; but this time his tenacity did not pay off, and he was the victim of a smear ­ campaign which included allegations of corruption. Standing as a Labour- backed independent against the official Liberal candidate, he was routed in the 1905 general election. Naoroji returned to India for good in 1907, finally disillusioned with British politics. Rejecting knighthood, he pre ­ ferred the unoffical Congress title of ‘Grand Old Man of India ’. The remain ­ ing ten years of his life were spent in dignified semi-retirement in Bombay as the venerated patriarch of India ’s grow ­ ing Congress movement. r 4 I '3 > Courtesy: The Asian, London September, 1980. ¦ STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP AND OTHER PARTICULARS ABOUT PARSIANA Form IV (See Rule 3) Place of publication: Bombay Periodicity of publication: Monthly Printer, Publisher, Editor and Proprietor: Jehangir R. Patel Nationality: Indian Address: 285 J. Dadaji Marg, Bombay4(X)(X)7 I, Jehangir R. Patel, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief. Sd. (Jehangir R, Patel) I March 1982. With Compliments From EMPIRE ESTATE Liberty Building 41/42 Marine Lines Bombay 400020 65 1 1 ¦59 3 • 55 s .1 15i ' r 1 i I. r I ¦ J. h. 1 Company Guide Nani Palkhivala The administration of Indian busi ­ ness and industry has been progressively complicated by the plethora of rules and regulations, guidelines and controls which the business executive is com ­ pelled to keep abreast with, to ensure that his actions and procedures are in keeping with the requirements of the law. The situation is further worsened when an important piece of legislation like the Indian Companies act which embraces a vast section of Indian busi ­ ness, is so formulated that “the sections which should logically go, together are placed far apart...This book is an effort to combine in one place a simple exposi ­ tion of those provisions of the Compan ­ ies Act, 1956,” notes Ms. Javeri The book begins with the incorpora ­ tion of a company and ends with its winding up. The intermediate chapters set out in detail company practices and procedures, that should be followed in respect to each aspect of the working of the company and in doing^o the author explains the law with reference to decided cases wherever relevant. Ms. Javeri was the first lady to be admitted in the Tata Administrative Service and was until recently the secre ­ tary of the Tata Iron and Steel Com ­ pany Limited (TISCO). She is a fellow member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India, has her own legal : practice and is a retained counsel to sev- leral leading companies, notes her bio- 'data. J.R.D. Tata, in his forward to the ¦book, notes that the complexities of the Indian Companies Act and the need to keep abreast of the law has placed a heavy burden on the administration of Indian business and industry. “There has been a need for a compre ­ hensive hand book or manual that would in clear but simple terms eluci ­ date the law...Ms. Javeri is eminently • qualified to write this book. ” The Company Secretary ’s Handbook - A Concise Guide to Company Law for Managers and Executives by Ms K. R. Javeri, published by N. M. Tripathi Private Limited, Bombay; 190 pages, price Rs. 55. 66 Surely something is basically wrong has touched in life. He was born on with our economic philosophy andpol- January 16,1920, in the home of a small itical ideology if Indians are able to businessman. Money was short in the enrich foreign countries but are not family, but Nani ’s hopes were high. Asa allowed to solve the problem ofpoverty ybung boy he devoured books, Samuel at home. Smiles ’ work. The Secret of Success, THOUSANDS have gathered ' . . - - . - spacious grounds of Bombay ’s Cricket School he went to St. Xavier ’s College. on the Budget. Half an hour before the meeting, portly Marwaris and lean Par­ sis have occupied strategic positions. The latter, who belong to Nani ’s tiny community, do not appear of the kind standing First Class First at the LL.b’ who have much to worry about in the Budget. Nonetheless they turn up in strength to hear apro Nani four Nani ’). Bombay Law College and alities in a generation to whom they ship of Law at Calcutta University. He attach the fond prefix apro. In the old first won distinction by producing an authoritative work on income tax law, in associatioa with his senior. Sir Jam- shedji Kanga, in whose chambers he started his career. The flame of achievement burned in him. He fought case after case of on the inspired him. From Tutorial High Club of India to hear Nani Palkhivala Bombay. By the time he was 16, lie started earning by giving tuitions. At College he read English Literature and won the Chancellor ’s Medal in his M.A. From 1943 to 1946 Nani read Law, and Advocate (OS) examinations. He was soon appointed professor at the . - „ I was Parsis usually have two or three person- honoured with the Tagore Professor- days Queen Victoria was apri Rani. Dadabhoy Naoroji and Jamsetji Tata are still called apra. There before an urban audience Nani starts speaking. ‘Every budget, ’ he says, ‘contains a cartload of figure^ in black and white —but the stark figures repres ­ ent the myriad lights and shades of India ’s life, the contrasting tones of pov- PrinceS and impoverished priests felt confident that they could count on his sympathies erty and wealth, and of bread so dear and flesh and blood so cheap, the deep tints of adventure and enterprise and man’s ageless struggle for a brighter morn. ’ He reels off facts, figures and statistics —decimal points and all— without any notes. He punctuates his the Supreme Court were impressive. He oration with quotations from Shakes- fought and won the Bank Na ’tionalisa- peare. Lord Acton, Jawaharlal Nehru tion Case. In 1971 he had struck down and C. Rajagopalachari. The audience the Government ’s order to take away cheers him as he assails the ‘boneless the Privy Purses of Princes by unconsti- wonders ’ and the ‘bumbling bureau- tutional methods. He argued the fam- crats’ of Delhi. At the end of the oration ous Fundamental Rights Case (1973), of apro Nani, his admirers brace them- heard by 13 judges of the Supreme selves and stride out —fortified to light Court over a period of five months, in another day. ' Constitutional lawyer, tax expert, economic developer, diplomat, author, Nani Palkhivala has adorned all that he. structure. Encounters with the Eminent by R.M. Lala, published by India Book House Publishing Company, Bombay, pages 160, price Rs. 20. Reprinted with author ’s Permission. Copyright R.M. Lala. ¦ national importance. His victories at which the Supreme Court ruled that Parliament cannot amend the Con- ' stitution as to alter or destroy its basic He argued successfully for the Fun­ damental Rights of minorities to administer educational and religious institutions of their choice, and to ; j'4: r K Encounters with the Eminent: throughout the country) later joined A.C.C. as Managing Director. He lists Nani ’s qualities as ‘the ability to grasp a problem quickly, and the ability to take quick decisions. In my forty years in industry, I have never encountered an individual wh'o combines the qualities of integrity, compassion and concern for human relations with the ability to take firm and even unpleasant-decisions to the same extent as Palkhivala. ’ Opportunities in business provide 1 . ¦ ¦ ¦ . ¦¦ the heart that go way beyond the intel ­ lectual gymnastics that Law demands. And to complete the picture, Nani sup­ ports movements that enrich the spirit of man, be it of the late Sri Aurobindo ’s or Satya Sai Baba ’s. For him life is larger than law, business or politics. It is amazing he finds the time to devote to choose the language in which education each of these interests. should be imparted. Associated with big business he tries Princes and impoverished priests felt to irijecjt into its policies his sense of old confident that they could count on his values and sincerity of purpose ’ as a .. ---- the controversy over public and private sector. ‘There are only two sectors, ’ he says, ‘the efficient and the inefficient ’. Though a critic of Prime Minister, Appeal brief in the Supreme Court because he felt she had a good case and F" UUlU DC iiiipai icu. Princes and impoverished Jjriests felt Russi M. Lala Sometime after the Janata Party 'assumed office, he was offered the Indian Ambassadorship to the United States. He travelled extensively in that vast country, delivering in less than two years 200 major speeches presenting India before the American public. Uni­ versities like Princeton gave him honor ­ ary degrees and impressive citations. The President of the 20,000 strong Associations of Indians in America, said of Nani ’s term as Ambassador, ‘For him the space to exercise his qualities of the first time we got a feeling that Indi- ¦'u'* sympathies. Most cases of public colleague puts it. He is not interested in importance he fought without fees. ’ " Although he was for many years a vocif ­ erous critic of Congress governments, a succession of its Law Ministers invaria- _ bly honoured him by giving him bfiefs Indira Gandhi, he accepted her Election for India at international tribunals, like * ’ the International Court at the Hague. - The foremost practising lawyer of that every litigant is entitled to his or^her this country at one time, he netted a gross half-million rupees a year, even after foregoing his fees in many cases. Over the last two decades, he has come to the conclusion that he would rather ament. On June 26, the Emergency was participate in the economic develop ­ ment c. ----- '—' - . in matters like taxation. He came into Tatas as legal adviser to the House, got values I cherish , he told me. more involved in industrial develop ­ ment and after some years attained the position of Deputy Chairman of the two choice of a lawyer. On June 24, 1975, Nani obtained an interim judgement tage of their offer, permitting Mrs. Gandhi to remain I---- ---------- - Prime Minister but not to vote in Parli- ¦ announced, and within hours Nani **• - ---- ---- J- 7 of the nation than defend litigants returned Mrs. Gandhi ’s brief consistent with my lifelong convictions and the Through most of the Emergency Nani was silent but in December 1975, Kz* ___ _____________ at the height of the Emergency, when toroe ’st TOmpaSw in India —Tata Steel the Government sought to compel the and Telco, Supreme Court to review its decision in Nani is also Chairman of A.C.C. the the Fundamental Rights Case, Nani put cement combine. What is it like to work on his gown and convinced the Supreme with him on an industrial Board? Court such a review was unnecessary. Kamaljit Singh, who headed the Indian Due to strict censorship his victory was Oil Corporation (the first in turnover little known. ans were welcome at the Embassy and today we can get our passport in 24 hours and a visa in a couple of hours. ’ For Nani himself the American expe ­ rience was an eyeopener. ‘All over the United States - from the Boeing work ­ shop in Seattle to Texas Instruments in Dallas, to the Institute of Technology at Massachusetts - Indian talent is employed and the men in charge expressed to me their gratitude to India for giving them such remarkable human resources. Surely something is basically wrong with our economic philosophy and political ideology if Indians are able to enrich foreign countries but are not allowed to solve the problem of poverty at home. ’ He brought with him a list of highly qualified Indian scientists willing to assist in India but, alas, the bureaucracy did not move at his speed to take advan- Nani returned to India befoTe time ‘There are only two sectors: the efficient and the inefficient ’ because his heart was in his own coun ­ try. ‘There is so much to do here, ’ he said. Almost immediately on his arrival the Janata Government fell, and in the ensuing confusion the hopes of many were focussed on Nani entering public life. The elections of January 1980 gave him the opportunity, but he declined. 67 a1^?; S?»^’ ‘fj’- ^*. B K ' IB ^‘f h ir Ir I r i 1! - . .1 ^ r He chose instead to support with vigour, men of integrity who were standing for Parliament and who he felt would help to shape the India of his dreams. ‘Will anything small or cir­ cumscribed ever satisfy the mind of India ?’ he enquires. He yearns to work * J ---------- uvvivv vzx 1*10 OUVVVOO iS With men who can harness the immense something he urges his younger friends efconomic potential of this land —men i. 71__ 1___ who will harness the river waters and learning and knowledge.'^ ‘Knowledge employ the 40 million idle hands in pro- comes when you begin to interpret facts ductive work. He is impatient with laws and to do that you have to combine and rules that stunt our industry and knowledge with imagination. ’ our nation. ~ • The public expects much from Nani. I accompanied him to the Dr. Ambedkar _____ ___ ___ ____ , Law College in Bombay, where students that matter. He bririgs"to “ bear"upon whether he is handling a legal case, an industry meeting or an interview. He is a man in a hurry, often quite restless in a private interview but supremely com ­ posed while addressing a gathering of 10,000. The second secret of his success is to attain. There is a difference between comes when you begin to interpret facts, and to do that you have to combine Perhaps the ability of India ’s best- known lawyer lies in his ability to inter ­ pret the Constitution, or any law for crowded ii^to a lecture hall and waited complicated legal issues his lucid inter- them. ‘One thing I would recommend, ’ Nani told them, ‘is poverty in young age. It makes you appreciate human values —like love at home. ’ When later I with eager faces as he entered to address pretation, but with it comes a spacious- them. ‘Onp thino I wrtul/l * n/arf xv-f J _ ____ •. . I t f ‘One thing I would recommend, is poverty in young age. It makes you appreciate human values ’ ,1. } r ness of mind and a generosity of spirit which lifts the issue way beyond legal niceties. For example, when there were reports that the Nobel Prize of Mother Teresa may be subject to taxation by the Law Ministry, he floored the bureau ­ crats not only on the issue of law but on the question of their meanness. Promptly the bureaucrats back ­ pedalled. He brings to bear upon any task he handles, the qualities of earnestness and perseverance. For example, his tome on the income tax—on which he works with his brother Behram —covers 3,000 pages, enough to deter anyone from car­ rying it, leave alone reading it. He works constantly on successive editions or supplements which take a t asked him if he did not at times feel over-awed by the hopes people rested on him, he replied,' ‘Yes, sometimes one does feel inadequate. ’ If Nani is asked how he graduated from literature to law, from law to taxa- _________ _____ _ .unv „ tion, from taxation to economics, he good deal of his time when not engaged .T-i xt- lata headquarters at Bombay House. Apart from his incisive powers of criticism, Nani possesses a creative mind and one hopes that he can use it to present to India alternative measures like a new Income Tax Code for the looks lost. ‘There is nothing conscious about it. No human being can plan these things. What are we puny mortals? I believe in a Higher Force. ’ ‘Do you believe in a personal God ?’ I asked. ‘No, but I do believe in a Divine consideration of the authorities. He has Force, ’ he replied. Distinguished men who have influ­ enced him are his senior. Sir Jamshedji Kanga, Rajaji and more recently Jaya- prakash Narayan, but if you are looking for the secret of his success you have to look elsewhere. The most important thing for a person —as for a nation —he feels, is productive use of time and energy, and Nani endeavours to fill every moment of his life productively, 68 got what it takes to write one. A vigorous sixty, one feels Nani’s best years are still ahead. At a time when the nation ’s confidence is shaken in its pol ­ itical leadership, many look up to him to bring back standards into our public conduct. In a nation that has lost its old giants and awaits the debut of the new, Nani ’s light shines brightly, waiting for others to light their torch so that -a nation may be illumined. J.R.D.Tata A CONVOY of cars and.buses speeds along a highway in Sweden with motor ­ cycle escorts on either side. A helicopter constantly hovers over it for the cargo is precious. In this convoy are men of finance and industry who between them control billions and who could be held up for vast ransoms. Every six months they meet either in America or in Europe under the aegis of the Chase Manhattan Bank. Among them are Dr. Gioyanni Agnelli, President of Fiat; the President of Ford Motors; the biggest ship-builder in the world from Hong Kong; a member of the House of Mitsu­ bishi; David Rockefeller, President of Chase Manhattan; and Dr. Henry Kis­ singer, Rockefeller ’s friend and adviser. The most carefree among this select company is J.R.D. Tata from India. He assures his friends: ‘Nobody will kidnap me, for nobody will want a ransom in rupees. ’ When not on one of his travels in India or abroad, he stays with his wife in a bungalow that has defiantly stood its ground when skyscrapers have soared j all around it. The sprawling home is an > island of shady trees, a vestige of a 1 bygone era of space and leisure. One i room in that home is allocated for a workshop and a gymnasium which J.R.D. proudly shows to his visitors. He prefers to spend a good deal of his time in his modest library,. There is a whole shelf of books on aviation, another shelf of books on military ven ­ tures and warfare, another on sports cars and motor racing. He likes to read crime fiction and lighter books like David Niven ’s Bring on the Horses. He has read all the books by Louis Lamour. j J.R.D. is not just a collector of books ¦ but he is h reader and an enthusiastic one at that. After an interview at his home I returned with three of his favourite books including one by Alex ­ ander Woolcott, which J.R.D. was keen I should read. Encounters with the Eminent by R.M. Lala, published by India Book House Publishing Company, Bombay, pages 160, price Rs 20. Reprinted with author's permission Copyrigiit H.M. Lala. 1 i J J i j•W % Encounters with the Eminent: Russi M. Lala tures. In the early 1930s a daring Eng­ lishman called Nevill Vintcent came along to India offering joy rides. He suggested to-J.R.D. that they start an _____ ____ ______ airline. That was J.R.D.’s dream. But of humour from his grandfather Sir Dorab Tata, then Chairman of the House of Tatas, was not interested. * ~ " ¦ I retired I.C.S. offi ­ cial, persuaded Sir Dorab to agree and Her husband was a humorist and after some time with her, says J^.R.D., the gentleman ‘ran away as anyone would have, had he been married to my grand ­ mother. ’ Perhaps J.R.D. inherited a sense <--------------- on the French side. J.R.D.’s early years were divided J.R.D.’s mentor, a between Bombay and France. In France he studied at one of the three top public schools called Janson Besailly. He would study one year there and the other year in Bombay at the Cathedral High School. After the Russian Revolu ­ tion had taken place in 1917, he recalls that most of his history teachers m France were communists. As a young boy J.R.D. associated himself more with France than with India, partly because he was not good at English while he had won a prize at French composition. Secondly, as a growing young man, he felt angry that India was not free. After school he was drafted for a year into the French Army and assigned to an Algerian regiment in France. . Bleriot, the first man to fly across the with a load of mail for Bombay. As tjie English Channel, had a house on the ] coast of France near R.D. Tata’s house. ' . Bleriot ’s pilot who used to land the small inaugurated with J.R.D. at the controls. . .1 ,_____ i_ ______ ________T r» r> ‘Ur,,!, rlJrl flvinn in thne#* small nlanes joy ride. It was then that the 15-year-old J.R.D decided that one day he would ‘The fact that you find yourself totally alone in the immensity of space made ^you very humble and made you see of what little consequence you are. ’ .1^ -3 ¦X ¦ » a J.R.D. Tata is a product of two conti ­ nents. His father, R.D. (Ratanji Dadab ­ hoy) Tata was a cousin of Jamsetji Tata, who gave India the steel and hydro ­ electric industries. R.D. Tata, then in his early 40s, had differences with Jamsetji ’s crown prince, Dorab Tata, and decided to start his own business in Paris dealing plane on the beach, once gave J.R.D. a in precious stones from the Far East. To equip himself in business in France, R.D. Tata was taking tutiohs in French fly. from one Madame Briere. It is to Madame Briere ’s daughter that R.D. Tata proposed and they were married in year later he competed forlhej^g® 1902. Their marriage created a sensation ’ i-r—j e— .i-~ because R.D. Tata not only married outside his Parsi community but took the revolutionary step of having his • European and Christian wife converted to the Zoroastrian faith. Suzanne Briere changed her name to Soonu. J.R.D. remembers his mother as a very resourceful, intelligent and adapta ­ ble lady, who —first with two, then three four and five children —packed up her house in France and came to India to be with her husband and went back again grandmother as a very formidable lady. J.R.D. was to have a few other adven- so the Tata Airlines was launched as a division of Tata Sons. One October morning as the sun rose on the eastern horizon, a single-engined Pussmoth plane took off from Karachi plane hummed and rose the pilot said a word of prayer. India ’s first airline was 'How did flying in those small planes affect you when you were alone in the plane, without radio, without instru­ ments and without ground aids? Did you feel there was a Creator? ‘The fact that you find yourself totally • alone in the immensity of space made ’ you very humble and made you see of Ind^n to fly between India and England what little consequence you^ are. And sity of nature. These are the only times m 1929 J.R.D. passed out with No.l on his Licence as the first Indian.pilot. A Trophy. It .was offered for the first and India. When he landed at Aboukir then you identify God with the immen- in Egypt, he found that Aspy Engineer, sity of nature. These are the only times the other contender, who was flying when I felt totally alone and was con- from London to Karachi, was stranded for want of a spark plug. J.R.D. sport ­ ingly parted with his and they continued Saint Exupery which is their journey in, opposite directions. ***“ Aspy beat him by a few hours. T am glad he won, ’ says J.R.D., ‘because it helped flight he said he did and m^one casejie him to get into the Indian Air Force. ’ ’ " _ ____ _____________ ____ Later Aspy was to be the second Indian year after year. J.R.D. remembers his to be Chief of the Indian Air Force. scious of that loneliness. ’ He said that he shared the experience of the writer-pilot so well expressed in the book Night Flight. When asked whether he did any stunt was within ten seconds of disaster. His saving grace was that he was respectful enough to go up to six thousand feet before he started descending. His instriic 69 '3 .'.J s? ? tor ‘did a criminal thing in releasing me to fly solo without teaching me how to get out of a spin and how to get into a spin. Fortunately I read about it. When you are in a fast spin with full engines and you want to pull out, your tempta ­ tion is to draw the joy stick close at you and if you do that, the plane is plunged flight. Next is Air-India where I had the do not like work. I like to be inter ­ further into spinning. The thing to do is to centralise the joy stick and then even off. ’ Fortunately for him, after he had dived from six thousand to one thou ­ sand feet he remembered what he had tinned that and kept in his charge those cess is; ‘Strive for perfection and you companies where he felt his hand was will reach excellence. ’I once asked him essential. When asked: ‘What has been what the secret of his success in business the most satisfying experience of your was. He replied, ‘No secret, it is long life? ’ J.R.D. replied: ‘The flying expe- hours. I used to put in 70 to 75 hours a rience has dominated and no other can week of work. ’ He then added rather equal the excitement of the first solo mischievously, ‘You know something? I T do not like work. I like to be interrupted. ’ freedom to do what I wanted. Ina way it rupted. ’ was the really big thing that I started. At 76 J.R.D. is erect and well pre ­ While Tatas have achieved the reputa- served. He is keen oa physical fitness tion they have and success, what reputa- and he has taken the trouble to exercise tion they have is not just due to my all his life. Till recently he played tennis achievement though I may have had regularly and plays golf and skis three some part in its success. ’ weeks a year. As a young man he loved He continued, ‘What success I may fast cars and raced round Bombay in his have achieved in business I owe to one red Bugatti. If aviation had not claimed man, John Peterson, a burly Scotsman him, he would have competed for the and a retired I.C.S. official. It is from Grand Prix, which incidentally he sel- him that 1 acquired my love for English dom missed seeing. and my love for poetry. He was remar ­ kable in so far as he would be very polite headed and felt irked at being ruled by to Indians and went out of his way to foreign power. This emerged at an At 76 J.R.D. is erect and well pre- As a young man too he was hot- read, centralised the joy stick, and the plane evened off. When he landed J.R.D. was furious with his instructor for releasing him to fly solo without help them but he could be quite rough encounter he had in January 1930 with essential instructions. ‘To be a safe pilot with his own people. When my father the cavalcade of a Governor of Bengal, you must know how to spin, ’ remarks took me to him and asked him to train In those days it was fashionable for fiery J.R.D. me as he was the Managing Director of Bengali rebels to take a pot-shot at the The airline he pioneered blossomed Tata Steel, Peterson put a desk in his British Governor or the Police Commis- > sioner. So the authorities had to be every paper that came to him went pretty careful. On a bitterly cold day, through me and every paper that went J.R.D. was driving down with his wife out went through me. He included me from Darjeeling to Siliguri after their on every discussion and interview he honeymoon. For almost an hour the into Air-India and in 1948, in a joint room and for the next four or five years venture with the Indian Government, J.R.D. launched Air-India ’s first inter ­ national route to London. The first office of Air-India at the airport at Lon ­ don was in a caravan. For the next 30 had. It is from him that I acquired many police halted their car. Other cars too years, J.R.D. nursed Air-India and with qualities. ’ lined up on the road in chilly weather, his flare and efficiency made it one of the world ’s great airlines. For almost 30 years he spent about half of his day working for Air-India and the other half opinion of my ability, possibly because I for the vast industrial enterprises of am not academically qualified, and I feel front of the Govemor ’s.Car Tatas. To Air-India he gave his services I do not have the right to train people; , ¦. T D 1/4 ‘ tf as a labour of love. Among the Tata but I have ideas and I have learnt never Wnlle J.K.U. WOUlCl glVC rilS companies, closest to his heart is Tata to take anything for granted. ’ ExCCllency a picCC of Steel with which he began his career in J.R.D. mentioned how one day he u- • , 1924. had invited a certain Bengali gentleman niinu. J.R.D came out to settle in India from to join the Board of Tata Steel and die- France at the age of 20. By the time he tated a letter to him. But when the Secre- was 34, the then Chairman of Tatas died tary gave the letter for signature it was J.R.D. and his wife decided to register suddenly. All the senior directors met addressed to another man with exactly their protest. JThey planned that when together and turned to young J.R.D. to the same name and a different address, the Governor ’s car came, Mrs. Tata be the Chairman of the parent Com- ‘Fortunately, I caught it otherwise I would step in front of the Governor ’s car pany, Tata Sons. When I asked him why would have been in a very embarrassing while J.R.D. would give His Excellency they selected him at such a young age, he situation, having invited one man and a piece of his mind. It worked. Mrs. Tata replied modestly: ‘Perhaps they thought appointed another ! I may have had to stepped in front of the Governor ’s car, I was hard working. ’ It was the normal have two directors instead of an addi- while J.R.D. shouted: ‘Who the hell do practice of the Tata Chairman to head tional one !’ you think you are keeping five hundred all the Tata companies. J.R.D. discon- J.R.D.’s other rule for business sue- people, women and children, in the cold 71 Have you trained anyone else as he has trained you ? ‘You know 1 have never had a great I do not have the right to train people; but I have ideas and I have learnt never to take anything for granted. ’ J.R.D. mentioned how one day he had invited a certain Bengali gentleman to join the Board of Tata Steel and dic- J.R.D.’s other rule for business suc- 7 .e* Mrs. Tata would step inI' (• t (• ( I I ! 1 .t **Navroz Mubarak ”!! From Kashmirashid Homi Irani (Zainabadi) Deepak Arts • Outdoor Advertising • Hoardings • Commercial Artists • Painters .T^: 383608, 389996 Ratan House, 12 Tribhuvan Road Bomibay 400004. for an hour? You damn fool !’ Unfortu- have benefited India but, because they nately Mrs. Tata also wanted to give the are large and because J.R.D. will not Governor a piece of her mind, and stoop to certain means, the schemes rushed to the car window. In the process have been turned down or put in cold the Governor ’s car shot off. Among storage. The man who has done so much those shivering in the cold was a British for India is like a Prometheus bound — Anglican Priest in his white collar. He came up to J.R.D. and with all the dig ­ nity he could command, said: ‘Sir, I do join Government 30 years ago, I think f not approve of your language but leer- ’ tainly approve of your sentiments. ’ It is instances like these of arrogance to succeed India must curb its popula- thatdrove J.R.D. even closer to Jawah- tion growth. Nehru was angry. ‘Our arlal Nehru and the national movement, population, ’ said Nehru, ‘is our Motilal Nehru stayed with R.D. Tata in strength. ’ Time has proved J.R.D. right. Bombay. In his younger days J.R.D. J.R.D. has been the first public figure to was a hero-worshipper of Nehru. He propose as early as 1968, that a presi- recalls that at Independence, when he • dentiaT system is more suited lo India was 43, he was much enthused. ‘I had than the parliamentary system, tremendous dreams and expectations of cooperation between the private sector less, he either fidgets with his pencil or and the Government. ’ But his dreams with his spectacles. He loves to press the did not come true. various telephone switches and will With more than 50 years of leadership laboriously take the trouble to work out in management, he has developed his his figures on his little calculator. It was own philosophy and method. ‘One of only in his study at home that I found the qualities of leadership is to assess him relaxed. ‘Although I appear agi- what is needed to get the best results for tated with my hands,* ’ he • explains, an enterprise. If that demands being a ‘inside I am relaxed. ’ This inner peace very active executive chairman as I was has taken him through difficult days and in Air-India, I did that. On the other allowed him to face great crises and to hand, in one of our other companies where I know that the managing direc ­ tor likes to be alone and will get the results that way, I argue with myself and decide that it will be stupid for me to suffering and to the subhuman condi- come in the way when the other person has a capacity for focusing his genius and producing the results. Often as chairman our main responsibility is to inspire respect. ’ And then he added: ‘Don ’t forget, I like people. ’ Although he never says so publicly, he actually runs Tatas with an inner core of advisors. He respects them as his equals and encourages them to speak out — which some do. When asked how he could get high-powered and strong- long lonely flights in the immensity of willed men like Sir Ardeshir Dalal, Sir Homi Mody and Mr. A.D. Shroff to work together in Tatas, he replied that firma. The worldly power and glory that the thing to do was to give people defi ­ nite and clearly marked responsibility and then if they ever crossed each other ’s path, to keep -them apart. Repeatedly Tatas have presented but to those who know hiip, he is alTtoo < schemes to the Government that would human. i and frustrated. He mused, ‘Even if Nehru (a good friend) had wanted me to would have been caught and frustrated. ’ He warned Nehru at Independence that In office J.R.D. always appears rest- carry vast responsibilities. The remarkable quality about J.R.D. is that he has not permitted time, age or habit to dull his sensitivity to human tions in which many of his fellow citi­ zens exist, as in the slums of Bombay. He yearns to be a fountain of living water to those less fortunate than him- , self. . • ' If you look into the steady eyes fiiat '< gaze behind the questioning brow, you percieve sometimes a touch of mischief, at other times earnestness, and some ­ times sadness. His saving grace is: ‘I do , not take myself too seriously. ’ Those the Universe have given him a perspec ­ tive that has lasted him well on terra came to him as Chairman of Tatas and of Air-India, he used with sensitivity and care. To many in the House of Tata and outside it, he may be an epic figure