Mar 1990

I I 1 “J. ¦ I * h I '•'a I ?March 1990 .Volume 12 Number 9 EDITOR Jehangir R. Patel MANAGING EDITOR Arnavaz S. Mama EXECUTIVE EDITOR Parinaz M. Gandhi ASSISTANT EDITOR Roxana H. Kaka DESIGN Kranti Shilotri, Varghese Fernandez, Deborah Fernandes 3 Readers' Forum 14 Events and Personalities 21 Zoroastrians Abroad MARKETING DIRECTOR Veera Patel ADVERTISING MANAGER Zarin Mistry ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE Cheryl D Penha CHIEF EXECUTIVE Rustom Thanavala FINANCE B. L. Arora EDP Rohinton E. Daroga * CIRCULATION Behram Umrigar MANAGEMENT Minoo Patel. Jasmine Driver OFFICE Rajendra P. Nayak, Khurshid Panthaki, Patricia Lewis, i Rajalakshmi Krishnan, Bakhtavar Batliwalla, I Nowzer Batliwala L 32 Bring in the spring by Ali Jafarey 37 Adapting to future religious possibilities by Rustam Shahzadi 43 The Iranian story of triumph by Gustasp Irani 47 The name game Iranis play 54 “Making good, clear choices ” by Aspi Moddie 71 Mazda Leasing: A new lease on life by Raju Bist 77 Recipes by Bhicoo Manekshaw 85 Kanga’s novel approach ( 89 Milestones 95 In Memoriam I Cover: Symbolic depiction of Nowruz tables Parsiana is published by Jehangir R. Patel for Parsiana Publications Pvt Ltd, at C/o H.L. Rochat, Navsari Chambers, ground floor, 39 A.K.Nayak Marg, Fort, Bombay 400001 and printed by him at Parsiana Publications Pvt Ltd, C/o Kaiser-E-Hind Pvt Ltd. 300 Perin Nariman Street. Bombay 400001. Color processing. Comart Lithographers; and black and white processing, Samir Process. All rights reserved. Phone: 2048730 Fax: 2042922 For editorial jjnquiries: 2048183 Telex 11571*0 RABO IN Annual inland subscription Rs 60 for one year (12 issues); Rs 100 for two years (24 issues). Foreign subscription rates; Seamail Rs 130 for one year, Rs 245 for two years; Air mail Rs 275 for one year, Rs 525 for two years. For US cheques add $5 to cover bank charges. For Indian upcounVy cheques add Rs 4 for bank charges. Cheques and drafts are to be drawn in favor of Parsiana and posted to GPO Box 892, Bombay 400001 or C/o H.LRochat, Navsari Chambers, ground floor, 39 A.K.Nayak Marg, Fort, Bombay 400001 laLJBLXkREADERS’FORUM such natural calamities, the Parsi commu- shaws in villages or nearby towns, plying nity in general, and the Bombay and Surat handcarts for sale of food-stuffs and Parsi Punchayets in particular, have al- other provisions, learning and practising ways stood by them and have helped them the trade of diamond-cutting, etc. substantially. • Ladies who are capable may be trained The World Zoroastrian Organisation in typing, stenography, secretarial work, took keen interest in their problems and sewing, stitching, etc and for this pur- together with the Surat Parsi Punchayet pose, they may be provided temporary made a socioeconomic survey of the ru- accommodation facility. ral Parsis of South Gujarat. The survey • Those who are too old, weak and inca- work was entrusted to Ms Kashmira pable to undertake any work may be pro- Bhaya (now Bharucha) who was know- vided adequate stipendiary help. ledgeable in the field of social work and was connected with the Maharaja Sayaji additional incomes, it is intended that the Rao University of Baroda. Ms Bhaya ’s beneficiaries, instead of becoming com- report has already received adequate pletely dependent on outside help will, publicity. She has estimated the expenses wherever possible, contribute their small required to implement her suggestions to mite also towards the new ventures. The be about Rs 84 lakhs. According to her help will therefore be, as far as possible, analysis, assistance is required for 687 in kind instead of cash. families in 206 villages of Surat, Bhar ­ uch and Valsad districts in the direction plan with an annual budget of the order of house repairs, repayment of debts, of Rs 10 to Rs 12 lakhs per annum but it and additional stipendiary help. is possible that with wise and economical The Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian utilization of funds, a total amount of Rs Anjumans of India has taken a positive 60 lakhs to Rs 70 lakhs may prove ade- interest in this report and, with a view to quate. If funds are not forthcoming in suf- . arrive at a definite action program, it has ficient amounts, the period of the plan Readers ’ views mwetcome on any subject of appointed a committee consisting of Dr Interest to the community and should be sent to the Editor, Readers* Forum, Parslana, G.P.O. Box 892, Bombay 400 001. Letters are subject to editing for reasons of space and i clarity. Unsigned letters or those without a I complete addreas wM not be pubUahed. t________________________________ Oh ... ¦li t ¦> *** A * i:: pl :K Rt' In providing finances for generating It is proposed to make this a five-year may have to be extended to seven to 10 Sam Bhacca,. president, Surat Parsi years. Punchayet as the convener with Mr Dara Deboo (Navsari) and Mr Rustom Ankle- charity trusts and funds, anjumans and saria (Bombay) as its members. This associations and their trustees and office- committee has further coqited Mr bearers all over the world as well as to all Rohinton Davierwalla (Sanjan), Mr -H. charity-minded individuals to extend Homawalla (Bharuch) and Mr J. F. their helping hand and to donate gener- Chavda (Valsad), as members. ously to assist us in this endeavor to alle- The above committee has held four viate the suffering of the poor Parsis of We appeal to the benevolence of all The Parsis of Gujarat ! In the past, the majority of Parsis of [ Gujarat used to live fairly comfortably in meetings in Surat and has made the fol- Gujarat. villages and their main occupations were lowing suggestions: The following donations have already ' agriculture and businesses in liquor, • To initially defer the help required to been promised to us for the first year of toddy and transportation. With the intro- wipe off debts and repair houses — as it the plan: duction of prohibition and nationaliza- would require a very large amount of tion of the passenger transport service, funds which are presently just not avail- 2,00,000, The Surat Parsi Punchayet Rs Parsis of rural Gujarat lost two of their able — with the exception of those facing 2,00,000, Gheyara Family Charitable main means of livelihood; furthermore, “ land legislation based txi “land to the sale, tiller ” philosophy, also hit some of them very hard on the agricultural front. Parsi farmers who have limited agri- i cultural landholdings have to face com- achieved by giving help to till the land, Punchayet, 209, Dr D. N. Road, Fort, petition from well-placed and hard-work- where feasible, by loan of tractors, provi- Bombay 400001 or Parsi Punchayet, Dr r ing farmers of other communities. They t ’___'' ____J ________ 2 L, Z__ 7 ‘ ' I have to encounter major labor problems tilizers, irrigation of lands by water from 395003. as well as the rigors of land legislations, canals, or by boring or deepening wells, and have to struggle very hard even for • Encouraging those who have very lim- survival at the time of natural calamities ited or no land and a large family to start like floods or droughts. At the time of all poultry-farming, dairying, plying rick- The Bombay Parsi Punchayef Rs imminent house collapse or property Trust Rs 20,000. Cheques stating the purpose may be • To promote activities which would help drawn in the name of ‘Parsi Punchayet those in need to generate more income Bombay ’ or ‘Parsi Punchayet Surat ’ and and to be self-supportive. This would be may be sent respectively to the Parsi sion of improved seeds, manure and fer- J. Lashkari Marg, Shahpoie, Surat DrASPIGOLWALLA Chiiimm, Bombay Parsi Punchayet, and President, Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India DrSAMBHACCA President, Sunt Parai Punchayet, and Vice President, Federation of Parsi Zoioastrian Anjumans of India 1 t i t 3 Parslana March 1990Celebrate Navroze at Railway Refreshment Room Railway Hotel Bldg R. M. Roy Road Bombay 400004 PERMIT ROOM BEER PARLOUR RATAN SURVEYOR & Co. ENGINEERS, CONTRACTORS &R.C.C. SPECIALISTS Builders of repute for construction work of good quality Piramal Mansion Dr Dadabhoy NaorojI Road, Fort, Bombay 400001 Phone 2619670 “Jamshed Pavri... Regarding the late Parsi ‘akabar ’ Mr Jam­ shed Pavri (“Jamshed Pavri: The nurtur ­ ing of a community, ” Parsiana, Novem ­ ber 1989), his wife Roda writes, “He worked for the good of humanity till his last day.” Jamshedji was in regular correspon ­ dence with us so that my husband Dara and I knew all about his spirited work on behalf of the Zoroastrian community, Nariman: married at a late age even prior to my visiting Vancouver in 1982. Just as I had imagined, I found tual error that has crept mto an article on Jamshedji full of typically Parsi generos- Khurshed Nanman by Dm ity, immense goodwill and bubbling with from an article ui \ The T^irr^s of of S^Ausiasm on every occasion he could September 1, 1989 (“Nanman Makes a * • l_ Tfc * _____ — — — ¦ LIWU1 find to serve the community, both Parsi and Irani (in fact the human community at large.) After my brief stay with the Pavris, Jamshedji continued even more frank correspondence. Writing in his fine — hand, he often discussed the activities of his life. He had mamed at a late age (I overseas communities, particularly of belike hisjvife British Columbia, the matters relating to I.L Z. r: :: . “ " his large collection of rare Gujarati and Bombay and former chaimm of me English books and how to place them for Bombay Parsi Punchayet) and had chil- maximum utility, and of course his desire dren. ke « m. meota to complete his book on the Parsis of the In his last letter to us dated September man (nee^ Boman-Behram) J"®"' 15, 1989. Jamshedji said that 80 percent c.' "' ” of his book was probably complete and “Now I have to write on two or three families, then Anjuman matters, one ’----- . ..' v v’ chapter each on Singapore and Shanghai petitive to survive in New York, — there were court cases i.—--------j ------------- . ., .. ... r knows anything about them. He grieved Mr Etach Munshi, presi^nt of the over the accidental death of his pet dog, Zoroastrian Association of G^ter New literally ‘man ’s best friend. ’ He also re- York (ftarsiana, October 1989), may I lated with deep concern the various com- add that the differences between the^Ira- munity tasks, now in the hands of nian Zoroastrians and the Paras of New younger ‘---------- — as the Federation (FKANA). I had replied to him in November be- „ „ fore my setting out for a visit to India and cations. Differences, if not earned to a as promised therein, on arriving in Bom- etimn- bay prayed for his tandarusti at a fire ­ temple; then not knowing that his peace ­ able soul had left the earthly vestment! . It was part of a fitting tribute that the feet that “The Iranis shy away because organizers of the recent Fifth World of difficulties with the EngUsh l^guage. Zoroastrian Congress, together with the Besides they have grown up the audience, paid homage by standing in si- confines of Islamic culture. Thisi is a lence in the pious memory of Mr Jam­ shed Pavri, a Zoroastrian son who has v* -i. ?( L Pavri (left): immense goodwill Khurshed Nariman by Dara Kadva, edited Point, ” Parsiana, October 1989). It is stated therein “A bachelor all his life, Nariman died in 1948.” It may be categorically stated that the late Mr Nariman was not a bachelor all Mr B. K. Boraan-Behram, e:i mayor of Bombay and former chairman of the Nagpur [Parsiana apologizes to Ms Maneck Nari- — . . • . . > • children Zarine and Cawas -- Editor] ‘We’ve got to be...” With reference to “We’ve got to be com- • - =_ KT-... an and noWy interview of Ms Amavaz S. Mama with ‘akabars ’ of the Society as well York is regrettable and we all hope that these would eventually be resolved through goodwill and friendly communi- ----- ¦" ¦ ’ *- 1 dangerous point, are sometimes stimu ­ lants, and we all have our petty quarrels. But the point I want to make is on the statement made by Mr Munshi to the ef- general statement concerning a delicate oi.vM » -________ — ____ matter. The language barrier still exists. J bequeathed the community with a legacy But the younger generation is as conver- ; of good works. matter. The language barrier still exists. 4 Parslana March 1990 Dr (Ms) JER RANDERIA Durban “Nariman makes a Point” I must draw your attention to a grave fac- sant with English as any Parsi resident of America could be. Those who have re ­ sided here for a decade or so can well understand the language and can easily join in a conversation. It is the new immi-“Lift out of order again** “Call Concord** “We don’t want a new lift** “Concord services old lifts 99 “But ours is ancient** “Concord converts them to electronic elevators** “Our push buttons are missing** “Concord installs vandal proof self- illuminating touch buttons** “Our doors don*t open and close** “Concord “Wedon*t can make them have a automatic** liftman** “Concord uses the latest technology, minimum maintenance** “This calls for a celebration** ‘'Just call Concord** CONCORD ELEVATOR Telephone 2041830 2047460 CON CORD Maintained & Supplied by Zaina Electric & Mechanic Works Prospect Chambers Annexe, 2nd fl D.N. Road, Bombay 400001 grant who finds it difficult to express him or herself. But these newcomers are so far not involved in the socioreligious politics which have divided and plagued the community. One of the causes for petty differences in mixed gatherings is not the culture. It is die lack of mutual knowledge. The Ira ­ nians wonder why Parsis have become completely Indianized so much so that they have forgotten their mother tongue Persian, given up the Iranian mode of life, and know little of the glorious history and culture of their mader-e vatan Iran. (The Iranians think so particularly because they see how small ethnic pockets of Armeni ­ ans and Assyrians in Iran and other coun ­ tries including the United States have well preserved their languages and cultural tra ­ ditions — and so far I have not heard that any of their non-Iranian coreligionists has blamed them for being under the Islamic culture.) On the other hand, the Parsis have their own notions about Iranis. When some of the Parsis whom I met dur ­ ing my Orst visit to India came to know that I did not speak Gujarati and did not wear a.sari, they doubted my being a Zoroastrian! To them, a person could only be a Zoroastrian if he or she was as Indianized as they were. I had to explain to them that it was the religion that bound us together and not the mode of speaking and dressing. That was long ago. Fortu ­ nately, now many of the barriers have come down and we know more about each other. But what grieves me is to hear an ex ­ perienced and responsible person of the New York Zoroastrian community make a statement that would line him up with those who know very little about Iranian Zoroastrians and the Iranian history. Mr Munshi, who “despite about 20 years in the US... maintains his Indian citizenship, considers himself Indian first, Parsi second and Zoroastrian third, ” should know that the Iranian Zoroastrians have lived under incredible duress for 1,400 years to remain both Zoroastrians first and Iranis first because to them these two terms are synonymous. They have maintained all their religious customs and traditions — navjote, gaham- bar, roj and mah, muktad, nowruz, sadeh, memorial of the martyrs who fell before the Arab onslaught, and many more — so much so that it is the Parsis in America who wonder why they do not observe so many festivals as do the Iranians and some “think ” these observances are Is­ lamic! 6 Parslana March 1990( I With compliments of Star lite Electrical Works •5^ Electrical Engineers & Contractors 104, Shree Hanuman Ind Estate 42 B, G D Ambekar Marg Bombay 400031 9 Parsiana March 1990 As far . as the dslamic culture is con ­ cerned, may I make it clear that the Arabs of the desert who invaded and occupied Iran were far inferior in refined culture than the Iranians. They did not possess any cultural superiority to unpose on the Iranians. Moreover, like most of the lightening invaders, they were a minute minority and remained so until they were dissolved into the Iranian milieu. They had taken possession of a highly rich em­ pire and they wanted to keq» it Fired by their faith, all they wanted was to impose their religion and this tfiey did through force and concession. The Iranians, who formed more than 95 perrent of the popu ­ lation, changed their religion over some 500 years but not the culture. They re ­ tained their culture, and, as such, their identity. It is this Iranian culture that Mr Munshi calls Islamic! Had he known the fact, I am sure that he, who has been meeting Iranian Zoroastrians now for more than a decade, would not have made that statement. Furthermore, despite the common cul ­ ture with their Muslim neighbors, the Ira ­ nian Zoroastrians have all along lived in their own exclusive zones in towns and villages. We have still many villages in Yazd whose entire population is Zoroas- trian. Yet the Iranis have one quality. The more they study the Gathic prin ­ ciples, the more enlightened they be­ come, and the more they believe in the universality of the Good Religion. The Gathic teachings of continuously reno ­ vating the world (feresho-kereti) has made them quite progressive. If the Par ­ sis see Iranian priests performing jashan on chairs and at tables, inviting non- Zoroastrian friends to their festivals, admitting some in their dar-e mehers, taking to aramgahs, or giving up nirang and taro, they should know that it has not been under any Islamic influence, but only recently and after modem studies of the Gathas and understanding Asho Zarathushtra ’s teachings. The point Mr Munshi forgot to men ­ tion in his interview is the new spirit ob ­ served among our youth. Irani and Parsi young men and women, brought up in the free American environment, are meeting and cooperating more than ever Let us read the reports on our youth con ­ gresses and conferences being held in North America and learn from our youth that we diehard grownups too can ac ­ commodate each other. Let us join them in being competitive and progressive Burjor Framji & Co. Licensed Plumbers Sanitary & Drainage Contractors MARINE MANSION 1ST MARINE STREET BOMBAY 400002. TELEPHONE; 313207 JMost of the development of this town was done by our grandfathers. Now the Syria vast private properties are being disposed of. Loath to see my family property of four generations meeting the same fate, feel proud of the “glory that was the I was particularly interested in the report we opened the small S. B. Jal Primary Zoroastrian Iran. ’’ That will merge the on the Zoroastrian Youth Congress School in one of our buildings in 1987. Iranis and Parsis into one force, strong (“Coming to terms, ” Parsiana, Novem- It has caught on well, but now we face enough to spread the message of Zara- ber 1989). Yes, it is a fact that Parsi girls the problem of space: our old buildings thushtra far and wide. do not want to marry outside of Bombay, need repairs, specially the roofs. This MsFARANGiSK-SHAHROKH For them bahar gam (out of town) means must be the problem in most of the old Anaheim, California, USA “Jokhi’s donation to PGH” It was with great pleasure and satisfac ­ tion that I learnt of the donation of Rs 1 .S crores by the late Seth Shapoorji F. Jokhi tourist map of the world and my cousin to Bombay ’s B. D. Petit Parsee General there is working in a bank. Hospital (“Events and Personalities, ” Parsiana, October 1989). This is a noble and very foresighted act on the part of a generous Zoroastrian, for I believe that that ‘You have to do your own growing, when our numbers reduce in the middle of the next century, it will be institutions such as the Petit Hospital which will see the last of the community pass through have a dokhma and an agiary with a big In “Coming to terms, ” (Parsiana, No ­ ils corridors to the towers of silence. At compound to prove it. At present the vember 1989) I was surprised to read that that time it will be through donations community is dying out and we are a one of the speakers at the Third All India such as this that the remainders of our I once mighty community will find succor i and comfort in their ultimate hour of need. dtardesiiirb .damania enough not merely to survive in New York but to grow and prosper in this vast and varied land of prosperity. At the same time, let us study with more passion our deep roots in culture and tradition and VOming lO terms do not want to marry outside of Bombay. For them bahar gam (out of town) means Dubai or Kuwait. I personally know of Parsi buildings in mofussil areas, for three boys who had to marry non-Parsis buildings don ’t migrate. because girls were not willing to settle in the towns of Neemuch and Udaipur, your magazine, get together in mutual Now, Udaipur is a beautiful place on the cooperation? If other people could emu ­ late the late Mr Shapurji Jokhi of Hong Kong and donate for the upkeep of these One of the most negative aspects of buildings, they could be used as institu- our community is that we are living on tions for the benefit of all communities, our past glory, not yet having realized The property would remain with the community and be looked after and be made good use of. Ms soonu jal Neemuch no matter how tall your grandfather was. ’ Neemuch once boasted of a big and well-placed Parsi community and we i I:::: Why can ’t we, through the columns of community is dying out and we are a handful left. Our children are already Zoroastrian Youth Festival from Novem- citizens of Bombay. ber 3-5,1989 told the youngsters that our With Best Compliments When In Bombay Contact iii iHhihHihhhHhiHiHiihilhilHIilhliilHiilihh I; i: ri ii; iSSSgSii LEACH &WEBORNY For attending to your laundry. They are Launderers & Dyers of repute. They will also attend to your carpets for cleaning or dyeing. * ie * 1 11 Parslana March 1990 66, Off E. Moses Road,Worli, Bombay 400018 Phone: Head Office 274294 Factory: 4924384,4925644 i:X 16 I A* which mislead other innocent Zoroastri- ASPIK. RAO Bakhtavar an4 Tehmas Byramji: captivating cordiality gratis. Bakhtavar, who had her schooling and college life at Solapur, assisted her hus ­ band at the eye hospital, and served on the Would any Parsiana reader know the managing committee of the Zoroastrian Stree Mandal for many years. The couple is survived by their sons, Sherzad, Ariz and Firdaus. Ms HAVOVIK. PATEL Secunderabad community needs more intermarriages for a shot of fresh blood, and that intra ­ marriages within the community will breed a race of infirms and mental re ­ tards. I do not exactly know what the speaker had in mind when making such exhortations to youngsters. Was he im­ plying that non-Parsi blood is superior to that of Parsis, or whether his own prog ­ eny (if any) out of intermarriage was of ans. better stock? Such irresponsible state ­ ments are bound to misguide and mislead InformHtlOn, plCdSC young minds. No wonder one young par ­ ticipant, who was vociferously clamoring name of the lyricist of the well-known, for religious classes for the community at good old Parsi song: Chhaiye Home the same Festival, ended up with a non- Parsi husband as reported in the same is­ sue. Another girl who said “love is blind ” continued, “I might just marry about the origin of the tune, outside. ” What these youngsters don ’t jalmkorkhao realize is that they fall victims of circum ­ stance, to lust. In future, the community Ldtc Dr Tchmas Byramji must be careful that the youth festivals Some medical journals have printed ar- poet A. F. Khabardar. He was the first are not hosted by proponents and propa- • gandists of intermarriage who are eager of ophthalmic surgeon Dr Tehmas D. to foist their own provocative and contra- “ " ............................ versial views on young minds. Dr P.O. SUNAVALA Zarthosti? I believe the tune is from western mu ­ sic. Perhaps you could also enlighten us Aid to publish Khabardar In 1981 we had celebrated the birth cen ­ tenary of the great national Gujarati Parsi tides about the outstanding contribution Gujarati poet who sang and appreciated ~ ¦ ".the freedom struggle of India and wrote Byramji (52) who, together with his wife for national unity, selfless service, sacri- Bakhtavar, perished in an aircrash near Pune on September 23, 1989. Bom in 1936 in Hyderabad, Dr Byr ­ amji ’s bright academic career culmi ­ nated in his winning the gold medal for fountain of inspiration for high values and his masters degree in ophthalmology ideals. His parodies in Gujarati are sec- from the Osmania University. After a ond to none. He wrote many good Eng- few years of field experience under the lish poems also which are appreciated by English critics and poets. He wrote on the Gathas in English as well as in Gujarati. A favorite poet, he often received Initiated as a small eye clinic, in the Gandhiji ’s help. On his birth century, we had published the PhD thesis A. F. Khabardar's fice, non-violence, truth and independ ­ ence. In these present days of class and caste, of wars of clashing self-interest, his poems are of much importance and a “Shirdi ke Homi Baba” Being a Zoroastrian, Mr Homi Dadi-Bar ­ jor should be ashamed of dragging in other Zoroastrian worshippers by his nar ­ rations about Sai Baba in dreams and other praise which is difficult to believe guidance of Dr Rustom D. Ranji, he es- (“Shirdi kd Homi Baba, ” Parsiana, Oc- tablished his own clinic in 1972, in Se- tober 1989). By this he is diverting other cunderabad. innocent Zoroastrian minds and some of our community people are such that they course of a decade it grew to include a fall prey to chamatkars (miracles) and large scale eye hospital containing full- other beliefs. Sai Baba was a simple and fledged units of optometry and equipped Poetry — a study in Gujarati by Prof Dr noble man who was helpful to all but he with the latest surgical facilities includ- was not a god-avtaar. This craze has ing the capability of handling intra-ocu- lar lens implant operations. Conferences, national and intema- Dharmendra M. Master (Madhuram). This is the first part of the thesis. The arisen since the last 25 to 30 years. lar lens implant operations. second part — A. F. Khabardar ’s Prose would not find any Muslims or Conferences, national and interna- —a study, is yet to be published.'There Christians bowing to any other religion tional, became a part of his life-style, are also other unpublished works of or accepting other beliefs so deeply. A Trends in recent research pertaining to Khabardar. Our aim is to publish them, man should follow only one religion — eye treatment held a tremendous fascina- We have got the cooperation of the religion in which he is born. Giving tion for him, specially with the hope of Khabardar ’s granddaughter Ms Manek • respect to other religions is a different making it available to his patients. matter from bowing entirely to it which is a sin in the eyes of our prophet. What perament, his qualities of care and com- is pre-ordained by Dadar Ahura Mazda passion towards his fellowmen have been by cheque or draft to the undersigned at cannot be changed by any saint or other described by one of his patient-friends: C/875, Kesurmama Chakla, Near “He did not run a medical factory but Sankadi Sheri, Bharuch, (Gujarat State) Ph/(Dr) DHARMENDRA M MASTER Bharuch Rational In thought, scientific in tem- Khabardar for this work but we need lib ­ eral financial assistance. Kindly send your generous donations beliefs. Mr Homi Dadi-Barjor has not known operated a clinic for human beings. His 392001. the greatness of Zoroaster ’s religion, and Persian courtesy, captivating cordiality what one can achieve by faith in it. and infectious smile stand the wear and May I, therefore, request Parsiana not tear of lime. ” A number of economi- to entertain such unbelievable stories cally weak individuals were treated Ediied by Amavaz S. Mama 13 Parham March 1990Events and Personalities gram where the rates applicable are Ratanjee Patel Charitable Trust (S. R. double. Patel Trust). Later, the joint charity The credit for getting the Navroz commissioner P. V. Kakade ruled that greeting included in the list of standard only 5,332.66 square yards of the prop- ¦ ¦ _ erty on which Dastur Hall stands be- Canteenwala of Lucknow, acknowledges longed to the S. R. Patel Trust and the the telecommunications department. In rest was the private property of Dastur Hormuzdiar. tion for the interest taken by (him).” While allowing the appeal against the Though the Delhi office informs that ruling of the joint charity commissioner, the subordinate units have been in- the additional district judge observed: structed “to give wide publicity to the “Since the order(s) passed by the joint new greeting phrase, ” the Navroz greet- charity commissioner are in question and ing text was not visible on the display since we arc yet to decide the appeal...it Navroz telegram A message in English, “Heartiest greet ­ ings on Navroz, ” or in Devanagari as _ “Navroz ki shubh kaamnaae, ” can now greetings-telegrams should go to R. E. be conveniently transmitted via a tele ­ gram. The Government of India ’s de­ partment of telecommunications has their letter, they express their “apprecia- made special provisions for the inclusion *• '*** i'- » of this message in the list of standard phrases used in greetings-telegrams as per their notification dated January 31, 1990. The latest addition io the existing list „ ... of telegram messages, the Navroz greet- boards at CTO, Bombay until April 25, would be hazardous to reject these ing is numbered ‘40.’ The benefit from 1990. applications...at this premature stage. ” this inclusion is in terms of cost saving, TTiis, he felt, was in itself ground enough explains a representative of the Central Dastlir Hall: Round HI for a temporary injunction against further Telegraph Office (CTO) in Bombay. Whose land is it anyway? The ownership development of the property. The sender would pay for the four-word of Dastur Hall, Poona, still remains unre- He noted that the joint charity com- Navroz greeting at the rate applicable for solved as the city ’s VII additional district missiono- relied exclusively on the docu- one word. Thus the total word count of judge D. S. Jamkhedkar allowed an ap- ment of July 2, 1884 to arrive at the ver- the telegram would be lower by three peal against the joint charity commis- diet that the disputed land was not part of words. This is permitted because the sioner ’s ruling that the property is the the S. R. Patel Trust but had been trans ­ number corresponding to the greeting- private estate of Dastur Hormuzdiar N. ferred by S. R. Patel, the settlor of the telegram (number ‘40’ in the case of K. Dastur and not trust land. A tempo- trust, to the high priest of the fire-temple Navroz greeting) is an indicator of the rary injunction has been granted against managed by the Trust. The additional message to be relayed. Since the mini- further development of the property. district judge believed that the judgment mum charge for a telegram is Rs 3.50 for As reported earlier (“To whom does does not consider “the scope and ambit a word count not exceeding 10, plus 50 Dastur Hall belong? ” and “Decree for of the (earlier) document of 1843 which more paise for every additional word, the Dastur Hall, ” Parsiana, January and in fact decided the rights and limits of introduction of this new facility by the July 1989), Eruch M. Irani and three oth- the high priest. ” He further observed: postal department would mean a maxi- ers obtained a stay order against the sale “It appears that one hall, viz Dastur mum saving of Rs 1.50 for an ordinary of the land by Dastur on the ^unds that Hall...was allowed to be utilized by the telegram and Rs 3 for an express tele- The sender would pay for the four-word of Dastur Hall, Poona, still remains unre- sioner ’s ruling that the property is the the S. R. Patel Trust but had been trans ­ private estate of Dastur Hormuzdiar N. telegram (number ‘40’ in the case of K. Dastur and not trust land. A tempo- the property belonged to Sardar Sorabjee high priest for his residence. It is not dis­ puted. Now the question comes for our consideration as to whether this amounts to transfer of ownership to the high priest or whether he was simply allowed to reside there being a high priest. ” The * additional district judge was of the opin- H ion that if Dastur Hall was built “to main- B tain the dignity of the High Priest of the ¦ community, and now if it is allowed to be ¦ disposed of, that would (be) futile or a B setback to the wishes of the original B testator. ” B A factor that could establish the status of the property, according to the addi- B lional district judge, was the question of 1^0 14 Parsiana March 1990 ' ,'4 1(1 jjy____ Dastur Hall: ownership unresolved Li expenses and maintenance costs. “If the the Parsee General Hospital. Matushri Sabhagar on February 18, ____ - ¦ The story broke on September 8,1989 1990. “When the mainstream of swiety (the) big property were from the funds of when Afid-Day carried a front page re- .......................... expenses incurred for the maintenance of The story broke on September 8,1989 1990. When the mainstream ot society (the) big property were from the funds of when Mid-Day carried a front page re- is full of crooked people, our goal is to the Trust then there is reason to believe port entitled “Blood mismatch causes prevent this crookedness from entering that this property is held as Trust prop- death. ” The article by Latha Venka- the lives of children, ” Desai defined the erty. ” traman, based on information provided aims of the institution he had earlier led as Also taken into account was the fact by Ms Tavaria, also alleged inanipula- principal for 32 ye^s^ l j that the property on which Dastur Hall tion of the death certificate issued by the stands is classified as Clause-VII-Inam PGH. properties under the Maharashtra Reve- —---------- — —-------- ------ nue Code. ~ '-------“.L... ------- --------------------- . . -r enough to laif p. us to the conclusion that Mid-Day on September 15. Tracing the theater for its students, informed Desai, these properties were used for religious chain of events that culminated in Tav- " «.»y.inw use and were exempt from paying the aria ’s death, the Hospital ’s reply noted ance in Nasik e^lier.^ ^Phiroze ^hah^n land revenue. This would go to show . . « ai that these properties were not given to (the high priest) as his absolute proper ­ ties, ” noted the recent judicial order. The additional district judge therefore believed that if the injunction was re- — ----------------- fused, “an irreparable loss is going to be and the Gamdevi Police, under whose evening. Penaaz, who said her services - 2 , "1 would be available to Boys’Town when- official inquiry into* the alleged criminal ever required, was presented a floral trib- ”• • ’ ----------- Ute and a souvenir by the institution ’s managing trustee Behram Mehta and his death. ” The article by Latha Venka- traman, based on information provided Singing star Ms Penaaz Masani had ___ __ _ ___________________ -- performed free of charge to augment the ______________The rebuttal to the article from the School ’s funds, to enable it to provide a ‘YThis) would be sufficient PGH Administrator was published by computer, a gymnasium and a child art Penaaz had rendered a similar perform- that a complete report on the case had the harmonium, Rasi Ahmed on die tabla been submitted to the coroner who had and Nasir Ahmed on the electric guitar confirmed the cause of death given by provided a lively rhythmic base. Toohi the Hospital. m^ra dil, toohi meri jaan and Jo mer^ The Times’ story also informed that paas tha, main^ sub kuch diya, were two Ms Tavaria had written to the coroner of the many melodious offerings that believed that if the injunction was re ­ caused ” as two of the respondents are jurisdiction the Hospital falls, seeking an builders who are going to demolish Das- i “ t ____________ property. He believed that the appeal from either quarter, states the report, respondents to “maintain the status quo of Medical Council to which she has com- the property till the disposal of the ap- plained, is said to be holding a hearing, peal. ” Guiuspinni Blood mismatch The B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital (PGH) is being sued for negligence in the fish replied, ‘But I live in water! ’ Simi- Bombay High Court Though the case is ’ ' * * ’ -* yet to come up for hearing, Ms Yasmin Tavaria has petitioned for five lakh other vices. ” rupees in damages for the death of her - • - 78-year-old father Eruch Tavaria on Au- --------------------- - .. - gust 5,1989, informs r/ie r/znej o//zwZifl by Pherozeshah Mehta — was addressing fund raising project a grand succ^, of February 10, 1990. Tavaria avers that the audience at the musical soiree organ- and eminent ex-students: architect the cause of her father ’s death was the ized by the P. N. Mehta Trust at the Birla Hafeez Contractor, Rajendra Barwale, transfusion of blood belonging to a dif- , fecent blood group which led to rigors, I fever, and tripping of the kidneys result- 1 ing in a buildup of fluids within the | body. The patient is alleged to have sue- I cumbed to the resulting pressure on the | heart. I While the Hospital has not denied the j failure on the part of the pathologist on j duty to coirectly check the blood samples of donor and recepient, it has tried to place the mishap in the perspective of the man ’s advanced age, history of heart trouble and stroke and, most recently, the grevious head injury sustained in an acci ­ dent on June 24, 1989. For this last, he had initially been hospitalized at the St George ’s Hospital and thereafter at tur Hall and build a new complex on the negligence. There has been no response “deserves to be allowed ” and directed the quoting Tavaria, but the Maharashtra wifeAllu. “ Desai traced the history of the School and remembered some of the outstanding trustees of yore — Dastur Framroze Bode, Freydoon Mehta, Noshirwan Peti- gara, Rustom Sidhwa, etc. The board of Funds for Boys’ Town “A God-intoxicated Sufi told a fish, _ ‘You ’re Slinking! Go have a bath. ’ The trustees, currently chaired by industrialist ___ _ Z ‘ " “¦ Naoroji Godrej, includes Keki and larly, people can live with God all around Behram Mehta, sons of the founder, in- and yet be fouled by greed, hatred and formed Desai. Among those felicitated ¦’ that evening for their help and support Bejon Desai, secretary of Boys ’ Town were ‘ex-parents ’ Ms Hemaben and — the residential school in Nasik founded Dhircndra Mehta “for making the whole * I I Masani (center) singing at the Boys’ Town fund raising function 17 Parslana March 1990Manoj Patel, Ajit Shah and others. Arv- ind Inamdar, joint commissioner of po ­ lice, was the chief guest. Unfortunately for Desai, on the return trip to Nasik the ambassador car in which he and his wife were travelling met with an accident near Bhiwandi, informs the Jam-e-Jamshed of February 25, 1990. Desai, who sustained a fractured rib as well as injury to the head, and his wife who fractured her leg, had to be hospital ­ ized at Bombay ’s Jaslok Hospital. The car reportedly skid while swerving to avoid hitting a cyclist. Anuvaz S. Mama Epic effort rewarded Dr Bahman Surti ’s seven-volume transla ­ tion of the Shah Namah was recognized by the Naishapoor Foundation which presented him an award on November 10 last year. The Naishapoor Foundation is . involved in promoting cultural, historical Poona’s well-known book collector Jimmy Ollia (right) who donated a 1546 edition and literary activities of the ancient Ira- of Hall ’s Chronicle to The Asiatic Society of Bombay, seen felicitating Praful A. nian and Zoroastrian civilization, notes a Shah, managing director of Garden Vareli Silks, who made the highest bid of Rs ¦ press release. At a function held under 51,000for the book at the auction organized on February 23,1990. Prof D. R. Sard- Ihe auspices of the K. R. Cama Oriental esi (left), president of The Asiatic Society, looks on. To further augment funds for the Institute, eminent industrialist and Bom- library, Ollia donated two volumes of an illustrated leather-bound Bible (1794) bay Parsi Punchayet trustee Jamshed which will be raffled later Guzder presented the award to Surti. Surti, a consulting gynecologist by • Why do some Parsis never tell lies? profession who has retired as additional Because they are Mugaseths director of the medical and health serv- • Who owns Woolworths in Bombay? ices of the Government of Andhra Oon walla Pradesh, reportedly took 12 years to • Who is the only Parsi Rajput? translate the 5,994 couplets of Firdaosi ’s A Lang Rana Persian epic, the Shah Namah, into Eng ­ lish prose. The seven-volume set priced at Rs 540 including postage within India, can be bought from Marzban Giara, Dhun- mai Building, 667, Lady Jehangir Road, The Bombay University cricket team led Parsi Colony, Dadar, Bombay, 400014. by Khushroo Vasania emerged victorious _ , (Telephone 4120371). at the West Zone Inter-Varsity Cricket fi- per Super Rider, manufactured by Rumi nals, notes the Jam-e-Jamshed of Decem- Play on Parsi names ber 17,1989. The speculation on Parsi names has been given a contemporary twist by D. B. Rustomji. In a humorous piece titled “Fot what ’s in a Parsi name? ” published Kolhapur by 30 runs. The Bombay Uni ­ in the Calcutta Gavashni, November ’89- ' January ’90, Rustomji asks, “Why isn ’t of nine wickets with captain Vasania con- • violence ever mentioned in the FED let ­ ters? Because it ’s edited by Gandhi, ” Some samples of Rustomji ’s‘philology ’ of the 1990s: • Which is the most popular ABBA amongst the Parsis? Gimi Gimi Gimi • Why did Bo Derek stop at 10? Because the Parsis took on a Gyara • Name a female bingo Parsi Tamboli • Why is Parsi mail service always so strong? Because we have a Bahadur Postwalla Captain leads to victory 19 Parsiana March 1990 song collection which evoked considerable in ­ terest, it was reported. Farad D. Bhathena and his teammate Farokh Commissariat, driving a modi ­ fied Gypsy, were adjudged the overall winners of the Mcdowell Rallye D’En ­ durance, notes die Indian Express of De­ cember 8, 1989. During the four-day 1,800 km national rally they had to mainly traverse the Western Ghats terrain. In the category of mechanical toys, Stom- Homi Tangri, was awarded a prize for the Best Toy of the Year 1989 at the All- In the finals played at the Pithawalla India Toy Fair held in Calcutta, notes the Stadium, Bhimpore, near Surat, Vasania ’s Jam-e-Jamshed of March 4, 1990. The team beat opponents Shivaji University of 24-year-old started his toy manufacturing - -- venture last year under the Astroplast versity team scored 194 runs for the loss banner, tributing 43 runs to the total, adds the Minoo H. Mody, former chairman of Jame. Tata Unisys and a leading executive whose resignation from the board of Tata SPOTLIGHT_____________ _____ companies last July jolted financial and At an exhibition, “Biology through economic circles, has joined the board of stamps, ” in Madras in October last, vet- Apple Industries, notes The Independent eran authorities on philately Darabshaw of February 22, 1990. He will chair the R. Mistry and P. M. Medhora were company ’s export oriented software sub- awarded a citation and a special mom- sidiary. ento, notes a press release. The invitee section featured 17 frames from Mistry ’s company ’s export oriented software sub- Compilod by Roxana H. KakaF ZOROASTRIANS ABROAD Education aimed at changing community attitudes could lead to Zoroastrian revival, says Iranian philanthropist Meheraban Zartoshty Arnavaz S. Mama ‘‘Once youth gets educated... 9? “I enjoyed and was amazed at the rigid and the liberal more liberal, ” he toshty. Only propagation can increase youth...How they spoke with open- notes. population, he says. Zartoshty suggests mindedness! I’m an old man but I be­ lieve (them). Noted Iranian philanthropist Mehera- larly about the religion. “Once youth more children. He refers to “two groups _______ 2— _____ „ . . • - • , among Pareis “ one v«y well-to-do: God session at the Fifth World Zoroastrian knowledge of religion, (they will be has given them everything but neither notes. Zartoshty supported the recurring cry that the youth of the community be edu- I for more and better education, particu- cated and given the facilities to have I larly about the religion. “Once youth more children. He refers to ’’two groups I ban Zartoshty was referring to the youth gets educated, with open mind and more among Parsis - one v«y well-to-do: God session at the Fifth World Zoroastrian knowledge of religion, (they will be has given them everything but neither Congress where the youth speakers more wiser) to decide whether to have rituals men nor women mtury early. No mar ­ than held their own, speaking out their or not, ” he comments on the topic on riage, no children!...They should share ' mind with total candor. which the youth speakers had dwelt at with others...The other group doesn ’t length. The problem of who will propa- have the facilities. ” Referring to the gate the religious education which the community ’s attitudes, Zartoshty says, ¦ ¦ Zoroastrians “want to live well. The mains. The problem exists among all children should have a separate house to | communities, says Zartoshty. religion has different sects, beliefs, house to get married. I myself know those waiting for more than five years. ever, an integrated . approach, one that Housing is one Cause of the declining will make the community self-reliant, numbers. “ It took some persistence and persua ­ sion for Parsiana to obtain the interview with Zartoshty. Despite his munificence youth sought with such earnestness, re- all over the world in which he says he i “ . _ ... and his brother Faridoon are equally in- communities, says Zartoshty. “Every live in. Most are standing, waiting for a volved, the gentle Iranian prefers to re ­ main in the shadows. Having agreed to ideas,” he adds. He recommends, how- the interview, however, Mehcraban and < his wife Paridokht epitomized gracious will make the community self-reliant, numbers. Even then, we should not Iranian hospitality, in their room at the confident, adventurous. They must be worry about it... Taj Mahal Hotel on January 8, 1990, educated on “how to live a good life, be “ spreading fruit and sweets to “refresh ” us. “It is an Iranian custom, ” says Zar ­ toshty, “to offer sweets when people taneously there is the problem of atten- first come. ” dance when no compulsion is invoked. Flying in from Vancouver where he For example, there were 150 attending and spouses (of mixed marriages). If we “ I don’t accept, we’ll lose diem. It is die the Shah’s time. In Ayatollah Kho- mother who is ^ways taking care of meini ’s time there were 13(X)! Unfortu ­ nately, in North America, numbers are ! “though we ’re small in number we independent, have initiative...not only have a good past record... we must keq) professional education, ” he says. Simul- up our quality. I don ’t believe in conver ­ sion, because we ’re not going to gain much. We have to accept the children don’t accept, we’ll tone ^em. It is now resides, Zartoshty was one of the religious education classes in Tehran in patrons of the Congress in Bombay, un- i ~ , failing in his attendance at every session, meini ’s time there were 1,5(X)! Unfortu- children. ” But Zartoshty does not be- He found it a good gathering for ex- nately, in North America, numbers are lieve in encouraging intercommunity changing ideas, meeting one another, but dropping, he says. marriages. “Those who have nwried he was not much in favor of discussing Conversion or acceptance is not a so- iM3n-2Soroastrians/uuf proMems at the end controversial issues: “because we don ’t lution to the problem of the community ’s of life —• of religion, language, habits... get any result. The orthodox get more demographic decline, according to Zar- Conversion or acceptance is not a so- the end is not very He ad* 21 Parsiana March 1990 •ilIn Ahmedabad The CAMAis simply the best vocates lectures and books on the subject that would direct the youth to make ht^- pier choices. Zartoshty is more perturbed about the loss of independence and initiative among Parsi youth: “Everyone goes to office. Should try to be independent, in trading or business, small or big. Should not stick to Bombay - go out. Why not Surat, Navsari, Australia? Any business will be successful in India. Where there is population, there's good business. The Iranis of Dahanu are a good ex- 99 The community must be educated on how to live a good life, be independent, have initiative ” u * A Garden Hotel in the heart of the city ? Excellent Amenities ? Spacious Rooms with TV and Fridge ? MAJLIS, the Conference Room with all the facilities ? AAB-O-DAANA, invites you to a gourmet ’s delight ? RANGOLI, the only Poolside Restaurant in town ? SILVER LEAF, the Coffee Shop for the young at heart NEED WE SAY MORE Cama cares for you coma hotel Khanpur, Ahmedabad, India Tel; 25281 (9 lines) ample, according to Zartoshty, of good business as well as a growing, thriving community. “In 1933 when I was in Bombay and went for a holiday to Dahanu, there were two families there: of Merwan Irani and Rashid Shah- mardan. Merwan won gold medals for good fruits. Rashid .was studying, medi­ tating... In 1982 there were 400 families all over Gholvad and Dahanu. There was propagation and hard work. It is a healthy, rich community. This is the way to increase the community - not by conversion! ” Charity to Zartoshty is not only de­ fined in financial terms. The sharing of information amd knowledge through in dividual advice and public lectures is also charity, he says. “My brother and I do our duty towards the community in all countries, ” he says, recalling the ex ­ ample of Manekji Limji Hataria, the Parsi emissary of the Bombay based Amelioration Society, who wds sent to Iran in 1854 to report to his Indian core ­ ligionists on the conditions of Zoroastri- ans in Iran, but who remained there for the next 35 years, helping the Iranian community back on its feet. Referring to Hataria as the “savior of Iran ” and to Bombay ’s Petit family as “the backbone of the Amelioration Society ” which pro ­ vided the financial base fof Hataria ’s work, Zartoshty had noted reverently that February 15, 1990 would mark the cen ­ tenary of Hataria ’s death in Tehran. The Tehran Anjuman as well as the Council of Iranian Mobeds in North America 22 Parsiana March 1990f 1 I would commemorate the event, Zartoshty made it a point to visit Udwada and recalled the social gatherings and mutual had said. Sanjan where the consecration ceremo- help he had witnessed in his younger So far as his own philanthropy is con- nies of the new Kookadaru Dar-e-Meher days. Living in the “dastur area of cemed, Zartoshty believes it is not so dif­ ficult to pay money as to use it wisely Zoroastrian College which is also a- and was appreciative of the working of building in Sanjan, Zartoshty compli- different in the Zoroastrian pockets, he the trusts and organizations to which he mented the president of the College and recalls. During ghambars, a l^ge loaf of had donated. Happily, the CER-HOME Mazdayasnie Monasterie Ms Meher bread, three or four different kinds of (Committee for Economic Revival ’s House Our Mobeds Endeavour), a scheme to which he had contributed sub ­ stantially, was close to completion dur ­ ing his short stay and a thanksgiving jashan organized. Bom in Iran, Zartoshty considers it his first home, India where he spent 15 years of his life between the ages of 15 and 30, his second, and Canada the third. An alumnus of the Bharda New High School and Elphinstone College, Zartoshty says. Master Moos “for doing a wonderful job poor, the old and the young gathered to- “I love Bombay and India because the singlehanded — collecting funds, lectur- gether without distinction and everyone culture of Indians and Zoroastrians is so ing... ” He appreciated the way different received an equal share of the conse- close together. They are the best among people were working for the community crated food, says Zartoshty. Even now, the whole world. India and Indians have in the way in which they believe: “It in North America the Iranians try to fol- cradled world civilizations. I think shows that the community is alive — low the same custom and, in particular, highly of them and respect them. ” there is effort in every direction, ” he “the refugees enjoy it, ” he adds. In course of time Zartoshty says noted, he touched everything - export-import agencies, machinery and plastic facto- know who lives next door, ” Zartoshty means set aside a piece of land with its ries, etc. But he is particularly “proud to say I’m a mobed. ” Their father was an ­ xious that his sons be navar and maratab and Zaratoshty says (hat though they never practiced while they were more involved in business, now, in semi-retire ­ ment, “My brother and I perform reli ­ gious ceremonies in Canada, Los Ange ­ les and Australia. ” For the past 30 years the Atash Bah­ ram of Yasht is under the management of Faridoon and himself, says Zartoshty. The duty devolved on them when the Zoroastriafl Society of Yazd found itself unable to cope with it. “During the Shah’s time the political situation and the conditions in Iran (were such that) it was decided to open it to the public. But the fire altar where Zoroastrians pray is not open to the public. A big glass sepa ­ rates them from the sanctum...so that those praying are not disturbed...There is • also a library and bookshop (where) ev­ ery year thousands of people come for knowledge of Zoroastrianism and 20,000 to 30,0(X) books (all in Persian about the religion, philosophy and teachings of Zarathushtra) are sold at a nominal price because anything, if given free, is not valuable; but when they pay, they take the trouble to read at least a page or two! ” During their brief stay, the Zartoshtys Sanjan where the consecration ceremo ­ nies of the new Kookadaru Dar-e-Meher days, were in progress. Commenting on the Yazd, around us were all behdins... ” The nature and structure of village life waS “Any business will be successful in India. Where there is population, there ’s good business ” soups, dry fruits like dates, raisins, al ­ monds, dry peaches were distributed to the people of the mohalla for five days. As ^1 the better-off families distributed in this way, it kept the poor going for at least a part of the two months before the next ghambar. What is more, the giving and receiving were “not in the name of charity but of religion — it was a reli ­ gious duty to partake of sacred food. ” At ghambars and jashans, the rich and the 25 Parslana March 1990 I think shows that the community is alive — Describing the methodology of char- Unhappy that today “people don ’t ity in Iran, 2Lartoshty notes, “People of BOYS’ TOWN PUBLIC SCHOOL - NASIK Best opportunity for free admissions to TEN Parsi Zoroastrian Students • Salubrious climate; excellent food; co-curricular & extra-curricular activities * Academic education from Prep, to S.S.C.; also facility to pass S.S.C. with technical subjects * Karate, scouting, all-religion-prayers, assemblies, NCC, audio-visual facilities, computer education, hobby classes, typewriting, music, weekly classes for Zoroastrian religion, athletics, sports, self-study lab * Most deserving first ten students will be admitted Irgg * Sizeable concessions will be granted to subsequent admission to deserving students • Free admissions to the children of Zoroastrian priests; also facility to teach Navar prayers Write to or see Managing Trustee, P. N. Mehta Education Trust Cooks Building, 3rd Floor, 324 D. N. Road, Fort, Bombay 1WITH COMPLIMENTS SEALOL HINDUSTAN LIMITED MANUFACTURERS OF MECHANICAL SEALS OFFICE: NOBLE CHAMBERS S. A. BRELVI ROAD FORT BOMBAY 400001 TEL. NO: 2872894 ! 2872638 / 2874181 GRAM: HIND SEALOL — BOMBAY BRANCHES POONA ! DELHI / CALCUTTA ! MADRAS ! BARODA ! HYDERABAD 26 Parsiana March 1990 rent or farm products being used for the Update OH the Mody Case purpose of charity. The land would pass from father to son, but no one had the When the four teenagers involved in the right to sell the land. ” Speaking about the Zoroastrian Soci ­ ety of British Columbia and its homo- geniety, Zartoshty paid tribute to the tences on a charge of aggravated assault, missionary zeal of the late Jamshed Pavri Mody ’s parents and the Zoroastrian and in binding the community together, inter- Indian communities in North America locking his fingers to show the sense of felt let down. “We should not sit by and cohesion between the Parsis and Iranians allow this to happen, ” Dr (Ms) Lalitha there. The Society ’s seven directors in ­ clude three Parsis, three Iranians and one in common, he informs. The Arbab Guiv general indignation, as reports FEZANA. Darbe Meher in Vancouver, British Co- Journal of September 1989. Masson said lumbia, is unique in North America ac- she had been assured by the Assistant US cording to Zartoshty, with a prayer room Attorney Michael Chertoff that “he and a completely separate gathering hall, would look into any possible improprie- The property, when acquired, was a ties in the handling of the case, ” informs Christian Science church but has now the Journal. acquired a 2Loroastrian atmosphere and fatal mugging of Navroze Mody on Sep­ tember 27, 1987 in Hoboken, New Jer ­ sey, were let off with 10-year prison sen- Masson, a spokesperson for the Indian community in New Jersey, voiced the 7 ¦ 1 In the meanwhile the parents, Jam- “looks much better than before, ” he shed and Khorshed Mody, filed a federal notes with satisfaction. law suit against the city of Hoboken, its The Zartoshtys ’ three daughters were police department chief George Crim- all educated in the west. “Luckily, all mins, several police officers, and the four are married to Iranian Zoroastrians, ” says Hoboken teenagers convicted of assault- Zartoshty. Referring to three marriages ing their son, notes the Journal. Mody between Parsis and Iranian Zoroastrians has reportedly questioned the skewing of in California, Zartoshty is optimistic of the legal system in favor of the criminal future trends; despite the differences of defendants and in a letter to FEZANA language, some rituals and food, there is president Rohipton Rivetna noted with no basic disunity which will not be disappointment that “our New Jersey Governor is not interested in helping us. He does not reply to our letters or our basic disunity which will not be disappointment that “our New Jersey ironed out as “the youth grows up in a ~ common culture, ” he adds fervently. Gifts& r~|Wittgg The Friendly Gift Shop for handicrafts, festive ^fts, reli^ous artefacts, executive desk %ts, exclusive shell items, designer jewelry & specializing in wood & copper-enamel gifts. BOMBAY SWADESHI STORES LTD. (Mezzanine Floor) Sir P.M. Road, Bombay-400 001 J STUDIO AKAR 6T/2660r f 1 s r phone calls. ” It has been the Modys ’ contention that the criminals got off so lightly because there were several mem­ bers of common Hispanic origin on the jury which heard the case. The subsequent FEZANA Journal (of December 1989) notes, however, that “a united front on matters of broader con ­ cern such as this does draw a response from the highest office of the state, ” cit ­ ing a letter from Gregory J. Sakawicz, chief of the Prosecutors Supervisory Sec­ tion to Rivetna. Excerpts from the letter as published in the Journal: “The Prosecutors Supervisory Section within the Division of Criminal Justice has been directed to review your letter addressed to Governor Thomas H. Kean and to attempt to address your con ­ cerns... “The law in New Jersey is quite clear. If a prosecutor systematically excluded prospective jurors based upon their race, color, religion, ethnic background, the courts would rule that the jury selection was flawed and that any conviction that may have been returned would be over ­ turned with the matter being scheduled for a retrial...While I accept your frustra ­ tions, I am constrained to advise you that jury exclusion based upon the back ­ ground of the victims, defendants or oth ­ ers, would do great harm to our system of criminal justice... I am quite certain that he (Jamshed Mody) ’ will support my statement that the Hudson County Prose ­ cutor ’s Office assigned a very experi ­ enced prosecutor who presented the evi­ dence in a very professional and dedi­ cated fashion. I have also come to appre ­ ciate the inner strength of the'Modys who have endured more than any person should have to bear... “Please accept my assurances when I state that*we, in New Jersey law enforce ­ ment, have attempted to the best of our ability to gather evidence and to make a professional presentation in our attempt to suppeat the charges in the indictment. ” FEZANA jottings A two day tutorial seminar on Zoroas- . than thought, beliefs and tradition has been conceiv^ by FEZANA’s education committee. With a broad range of top ­ ics, such an event would spark interest in the study of Zoroastrianism among youths and adults, notes the FEZANA Journal. LALA TOURS OUR WORLD OF VACATIONS — 1990 Lala’s offer special holiday package tours for individuals and groups: • U.S.A. (8 diff. itineraries) • EUROPE (5 diff. itineraries) • AUSTRALIA • NEW ZEALAND • JAPAN • HONG KONG • SINGAPORE • BANGKOK • MALAYSIA • MAURITIUS Subject to GOI/RBi approval FTS/NTS passengers only. • SHIMLA • MANALI • NAINITAL • MUSSOURIE • DARJEELING • SIKKIM • DELHI — AGRA •JAIPUR —UDAIPUR • MT. ABU • GOA •OOTY • MYSORE • KODAIKANAL • NEPAL For details contact us or your Travel Agents Lala tours Capitol Cinema Bldg Murzban Road Bombay 400001 Tel: 2045094/5744/3006 The Zoroastrian Youth of North America (ZYONA) issued its first newsletter as the ‘Youth Section ’ of the FEZANA 29 Parsiana March 199015 percent, the amount available for ac ­ tual construction of the hall will be only .about $ 1,00,000, notes AZA president Noshir Irani in his message to the com- Journal of December 1989. It aims at Lakdawala, Noshir Irani, Nari Madan and providing young Zoroastrians across North America with vital information on upcoming events, activities and news throughout the country, informs the Plans for a new structure on the AZA munity. write-up. House property were scheduled to be ob- The editing, printing and circulation tained by March as per the resolve of the Another AZA institution in trouble is its tasks nf 7.YONA are to be performed by volunteers who met on December 21, newsletter Manashni. Its regular monthly FEZANA while ZYONA’s news and 1989 inform? the January-February 1990 publication is threatened due to costs, m- editorial content will be provided by the issue of Manashni, the newsletter of the forms Irani. Editor Kersi Meher-Homji Zoroastrian Youth of North America Australian Zoroastrian Association provides more details: "Z 'J I Postage (concessional), photocopying plans for development of the property (though the cheapest in Sydney, he , have stymied as official permission has notes) and stationery costs for 10 issues Rusi Master. AZA estimates ________ ___ ___ _ ________ , newsletter Manashni. Its regular monthly 1989 inform? the January-February 1990 publication is threatened due to costs, in ­ Association provides more details: __ _______ _____ _ _____ _______ 1 Zoroastrian from which this newsletter gets its name, (AZA) of New South Wal^. Origin^ informs Jamshed Engineer in the intro- i ductory article. The rest of the section is I--- -v-------- -------------- ----------------------- , .. e ? devoted to a recap of the Third North been withheld on the objections of neigh- of Manashm annually add up to over $ American Zoroastrian Youth Congress at bors. 3,0W. Since advertising revenue is only | Houston; Texas earliw in the year. According to costings that have al- $ 280, the annual loss is $ 2,720. ready been made, the total legal cost of Accordingly, ZAQ team Khushroo Mirza leads the 1989-91 ex ­ ecutive committee of the Zoroas ­ trian Association of Quebec, informs Gavashni, the Association ’s newsletter in its September 1989 issue. Mirza is as- joim ” ^retariw Ms Zerene Saklatvala trical and water services would cost an- treasurer Gev Karkaria. Directors at large $ 15,000. include Ms Dolly Dastoor, Ms Natasha T _ ___________________ Dasttxx, Minoo Gandevia, Ms Roshan tural and engineering services at about compiled by AniavaiS.M«ni According to costings that have al- . ready been made, the total legal cost of Accordingly, Meher-Homji has the appeal — against the Baulkham Hills placed two alternatives before the Shire Council ’s embargo on develop- Sydney community: reduce the frequency ment and community use of the property of Mamuhru to six i^ues a year, ? — will amount to Australian $ 20-25,(XX). s _ '"'7 — Provision for vehicular access and get more advertisers. !l _____ __ _ ___________ __________ parking, landscaping, sewerage etc is es- gjgtftd hy vice pte.sident Parvez Shahriari. timated at $ 65,000. Upgrading of elec ­ joint secretaries Ms Zerene Saklatvala trical and water services would cost an- and Ms Vahishta Canteenwalla, and other $ 20,000. Contingency allowance: Estimating the total fees for architec- A HAPPY JAMSHEDI-NAVROZE From Nargish Art and Printery Private Limited 275-J, New Cama Bldg 2nd Floor Tardeo Bombay 400007 Tel: 388096 31 ParalanaMafch IMO saving 40 percent in production cost, or _ t iiiuiv auiwujvio. jl Advertising rates have been concur- ' rently hiked from $ 45 to $ 90 for a full | page coitract for three issues for mem- bers. The rate for non-members has risen ij from $90 to $ 115. Half page and quar- | ter page costs have risen in proportion. 11 cleaning machines! 1923-1990 Sixty-seven years of clean service! DIANA-ECLIPSE For all your carpet and upholstery cleaning. ? “Parag” 27, Peddar Road, Bombay. Tel: 4941987, 4945302 ¦MM I i IFESTIVAL COVER STORY BRING IN THE SPRING Iranians throughout the world continue to observe the rituals associated with Nowruz Ali A. Jafarey History shows that tradition has been thana, the time of “proper procedure, ” as strong among Iranians. The traditional the annual socioreligious ceremonies in ­ festivals, often equated with religious dude, among other acts, correcting the rites or national festivities, have survived calendar, making it precise. It is the time and place. The festivals have sur- most important of the six seasonal vived Macedonian, Arab, Turk and Mon- Zarathushtrian Gahanbars (ghambars). gol invasions and occupations. Even the It begins with the five Gatha days at the converting supremacy of Islam did not end of the year, and ends with the precise erase the festivities that are purely Ira ­ nian. On the contrary, after a few gen ­ erations, the occupying powers suc ­ cumbed to them, and we have Arab ca- March 21. liphs, Turkish rulers, and Mongol emper ­ ors participating in some of these festi- BC) had their splendidly gigantic Perse- vals. Records show that Iranians in their polls especially prepaid to hold their migrations to other lands have retained Nowruz durbar and receive representa- their festivals. We notice traces of these fives of all nations within their empire, from Morocco to India. The influence of Persepolis bas-reliefs give us a glimpse the Iranian culture, especially the calen- of that grand ceremony lasting several dar and festivals, was at its peak during days. The Parthians (250 BC-224 AD) the Mughal period in India. continued the tradition at their capital of Nowruz (Gujarati Navroj or Navroz) Ctesiphon, a city on the Tigris in modern time of the vernal equinox — for those who are not familiar with the pre ­ cise tropical calendar — on or about The Achaemenian kings (550-330 We have a better written record of the Above: A symbolic welcome to visitors, auguring a happy year beginning with Nowruz Facing page: (Left) An elaborate Nowruz table hote a p^e am^g tf.e tata Iraq^ _ ’ “ festivals. It IS traditionally ascnbed to We have a better wntten record of the Yima (Sanskrit Yama, Persian Jamshid, Sassanians (224-652 AD) to visualize the and an enduring prosperity for the land. Gujarati Jamshed), a legendary leader Nowruz ceremony. At that time, when Government officials followed next . who helped his people and cattle to sur- Zoroastrian Iran was four times its pres- Each person offered a gift and received a vive the Ice Age some 10,(XX) years ago. ent size, preparations began at least 25 present The audience lasted for five They first took refuge in a cavern, and days before the event Twelve pillars of days, each day for the people of a certain then driven by overpopulation, migrated mud bricks, each dedicated to one month profession. Then on the sixth day, called southwards in three stages to settle on the of the year, were erected in the royal the Greater Nowruz (Avardad Sat), the Iranian Plateau. To this day it continues court. Various vegetable seeds — wheat, king held his special audience. He re- to be the most popular event in the Fasli barley, lentils, beans, etc — were sown on ceived members of the royal family and year, the Iranian calendar officially fol- top of the pillars. They grew into luxuri- courtiers. A general amnesty was also lowed in Iran and Afghanistan. ous greens by the New Year. The great declared for the convicts of minor Nowruz is called Hamaspath- king held his public audience and the crimes. The pillars were removed on the maedhaya, literally “summer equinox, ” in the Avesta. It is called areto-kare- is high priest of the empire was the first to sixteenth day (day of Mehr). Crop pre ­ greet him and pray for a long life for him dictions were made depending on the 32 Parsiana March 1990I comparative luxuriance of the seeds spora have kept the flame alive. The lively life, the plates and vessels with j sowed on top of the pillars. The occasion Nowruz celebration in an Iranian city is green sprouts for luxuriant growth, flow- j was celebrated on a lower level by the basically the same as it is in Bomtey, ers, fresh fruits, dried fruits, coins for | people throughout the empire. The fes- Karachi, Istanbul, Rome, Paris, Lxxidon, wealth, bread for food, sugar cane for | tivity of praying, singing, dancing, visit- Toronto, Vancouver, New York, San sweetness, various grains, fresh vege- I ing relatives and friends, and gift-giving Francisco or Los Angeles. Therefore, tables, colorfully painted boiled eggs like j came to a close on the sixteenth day. the following description holds true for the Easter ones for birth of life, and j The Iranians lost their empire to the every Iranian enclave within and outside above all, seven articles whose names in invading Arabs. In the long run of 14(X) Iran. Persian begin with the letter ‘sh,’ or in a ] years, the majority gave up their religion and became Muslims. But they never almost a month before. Wheat, barley, abandoned their culture. The Arabs and lentils and other vegetables are grown on all subsequent invaders were Iranianized china plates and round earthenware ves- Every house gets a thorough cleaning Muslim house with the letter *s.’ j The difference between ‘sh’and ‘s’is 1 that in Persian the word fw wine, sym- i bolizing health, is sharab, but since wine in culture and language. However, the seis some 10 days in advance so that they and other alcoholic drinks are prohibited pomp of the royal celebrations declined are three to four inches in height by in Islam, wine was substituted by vinegar, j with the decline of the Iranian power, Nowruz time. A table is laid — it has a serkeh in Persian, and therefore the | and what remains today is the tradition copy of the book (for example, the change from ‘sh’ to ‘s!’ The usual things j which guides the common Iranian family Avesta in a Zoroastrian family and the with ‘sh’ include wine, sugar, syrup, | — whether Zoroastrian, Muslim, Bahai, Christian or Jew — to continue to cele- Asho Zarathushtra (in case of Muslims, a (Hindi khir}. The usual things with ‘s’ in brate the Nowruz. The difference in the picture of a prominent saint), a mirror for Persian, not very palatable and pleasing, way of celebration of Zofoastrians and good reflection, candles for light, afarin- others, or from region to region, is negli ­ gible. Furthermore, the Iranians in dia- Quran in a Muslim house), a picture of honey, candy, milk and rice pudding Asho Zarathushtra (in case of Muslims, a are vinegar, sumac, garlic, samanu (con- ganian or incense burner for sanctity, a sistency of germinating wheat), apple, bowl of water with live gold fish for senjed (sorb) and herbs. The seven ar- The Iranians lost their empire to the invading Arabs. But they never abandoned their culture tides are prominently exhibited in small bowls or plates on the table. The whole table, beautifully laid, symbolizes health, happiness and prosperity. It is, in fact, an elaborate thanksgiving table. Super ­ markets in Iran and some North American cities provide the customers with ready ­ made table articles. And, of course, col ­ orful Nowruz cards are a pleasant addi ­ tion to the traditional decoration.Family members, all dressed in their , best, sit around the table, eagerly await ­ ing the precise time of the vernal equinox, now announced over radio and tele ­ vision in Iran and many European and American cities in which the Iranians form a substantial pocket. The time de- ¦ pends on the year. It differs each year I because the tropical year consists of 365 I days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 sec- I onds. It is the precise hour, minute and I second which count. It could be early in I k. < /^. ¦¦ ¦’•W ’• 1 ¦i/i «’ -ij "y for 12 days with visits, parties, shows animals and colors, in rotation. The Chi- and dances, and on the morning of the nese system of animal years was intro- thirteenth day (April 1), a mass picnic duced by the Mongol and Turkish rulers in the countryside begins. It is called of Iran and was followed by Iranian al- sizda-be-dar, meaning “thirteen-out-of- doors. ” Cities and villages turn into ghost towns with almost all the inhabi ­ tants having gone to enjoy the day in the as 98 percent of the nation ’s population, woods and mountains along streams and does not carry any animal information. riversides. People sing, dance, eat, drink and make merry. Girls of marriageable standing, the cotc of the celebrations age tie grass tops into knots and make a manacs until it was abandoned daring the Pahlavi regime. The Zoroastrian — Fasli — calendar in Iran, followed by as many Nowruz tables laden with valuable heirlooms and choicest food Photos: Yasmin Poonegar the morning, noon, late afternoon, or wish that the following NownIz may find midnight TTiis year it is on March 21 at them married and carrying their bonny keep their festivals alive whoever they 2 hours 19 minutes, 26 seconds (Indian babies! Here in southern California, with are in a substantial number. A word to Standard Time). an estimated population of over 3,OO,(XX) the Parsis, especially those who have in The head of the family recites the Iranians, most of the public parks are their midst an increasing number of Ira- prayers, and after the time is announced, each member kisses the other and wishes a Happy Nowruz. Elders give gifts to younger members. Next the rounds of visits to neighbors, relatives and friends begin. Each visit is reciprocated. The Zoroastrians have an additional festivity. Khordad Sal Gah, the birth * anniversary of Asho Zarathushtra, on the sixth day — March 26. It is a great gath ­ ering at Zoroastrian centers with prayers, plays, talks, songs and refreshments. In southern California, the Khordad Sal fes­ tival has superceded Nowruz in its fes­ tivity. It is the birthday of the founder of parks! the first monotheistic religion — the reli ­ gion of Good Conscience, popularly with the Nowruz festival are certain be- known as the Zoroastrian religion. The festive spirit of Nowruz continues such as its correspondence with different Nowruz to all readers of Parsianal These extraneous features notwith- remain the same. The Iranians, Zoroastrians or not. nians. Join them in their great fun and wonder less why these Iriais break into festivity so often. It will be a great, ame­ liorating move on the part of the'Parsis. After all they will be celebrating the same festivals their ancestors did too. These festivals are the common heritage. Participation of Parsis in Iranian Zoroas ­ trian festivals will also help the proposed adoption of a common calendar, prefera ­ bly the Fasli calendar. The Fasli calen ­ dar, we all know, is the correct seasonal calendar and all the festivals, particularly ing surprise to those living close to the Gahardjars, are in their proper places, and almost all the Iranian Zriroas- trians follow it. It will derinitely bring the two parted halves of the one common liefs that are not strictly of Iranian origin, stock and community, together. A H^py aswarm on the thirteenth day, an annoy- The Achaemenian kings had their gigantic Persepolis especially prepared to hold their Nowruz durbar What has now come to be confused 34 Parslana March 19905WZC Religion ADAPTING TO FUTURE POSSIBILITIES Ervad Rustam Shahzadi Zoroastrians need to distinguish between Zarathushtra ’s teachings and the practices absorbed from other sources in order to overcome their current problems Our community is dynamic. Problems drinking Haoma juice, blood-sacrifice that our forefathers never dreamt of, are and worshiping divs, paries and droges • being discussed. To set its footsteps on (supematurd entities). the path of real reform, there is need for • He brought in monotheism: as Hero- true knowledge, worldly experience, dotus has said about the ancient Persians, common sense, farsightedness, courage they reproached with folly even those Shahzadi: spiritual life is difficult and the capacity to endure the onslaughts who erected images, temples and altars, of the conservative section of an easily because they did not believe in gods en- these deities side by side with Ahura excited and sentiment-ridden commu ­ nity. The orthodox members believe that Grecians. the duty of a dastur is only to safeguard age-old customs and traditions zealously. Ahura Mazda as the friend, brother and human beings easily slip into ritualistic They place the precepts of religion and father of the good and the noble. But, observances and ceremonials which are I the practice of its rituals on the same unfortunately, the religion that is found easier to follow. As time passes this f level. If with the passage of time the true in our books after the Gathas is mainly message of spiritual life gets more and spirit of the religion is lost and undesir ­ able elements have crept in, then it is the Zarathushtra. There is a striking similar ­ duty of a true Zarthosti to remove such ity between the teachings of the Avesta ing vehemence. misunderstandings and to bring in re- and the religion of the ancient Vedas, forms. We must remember that all the laws other beliefs also crept in and the faith hood by multiplying the ceremonials. and customs that are made by man, and faced an enormous change. Later priests The history of religion reveals, that not the prophet, can change with time attempted to seek sanction for their be- wherever there is hereditary priesthood, and place. liefs by repeating in later scriptures, religion becomes replete with rituals — Our Prophet, Asho Zarthusht, like “Zarathushtra asked Ahura Mazda and for the maintenance of the priests — to other prophets, has done three main Ahura Mazda replied ” and in this way the detriment of its ethical and devo- works during his lifetime: every superstition and every practice of tional message. Hindu and Zoroastrian • He has continued with the practices of later ages was justified and doubly sane- priesthood being hereditary, the respec- celebrating national festivals, such as , tified. tive priests have made these religions Navroze, Mehergan, Sadeh and the ghambars; of wearing the sudreh and “one Reality ” of Ahura Mazda, and of the world. With the variety of dates ' kusti; of turning towards the light to pray eliminated all other deities of the Aryan and calendars that are followed within r as one would towards an altar. He also Pantheon. However, soon after the pass ­ left the social laws unaltered. • He has forbidden what was harmful and dangerous for the welfare of our body Aryan nature gods returned to Iran, and purity of faith has led the laity, growing and soul in the older practices such as the AchaemeniaA inscriptipns placed in education and knowledge, to become dowed with human frgures as did the Mazda. Since leading the true spiritual and In the Gathas Zarathushtra introduces temporal life is always a difficult task. the ancient Indo-lranian religion pricr to more dim and at the same time the name - - - — of the teacher is invoked with evergrow- Man remembers the messenger and forgets the message, and Later influences from other races and priests find a satisfactory means of liveli- faced an enormous change. Later priests Zarathushtra took Hrm hold of the more ritualistic than the other religions our minute community, and the priestly ing of the Prophet, all the ancient cere- class becoming less capable of applying monies and the worship of the ancient itself to the required modernization or 37 Parsiana March 1990deal a fatal blow to.our strength at pres- and I was among the first non-Zoroastrian | permitted to enter the fire-temple in Yazd. | Forced conversion to Islam was the prac- j tice even until a century ago and around | • Zoroastrians who marry non-Zoroastri- Yazd the Jadidis (newly converted) dissatisfied with both religion and ritual. Sir J. J. Mody had mentioned that the ent are: Zoroastrian priesthood was hereditary • The decreasing number of marriages, from very ancient times but during the • Families wanting fewer childrcji. regime of the Parthians, this custom was ' ' . . more honored in the breach than in the ans converting themselves into the alien mixed the Zoroastrian religion with Is- observance, until Ardeshir Papakan re- faith to save their children from future lam, and have both Zoroastrian and Mus- vived it. However in Iran, even as late as conflicts. lim names... The claim of racial purity the seventeenth century, Dastur Rustam • Our girls getting converted and marry- and ‘Aryanism ’ advanced by some Gushtasp Ardeshir was said to have ing juddins (non-Zoroastrians). Zoroastrian hot-heads has no basis in fact, sprung from the laity. Recently in Iran by • Iranian Zoroastrians turning to other Many Negro slaves and Turkish servants the order of Tehran Kankashe Mobedan faiths. of the Zoroastrians were converted to the we have again started accepting bchdin For a community whose total strength religion according to the Zoroastrian law youth as mobedyar (assistant mobed) if is so meager, the decrease of marriages in Sassanian times {Malhene Hazar they pass a special class in necessary and children ic a major calamity, so is Datesian). ” Avesta and religious instructions (the our policy of “no admission, ” even out- Today, the Zoroastrians of Iran have vendidad, visparad and nirangdin cere- side India or Iran, to those of other faith changed their mind. They have realized monies excluded). It appears that under eager to cast their lot with ours. By this that many Iranians arc becoming at- certain circumstances women also we are barring the entrance to the fold tracted to their ancestral faith for national- worked as priestesses. So sacred a work and widening the exits. The community istic reasons. Most of our leading au- as that of Zaota or the chief priest, at a is aware of the numbers of boys and girls thorities on the religion and its history yasna or ijashni ritual was not denied to who go out of the fold and marry non- are Muslims and stormy sessions of the their sex. The Shayast na Sahayast men- Zkiroastrians. Tehran Zoroastrian Anjuman have de- tions that a woman is fit for priestly duty The juddin question is the thread on cided that “outsiders ” married to (2toteh) among women and when she Js which hangs the very existence of this Zarthushtis should be accepted into the consecrating the sacred cake or darun. microscopic community. In Iran, as ‘family ’provided they wish it so. Scores A dastur ’s duty is to take a leading Amir Taheri, editor of the English daily of Zoroastrians educated abroad have • part in the community ’s social controver- Kayhan International, published in foreign wives who can now become sies. He has to establish new organiz-a- Tehran in September 1974, wrote, “ac- Zoroastrian. Also Jadidis should be read- tions that can fulfill the awakening needs cording to legend the oldest Zoroasuian mitted to the fold if they so desire. In ______'TT... c*:il nki.wi, Io onmo A fWl iinorc Tron r'i'inc nprmittoH In The juddin question is the thread on cided that microscopic community. of the community. The trends that can fire still ablaze, is some 4,000 years old Iran non-Zoroastrians are permitted to w ’ n cultures — Hinduism and Islam — within r-. —....... . which they have compulsorily oper- Rostam Sarfeh, now a resident of Cali- ated, ” observes Writer. While the Parsis fomia, had related to Writer how in his lived in relative peace in a tolerant Hindu youth, in Yazd, during the first decade of to abolish the jazia. India, the Iranians, who had to survive the current century, Zoroastrians were The historical factors that have molded /-the Iranian Zoroastrians are highlighted by Dr RaShria Writer Irian during the late nineteenth century in guished as Ztxoastrians. Writer refers to American Iranologist A. V, W. Jackson who records the'de ­ struction of ZOToastrian texts and litera ­ ture. In 820 AD, Tahir, a Muslim gover ­ nor of Khorasan who was to form the Ta- hirid dynasty, issued an edict compelling all Zoroastrians to bring one maund (about 14 pounds) of Zoroastrian books which were to be burnt, or face death. Much of the religious texts were burnt and many Zoroastrian lives cut short. The easy way out was to convert to Islam, but many Iranian Zoroastrians chose not to. According to Writer, the greatest in ­ strument used to force conversion to Is­ lam was the jazia or poll tax imposed on all non-Muslims. “Some, as a last re ­ sort, embraced the faith of Mohammed. Writer. Then along came Manekji Limji He was barred from wearing rings upto Hataria, a Parsi from India, who battled “The chief determinant of the socie- j—- - ties created by the Indian and Iranian umbrella or wear spectacles up to 1895. on, and painfully so, says Writer. Dr mentarians and the British ambassador to Tehran, in a bid to get the British Crown to put pressure on the then Shah of Iran Hataria ’s first contact with the Iranian Zoroastrian community was in 1854 Islamic Iran, feel “very wounded when pers; had to carry a shawl upon which when he was sent as an emissary Parsis forget this very aspect of their they had to sit in Muslim houses so as of the Parsis oif India, then pros- (Iranian) struggle and history, ” says not to contaminate the place; wear wide pcring under the British, to report ¦¦ on the conditions of the Zoroastri ­ ans in Iran. *¦¦*•**•, i»»iw aaMva awa wav* VUllVIli WwOU tCUBO TTVIV y under the persecution and fanaticism of not permitted to wear shoes, only slip ­ pers; had to carry a shawl upon which Writer. pants; not wear anything black — a Mus ­ in her portrait of the Iranian Zoroas- lim color — so that they could be distin- His trip was spon- 43 Par^ana March 1990trian prosperity for the first time in 1,300 years, got underway, ” states Writer. Of the Pahlavi dynasty she observes: “Re­ gardless of how future historians may as­ sess the Pahlavi regime, the years 1925- 1979 were to benefit greatly the small Zoroastrian coinmunity in Iran.' Zoroastrians were granted all rights and concessions enjoyed by the Muslims and permitted to join the armed forces — General Nowzari became the first Zoroastrian general in the Iranian army. Writer, however, stops here. She does not look at the situation of Zoroastrians in contemporary Islamic Iran. Probably, she will deal with the topic in the book she proposes to write in the next two years. The paper presented at the Cama Institute will constitute the first chapter of the book. Nevertheless, Writer does dwell briefly on the Iranian Zoroastrian com ­ munity settled in the West “The Parsi migration to western Europe, North least, claim a share in the national w^lth for Zoroastrian girls and boys. As the America and Australia has primarily been of their land — for die first time since the English teacher of the Governor ’s chil- inspired by a search for a ‘better life. ’ Arab conquest. dren, he was able to use his influence to Iranian Zoroastrians have migrated west It also signalled the migration of shake off the shackles of the past. He in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution Zoroastrians from Yazd and Kerman to rode a horse when Zoroastrians were only in 1979.” She adds: “The Parsis...while Tehran where the urban Muslims looked permitted to ride donkeys and he stopped they are Indians, do not perceive them- more kindly on the followers of other re- " ‘ — ligions. “Paradoxically, while the rela ­ tive freedom of work, worship, education challenge the dated preconceptions of themselves as intrinsically of Iran. ” Ac- their distinct socio-cultural-religious en ­ vironments must eventually determine what exactly constitutes the ‘correct ’ Zoroastrian stance. Later while answering questions from a parallel between the Iranian experience constitution (prior to that authority lay the floor. Writer called for the fcamation and the similar effect that the migration with the local mullahs) and Shahrokh of a united world Zoroastrian body, of the Parsis from rural Gujarat to urban became the official representative of the “This is the single inost important matter Bombay had on the community in India. Zoroastrians in the Majlis (parliament), a that requires our active involvement. No It was around the turn of the century position he held for 25 years. With die matter what our differences in opinions, that a Zoroastrian merchant Jamshid establishment of the Pahlavi dynasty in we have to speak as one people when we Jamshedian won the main contract to 1925, he became an advisor to the new speak to the world, ” she pleads. The supply provisions to Iran ’s Qaj^ army, niler of Iran, Reza Shah. When the USA Jews, the Bahais, the Islamic sects all The monopoly led to his financial pros- snaj^ied diplomatic relations with Iran have international representative bodies perity and he soon became a prominent (because American tourists photograph- that can plead the case of their people banker. Banks had been controlled by ing a passion play on the martyrdom of with national governments as well as the the British and Russians hitherto; it was Hussain were lynched by a mob) Shah- United Nations and have secured immi- • Jamshedian who established Iran ’s first rokh was sent to Washington to negotiate gration quotas in the UK. Writer nar- national bank. the reestablishment of diplomatic ties —a rates an instance when a British govem- Of the 150 to 200 Zoroastrians em- job he did with great success. Another ment official had asked her and some ployed by Jamshedian was one "hl:,Z- ±-Z Izzzzzzzzr. Kaikhoshrou Shahrddi. If Jamshedian patriot was the establishment of the Re- > epitomized the community ’s economic emancipation, Shahrokh symbolized its social and political liberalization. Edu ­ cated in Bombay to be a teacher, he re ­ turned to his native Kerman as an em- city. sored by the Society for the Amelioration of the Conditions of the Zoroastrians of Persia or otherwise known as the Amelio ­ ration Society. The Society had been started by the children of Framji B. Pan ­ day who, on the urgings of his Iranian Zoroastrian wife Gulestan Banu, as­ sisted Zooastrians from Iran coming to Bombay. The populaticHi of Zoroastrians in Iran in 1854, as reported by Hataria, was: 6,658 in Yazd and the surrounding vil ­ lages, 450 in Kerman, 50 in Tehran and a few families in Shiraz. Hataria undertook the rebuilding of the atash bahrams of Yazd and Kerman and the building of new dokhmas for the two cities. During the 23 years ’ struggle against the jazia tax he persuaded the trustees of the Ame­ lioration Society to pay Rs 1,09,564 for and on behalf of the poor Zoroastrians in Iran. The eventual scrapping of the poll Writer: conveying the Iranian ‘story’ tax, according to Writer, meant that the Zoroastrians could now, theoretically at Here, he set about establishing schools community I Kid The case of the maintained that the time had arrived to 2k)roastrians of Iran is (that) they see wearing the Zoroastrian attire. “Shalwokh selves as of India. and commercial advancement became Zoroastrians, and if they missed the op- cwding to Writer the two groups, despite available to the Zoroastrians in Tehran, it portunity, they may never succeed in ' meant that the urban life was to erode the changing attitudes, ” Writo* summed up close community ties which had kept the man ’s trend of thought them together through centuries of har ­ assment and pCTsecution. ” Writo* draws Iran. It was a time of political change in In 1906, Iran got its flrst notable achievement of this Zoroastrian other co-religionists “Are you a recog ­ nized international body? ” and how a ^rve Bank of Iran. British judge, presiding over a case of an He also invited Zoroastrians from Iranian Zoroastrian seeking asylum in Yazd and Kerman to Tehran and advised the UK, had commented on the need for them to invest in property in the capital a world body of Zoroastrians which can ' “Thus it was, through property speak with unified voice and authority to ployee of the Amelioration Society, speculation, that the growth in Zoroas- the governments of the world. 45 Farstana March 1990TRADITION THE NAME GHME The historic association of each village with a human characteristic continues as Iranians humorously label each other with uncomplimentary traits Gustasp Irani “Whereas the Parsis can trace their roots from the neighboring villages — dehates to Valsad or Vadodara, we (Iranis) can — when help was required in the cook- |B trace our roots to the villages of Iran, the ing, cleaning and other chores involved " land of Darius and Cyrus, ” says Zend when celebrating religious or family Zend proprietor of Yazdani Bakery in events. Upon observing the mannerisms Bombay. Whenever Iranian and Irani of the dehates, the affluent soon started to Zoroastrians make acquaintances, they tag them with convenient labels — not will invariably ask each other before necessarily accurate, but the labels stuck parting: “Which village do you come nevertheless. The dehates too took up , from? ” Even if the last three generations this name-calling and the die was cast. J of the family were bom in India, the Irani Zoroastrian always names a village unscarred by what they had started; the around Yazd or Kerman from where his dehates branded them too - misers, forefathers migrated. And as he answers. The saying goes that the mohalite will he knows that his friend is labeling him not let even the smallest drop of spilt with characteristics associated with that ghee go waste, village — not complimentary, for sure. No offence is caused because both tend prevalent in the satellite villages of Yazd [ to fall prey to the same habit. And also, city, is distant Taft Of the residents of I it ’s never meant to be taken seriously but this village they say: Tafti thief. Zend I with a pinch of humor. believes that the Taftis probably won \ “Not all villages have special charac- their reputation and the displeasure of the < teristics, ” says Yezdanyar Bonshahi of mohalites as a result of their enterprise. I Khaze Book Sellers at Grant Road, and When Zoroastrians started to migrate to Zoroastrians of Kerman • member of the Iranian Zoroastrian India in the nineteenth century, they Anjuman (IZA) in Bombay, “only those would send home money to the families villages that are close to the city of they had left behind. To collect these tious against a branch of a Tafti tree Yazd.” According to him, this practice remittances the villagers would have to go bending down and dislodging his head- of labeling people with the characteristic to the houses of the rich mohalites who “' “ baits associated with their particular vil- carried out these transactions; that is until lages was started by the rich Zoroastrian the Taftis beat tliem in this business by duces the best pomegranates in the re ­ traders, merchants and landlords who re- offering personalized service and home gion, make that country. The skin of the sided within the city limits of Yazd. The delivery. fruits is thick which does not dry up or city dwellers —referred to as — would send for the poor Zoroastrians even his trees are said to be thieves. A Of course, ihc mo halites did not go Roped into this name-calling practice. visitor to this village is warned to be cau- gear. The Tafti tree is famous in other ways tod. According to Bonshahi it pro- Not only is a Tafti considered a thief, split as other fruit in the region do. Ellahabad is another village some dis- 47 Parsiana March 1990tance from the city which picked up a tag They may be used as a whip to urge their lifestyle for, according to Dr (Ms) — night blindness. Don ’t ask why. It donkey to greater spded or as protection Rashna Writer, in her paper presented at remains a mystery. Another characteris- against robbers. Occasionally when a the K. R. Cama Orientd Institute in Janu- tic of the people of the village is that pretty maiden married a boy from an- ary 1990, members of the community they love to label people with nick- other village, young men, with chains were not permitted to ride horses of names. Reportedly, anyone who enters swinging and egos bruised, would block cycles, only donkeys, well into the early the village — and assuming he were to the path of the wedding party leaving the part of the current century. walk straight through — would have village. Cousin marriage was the prac- — picked up a nickname before he reached tice, rather than the exception, among labels is “not really important, ” says the other end. Ahrestanis, many of whom estab ­ lished the Irani restaurants in Bombay, part of one big family, are known to be short-tempered and arro ­ gant. According to Zend a large percent- calling circuit are Moryabad, Mohme- age of the Irani restaurants in Bombay dabad, Khairabad and Khoramshah. The volved? ” asks Rusi Arastani of Monde- were established and run by migrants Moryabadis, the Zoroastrian Jews, are gar Restaurant near Regal Cinema, from this village. Likewise most of the reputed to be penny pinching and clever. Bombay. Irani bakers in Bombay are from village Mohmedabad is supposed to be the Narsiabad. crafty, their cunningness staining their lage are supposed to be descendents of fabadis, they maintain are religious and bones. Baking, according to Zend, giants though there is nothing excep- noble. This is probably so because the comes naturally to Iranians as against the tional in the physical endowments to jus- small, humble village became the even- Parsis or for that matter any other Indian tify the claim. Khairabadis are supposed tual home of one of the three sacred fires community which has a chappati tradi- to display the trait of a donkey ~ its of ancient Iran as recorded by Dr (Ms) tion. “Iranians are masters of the leaven stubbornness. The Khoramshahis too are Mary Boyce in her book A Persian dough process, ” he observes. Nan, he likened to a donkey, but not for their Stronghold of Zoroastrianism. Boyce “ writes: “It is recorded that after the (Arab) conquest (the) priests made desperate ef­ forts to save it (the fire) from extinction. This harmless practice of attaching Iranian Zoroastrians and invariably all Aflatoon Shokri of Kyani Restaurant the residents of a village wctc related. Other villages falling into the name- near Metro Cinema, Bombay. “We are people first, Zoroastrians second and all the rest follows afterwards. ” “This is between us Iranis, why get the Parsis in ­ Don ’t the Iranians say anything good They are supposed to be abode of giants — the people of the vil- about anyone? Yes, they do. The Shari- stubbomness. They are believed to be simpletons. The donkey, incidentally was an im­ portant part of the Iranian Zoroastrian ’s even dividing its embers and keeping them as two fires in different places, and its seems that in the end one group fol ­ lowed the high priest to this chosen ha­ ven, bringing their fire to bum in safe ob ­ scurity in Sharifabad. ” Left: A Zoroastrian merchant Below: The Zoroastrian Anjuman at Yazd Photos: Persia Past arid Present by A.V. Williams Jackson, 1906 explains is made in every household in | * Ir^ through the fermented dough proc- I ess. In this process instead of yeast, a little , dough is left behind and used to fer- I ment the next batch. ¦ The Koochebiyogis are the reputed I showoffs, the dandies. The chains the I men twirl, according to Bonshahi, are ' more than ornamental. About the thick- | ness of a chain attached to a pocketwatch I but longer, they are multifunctional and I carried by all the Zoroastrians of Yazd. I / 49 Parsiana March 1990Yazd, according to Boyce, had be­ come the stronghold of the Iranian Zoroastrian community because of its inaccessibility and harsh environment. “Up to the 1920s, it could take as much as three dangerous, exhausting weeks to journey there (Yazd) from the capital. Even to reach the nearest cities, Kerman, Shiraz or Isfahan, was an eight-day jour- i' ney, often fraught with peril; and so L Yazd remained ‘insular beyond the insu ­ larity of islands. ’” Elsewere she ob ­ serves: “The region (Yazd) was hardly one to attract Arab settlers, for the cli ­ mate is harsh, with burning summers and searingly cold winters; and since the j- rainfall is scanty, the plain is partly des- ert. The ground slopes gently down from I north-west to south-east and in the south I eastern comer, which as the lowest point has the best supply of water, stands the city of Yazd.” It is along this gradient that the vil ­ lages are situated; irrigated by natural ' springs or long underground channels (qanats) that bring the melted snow wa ­ ter from the surrounding hills to the vil ­ lages where the Zoroastrians grow their wheat and their fruits, particularly pome ­ granates. According to Bonshahi, the group of • villages to the south, is peopled by set ­ tlers from the Zoroastrian community in Isfahan who fled the city in the middle of the eighteenth century when the ruler of the land allegedly ordered his troops to kill every Zoroastrian living there. The ruler is believed to have been offended by some of the beliefs and practices of the Zoroastrians. Those who survived the massacre fled to Yazd as did those in other pockets of Zoroastrians over the years. The shades of Zoroastrians from different parts of Iran, collected in Yazd, is reflected in the language they speak — Dari. “The lan ­ guage is the same, but the dialect is dif­ ferent, ” says Bonshahi. “Just by listen ­ ing to someone speak, I can tell from which group of villages he comes. ” The hunt for a map of the villages • around Yazd at the offices of the IZA, the K. R. Cama Oriental Institute and other sources proved to be futile. But ac ­ cording to the list provided by the IZA, Zoroastrians have been known to reside in 25 villages in Iran. They are: Abshahi, Ahrestan, Aliabad, Assrabad, Casamabad, Chem, Ellahabad, Hassana- bad, Hosseinabad, Jafferabad, Kasnaviya, Khairabad, Khalilabad, Kho- ramshah, Koochebiyog, Mazra-Kalantar, Hosseinabad, l' L SI Parslana March 1990 WITH BEST COMPLIMENTS FROM ASPI IRANI ENGINEERS AND CONTRACTORS Irani Building, 1st floor 80, Janmabhoomi Lane Fort Bombay 400001 Tel Nos: 2040094, 2040267 Tel No (Res): 4950087n ' I ¦ § f Mohmedabad, Moryabad, Mubarakeh, Narsiabad, Nosratabad, Rahmatabad, Sharifabad, Taft, Zainabad. In fact, elections to the managing committee of the IZA are based on a sys­ tem of village representation. There are separate membership rolls maintained for different villages and a quota of seats assigned to each village. An Irani Zoroastrian .is registered on the rolls of the village he hails from and can elect ' only from among candidates contesting the seats allocated to his village. In addi- ; tion, seats have also been allotted to Tehran, Yazd and Kerman in Iran and ft Bombay in India. f TFia linoc nf dictinrrinn hnvp. nnw P. M. MODI HIGH SCHOOL (Managed by P. M. Modi & Amzel Educational Foundation) Stone House, Mahableshwar 412806 Tel. 295 The lines of distinction have now started blurring in Iran. Many Iranian Zoroastrians have migrated. Only the aged have stayed behind as the Iranian delegates at the Fifth World Zoroastrian Congress observed. While some of the abandoned villages like Abshahi and Assrabad have been lost to the desert, other villages have been absorbed in the expanding city, consumed by airports, railway terminals and highways. And yet, when two Iranian Zoroastrians meet for the first time, they will invariably ask: “Which village do you come from? ” The one and only English Medium Co-Ed High School in Mahableshwar Government recognized. Established 1979 From Nursery to Std. X (SSC) Teacher/Student Ratio: 1/15 Excellent educational facilities School Year: April to March Vacation: July/August Admissions open for BOARDING section Limited accommodation Prospectus on request Apply to: The Principal P. M. Modi High School Mahableshwar 412806 I 1 For Pure Diamonds ^2^ I.: NH 'lii il! iiii^ JEWELLERS 324. GRANT ROAD, BOMBAY 4M007. TELEPHONE: 3714b3 APPOINTED VALUERS BY THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA 53 RarsZana March 1990 ; I1 II; 5WZC Institutions I SR The community must invest in the future in the shape of high quality persons and high quality institutions Aspi Moddie “MAKING GOOD CLEAR CHOICES 9 99 If, in the late twentieth century, we are to spiritual. And in so doing with Vohuman, institutions. Let them learn frran the lacu- ' reconsider community organizations and the Good Purpose, promoting what we nae, the shortcomings, the apathy of the their work “To 2000 AD and Beyond, ” the theme of this Congress, we first have moderation, not excess, which in Zoroas- to take stock of three fundamental ques- trianism is sinful. Also sharing that Qual- overwhelmingly when they went west- tions: ity of Life to promote the welfare of our wards to the centers of gravity of the new • What are the core teachings of world, human and of all creation. Ac- world — the choice of making their future Zarathushtra? Can we rearticulate them cwding to the spirit of Yasna 34.14, are in modem, liberal, democratic societies, clearly and relevantly? How do we in- we making ourselves fitter to serve the That is a significant choice in the late corporate them into our institutions in the COTimunity and the world, as individuals twentieth century between the inherited modem context? and as institutions? Or are we stuck in feudal, less liberal, less democratic cul- • What is the present situation in various status quo and decline? tures of Asia, and the un-Zoroastrian parts of the world to which our institu- And, lastly, in the spirit of Yasna 29.1 communist, fascist and such authoritar- tions must realistically address them- are our rulers, i.e. trustees and office ian societies of this century. Their future selves? • What are the best Zoroastrian choices, nourishers ” of the community and the with its consequences. They will be in the spirit of Yasna 30.2 — the doctrine world? pacemakers in the next 50 years for those of good listening, good thinking and the “ responsibility of choice — for the individ ­ ual and the organization of the future? today call the ‘Quality of Life’ — with institutions in the home countries. One clear choice they have made and as institutions? Or are we stuck in status quo and decline? And, lastly, in the spirit of Yasna 29.1 are our rulers, i.e. trustees and office bearers “good shepherds ” and “diligent institutions need to reflect it and to cope These questions are addressed to all of left behind in Asia, us. Let there be no we/they adversarial relationship. Second, in Iran, recent history seems to have adversely affected the resurgence of the long-suffering Zoroastrians there. Their institutions are touched by two contradictory forces, those of the modem The global situation Zoroastrians are in three main contempo ­ rary contexts today. First, there are those world and those of a reversion to funda- who have migrated to the Western world, mentalism. How will they cope in a The core Zoroastrian messages Let us first refresh our minds and articu ­ late the core messages of Zarathushtra. Tliey are first, that doctrine of good lis- who have migrated to the Western world, mentalism. tening, good thoughts, and the responsi- who have largely found themselves world where the surrounding world is bility for creative choices: not negative, • without fire-temples, priests, dokhmas, changing faster than the internal one? dysfunctional ones. My first question to the facilities of traditional rituals; Third, those who have remained back in India and Pakistan are • fast shrinking in numbers; • shrinking in education and competitive meaningful identities, and a possible loss capabilities, with about 30 percent below a hypothesized poverty line of Rs ‘500 • increasing in numbers, education, per month in Bombay, and afflicted by ail of us as individuals and office bearers • inevitably mixing and intermarrying is: are we making good, clear choices; or with other cultures and communities, are we carrying on mindlessly and ad faced with the problem of clear and hoc? The second message was to further the of the next generation; purposes of the Good Creation, with lives which are a combination of the wealth, but faced with fresh pragmatic endless inflation; Getig, the material, and the Menog, the cultural choices and the making of new • unclear about future choices in an old 54 Parsiana March 1990• Modernization is not like the simple tions, to meet the* social and economic challenges of higher education invest- discarding of traditional clothes and put- ments, more meaningful, more wide- ting on modem dress. It is the mindful spread religious education investments, reexamination of tradition as well as mod- society, in which its self-confidence is not what it was pre 1950; • with inherited institutions tom between religious and secular responsibilities, be­ tween a host of private trusts and public help for the poor, the sick and the aged? em life in terms of beliefs, rituals, cus- anjumans and punchayets, with less lib- How to compete harder with declining toms, ways of living, and a world view, to eral and less democratic ruling and elec- numbers against the heavy social odds ascertain what has continuing value and toral systems, and styles of the motta- -------------------------------------------------------- -— relevance. It is like the reploughing of seth (oligarchic) culture of the past Between 1971 and cultural fields, treated with the fertilizer of fresh thinking, and irrigated with the waters of contemporary sustenance, to make such fields fertile and productive again. Modernization is not necessarily westernization, or the discarding of tradi ­ tion and all westernization may not be good even for the West. When the two words are treated synonymously, Cantwell Smith reminds us “it is uncon ­ scious error, an unexamiAed confusion... To be modem is to know widely and to choose freely. ” To the extent we live as that favor host societies? How to outgrow microscopic groups and individuals in so exclusiveness and ins ulari ty, and undergo many non-Zoroastrian host communities, ~ to that extent, we need to ask ourselves lenging world which waits for no man and who we really are, what is our identity, no institution? what cultures and values do we repre- To clarify the implications of authen- sent, and what contributions we can How to harness better the tic modernization, I offer two brief for ­ mulations: Between 1971 and The major choices 1987, in Bombay, There seems to be a historically inherited OPlIV fOUf DGTCGnt CJOt confusion between the private domain xl-_ and the public domain; the religious and the secular; and in consequence, a lack of clarity of roles and functions. Our institu ­ tions are not facing their future choices clearly. Every social and economic problem, e.g. mixed marriages and their pros and cons, educational and economic decline, the condition of priests, future housing needs, etc lacks good hard data. If we are to heed Zarathushtra in Yasna 30.2, we will need to listen care ­ fully to the nature of our problems, and Zoroastrian modernization in a new chal- make creative, liberal, future-oriented . choices in the realities, the Asha of our times, in the interest of the coming gen ­ erations. forces of ‘Spenta ’ to reinforce our institu- the higher level technical and executive jobs while 96 percent got low-level jobs are !i Ij i I 1 E f E make to the cultures and values of our host societies in Asia, Africa, Australia or lii'i SORABJIRUSTOMJI & CO. LARGEST EXPORTERS & STOCKISTS OF SANDALWOOD, SANDALOIL, OTHER SANDALWOOD PRODUCTS LOBAN & AGGARBATHIES Telex No: 71609 SRCO Cable: INSANDAL n ParslaruTMarch 1990 5i RETAIL SHOP Durlab Bhavan R.M. Roy Marg Chami Road Junction Bombay 400004 Tel: 356675 351637 SALES DEPOT & FACTORY Hooseinabad Compound Off Champsi Bhimji Road Old Anjirwadi, Mazgaon Bombay 400010 Tel: 8513869 8728346 ?! 1? t'i . !‘i !! jei'H ihk I?' 5 ill¦ the West. We are not doing this con ­ sciously enough; • All this also means greater involvement in community affairs, not only by elected office bearers, but more democratic par ­ ticipation and consultativeness, the crea ­ tion of syntheses out of different views. I r r s- j i' j APPOINTED VALUERS OF JEWELLERY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA GAZDAR PVT. LTD. Taj Mahal Hotel Bombay Tel: 2023666 2023366 Ext 3204 Telegrams: MANUSCRIPT 4 4 $9 Rar^ana March 1990 Basic institutional criteria The five basic criteria of modem demo ­ cratic institutions, official and voluntary, which we could apply to Zoroastrian in ­ stitutions are: • Participative, forward-looking, well-led public institutions; • Clear responses to felt public needs; • Operational effectiveness; • Public accountability; • Good communications, credibility and openness. It is for each member of the commu ­ nity and its trustees to examine how far we have these in our anjumans and trusts. Without them there are weak institutions, public dissatisfaction, inefiicient manage ­ ment of public resources, low public ac ­ countability, low performance, poor communications and low credibility. This applies as much to the voluntary sector as to governments and all public institutions. They are the basic symp­ toms of health or ill-health in institutional life. Specific responses Ail anjumans, trusts and federal bodies need to draw up five-year plans for the material and spiritual uplift of the com ­ munity, The planning is required be­ cause: • most of our elected bodies have no clear community mandates for future commu ­ nity needs; only office-holders with an ad hoc, on-going agenda; • planning calls for clearly thought-out institutional objectives with future-orien ­ tations, after due consultation with vari ­ ous sections of the community; • planning compels analysis and con ­ structive planned reponses with coopera ­ tive community participation; • planning compels resource mobilization for major objectives on a sustained basis; and • planning is a yardstick for public ac ­ countability for institutional perform ­ ance. Good senior corporate managers in the communities could show our trustees how this may be done. The community is too privatised and fragmented for the collective needs of today and tomorrow, which only good public planning can hope to meet BOYS’ TOWN Public School Nasik 2 Recognised as a Public School by the Department of Educa ­ tion for Indian Merit Scholars. Excellent Climate — All- round Education: All Academic Subjects — Technical Subjects: Work­ shop Technology, Mechanical & Electrical Maintenance, Car­ pentry & Farming. Training in Self-Government through Elected Boys’ Office bearers. Games — Physical Training —Daily Assembly with Con- gregational Prayers — Weekly intensive Zoroastrian —Geeta —Koran classes — Ex­ cellent Modern Kitchen and Dining Room facilities —Airy Dormitories. Moderate Fees. Concessions to Deserving Students. Apply to THE MANAGING TRUSTEE P. N. MEHTA EDUCATION TRUST Cooks Building, 324 Dr. D.N. Road, Bombay 400001. I !' I i I i 1! li il •i'! ¦ I I i ‘Ur The third lesson, and a major wie, is to bay, the largest traditional center of the keep the value of all assets above infla- cwnmunity in the world. In 1971, Rs __ J_____ — ¦ - — . . —- ---------------------. —J the real value^ of assets and, in the long school education; in 1987 the figure was run, the community is power, and income Rs 293, apparently less in real value than in 1971. Again, both figures are paltry. The figures for college education for the two years were Rs 258 and 420 respec­ tively, again wholly inadequate, even for bodts. The picture is swnewhat better in die case of loans/gifts given for foreign education. Yet it was Rs 5,000 per stu ­ dent in 1971, and Rs 8,149 per student in 1987, far below the real value of the 1971 figure. It is not just the fault of the have materially lagged behind the infia- BPP that these figures are so low. It is tion rate. equally the fault of the voting commu- The fourth is that more Zoroastrians nity in Bombay, which is content to live should remember community needs in Management of community finances My second major thrust is the better man- . asement of community finances, with tion, as far as possible, as inflation erodes 138 per student was spent as a grant on ® .. Im am ——*1 aaaa«a am /4 in ktiA Irtfinr A/liiroHon* in 10J17 thft fl J 271, PRINCESS STREET BOMBAY 400002 ii! Ill I Hi ill S! J li' i! i! I I!Nil be strengthened beyond their electoral youth and others should reinforce each cunae which, hopefully, the Fifth Con- members, by the wider networks of re- other and not be in separate camps, source persons and panels of consultants There could also be a resource pool, in various fields, e.g. health, education, housing, the poor and aged, in various know-how areas of law, finance, man ­ agement, education, architecture, etc. These persons could be either coopted onto the elected committees, or included as associate members on the electoral bodies. Elected bodies are not enough. Their members cannot work full-time, nor do tliey embrace all talents and experience in a community. Elected bodies should be supplement^ and reinforced by more voluntary action groups in various fields. In modem societies, leadership has to go beyond electoral bodies. Anyone who can take initiative, contribute ideas and resources, help in problem solving and implementation of social programs, is as important in the wider community lead ­ ership role as the formal elected lead ­ ers. When that happens, a commu ­ nity ’s human resources are more widely strength, developed and utilized. It ’s basic capi- “ tai is enhanced beyond depreciation. Youth wings in each anjuman and social studies; monitoring the follow-up federal body should have autonomy, and experiences of the recommendations of gress will fill. To paraphrase Mao, I may summarize and a succession pool for future com- by saying cmnmunity power comes munity leaders. Succession-building in through a double-barrel gun: organizations is as neglected, as it is • One barrel is for higher knowledge, tal ­ ents, and social capabilities for group ac ­ tions, • the second barrel for wider community cooperation, participation, and institu ­ tion-building. The vision and these tasks call for pa ­ tient, creative craftsmen of organiza ­ tional life, people who make live and lasting organizations. Towards these ends, let us apply Vohuman and be better participative Kunashniks in increasing numbers. Let that Vohuman tell us, that the unthinking status quo prisoners of the past cannot be helpful fathers of the fu ­ ture, if we are to think and act with the future-oriented theme of the Congress. To be, or not to be, a growing, con ­ tributing, future oriented part of Zoroas- vital for organizational sustainability and trian modernization — that is the choice Zarathushtra asks us to make today. Anyone who can take initiative, contribute ideas... help in... implementation of social programs, is as important as the formal elected leaders There should be regional cells for: up ­ dating and refining demographic data and The text is abridged and edited from a paper pre­ sented by Aspi Moddie at the session on “Strengthening community organizations." A management consultant, Moddie opted out of a supplementary functional role. Within each Zoroastrian congress through federal the Indian Administrative Service to make a ca- the larger community organizations, bodies and anjumans. These are clear la- reer with the private sector. /s. [pollution control! THE OLDEST INDIAN CONSULTANCY GROUP IN ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION CONTROL NOW IN ITS 29th YEAR ASSOCIATED INDUSTRIAL CONSULTANTS (INDIA) PVT. LTD. RAHEJA CENTRE, 13th FLOOR, NARIMAN POINT, BOMBAY 400021 TEL: 23 40 52, 24 20 76 TELEX: 011-6841, CABLE: CONTRAPOLL 69 ParsianB March 1990 i i' !h In I! ii H lirI St BUSINESS 'T f 'he rumors came thick and fast: Homi Mehta, managing director of once-upon-a-dme high-flyer, Mazda Industries and Leasing Limited, had been sacked; one of its subsidiary companies, Mazda Deuspa Engineering Limited was being closed down; and, the most shocking of them all, the company ’s chairman and chief promoter, noted tax ccmsultant Homi P. Ranina, had sold off all his shares in the company. One of the most promising leasing companies floated in the mid eighties, Mazda Leasing Limited later diversified begin with. Ranina continues to be the Ranina: striving for better returns into new businesses and was rechristened largest individual shareholder with 15 k Mazda Industries and Leasing Limited percent holding (the remaining 78 per- [ (MIL). But the company ’s leasing activ- cent shares are with the public). At the f ity, its four other divisions, and most of same time, Krishan Murari, the former the five subsidiary companies, went head of the Bank of Credit and Com- __________ through rough times. Profits plummeted, merce in Bombay and now a financial leasing business but market observers leather goods. Gopal Rathi ’s rich experi ­ ence in exports will be a great asset to the company, ” Ranina may be pessimistic about the f uuuugii luugii uiiics. noiiis piummeiea, merce m Bombay and now a financial leasing business but market observers the price of MIL s share dipped below par consultant in London, cine actor Dilip believe that a leasing company which has the abihty to raise resources and which can exercise tight control over its funds, can continue to make big money. Part of this view stems fi-om the fact that the to- ¦ at Rs 9 and business circles were abuzz Kumar and local businessman V. K. with speculatitxi about Ranina ’s immi ­ nent departure. 1- :ii ! N Modi — all “good family friends ” of the Rathis — have found places on the MIL board of directors. ___________________ A London-based NRI, Gopal Rathi tai leasing business in the country, which exported pharmaceuticals and dyes worth stood at Rs 150 crores in 1985, is ex- But Rs 14 crores last year through his export pected to touch Rs 950 crores by the end firm in Bombay, He meets 60 percent of of this year, “Good leasing companies Zambia ’s pharmaceutical needs and is like 20th Century Finance and Empire i New developments “I am, and will continue to be, the chair ­ man of Mazda, ” insists Ranina. P how much control he will be able to ex ­ ercise remains to be seen. For, new de- _______ ____ _______ _______ velopments last month have completely known to have excellent contacts among Finance in Bombay, ClassicarRnMce*in t i* [. i j altCTed the nature of the company and the importers in London, New York and Calcutta and Grover T posing in Delhi, k constitutioii of the board. Dubai. “The future of leasing is not continue to be run profitably, ” says a After diluting their holdings in the bright and we are thinking of going into merchant banker. Killick Nixon group of companies, the exports in a big way, ” says Ranina. ^ter Ruting their holdings in the bright and we are thinking of going into merchant banker. brothers Gopal and V. K. Rathi have “Besides pharmaceuticals and dyes, — — ------ ----- --------- oiiu ujvS, Into the act bought seven percent of MIL shares to Mazda will export electronic items and On their part, the Rathis have invested in A new lease on life Raju Bist A new board of directors and a change in the company ’s objectives are expected to alter the future of Mazda Industries and Leasing 71 Parslana March 1990r I I tivities, for instance, have been showing declining profitability in recent years. Unrelated diversification To escape further beating, some of the The company ’s income from lease and private leasing companies tried their r ¦** hands at diversification. Swadeshi Leas­ ing set up a unit for manufacturing PVC A “The capital market was then experi ­ encing a buoyancy and we went into a stockmarket collapsed. We had to honor our commitments, however, and we hire purchase increased from Rs 7 crores on June 30, 1987 to Rs 9.5 crores on November 30, 1988, but the profit before bottles. Key Leasing put up a flour mill, tax decreased from Rs 2.3 to Rs 1.2 Pressman Leasing floated a stretch blow crores in the same period. molded container project. And in 1986, The declining profitability from leas- Mazda set up Mazda Deuspa Engineering ing, however, is not a recent phenome- Ltd, the first of its many businesses to- non and MIL has been buffeted by the tally unrelated to leasing, same strong forces which have wreaked havoc with many other leasing compa ­ nies in the country. Mazda was one of diversification program, ” says Mehta, the 500-odd leasing companies floated in explaining why the group moved away T the mid-eighties. A big success in the from leasing. “We thought we would US and the UK, the leasing business was put in a little seed money and leave the I perceived to be the money-spinner of the rest to the investing public. But the future. P The advent of so many companies si- k multaneously, however, had the opposite ended up with Rs 3 crores stuck in the L new projects. ” Within a short span of three years, Mazda had ventured into merchant bank ­ ing, real estate, marketing and project consultancy, aviation and engineering, and hotels and leisure resorts. Explain ­ ing to his shareholders the rationale be­ hind such a large diversification move, Ranina had said in 1985, “The manufac ­ turing arm of the company will earn sub ­ stantial profits which will ensure that MIL because, as V. K. Rathi puts it, effect. Lease rentals, for instance, Mazda continues to remain as the fore- ¦) most leasing company in the counU'y. ” to Rs 16 per Rs l,0()0 within a year. To Unfortunately, most of the new projects iJ ¦ I ¦.! u i! “ The future of leasing is not bright and we are thinking of going into exports in a big way" '¦i .pH! h; !l Lease rentals, for instance, dropped from Rs 34 per Rs 1,000 in 1985 I “Ranina is a family friend and the com- f pany has a large untapped potential. ” . I Having taken the decision, the Rathis got make matters worse, public sector giants turned out to be turkeys. Mazda Deuspa, I ¦ into the act right away. Gopal Rathi ar- like Industrial Credit and Investment Cor- set up for the manufacture of micro hy- I ranged a short-term loan of Rs 1.5 crores poration of India (ICICI), Industrial Re- draulics, mini internal gear pumps, b for MIL before flying off on a month- construction Corporation of India (IRCI) power packs and other engineering prod- ucts, was established at Dongari village in dia, Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda and Talasari district of Maharashtra. It Punjab National Bank entered the leasing was a non-starter from the word go. Mehta, who has been with the business. These public sector giants “We were denied even the basic infra ­ I' into the act right away. Gopal Rathi ar- like Industrial Credit and Investment Cor- ranged a short-term loan of Rs 1.5 crores poration of India (ICICI), Industrial Re­ t r ¦ I. long business tour of Europe. Younger and the subsidiaries of State Bank of In ­ brother V. K., in the meanwhile, re- l" . placed Homi Mehta as managing direc- ’ _ , tor. Mehta, who has been with the business. These public sector giants “We were denied even the basic infra ­ Mazda group ever since its inception, has quoted unbelievably low lease rentals structure. We had been promised ade- been shifted to a department working on which were very uneconomical for the quale and continuous power supply but blueprints for the new business areas the private sector companies to match. the authorities went back on their word, ” Rathis plan to take MIL into. Rathi has also shifted part of the MIL office from Nariman Point in south Bombay to the northern suburb of Andheri from where most of the group ’s real estate transac- ' tions are carried out. All these, however, are mere cosmetic changes when compared to the tough tasks that lie ahead. The new team has to turn around a Rs 12-crore group whose profits have been under intense pressure in the last few years. MIL’S leasing ac- ^4 I '¦^5 5^ Ik MN V. K. Ralhi (top) takes over as managing director of Mazda Industries from Mehta (below) 73 Parslana March 1990 4 .fl 11According to Mehta, the problem by elsewhwe; he cites the company ’s deci ­ sion to raise fixed deposits in 1985 as the Started as a subsidiary of beginning of its myriad headaches. De- Parents of engineer son, 28 years, well-settled, invite matrimonial correspondence from well-educated, slim, good-natured, Parsi girls, up to 26 years. says Mehta. Similarly, a project for the manufac ­ ture of concrete railway sleepers failed to take off. Mazda Eastland Industries and Leasing posit holders were allotted the com- Limited, which itself is a subsidiary of pany ’s convertible debentures on a pre- MIL, Mazda Concrete Products Limited ferential basis. “We collected Rs 5.5 was incorporated in April 1988 in Orissa, crores as fixed deposits but did not ex- But after Rs 42 lakhs had been sunk into pect a majority of the deposit holdem tb the project, it was discovered that the withdraw simultaneously, ” says Mehta, plant had bwn set up on a site which was “However, now that they had their con- under litigation. All further work ground vertible debentures, the deposit holders to a halt. withdrew all their money three, years later. We had to pay out Rs 3.5 crores in one go. ” This, along with the Reserve Bank of India ’s recent guideline of a minimum two-year deposit period as Apply to The Advertiser Matrimonial (12)' Parsiana Box 892 Bombay 400001 “Left in the lurch” Not everybody has been sympathetic to ­ wards Mazda ’s woes. “Mazda ’s prob ­ lems have accumulated because it did against the earlier six-month one, pushed not stick to the knitting (meaning, the the company into a severe liquidity leasing business), ” says the merchant crunch. “We wbre lucky that the Rathis banker quoted earlier. “Their diversifi- came along to bail us out, ” says Mehta, cation program is one big misadventure ¦‘We were lucky that the Rathis came along to bail us out, ” says Mehta. and the minority shareholders have been Stronger industrial base left in the lurch. ” Now that they are firmly in the saddle, the “Ranina may be a very good advocate Rathis plan to give a face-lift to the com- but that does not necessarily make him a pany. “Leasing will continue to be a ma- good businessman, ” says the vice jor activity for some more time, ” says V. president of a leading leasing company. K. Rathi. “The exports business will be In fact, a senior executive at MIL squarely blames Ranina and Mehta ’s non ­ THE PARSIANA BOOK OF IRANIAN NAMES The Iranian names of boys and girls along with their meanings which originally appeared in Parsiana have now been reprinted in an attractive 24-page booklet. The book, which is priced at Rs 15, is available on sale at : Kaiser-E-Hind, 300 Perin Nariman Street, Behind Reserve Bank of India, Fort, Bombay 400001. Faredoon and Burjor Sandalwood Shop, . \ Princess Street. \ \ Union Press, 13, Homji Street, \ Bombay 400001. 74 Parsiana March 1990 developed to a great extent but most im­ portant, we are going to give a much bet ­ business background for the mess the ter and stronger industrial base to the group presently finds itself in. “Ranina is Mazda group. ” basically a tax consultant and Mehta was Plans include forays into the pharma- a banker for more than 20 years. They ceutical and heavy engineering fields. A " " ¦ ! Plans include forays into the pharma ­ banker for more than 20 years. They ceutical and heavy engin^ring fields. A lack the killer instinct so necessary in today ’s business. ” That the group was unusually short ­ sighted is evident from the Mazda Pack ­ aging fiasco. In early 1988, following a proposal in parliament to make manda- unit is being set up at SEEPZ in Bombay which will manufacture two-in-ones for exports. Mazda Deuspa will be sold off but Mazda Packaging Limited will be revived with its products now (xiented for the exports market. Finally, con- tory the selling of edible oil in plastic struction activity, which so far had been pouches, the Mazda group decided to set restricted to Sanjan near the Gujarat- up a Rs 5.5 crore plant manufacturing Maharashtra border, will now be ex- five-layer packing films. But no govern- tended to Bombay too. “The returns mental order followed and Mazda Pack- here are better, and faster, ” says V. K. aging Ltd was stuck with an imported Rathi. machine costing Rs 1.75 crores, and -------- '’Jo-® ended the 15-month period on March 31, 1989 with a loss of Rs 81 lakhs. Of the program in the past but both Ranina and installed capacity of 1,080 tonnes per an- V. K. Rathi are confident that this time num, only 82.43 tonnes of co-extruded around, success awaits them. “Hope- multi-layer plastic film were manufac- fully, within eight months things should tured. begin to look up. In spite of the hammer- Whether it was just plain bad luck or ing the company has taken at the stock mismanagement, problems continued to exchange, in the mind of the people accumulate not only in the subsidiary Mazda Industries Limited still is a well ­ companies but in the flagship company, MIL, too. “While other leasing compa ­ nies were able to arrange bank Ioans to the tune of Rs 15 crores, our financial ent ills. team could organize absolutely noth- , ing, ” says Ranina. Yes, the Mazda group has had disas ­ trous experiences in its diversification established company, ” says V. K. Rathi. That, and a large dose of luck, seems to be the panacea for all of Mazda ’s pres- Edited text and photographs reprinted with permission from Business India, January 22-February 4,1990FOOD magnificent country, India, be- that it lands on both hands (palms facing sides giving the Zoroastrian community down) and stretched gently everytime it . lands on the knuckles!] To see a dosa (dough of blended flours fried crisp and paper thin) being his magnificent country, India, be- succor, when needed, has offered us rare philosophy, art, music, and last but not the least, exceptional cuisine. . . In my book. Traditional Recipes made by an expert in a couple of sec- of India, I have stated, “It has taken In- onds, or to watch coffee being cooled in dia about 4,(XX) years to evolve her sys- South India by tumbbis (young appren- tem of cookery — intricate, full of sub- lice boys) in small wayside restaurants tlety and with a balance and delicacy who pour the coffee from one mug to achieved by no other. ” No single person, another from a distance of a yard without even if he or she has dedicated an entire wasting a drop, is i delightful experience! lifetime to studying' Indian food, can learn all the finer nuances of Indian cooking. Every state has its own estab ­ lished cuisine, yet there is a subtle vari- aticHi not only from village to village, but flambe crepes suzettes and say “wah - ¦- •- • •? Years ago when I was waiting for a friend near the Dhobi Talao maidan in Bombay I witnessed a man making lice boys) in small wayside restaurants But all this expertise is just taken for granted and no notice or encouragement is given to our cooks. Yet, people will go to expensive hotels, see a foreign chef Tilt at times from caste to caste, and family wah. ” to family. And this is from Kashmir to Kanyakumari — an area as large as Eu ­ rope without Russia! It is sad that most of the members of rotis. In his small shop on stilts, not more \ \ the affluent class prefer to lean to the than four feel by five feet he had a large J ] West in their style of living, thinking and flat tava (iron griddle) about one and BnlCOO J. ManeKSnaw eating. We can learn a lot from the West, but that does not mean that we do not give encouragement to our own people, especially the talented cooks. Not surprisingly, some of this culinary art is dying out in our country. There are over 100 varieties of kababs made in Lucknow — by special kabab- wallas. Unfortunately the experts are all dying out and very few are left. Rarely do hosts invite them to cook their speci ­ alities; diners would rather go to five star hotels and pay a fortune for the type of mundane Indian dishes that these places offer. Has any one watched a roomali roti (very thin, large, whitish rotis - unleavend bread) being made? How, from a small piece of rolled dough, the professionals expand it into a large thin disk ranging from 8 to 12 inches in diameter, and sometimes as large as a bicycle wheel. [The disk of dough is flung in the air such ? 2>Y A treat of delicacies that reflect the variety of the Indian ''culinary culture Tt Parsiana March 1990He would r a half feet in diameter. pick up a piece of dough, flatten it out with his hands to about a six inch circle. Then he would pick it up, and with a flick of his wrist (with the dough held be­ tween the thumb and first finger), the roti would expand. This was repeated until the roti was as large as the taval Then it was flung on the tava to cook for a few seconds, removed and folded. Years later I went to see if he was still there, but all the shops down that line had disappeared! It is soul-destroying and frustrating to watch all this disappear in front of our eyes. Now the ‘in thing ’ is to eat junk food! Anyway, one must carry on doing what little one can to preserve some of the good things in life like food, glorious food. I am sharing with you some simple yet delightful recipes that I have col ­ lected. DIN MOHEMED'S MUSALMANI ’ GOSHT Lamb or mutton (1 kg — cut into large pieces) Onions (4 large — chopped) Garlic (1 whole head — peeled and chopped) Ginger (2-inch piece — peeled and chopped) Coriander powder (2 heaped tbsp) Cardamoms (3-4 black or 6 white) Cloves (3-4) Cinnamon (1-inch piece) Bay leaves (2) Black peppercorns (6-^ Butter (100 gms) Salt and chilli powder (to taste) Put meat along with the rest of ingredients (except butter) in a pan. Add 2 cups of water. Cover pan and cook on a slow fire till meat is tender and the water dries up. Add butter. Brown the meat and serve hot with rotis. (Din Mohemed was the chief baker in Chefair when I used to work there.) CHICKEN MALAI KABABS Chicken (750 gms — cut into large pieces) Lime juice (2 tbsp) Ginger and garlic juice (1 tbsp each) Beaten curds (100 gms) Masala to be ground Poppy seeds (1 dsp) Fresh coriander leaves (100 gms) Green chillies (2) Mixed magaz seeds (1 tbsp) Flatten chicken pieces by pounding them slightly. Marinate them in all the juices for 1 hour. Add ground masala and beaten curds and marinate for further 12 hours. Add salt and barbeque on skew ­ ers. Note: The kababs must not be brown but should remain whitish in color and juicy when done. (Mr L. Joshi, manager of India Interna ­ tional Centre, gave me this excellent rec ­ ipe. He is an expert in Indian cuisine.) CHANDERMOOKHI’S ALLOO CHOLE Kabuli channa (chick peas — 250 gms) Potatoes (250 gms) Ginger (75 gms — sliced or chopped) Aamchoor (dried mango powder — 30 gms) Cardamoms pounded (15 gms) Ghee (75 gms) Chilli powder and salt (to taste) Soak channa overnight. Boil channa and potatoes separately in fresh water till cooked. Keep the water in which the channa were cooked. Heat ghee and saute ginger till brown. Add aamchoor and peeled and cubed potatoes. And salt and chilli powder. Add channa with water. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove into a deep dish, sprinkle with powdered carda ­ moms and serve with puris. (Ms Chandermookhi Dabra was a very dear friend of the Manekshaws in Amritsar — her superlative.) vegetarian cooking was KOLI FISH Fish chunks (1 kg — rubbed with salt and kept for — 1 hour) Masala to be ground Green chillies (2-4) Chilli powder (2 tsp) Turmeric powder (1 tsp) Garlic (6-8 cloves) Lime (2) Rice flour or wheat flour Oil for shallow frying Do not wash fish after it is salted. Rub ground masala on fish. Roll in rice flour and fry in a shallow frying pan on low heat Cover the dish with a lid with a little water on it. Turn once or twice only. Alternately, roll fish in whole wheat flour, sprinkle oil on top and cook on a slow fire in a dish covered with a lid. There should be water on the lid. Serve with lime juice sprinkled on top. In Maharashtra it is felt that til (sesame) oil gives a special flavor to fish speciali ­ ties cooked in the Indian style. In Ben ­ gal, the fish is usually fried in mustard oil. (The above recipe was given to me by a cook of Chefair, Bombay, who has a fish­ ing fleet of his own! The Koli fish is a speciality of Maharashtra.) ¦ I I DELHI CHEFAIR BAKERY BIRYANI Rice (parmal basmati — 1 kg) Mutton (1 kg) White cardamoms (6-8) Black cardamoms (4-6) 79 Parslana March 1990IT i* 1 hi onions. Add meat. Let it turn to a light Butter (200 gms) brown. Add rice. Brown the rice. Add Oil(ll6tt)sp) broth and salt to taste. The broth should Heat oil, brown onions. Add coriander cover the rice by about 2 inches. If it does powder, ginger, garlic, green chillies, not, add hot water. Bring to a boil. Cook chilli powder and saute well. Add toma- till the broth is absorbed and small holes toes and sautd again for 2 minutes. Add appear on the surface of the rice. Cover wings and sautd till wings are nicely and seal the lid with a dough made with browned. Add water till the ingredients flour and water. With the oven set on are covered and add cardamoms and ‘medium, ’ bake for 20 minutes. Cover the black peppercorns. pan with a napkin, bring it to the table and open the seal on the table to savor the aroma of the biryani. Simmer till the wings are done and a gravy remains. Add butter and serve hot. Note: Guard your cholesterol after this dish! (Many eateries in Bombay and Delhi Black peppercorns (10-12) Cinnamon (2-inch stick) Cloves (6-8) Onions (4 large — sliced) Oil as needed Potli (packet) Ginger (3-inch piece) Garlic (1 whole head) Onions (2-3) Coriander seeds (1 tbsp) Bay leaves (3-4) Black cardamoms (4) Cinnamon (1-inch piece) A piece of muslin Wash off starch from the rice. Soak in KORMA water for one hour. Drain the rice and let Chicken wings (1 kg — can use cut were manned by Mohammedans. They it dry for half an hour. chicken pieces) used to make excellent biryani and the Put all potli ingredients in muslin and tie Onions (4 large — sliced) korma which they ate with it.) into a parcel. Pound lightly with a rolling Coriander powder (2 tbsp) pin. Empty the potli ingredients into a Ginger (1!6 inch — peeled and chopped) MANGALORIAN ONION STEW pan. Add meat that has been cut into Garlic (6-8 cloves — peeled and Onions (15 — medium sized) pieces. Then add water till it covers the chopped) contents. Add salt. Bring to a boil. Green chillies (4 — chopped) Remove scum and simmer till meat is Chilli powder (1-2 tsp — to taste) three-quarters cooked. Keep meat and Tomntoes (3 medium — chopped) its broth. Heat about 2 tbsp oil, add on- Black peppercorns (6) ions and all the garam masala. Brown White cardamoms (4-6) Water pint, English measure 1 pint = 20 ozs) Garam masala powder Q/i tsp) Cumin powder (1 tsp) Turmeric powder (1 tsp) Black pepper powder f/itsp) ;j !'i n : I THE COMIVIUNITY FARES WELL AT TATAS Community welfare is a social responsibility voluntarily accepted by Tatas many years ago. It was this sense of responsibility that prompted Sir Ratan Tata to finance studies into the causes of poverty in 1912, and the Tata Trusts to establish institutions like the Tata Memorial Hospital for Cancer Research and treatment and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. In fact, Tatas have gone so far as to turn the entire town of Jamshedpur into a model in community living. There are wide roads, tree-lined avenues, hospitals and family clinics, and schools which any community would be proud of. TATA ENTERPRISES 81 Parsiana March 1990It f I (- 1 mashed potato. Add salt to taste. To serve: Put the bowl of peas and pota- PYALl toes in the center, and surround with the White dried peas (16 kg — soaked over- different bowls of garnishes. Let your night and boiled with salt and turmeric guests select the garnishes of their powder) Potatoes (4 medium sized — boiled. Mix all together chill and serve choice. (This is served by roadside vendors in Bombay. This recipe was given to me by Ms Maya Sami.) Flour (2 tsp) Coconut milk extracted from 16 coconut (1 cup) Fat or oil (1 tbsp) Onion (1 — sliced) Salt (to taste) Peel onions and cut off roots and tops. Boil in a little water with salt. Strain if peeled and cubed) necessary. Add turmeric and cumin Mix cubed potatoes with cooked peas powder to coconut milk. Mix well. Heat Garnishes oil and brown the sliced onion in it. Add Cocum (Garcinia Indica — a dry sour RABRI (from North India) flour and mix well. Saute for a minute, fruit) paste Full cream milk (4 pints — English meas- Add coconut milk, black pepper and ga- 12 cocums soaked in water for half an urc 1 pint = 20 ozs) ram masala. Bring to a boil. Add onions. Simmer for 5 minutes and serve hot with ground to a paste in the same water. Pistachio nuts (chopped — for garnish) a vindaloo or masala chops or fried Tamarind paste Heat milk on a very slow fire. Fan milk masala fish. 40 gms tamarind soaked in 1 cup water occasionally to form a skin which is then for half an hour then strained through a pushed to the side of the pan. Continue KOSUMARI (Mysorian raw lentil fine sieve till all the pulp is sieved out salad) and only the fibres remain which are dis- Moong dal 06 cup —soaked overnight carded. Add a pinch of salt, or at least for 2-3 hours) Chopped onions Carrots (2 — grated) Chopped coriander leaves Cucumber (i6—grated) Chopped mint leaves Coriander leaves (1 tbsp — coarsely Red chilli paste chopped) Cabbage (1 cup — grated) Pomelo or orange (1 cup — peeled) Coconut (2 small — grated) Salt and lime juice (to taste) Add turmeric and cumin 12 cocums soaked in water for half an hour after they are well washed. Then Sugar (370 gms to 500 gms) Garlic (IV2 heads— peeled and crushed) Chilli powder (2 tsp, or 6-8 strong dried red chillies) Potato (1 medium sized — mashed) Grind all to a fine paste and mix with If J to do this till milk has reduced by half. Add sugar and stir constantly until it has dissolved, and the mixture has reached the consistency of Ihin porridge. Pour into a bowl and chill. Garnish with the nuts. Peeled and crushed white carda ­ moms may also be sprinkled. I Bhicoo J. Manekshaw, a graduate of the pres­ tigious Cordon Bleu School of Cookery, London and author of The Traditional Recipes of India, has been associated with many haute cuisine organizations in the country. ; ' HI ill I il JI ^rom a wdC-wisHcr 83 Parsiana March 1990 LiiNr I I BOOKS longer at his writing — his second book, tentatively titled Heaven on Wheels. It is a book about a handicapped boy who reads a lot of literature about Britain and then comes to the country where the im­ ages from bodes confront the realities of life. “It ’s not just a travelogue, it ’s more, ” Kanga clarifies. The book is com ­ missioned by Bloomsbury London, the publishers of his first novel, and “it ’s got a deadline, ” Kanga laughs heartily, ex ­ plaining the longer hours he has to put in to get it written. The laughter chips away your inhibi ­ tions about his disability. His cheerful ­ ness helps you reach out and touch the _ _ _ man in the wheelchair. “If you have a Firdaus Kanga ’s novels take a lighthearted disability, then you have a disability and - ........................................................................that ’s it. It ’s like having bad eyes; you cope with it. ” Kanga ’s disability is that he was bom with brittle bones which broke at the slightest excuse and hence impaired the full development of his skeletal frame. “It gets better with age. The novel approach Gustasp Irani Instead of highlighting the pathos, s novels take a liqhther look at the disabled k tional, ” clarifies Kanga and then he ad­ mits, “Yes, if I was in his place I would Ji dl H! “Review my own book? ” Firdaus Kanga, author of the novel Trying to Grow, leans back in his wheelchair and ponders over probably have reacted as he did.” Simi- the poser. Since the book was not avail- larly, the character from the book would able at the time of the interview — the probably have reacted as Kanga did had hardback published by Ravi Dayal Pub- he switched from fiction to real life. Ushers was due for release in India in end — _ Felxuary, about a Bloomsbury London, his publishers in the character. Forthright about his disability UK released his book on February 15 — and his ability, Kanga says that for some- Kanga ’s brief provides an insight: “It ’s one like him who grew up disabled he enormous fun. Very readable. A fresh can relate to those feelings of being look at growing up and growing up dis- “special in a way; kind of self-absorbed, abled. It will be a surprise in a way as I had this tremendous understanding of most people think it is a novel full of the character so I did not need inspira- tears, full of struggle which it is not. What is special about it is that it is a comic novel about people who are dis­ abled. People will realize that even the disabled have fun...if anyone is looking work. A novel has to be written and it for a serious or scholarly work he will be took Kanga two years, three hours a day, disappointed. ” writer, prefers to bring alive his character writing I often wonder how it is going to with the use of irony and humor rather work out. I know of some writers who • than a straight narrative. go to great lengths to avoid writing — The story in this — his first — book, as like polishing their shoes just to delay related by Kanga, revolves around a dis- sitting down at their desk. When I’m abled boy in a wheelchair “trying to writing though, I can ’t think why I dq grow ” during the formative years of his anything else; it ’s such enormous pleas- life — from the age of eight to the early ure. ” twenties. “Because I am disabled I was able to create such a character. He is not me in the sense that most of his experi ­ ences are not mine... No, definitely not Kanga: valor is the ace virtue me. The character is completely fic- Photo: Gustasp Irani Though we have not yet read Trying fortnight after to Grow, we begin to get a feel for the tion. The problem was fictionalizing it... In Hction you can bring out much more truth. ” Inspiration is overrated. Writing is Kanga, a freelance to get his novel done. “Before I start And Kanga indulges himself even more. Now he wwks even harder and The characto* is completely fic- 85 Parsiana March 1990 & dl J't ¦ e Kij ,»• iil k H- 4 J i i I At 1 i I 1 The bones do not break as frequently as does believe strongly, in the Parsi ap- they did before, ” Kanga, now 30, ob ­ serves. Yes, he did look on at other children window to the West. We Parsis encour- play and realize that he could never re- . ally be one of them. But then, “There is Western way of thought ” unlike the oth- the normal kind of fun, and the other ers in the Indian society who have tq fight munity paranoia about declining num ­ kind of fun. If you are brought up right against the values of the caste system, bers. you know how to be happy. I grew up karma... simple things which won ’t If the writing reflects the writer, then with a hunger for happiness and if you trouble a Parsi. Parsis, he believes, are the Parsi way of life is very apparent in want something bad enough, you will ful- doing “wonderfully ” and if they are the Trying to Grow. “All the characters in fill it ” most enlightened people in India, it ’s only the book are Parsi. I did not want it to be For this positive approach to life he because they are allowed to be individu- a Parsi novel. I wanted it to be the story thanks his parents, Tehmi and the late als. of a family which suddenly has a dis- Homi, to whom Trying to Grow is dedi- But then, the Parsis are selfish too. abled child. ” The family happened to be dated — dedicated to their valor. “Valor Kanga feels, “It would be wonderful ” if Parsi and being Parsi behave as Parsis do is the first of virtues; without it you can ­ not achieve other goodness. The valor to their religion and way of life. He has no face up to the disability of your child without showing it to the child; to let him grow up with this tremendous sense of think we should forget about racial purity normalcy when you can see how abnor- — it ’s all humbug. If you are honest with mal he is... I grew up with a lot of fun yourself you can plainly see that there is lates to me, but the book does deal with despite the physical pain... If you let your a lot of Indian blood in the race. ” From giving a disabled child a sense of self-re ­ child bloom, you can ’t ask for anything his residence at Cusrow Bang, Kanga liance, ” acknowledges Kanga. That more. ” 1 Part of this attitude stems from the inviting you to examine the Parsis who fact that Kanga grew up as a Parsi. “I have collected there for recreation. “Even the fun, the attention, the invitation to am an atheist, ” he declares though he in the religion there is no bar against any- visit Britain... one becoming a Zoroastrian. If people want to convert, it will be because the re- proach to life. “I think it ’s quite wonder ­ ful being a Parsi. It gives you a gigantic ligion is attractive and the Parsi way of „ J., 7.'_ ?—------------- ¦ life is attractive. They will enrich the age individualism. We have access to the community besides help us in our fight . ¦ „ -- survival, ” Kanga laughs at the com- But then, the Parsis are selfish too. If the writing reflects the writer, then the community permitted others to share — “They feel that it is social status to have a TV in the bedroom. ” But more, reservation about conversion of people they behave in a way that allows the indi- who want to share the experience. “I vidual to express himself even though he ' ' is disabled. “There is no specific instance that re- his residence at Cusrow Bang, Kanga liance, ” acknowledges Kanga. points his hand towards the club house. self-reliance in Kanga expresses itself as a writer and he is trying to grow with it — 1 i : I 87 Parsiana March 1990 With the Compliments of A Well-Wisher!!! MILESTONES BOMBAY The age of Parsi brides in Bom­ bay in the month of February Bom ranged between 21 and 43 years / ' ¦ ! A girl, Binaifer, to Zenobia and while the corresponding figures Burzis Patel; November 14, for the grooms were 23 and 53. Of the 75 Parsis who died in Bombay, the major killer was heart disease, claiming 25 lives. Old age, lung disease and pneu- Dastoor; February 2 monia claimed five victims / ' . . each; brain disease and general February 2 debility, four each; bronchitis, A girl to Famaz and Danesh- kidney failure and cancer, three mand Fallahtafti; February 4 each; hypertension and septice- A girl to Nilufer and Neville mia, two each. Isolated cases of Patel; February 5 brain tumor, blood poisoning, A boy to Rashna and Zidfin anaemia, enlargement of the Fouzdar', February 6 prostrate, inflamation of the A girl to Vira and Pervesh brain, shock, blood disease, dia- Mody; February 6 _ betes and asdima were also reg­ istered. The medical report is pending in the case of one death. An 18-year-old boy succumbed Kharas', February 19 to bronchitis and a 30-year-old A girl to Kamal and Kersasp male to neurogenic shock. An Daruwala', February 23 84 year-old woman donated her A girl to Bakhtawar and Arzan body for educational purposes to Ghathally; February 26 the anatomy department of the A girl to Khurshid and Ashok Grant Medical College. Highest A/at/»tr, February 27 age at death recorded this month: 99 years. The data on births, marriages NHoof ar Kaikhosrow Tiran- and deaths has been compiled dazian and Shahrokh Behrcm from information supplied by Nooshian; January 28 various newsletters and anju- Avan Minoo Vacha and Naval mans in India and abroad, courts Jimmy Oonwalla; January 29 and hospitals. This information Phiroza Rustom Green and is not tdways complete or con- Kersasp Sorab Katrak of sistent. In the breakup of deaths London; February 1 according to illnesses, espe­ cially of the elderly, death is of- teh due to a combination of sev- Patel; February 1 eral diseases. Hufriz Siavax Sinor and Pha- If readers have any births/ roah Percy Basta; February 2 marriages/deaths they would Tannaz Soli Hirjibedin and like published, some proof to Hoshang Jalejar, February 2 ensure the veracity of the report Zenobia Nozer Surti and Neville would be required. We are sure our readers would appreciate this requirement and cooperate Russy Cama', February 3 with us. Valerie Honu Patel and Zcair Naval Baliwalla; February 4 Yasmin Kersasp Patel oi Nalla- sopara and Adil Meherwan Commissariat; February 4 Shahnaz Kaikashroo Noshir- ward and Freddy Polly Randelia; February 4 Kamal Dara Pavri and Sam Nariman Katgara; February 5 Shahnaz Phiroze Chinoy and Rohinton Tehemton Tf}anevala; AURANGABAD Died Dinshaw Navroji Printer (80), husband of Khorshed and father of Jangoo, Rumi, Zarin Keki Gorimar and late Kashmira on February 19,1990 89 Parsiana March 1990 February 20 Jean Bomi Vasaigara and Peshotan Tehmul Wadia', February 20 Navaz Hoshang Buhariwala and Darayus Borru Marolia', February 22 Cover Jamshed Iram and A.^i Ardeshir Irani; February 23 Jasmine Rusi Mistry and Burgis Keki Daruwalla-, February 24 Niliffer Jehangir Bacha and Zend Fall Lakdavala; February 27 February 5 Hira Mirujo Bharucha and Rotunton Framroze Pavri; February 6 Nrffeeza Homi Dover and Darayus Fall Satta; February 6 Kamal Sohrab Banryi and Viraf Firoze Hansotia; February 8 Perviz Phiroze Reporter and A boy to Vinaz and Cyrus Irani; Adil Jehangir Katrak; February 8 Aban Pesi Katgara and Mehrwan Pirojsha Dastur; February 9 Amy Jamshedji Dumasia and Cyrus Mehelli Rustom', February 9 Mehar Dhunjishaw Palsetia of Nargol and Gev Keki Karai; February 10 Farzana Kaikhushroo Tt^i and Percy Hosi Dhanbhoora; February 12 Khurshid Bomi Dadabhcry and Jehangir Nariman Mistry; February 12 Maia Kersy Katrak and Zarvan Rohiruon Patel of Madras; February 14 Laila Eruchshah Contractor and Roozbeh Farconroj Shroff; February 14 Jer Navroji Patel of Thana and Lovji Manchershaw Adajania; February 15 Gulrukh Keki Pithawala and Cyrus Rusi Dolasha; February 15 Farida Yazad Daruwalla and Yezdi Marazban Karanjawalla of Khanpur, Ahmedabad; February 15 Banoo Jehangir Dubash and Riard Rusi Jasubhoy; February 16 Jasmine Parvez Palia and Zubin Keki Mody; February 16 Pearl Marazban Karanjawalla of Ahmedabad and Boman Maneck Bulsara; February 17 Pervin Mashuk Irani and Zahir Ruaom Irani; February 18 Yasmin Edulji Kalyaniwala of Kalyan and Jamshed Ardeshir Mc^i', February 18 Zarin Bahadur Patel and Khushroo Phiroze Dastur; February 20 Armin Jamshed Irani and Percy Nariman Dastoor; February 20 Dhun Adi Vasania of Bulsar and February 7 Filli Burjor Lal of Solapur; Zarine Jehangir Engineer (45), 1989 A boy to Amy and Rumi Kasad', February 1,1990 A girl to Roshon and Aspi A girl to Anahita and Faroz Joshi', February 19 A boy to Pervin and Kurush Married Amuuty Minocher Aibada of Surat and Percy Faramroze Dosabhai Karkaria; February 2 Yasnun Keki Shroff and Jimmy Died Shahzad Kersy Luth (18), residing at 32, Karelwadi, Thakurdwar, 400002; January 31 Aloo Noshir Dubash (80), Moraji Mans, Nepean Sea Rd, 400026; February 1 Tehmi Jalejar Mulla (81), Adenwalla Bldg, 626, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; February 2 Jal Ardeshar Bhandari (60), Bakhtawar, Narayan Dabholkar Rd, 400006; February 3 Aspi Behr am Bhesania {32), B/3, Rustom Bang, Victoria Rd, Byculla, 400027; February 3 Najamai Manchersha Patel (90), Danawalla Bldg, Lalbaug, 400012; February 4 Jehangir Hormusji Randelia {73), Chhotani Bldg, Proctor St, Grant Rd, 400007; February 4 Pirojbai Ratanshah Siganporia (83), E/13, Nowroz Bang, Lalbaug, 400012; February 4 Amy Adalji Thanawalla {57), D-1, Union Bank Soc, Parijat Patel Est, Jogeshwari, 400060; February 4 Ratanbai Meherwanji Batliboi {99), Cumballa Crest, 42, Pedder Rd, 400026; February 5 Behram Nasarwanji Cooper {69), 19/19, Panthaki Baug, Andheri (E), 400069; February 5 Freny Framroze Parbhoo (75), 690, Dinshaw Master Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; February 6 Dhunjishah Firojshah Dover (85), 194, Talaty Bldg, Khetwadi Back Rd, 400(X)4; il JI ii I ¦' h ¦' !! li I !'Buona Casa, Sir P. M. Rd, 400001; February 7 Shapurji Fakirji Jokhi (77), 20, Sargent Hse, Opp Electric Hse, Colaba, 400039; February 7 Bachamai Ardeshir Patel (68), 4-A, Tata Clny, Tardeo, 400034; February 7 Parveen Farokh Patel (38), Room 8, Ambawadi, 400006; February 8 Dhun Jehangir Thanawalla (87), 10, Wadia Bldg, Malcolm Baug, Jogeshwari (W), 400102; February 8 Jal Navroji Bulsara (66), N-11, Dalal Est, Lamington Rd, 400008; February 9 Khorshedbanu Rustomji Dastur (85), M-57, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; February 9 Rus^om Hormuzdiar Nejabat (65), 554/A, Kanhaiya Bhavan, Chira Bazar, 400002; February 9 Alamai Ratanshaw Patel (78), R/11, S. B. Bharucha Baug, Andheri (W), 400058; February 9 Tehnuna Nariman Trombay- walla (70), F. S. Parukh Dharamshalla, 34, Hughes Rd, 400007; February 9 Jamshed Gustad T^nji (85). 319, Mitha Mans, Room 18, Fort, 4(XXX)1; February 9 Tehmina Homi Irani (74), 45, Wellington St, Dhobitalao, 400002; February 10 Rusi Pestonji Sethna (65), Lam Bldg, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, 400013; February 10 Sherin Pirojshah Surti (92), 4/3, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, Byculla, 400027; February 10 Pestonji D. Baliwalla (86), H/1, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; February 11 Kaikhushroo Edulji Italia (91), B/13, Nowroz Baug, Lalbaug, 40(X)12; February 11 Zarthost Framroze Irani (45), 28/A, Todiwalla Bldg, Surunill Rd, l^wer Parel, 400013; February 11 . Phiroze Sorabji Mistry (80), 26, Old Khareghat Clny, Hughes Rd, 40(X)07; February 11 Mam Darabsha Mulla (74), 206/C, 5-B, Hari Om Apts, Borivli (W), 400092; February 11 Dinsha Jamshedji Paruiay (84), 4/A, Rashmi, Carmichael Rd, 400026; February 11 Mehera Aspandiyar Rabadi (76), B, Bhatia Bldg, Opp Parsi Dairy Farm, 400(X)2; February 11 Framroze Sorabji Ranji (93), 2/9, Gamadia Clny, Tardeo, 400007; February 11 Surd Jiji Contractor (76), 1/11, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, Byculla, 400027; February 12 Edidji Jamshedji Karas (30), 59, Queens Rd, 400002; February 12 Byram Edulji Marawalla (83), E-9, Jer Baug, Dr Ambedkar Rd, Byculla, 400027; February 12 Bachan Maneksha Nussirabad- wala (85), 0/6, Dalal Est, Lamington Rd, 400008; February 12 Mehroo Cizwas Palia (60), A-2, Mehta Bldg, Captain Clny, Tardeo, 400034; February 12 Naval Nanabhai Sethna (70), Tafti Bldg, Frere Bridge, Grant Rd, 400007; Febru^ 12 Meherwanji Sorabji Battiwala (90), 764/B, Naval Hse, Parsi Clny. Dadar, 400014; February 13 Kodadad Byram Irani (58), 59/C, Bazar Rd, Bandra, 400050; February 13 Jal Darabsha Parakh (76), Flat Customer is ^always light When he entrusts his Household ~ Packing, Shipping, Removal, Storage.... all his problems to B.C. Buhariwala & Sons. I- Door to door Service Make the right Move, Call: R R Rithariufata & Swts 5 J.hl. Heredia Marg, Ballard Estate, Bombay-400 038. Tel.: 2615451/3, 26 20785,2613)37 Tlx.: 011-75139 BCB IH. BRANCH OFFICE: 1310, Pragati Towers, Rajendra Place, Hew Delhi-110 008. Tel. Hos.: 5711876, 5713540 Tlx.: 031-61928 BCB IH Represented throughout the World by more than 600 offices 3/12, Sir Dorab Tata Bldg, Bandra, 400050; February 13 Eruch Framji Doctor (74), Gool Villa, Dr Ambedkar Rd, Dadar, 4(XX)14; February 14 Aloo Navroji Mody (71), All Saints Home, 54-A, Dockyard Rd, Mazagaon, 400010; February 14 Daulatbanoo Bomansha Irani (85), 8, Khareghat Clny, Hughes Rd, 4(XXX)7; February 15 Perin Darab Chinoy (56), 522, Parekh Hse, Opp Chira Bazar, 400002; February 16 Freny Burjor Paymaster (72), Kamal Mhl, Dahanukar Marg, 400026; February 16 Mary Phiroze Chinoy (78), 14-B, Pemino, Altamount Rd, 400026; February 17 Minocher Jehangir Lali (80), Jer Mans, 70/B, Gowalia Tank Rd, 400036; February 17 Kaikhusru Vanned Felfeli (72), Shirin Mans, 74, Trinity St, Dhobitalao, 400020; February 19 Mani Dadabhai Mehta (67), 4/39, A. H. Wadia Baug, Parel Tank Rd, 400033; February 19 Baimai Chadabhai Mucadum (15), Orient Bldg, 50, Wode ­ house Rd, Colaba, 400005; February 19 Eruch Jhangir Rana (76), 4/5, A. H. Wadia Baug, Parel Tank Rd, 400033; February 19 Cawasji Rustomji Marolia (82), Parsi Punchayet Cottage, Doongerwadi, 400036; February 20 Rustom Rashid Iram (85), F-24, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 40(X)39; Febru^ 21 Pe^onji Byramji Mistry (12), 16, Happy Home, Gowalia Tank, 400036; February 21 Bomi Kaikhusru Oomrigar (66), Mani Manor, 803-A, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; Fel^ary 21 Dhunjishaw Bomanshaw Satha (72), 19, Ragunath Dadaji St, Fort, 400001; February 21 Minoo Navroji Nalladaroo (86), F. S. Parukh Dharamshalla, 34, Hughes Rd, 400007; February 22 Sorabji Nadirsha Baria (87), Parsi Dharamshalla, Alibaug, Dist Raigad, 402201; February 23 91 Parsiana March 1990Tehnuna Meherji Polia (87), Palia Mans, 822, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; February 23 Banoo Pirojshah Billimoria (67), 443, Ajay Niwas, Chira Bazar, 400002; February 24 Najamai Borrumsha Sethna (87), Vakil Bldg, 683/A, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; February 24 Fardun Pestonji Sidfowala (68), 5, Samundar Darshan, 159 Andheri Varsova Rd, 400061; February 24 Manijeh Dinshaw Dudha (88), 9, Delstar, N. S. Patkar Marg, 40(X)36; February 25 iMhrasp Pirojsha Kapadia (92), Shireen Mans, 60, Sleater Rd, 400007; February 25 Gulbano Framroze Karva (84), P-11, Nowroz Baug, Lalbaug, 400012; February 25 Erachshah Sorabshah Kohiyar (87), Soona Mhl, Marine Drive, 400020; February 25 Dhunbai PUrojsha Mistry (73), B/19, N. Contractor Baug, Mahim, 400016; February 25 Meherbtu Keki Aariya (78), Saraswati Ngr, Tulinj Rd, Nalasopara (E); February 27 Ala Barjor Kothavala (84), mother of Vera Jehangir Merwanji and Behroz Sarosh Mody; February 27 (body donated for educa- tioruduse) Dolly Pherozeshaw Gandhi (92), Mohemedi Manzil, ISO, S. V. Rd, lOiar, 400052; February 28 Homai Darabshah Printer (98), Navroz Bldg, 70, Hughes Rd, 400007; February 28 CALCUTTA Married Farina Sovak Bharucha and Rohinton Jal Kcpadia; February 9 KARACHI Died Alamai Pestanji Sethna (89); January 1 Zal Shiavax Dover (84); January 1 Sherbanoo Darabsha Patel (85); January 15 Goolu Kooverji Sethna (80); January 16 Jamshed Kavasji Divecha (31)', January 19 Ramyar Pestanji Kooka ((>1)', January 25 Sharukh Kaikhushru Yazdani (59); January 21 Married J/tru Kharas and Farrokh Sinor, December 16,1989 PENNSYLVANIA Born A girl, Natasha, to Rashna Jehangir Mistry, January 2, 1990 and PITTSBURG Married Mahrukh Morris and Polly Ghodawalla-, November 25, 1989 POONA Died Freny Jrd Kotwal (77), 15, Mody Clny, Synagogue St, 411001; February 2 Darabshaw Edulji Doctor (87), 305, K. P. Towers, Fatima Ngr, 411013; February 11 Ruby Kersi Master (56), 813/14, Puduntji Comp, Bhavani Peth, 411002; February 15 Tehnuna Pirojsha Mehta (91), 599, Sachapir St, 411001; February 17 Ratanbai Dinsha Masalavala (80), 13/14, Pudumjee Comp, 411002; February 19 Jer Jehangir Contractor (83), Bglw No 18,247/14, B, Deccan College Rd, 411001; February 20 Aloo Chawlddar (82), 23, Mehta Bldg, Colaba, Bombay, 400005; February 24 il SECUNDERABAD Died Aiaad Dinshah Gorwala (89); December 4,1989 TOTALS (for this issue) Births Boys 4, Girls 10 Marriages 43 Deaths 91 Compiled by Roxana H. Kaka CORRECTION A boy, Xerxes, was bom to Shenaz and Dara Engineer, in Bombay on December 7, 1989. The error of sex and date in “Milestones ” (Parsiana, December 1989) is regretted. With Best Compliments Of HOSHANG J. BUCHIA & CO ENGINEERS & CONSTRUCTORS 4/24, Tata Mills Co-op Housing Society Ltd Elphinstone Road, Bombay 400012 Tel: 4112539 93 Parsiana March 1990IN MEMORIAM SHAPURJI JOKHI slaved, saved, staked Arnavaz S.Mama Again and again he was compared to Sir Jamsetji Jejeebhoy. There was a close parallel in their lives — both were bom to poverty in Navsari; both created fortunes from the China trade; both gave unstint- ingly to charity. But whereas Jejeebhoy got Bombay ’s governor or the British viceroy to contribute to each cause in equal measure, as noted The Bombay Samachar ’s editor Jehan Daruwalla, Shapurji Fakirji Jokhi made it alone. The 500 flats of Avan Bang in Navsari, built in batches over 15 years, cost two and a half crore rupees. Jokhi footed the bill and let out the flats to Parsis of middle and lower income groups at sub ­ sidized rents. Four years later, he was ready to present another 1.5 crore rupees to Bombay ’s B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital (PGH). Other institutional beneficiaries of Jokhi ’s largesse were the Vyara Agiary, Navsari ’s Sorab B^ug and the Zoroas ­ trian Anjumqn as well as the Red Cross Society of Hong Kong, as notes the reso ­ lution passed at the samast anjuman meeting summoned by the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) on March 12,1990 pre ­ sided over by Dr Aspi Golwalla, BPP chairman and president of the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India. Jokhi ’s sudden demise due to cardiac ar- ’ rest in Hong Kong on Febmary 7, 1990, at the age of 77, had shocked the entire community. “To believe the philosophy (of the re ­ ligion), to say the prayers, is one thing; to live them is another, ” noted Surat Parsi Punchayet president Dr Sam Bhacca. “Jokhi never gave lectures; he showed by his own example. ” Bhacca described Jokhi ’s classic Navsari charac ­ teristics: hardworking, making money. Jokhi: ''a true believer in silent service” but thrifty to the point of stinginess, ac ­ cumulating funds which were siphoned into charity. The B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospi ­ tal ’s vice president Homa Petit spoke of the “modest, pure-hearted Zoroastrian who came to (the help of) the Hospital of his own accord because he had seen its crying need... He kept in the background, a true believer in silent service. But he took pride and pleasure in recalling (the help of) Providence in carrying out his charitable work... Shapurji needs no prayer because his whole life was a prayer. ” Recalling how Jokhi had written to the Malesar Parsi Anjuman, asking them to keep land in mind for residential buildings, was Avan Bang co-trustce and anjuman president Dara Deboo. Midway through the housing project some one wrote to the cluirily commissioner com ­ plaining that die flats ’ rents were too high and that the trustees were incompc- tent. Jokhi said he would stop building, remembered Deboo. Then, resizing that he was reacting to the needling of petty individuals, Jokhi reversed his decision a few days later in the interests of the needy, Deboo said. Deboo informed how Jokhi had in ­ structed the PGH to keep a very strong construction foundation for the service block he was funding because he had the intention of adding to it. Earlier, when the Federation had sought to honor him, Jokhi had excused himself as an “insig ­ nificant ” individual, interested only that his creations be maintained, Deboo noted. Cherishing an ivory Zarathushtra Jokhi had presented him, BPP trustee Jamshed Guzder recalled Jokhi ’s first visit at his (Guzder ’s) Neville House of ­ fice. The informal, bush shirt clad Jokhi waited to see him like any other commu ­ nity member. Though they met only four or five times altogether, Jokhi ’s friendli ­ ness was memorable, said Guzder. Life-style Looking like a “Japanese or Chinese (with) slanting eyes, short, brown, ro ­ bust... Shapur mama (maternal uncle) was mama to everybody, ” says Bakhtavar Sachinwalla, granddaughter ­ in-law of Jokhi ’s sister Dinamai Sachin ­ walla. He was one of a dozen siblings —the family now numbers almost 1(X) in Bom ­ bay — says his niece Prof Perin Daru ­ walla. It remained “fairly homogenous ” because of Shapurji. He came laden with gifts for everyone, recalls Daruwalla — and there would always be a big family dinner when he was in town. A very staunch orthodox Zoroastrian I 95 Parsiana March 19901 of the Ilm-e-Khshnoom school, Jokhi be- worked with Jokhi in Hong Kong and Kcki s wife, reminisced, Shapurji liked lieved implicitly in the Magav Sahebs of accompanied his . body to Bombay, two things in life — to walk and to Mount Demavand (elevated souls rcsi- "Khaara maa pahelo ej utre (He would drink. ” Afternoon and night he had to ding in secret caves in Iran, not normally be the first one to jump into a grave to have his tot. The family laughed at the visible to humans) and was content to 1------------------ ---------------- ,, lead his life according to the inspiration The latter recalled how, sometime in late V. P. Naik, then cmef minister of which he believed came from them. Af- 1 . , . ter 11 months of rigorous imprisonment with Lala Tours, someone came to say a time of his niece Freny s wedding (circa unde the Japanese during World War II, Parsi had died in a hotel. Together with 1964). And wherever he went in the city, he alone, of the lot he was with, was ac ­ quitted. Emaciated, battered, the re ­ prieve when all hope was lost further the man. strengthened his faith, as notes Russy Cl -------- , Bhesania, a writer from Bordi, in his marriages, Jokhi did not approve of a Anklesaria. “I could not keep pace with Gujarati biography Sakhavat na Shaken- relative who had married a non-Parsi, in- him,” ruefully admitted nephew Nariman shah, Shapurji Fakirji Jokhi. Jokhi ’s formed his brother. Highly traditional, Damwalla. faith in the Magav Sahebs is enshrined in Jokhi saw to it that the body of his be- *— _ a tablet at Avan Baug whereon are in ­ scribed the names of all these Usiads, as informs his brother Sorabji. w, ------------------ ----------------- -- —. . .. Apart from the Red Cross, Jokhi ’s had left standing instructions with his Christian and Hindu scriptures with philanthropy was confined to the com ­ munity, his servants and business associ- . _ . ates and their children, informs his February 10, the day of the chahrum, be- A very cheerful man, with his own nephew Pheroze Anklesaria. “He would cause of delays in transit. Despite that, brand of very keen, very down-to-ear^ never forget anyone who had done any- --------- . thing for him.” a smile on his face, ” notes Kcki. wealth and humorously avoided ques- And he gave of himself. If anyone . _ ----- died, “he was in charge of the bathing, shedji Kanga ’.s gym in Navsari, Jokhi He went all over the world ^y ship be- the sachkar and carrying the body, ” i notes his younger brother Kcki who ture to the end of his life. "Khaara maa pahelo eJ utre (He would drink. lower the body for burial), ” says Sorabji. memory of Jokhi ’s happiness when the ______ __________ __ ____ - 1960-61 while on a holiday in Kashmir Maharashtra, lifted prohibition about the ter 11 months of rigorous imprisonment with Lala Tours, someone came to say a time of his^ni^ce Freny ’s wedding (circa his brother Framroze, Jokhi took on the be it Hong Kong or Bombay, he would task of arranging the funeral and burial of walk. “He never took a cab, never trav- • ____ elled first class. Grant Road to Ballard Staunchly against intercommunity Estate he would go walking, ” recalled relative who had married a non-Parsi, in- him,” ruefully admitted nephew Nariman Jokhi had a raconteur ’s gift of the gab. loved wife Manijeh, who died of blood Javer described him as “Vaato no raja cancer in Hong Kong, was flown to (King of stories). ” Perin Daruwalla re- Bombav to be interred in the dokhma and called the anecdotes from Zoroastrian, _____ _ -.............................................. ¦! brother ’Keki io°do the same by him. which he kept her children engrossed — Hence the funeral was held in Bombay on “for hours together, ” added Anklesaria. and their children, informs his February 10, the day of the chahrum, be- J5 “the body did not spoil. There was almost humor, ” he was very secretive about his a smile on his face, ” notes Kcki. wealth and humorously avoided ques- A renowned student of Ustad Jam- tions, his family noted with amusement. maintained his fondness for physical cul- cause he was afraid of flying and re- As Javer, sorted to it only when passenger ships D. B. MADAN & COMPANY ‘MADAN HOUSE’ 50, Moore Street, Madras 600001, India Administrative & Accounts Office 16/8 & 16/9 College Road, Madras 600006, India Steamer Agents for all USSR lines of vessels And Clearing and Forwarding Agents Cable: ‘GENITS’ Fax: (44) 581559, (44) 8252712 Telex: 041-7088 DBM IN 041-6883 DBM IN 041-7820 DBM IN Telephones: 580667, 580687, 580727 Administrative & Accounts Office: 866305, 864766 Residence: 479942 After office hours: 613806, 416573 I 97 Parsiana March 1990I Shaw Powwalla And who should prove To the end, every day irrespective of the to be his first mentor in Hong Kong but weather, Jokhi would have his walks up Avan Powwalla himself, notes an astounded and down the steep gradients of Hong Kong, and his cold water baths resulting Working his way up in Parsi-owned in “pneumonia a couple of times, ” as stopped plying, informed Sorabji) and the favors of those who helped him in says Keki who became his closest helper, even attended tlie coronation of Queen various ways. Having failed the pre-ma- “almost like a son, ” sitting across Elizabeth II but only because of his wi^'e, trie, the athletic Shapur was forwarded Shapurji at the “same antique table ” added Sorabji. Otherwise he was loath to by his coach Kanga to Hormusji Gotla ever since he first reached Hong Kong, spend on himself. "Paisa khali waste for an interview and between them they Though Shapurji retired from the day-to- , nafu karvana (No need to waste saw the 17-year-old onto a ship to Hong day cares of business in 1985 after Ma- money) ” was an aphorism by which he Kong in 1930. He had a small trunk of nijeh ’s death, he was wont to go each lived. clothes and a treasured book on day and spend a few hours with Keki in Though the family fully supported his Khshnoomist thought called Khudane the office, but made no attempt to inter- charity drive, “We said, 'Navsari ma malvano marg (The path to God) by Din- fere, cajole or criticize, says the brother. kon rahese (Who will settle in Navsari)? ’ “ We were surprised — today there ’s a waiting list, ” says Daruwalla. Baug initially began with the notion of a Bhesania. dispensary. It grew unplanned — “He just kept getting contiguous plots of businesses first with Gotla and Company, notes Keki. land, ” says Daruwalla — on the basis of then with Ruiionjce and Sons, he learnt Jokhi, who believed in astrology, read the inspiration he received. When he the ropes well enough to found his own a lot and was guided by forecasts, had bought the initial land, he did not have business in piirincrship with the late Keki the ability to locate hidden items and the resources to build, notes Bhesania. Parekh in 1937, dealing in import and know the purpose of a visitor, says Daru- The BPP resolution notes how his profits export of silk and provisions. Apart from walla. Any thought or idda he got, even increased each time by twice the amount the rigors of the War, the business grew at night, was noted down. He also had an he forwarded to Navsari for Avan Bang ’s with Jokhi ’s diligence until 1952 when S. inkling that time was running out on him, construction. The colony also contains a F. Jokhi and Company was founded and as noted several family members. dadgah. brothers and nephews sailed forth to join - - - . . him in Hong Kong. It was, however, the Funds of Hong Kong, Canton and ivory trade in which Jokhi made his for- Macau, Jokhi was a good firiend of the tune. late Jamshed Pavri of Vancouver. He Though the union with Manijeh, a was interested in plans to rebuild the A trustee of the Zoroastrian Charity Early years Bom to Avanbai and Fakirji Jokhi on January 11, 1913 in Navsari, Shapur knew the travails of poverty early in life. Navsari girl too, was happy, there was no Zoroastrian building at 101 Leighton He never forgot his humble origins nor progeny. “He refused to adopt anyone, ” Road in Hong Kong. fo A mm Oj o. Crawlairs and Blasthole Drills Water Well Drills o >1 01 Rotary Screw Air Compressors n La uv Portable Compressors aa ? B Process Gas Compressors 8 Air and Gas Compressors • Construction & Mining Equipment ? INGERSOLL-RAND Ingersoll-Rand (India) Ltd., Maybaker House, S K Ahire Marg, Bombay 400 025 IR.191.8a' bI clicnts to suit their different circum ­ stances, ” his personal memoirs de- other service facilities. “There is talk of scribed his preferences. Though in his beginning the project in March but (these candid style Nanavati confessed that, things) take time. Originally we were some of his fellow solicitors considered thinking only of building in the name of this “babu ’s (clerical) work, ” he en- Manijch, but now Shapurji ’s name will joyed it nevertheless. In fact, his grasp of conveyancing prompted the Law Soci- Loath to begin a second project before planned to house the operation theaters, the first was completed, Keki notes how the pathology and X-ray departments and Avan Baug was dedicated to their mother, then Sorab Baug, the old com ­ munity property in Navsari, was reno ­ vated with a new hall and dharamshala in the name of his wife Manijeh; later 300 to 400 thousand rupees of the cost of the also be added. Once it is finished tau Vyara Agiary (“We are from Vyara, mara bheja parno bhar ochho thase (a ety to invite him to deliver lectures to ar- originally ”), which was demolished and ’ ¦ - - — reconstructed, was borne by Shapurji. When he was operated in the PGH for Keki. hernia, “evun mehmar jdya kartata (he observed the stale of affairs), ” says roze, Sorabji, Nariman and Keki, and Keki. Jokhi undertook to finance the sisters Dinamai Sachinwalla and Nergish new wing of the Hospital which is Chichgar. load will be off my mind). We’ll fulfill his wish without question, ” promises Shapurji is survived by brothers Fram- Nanavati's deeds and decrees would, we are sure, lend weight and dig­ nity to the office which you have been called upon to occupy, ” read the address tided clerks. The cyclostyled copies of the lectures were later to become a refer ­ ence book “without a printer or a pub ­ lisher, ” as recounted Nanavati in his memoirs. While Rustom S. Gae, senior advo ­ cate and retired law secretary to the Gov ­ ernment of India, referred to Nanavati as his “mentor or guru, ” Keki Mehta, partner of Payne and Company, in a written tribute acknowledged, “I came to know through the grapevine about Nanavati ’s conveyancing notes which were consid ­ ered necessary and essential reading for the examination... In those days when there was no xerox machine and typing was prohibitively expensive, I copi^ out the entire notes myself, all 400 pages of them and I also made several additions thereto... I was quite touched to learn that (when he) was in the process of revising his notes, he wanted to go through my handwritten notes and additions. This ?- Died: Dhanjisha Hoshangsha Nanavati, 99, the first Parsi to be appointed solici ­ tor to the Government of India and a le ­ gal luminary whose expertise was in the by the Mulla and Mulla colleagues, field of estate duty, conveyancing and printed on satin silk and delivered in a income-tax, on January 26,1990 at Bom- silver casket. Even when he was ex ­ bay’s Breach Candy Hospital following a tremely preoccupied with legal matters speaks volumes about his great modesty short illness. in Delhi, there wasn ’t a day when he did and fine qualities...! realized the great In August 1947, coinciding with In ­ dia’s independence came the announce ­ ment that Nanavati had been appointed at Mulla and Mulla. solicitor to the Government of India. He was the second Indian to be conferred hundred years old or more and seeing this distinction and the first to be ap- how the title of the property in question pointed from Bombay to succeed Dhiren devolved decades after decades. I also Mitra of Calcutta. Reportedly, the ar ­ rangement was to appoint to the post a solicitor from Calcutta alternately with a solicitor from Bombay for a term of five years each. Recorded Nanavati in his personal memoirs, “I found that the min ­ istries were relying implicitly on the opinions given by the solicitor in respect of all matters referred to him, and the opinions were recorded and placed be- • fore successive solicitors as precedents. ” To match this prestigious appointment, the Law Society presented him with an address as did the staff members of MuUa and Mulla and Craigie Blunt and Caroe, the legal firm where he had begun as an articled cleric and risen to be a part ­ ner, “Your extremely devout and self-re- strained nature with your first-rate scholarship, highly religious character... in Delhi, there wasn ’t a day when he did not set aside an hour for his prayers, re- handicap Dhanjisha had to suffer during members his son Hoshang, now a partner the major part of his career (he had almost lost his vision) and I marveled at his cour- “I enjoyed going through deeds a age, cheerfulness and patience. ” Nanavati ’s treatise on the Estate Duty Act ran into three editions while the Act was in force and he even wrote a 100- page manual titled Income Tax Sections Rearranged. He had never had an occa ­ sion to study income tax for his law ex ­ aminations but had gained experience on the job when he was appointed solicitor by the central government. This'job en ­ tailed giving opinions on matters referred to him by the Income Tax authorities in Bombay and to act on behalf of the gov ­ ernment in income tax references which were heard in the court. Nanavati admitted that while he was a student of law, his ambition was to be­ come a sub-judge and live comfortably on the stipend of Rs 200 per month, as was the starting salary of sub-judges then. It was on the advice of Dinshaw Mulla, one of the founders of Mulla and Mulla that Nanavati became a solicitor, joining the same firm as an articled clerk in 1911 and passing his solicitor ’s exami- enjoyed drafting trust deeds and wills for » Nanavati: commanding legal position jy I 99 Parslana March 1990I i I nation three years later. His nearly 66 years of association with Mulla and Mulla finally ended in 1977. Barring a rare case, Nanavati concerned himself with civil matters and among the notable Parsi clients that he had attended to were Sir Cowasji Jehangir and his wife Lady Hirabai. It seems that in those days the judges and advocates used to don their usual community head dresses: Dinsha Daver and Dinshaw Mulla used their pugree, Bohmanji Wadia, his pheta, Jam­ shedji Kanga, his priest ’s white turban... Accompanying Nanavati at every stage was his wife Homai. “Due to my weak eyes she always had to remain my companion, to help me not only in my daily routine but also in my professional work. Even when we went to Delhi I took special permission from the govern ­ ment to allow her to assist me with the files, ” Nanavati had written. TTie respected solicitor related how a virtue like truthfulness influenced his ca ­ reer in a profession that is meant to up ­ hold the principles of justice: “I liked being present for the first machhi cere ­ mony of the day where the priest would put sandalwood into the fire to the ac ­ companiment of prayers and the ringing of the bell... I would stay in the fire ­ temple for about half an hour. It was during one of my visits to the fire-temple at around the age of eight or 10 that I made a resolve never to tell a lie, a re ­ solve that I am glad to say, I have more or less never broken to this day.” Nanavati was bom in Surat in 1890. “Hitler and Charlie Chaplin were bom in or about the same year ” he enjoyed tell ­ ing everyon^. One of nine children, his early education was at the hands of the mehtaji (native teacher) Lal Shankar, who used to tutor him at their residence in.the vernacular language. Thereafter he went to the Elphinstone Institute to com ­ plete his school education, the Elphin ­ stone College for his BA degree and the Government Law School for his law de­ gree. In his younger days he enjoyed play ­ ing a game of tennis and later it was rac- • ing which he found pleasurable, espe­ cially working out forms that listed the probability of a horse ’s success. His friends too would approach him for tips though he confessed, “I cannot however say that in the long run I was not a loser. ” And even though waltzing was frowned upon in those days, he enjoyed dancing and music in equal measure. When it came to holidays, his favorite haunt was Matheran. Nanavati did not live to complete his century. But on the completion of his ninety-ninth birthday, Mulla and Mulla organized a special function to felicitate him. As noted Nanavati when referring to his life span, “It is a far cry from the days of my childhood when I ran to the window to see a motorcar pass by the road... When you come to a stage when people touch your feet it is time to think of the past, not the future. ” And, with the help of a quote he ended his memoirs: “Of all the ages what is a century but the shrug of God ’s shoulder. ” He is survived by his sons Eruch and Hoshang. Parinaz Gandhi Patel's patras Died: Navroji Nadirshah Patel, 77, re ­ puted caterer of Bombay, on January 18, 1990 following cardiac arrest. Though the engagements he accepted were only for functions within the Parsi community, among those he impressed with his food were dignitaries like the then Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi, maestro Zubin Mehta and his New York Philharmonic Orchestra, as note snippets carried in the Bombay dai- Patel (right) with Rajiv Gandhi________ ¦k. >¦ t P I J JI lies which the family has preserved as a mark of remembrance of the toil and the accolades that followed. At important community events like the Fifth World Zoroastrian Congress which was held in Bombay in January last, it was Navroji Patel and Company which was entrusted the responsibility of feeding the fastidious community mem­ bers who had turned out in thousands to attend the social function. He was willing to accept catering as­ signments from the affluent as. also the poorer members of the community, notes a reference made to Patel in the Jamasp rti Jilloo column in an issue of Jam-e- Jamshed following his death. In fact on certain occasions when free navjotes were performed for children of poor families, Patel would send free meals to especially create a festive atmosphere for them, remembers his daughter Freny Zaveri. Loath to see any surplus food go waste, he would always send it to the poor and the destitute. And he would go out of his way to send his exclusively ca ­ tered food to the aged inmates of the Pa- rukh Dharamshalla on Hughes Road knowing how much they looked forward to his treats, Zaveri adds. Right from planning the.menu, order ­ ing the supplies, handling the labor, supervising the cooking to making the rounds of the rows of tables where guests were feasting on his patra nu bhonu (tra ­ ditional repast laid out on plantain leaves), Patel enjoyed every aspect of his business. His sense of humor and pa ­ tience helped him face difficult and em-. barrassing situations which he would gleefully recall for the amusement of others, notes a family member. Patel is even believed to have gamely accepted a bundle of prize bonds (one of the national investment schemes) as compensation from a client who claimed he had re ­ ceived it as parbida (monetary gift in an envelope) but preferred to pass it on. A religiously inclined person, Patel, j remembers his daughter, would always M offer sandalwood at the cooking hearth at the end of every successful function. For nearly 50 years Patel was in; volved in the catering business that was started by his father Nadirshah on a small scale. Together with his wife Khorshed, the enterprising couple steadily ex-^ panded the business until they were pa- W tronized by the most selective clients — catering assigned to Navroji Patel was an indication that the hosts had good taste! Later it was his sons Maneck and Bomi *• who joined him in running the business under the name of Navroji Patel and Company. And with Maneck ’s 12-year- old son Kaizad already showing an apti- J tude for the business, the family is hope- fill that the catering venture will thrive. They take pride in announcing that they are “heavily booked till 1992.” Navroji is survived by his wife Khor- , shed, daughters Freny Zaveri and Firoza L Musa, and sons Maneck and Bomi. >¦ ’1 P.G. 100 Parsiana March 1990