Oct 1984

! % I* 4 October 1984 Price Rs 6 oir^'> ' J,T ”i»f Ti i‘ # > EDITOR Jehangir Patel managing editor Arnavaz Mama EXECUTIVE EDITOR ParinazToddywalla ASSOCIATE EDITOR Dina Mehta DESIGN CONSULTANT Mini Boatwala DESIGN ASSISTANTS Kranti Shilotri, Varghese W Fernandez I marketing DIRECTOR Veera Patel ADVERTISING MANAGER Zarin Billimoria ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE Cheryl D'Penha CHIEF EXECUTIVE R P Thanavala FINANCE B LArora CIRCULATION B P Umrigar i MANAGEMENT Minoo Patel, I Jasmine Driver, Khurshid Daruwalla and Rohinton Mistry ! •^ y' 4i |M wn 3 Readers' Forum 12 Events and Personalities 18 In search of the Good Life by Ruzbeh 24 Zoroastrians Abroad "T! October1984 Volume? Number4 Antia 28 On Indian Government Service by Russi K Anklesaria 30 A gene that tells the Pars! Story by J V Undevia 35 A doctor in the house? by Prochi Badshah 38 In tune with each other 7^ 40 Duke's: The first Tango by Deepa Arora Cover: Indian Government Service designed by Manjula Padmanabhan Svs^riXm^pJPublications at C/o H L Rochat ssasatawa Annual inland subscription; Rs 40 for one year (12 issues) : Rs 75 for two years (24 issues) Fore^n subscnption rates; Seamail Rs 80 for one year. Rs 150 for tvlo years Ikml l RS 160 for one year. Rs 290 for byo years. For US obeoues add $ 4 to coyeS ohaX. For Indian upcountry cheques add Rs 3 for bank charges Cheques and draftee am m ho drawn in favour of Parsiana and posted to GPO Box 892, Bor^bayeAOO 001 or C/o H L Rochat, Navsari Chambers, ground floor, 39 A K Nayak Marg, Fort, kmbay 400 W1 Annual inland subscription: Rs 40 for r Rs 160 for one year, Rs 290 for two at C/o H L Rochat, . Phone; 268730. one year, Rs 150 for two years; Airmail I j. - ) jt- 4 1,: I JI <1. ' READERS’FORUM ? misrepresent the state of ZAGNY. It may be that in the article Prof Rus ­ sell ’s comments suffered distortion, for I find it hard to believe that Prof Rus ­ sell was uninformed of the situation in ZAGNY when he expressed the views ascribed to him. I find it even harder to topics, texts and concepts, every believe that having known the situa- - • -- • - ................................ > regular religious classes for the chil- gratuitous insults upon ZAGNY. The reason for this letter is not just our desire to have some false impres- gregation, including some of our local sions corrected; but also the conviction priests. Of course, not e.very member that one must respond to publications, of the Associatidn has an understand- distorted or otherwise, which by misin- ing of the doctrines of the faith in any formation sow seeds of confusion, dis ­ part of the world. But from the trust and division in our religious com- activities of ZAGNY I have just munity. Unfortunately, in our com- described, to say, that the people of the munity the eagerness to find fault and Association are barely aware of denigrate, outstrips the desire to Zoroastrian doctrines, borders on the understand and unite, absurd. Not only has the Association pro ­ vided opportunity for thought and dis- • • • cussion, it is the base for the religious _ and social activities of the community. . ..— ... — There are official gatherings for Navroz 1984,1 gave an interview to your repor- and Pateti, and jashans for ghambars ter. The published version, in your Readers' views are welcome on any and other occasions where large March issue, was not sent to me, nor subject of interest to the community number of members of the community was I asked to check the final version, and should be sent to the Editor, come together. The development of a so I have seen it only today. I am very Readers' Forum, Parsiana, G.P.O. ... >¦ .. Box 892, Bombay 400 001. Letters are subject to editing for reasons of space and clarity. had nine conferences and seminars, and many lectures by visiting dasturs and ervads, on Zoroastrian doctrines, rituals, practices, philosophy and his ­ tory, in some of which, incidentally. Prof Russell participated. There are regular organized discussions on religi ­ ous 1 / . ' . . L month except July and August. There tion. Prof Russell would choose to heap E arei _ ' ' I dren of the community at four different I levels, taught by members of the con- I;- J s i'i P- A R- I'. of the Associatidn has an understand ­ ing of the doctrines of the faith in any IVY F GANDHI President, ZAGNY When I was in Bombay in January come together, the development oi a so i nave seen n oniy louay. i am vciy reasonably effective community setting distressed by the title of the piece, was an important reason for establish- “Russell ’s Religion. ” Whatever can ing ZAGNY, To say that there is no this mean? I have not invented a reli- community structure seems very odd gion, nor do I arrogate one to myself. Some ferences of opinion on the question of who could become a Zoroastrian, a Russell’s religion An article entitled “Russell ’s Religion ” by Arnavaz S Mama (Parsiana, March, subject very actively discussed in Bom- 1984) contains references to ZAGNY bay in the early years of this century (Zoroastrian Association of Greater and sporadically thereafter, a Religious New York) which I, and some mem- Advisory Committee was established bers of ZAGNY, find quite surprising, by ZAGNY. It held many meetings There is a statement in quotations and on two occasions met the entire ascribed to Prof James Russell, part of congregation. It circulated diverse which runs as follows: opinions including those of respected “The people at ZAGNY (Zoroas- priests of India and Iran, past and pre- trian Association of Greater New sent. It formulated a report which was York) didn ’t know what the doctrines brought before the Association at an are, they ’re barely aware of the Zoro ­ astrian doctrine. There is no basic con­ sensus on basic doctrine, no commu ­ nity structure: some accept, some _____ don ’t. This problem will take at least a lems rationally and openly, without intelligent reflections upon what the generation to solve. All other problems dogmatism or bigotry. We do not leave texts say and the traditions are, ........................... . .. ¦’ • ------- — Perhaps because of the odd tone There are other aspects of ZAGNY struck at the outset, some Zoroastrians on which I could report, but I believe I here have read my remarks as some- have said enough to show that the views how derogatory or combative . Nothing reported to be Prof Russell ’s, seriously could be further from my mind than to * ’ open meeting, where it was extensively Russell: ‘distressed by the title’ discussed, and after some alterations, supported by over 85 percent of those As a student of Zoroastrianism, all I present. We attempt to solve our prob- can do is to formulate what I hope are must be solved first before the com- them for the next generation, munity is healthy enough to accept new members. Until then conversion would be merely disruptive." ZAGNY in the last seven years has 3 Parsiana October 1984 ¦ ¦'1 ¦f r ¦•I; ^¦4 4' «- 4.* > travelled to India this summer on a Col- B with hostility . In decrying ignorance of umbia College grant to study Parsi pur- I doctrine and a lack of community struc- ’ ture oriented towards new proselytes, I t mentioned the ZLoroastrian Association of Greater New York (ZAGNY) only james r russell : because the Peterson navjote took Columbia university. New York i pia^ there, but the problem is a jhe Federation’s fifty _ worldwide one . I think , simply , that the •’ mechanisms to educate converts and to ' insure their acceptance donotexist. One f must begin to create them now, but to ! rush, or to ignore the great weaknesses f in religious knowledge of the existing places belonging to the Diu Parsi Anju- community, would be disastrous. man: one, the Parsi dokhma land and second, the Atash Adaran Building in Diu town which also has a large com­ pound with two cisterns for catching plaque of “Parsi Agiary , its date of rainwater. These two places can be sold out and the money utilized for a good purpose. In the case of the dokhma, the land and the plaque “Parsi Agiary ” was belonged to the Parsi Anjuman of Diu removed and replaced by “Old was registered up to 1956 in the People ’s House. ” Diu is administered by an Indian Administrative Service officer called the “Civil Administrator. ” I am sure if approach any Zoroastrian, anywhere, the contribution of the Diu Parsi Anju ­ man. Since Diu had an Atash Adaran, two dokhmas and four mobeds from Udvada, it is obvious a large number of Parsis resided in Diu at one time. The dokhma land has been encroached upon. The building and compound, was handed over to the “Portuguese Government ” by my late May I draw your attention to remarks mother Maneckbai Ardeshir Divecha attributed to me in^’The Federation's and representatives of the Wadiaji ’s fifty" (Parsiana, June 1984). What I Trust. The Atash Padshah was shifted meant to express was that there are two ' ” ’ ' ity rituals, an4 his work seems most promising. In this modest way I hope to serve Ahura Mazda ’s religion. r r 4' . (; Let it be said for the record, at least, that ZAGNY (o| which I remain a ; faithful member) and other organiza- ¦ tions perform many very admirable ser ­ vices. In calling attention to shortcom ­ ings and dangers, I do not deny all that there is to appreciate. Would I feel such affection for Zoroastrianism if it were otherwise? But we must face problems and bravely. Since returning here from India I have kept up academic contacts with Parsi students in Bombay; I am now trying to create a plan to have them do _ , an M A in Religion at Columbia, if was built jointly by the trustees of the I funds can be found. One of my students Wadiaji Atash Bahram, my family and k T i A I 1 to Rajkot. Thus one of the oldest Atash Adarans was closed in 1956. The Portuguese Government turned the Agiary into a “Nunnery ” for Chris ­ tian women — but did not remove the establishment, etc. Unfortunately after the liberation of Diu in 1960, the Indian Government took over the. property In the case of the dokhma, "the land and the plaque “Parsi Agiary ” was name of the “Parsi Administrator, ” my father, Ardeshir Hormusji Divecha. In the case of the Atash Adaran, the building and the surrounding lands enough pressure is brought we can get belonged to my family, but the building a good sum of money for the commu- ....... . - '• . nity. I had tried at the Diu Civil Adminis- MAZDA—with the British accent on leasing Over a decade of experience year itself! Mazda ’s own professional expertise coupled with over 13 years of experience of British Equipment (Leasing) Limited, UK, gives Mazda a definite advant^e 'Over all other leasing companies in India today. ( CM < oc nazDaLeftsinGiiMiTEi) IN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION WITH BRITISH EQUIPMENT (LEASING) LIMITED, (UK) Registered Office: 317 Maker Chambers V 221 Nariman Point, Bombay 400 021. Tel: 243855 Telex: 011 6205 Grams: MAZDALEASE 5 Parsiana October 1984t r . '"- , trator level but with no result. I am the last Parsi and only representative of the Parsi Anjuman of Diu. TEHMURASP A DIVECHA WZO reply Our attention was drawn to the article (Parsiana^March, 1984) concerning the meeting of the WZO delegates with the inclined to dilute certain truths with a sub-committee of the Federation in Calcutta in February of this year. We have the following comments to make: In your article on page 24, you state “The Zoroastrians in London for years pressured the London Association to presidentof the DadarJashan Commit ­ form a world bQjj|y. ” This is not true. Throughout our talks in India and else ­ where, we have stated categorically that the pressure to form a world body emanated from all parts of the world and specially from India. We " statement purported to have been made by J N Guzder at the end of the meeting in Calcutta stated under cap ­ tion “Briefing the Executive Commit ­ tee. ” Suffice it to say that the WZO glance at a map will show that Charles- delegation were specifically asked not to Stay for this part of the meeting and the reason for this is now so obvious. S F CAPTAIN Vice-President, WZO London Bana was a delegate to some of the sessions of the All-India Oriental Con­ ference. He had played an important Carolina, where the first clash of the part in organizing the historic meeting American Civil War occurred on April held at the C J Hall on April 1, 1970 12, 1861, at Fort Sumter. However, under the auspices of various Parsi Francis Scott Key wrote the Star-spang- Anjumans and Associations. led Banner at another time, in another Habitually jovial and informal in his place, during another war. It was writ ­ mode of expression, he was never - - - Perhaps the author was thinking of the port city of Charleston, South ten on a ship in the harbour of Balti ­ more, Maryland, on September 13-14, 1814, during the defence of Fort McHenry against the British. It is view to spare so-and-so ’s feelings. Some of his interesting letters and arti ­ cles will be remembered by readers of indeed intriguing that it was a Wadia Jame and Parsi A waz. ship, particularly since the Wadias have For about ten years Bana was the had trade connections with the US. I am interested in the Wadia coat of arms, especially at the American spel- tee. In him the community has lost a arms, especially at the American spel- simple and dedicated worker in whose ling of “honour. ” Can Mr Allen, or any mind religion and tradition were upper- of your readers enlighten me regarding most. the origins of the coat of arms and the spelling? I cannot readily find a refer ­ ence to the subject in Rutonjee Ardeshir Wadia ’s Scions of Lowjee Wadia, Godrej Memorial Printing Press, Bombay, 1964. FARIBOURZ NARIMAN were totally surprised to read the Wadia Shipbuilders I enjoyed the article on my ancestors, the Wadias (Parsiana, March 1984). One point needs correction. One ton, West Virginia, is landlocked. W orshipping^else where Hence, the Minden could not have fired on it. ABANNE WATERS Florida, USA 1 <• I * ¦ «» Dr Homi Bana Homi Rattanshah Bana, who passed away on August 2,1984 was a crusader. In his early youth he had opted for sci­ ence. His doctoral thesis was on geo ­ logy. He was also a gemologist and he used to instruct young aspirants in this field. Many are not aware that he was a keen student of our scriptures and that he had studied Avesta-Pahlavi under a scholar like Behramgore Anklesaria. Zoroastrianism and the Parsis had a special place in Bana ’s heart and time and again he fought for a worthy cause related to the former or the latter or both. He was an active member of the So­ ciety for the Promotion of Researches in the Zoroastrian religion and was its joint secretary for many years. As joint honorary secretaries, Bana and Man- eck Kanga had published an important work entitled Essays on Iranian Sub­ jects by Ervad B N Dhabhar. The last two articles in this work — Use of Wine in Zoroastrian Rituals and Question­ naire of Par si Federal Council, both in Gujarati and English — are of special interest to the layman. 1 Parsisna October 1904 ‘f Wadia coat of arms Er We see Sai Baba photos and 'other deities in several Parsi houses, even in the room of khandhias and nassesalars at Doongerwadi. It is very sad that sev ­ eral Parsi tour conductors give adver ­ tisements of tours to Sai Baba ’s shrines and other religious places. It is most unfortunate that such advertisements, large and small.appear in Parsi papers. The saddest thing is that tours to Shirdi, etc are advertised side by side with the tours to Udvada. When due publicity is given to such tours. Parsis flock there in large numbers week after week and month after month. I give below two illustrations to show how people belonging to other reli ­ gions desist from attending places of worship other than their own. A Parsi couple with three children went on a tour of Shirdi accompanied by a Christian maidservant. The ser ­ vant refused to enter the Sai Baba tem ­ ple. She said she would not enter it as it did not pertain to her religion. She refused to step into it even when threatened with dismissal. The other example is of a Christian lady executive who was in great dif ­ ficulties. Everyone in the office tried their best to assist her. Once, after lunch, a Parsi executive advised her to ask Sai Baba to bring her out of her dif ­ ficulties. The Christian lady said. I 3 ‘t ,, . i - J i i ?; 3 ¦ft* -J " ' y 1 I [ “Mind your own business. My Christ is there and he will certainly help me in my difficulties. ” I have visited homes of Parsis as welt as non-Parsis. One thing I have observed is that in non-Parsi houses one will find photos and statues of their own religion. I have never come4cross a non-Parsi house where photos of alien religious deities are hung. On the other hand in most of the Parsi houses one will find photos of deities of other religions, statues of Ganapatis and Hindu gods. Even in banks, I have found large photos of other deities and Sai Baba below the glass-tops of Parsi executives. I have observedsome Parsis kneeling before non-Parsi deities and placing flowers, aggarbatties etc. before them. I have even observed very large photos of Sai Baba hung up on walls and offer ­ ings kept on the table below them. In another corner you will find a photo of Lord ZarathuShtra. One athornan told me that he performed the jashan cere ­ mony in a Parsi house. It was a small family function and the athornan per ­ formed the ceremony as a friend of the family. To his great dismay he noticed. after the ceremony, a large photo of an alien deity hung in one corner of the room. The most important question now before us is why is it that the members of our community are leaning towards other religions? We have to go deep into the cause of this. RDRWADIA Priestly plight In your issue of July 1984, the plight of priests and their non-availability is dis ­ cussed. Ms Huzan Kharas has done commendable work in researching this issue. But I feel the real problem is not tackled, nor could those well placed ever realize what causes the exodus of the progenies of practising priests to pastures new. When a person like Mr Kanga who is also a son of a mobed, says basically the problem is “economic, ” we are way off the mark. Then another says some agiaries offered Rs 1,500 and some one asks why don ’t they go? Would any of these worthies — if they were in the shoes of a mobed — go! Of course the problem is left at that because no one is really interested to find out what is bas ­ ically wrong. And of ccfurse, P Nargol- wala is conjecturing about their income saying they must be earning more than Rs 800 per month by now and con­ cludes “probably in the vicinity of Rs 900 to Rs 1,000.” A peon ’s salary in any establishment today exceeds Rs 1,200 per month. You cannot go to heaven so cheap. Where every one is going wrong is when they base the premise of deple ­ tion of strength of mobeds only on an economic issue. Every one needs self- respect and not humiliation. Coming from the illustrious family of Naryosang bin Dhaval to whom allPar- sis owe their existence as Parsi Zoroas ­ trians today in India, stark poverty drove many like me to abandon their homes at a tender age to seek pastures new in other professions. Do youthirilc that after going through hellj^ill send my three sons to the profession whicl^is looked down upon and. degraded. No, never. This is the thinking of all those who left the priestly profession a long long time ago. I left my home at Udvada at a tender age of 13 years in the early thirties and along with me many others did. it was tough going without any money but we all made it in I For Pure Diamonds JEWELLERS 324. GRANT ROAD, BOMBAY 400007. TELEPHONE; 371483 APPOINTED VALUERS BY THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA 9 Parsiana October 1994x** "iV -^4 /w^ ri rift; different professions and made our mark too. It is stated that “Today, the condi ­ tion of our priests is both pathetic and only. Members of the laity may be only ex-officio members to collect funds but will not control them so that they do not dominate and humiliate the priests, as is being done by some trusts today. R J KATILA with a corpus created on the lines of the Christian priesthood; above all let this corpus be controlled by the priests sbamehil." It bas been bad since the last more than 50 years but it seems realization is dawning now not because the condition is “pathetic ” but because you do not find priests to pray and send you to heaven or pray for you to bless „ !.••«> you with better life. He is an inter- HOW uygieillC . mediary of God and you need him badly. To quote only one instance: A pros ­ perous man, who vists Iranshah every month because he believes his prosper ­ ity is due to his .^evotion to Iranshah benevolent agency in service of man- ’’ ¦ • ’ - . kind, to cook man ’s food for his health, to turn industrial wheels for his Fire is meant to serve humanity and we are not here to serve fire, to cajole or to pamper it like the Hindus do their stone gods, least of all to worship it. We have to put fire to its proper use. Fire is a BOYS’ TOWN Public School Nasik 2 >'! 1 I i! M ¦’ I . and knowing that I am from Udvada, barged into my office and asked me to do something about the poor condition prosperity and to burn away rubbish of priests at Udvada. So I asked him (rimoni) for his health and hygiene, what he had done for them? He said he According to the Avesta, anyone who gave “ashodad ” to those present and to those who prayed for him. If I had not left Udvada and had become a priest, he would also have asked me to pray for him and given me a rupee or two “asho ­ dad ” and he would have felt his duty fire? done to priests. He kept looking at me dumb-struck for a while and left with ­ out a word. Apparently he had not done a thing and does not intend to do anything either. Unless you change the present com ­ mercialized way of praying, there is not employs fire for the welfare of man ­ kind, goes to heaven. And don ’t we roast flesh, fowl and fish upon fire? Before the advent of cooking gas did we not use cow dung cakes to obtain We Zoroastrians may revere fire. His creation, but bow in worship only to Him. Otherwise what is the differ ­ ence between Hindu murti puja and Parsi fire pujal The dead are dead and gone. The question is how best we may dispose them of without endangering going to be any change in the attitude of the health of the living, those who left the mobedi profession in ' the last 50 years to send their sons back to this profession. Those who have remained in this profession until today but live a pathe- Jam-e-Jamshed of July 17,1967 that the tic life of want and misery, are not likely to send their sons to this profes ­ sion, nor will those sons, who see their fathers ’ pitiable condition and stark outskirts of the towns, poverty, accept mobedi as their profes- sion, incentives not withstanding. There is a lot of bitterness amongst In an electric crematorium no fire is involved, but dead bodies are burnt through excessive heat in the furnaces. The late Dasturji Dabu wrote in the vatavaran (surrounding aura) of our dokhmas is foul, for which reason they are built far away from agiaries on the The exposed decomposing bodies placed on the pavis contaminate the sun rays (the parent fire). The rain wa- them. ter splashing on the exposed dead The Cama Athornan think they are bodies which ultimately flows into the earth also gets contaminated and the air blowing over the putrefying bodies doing a great job offering money baits. How humiliating! Have you been able to find out why no priest students are is fouled, ff anything ’ by this primitive attracted by this money bait? system, fire, water, earth and air are The immediate step in the right di- defiled. rection would be to ameliorate the con­ dition of present day priests, with old perform the rites on the dead do not may be encouraged to take up the pro ­ fession by precept and not by baiting. Let us also make a radical change in preaching practice with no money ex ­ changed between priests and laity and The mobeds and dasturs who age security so that at least their sons accompany them inside the dokhmas. It is deplorable that we make the nas- sesalars do the dirty work, and for that, give them no place in society. They can ­ not even enter our atash bahrams. DARAJCAMA 11 Parsiana October 1984 Recognised as a Public School by the Department of Education for Indian Merit Scholars. Excd- lent Climate — All-round Education: All Academic Subjects—Tech­ nical Subjects: Workshop. Tech ­ nology, Mechanical & Electrical Maintenance. Carpentry & Farm ­ ing. Training in Sdf-Govemmeot through Elected Boys ’ Office bearers. Gomes—Physical Train ­ ing — Daily Assembly with Congregational Prayers — Week ­ ly intensive Zoroastrian — Geeta- koran classes — Excellent Modem Kitchen and Dining Room facilities — Airy Dormi­ tories. Moderate Fees. Freeships and Concessions to Deserving Students. Apply to — THE MANAGING TRUSTEE P. N. MEHTA EDUCATION TRUST Cooks Building. 324 Dr. D. N. Road, Bombay 400 001. lif '1 V. 74? y 1 1 4^’ ‘ fl jq i-j 5 ^4 it1- -V ' * >. 5 Events and Personalities S’ N P Godrej to contest In a surpri^ development, noted in­ dustrialist Naoroji Pirojsha Godrej is to contest the Bombay Parsi Punchayet trusteeship election in January 1985. The seat is currently held by noted businessman Jamshed N Guzder. The news was first published in the Bombay newspaper. The Daily, of November 20. 1984. which noted, “If Godre j who is the managing director of Godre j and Boyce Mfg Co Pvt Ltd gets elected to trusteeship, the Punchayet will benefit immensely by his able and astute stewardship. ” At a meeting of the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India in Hyderabad on October 27 and 28, 1984, Guzder had noted that he would be standing for re-election. If that is the case, the election will be keenly con­ tested as both candidates wield cpnsi- of Cooperative Societies. “I have every Engineer, derable influence in the community hope that the introduction of the revised bye-laws of the Bank will help Zoroastrian Bank expansion *® development of business of * fnp Rank u/ntrn Of the three applications made for past due to the restricted operations membership for the fourth World held senior positions in the Union Bank of India, joined the ZCCP as secretary and chief executive from Decembei 1983. “We are confident that the Bank will be able to progress under his leadership, ” said Gagrat, Noted real estate developer and architect S F Engineer joined the Bank ’s managing committee. “The Bank will benefit considerably from his vast connections and experience in the building line par-, ticularly when the Bank is proposing to expand its activities by opening branches at in^portant centres in Grea ­ ter Bombay, ” said Gagrat. The bank ’s managing committee consists of: Rustom A Gagrat, Noshir S Pochkhanawala, Nanabhoy B Jeejee- bhoy , Cowasjee N Dinshaw , Jehangir Shroff, Jehanbux J Gandevia, Homa D Petit, Tehmtan R Andhyarujina, Homi been approved by the deputy registrar P Ranina, Bomi S Bulsara and Soli F ¦ 1 r ¦1 derable influence in the community. World Congress fees the Bank which has stagnated in the Rates for the different categories of opening branches of the Zoroastrian Cooperative Credit Bank Ltd at Dadar, Colaba and Tardeo, permission has been granted to open a Tardeo branch office, stated Rustom A Gag ­ rat, president of the Bank at the 57th Rs 16 lakhs. But loans and overdrafts The categories and rates are: patron annual general meeting held on Octo- decreased from Rs 20,62,000 in the pre- Rs 1,500 inclusive of spouse; vice-pat- ber 19 at the K R Cama Oriental Insti- vious year to Rs 16,64,000 in the year in ron Rs 750 inclusive of spouse; member tute Library Hall in Bombay. The Bank review. The net profit increased from of reception committee: Rs 500 inclu- has also introduced a re-investment Rs 5,53,432 to Rs 5 56,896. sive of spouse; Rs 350 exclusive of deposit certificate scheme and intends “The Bank continues to be a ‘Small spouse; delegate (local and overseas) to provide safe deposit lockers on lease Man ’s Bank ’ as it advances portfolio Rs 75; delegate ’s spouse Rs 50; student at the Fort head office, informed Gag- forms lending mainly to individual (school, college and post graduate) Rs rat. Parsi Zoroastrians to meet their needs “As informed to you in my speech for various purposes like business, self ­ last year, the Bank is on the threshold employment, industry, trade, religious of expanding its activities to meet the ceremonies, consumer articles, educa- growing competition from other large tion, acquisition of residential premises urban cooperative banks, ” said Gag- or their repairs and other domestic rat. Changes in the bye-laws of the needs, ” said Gagrat. bank to facilitate the expansion have under the existing bye-laws, ” said Gag ­ rat. Deposits have increased from Rs. 1,57,62,000 to Rs. 1,83,99,000 while from BPP trusteeTamshed N Guzder, fixed deposits have increased by over chairman of the Congress. Rs 16 lakhs. But loans and overdrafts decreased from Rs 20,62,000 in the pre ­ vious year to Rs 16,64,000 in the year in review. The net profit increased from Rs 5,53,432 to Rs 5 56,896. “The Bank continues to be a ‘Small Man ’s Bank ’ as it advances portfolio Zoroastrian Congress to be held_iti Bombay from January 10 to 13, 1985 have been fixed, notes a press release 15; and full-time practising mobed: free. Though the subjects and the names of the speakers have yet to be finalized, a list of the likely subjects to be discus ­ sed are: review of local conditions and _ situations prevailing in different parts Limji C Mistry, a noted banker who of the world; how to improve com- 12 Parsiana October 19841 1 4 ( ™*. •t'aW.S:!:' ihupic^ --- "-“7 7 '7 T V’Tl oT the world could be of use to one Maharashtra ’s chief minister Vasant- standing pianist, who regaled the pub- another; promotion of research and rao Patil spoke about Jejeebhoy ’s inte- lie for more than 25 years, notes the scholarship for study of modern prob- grity and called upon businessmen and brochure . lems from a Zoroastrian angle; preser- industrialists to emulate his example. Donations, wluch are tax exempt vation of Zoroastrian culture and tradi- Among the others who paid tribute under section 80G of the Income i ax tion; ramifications of population shifts 1 , , on a global scale; genetics; the future of M Sukthankar, Bombay s municipal Udvada, etc. <---------------- . In response to invitations sent out to Golwalla, Jamsetjee Jejeeblm^ —^se- various Zoroastrian associations, “the Teheran Association has replied stat ­ ing that they expect about 70 delegates former chairman of the BPP. to attend and have sent us a long list of names for whom they want the visas to be obtained, ” notes Guzder. was constructed. Pioneering women s (J3iidevi AgiarV appeal education in India, fighting an inces- o v rr sant battle against orthodoxy and for “As the financial resources of the Gan- Oirtn Dl-cemenary the political rights of Indians, and help- devi Anjuman are limited.... it has Political and business leaders of the ing improve the public health of the bden decided to raise a T50 years country showered praise on the first residents were Jejeebhoy ’s notable Jubilee Fund to provide the resources .• T_ j;___ foj. carrying out the essential repairs suggested that and renovations of the Anjuman ’s ttereht'IWSf® -1 ^'ias. I in London on Maharashtra ’s chief minister Vasant- standing pianist, who regaled the pub- rao Patil spoke about Jejeebhoy ’s inte- 1------ industrialists to emulate his example. Among the others who paid tribute to Jejeebhoy on the occasion were: D Act, should be made out and sent to M 2c~b2”’s “”":cip21 “The HillaKhursedji Memorial Trust, ” administrator, BPP Chairman Dr Aspi C/o Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co Pvt Ltd, Show room (Sales), Yusuf Building, Nariman Road, Bombay 400 001 or to Ms Nariman Khursedji, 724, Dinshaw Master Road, Mancherji Joshi Colony, venth baronet, descendant of the first baronet, and B K Boman-Behram, It was due to Jejeebhoy's foresight Dadar, Bombay 400 014. that the Mahim Causeway in Bombay was constructed. Pioneering women ’s G3iidevi AgiarV appeal education in India, fighting an inces- ® sant battle against orthodoxy and for “As the financial resources of the Gan- the political rights of Indians, and help- devi Anjuman are limited.... it has ing improve the public health of the L— _ baronet of India, Sir Jamsetjee contributiims for the Indians, they srnd^ Jejeebhoy, who in the words of the Vice-President of India, M Hidayatul- —,-------j------- * _ - >, • j • a • j u * lah, “lived well, earned well and spent lodged at the edge of a slope at Bom- Gandevi Agiary signed by trustees « A Y V .1 - . - _ B . I. 1 X n T* Im ^"1 ¦ O 4 O ¦ A 'I I well for the cause of the common man . ¦ Boman-Behram suggested that and renovations ot the Anjuman s Jejeebhoy ’s statue which is presently properties, ” states an appeal for the Jamshed Guzder (chairman), Homi ________ - -1______ ’ bay ’s Hanging Gardens be shifted to a Speaking at a function organized by the safer location lest a landslide destroy it. Indian Merchants ’ Chamber in Bom ­ bay on August 20 to commemorate jjjjjjj Khursedji TrUSt Jejeebhoy, Hidayatullah said he came to Bombay because he could not “resist Recalling the good work done by the the cover, announces the formation of Anjuman has been advised to cany the Federation of Indian Chambers of deserving applicants. .. by way of mus- Commerce and Industry , Ramakrishna ical education , scholarships ,... etc . ’’^ Bajaj described Jejeebhoy as a “legend in his lifetime . ” Pranlal Bhogilal , presi ­ dent of the IMC, praised Jejeebhoy for Trust appeals to the public “to contn- At Jeieebhoy bi-centenary function: (from left) B K Boman-Behram, Ramkrishna Bajai, FICCl president, H Hidayatullah, vice-president of India, Pranlal Bhogilal, IMC president, Vasantrao Patil, chief minister of Maharashtra, J Jejeebhoy, seventh baronet, D M Sukthankar, municipal administrator, Aspi Golwalla, BPP president. (Photo: The Daily) Katrak , Phiroze Gandevia and Phiroze Katrak. Due to leakage of rain water into the agiary building, and the dilapidated A four-page folder with a photograph condition of the dharamshala and the the temptation. ” of the late pianist Hilla Khursedji on building at the Doongerwadi, the Recalling the good work done by the the cover, announces the formation of Anjuman has been “advised to carry first baronet of India, the president of a memorial trust, “to help needy and out certain major repairs, ” espedally . since no major repair work has been „ ” carried out on the agiary building for Chaired by eminent jurist Nani Pal- the last 50 years. As mentioned in the khivala, the Hilla Khursedji Memorial appeal, when the agiary was estab ­ lished at Gandevi in 1834, there was a •i < !K-’ T ' ’ ' ’JV A * », ll®^ INDIAN MERCHANTS,CHmtR ¦ NAT10MAlCtlEBP»T10H0FBIR™8,.S" nt SID JeJeibHO BOfIBAV i. ¦ J i a #,*? '•I* '5.. ' 4"' '' < ¦’ B te t i" ’ *. fa ¦‘f’ 5, ,.¦4 « : OF SIR 2pTH Aur- 1*^ ;» = J, c Cs’ ai>: )^ionw«Tin.L** igr-yBcV.oV-i t K 10«ftll-»SH«* C5>' •>< INDIAN MtKCHANiS' ( HA/HBtR i >< '' ... "iWMiiSaSiL,; . J » r MMI.W. »•»«*• ( HlBinl k.‘.V- 1. T ST ! & fe s large Parsi population there, but with World dental consultant the subsequent urbanization, the num ­ bers started declining. The trustees of the Gandevi Anju ­ man, the late Seth Hormusji Burjorji Captain Tcust and the managers of the Anjuman at Gandevi have appealed to the Parsis of Gandevi, the descendants of the original Parsi residents of Gan ­ devi, the trustees of the Parsi charitable armed forces and medical services, also trusts in Bombay, Navsari, Surat and other places, and the entire Parsi com ­ munity in India .and abroad to make substantial contributions for carrying out the necessary repairs and renova ­ tions of the Anjuman ’s properties which is already in progress. Donations in the name ^f “150 years ’jubilee of the by the year 2000 AD.’ agiary account ” may be sent to Phiroze B Gandevia, 13, A1-A2, New Build ­ ings, Khareghat Colony, Babulnath Road, Bombay 400 007 or Ardeshir S Katrak, Gandevi Parsi Anjuman Office, Agiary Street, Gandevi 396 360. Nominated as a consultant to the World Body on Dental Education and Dental Practice, Dr Keki M Mistry rep ­ resented India as its chief delegate at a World Dental Congress held at Hel ­ sinki in August ’84. Mistry who is the orthodontic consultant of the Indian serves as consultant to the World Health Organization. Earlier in June 1984, Mistry as presi ­ dent of the Indian Dental Association was instrumental in organizing a national workshop in Bombay on ‘Oral health goals for India and strategies to At that meet, Mehta quoted a report which stated that “for the first time in the history of the worfd more people in the developing world were victims of toothaches and dental diseases than those in the developed world.... This represents a sharp reversal of trends from two decades ago and is attributed to preventive programs carried out by the developed countries, which prog ­ rams in large part are neglected by — in which year I was its Editor. I wa attracted to the magazine because appreciated the gutsy stand it took dur ing the Emergency, when it defi6< press censorship and a series of othe repressive measures by the Govern ment and refused to publish distorter versions of the truth. I joined it as it features writer. “The magazine closed at the end o 1982 because it ran into financial dif ­ ficulties. After some months of trave abroad, I decided to work with Tht Statesman in Delhi as its features writei and am presently its main legal corres: pondent. “However, I write on subjects other than law too — issues of human rights, the environment and particularly issues concerning women. I do a fortnightly column for the paper called Woman and the Law — which examines the h; I • Motashaw Renal Unit A physician and a staff member of Bombay ’s King Edward VII Memorial (KEM) Hospital, the late Dr M D developing countries. Motashaw ’s dream of setting up a renal transplant unit at the Hospital was „ realized in July when the Dr M D *>est WOman JOUmalist Motashaw Memorial Renal Transplan ­ tation and Research Unit and the Aditya Textile Industries Renal Research Laboratory and Intensive Care Unit were inaugurated by Bom­ bay ’s municipal administrator, D M She has shown “an out of the ordinary capacity for painstaking investigation covering a wide variety of social con­ cerns ..... She has strengthened a dimension of contemporary journalism in India by making such topics news Sukthankar . and mobilizing opinion for constructive The new unit located on the terrace phange. ” So noted the citation pro ­ of the old building at the KEM Hospital sented to Ms Shahnaz Anklesaria, fea- is fully air-conditioned and consists of 10 beds, a research laboratory, a semi ­ nar hall and a kidney museum. Gener ­ ous donations were received from Chameli Devi Award for an outstand- noted gynaecologist Dr Nargesh ing woman journalist. _ The citation signed by the chairman patriarchy —and the values it uphtTlds. of the Foundation, B G Verghese ................ further stated: “Anklesaria has delved deep into the realities of numerous She has strengthened Anklesaria: ‘painstaking investigation’ biases of various laws and the entire lawS ture writer and main legal correspon- enforcing machinery with which wo-j ' men, at different stages in their lives, may collide. I have quite no hesitation in calling myself a feminist — femin ­ ism, to me, is an aUernative ideology to< dent of The Statesman, who was awarded the Media Foundation 1983 ¦kt '' Motashaw and Samji Parekh of the Aditya Textile Industries to meet the overall cost of the project estimated at Rs 55 lakhs. Speaking on the occasion, Bombay s Municipal Administrator D institutions that we have given ourse- M Sukthankar hoped that the depart- " ' ment would “now be in the forefront of research and treatment in renal dis ­ eases and show the way to such units in other hospitals in the city and elsewhere in the country. After the death of Dr MD Motashaw Master ’s degree in Political Science of renal failure in 1971, the Dr M D Motashaw Memorial Fund was estab ­ lished in 1973-74 with a donation of Rs _ ______ ___ ________ ,____ _____ 26,000 from his sister Dr Nargesh English public affairs magazine called and commercial, of Tata Burroughs Motashaw. Himmat.That was from 1977 to 1982 Limited is Dinshaw K Arsiwalla, a “I do believe that Parsi law as it stands is anti-woman — particularly the law relating to divorce and inheritance. And there is nothing worth comment ­ ing on the ridiculous custom which lays 95 Ives and jolted us out of our compla- _ _______________ cency by portraying their ugliness or down that the child of a Parsi mother, ' . ' ’ ' „ ¦ married to a non-Parsi has no right to belong to the religion of his mother. In reply to a request from Parsiana, Something so patently sexist must be 32-year-old Anklesaria who obtained a challenged . utility as much as their larger poten- 5» from Bombay University, wrote about herself and her views: “I began journalism , working with an The new vice-president , administration Arsiwalla’s administration 14 Parsiana October 1984 L•l'’ < chartered accountant by profession who has also qualified in management accounting, states a press release from the Company. Prior to joining Tata Burroughs, a Company dealing in computers, Arsi- walla held senior positions in finance and general management in Voltas, Greaves Foseco and Tata Consultancy Services. 4 ¦I*’* wr 11 Madon: disciplined swimmer Kermani: meritorious service’ Police Medal for Kermani I Among the awardees of the President ’s I Police Medal for meritorious and out- V standing service for the year 1984, is 56- * year-old deputy^ommissioner of police Namdar F Kermani. ’ Kermani , who joined the police force , as a sub-inspector in 1947, was awarded the medal which is given after taking into consideration a person ’s achieve ­ ments and work during his entire ser- hijacking of airlines, when the Sky vice. Kermani is known to have sue- I' * ' ” ’ ' ' ’ ' " cessfully handled difficult law and i ’ ________ “ _____ order situations in Bombay, investi- successfully completed the gated several murder cases and scores of housebreaking, robberies and other important theft cases. He was also dele ­ gated security assignments during the Swimmer Persis Madon received the visits of WIPs to the area under his Arjuna Award from the President of control, notes the press release. India at New Delhi on June 20, 1984. In 1958, |Cermani was responsible for “To be eligible for the Arjuna Award, racket which had ramifications not only have given good performances for the four gold and one silver in the women ’s swimming events. J events in which she participated. For Marshal Training was initiated, Ker- this achievement she was adjudged the mani was among those selected who best swimmer of the Indian team. In : course. recognition of her performance in the year 1981-82, she was conferred with the Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Awards the highest sports award granted by ^e Maharashtra State Government. * At the recently concluded South Asian Federation Games held at Kathmiandu, 20-year-old Madan bag ­ sportswoman should ged the highest number of medals — Arjuna awardee Persis investigating the international passport c, a sportsman J__1_ i_____ 1_ • . t t 1 .• . in the states of Gujarat and Punjab but previous three years at national and also in Pakistan and the United King- international events, with excellence dom, states a write-up on Kermani. It for the year for which the award is was only after he took over as officer- given. He/she should also have qual- in-charge of the Jogeshwari Sub-Police ities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline notes the brochure merchant banking division of the Hone released by the department of sports, tion, Zarir J Cama supervize's off-shore Bank on... As recently appointed manager, India market operations, funding projects, giving corporate finance advice and After representing India at the Xllth meeting a wide spectrum of people at Ki- , ¦ I gj.jg_ different levels. The most fascinatine 82, it was presented only this year. 1 Station that the area, plagued by riots, _____ ____ ____ __________ _ ____ umbiuu was_ brought under control, according entitled [A rjuna Awards 19^ anh982 Kon^anZshanghaTBrnking Corpor2 lO LOC Or6SS r616BS6. r» o z^ z4 zx*^z« ___ ____ - X*—• T . z«z> a The Carona Sahu rioting and murder Though the award is for the year 1981- case was investigated in 1970 by Ker- ' mani who was successful in getting the ............. ...................... 27 accused convicted to different terms Commonwealth Games held at Bris- different levels, the most fascinating o imprisonment by the Sessions Court bane, Australia, in the same year aspect is seeing what “money does to and getting the sentences confirmed Madan also represented India at the and for people, ” says Cama. against 19 of them by the High Court. IXth Asian Games held in Delhi where One of the few Indians who hah ear- Atter a spate of incidents of the she qualified for the finals in all the six lier been deputed to the Bank ’s Head IXth Asian Games held in Delhi where Office in Hong Kong, Cama joined the Bank as a trainee in 1968 and since then travelled extensively in India and was the manager of the Delhi branch and accountant of the Bombay area. As a student of St Paul ’s School in Darjeeling and St Stephen ’s College in Delhi, Cama joined Citibank for a year . prior to joining the Hbng Kong Bank. (Left) Cama: advising, supervising, funding. (Centre) Arsiwalla: vice-president, Tata Bur­ roughs. (Far Left) Mistry: ‘oral health goals. ’ 15 Parsiana October 1984 \l L "I.I; 1 s. , 1 <. L - ' *' J'-*’ The life of Firdousi “Fifty to 60 years back, the Shahnama was read in every house and we knew something about our culture and heri ­ tage, ” writes Dr Sarosh Wadia in the preface to his 12-page booklet titled Iran’s Immortal Poet Firdousi Toosi and his Shahnama. ”My idea of writing this book is to revive interest in our younger generation (and help them) understand the glories of the past. ” states the noted Bombay homeopath. The hook gives a brief life sketch of Firdousi whose name at birth was Abul Opasim Mansur and who is said to have “belonged to a hard and pure Dehquan (famer) family in Khorasan. “From early childhood, he had a taste for poetry, reading and writing, ” notes Wadia. His work attracted public attention and he was presented before the court of Sultan Mahmud who was so pleased with his writing that he remarked, “You have converted my I^otwal performing navjote of court into Firdaus (Paradise). ” daughter fiillnr, Ahn^,^- n n The Sultan ordered him to write the history of Old Iran in poetic form. Fir ­ dousi finished his great epic of 60,(XX) couplets but subsequently got involved in court intrigue and had to flee. Dastur Kotwal replied by presenting When Firdousi died he was buried in shawls to all the trustees present —H B the Parsis celebrated the New Yearand a small garden at the back of his house Wadia, H R Wadia and Ms Mary C P as the Ic^al Mulla (priest) labelled the Wadia. He spoke about the nawar cere- poet a heretic and refused permission mony and thanked the hall full of to bury his body in the local graveyard, people who had responded to his invi- “His tomb was in a miserable condition for all these years till the late His Impe ­ rial Majesty Reza Shah Pahlvi built it in a grand style, ’ writes Wadia. eluded the celebration. The last couplet the poet is said to have^written states. “Whoever has wit Spenta Snack Bar The shop “has an uncluttered look. A pair of small formica-topped tables fixed to the walls and about half-a- dozen 07 more cane stools strewn around is all the furniture. The lighting is... bright so that you know exactly what you are eating ” states Newstime, FirozeM Kotwal, high priest of the HB Spenta Snack Bar started by the mtiated into the priesthood on May 27. bad and Secunderabad. The self-help p,arlours all over the country The cnnriiifiinn nf nou/or_ ___ x____ irly F t '> ii« "? =1 ¦ <__It t ...___ The conclusion of the nawar ceremony project, meant to assist Parsi women o*f coincided with their sister Silloo ’s nav- limited means to earn a livelihood, was , „„„ inaugurated by Ms Sarojini Devi Pulla ...... u Reddy, former minister of municipal trian) who has been associated with the H B Wadia Atash Bahram Trust pre- administration, government of Andhra ^nted shawls to the young initiates , to Pradesh . The Stree Mandal is a women ’s wing of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman of coincided with their sister Silloo ’s nav- pre- five-star hotel since its inception and r,, V , J . xu' r “ . . . . — has been asked to manage a second par- Dr Kotwal and to the four other high The Stree Mandal is a women ’s wing lour at the Delhi Centaur. Her clients priests who graced the occasion —Das- of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman of include musician Shankar, tennis- tur K M JamaspAsa, Dastur H K Secunderabad and Hyderabad (PZASH) player Vijay Amritrai -------------------- ---------- 1 Shashi Kapoor. and Dastur NM Dastur of Surat. Spenta is housed. /tepri«erfA«m-n,eDaiiy,4«««5i7,75»w. Mirza, Dastur N D Minochehr-Homji located at 125 M Gandhi Road wherein 16 Parsiana October 1984 '. «f' ’ and actor .AFood for fire eventually his gubernatorial post in has been working in the folding depart- Sikkim should give an edge to both his ment of Tata Mills for almost the past “Fire in a fire-temple ” noted the photo diplomatic and political traits. It will be quarter century now, that ’s till the caption in The Daily of August 19,1984 referring to a fire that broke out in the Ashberna Agiary on August 18. Photo ­ grapher Rashid Bamanbehram nar ­ rated the following account: “According to the panthaky of the of his popularity on the cocktail circuit. Ashberna Agiary, Dinshaw Sidhwa, four ladies were working in the kitchen and preparing stum food for the muk- tad prayers. ... when all of a sudden the cylinder caught fire. As the man from unity, ” he wrote in a departing brief, the gas service who came to replace the cylinder had ^po washer to connect, Dastur Sidhwa lent him the washer. But the gas company man was unable to do the job properly and due to the leakage, the fire took place. “The ladies in the kitchen tried to run during which he was reportedly instru- out but Ms Homai Sidhwa and Ms Dolly Irani got injured as they fell down. Luckily no one was killed. “Two fire engines, one water tanker and one ambulance rushed to the spot and put off the fire under the supervi ­ sion of station officer Sharad Dalvi. The kitchen and the stum prayer food were badly damaged. ” up to him to ensure which of the two strike took over, gains a firmer foothold during his tenure. Taleyarkhan is not the type of envoy shwari area he makes a small income who measures his success on the basis Living in the M N Banajee Industrial Home for the Blind in Bombay ’s Joge- weaving cane chairs, making belts or items in wire and cane. Residing in the Home since 1957 he is also the recipient of the interest from the Parsi Boys Maintenance Fund which is managed Cocktail or no cocktail (he is said to be a teetotaller), he knows how to make his presence felt on all occasions. "No country has so much stamina (or) by the Home authorities. Phiroze ’s growth became stunted “as our country has shown in spite of when his body had to be wrapped in certain aberrations from which we cur- heavy plaster due to an accident, rently suffer and in spite of so many Because of the pressure his eardrums communities, languages, religions." He has had an eventful but contro ­ versial tenure as Governor of Sikkim and a sister Jasmine who works as a nurse at the Breach Candy Hospital. mental in having the Congress(I) chief Phiroze studied till standard II at St minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari re- Helena ’s in Pune till the next tragedy placed by a compatriot. In Italy — struck. He became partially blind after where recently-elected Socialist Pre ­ mier Bettino Craxi reportedly made a turn to the right even before he took power — he might initially face a lan ­ guage problem. But this is unlikely to deter him from developing “fraternal links ” with the media there. He knows how to communicate and get his mes ­ sage across. Reprinted from Indian Express, August 20, 1984. Overcoming handicaps Phiroze Rustomjee Karkaria is 53 years old, and all of three feet and ten-and-a- half-inches tall —• which makes him a Including the good-natured ribbing of ' .............. his colleagues. Reprinted from Mid-Day, July 21, 1984. also burst. He was staying in Pune at that time with his parents, two brothers Home In Rome Ambassador designate to Italy Homi J H Taleyarkhan packed several video cassettes of the ‘pr^^gressive ’ kind with him when he left for Rome in August, 1984. The audio-visuals are presentations of India ’s cultural attributes and the dwarf. Phiroze is also blind and deaf, strides she has made in the economic But he has made his presence felt. He and industrial spheres. Taleyarkhan will be projecting them for diverse audiences throughout Italy. The screenings will be part of his master plan to generate enough interest in the Taj Mahal, temples and villages to aug ­ ment the Italian tourist traffic as also to build up bilateral cooperation inspired by the economic vitality of India. It is due to this profound concern for the economic sector, that Taleyarkhan seems keen on improving India ’s com- mercial ties with Italy with whom India has no political bones to pick. “This economic orientation will be decisive in formulating my diplomacy there. ” he says. Taleyarkhan should have no prob ­ lem in establishing a rapport with the people who matter in Rome. His fund of experience as minister in Maharash ­ tra, his stint as envoy in Libya and a cataract operation, then totally blind a little later. “Then I studied in the Pune Blind School for one “^ear where I learnt to make cane chairs and also learnt braille from two English ladies who were also blind, ” says Phiroze. He is a cheeerful man with a sunny disposition, something which he is obviously working very hard at main ­ taining. Can it be anything else when one has to be led around, assisted at every unfamiliar step? Yet Phiroze takes it all in his own gigantic stride. Ashherna Agiarv kitchen after fire (Photo: Rashid Ramanbehram) w V ¦4 17 Parsiana October 1984 4 n < It <.0 I ¦•V I 1 I* A f A i.p*!. « -S’". . In search of th A report on the Zoroastrian innnnigrants settled in Chicago. Ruzbeh Antia *1 ’* /* sift The 1960s and early 70s were the the Center will bnng us some attention peak perioG^of Zoroastrians' immig- from the general public and the pressin ration to the United States. A project particular. We must make Americans examining in some detail the more aware of our religion and our Zoroastrian community in Chicago heritage, ” said Roshan Rivetna, wife Of was presented by Ms Ruzbeh Antia Rohinton Rivetna. in partial requirement for her degree in journalism from the Marquette restricted to brief accounts in suburban University. With this issue Parsiana newspapers, focusing mainly on the reproduces extracts from AntieKs thesis 'Keeping the fire of faith alive; Zoroastrians in Chicago ' So far, media attention has been i 1 TL exotic ” nature of the “sect ” and the antiquity of its origins. ” However, there is nothing especially exotic about the Zoroastrians living in Chicago and An Old Religion in the new world other American cities or about the lives The unpretentious, modem one-storey they lead, building blends quite easily with the — well-kept lawns and shady streets of the Zoroastrian family. Rohinton is an fashionable Chicago suburb of Hins- environmental engineer at the National dale. Its function, however, is hardly Can Company and Roshan is a compu- typical of suburban American life, ter scientist at Bell Laboratories. They This building is the locaj home of one of came to the United States in 1966, ini- the oldest religions in the world — tially for a year of job-training, but Zoroastrianism. To the aproximately 450 Zoroas ­ trians settled in and around Chicago, They now live in a well-appointed the Zoroastrian Center and Darbe- mehr (prayer-room) is a symbol of the coming ofage of their community in the with the Zoroastrian Association of Perhaps this will be nothing less than New World. Chicago, they also take an active assimilation into the American melt- nhi/or/c uzontpJ o olor'/a in npiohhorhnnH and in ing“POt 3Ild thc disintegration Of 3 and ancient heritage. “We are a tiny island in a vast Judeo- Christian sea, ” says Keki Bhote, one of the first Zoroastrians to settle in Chicago. “It is hardly surprising that we 99 4 The Rivetnas are a fairly typical decided to stay on because of better economic and professional prospects. r/ I // ;=s(S' home in Hinsdale and have three teen- aged children. Besides being involved about the possible cost of that success. Chicago, they also take an active ‘We have always wanted a place of interest in the neighborhood and in o;ur own to worship in, to perform our ceremonies,to meet and where our chil ­ dren can learn about the religion and triansin NorthAmericaarehighlyedu- our heritage, ” said Rohinton Rivetna, president of the Zoroastrian Associa ­ tion of Metropolitan Chicago (ZAC). The Association was responsible for professionals. Most of them speak planning and constructing the Center, “ - - - which will consist of a large meeting ­ hall, a smaller prayer-room and a lib ­ rary on Zoroastrianism. ITie community also hopes that the immigrant groups. Zoroastrian Center will help to per ­ petuate the religion and its traditions in of the success that they have had in the the United States. 20 or 30 years that most of them have “We are hoping that the opening of lived in North America, they worry their children ’s schools. Like the Rivetnas, most Zoroas- cated and are financially well-off. Many are accountants, engineers, doc ­ tors, university professors and other should feel threatened. ” Throughout North America there are only about 5,000 Zoroastrians, fluent English, wear Western dress and are Caucasian looking, thus blending according to community estimates, with upwardly mobile, middle class Most live in major cities like New York, America, unlike other, more visible Los Angeles. Chicago, Toronto and Montreal. Smallness of numbers, however, is not just typical of the North American Zoroastrian community. Worldwide, there are only about 120,000 Zoroas- While Zoroastrians are justly proud 18 Parsiana October 1984 f - J ' %*9! } I f 1 od Life Unlike many immigrants who had to go through a period of struggle and hardship, the good life has come quickly and easily for most Zoroastrians. trians. By far the largest number, c'' —¦ - -- ofjBombay, according to the 1971 turning Zoroastrianism i --------- con- selytizing religion like Christianity ¦ t j- number, Antia favours conversion but makes community together. Uur religion c 90,(W, live in India mainly in the city it clear that “there is no question of the other hand, is very individualist^ Ot KomhflV 5if*pnrnino tn ftiA 10*71 :___ 2____ - Indian census. There are smaller _ centrations in Iran, Pakistan. Austra- | These views, however, have earned the community together. Our religion, on Batliyala feels that these characteris ­ tics make Zoroastrians more vulnera- ,• r- * D •* • J r 1 , —-------------- ------------------------- — ble to the. assimilation pressures that ha C^jreat Britain and a few other areas, short and unassuming priest vociferous beset 'all minority groups in the States This microscopic community, how- opposition from “orthodox ” Zoroast- Some Zoroastrians here feel that they ever, has shown reniarkable tenacity in rians, some of whom have even called are replaying, in a different setting the surviving and flourishing for so many for his excommunication. saga of the early Parsis in India Few centuries and Zoroastnans in North “Zoroastrianism is a very relaxed are prepared to predict what the ending America appear determined to con- and very loose religion, ” said Dhun is likely to be. tmue this tradition. Batlivala, an unmarried Zoroastrian In the articles that follow, we focus ur fire-temples have been woman living in Chicago. “There are on the small Zoroastrian community in established in any North American few laws and rituals that are absolutely metropolitan Chicago. The articles examine the lives these Zoroastrians into a pro- 55 short and unassuming priest vociferous opposition from “orthodox ” Zoroast ­ rians, some of whom have even called ZLoroastrianism is a very relaxed and very loose religion, ” said Dhun Batlivala, an unmarried Zoroastrian woman living in Chicago. “There are 59 city. “We cannot have fire-temples binding. These are things that keep a here because consecration is a long and complex process. Maintaining a con­ secrated fire is a full-time job for two or three priests. We do not even have any full-time priests, ” explains Royenton Farhadieh who came to the United States from Iran. “There can be no short cuts; everything must be done properly. ” In North America, some Zoroast ­ rians are questioning the continued relevance of some of the ancient rituals and observances. Others believe that all traditions should be steadfastly maintained. Feelings often run high on 1^ this issue and threaten to create a I schism between the “orthodox ” and “liberal ” sections of the community. “We must recognize that the taboo against conversion came about because of historical reasons and not from any ­ thing in the religion, ” said Kersey ' Antia, head priest of the Chicago Zoroastrian community. “In Iran and India, Zoroastrians lived in such con- ditions that it would have been danger- j OUS to convert. Later on. Parsis worried that people would want to enter the j religion because of the charitable funds \ that rich Parsis were creating, ” he exp ­ lains. LJ a /j 19 Parsiana October 1984 4*7 V Arbab Rustam Guiv Darbe Mehr Znroastrian Center of ChLca<;r) if- tion to the United States. Immigration laws were loosened in 1964 and the economy was booming. The 1960s also ? saw Zoroastrian Associations sprout ­ ing in many cities. Contacts between Zoroastrians in different parts of the continent increased and the first direc ­ tories of Zoroastrians were compiled . Chicago had its first Zoroastrian Association in 1965 with 35 or 40 mem: i bers. This association, which had no ' connection to the present one, folded up in the early 1970s because of petty : bickering and general apathy, accord ­ ing to its founder-president, Keki Bhote. : “What we were trying to do was to ’ A few more Zoroastrians continued lay down lines of communication bet- to trickle in through the first two ’ decades of this century. Following a time-honoured Parsi tradition, many of them became prosperous entrepre- neurs. One became an the owner company a one the the Vanadium Steel Corporation The racist immigration laws adopted by the United States in 1924, barring all 1 have built for iSiemselves and the prob ­ lems they face as individuals and as a community in a new environment. They will also look at the crucial ques ­ tion of ethnic and religious identity. For this series I interviewed Zoroas ­ trians settled in Chicago and attended meetings of the Zoroastrian Associa ­ tion of Chicago. I also conducted a sur ­ vey which concentrated mainly on ethnic and religious identification and participation but also collected some basic demographic and socioeconomic immigrants from Asia, helped to data on the community. The survey restrict the number of Zoroastrians in questionnaire was mailed to every the country. “When I first came to Zoroastrian household in the Chicago Chicago in the 194()s there was only one area that was listed in the directory Parsi gentleman settled here, ” recalled maintained by the Association. Out of Keki Bhote, now Director of Quality the 120 questionnaires mailed out, 44 and Value Assurance at Motorola Cor- were returned for a response rate of poration. “He was married to an about 37 percent. American and had been in Chicago for a long time. ” During the 1940s and 1950s the center of Zoroastrian immigration ft’ I In search of the good life — I It was probably the prospect of gold that drew the first ZorCastrian settler to shifted to Canada where, as subjects of these western shores. He was a man named Pestonji Framji Daver and he settled in San Francisco in 1892, according to Jamshed Pavri, the only any city in North America — apprdxi- chronicler of Zoroastrian history in the mately 1,000. Other Canadian cities New World. Pavri does not say if this together account for another 1,000 pioneering Parsi struck gold but appa ­ rently, Daver and his son both became millionaires. the British crown, they found immigra ­ tion much easier. Today Toronto has the largest Zoroastrian population of Zoroastrians. The 1960s and early 1970s were the peak period of Zoroastrian immigra- 7 & .1 "\Ne must recognize that the taboo against coversion came about because of historical reasons and not from anything in the religion." j ( - 4 20 Parsiana October 1984 L ¦¦ ¦ —. iTliYiiillr-'ltfiiiifiliriiii taii'f -I ¦ & ;als 1 ween Zoroastrians in different parts of North America, ” Bhote explained. “It was really an ad hoc umbrella organiza ­ tion. Numbers were so small that there was no real possibility of forming local organizations as there is now. ” Of the 44 Chicago Zoroastrians responding to the survey, two-thirds came to the United States between 1965 and 1975, while roughly one quar ­ ter came later. Only 5 percent came before 1965. Most of the early Zoroastrian immig ­ rants came from India. In our survey, all those who came before 1965 and almost 80 percent of those who came between 1965 and 1975 were from India. After 1975* there appears to be a __ I [ fHumaTiN : AMM IlfTAi AM- w 21 Parsiana October 1984 Ahove: A jashan precedes the use of the Darbe Mehr premises. Left: Dr Sarfeh, Dr Kersey Antia (stand­ ing in rear). Ms Guiv, Rohinton Rivetna and wife Roshan at inauguration. Top left: Clearing the Darbe Mehr grounds. menon of second time migration has also contributed to the gniwing diversity of the countries of origin of Zoroastrian immigrants. For instance, Zoroastrians previously settled in East Africa, Aden, Canada, Great Britain and other such places, left them for the r UnitedStates. For some, the reason for sharp rise in Zoroastrians immigrating leaving were political, while others L from other countries. About a third of sought economic or professional P these newer immigrants (16 percent) opportunities. ¦ came from Iran and another quarter Unlike their ancestors who were . . frorn a medley of countries including fleeing from persecution and sought I Pakistan (5 percent). Great Britain (5 religious freedom, most recent percent), Canada (2.5 percent) and Zbroastrian immigrants have crossed Tanzania (2.5 percent). the seas in search of more prosperity, a ¦S.. The political turmoil in Iran is better education and greater oppor- 1 fc -. ..S' undoubtedly a major reasoiHor the rise in immigration from Iran. The pheno- "J 11 Unlike their ancestors who were tunities to excel in their chosen fields. I came to the United States because if 1 .T ''•¦•J - 4 ¦1 ¦ Jthere was far ^eater scope here in my l_____ _________ field, ” said Minu Patel, a professor of United States, while a q^rter^almost biostatistics at the University of Illi- exclusively women, picked “marriage nois. Patel, who wore a round, close- to a permanent resident or American fitting, black Parsi cap while we spoke, citizen. ” Under 10 percent said that came from England in 1964. “The re- they came in search of “greater political cession was already beginning in Eng- and social freedom ” and not surpris- land in the sixties but over here the ingly, most of them were from Iran economy was booming. That was obvi ­ ously a factor, ” he added. __ __ .1.*?^ reason for coming was to They'^originally came "to* th^ United ""•J •n"’' C—« oiaics as siuuciiis Dui laier aecioea to said Roshan Patel, widowed mother of become immigrants. - . * Like many other immigrant groups, take, coming here all alone. People told Zoroastrians were drawn to the United . -------------- ’ States by the perception of greater Some others, mainly women, had opportunities awaiting them and their as their chief reason for soling in the to a permanent resident or American and social freedom ” and not surpris- About 40 percent of the survey group, mainly men, also indicated that give my daughters a good education, ” States as^students but later decided to two girls. “It was a very difficult step to me I was crazy but it all worked out. ” even more practical reasons for immig ­ ration. “I c^e because I married children. However, unlike many im ­ migrants who had to go through - D “ uuuiicu migrants wno nao to go through a Bomi, said Bachi Damkevala, wife of period of struggle and hardship before the secretary of the Zoroastrian Asso- these perceptions became reality, the station of Chicago. Bomi Damkevala good life has come quickly and easily had been Hvino in fhA T Tnif^d Cfofoc ^^^4-ry-----------------•_________ these perceptions became reality, the had been living in the United States for for most Zoroastrians . some time before he married Bachi in Bombay about 9 years ago. A few Iranian Zoroastrians under less propitious conditions.They _______________ ... v....v? The second instalment will appear in the Nov­ ember issue. With Compliments of JEENA COMPANY IATA Approved Air Cargo, Clearing, Forwarding & Warehousing Agents 10, Veer Nariman Road, Fort, Bombay 400 023. Cablet “JUSTITIA” Telex: 2313 . Phone: 312032 BRANCHES: E. Merc House, 19/B, Shakespeare Sarani, (Formerly Theatre Road) Calcutta 700 071. Phone: 444711 “Jeena House”, 50, Hanuman Road, Connaught Circus, New Delhi 110 001. Phonei-310821 Devtha Plaza, C. 14, Residency Road, Bangalore 560 025. Phone: 26215 No. 26, 26, 24, 2nd floor. Harbour Approach Road, Vishakapatnam 530 001. Phone: 65942 205, Gera Chambers, Off Boat Club Road Pune 411 001. Phone: 65942 ‘it'.’ ¦ /V ¦ I’-." ig ( I ) 5* w "b ZOROASTRIANS ABROAD My dear Pali Uncle A nephew writes to explain why he performed Peterson's navjote. Noshir Hormazdiyar Much has been written about the controversial navjote of the Ameri ­ can engineer„|Joseph Peterson in New York on March f--------- pieces have so clearly and con­ cisely stated the position of those favouring the navjote as the follow- l-'ftirnately we al am in more demand than I have ever ten by Noshir Hormazdiyar, one of agreed that it should be done publicb been before the priests who performed Peter- and my colleague and ex-classmatc For your information- Out nf an Mullai?of Udva^ “"-jotesehaUhav^^fo™ed,2^ - am wridng .hIs with one pur- Dr Ky aE iTlpu^.a Kord,,- pZ^n^ pose, to explain my position to perform thregar. He finished his training at the riages where mother orlth m the navjote of Joseph Peterson. Proba- Cama Athornan Institute - won hS TSstrian tot gf n^„ 7 ' “ bly by now you must have read a lot ‘best boy' medal, a scholarship i^t s,^™^^tho witedlZle rettn from different sources, but no one Avesta-Pahlavi and became a psycho- before their marXae t!?t 7 really knows what happened. logist. He came to the States and ifpre- " Zoroastnan Joe is an^extremely intelligent human sently in Chicago. Another classmate ol being. He is a self-made Zoroastrian, mine from the Cama. Institute is Dr Zoroastrianstoaskm^toZivrthpmth^ H. pressured Firoze KmwuI of the Wadiaji Atash y-tdreh tert as it has never been Svt Bahram Destiny has brought us all on to them. I have performed several (at different sides of the issue! least 10) such navjotes on elder Zoroas- a letter by 12 trians from Iran, at their request. This ing the religion, Therefore I agreed to perform his navjote. son s navjote, I was the only priest in the tri-sUte area (as Pervez was in .------ one month, there was one death, three . , -- — to my responsibility. Since Peterson ’s nav- •' ’ -------- IC1VC4 Wi iQfiQ R H Then came some very weli-mcanmg India). During that period of ZAGNY (Zoroastriar 1“;:.'.:., J ucdui tni Association of Greater New York) anc jashans, one navjote, etc It all fell the Arbab Guiv Trust. They requcstc. S.„vvrcicison snav that the navjote ceremony be per jote, I have performed 35 ceremonies I formed openly. Ultimately we al '— ’ and my colleague and ex-classmatc from the Cama Institute, Dr Kersey or so navjotes that I have performed 20 Antia asreed to loin me, v— ’ iz A - -------viiiiuicn wiin Dr Kersey Antia is a pukka Yozda- parents Zoroastrians, 16 of mixed being. He is a self-made Zoroastrian, ------ marriage to a Zoroastrian partner , and one of Peterson. It is also a I common occurrence for elder Iranian by anyone . He was inspired by a book at the age of 14 and since then it has become an obsession with him to learn about the religion. He learned the Avesta script through Prof Jackson ’s book from a library; wrote all the prayers by hand (in Avesta); made his own Khordeh Avesta; made his own sudreh kusti. He is 29 now — a chemical engineer by profession. When he called me first, he was in the process of com ­ puterizing the Avesta on a word proces ­ sor. He knew his kusti prayers much before he met me. I met him in Minnesota one fine day in summer. He came to visit me with his wife. He made a request to be initiated. I listened to him with an open mind. He was aware of the Tata case (Petit Jeejeebhoy) in 1903. He pointed out a comment by a Dastur that a person who pated in wished to join the religion with his own free will can do so, after being properly as it has never been given ditterent sides of the issue ! least 10) such navjotes on elder Zo7oal^ You may have seen a letter by 12 trians from Iran, at their request. This Ervads condemning me and Dr Antia includes a neuro-surgeon and his wife ------------- --------------- from Iran. Mixed fnarriages are very common. Every three or four out of five, is a mixed marriage. Every year I perforrp about six to eight such weddings. I, for one, sincerely believe that our religion is a universal religion?! intend to serve mankind. During every ceremony I first As to the navjote causing damage to the religion of Zarathushtra, that seems to us utterly inconceivable. explain in English what the ritual means. The majority of the crowd in every ceremony comprises of non- Zoroastrians. Last April, when death rites had to be performed, during the Sarosh Karda in the evening, 90 percent were non-Zoroastrians. You cannot imagine this in India. No one has given any scriptural evi­ dence why I should not perform these sSd tak^'^jX^ performed). 'Then he leaves three, and out of three only two munity^XekTS^up Juhe ’^way"iMany h m ""d 'he nav- participate in ceremonies, one of them Parsis do, but most are sittTng on the jote should be performed a second being regular i.e. Pervez Patel (from fence. I have repeatedly pSed ^ut time. He IS a sincere nerson and mpnnt i Tri„..7i..\.,—1 ___ 30.2 of the Gathas — which talks about the freedom of choice and that vs and vowing not to sit with us in prayers. Please note that five out of the 12 are unknown. They have never partici- any ceremony at ZAGNY. Out of seven, four are in Philadelphia which is 300 miles from New York. That a sincere person and meant Udvada) and the other being a suppor- well. He has no ulterior motives in join- tive Ervad. Last March, after Peter- well. He has no ulterior motives in join- 24 Parsiana October 1984 Li ! man for man, each for each, will have to make his own choice in this world. _____________ I have stood my ground. Basically 1 of acceptance, which were distributed, have avoided any arguments. Marion It was supported by more evidence (ray wife) stood by me in all this. She from the /^ivayats. The Guiv Trust dis- wrote to the Jam-e-Jamshed in response t ............... never published it. The facts were they have nominated me a trustee of the Wrong. Marion spoke in an open forum New York Guiv Trust. which was held in October ’83 and got the maximum applause. ZAGNY pas- ____________ __ sed a resolution to accept people of point ! want to make is that Peterson is a other faiths if they qualify to join the worthy candidate and I believe that written by scholars like J J Modi, K R dedication to the message of the pro- Cama, Sheriar Bharucha etc. in favour phet, there can be difference of opinion on traditions and practices; particularly when the community has moved from a context of views and perspectives tnbuted these as they saw the need to developed over centuries of its life in c izu u XX , 1 . —--------------- uw vvvi vciuuiicb ui ns lire in educate the.community. A month ago India, orinpost-Zoroastrian Iran. With a commitment to reason and good-will, eminently Zoroastrian virtues, we can agree to disagree, and avoid seeking a I hope this may explain my position in short. There is much to write but the public display of repudiation emerging 1 nrnnt 4.1-„X Tl_x_______ • r______ __ . from an unreflective disregard of diver- ‘ . ' . " ----------------------------------------------- ------ v..„v gent views. All views deserve to be re igion and our organization. There what I did is the right thing which will treated with the respect due to sincerely were many hot debates. Homai Bode, help the religion in the long run. held convictions, whether one agrees wife of Framroze Bode, sent letters noshir hormazdiyar with them or not. The Ervads assert that the navjote of Joseph Peterson has done untold and totally irreversible damage to the com­ munity and to our religion. What pre ­ cisely is the damuge to the community? In the Zoroastrian tradition One would be inclined to think that evil words and acts would damage the community, not one s parentage. As to the navjote caus ­ ing damage to the religion of Zara ­ thushtra, that seems to us utterly incon­ ceivable. The Ervads flBrther write that the action of the priests who officiated at that navjote has hurt their feelings. This ........ is difficult to understand. One can ment with the five priests who officiated understand the feelings of a Zoroas- religion ot Zarathushtra. or who re ­ pudiates it. But this case is one in which a person finds realization of his spiritual aspiration in following the message of Zarathushtra and seeks to be initiated into that spiritual community; and the priests recognizing the authenticity of the conviction perform the navjote as a Zoroastrian priestly act and an obliga ­ tion of their calling. Why would this hurt the feelings of a Zoroastrian? With respect for all,yiews, we request the members of the community to reflect upon these events in the light of the vision of the prophet. It will indeed be seen that the divergences and disr agreements are pitifully trivial before the conception of a life dedicated to perfecting human existence. And it is ...... . .. .. ..... with the hope that preoccupation with the opinion of the Ervads which fhey ^is^eements donotblurourconcep- may hold for whatever reason. It is their df the Mazdayasni life that this letter is written. Jtespecting rights A letter by 101 Zoroastrians supports the Peterson navjote priests. Following Peterson's navjote, 12 and act in accordance with them. We priests residing in the USA wrote to equally respect the right of the priests the Zoroastrian Association of Grea ’ who hold that the performance of such ter New York (See 'Religious Boy- navjotes is proper and justifiable. It is cott' Parsiana, August 1983) stating unfortunate that the Ervads ’ letter not- they would not, participate in any ably fails to manifest this attitude, religious ceremonies with Ervad Noshir C Hormazdiyar or Ervad Dr _______________ _ Kersey Antia, who along with other at the navjote of Joseph Peterson, they •’Y someone who reviles the mobeds performed Peterson's nav- specifically mention Ervads Kersey ...... - J Ote ¦ A »*#¦•*»»»•-* ,-4 _ _ _ T 1 _ 1 • In reply to the priests' letter, a response supporting the priests who __________ _________________ performed the navjote was prepared This is, of course, their privilege as free and signed by 101 Zoroastrians-in- ‘ — eluding individuals such as Shari __________ ___ _____ Merabi, chairman of the Arbab Guiv bly a manifestation of what they take to A V ft A I. u L». ..^1 —fa a Kaikhosrov Irani, chairman of the Philosophy Department at the City University of New York and Rohin- _____ ____ ____________ ton Rivetna, president of the Zoroas- harmony within the priesthood, seem trian Association of Metropolitan Chicago. Their letter states: It is understandable that there is a dif- ______________ ____ _ ference of opinion among learned and porting this attitude of divisavene'ss, well-intentioned priests as well as mem- i.,,:___ ? ___ _ bers of the laity on doctrinal aspects of cepts and long-standing tradition ” in the issues regarding the performance of the tetter. We pass no comment upon navjotes of persons born of ---- ’ ’ ’ ' • .......................... - Zoroastrran parents. 1 he hrvads view of the navjotes of attitude of condemnation and their persons born of noh-Zoroastfian pa ­ rents as contrary to Zoroastrian princi ­ ples and practices is a matter of their consciences and their understanding of prophet Zarathushtra. Reason ’ organized in July by the Zoro- the precepts of the religion. We fully Surely it is time for this religious com- astrian Association of Greater New respect their right to express their views munity to recognize that, united in our York (ZAGNY) was described in their Beyond expressing their disagree- Antia and Noshirwan Hormazdiyar with whom they have resolved not to co-officiate in any religious ceremony. human'beings. They, however, state no reason for their attitude which is proba- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------J---------------.o Darbe Mehr board of trustees. Prof be the gravity of their feeling of dis- _i . .. agreement. Unity within the community, resting upon the vision of Zarathushtra, and to us sufficiently important to require clearly formulated doctrinal grounds and statement of specific principles sup- ¦yt; J ''I fl well-intentioned priests as well as mem- rather than a vague reference to “pre- .'1 ’1 I 25 Parsiarta October 1984 non- communal decision of non-cooperation that we deplore, an attitude for which Stimulsting Seminar we find no support in the message of the A one-day seminar on ‘Faith and Surely it is time for this religious com- .1 'd 15*; ¦'‘X’ A' 4. f «« a most Cama led very interesting and enlight- September newsletter aS stimulating seminar. ” Dr Farhang ening work-shops on our rich heritage Mehr, former vice-chancellor of Shiraz and the question-and-answer sessions University in Iran spoke on the theme following these showed the sophisti- ‘Faith and Reason ’ and Dr Shapoor cated and creative thinking of young Shahbazi of Harvard gave an illustrated talk on Persepolis “depicting the roots as well as fascinating evidence of the heritage and a civilization that was ours, guage classes this fall coinciding with highly advanced in social, political, sci- our religious classes ” announced the entific dimensions by present day stan- September ZAGNY newsletter. Three Say it with Cards " " ” ’ ' " Iranians, P Ardeshirpour, Ms M Yek- All-purpose greeting cards with tashenas and Ms M Mehrabipour will Zoroastrian motifs have been designed conduct these classes and the subjects by the Zoroastrian Association of . , Quebec, notes the September issue of mini-philosophers at work, ” noted the newsletter. “We are planning to have Farsi lan- Mavalwala, a former ZSO president, is the national president of WCRP- Canada and is presently working on the international board of WCRP. Four years ago he had served as the mod ­ erator of the Commission on Human Rights and Social Justice during the III International Assembly held at Prince ­ ton, USA, notes the newsletter. dards, ” notes the newsletter. The success of this seminar initiated by Khodaram Hematti has inspired ZAGNY to hold further similar semi ­ nars to “encourage participation and broaden our knowledge not only of our religion, buPlalso our ancestors and a civilization that dominated their time Mavalwala at WOflcl meet and brought us to our present day, ” states the newsletter. All-purpose Zoroastrian motifs have been designed on the curriculum include religion, C ‘ ‘ ~ ' Farsi language and Iranian history and Gavashni. The motifs which have been culture. adapted from The Art of Ancient Iran are: a nobleman worshipping before an altar; and Fravashi — the guardian Anthropologist Jamshed Mavalwala spirit of man. represented the Zoroastrian Society of Ontario (ZSO) at the IVInternational These cards are being sold in packets of 10 (five cards in each of the two “For five days young Zoroastrians bet- Assembly of the WCRP-International designs) against a donation of $5.00. “A part of the proceeds from this pro ­ ject will be donated to the ‘Perpetua ­ tion of Zoroastrianism in North America ’ Fund sponsored by ZAQ in the name of the late Ervad Pervez Kot- wal, ” states thg newsletter. Those interested may ween the ages of six and 12 met and (World Conferences on Religions for worked together in a spirit of cama- Peace)heldinNairobifromAugust20- raderie ” during the Third Annual Young 30, states the ZSO newsletter of Sep- tember, ’84. WCRP-International, a non-governmental agency of the United Nations, is an organization of religions working together for peace at Those interested may contact the international, national and local Zoroastrian Association of'Quebec, levels. It is also concerned about issues of social justice. ” Zoroastrians Camp in August, states the September ZAGNY newsletter. The camp which began on August 15 at the Darbe Mehr, included a choco ­ late-making session, a variety enter ­ tainment program and a sports meet. “Dr Kaikhosrov Irani and Dr Lovji PO Box 654, Station Tour de la Bourse, Montreal, PQ H4Z IJ9, Canada. ( Match your AMBITION to a CAREER To do SO we offer you: • Diploma Course in Business Management (Oral/Postal) • Banking: C.A.I.I.B. Course (Postal 8* Oral) e Commerce :G.C.D. Course • Executive Secretarial Course • Private Secretariat Course • Telephone Operating • Telephone Operating-cum Receptionist Techniques • Shorthand & Typewriting • Punch Operating • Telex Operating Enquire at: Sir J. J. College of Commerce 14>Nanabhoy Lane, Hutatma Chowk, BOMBAY 400 001. Tel: 251185 21 Parsiana October 1984I. J On Indian Government Service Parsis shy away from government services without considering the benefits. Russi KAnklesaria iii> 5. li i Barely 30 years ago, members of the today. There is known to be only one At a meeting with Golwalla in De- Parsi comrrftinity occupied some of the senior IAS officer and one senior IPS cember 1983, Soli Pavri, convenor highest positions in the defence ser- officer left in the services in this State Parsi Punchayet Vocational Guidance vices, all-India and State services, rail- today. Retired Admiral Cursetjee of Bureau was requested to help the Parsi ways, post and telegraphs, etc. In fact, the Indian Navy has informed the Punchayet in picking up talented there was hardly any government sec- Bombay Parsi Punchayet president Dr children who may have an aptitude to senior or a junior Parsi A F Golwalla, that the new entry of join defence and other government officer, and in many such services, they Parsi youth in the Navy as well as other services and who could be suitably enjoyed a predominantly high status defence services has gone down trained and even financially supported and strength. Family traditions of alarmingly. to some extent, if necessary. service were carried on from father Golwalla, Prof Noshir Kaikobad and Effectiveness of persons in govern- toson. other members of the School Counsel- ment services and their utility to the Since Independence, the structure of ling Project held a meeting with princi- community can well be gauged by quot- the Indian economy and politics has pals of seven Parsi-sponsored schools ing cases where Parsi officers have undergone rapid and drastic changes. ¦ 2____ 2.'... • • - - - A businessman ’s son no longer goes observed that Parsi children c___ necessarily into his father ’s business from a rural background, though not ... and a doctor ’s son may not be able.to a position to compete in scholastic at- wanted to; similarly, a serviceman ’s from the elite strata of society, have problems which cannot be solved son no longerjoins the services if he can excellent outdoor interests, and that in „ mimaivi vi a find another, better or softer avenue regard to talent and creativity, they are secretary, are amicably settled or at- of life. Political and social power has really good material. ... transferred itself into new hands, and I ' - - . severe competition has set in, in all that if a cell is provided to give extra sectorsof life, including the services. ( '' ' /."2 ,2— _____ Talented Parsi youth has stayed turn out to be better students, and if a i chosen either to migrate abroad or to outs from the schools, they would be- school-counselling project and the voc- F A* IVA 111 1 r f MA A X.X — t f • 1 1 — - ational guidance bureau project, it will and be for the different Parsi trusts and an- methodical coaching and career plan- jumans to pool their resources together i are joining government put through intensive physical and services has gone down trained and even financially supported Golwalla, Prof Noshir Kaikobad and other members of the School Counsel- r--'. L it i. I 5;- i ii on May 5,1984. Some of the principals helped the community or individuals in **'"* ?2-: children coming the normal course of duty without ’ t in showing any undue favour. <• Il I.- r xi. , r - : .-----'¦------------------------ ¦ .It is well-known how in the labyrinth^ follow his father s footsteps even if he tainments with other children coming of government machinery works and J even at the highest level by a minister or a tended to by a lower-status officer like It was also suggested at this meeting a mamlatdar or a police sub-inspector. i J-J J Once such Parsi boys and girls at the < coaching to^such children, they would high school and college level have been . - - " " d-.-L, _-d ir_ vocationally tested and “caught away from government service, and has polytechnic is provided for the drop- young ” through the assistance of our i chosen either to migrate abroad or to outs from the schools, they would be- school-counselling project and the voc- ; enter more lucrative professions, come more useful members of the com- Those who are not as talented or gifted munity. Through systematic and/or do not have the advantage of a i higher education have preferred to go ning, some excellent material would be and to see that these boys and girls in for “white collar ” jobs. In fact, the available for j ’ ' „ __;______ .. representation of the Parsi community service. These jobs require some basic scholastic Gaining to toughs them up j in the services is not only on the wane, qualities like a certain amount of andtopreparethemfortheopencom- it is almost extinct. Today, there is not a toughness, fondness for outdoor life petitive test examinations, the person ­ single Parsi officer left in the Indian and willingness to undergo some ality tests, interviews, etc. Unfortu- Administrative Service (IAS) in hardship. nately, obtaining a first class in exams Gujarat (the last one having retired in The need of the hour is to give such in India today has become far to0 com- 1979). The last Parsi officer in the extrovert children scientific vocational mon. It is necessary therefore that Indian Police Service (IPS) retired this guidance and aptitude-finding tests, these students are coached such that year. There are hardly any Parsi boys thereafter to “coach them young ” and they can stand up to the fierce competi- ¦ from Gujarat left in, or joining, the to suitably train them scholastically and tion of public examinations. defence services. The position is no physically, to go through open exami- B F Dittia from the South Zone had I better in Maharashtra where the nations for selection in government pointed out to the Executive Council of j majority of the Parsi population resides and defence services. the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian ] 1 28 Parsiana October 1984 caught certain amount of and to prepare them for the open com-F -5 K-.'-, '¦rt- '•'•'¦V: '* "i. ¦¦¦ . . Anjumans of India at Calcutta in Boys and girls with aptitude should civil and defence service officers and February 1984 that according to a re- be guided and assisted to join the others which will: port prepared by a joint secretary in the National Cadet Corp, Shivaji Bhonsale a) Collect necessary detailed data re ­ Home Ministry, Government of India, Military School, etc. garding avenues open to Parsi youth at 250 Parsis had applied for various posts in the IAS and other all-lndia services, their university education should be ernment services; but not one of them was able to get in. assisted just before their graduation or b) Disseminate information through This disappointing fact justifies the dire immediately on graduation to attend the Federation bulletin and BPP necessity of proper selection and coaching classes for the all-lndia com- Quarterly Review regarding recruit- thorough training and coaching of the petitive examinations, at the cost of the ments taking place from time to time at candidates before they go through the punchayet or anjuman, wherever such different levels of government services; test of competitive open examinations, financial support is required. They c) Help, organize, monitor and guide In this age of emancipation of should be given special training to sue- the adequacy and quality of vocational women, a number of non-Parsi ladies cessfully go through the personality guidance, and scholastic and physical endurance training being imparted in Once selected and appointed to different cities; ¦3^ ’V'’ Those students who have pursued the central and state levels in the gov- have already entered the IAS and even tests and interviews, the IPS thereby enriching their own lives whilst serving the nation and help ­ ing the community at the same time. At higher levels the services provide opportunities even after retirement. Some retired persons have become governors, ministers, corporation chairmans, ambassadors, etc. which gives them an extended opportunity to serve the nation and the community even after retirement. ministers. 250 Parsis had applied for various posts in the IAS and other all-lndia services but not one of them wa^ able to get in. joined in services in solving their ac- children ’s education Recommendations The following incentives are suggested and recommendations are made with a view to help Parsi youth join the de ­ fence and the civil services: Wherever feasible, all the important some of these posts, the youngsters d) Help and guide in the selection of punchayets or anjumans should locally should not be left alone to financially proper coaching classes for higher level provide vocational guidance at the fend for themselves. Salary levels in the services; school level to Parsi children. Where services, whilst under training and even e) Provide guidance to those newly- this is not possible because the Parsi thereafter are not adequately re ­ population is limited or because the munerative to match the rising cost of commodation, necessary facilities do not locally exist, living. Housing has become the biggest and other related problems. potential talent should be spotted loc- and costliest problem. Lastly, the BPP having compara- ally and the help of the nearest larger Wherever justified, such officers on lively better resources should take the anjuman or punchayet where such the threshold of their careers should be lead in formulating selection and train ­ necessary facilities exist, should be assisted by the local punchayet or anju- ing programs, coaching classes, etc. on sought and availed of. man by way of subsidization of rents, the above lines, with the help of the Suitable coaching should be given to assistance towards education of child- above-stated Committee. the selected children who show an ren, reimbursement of any unforeseen The BPP should^set apart an amount aptitude for joining the services with a heavy medical expenditure (only that of Rs 15,000 or so, in the first instance view to improve their scholastic which may not be reimbursible under to help the above proposed Committee performance and attainments. the respective services ’ Medical do the spade work. A Parsi gentleman Intensive {rfiysical culture training Reimbursement Scheme), etc. This has offered assistance of Rs 10,000 if should also be given to such selected will help them preserve standards of the BPP sets up an appropriate machin- children with a view to toughen them integrity and honesty. Wherever possi- ery and takes some active steps in this up for greater physical endurance, and ble, such officers should be given the direction. stresses and strains of service life. facility of the Barsi dharamshala or Students who are not academically guest house accommodation on a nomi- Extracted from an article titled “A note on die ,. . subject of planning of‘service’career (in govern- bright enough to enter the university nal or token rent basis. ment services) for the Parsi youth” prepared by should be helped through special Any award or honour received in the R K Anklesaria at the behest of the Federation’s coaching classes to appear for non- services should be recognized through Ponff for Job, Business and Career Oppor- commissioned ranks in the defence a public function and reasonable services and the subordinate services monetary reward by the respective an- Anklesaria, chief executive of the Bombay like PSG, tehsildar, mamlatdar, excise juman or punchayet. Parsi Punchayet has had a dis^guist^d career m inspector, forester, etc. m the subordi- Constitute a small committee con- service. The last post he held in the lAS was that of nate civil services. ... Constitute a small committee con- _____ _ sisting of senior Parsi serving or retired Municipal Commissioner, Ahmedabad. 29 Parsiana October 1984‘,KW A gene that tells the Parsi story The deficiency of the enzyme G6PD recurs in the Parsi population due to inbreeding among the community. J V Undevia The Parsis and the Iranis have evoked C grea, in.eres, because of ,he differ- the pZ^si^^c'ceVding loZ: oT ences thev evhihit «, th ___ ; v ences they exhibit with respect to vari ­ ous genetic characters as compared to other population groups from both western India, where they now live, and Iran, from where they came. Because of their limited numbers and religious and social constraints, the Parsis married among relatives. Con­ sanguinity (marriage between blood relatives) is high among them. One can safely say that, till not long ago, cousin marriages were the rule in the com ­ munity. There are four types of first-cousin marriages. Type 1 represents marriage between the children of two brothers, type 2 represents the marriage of a man with his maternal uncle ’s daughter, type 3 represents the marriage of a man with his paternal aunt ’s daughter and type 4 represents marriage between the children of two sisters. All the four types of first cousin marriages are pre ­ valent in both the communities. The rates for parallel (types 1 and 4) and cross (types 2 and 3) cousin marriages are also the same in both the com ­ munities. However, there seems to be a greater preference for marriage bet ­ ween the children of two sisters among the Parsis and for the union between a man and his maternal uncle ’s daughter among the Iranis. The Arab Muslims of Iraq and the Persian Muslims of Iran show high rates of consanguineous marriages but with the four types of first-cousin marriages more or less equally distributed. The same is the case with Indian Muslims. Consanguineous marriages among F mar ­ riage (in percent). Period Related No. of marriages 1939-55 9.27 259 1956-60 7.12 534 1961-65 7 34 1966-72 8.15 1.'l90 The increase between 1966 and 1972 , 0 7________________ could probably be due to the fact that Gujarati, “if a child had a'cousin of the n ... opposite sex, whose age matched hers (his), one didn ’t even think of looking elsewhere. If there was no appropriate match in the family, we went to our neighbours on the same side of the street. If no match was to be found ----- any Parsi marrying outside the com­ munity was not counted. The Iranis’ rate of inbreeding still has not changed. However, there is now a trend of inter­ marrying between Iranis and Parsis. There is an interesting case history of three Parsi brothers ; One of them had 1 * Undevia: researching Parsi genes seven sons, the other two had four and two daughters each respectively. Six of the seven brothers married their cousins. Only one son had to look out ­ side the family^'tor a bride. This only shows how deeply entrenched the tom of cousin marriages was. I had once asked some old Parsi women of Navsari, Gujarat, how their marriages had been arranged. "Arre dikra," one lady said in highly accented cus- >U cci. 11 no maicn was to De touncl even 1 ‘ there, we looked on the other side of • ' the Parsi ‘wad ’ (locality). But if one i violated this social practice and directly » sought outside matches, a match would be hard to come by4)ecause the ques- i tion would invariably be asked : Why did he or she not marry inside the fam- S ily ? If there are no cousins of matching ¦ age, a second or distant cousin would : generally be considered. ” The rate of consanguineous mar ­ riages, it has been found, underwent a drastic reduction between the first two decades and the third decade of this century and continued to show further ; decrease in the fourth decade but at a slower rate. It has now stabilized itself at between seven and eight percent in < the fifth and sixth decades. Generally, there is a factor called the “marriage radius ” which governs the maximum distance from which one could look for a proper matrimonial 30 Parsiana October 1984 r ‘41,'.! ^’*"4 W 't: 11 . ........ vXy; I'‘7-. . > t*' X K’/ '.Z’l <<•'? match. Among Hindus, in the old days --------------.1, «.11V< v/ivi the marriage radius was a one-day bul- A 1’ k' '’“"' cbPD Blood oefclentl t Subiect and the toi- -o\Nithout phenacetin Quinine. Arsenic am a (Ttedlcal Acetanilid.- —- ^at,^es, eiuu--- an hitmturan acidl BAL Primaquine. "Para-aminos^^ca^^ derivatives, PA ' ^gdryl. Hose ot ^/'ta- Nitrites, *^®^^'^^,Jdones (Dap- Cblofaf^P2:!2.„u,ne Vitamin K. Suip min t^. ¦¦- I soneL I The card of I ?on of doctors Chloroquine for the informa- treating them. G6PD-D has been confirmed in a number of studies. Such-a correlation has not been demonsttable in all popu ­ lation groups where malaria existed to a sizable extent. Few reports arc available on the dis ­ tribution of G6PD-D in the'Indian population as a whole. The deficiency does exist in several population groups but the incidence is generally very low in caste groups — with few exceptions such as Bhanushalis. A new genetic variant is always a result of mutation. Genetic traits which are maintained in populations only as a result of mutation are rare. Therefore, it is unlikely that such a high incidence of G6PD-D in Parsis is the result of recurrent mutation. There is no knowledge or evidence of _ ¦ ¦ ' I years of stay. But it cannot be positively chromosome , it manifests itself more in ne males. (It manifests only rarely in mixed matings during their initial 700 tne remales because women have two i '' — r , vr»w > . i^ui. Il vailIRJl UV piJblllVC r-VDA normal.) ruled out. The frequency of G6PD-D G6PD deficiency (G6PD-D) - jaundice in the newborn and lock-cart journey. That is, the bride could be visited (or come home) in one day. The Parsi marriage radius, how ­ ever, was much smaller, mainly be- cause of their restricted numbers and hemolytic crisis (destruction of red only in caste groups which could not partly because of their religious restric- blood cells) in i .....'— . . . » P tions. What is striking is that though both Parsis and Iranis come from the same region and practise the same religion, the two groups are genetically very dif ­ ferent. Can the different times they weeded out by natural selection. Why non-Parsi population has no suooortive il ~ in .he Parsis ? And' evide.Ke.'i.CXteen SK, Thp rinf ¦ why not in the Irauis ? the non-Zoroastrian Iranis — the Mus- The deficiency of the enzyme G6PD The geographical distribution of lim groups and tribes such as Ouashoi (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) G6PD has led to the suggestion that Basseri and Mamassani — do possessli confer some protection high frequency of G6PD-D.%o it is on tinn •.z.vw, .. y likely that the “founder population ” of n“The similarity between the the Parsis brouetU S itm Them IS quite common among the Parsis. The gene that determines the deficiency is the deficiency is determined by the X- 31 Parsiana October 1984 blood cells) in in causes the population groups of Gujarat is severe about 1.0 to 2.0 percent, and that too , J - --------- .....v-ii vwuiu in/t adults when exposed to have come into contact with the Parsis the population groups of Gujarat 1 some drugs. The deficiency also causes because of social and cultural rigidity'' tavism (acute hemolytic anemia) after Even if there ;..t.v,duvuu,. ui eating fava beans which grow in West local genes it cannot explain such a high incidence of G6PD-D in the commu- ^ryally ’ a disadvantageous gene is nity. Thus the gene flow from the local weeded out by natural selection. Why i.„.. has it survived in the Parsis ? And evidence* has again, why not in the Iranis ? t:._ The geographical distribution of lim favism (acute hemolytic anemia) after Even if there was an introduction of i.r.i '¦"fl .. - DO--........................— I uiisj tTiaiiiaaaaiii-------uu this gene may confer some protection high frequency of G6PD-D. distribution of falciparum malaria and the Parsis brought it with them. There must have been some individuals in the *1 'S '1 •i i '¦ */ : ¦ yAn effect of inbreeding mut v.iii t In India consanguineous marriages lations. Each of us has a certain occur with a high frequency among number of recessive mutant genes the Hindus of south India but are which could give rise to disease in a rare in the north. In western India, homozygous condition. That is, if Maharashtra is a transitional region both parents have the same reces- with many communities having con- sive mutant and pass it on simul- sanguineous marriages but with Io- taneously to their child, the child will wer frequencies than in south India, be affected. This mutant gene quota Consanguineous marriages are is called genetic burden or genetic rare in Gujarat where the Parsis first load. There is a great deal of varia- settled in large numbers. In most tion of this burden in the different Hindu groups where consanguine- populations of the world depending OUS marrllges are allowed, parallel upon their past history of inbreeding first-cousin marriages are generally and its variation in time. A declining not preferred (they are even pfohi- rate of inbreeding is a desirable bited) and the most preferred form trend to reduce the burden of gene- is the union of a man with his mater- tic disease. Inbreeding increases nal uncle's daughter. homozygosity, and flaws which The pattern of consanguineous would go unnoticed in heterozy- marfiages in the Parsis is thus a gous persons get magnified in clear indication of their isolation highly inbred persons. Unfortu- from the communities among nately, the dwindling Zoroastrian whom they lived for more than Irani population in India (and also in 1,300 years. Inbreeding can Iran) does not show any sign of de ­ increase the total genetic burden cline in Inbreeding frequency, (recessive genes) in different popu- A declining rate of inbreeding is a desirable trend to reduce the burden of genetic disease. JVU in maintaining the high incidence of G6PD-D in the Parsis. Some genes, in certain populations, do not vary easily. If the nature of the G6PD-D gene is rapidly variable, then with the relaxa ­ tion of selection pressure, its frequency in the Parsis must also fall rapidly. In the absence of malaria, the heterozygous advantage for males no longer exists and, in fact, has turned out to be more disadvantageous. 'There are a number of drugs which Parsis with G6PD-D cannot take. Nowadays prac ­ tically everybody takes drugs without consulting his physician and the Parsis are no exception. During the last couple of decades their intake of drugs has increased cbnsiderably. Even preg ­ nant women take them. A large num ­ ber of cases of severe hemolytic crisis in the young and hemolytic disease of the newborn in the G6PD-deficient Parsi males have been steadily coming to our notice and are, in fact on the increase. reproductive age who had the deficient kets in Iran, mostly in the Yezd region, , J . .. . are situated to the southwest end of this nuucc ana are, in lact on the increase There could be aMther reason why salt desert. Looking carefully at the The mortality of G6PD-deficient new- the gene proliferated only in the Parsis malarial belts of Southern Asia, one bom males will again tend to decrease wh interesting story, finds the Yezd area above this. Malaria the frequency of G6PD in the Parsis When they landed on the shores of existed in Iran over the three But recent Tdvan^s S thediaS India, the refugees found they could be peripheral mountain ranges, except in and treatment of hemolytic disease of “at home ” almost at the point of disem- th- o„u "____ ucniuiyuc oisease or . I * -r k,/wiv I. CBM V'Ctd OIMUCllVU VllC 11 barkatmn. They took mainly to agricul- at 1000 m and above. The malarial have ture. This exposed them to malaria, i„~„^........... uw u.uurc mis piav oeiween nature and the advancement of medical science canno, ease. Without this protection, the Par ­ sis would have been oversensitive to malaria. Their women were especially G6PD-D susceptible to the disease. The diffe ­ rential susceptibility of the sexes to malaria was responsible for concentrat ­ ing G6PD-D in the males. The defi- ________ cient male survived longer by resisting There have “been malaria. The absence of this gene among pushed by the Muslim invaders, some over the three But recent advances in the diagnosis **®i^S?*^^* Desert ^as situated the newborn due to the G6PD-D will . _ , ---------- ----- ‘ an opposite effect. 'The result of influence was clearly out of the picture this play between nature and the conferred any advantage on its bearer. Now that Parsis and Iranis do inter ­ marry, Iranis are also exposed to the genetic profile of the coming genera ­ tions to see what happens. What is the situation i malaria has largely been controlled ? ___- _____ 11 _____ ______ _____ _ _____ changes in the structyre of the Parsi the disintegration of the communi ty Iranis can also be explained. When generations. Their agricultural occupa- pushed by the Muslim invaders, some tier. a..G piuics- Zoroartrians sought refuge in the sional service. They have shifted from Great Central Salt Desert of North Iran villages to cities. There is a considera- in the areas bordering Dashti Lut ble fall in consanguineous marriages uznprA niimon Great Central Salt Desert of North Iran villages to cities. There is a considera- be predicted. In general, with less and less inbreed ­ ing among the Parsis, the rates pf mor- gene. One has to watch the bidity and mortality in the offs pring of rnftu nt . cousanguincous marriages should be going down. Our study showed that now, when there was some sort of stability and not Q a continuously decreasing trend due to many important random mating. But it is believed that Community i^lf during the last two cannot be prevented because of the 2 '* ’ . women. Many marry outside. The tion has chang^ to trade and profes- community holds the male in a stronger cizinai 'Tk,.,. I !..£»_ J r grfp, SO there are comparatively fewer chances of men marrying outside it. rigorous self-imposed Dr Undevia of the Cancer Resetwch Insti- ; tute, Bombay, has been involved in studying where human existence and approach and there are i ’ were difficult. The area where they restrictions on family size. All ‘these --a., height of about biological, occupational and geog- genetics of Parsis for the past 20 years. " 1000 m . The present Zoroastrian poc- raphical changes have a negative effect Reprinted from science Age, September 1984. 33 Parsiana October 1984 .¦•WV <• A doctor in the house? T The Soonawalla family learns to accept that a doctor has to be on duty always. Prochi Badshah I Every mother who can afford it, would have her child delivered by Dr Rusi Soonawalla, India ’s No 1 gynaecologist fortable, snow-white walls, a thick car- and among the best in the world. I had ? T _ 2 1- ____ , _ ___ _ my child delivered by him and I am packed with leather-bound books proud of if Because, one wants the (non-medical, I noticed), a best. And it was after this delivery that story, if flats can be indications of suc- I got interested in the man behind the surgical mask, his background, family, children, home. One way to know all this was to do ah ‘‘At Home ” with the Soonawallas. When I suggested it to them, they were not exactly enthusiastic. “But dear, doctor is hardly ever at home! said Ms Piloo Soonawalla. In any case, she suggested, I should ask the doctor. Dr Soonawalla was even less enthusi ­ astic. But I had been one of his “mothers, ” so he could not exactly refuse. “All right, ” he said, “but only if ily, no doubt, you can make it in the night. ’’Anytime, I said, not knowing exactly what night meant. We now move to the night in ques- tion. The scene: the Soonawalla ’s Car ­ michael Road apartment, large, com- J -------- ------------- * ***** WXVIl l^aillVl^UU proud of if Because, one wants the (non-medical, I noticed) half hours. The family did not seem to mind, it was possibly used to it. “His work comes first, ” said the very consid- pet in the living-room, a wall-unit erate Ms Soonawalla. “One has got « „„*i. 1 4.1 1 .J j used to it. In fact, every time we are a success invited out and I land up alone my friends always joke.... ‘So your hus ­ band ’s holding someone else ’s hand. ’” - - So, while Dr Soonawalla was holding the doctor. The tall, slim, trds elegant somebody else ’s hand, I acquainted talking with a wave of her manicured, 1 expressive hands, the hands of a sur- Soonawalla, i _ ¦ J____________________ some children (to be a little naughty — hours, an active member of the Society the doctor who has won so much ac- for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals claim for his propagation of family (SPCA), re^larly visiting the veteri- cess stories. We made a nice group, waiting for (• ’ ~ ¦ Ms Soonawalla, in jeans and T-shirt, myself with the rest of the family.Vrom talking with a wave of her manicured, left to right, as they say, there was Piloo expressive hands, the hands of a sur- Soonawalla, patient, considerate, M J wife. Four hand- knowing a doctor has to be on call at all the doctor who has won so much ac- for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals planning, evidently does not practise it nary hospital. The^love and care orani- at home), two boys; two girls; and the mals probably accounted for the two two dogs. A made for one another fam- dogs who were sniffing me, as does lll7 zlrtiiKf j_____ 1 * « . ® Except for the doctor (not) in the their house late in the night and con- house. He had said he would meet in ’ the night and it was going to be night. We waited for him for two-and-a- at home), two boys; two girls; and the mals probably accounted for the invariably do when strangers come ta\^ 1- tinue to remain there. There was Jenai, the eldest daugh ­ ter , who has completed a postgraduate f Soonawalla with wife Piloo at their Carmichael Road residence. r L?tS -t j."- i- Jp ¦1 "Everytime I land up alone, my friends always joke, 'So your husband's holding someone else's hand.' " course is psychology and is work ­ ing with a psychologist at the Bom ­ bay Hospital. “I was keen on taking up medicine, but gave up the idea on seeing how much work my father had to put in. Let us s«y' I was scared off.” But that has not stopped her from getting engaged to a doctor — Dr Banajee. And there was Kamal, the second daughter, a student at the Government Law College and in her second year LL.B. And the two boys, Behram and Feroze, both studying medicine, fol ­ lowing in their illustrious father ’s footsteps. There was a time when Feroze, the younger son and also the youngest in the family, who shares the by the time he is here it is time to wear love for animals with his mother, wanted to be a veterinary surgeon. Then a vet talked him out of it, told him of jeans and a blue T-shirt, which evi- he would starve. The Soonawalla children have obvi ­ ously taken over the household chores. Jenai ordered cups of coffee (so that we the family, could keep awake till Dr Soonawalla _____ „„ returned home) and generally played the family waiting, I asked, the gracious hostess, Kamal was evi- < .................. - - - - vir1#^O ic rlz-xilA/v £ 4-1. 95 rush to answer an an executive post in the Women ’s Hoc- "f?“ '*“"8 ' emergency, and quite often, a false key Federation of India. ” In fact both :Xwer.^'eXs hXd tlS -<* "> to watch the video, I wondered.... aloud. Oh, when he wants to watch some ­ thing badly, he finds the time, ” Ms Soonawalla said. “He either gets up early in the morning or sits up late in J tlff, ill |,^|s / I’ ’ It Illi fS^ ( taped the Olympic highlights on the have to rush off to « , . ii 1 h i I L»- i I, i{ ij i] .=} ¦ ? I ! <1 '.<1 ¦‘jl* H'" r* ' )!>. * n ' I ^8 IMi T* LSio > I, ill K J i MV ,1 w rjw'M'iii I jtjr f'! M'" Family get-together: (left to right) Dr Burjor Banaji, daughter Jenai, ion Feroze, wife Piloo, Dr Soonawalla and daughter Kamal. The photographer wanted him to wears off very fast, ” he said matter-of- wear something comfortable, what he factly. wore around the house. “He comes But I was more interested in the home so late and leaves so early, that wife ’s reaction. C^d it not make her jeal- y -b,, t , i.„ u__- .X.. . J having a particularly good- only his pyjama suit, ” observed Jenai. looking husband, always in the com- The doctor, however, got into a pair pany of women (so what if all the . \ ----- - women are pregnant) could be quite a .) dently was unusual for him. I could risk. Was that, the reason why she had notice that from the expressions of taken such care to maintain her figure ' amusement on the faces of the rest of and continue to look so attractive? Ms Soonawalla laughed: “I was a drill Did he ever feel guilty about keeping teacher, I taught PT at the St Joseph ’s fo,v,.i„ T ..Qf Convent in Bandra and later at the course, ” he said, “and I feel even more English High School in Dadar. I was an executive post in the Women ’s Hoc- wears off very fast, ” he said matter-of- But I was more interested in the OUS. I mean having a particularly good ­ looking husband, always in the com- , husband and wife used to play hockey had a party at home and as it is I walked before marriage, though not for the in very, very late. Then the phone rang same team. They were also neighbours and one of my patients summoned me, at the Dadar Parsi Colony and had thus so I rushed off to find there was nothing grown up together. wrong and the patient could have And we talked about the children, waited till morning. ” four children of a doctor who attends U O’" up late in “And yet he screams if we so much as international seminars on family plan- the night and watches it by himself. He try to put the phone off the hook, ” said ning. “He ’s very ashamed of that ’’said IS getting cassettes of the latest Kamal. Dr Soonawalla negated that — Ms Soonawalla. “In fact when anv- advances in medicine and surgery all “It is not done in a doctor ’s house. ” body asks him how many children he the time Jenai said. I have seen the tantrums some immi- has, he says ‘two ’loudly and then adds Then the doctor walked m and the —*’----- ¦"'------- tt_ .. , , . . . .. j family was complete. He apologized, profusely, though I am not quite cer ­ tain whether the 'apologies were ____,______ directed to me or the family. “There And how did he react wheil bis patients were some out-of-town patients who - ¦• • • • • had to catch a train or flight, I forget which, back tonight and I just couldn ’t leave earlier. ” 36 Parsiana October 1984 1 5 In fact, when any- U' It is not done in a doctor ’s house. I have seen the tantrums some immi ­ nent mothers throw. How did he man- ‘of each sex ’ under his breath. ” age to keep his cool? “He is a very hot- : ___ __________ tempered man, said Ms Soonawalla, delivering an address at an interna- 6i' 9^ There is a story about Dr Soonawalla patien^only with his patients. ” tional seminar in Korea, when, in the | u™. j.jI middle of his talk, he received a tele- 1 fell in love with him, as all patients fall gram from home announcing the birth in love with their doctors? “Yes, that of his fourth child. The delegates 1 sort of thing does happen once in a wanted to know what the cable was while, but It IS a passing phase and it about, the doctor naturally did not tell. 1 ¦iI 4 « TT W I5r And there is another stray which shows that having a famous gynaecologist in the house is not quite so handy. Dr Soonawalla has delivered only one of his four children, his third child and eldest son. The other children were delivered by other doctors. When Kamal, the second daughter, was born, he was in London, studying for his FRCS, and did not see her till a full year-and-a-half later. What about the time he delivered his son? Was he tense? “No, not at all, said the doctor. “I was only a little nerv ­ ous about what the child was going to be, since we already had two girls. In those days, there was no wav of determining the sex of the child in auvance. ” Dinner was served at the family din ­ ing table. “On the very second day of our marriage Rusi made me promise never to wait for him for dinner, ” Ms Soonawalla said. “Of course, he is a very easy husband. Unlike some hus ­ bands he doesn ’t fuss about the steam ­ ing food and fresh chapattis. I just leave his food on the table and he eats it, whatever time he comes home. ” Sunday is the only day the Soonawal ­ las have their meals together, though, no doubt, he is on call on Sundays also. But, when there is no emefgency, and there are a few Sundays like that, he drives his family to his in-laws ’place at Dadar where they lunch together. Then he takes them out for dinner. The only other time the family spends to ­ gether is when the doctor takes his holi ­ days, which is once in two years and which often extends to once in three and four years. Bringing other people ’s children in the world is evidently hard work and occupies all his time. Though proud of his children and their achievements in school and college, he rarely sees their report cards and has not been able to take much interest in their studies. “I have done all that, ” says Ms Soona ­ walla. Now it is his turn. He wanted both the boys to be doctors and they are in medical college. So there will be two more Doctor Soonawallas soon. And, depending on what branch of medicine they take, they may soon be bringing more chil ­ dren into the world. Which is not such a bad thing. ... as long as a large family is a happy family and a Soonawalla fam ­ ily. Text .and photographs reprinted with permission from Savvy. September, 1984. a »9 With Compliments From EMPIRE ESTATE Liberty Building 41/42 Marine Lines Bombay 400020 37 Parsi^a October 1984F f - F !¦ with each other An interview with Farida and ghazal king, Pankaj Udhas rnance right down to ghazal performances helps with his publicity which^i keeps an eye on the ticket sales? i i : ?* r ey'ersirrs firi,™:eo;r thing about her has a touch of class. Pe Pankaj ’s^uc^es^An ’ u ^ariaa is ** — - • • < i allKaJ S success tO nlS wifc incIllHino T4irvk c ua i . ----------- 1 shmmering Pankaj himself, Farida ¦ “'8'' It ’s nice that he difficult to do * - after you ’ve become appreciate his saying it. ” Farida Udhas does much just providing the moral it Iler arrival dressed in t ’ ‘ swathes of sequins at her husband ’s ghazal performances or be it her well- kept home at Asha Mahal on Nowroii Gamadia Road. She is Farida Udhas nee Variava, the woman behind ghazal king Pankaj Udhas. ’F ='~ Fs .he moral support. When we me,, Pan- are perfee, ’ for eaeh ghaza? pe-rfo,: (( smiles and says, accepts it because it ’s so for men especfelly a success. •'j in some more than support. She sorts out his fan •v B we met, Pan- makes sure that his clothes 9 I Iiiaiivc Figni Gown to a cont shawl, accompanies him on ghazal performances out of B and India even to the recording si helps with his publicity which ir putting posters at select outle keeps an eye on the ticket sales. Farida also helps Pankaj scl various concerts, makes sure th floral decorations on the stage an well at certain concerts, attends personal appearance before he aj on stage, oversees that her hu and his musicians get hot tea duri interval, and she reminds him things that he tends to forget. product of St. A J ¦ Fl at Clare Road after of Comn When I was doing my inter, I de to get a job because I was indepen 1 minded, ” says Farida. “I joined J Airlines',' --- ’ was doing commerce. I and a half then. 1 lines for every department there. I learned . ----------in 1 perff^t. So whatever 1 did, 1 did fectly. Which is why I would everything about Pankaj to be feet. He ’s not particularly both about anything except his singir which he ’s perfect. ” As Farida speaks, Pankaj sits 6y passes funny little voce. Sometimes Farida ignores th fight a lot, ” says Pankaj with an i“ ¦ — ¦ on loving, giving, sharing and'urn inter-caste marriage can work bea fully because Pankaj is a Gujarati Farida a Parsi. accounting department s 1 was sevei was with Japan seven years and work< comments j 9 •ft Farida and Pankaj: ‘provide moral support’ MParsiana October 1984 sometimes she rises to the bait. ‘ fight a lot, ” says Pankaj with an en ing smile. Theirs is a relationship bi on loving, giving, sharing and uc; standing, a perfect example of hov fully because Pankaj is a GujaratT Farida a Parsi. ' After £apan Airlines I joined India as an air-hostess, ” says Fari “Pankaj and I married secretly on F ruary 11, 1982, because I had finished my four years with Air In< We had met in 1979 at Madan j Feroza. Kalra ’s place. Madan used teach me maths and Hindi in school a later on- our friendship develop because he coached my sister Kai mira. Pankaj came there as th friend. ” “I never used to like Ms Udi then, ” says Pankaj. “She damn frank and always van She even refused tQ come out with r on Christmas pwe; Later on I disc vered that she felt ^he hadn ’t be< was sma won at canV taklr^ me for Farida. That was Christmas eve. Pan ­ kaj and Farida saw the New Year .of 1980 in together. “In 1983, I stopped flying, ” says Farida. “I hated it because I would be but for 15 days, then Pankaj would be out for 15 days for his concerts. When could we meet? ” But that meant giving up a career. Didn ’t that upset her in anyway? “No I keep myself occupied, ” replies Farida. “I like looking after a home, I don ’t feel useless doing it. I p don ’t see any harm in looking after a home. Of course, I also help Pankaj. I suppose if I felt really useless I could always help my dad. ” Farida ’s father, Cavas Variava if a retired superinten ­ dent of police and now owns Securicor, the security agency. Farida and Pankaj talk about the problems they faced when they decided to get married. “We had a lot of has ­ sles, ”.says Farida. “We had hassles till two days before the marriage because we didn ’t know if anyone would turn up. But it didn ’t matter because we didn ’t care. Maybe my parents objected because he was a ghazal singer, maybe his people objected . J ' L b bemuse I antair-hostess. ” We had a 45 minutes wedding with H ; Arya Samaj rites at the Jade Room of the Taj, ” reminisces Pankaj. “Around a hundred people attended, aU family. 1 .' kept telling the pandit to speed if up so i h * I! ¦I that we could get on with the celebra ­ tions. ” And what will Farida do once the ghazal craze abates a little? “There will always be something to do because Pankaj will probably go into music direction which I don ’t think he ’s too bad at considering that he ’s been far more successful than other ghazal artistes venturing into the film music direction field. Right now Pankaj has already sung and directed music for Agni Dah, Jawab, Kamla, Zindagi Jeene Ke Liye Hain, and an untitled one. Now he ’s doing the music for a film made by Deepak Duggal with Naseeruddin Shah and the remake of a Tamil film Uchakattam produced by Nawani and starring Om Puri. ” Farida ’s favourite ghazal singers “be ­ sides my husband ” are Mehdi Hassan and Bhupinder. And her favourite ghazals on Pankaj ’s new double album Live ai Royal Albert are Rone Ka To Alam and Deewaron Dar Se. Reprinted from Mid-Day, August 28, 1984. 39 Parsiana October 1984 SIANA BOOK OF IRANIAN NAMES The Iranian names of boys and girls along with their meanings which originally appeared in Parsi ­ ana have now been reprinted in an attractive 24 page booklet. The book, which is priced at Rs. 9 is available on sale at: * Faredoon and Burjor Sandalwood Shop, Princess Street. * H.L Rochat & Co, (Next to Roneo Vickers) Navsari Chambers, Ground Floor, 39 A.K. Nayak Marg (Bastion Road), Bombay - 400 001. I' 1 ¦ 1 Write to: Parsiana G.P.O. Box 892, Bombay 400 001. Phone: 268730. For a liberal point of view subscribe to Kaiser-E-Hind Fill out the application form and mail along with your payment to Kaiser-E-Hind, 300 Perin Nariman Street, Fort, Bombay 400 001. Annual subscription Rs. 10. Cheques to be made in favour of Kaiser-E-Hind. Add Rs. 4 for outstation cheques. ? 1 year subscription for Rs 10 ? Cheque enclosed (sub + Rs 4) ? Money order sent ? Send first issue by V.P.P. Send me ? 3 year subscription for Rs 25 NAME ADDRESS CITY PIN CODE STATE AND COUNTRY i -'I 11 e I ' f -'3 'Si § . 9 I <»r< T .r f s f;v i-‘ . f K'" t,- f- 't,' ‘.f . Duke’s: The First Tango Deepa Arora To venture into the intensely competi ­ tive and cutthroat arena of soft drink production and sales these days would seem to require either guts or vision. The immensely successful launch and take off of Tango, a fruit-based, orange flavoured drink by Duke ’s, proves that the olc^st soft drink manufacturing unit in the country had plenty of both . Of the half dozen new drinks launched in the market in the last couple of years, many • - ----- ------vt a trace, un- compa- < take off of Tango, a fruit-based, orange flavoured drink by Duke ’s, proves that the olc^st soft drink manufacturing unit in the country had plenty of both . Of the half dozen new drinks launched in the 1 ' ¦ • ¦ have disappeared without c able to compete with the giant nies for the thirsty public. “We spent over a year test marketing Tango and carefully planning its launch, says Dinshaw Pundole, scion of the family that owns the company since it was started in 1889. “That ’s pro ­ bably why four months after its launch on April 1 this year, our problem has not been sales but stepping up produc ­ tion to meet the tremendous demand in the market, ’ ’ he says proudly. Known primarily for Mangola and Lemonade, besides the legendary Duke ’s Soda (probably the oldest in the region), the company also manufac ­ tures other drinks like Raspberry, Ginger, and King Cola, none of which have ever been marketed as aggressively as Tango. In fact the company itself has been known as a rather conservative, low profile unit that in all its years of existence has never indulged in the ag ­ gressive, promotional tactics that are an intrinsic part of the soft drink industry. “It was after we set up our new bottl ­ ing plant in 1981 that we realised we marketing strategy —by concentrating 1------------------ n. .... says Pundole, who along with his tory. ’’ •7 ' ^-1 '>J f*J 'h '*1 , n A r^ fe- E !•? r h '•! I*. iSBSB orange juice but our surveys proved th the larger common denominator that \ have to cater to would not accept it, says Pundole, explaining the reasoi behind their decision. “And in th field, volume is the name of the game. That ’s probably the reason why tl Pundoles are making every effort saturate the market in Bombay, curren ly the only city where the drink marketed. More than 75 trucks can i Crates to different corners of th metropolis in order to achieve that hig point of easy availability and visibilit that makes a soft drink popular an saleable. “The consumer must be ab] to get his favourite drink when an where he wants it. If he doesn ’t, he ’ll tr stay thirsty, ’’ says Pundole. Other cities will have to wait a whil before they get their taste of this syrup drink, for the Pundoles do not launching the drink immediately where unless they can cope with thii resultant increase in demand. “It ’ quite embarrassing to spend all tha money (ten lakhs) launching Tango onl; to find we can ’t cope with the increaset demand, ’’ says Pundole, revealing hov unprepared they were for the speed witl which Tango caught on with the public Future plans include an expansion ol production facilities at the factory bj the addition of another bottling plant tc the existing si», making it undisputedly the largest in thecountry. Later the Pun ­ doles also intend granting franchises to bottlers all over the country. The family 1 another ’brand. But he definitely won' Qtav thirct^z ’’ omrrs r>w.w...X^1. makes a carbonated orange, a new one alsohaveacanningunitinPoon'awhiK on long term profitability and by trying plethora. A fruit-based drink ’^aneoes and now nr^naAc mangoes and now oranges are procured on the and processed into about two lakh tins to be used later in the making of Man ­ gola and Tango. The success of this drink can also be attributed to the growing popularity of health foods in the West and the stir ­ rings of a similar health conscious move in India. More and more people are shif ­ ting away from artificially flavoured ’ ’ ¦ ¦ ! to natural products younger brother Feroze and father looks after the functioning of the bottl- ™ Chembur. B™,bav. 7/ora™S ’ mlrke?^are dash of mango juice Smce ”a^ ’; Lemonal1' “e ”SM!'Son"yZ ' '• tion left was orange. But as everybody priciate the bitter Srtastt^of rSl bonks! 40 Parsiana October 1984 Tango, which derives from the word tangerine, in other words an orange.