May 1992

$ f^s '^2 JMay 1992 Volume 14 Number 11 ¦r I I EDITOR Jahangir R. Patel MANAGING EDITOR Arnavaz S. Mama EXECUTIVE EDITOR Parinaz M. Gandhi ASSISTANT EDITOR Roxana A. Mirza DESIGN Kranti Shilotri, Varghese Fernandez MARKETING DIRECTOR Veera Patel ADVERTISING MANAGER Zarin Mistry ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE Cheryl Sequeira CHIEF EXECUTIVE Rustom Thanavala FINANCE B. L Arora EDP Rohinton E. Daroga CIRCULATION Behram Umrigar MANAGEMENT Jasmine Driver 2 Readers’ Forum 12 Events and Personalities 22 Art, music and life in Japan by Arnavaz Mama 26 Tajiks: In search of a religion --------------------------------------------------------- .---------- ------------------------ 30 The reenthroning of the Banaji fires by Parinaz Gandhi 32 Wedlock’s end : 2 by K. C. Vajifdar 35 Aspy Adajania: The prized punch by Homi Rogers OFFICE Khurshid Panthaki, Patricia D'Silva, Bakhtavar Batliwalla, Nowzer Batliwala, Bindu Pillai, Sugatha S. Kurup 39 Milestones 42 In Memoriam i. OFFICE ASSISTANTS Umesh Poojary, Selvan Mark, Sunil Sakhare, Pramod Patil Cover; Cover of Manek Daver’s Jazz Graphics with inset of record album jacket featuring The Art Tatum, Roy Eldridge, Alvin Stoller, John Simmons Quartet 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 Kaiser-E-Hind Pvt Ltd, 300 Perin Nariman Street, Bombay 400001. Covers printed at Malti Art, 320, A-Z Industrial Estate, Ganpatrao Kadam Marg, Bombay 400013. Color processing. Comart Lithographers; and black and white processing, Samir Process. All rights reserved. Phone: 2048730 Fax: 2042922 For editorial enquiries: 2048183 Telex 11-85710 RABO IN Annual inland subscription Rs 100 for one year (12 issues); Rs 180 for two years (24 issues). Foreign subscription rates; Sea mail Rs 260/US $ 12/UK £ 7 for one year, Rs 475/US $ 20/UK £ 12 for two years (please allow six months or more from the time of publication); Air mail Rs 550/US $ 24/UK £ 14 (for Pakistan, Indian Rs 290) for one year, Rs 1,050/ US $ 45/UK £ 26 (for Pakistan, Indian Rs 560) for two years. For Indian upcountry cheques add Rs 5 for bank charges; for US cheques add $ 5; for UK cheques add £ 3. Cheques and drafts are to be drawn in favor of Parsiana and posted to GPO Box 892, Bombay 400001.> READERS' FORUM p 1. 111 < t f»«> . .. .. ................ tt****^^*^**>^< »»f ? >»•»• **»*»?»»» «***)« w****j^^H ¦B»*»**»r»* **»»»>b k business, has steadfastly anchored his life Kobe, a beautiful seaport in Japan,^ where ' to values and is wedded to excellence. In • his early years in Tatas, this “uneducated ” he started a small firm. In Kobe he was _____ _________ __ helped by a kind, hospitable Parsi, Sohrab youth he called himself, was driven Mehta, known as the ‘bangle king. ’ fl hard by his own will to make himself Mehta specialized in exporting celluloid worthy of his Tata heritage. bangles which became the rage among But that apart, throughout his life it is women (especially trendy Parsi women) really the restless, creative impulse in him because they looked as if they were made which has been the driving force, his of ivory. ¦ grand motivation to scale new heights and pioneer new directions. Jamsetji brought lustre to the Tata name. JRD enhanced it and lifted it to the seaport near Tokyo, skies. DINSHAH MALEGAMVALA * ... j ---------- :----------------------------- - small office there, and the two families C “Republic Day honors ” remained very friendly for years. Mr In “Republic Day honors ” (Events and Daver ’s daughters, the late Ms Shirin Personalities, Parsiana, March 1992) you Dadabhoy and Ms Khorshed Naval Kar- have mentioned the names of four Parsi individuals who were recipients of na ­ tional awards. In this connection, I wish to bring to your attention that four Parsi individuals (not three) were awarded the Padma Shri. Your article has omitted the name of Dr Zal S. Tarapore of Pune who also was the crack as each character (symbol) in Japa- recipient of the Padma Shri award in ' 1992. Dr BURJOR DASTUR bangles which became the rage among DINSHAH MALEGAMVALA In “Republic Day honors ” (Events and Readers* views are welcome on any subject of interest to the community and should be sent to the Editor, Readers* Forum, Parsiana, G.P.O. Box 892, Bombay 400001. The Editor replies Letters are subject to editing for reasons of f space and clarity. Unsigned letters or those pyjgj hydraulic engineer Dr Zal S. Tar- without an address will not be published, f •' - - My dad was also befriended by Mr Rustom E. Daver who had already estab ­ lished his business in Yokohama, another After visiting Yokohama my dad also established a anjia, were two of the nicest friends I’ve known. In Rome, do as the Romans do. Like ­ wise, in Japan, speak as the Japanese do! 1 It is not difficult to speak the language j which can be learnt within.six months; j but learning to write was a tough nut to I nese, represents a word and not a letter. ; My father was among the few who leamW to read and write in Japanese. ' ¦ I am not the proprietress of Activity High School as Mr Bilimoria has said. _ After passing my BEd exam, I lectured in apore from its list of Republic Day two colleges and then started the Activity awardees. We offer our sincere apologies School. It was an experiment in educa ­ te Dr Tarapore. A supplementary story follows in the Events and Personalities ¦column in this issue. Parsiana regrets the omission of the re- tion, but when the School was well-estab ­ lished, a public charitable trust was formed by the parents as trustees who are now the proprietors of the School. I func ­ tion as the principal and also take part in I was touched by Mr J. M. Bilimoria ’s let- teaching. 54sdolathosangdoongaji ter about my father, Rustomji Vasunia, a simple, soft-spoken, unassuming man who nevertheless did his bit to foster Dr Ali Jafarey, whose articles appear in Indo-Japanese friendship in his quiet way your magazine, has in a way pushed our in the early years of this century (“A priests, scholars and community members Zoroastrian in Japan, ” Parsiana, February to look closely at our religion (Gathas, 1992). I would like to elaborate a little yashts, nyaishes, rituals, daily practices, upon the contents of the article and to clarify a few points. The spirit of adventure beckoned Rus- A jewel in his crown Seldom has the Bharat Ratna been so well-deserved. As a young pioneer JRD . gave wings to India and opened up the ZOFOBStrian in Japan skies. Within a few short years he put the ' country on par witli the leaders of avia ­ tion in the world, much to the astonish ­ ment, perhaps chagrin, of the West. A many-splendored life, lived with honor and high achievements in diverse fields in the service of the nation, has at last been recognized. , , We are particularly happy that the upon the contents of the article and to history, etc). However, his perspective is award came to him during his lifetime, clarify a few points. limited to that of an outside academic unlike many others. It does not add to his The spirit of adventure beckoned Rus- scholar, lacking the living experience of a stature in any way. In fact the quality of tomji, in his early 20s, to the shores of Parsi Zarthoshti. his life and achievements should serve as China. He landed in Hong Kong and then In criticizing Ervad Jal Birdy ’s review a measure and set the standard for all fu ­ ture Bharat Ratnas, the highest honor in the country. The “Rama ” had never gone to busi ­ ness and industry. But here is an excep ­ tional man who, though from the world of again took to the high seas and reached Religion and... ” China. He landed in Hong Kong and then sailed to Shanghai. In Shanghai he was of his writings (“Spreading the Good helped by a fellow Parsi, Mr Bejan D. Word, ” Parsiana, June ’91) Jafarey Tata, who was looking after the firm of claims that only another scholar has the Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata (JRD’s father). After learning the ropes there, he once thereby trying to discredit Birdy ’s argu ­ ments against the acceptance of outsiders right to review and challenge his views, 2 Parsiana May 1992within our community as advocated by Jafarey. Alfoough Birdy may not know the ars often get caught up in the play of meaning of all our prayers as well as i Jafarey, he grew up as a Parsi, underwent grasp the simple spirit of the message, training to become a priest, and obtained /" spiritual experience within the framework and teach the same essCTtial message. In- of our religious traditions and institutions, stead of spreading this common message, which Jafarey lacks. As a Parsi of living a good, honest, hardworking, .p . .. , charitable and loving life, without attach ­ ing the labels of Hindu, Muslim, the words of a speaker, and just listening to the tone of the speaker ’s voice. Schol- saving our Parsi community from extinc- i tion. But, except for conversion or inter- „ _ ___ — marriage with Persians who were previ- j words and their meanings, and fail to ously Muslim or Bahai, etc, are we not i _ . . . „. actually hastening the extinction, through All major world religions are universal loss of racial identity? And, how can we allow conversion of Iranians, without cries of discrimination from other races? Even though Dr Jafarey ’s conversion Zarthoshti, Birdy feels the burning con- charitable and loving life, without attach- crusade is currently focused in the USA, cem about the potential loss of our com- ing the labels of Hindu, Muslim, it has already drawn the attention of the munity identity, via intermarriages and Zarthoshti, etc, some misguided souls Islamic parliament of Iran. An article in conversions, which Jafarey apparently with good intentions are pursuing the goal The Bombay Samachar, November 3, doesnot. of converting oeonle from one relieion to 1991, titled, “Where Angels Fear to Tread, ” mentions the concern expressed “Religion and realization, ” {Parsiana, by a member of Iran ’s parliament regard- ' : ing Jafarey ’s activities, and fears the po- The religion of tential impact on Iran ’s Zarthoshtis. This proves that in this age of global communications, decisions and actions in one part of the world can affect our com ­ munity in other parts of the world, and 4 conversions, which Jafarey apparently with good intentions are pursuing the goal does not. of converting people from one religion to Understanding the meaning of our another. prayers is important. Anyone can gain ‘ this knowledge by reading translations of December 1991), quotes the Vedic the Gathas and the Khordeh Avesla by scholar, V. Panoli, authors such as Irach Taraporevala and Zoroaster in particular is intend^ more Ervad Kanga. But a lack of this knowl ­ edge does not necessarily impede one ’s communication with God. The vibrations only cooperation... ’ analyzed the scholar, ____ ____ created by reciting our prayers help us in appreciating the Zoroastrian principles of therefore, we cannot neglect the global our meditative state to achieve a spiritual i union with God. Most saints were not settled faith of another, scholars, and yet they were able to get close to God and advise others. Philosopher and scholar Alan Watts said in his series of talks that the whole universe is made up of vibrations, and ligions resulting from this act of conver- people can often learn more by ignoring sion? Some people look at it as a way of ity on such talks, to kindle the faith of for practice than for preaching... Zoroas ­ trianism believes not in opposition, but non-conversion — 'not disturbing the impact of local actions, taken in our haste to reform. I had once invited Dr Jafarey to speak i to our community in the San Francisco area, and enjoyed his talk which enlight ­ ened us about the greatness of our reli- | gion. I hope he would put a higher prior- Some people like Dr Jafarey may be justifying conversion on the basis of sav ­ ing our religion from extinction. But, how can we explain away the insult to other re- TheX hardworking office furniture from Steelage is here ? a } What used to be exclusively manufactured for leading banks, now comes to add efficiency to your office. Steelage range of office furniture. Steeiage chairs and tables in various models and Servall steel cupboards. Q I § CO s I 4 Parsiana May 1992 S Steelage Industries Bombay New Delhi Madras Calcutta Bi StMlage ! Ltd. Bombay New Delhi Madras Calcutta Bangalore Hyderabad Bhopal Lucknow Jaipur Bhubaneswar i J2 2- 2.22___J__________i rendered yeoman service to the commu- interpret dogma to take her birthright nity. The nirangs he prescribed were effi- •’ cacious and a host of Parsis have No one can deny that his daughter was benefitted, including myself. The breed .... ---r extinct His passing away is a great loss to the community. It is but just, right and proper that the Parsi Zoroastrian community having a sumption on the part of Mr Daver. To Parsi Punchayet p^s a resolutton so that " • __ 2._1 “I 2- — ;¦ —¦ the name of Nadirsha Aibara is mentioned can interpret dogma to take her birthright in the prayers said at the time^of jashans away, ” adds insult to. injury. ' * Ms Tee Golvala claims that “I am a convert to Zoroastrianism. ” There is no , . such thing as conversion in the Zoroas- Inteminrriage StStlStlCS Parsis, and let others convert from evil continues so. I do not think any one Cim ways to good within their own religions. ’ • MANECK N. BHUJWALA Past president, Zarthosti Anjuman of Northern California “The relevance of religion ’ away. ” 1------------- - ------------- „ - . V ¦ bom a Parsi Zoroastrian (assuming the of the likes of Eryad Aibara is becoming _____________________ mother also being a Parsi) but, to ano- I am a moderate thinking Parsi and hope- gantly claim that she ‘‘remains and contin- fully belong to the silent majority of our ues so ” can only be seen as a false as- l” ues so ” can only be seen as a false as- great deal of respect and sympathy for further state that “I do not think any one community members married to non- Zoroasttians. Rightly or wrongly, the controversy arising from the tragic case of Ms Roxan Darshan Shah has enlightened the com ­ munity of our ancestral heritage and trian faith, kindled a new interest amongst the lesser informed Parsis like me. 2^..— --------j--------------------------------------------,----------- „ . But when one reads letters like the privilege, but to try and enforce thek agree with your proj^ganda ateut^inter- ones written by Mr Manek Daver of Japan views on the Zoroastrian community is and Ms Tpp Gnivala nf I IK (Readers ’ Fo- neither fair nor acceptable. J. s. elavia and other prayers throughout the world. SAM M BUUMORIA ¦... 2.7 I like and read Parsiana which gives im- Whatever these honorable writers may portant information about Zoroastrians believe personally could be entirely their throughout the world. However, I do not caste marriages which according to your confirmed opinion will increase the Zoroastrian population. In this connection, I refer to the advice given by Mr J. R. D. Tata during the con­ gratulatory meet at Cusrow Baug and the and Ms Tee Golvala of UK (Readers ’ Fo- neither fair nor acceptable. rum, Parsiana, January 1992), one cannot help feeling that persons like these are ei ­ ther living in their own fool ’s paradise, or are intently trying to insult and hurt the feelings of the Parsi Zoroastrian commu- ------- ------------.----------- , - • j- nity by enforcing their ‘will ’ against all elude the name of the late Ervad Peshotan N^golwala. These indicate the religious precepts and practices of the Nadirsha Aibara in the prayers said by whether the community has increased or community. mobeds in our fire-temples throughout the decreased during the past 10 to 20 years Daver writes, “But my daughter was world. when the number of intercaste marriages born a Parsi Zoroastrian, remains and Ervad Aibara was an evolved soul who was at its highest. ‘Remembering Aibara ” I endorse Ms Nergesh Plumber ’s sugges ­ tion (“Remembering Aibara, ” Readers ’ _ ___________________ Forum, Parsiana, December 1991) to in- statistics provided regularly by Mr nity by enforcing their ‘will ’ against all elude the name of the late Ervad Peshotan N^golwala. *—.— ---- -— Ervad Aibara was an evolved soul who M.PMLOriJI & co PRNKPe UMIT6D _ Industrial Painting, Coating,Anti-corrosion Water-proofing,Construction, Diving & Offshore Contractors. 87, Abdul Rehman Street, Bombay 400003 Tel : 324150/336607 Tlx : oil 75871 MPEL IN, Fax : 022-2152998? I am not an orthodox Parsi. I agree by the trustees of the Agra Parsi Anjuman variety of migrating birds visiting this that Parsi ladies marrying outside our community, who keep their sudreh and for the Parsi Zoroastrians visiting Agra, kusti and follow our religion, should be Popularly known as Rustam Bagh, it is allowed to go to atash bahrams and agiar- centrally situated, being equidistant from dent, Agra Parsi Anjuman at Debara ies, and, after death, if their wish is to be the Agra Cantt Station and the Agra Fort House, 38/5, Nagar K^nti Colony, Old consigned to the doongerwadi with full Railway Station, at Pertabpura, Agra. It Idgah, Agra, 282001 or phone him on ceremonies, they have the right. I sympa- was fully renovated at first in 1952 and 61536. porus h. debara thize with the late Ms Roxan Shah for not further renovated in 1992 at a cost of Rs Ap* The Dharamsala consists of 10 rooms Young Parsi accountants with attached baths and toilets, all spick- The Chartered Accountant (April 1992) and is specially maintained at a large cost place during winter from Siberia, Russia, etc. For bookings please contact the Presi ­ being permitted to fulfill her last wish, 55,0(X). when even a criminal, who is a Parsi, is ~ allowed to do so. If, as you say, intercaste marriages in ­ crease our population, can you give proof by statistics? These intercaste marriages will wipe out our population within 30 to 40 years, and this notion of yours as well as others will remain a pipe dream, r. p. daruvala 3s z; 1 I The Editor replies Contrary to Mr Daruvala ’s contention, at no stage has Parsiana stated that inter ­ community marriages would result in an increased population. In intercommunity marriages, when a Parsi woman marries a non-Parsi, the children are not considered Parsis (though they may have the navjote performed and become Zoroastrians). Hence the population decreases. Even if the children were to be accepted (and they should be accepted as it is wrong to dis ­ criminate against the offspring of Parsi women who marry non-Parsis as versus Parsi men) the rate of population decrease Rustam Bagh — the Agra Parsi published the following names of Paras may slow down but there is no way the Dharamsala who have secured an all-India ranking in populaticMi can increase. Late marriages, the CA exams held in November 1991: small families and an ageing population and-span. Lodging is available at Rs 18 Final examination: Viraf Ady Karanjia of have assured a demographic decline if not per adult per day with Rs 9 for children Bombay (33rd); Ms Jasmine Framroze demise for the community. under 10. Food facilities cater to individ- Billimoria of Bombay (45th). ual taste. The rates are seven rupees for Inter examination: Hormuzd Hoshang Minority rights breakfast and tea at Rs 2.50 per cup. Madan of Bombay (36th); Nariman May I draw the attention of our esteemed Lunch and dinner, inclusive of a side dish, Jehangir Amalsadiwalla of Surat (50th). former member of the Minorities Com- cost Rs 18 each. khurshedpastakia mission Mr H. J. H. Taleyarkhan to the fact that Zoroastrianism was not shown by the manager on request, at extra ^ost. as a separate religion in the last all India ' census. s . The need of the day calls for unity of to enjoy what Agra has to offer and not bay advocate who initially practised with will and purpose. We Zoroastrians who miss the opportunity of going on a shop- Payne and Company and then became . ., --------.. .L-------- ----------------------------- “the devil ” of Sir Jamsetjee Kanga, the Agra is very famous. leading lumi- Agra has many historical places to nary of the High Let the Zoroastrians, as a minority visit. Apart from the Taj Mahal, there are Court. Russi community, get their proper due and the Fatehpur Sikri, Etmad U1 Doula, Agra then went on to first step in this direction would be to see Fort, Dayalbagh, Sikandra (Akbar ’s carve out a ca ­ that our beautiful spring festival Jamshedi tomb), Marium ’s tomb, etc. All the above reer as a leading Navroz be declared a national holiday. places are worth seeing and govwnment income lax con- Ms z. s. KHODABUX conductcd bus tours are avail^le. An in- suitant till the end. There was a tussle between "T VOH X r I I Special orders for food are undertaken A requiem for Kolah We recommend that visiting Parsis Rustomji Jehangirji Kolah (88) who died stay in Agra for at least two or three days on February 2,1992 was a brilliant Bom- have contributed so much to the nation ’s ping spree, specially footwear, for which progress are unfortunately totally over ­ looked in the burning reservation issue. places are worth seeing and govomment conducted bus tours are avail^le. An in ­ teresting place to visit is the bird sanctu- Agra Parsi Dharamsala ary situat^ at Bharatpur at a distance of The Agra Parsi Dharamsala is managed 50 km from Agra. It is interesting to see a 9 Parsiana May 1392 =501his love of the High Court and his love for S. H. Maj ra remembered and the Persian language but as one al- - ; 2 ____ "______ 2 ways willing to silently help the poor and a scholar in the language and history of the needy irrespective of caste or creed. horse racing. He always said, “I do not Mr Shapur Hormusji Majra (Dastur) was . ----- . • - , .... J • ------c After several years as steward of the Persia. He wrote the thesis Cyrus the know which will win if 1 had to pick. ” a scholar in the language and history of the needy irrespective ot caste or creeo. After several years as steward of the Persia. He wrote the thesis Cyrus the He is survived by his sons Vispi and Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) Great and his Times in 1929 under the Khushroo. f.s. master Russi took the reins as chairman, continu- guidance and encouragement of that great Hon secretary, inn League ing in the saddle for seven years. He in- Indologist Rev Fr Herras and the re- troduced intercourse betting which helped nowned oriental scholar Dr Jivanji Jam- the Club to withstand the onslaught of shedji Modi. It earned him the degree of government taxation and overcome the MA (Hons). It was published in 1971 at frustration amongst horse breeders about the time of Cyrus ’s 2,500th anniversary, their future and the future of all the stud When he visited Iran in 1974 he was hon- farms in India. With his forthright advo- ored by the Shah ’s cultural and education cacy Mr Kolah not only won the debate minister, over this issue with the government offi ­ cials and ministers concerned, but won them over. In government circles he was Edited by Amavaz S. Mama MATRIMONIAL After having served in Nargol and Bombay (Petit Orphanage), he served as __________ principal and director of R. J. J. School, well known and liked for his frankness Bulsar for 31 years, the school in which and his straight dealings and appointed on he and Morarji Desai before him had the government committee on racing after studied. He ensured that the school was he retired as RWITC chairman. not closed down in the late 1950s and Despite his stem, aggressive exterior early 1960s when English ceased as me- he was warm and sincere, unassuming dium of education there. He went from and gentle, and looked kindly on the village to village and brought pupils. to middle and then to high school, and burnt the midnight oil in his effort to ob ­ tain the land and have a building con- underprivileged. Quick of movement, He raised the school from primary work was his rest: he was jittery if he had nothing to do. He is survived by his wife Loma. Their marriage, though late, survived for structed on it. 37 years. Ms mariam p. modi We remember him not only as a mild, unassuming scholar and teacher of history Ms MARIAM P. MODI Mahableshwar Best Wishes From Parents of a 31-year-old, 5’3”, postgraduate girl invite correspondence from Bombay based boys woricing in reputed firms/professionals. Please apply with photograph (returnable) to; The Advertiser Parsiana Matrimoniai (May/17-92) GPO Box 892 Bombay 400001 RUSY & PURVIZ SHROFF 10 Parsiana May 1992Events and Personalities HPY draws youth “All we need instilled in us is the courage of conviction and constant reassurance and we ’ll do it.. While we do have a lot organized annually by the BPP for Parsi kho, tug-of-war, cricket, throwball and of potential, what we definitely lack is a students who have appeared for their volleyball. feeling of brotherhood... and therefore school leaving exams. The identification more programmes like the Holiday of potential leadership qualities among were you and you were sitting here... Re ­ Programme for Youth (HPY) should be today ’s youth is the aim of this Pro- member our life is in our hands and we organized. ” This viewpoint was ex- gramme. As it gains in popularity, this have to make the best of it... ” impressed pressed by Ms Havovi Homi Wadia, a year it drew a reccwd number of lM stu- Jamshed Bhabha, senior director of Tata participant of the Fifth HPY, who wrote dents from 61 schools in Bombay, with Industries and chief guest at the HPY’s on the subject “How do you see the future 26 adolescents coming from other parts of inaugural function. of your generation in India or abroad as India. The “action-packed ” Sixth HPY contemporary Zoroastrians? ” An essay competition for the partici ­ pants of the HPY was envisaged for the ance, leadership training, effective com- able. Be honest and frank anyway. The first time this year by the coordinators Ms munication, personality development, re- good you do today will be forgotten to- Diana Marfatia and Ms Asheesh Tata ligious knowledge and self awareness. morrow. Do good anyway... ” was the working under the guidance of the Bom- Eminent Parsis and young achievers as message stressed by Padma Shri winner bay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) chief execu- well as successful professionals from Homi J. H. Taleyarkhan in his valedictwy five Rustom Anklesaria. The students had various fields were invited to address the address on May 1. Taleyarkhan further an option to write on the topic selected by youngsters. Workshops were held in pub- donated a sum of Rs 5,000 in memory of Wadia or on “One major problem of the lie speaking, parent-child relationships his late son Firdaus who always took an Parsi community and your views on how and creativity, and project work was as- interest in the promotion of education and to resolve it. ” The first four winners were signed to one and all to give them a sense adventure. Another financial contribution awarded a cash prize of Rs 1,OCX), 750, of parficipafiem. Outdoor field trips to the was extended by BPP trustee Jamshed 500 and 250 respectively gifted by the Piramal Sports Complex, Mani Bhavan, Guzder who gifted Rs 10,000 to the HPY trustees of the Zartoshty Brothers Chari- the NAB (National Association for the to be kept as “a corpus and the interest on table Foundation. The trustees sought to Blind) Workshop for the Blind, the Mint, that may be utilized for whatever purpose • ....... youmay name. ” had spent time and energy on this assign- girls and boys were taken to the Parsee ment. Gymkhana grounds at Marine Lines for The four-week intensive Programme is athletic events and games like football. “I wish 1 was young again, I wish I This viewpoint was ex- “What we spend years building may be Build anyway. from April 4 to May 1 had sessions for the destroyed overnight. youths on subjects like vocational guid- Honesty and frankness make you vulner- ' ‘ \ ¦ able. Be honest and frank anyway. The Diana Marfatia and Ms Asheesh Tata ligious knowledge and self awareness. Eminent Parsis and young achievers as message stressed by Padma Shri winner laud the HPY’s efforts in giving exposure the National Institute for Training in In ­ to the youths of the community. dustrial Engineering and the blood bank The essays of the four winners, Wadia, of the St George Hospital gave the Burzin Mehta, Nekzad Shroff and Ms youngsters practical exposure to the dif- Mehemaz Siganporia, were later carried ferent institutions. in The Bombay Samachar of May 24, 1992 to encourage the youngsters who and no play. During the weekends the At the Sixth HPY it was not all work fl 12 Parsiana May 1992 I At the HPY’s inaugiu'ul function (from left): Sheroo Master, Marfatia, Eruch Desai, Bhabha, Coomi Desai, Anklesaria, Ervad Ramiyar Karanjia, Goal Tata and Asheesh Tata (Above) At the valedictory function: Marfatia, Taleyarkhan, Guzder and Anklesaria %Since his association with this move ­ ment in 1956, Mistry has been entrusted with the construction of a kitchen camp at Housing guidelines 1992 Currently adviser to Water and Power him the silver star, reads a write-up in the Recent amendments to the Parsi personal Consultancy Services (India) Limited, Jam-e-Jamshed of December 22. law have established legal equality be- Tarapore ’s chief contribution is in the ar- tween the sexes. Both the Parsi Marriage eas of wave mechanics, sediment trans- and Divorce Act and the Parsi chapter on port and coast engineering. For 38 years intestate succession have underscored the Tarapore had served the Central Power Pachmarhi, the desilting of the Pushkar right of women to be judged on an equal and Research Station, assisting in hydrol- Lake at Ajmer, the formation of the West- ibtiting with men. Ogy ani waler resources ana'lysis, nver em ^ilway %couls 'draining t^enfre al Seemingly in conformity with this engineering, ship hydrodynamics^ and Gholvad and leading the Indian crxitin- trend the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) prediction of flo^ hydrology and water gent which participated in the 20th Rover has revised its guidelines for evaluating yield of major rivers, reads the citation the eligibility of ^plications for hous- accompanying the Padma Shri award, ing. Thus, the guidelines published in February 1992 also permit a daughter to has also undertaken consultancy work on been saved by the timely first aid ren- claim the benefit of an application for the Asian Development Bank projects in dered by this divisional superintendent of housing made by her parents while they the Far East and the Middle East. A fel- the St John Ambulance Brigade, the JamS were alive. According to the guidelines low of the Indian National Academy of further informs, published in January 1991 (see “Housing Engineering and the Institution of Engi- guidelines, ” Events and Personalities, neers (India), Tarapore has been ap- Literacy award for Hlava Parsiana, March 1991), this benefit was pointed member of various national com- restricted to a son. And the same right has now been extended to the daughter- in-law and son-in-law. In each case the according to the citation, applicant would gain the benefit of the extra points if the original application of his doctorate in hydraulic engineering the parents was valid under the current from the University of Minnesota. His norms. Also, in each case it is implied graduation in civil engineering was from that the parents relinquish their own right the University of Edinburgh, His work in favor of son/daughter/daughter-in-law/ experience includes a stint at the St An- son-in-law as the case may be. thony Falls Hydraulic Laboratory, Min- A new clause labors die obvious: an neapolis, further informs the citation, applicant who is now in exclusive pos ­ session of a flat whose rent receipt stands ScOUtS feted by President in the name of a deceased parent, grand- Among the four Bombay recipients of the Illava: promoting parent or relative would normally not be Rashtrapati Puraskar - the highest award female education considered for allotment of a Punchayet in scouting — was 15-year-old Viraf F. flat. It is assumed that she/he would get Chichgar. A student of St Xavier ’s Col- Gp Capt Dhunjishaw Marker, vice presi- I the benefit of the Rent Control Act. lege, Chichgar was the youngest among dent of the Mhow Parsi Zoroastrian | An additional clause states that when the winners, reports The Daily of January Anjuman (MPZA). ~ In addition to steering the ship of the MPZA for 12 years as its president, Illava also finds time for vocational education j and economic uplift of women and the destitute. The President ’s award was conferred on her in recognition of her contribution to the Government of India ’s small sav- ; ings scheme, the profits of which were | used to promote women ’s and children ’s | causes. As past p'esident of the Indian | Red Cross Society, she had helped it de- | velop an effective hospital complex for Chichgar, a member of the 41st East the needy, further mentions Marker. Padma Shri recipient Bombay Scout Group, by the President of Eminent hydraulic engineeer Dr Zal India, R. Venkataraman at a function held Athletic eventS Sohrab Tarapore of Poona was among at the Rashtrapati Bhavan last November, the four Zoroastrian recipients to have been honored with the Padma Shri title the President was Burjor Rustomji Mis- early this year (his name was regrettably try. Retired works manager and district and the 10th Zoroastrian Athletic Meet. | omitted in the write-up on “Republic Day commissioner, scouts of Western Rail- honors, ” Events and Personalities, Par­ siana, March 1992). analysis, river Mount in Sri Lanka. Apprentices have benefitted from guides compiled by him The 59-year-old hydraulic engineer in eight spheres. Many an injured has Severe arthritis has confined Ms Homai mittees and has contributed papers to dif- Byramshaw Illava of Mhow to a wheel- ferent national and international journals, chair. But her helpfulness to society has _ not been hampered. Her work for pro- ; ~ literacy Hyderabad-born Tarapore completed moling among women re ­ cently won her the Tagore Award 1990 from the Indian Adult Education Associa- I tion. The vice presi- 1 dent of India Dr Shankar Sharma was to pres ­ ent Illava this award in March, informs Literacy Dayal •J*' the applicants or their parents have rental 7, 1992. The award was presented to or ownership accommodation outside Bombay, they would qualify for a one room and kitchen flat only. Two family income ceilings are now applicable. In the case of allotment of newly constructed quarters at Godrej Baug, an income level of Rs 7,500 is valid to enable the occupants to absorb the higher municipal tax rates. For the older section of Godrej Baug as well as in other colonies the applicable ceiling on family Scouts Chichgar (left) and Mistry income is Rs 4,500. Amaviz S. Mama Another scout to get recognition from 14 Parsiana May 1992 I i 1 1 Ms Kamal Cooper was declared the Fast ­ est Woman at both the 12th All Parsis Annual Athletic and Cycling Meet 1992 f The Fastest Man of the Meet title at the way, Mistry ’s contribution to the scouting All Parsis Meet was bagged by Firdosh movement at the national level earned Mehta while Burzin Mehta claimed the i ksame title at the 2^roastrian Athletic onships with his throw of 55.80 m, the 18- Meet. The men ’s and women ’s team year-old is currently being trained in Lon- championship trophies at both the events don under coach Jim Alford, mentions a were carried away by the Mancherji write-up in the Jam-e-Jamshed of Febru- Edalji Joshi Memorial Trust (MEJMT). ary 23. Both the events were held in February In the cycling event this year but higher participation was at Palkhiwalla was declared the Fastest Man led. An outstanding performance came the All Parsis meet where there were 726 on Wheels while Firoze B. Fitter won a from nine-year-old Ms Feroza Engineer, entries. Sportspersons from Surat, Poona, special mention for his distinction in the a protegee of Adille Surnariwalla, Nagpur, Secunderabad and Dahanu came men's over 35 age-group. to Bombay to participate in the meet. Al ­ together 16 new meet records were set and one equalled, informs a press release reports, sent by Aspi Ustad, one of the organizers of the meet. The best performers under the chief guest at this meet jointly organ- the different age-groups among females ized by The Nowroze Bang Play Centre, Turel as the chief guest. A special felici- were: Amaz Mistry (girls under seven), the Zoroastrian Physical Culture and tation was accorded to FOZAWAC’s Delna Bhumgara (girls under nine). Health League, the Cusrow Baug United former president Dr (Ms) Aloo Billimoria Feroza Engineer (girls under 11), Zenia Sports and Welfare League and the for her longstanding association with Daruwalla (girls under 13), Delna Avari MEJMT. A silver salver was presented this body, reads a report in the Jame (girls under 15) and Cooper (women), to veteran sports personality Jal Pardivala of March 15. The males to excel in the different age- groups were: Zubin Anklesaria (boys un ­ der six), Farsheed Cooper and Mahir Mubarakai (boys under eight), Malcolm Anklesaria (boys under 10), Karl Irani (boys under 12), Yohan Wadia (boys un ­ der 14), Burzin Mehta (boys under 17) and Rayomand Elavia (men). l5eserving special mention is Cyrus Doomasia who won the javelin throw. Having created a new record in this event at the Maharashtra State Athletic Champi- ary 23. In in recognition of his contribution to athletics over the decades. At the Zoroastrian Athletic Meet which saw 300 participants from Bom ­ bay, Surat, Nasik and Dahanu, 13 new Aastad meet records were created and one equal- Barring who bettered two of Ms Zenia Ayrton ’s longstanding records in the 100 and 200 m run. This meet organized by the Federation Air Marshal Minoo Engineer was of Zoroastrian Associations for Welfare and Culture (FOZAWAC) saw Dr Keki Ms Shazneen Arethna, ±ere were no con ­ testants in the women ’s event, the release a * 7, K Victorious moments at the All Par sis Athletic Meet: (Above) Individual ^ female winners in the different age-groups. (Left) Firdosh Mehta receiving the trophy from Gul Engineer (Right) The MEJMT team champions with the chief guests ¦ * Parsiana May 1392 saw LNNOl’I I r I I s I Oberoi chain ’s president As president of the East India Hotels Lim ­ ited which runs the five-star Oberoi chain, 54-year-old Ratan Tata has now been placed at the vanguard of operations. Prior to this assignment accepted in November last, Tata was senior vice president. Middle East, having contrib ­ uted to the Hotels ’ expansion in this re ­ gion since 1972. The Dammam Oberoi in tomato puree, cream Saudi Arabia, the Madina Oberoi and the chicken, ” he says. Saudi Arabia Oberoi Company, a food processing joint venture, are the outcome of Tata ’s negotiations. Having started his hoteliering career with the then Oberoi Intercontinental in Delhi in 1964, Tala has built up a reputa ­ tion of being “very competent, thoroughly he will be improvising on the regional professional, ” according to an article in Business India (October 28-November 10,1991). Tata ’s other postings have been at of food — raw and cooked — and the Srinagar, Singapore and Cairo. His train- i ing in hotel management was at the Care Unit) of a hospital. ” His ultimate Salzburger Hotel Fachschule, Austria, in ­ forms Business India. A commerce graduate from the Cal ­ cutta University, Kavarana did a threc- ycar diploma course in catering from the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering ers of Ambassador Hotel), the Royal Western India Turf Club and through pri ­ vate catering assignments. Comfortable with all types of cuisines, Anklcsaria ’s emphasis is on innovation, by adding rare Technology and Applied Nutrition. For- ingredienls to the popular favorites. “When I serve chicken makhanwalla, I put in a little red wine and chopped mush ­ rooms along with the usual ingredients of accounting and financial management at tomato puree, cream and boneless the Cornell University ’s School of Hotel Administration, USA, the front office The chef ’s schooling was al the Don managers program organized by the Bosco High School and his waining in ca ­ tering at the Institute of Hotel Manage ­ ment, Catering Technology and Applied Singapore and a hotel management pro- Nutrilion in Bombay. Presently he has ' taken up an assignment in the UK where eign exposure in this field has come to him from different courses he studied: restaurant, sales and marketing, and hotel Shcralon Hotels, London, the food/bar service system program for hoteliers in gram at the Washington State University, further informs his bio data. I i -- s cuisines from different parts of India. Jccjcebhoy ’S Vijay Rattna Believes the chef, “A good restaurant For enriching human life and other out- is one where there is a minimum wastage standing attainments, businessman Byram ¦ " ¦ ¦ ¦ ’ ¦ ; N. Jeejeebhoy was awarded the Vijay place is as clean as an ICU (Intensive Rattna by the International Friendship So ­ ciety of India, notes a press release. Working in the family business of property develop ­ ment, 47-year-old Jeejeebhoy is ma- . naging director of I Byramjee Jeejee ­ bhoy (Private) I Limited owning I estates between*'' P Jogeshwari anS ; Borivli. His Lon ­ ’s don Abacus Limited has helped develop ambition is to launch his own restaurant designed such that diners would need to first cross the kitchen and impressed by its style of functioning proceed to the din ­ ing enclosure, reads a report in The After- ceived in Scotland for the Indian Chef of noon Despatch and Courier of January the Year Competition. Only one was from an Indian, Rohinton Meherji Ankle- . . saria. His recipes for lamb kid gosht (ten- Hospitality award der lamb pieces cooked with cashews, al ­ monds and coco ­ nut milk), murg vindaloo (a spicy Food and Beverage Manager of the Year, hot and sour reads a write-up in The Afternoon Des- Jeejeebhoy chicken prepara- patch and Courier of February 3, 1992. tion), bhaji ma papeta (spinach with potatoes) and chutney bharela vengna (stuffed brinjals) convinced the judges to in ­ clude him among the six finalists, inviting him to Ed ­ inburgh. When he actually prepared these dishes in Scotland he was rated second, winning a certificate and a crystal bowl, notes the chef. This contest was organ ­ ized by the Tommy Miah Curry Club and jointly sponsored by the British Gas of Kavarana Scotland, Carlton Highland Hotel of Ed ­ inburgh, British Airways, Coca Cola, Nestles, Campbell ’s Prime Meat Limited, The Indian ‘eurry ’ king Four hundred and six entries were re ­ Anklesaria 30,1992. At the first ever national awards for excel- f lence in the hospitality industry, Dhunjishaw Kavarana was named the ’ in I S company. Crown two properties in the area of West End, London, his curriculum vitae reads. He is on the board of 10 different com ­ panies like Brile Automotive and Plastics Limited, Heritage Estates Private Lim ­ ited, Beeline impex Private Limited, These awards have been insti- tilled by Hotel and Food Serv- ice Review and the Federation H of Hotel and Madhu Builders'Privalc Limited, etc, his Restaurant As- sociations India. Presently the quired a degree in business management food and bever- ^B age manager at ¦ Welcomgroup ’s Maurya Shcra ­ lon Hotel and , during his 15 years of bio data mentions. After graduating in arts from Poona ’s N. M. Wadia College, Jeejeebhoy ac- from the London School of Economics. He also attended terms for his bar-at-law and was a member of the Grays Inn (Inns of Court London). Another distinction to come his way is that of honorary knight, conferred on him by the Society of Knights of the Round Table, further men ­ tions his bio data. Towers, New Delhi of association with this hotel chain, Raj Restaurant and Queen Margaret Kavarana has worked in different capaci- College. tics from Madras in the south to Agra _, . „ . Forly-four-year-old Anklesaria ’s expc- the north. He is proficient in four Ian- NcW Wing lOF SChOOl , ricnce in the catering line was honed at guages — English, Hindi, Gujarati and the Narang Hotels Private Limited (own- Foriy-four-year-old Anklesaria ’s expc- Bcngiili, his bio data informs. Introduction of more job oriented courses, upgraded to the diploma and degree lev- 18 Parsiana May 1992els, will be the new thrust of the Patuck Technical High School and Junior Col- lege, informs a press release from the in ­ stitution. In its diamond jubilee year, one of the important projects planned is the construction of new buildings and an au ­ ditorium. Laying the foundation stone for the new structure on February 9 this year was Dr (Ms) Mehroo Bengalee, then vice chancellor of the Bombay University who stressed the need for more vocational in ­ stitutions of a like nature and a polytech ­ nic exclusively for girls. With nearly 750 trainees on its rolls, the Patuck institute at Vakola, Bombay presently offers technical high school courses in Hindi and Marathi, besides post SSC (Secondary School Certificate) education in English. Started in 1932 by the late Rustomba Patuck, this institution has provided for Parsi students who can avail of special seats reserved for them in five subjects. Electronics technology, auto engineering School (above) and technology, repair and maintenance of ggff R. J. J. electric domestic appliances, and me- Primary School chanical maintenance are the courses where performance will be evaluated by the Maharashtra State Board of Secon ­ dary and Higher Secondary Education. The mechanical draftsmanship course is certified under the Government of In ­ dia ’s craftsmen training scheme, further informs the release. RILI ¦ MB Exhibits on display at the Avabai F. Petit (below) A video cassette recorder costing around Rs 9,000 along with cash of Rs 1,000 were reportedly missing from the house. But the police have not been able to ascertain the cause of the murder done in broad daylight, notes the family source. SPOTLIGHT Managing director of Godrej Soaps Lim ­ ited, Adi Burjorji Godrej has been elected president of the Maharashtra Eco ­ nomic Development Council, reports the Financial Express of February 16, 1992. In addition to being chairman of Godrej * Robbery or revenge? Foods Limited, Godrej has served as past Exhibition by schools The murder of 59-year-old Ms Gospi Sam president of several national bodies con- Different facets of India were brought to Sanjana at her flat at Hari Om Apartments nected with toiletries and vegetable oils, life at the exhibition on “Tourism in In ­ dia-1991, ” organized by the Sett R. J. J. Primary School, a branch of the Sir J. J. Girls ’ High School. Inaugurated by Dr Ishaq Jamka- Sanjana on March 8,1992, informs a fam- advisory board of Mitsui Taizo Kobe nawalla, former urban development min- ily source. Bank Limited (Bombay branch), now islcr, in early March this year, models and pictures depicting dress, food, dance, art, language and religion, were used to im- with her. So when the domestic help the world, informs a press release, bibe in the school students and the visitors came to do the chores at her appointed a pride in their country and its cultural time, she was asked to come back later. Principal of Baroda ’s Saiyaji Girls High heritage, informs a press release. After the movie ended Rekha proceeded School, Ms Arnavaz Jimmy Havewalla consciousness was to her own flat around 1 p.m. on S. V. Road, Borivli has reportedly left the police without a clue. No fmgerprints Senior partner of Mulla and Mulla and have been found on either the knife nor Cragie, Blunt and Caroe, Burjor Hor- the nylon rope that was used to murder musji Antia has been appointed on the ily source. On that eventful day Sanjana had in- called The Sakura Bank Limited. This vited her neighbor Rekha to watch a film Bank is reportedly the second largest in Environment consciousness was to her own flat around 1 p.m. The ser- was elected to the senate of the Baroda aroused in the students of The Bai Avabai vant, as instructed, came back at four University. She bagged more than double F. Petit Girls ’High School. Their three- p.m., reads a write-up in the Jam-e-J am- the votes of her nearest contender, in ­ day exhibition in January on “Environ- shed of March 15,1992. forms the Jam-e-Jamshed of February 9, ment — Our Heritage, ” was inaugurated by Sir Dinshaw Petit who planted a answering the doorbell, the servant ap- mango tree in the School ’s front garden. Effective use of models and charts re ­ inforced the dangers of pollution and the Sanjana ’s sister Roshan Nanavati with Speaker at the All Parsis Elocution Com- need for a greener environment, there- ’ ~ lease notes. Believing that it is up to the schools to educate their children on envi- cate key, they gained entry into the flat January 12,1992. ronment conservation, through song and only to find Sanjana lying in a pool of dance too was the message reiterated. blood, informs Sanjana ’s brother-in-law. p.m., reads a write-up in the Jam-e-J am- shed of March 15,1992. On finding that her mistress was not 1992. proached Rekha, who in turn got in touch Cyrus Sarkari of the Panthaky Baug with Sanjana ’s relatives at Tardeo. Welfare Centre was adjudged the Best her husband and daughter proceeded to petition, notes a press release. The cotn- Borivli where, with the help of a dupli- petition was held at Malcolm Baug on Compiled by Roxana A. Mirza 21 Parsiana May 1992ZOROASTRIANS ABROAD COVER STORY Art, music and life in Japan Four generations of the Davers have carved a niche in Nippon Arnavaz S. Mama ¦1 1 J ¦D Uo you remember Radio Ceylon? ” Jack Teagarden and (right) guitarist Joe he queried. It was part and parcel of Pass. Illustrations courtesy Jazz Graph ­ growing up in Bombay in the 1940s and ics: David Stone Martin 50s. How could one forget! Indeed, Manek Daver ’s query was loved crooners like Bing Crosby, Dean only the start of an explanation for his Martin, Frank Sinatra... They shared two phenomenal interest in jazz music and his qualifications -- they were well-known prolific collection of long playing (LP) and generally looked good. records running into thousands. Then, But the jazz stalwarts heeded a differ- “after 25 years as a full-time listener and ent presentation. And so the covers were collector, ” Daver says he began to acquire specially designed, initially as a necessity, an interest in jacket covers as an art form. As Daver encapsulated during an inter- The interest grew into an obsession that view with Parsiana, jhoy were “adven- fructified in an art b(X)k - Jazz Graphics: David Stone Martin - that has set the crit ­ ics raving all over the world. LP records of perennials and classics featured the usual photographic presenta- . tion of orchestras overshadowed by their volved — David Stone Maiyn, known^to conductors, bosomy songstresses or be- t turesome covers for adventuresome music made by people who were either not known or not photogenic. ” And what began as a necessity grew into an art form because the artist most in- the recording world as DSM — set his stamp (Hl each new album and spawned a spate of imitations in his wake. His rendi ­ tions of the musicians became as specific as the music they created, and became collector ’s pieces. Daver says his collection of original and first issue jazz records was largely made in Japfoi where his presence as president of R. E. Daver and Comply marks the third generation of'the family. By the 1980s the advent of the com ­ pact disc (CD) began to make the LPs re- . dundanL By then Daver had jHogressed from being a collector of DSM’s works *. into a commissioner of new work and a friend of the artist who had suffered a stroke. Fortunately, it had left his paint ­ ing hand unimpaired. In 1986 Daver loaned several items from his collection for a retrospective (Hi the artist ’s work at Lincoln Center, New York, And because “it is vay sad that a pic- torial artist does not keep his own work ” and therefore has no reccffd of his life ’s work, Daver decided to make a Ixxik of it j 22 Parsiana May 1992 fe1 V Famous blind singer Ray Charles i I I i earthquake devastated the business as it did everything else in the region. Un ­ daunted, Rustomji went on to Kobe as did the rest of the Indian community, pur ­ suing his dream until 1936 when he re ­ tired to Bombay, leaving the business to his sons Dhunjisha and Bejan. By 1938 Japan had taken the whole of North China and sunk a US gunboat in the Yangtze River provoking a US trade em ­ bargo, recalls Bejan. Dbunjisha and fam ­ ily, including young Manek, came away to Bombay in 1940. Bejan was caught in Shanghai during the war. In 1947, as Bejan recalls, Dhunjisha Daver was one of the first foreign traders to go back to Japan. He headed the company until his death in Bombay in 1950. Bom in Yokohama, Bejan lived and worked almost all his life in Kobe, Shang ­ hai, Hong Kong and Tokyo. His marriage to Aloo 45 years ago cemented relations with another well-established Zoroastrian sides in Hong Kong. When Tavadia re ­ tired to Tavdi after a successful innings at trader in the far east — her highly re ­ in 157 pages with full color reproductions international trade, he was looked upon as spected father Bejanji Tata of Shanghai of DSM’s work and a bilingual (English/ a man of experience and the village folk and Hong Kong, in 1977 the Kobe bom, Japanese) commentary. Jazz Graphics took their quarrels to him for settlement. Bombay educated Manek, together with made its debut last summer. Daver says This made him an honorary judge or his wife Dilnavaz (nee Parakh of Mhow) the book could only have been produced daver and the subsequent generations and their two daughters Roxana and in Japan where the project was accepted took up the title as a surname, he explains Tannaz joined Bejan in Tokyo. Manek ’s as one which would bring credit to every- in the course of an interview with brother Minoo, also Kobe tom, lives in one associated with it. “In the US or UK Parsiana in Bombay. Bombay with his wife Dina (n6e each thing has to stand on its own, finan- It was Edulji ’s son Rustomji who Billimoria of Bombay) and looks after the cially, ” he adds, obliquely illustrating the forged the Japan connection, relates Bombay end of the business. difference in the two points of view. Bejan. A veterinarian with the horse In February-March this year Daver drawn Bombay Tramway Company, Rus- made a trip to the US for research in con ­ nection with a forthcoming book. Jazz Al­ bum Covers — The Rare and the Beauti- impending electrification of the trams, reception at The Taj Mahal Hotel in ful. As was his wont, he visited, DSM. It He began as an employee of Muncherji Bombay had been graced by the presence turned out to be the day before the 78- Patel in 1910. year-old Martin breathed his last. “It Patel had offices in was like he was waiting for me, ” Daver Macau, Shanghai, noted sadly. According to a listing in The Canton,Yoko- Los Angeles Times obituary, DSM’s hama, etc. In 1914 work is housed at some of the finest US Patel retired, clos- addresses — New York ’s Museum of Modem Art, the Metropolitan Museum, and the Smithsonian Institute, the Art Insti ­ tute of Chicago... took up the title as a surname, he explains in the course of an interview with 4’ * It was Edulji ’s son Rustomji who Billimoria of Bombay) and looks after the In the fourth generation, Roxana works as a marketing manager for a multina ­ tional firm and is married to a German tomji opted to follow in his father ’s foot ­ steps as a China trader on hearing of the currently posted in Japan. Their wedding impending electrification of the trams. ing his concerns Rustomji Daver decided k, establish his own businessin Yoko­ hama. From 1914 to 1923 R. E. When the foreigner was king The history of the Da vers ’ far eastern connections go back to the 19th century Daver and Com- when Edulji Rustomji Tavadia, hailing pany from the village of Tavdi, a few miles with its silk away from Navsari, busily shipped silk ports, from Hong Kong to Bombay, informs 1923 Edulji ’s grandson and Manek ’s uncle Bejan Daver. Now chairman of the board Virtuoso trumpet of R. E. Daver and Company, Bejan re- Dizzy Gillespie prospered ’ ex- Then the Yokohama 23 Parsiana May 1992Manek with India s finance minister Manmohan Singh and (above) with Tannaz, Dilnavaz, Bejan, Aloo, Peter and Roxana many Indian business houses and the corded and therefore they cannot rise to money keeps them going. When it is time to host visiting Indian dignitaries like There are two Shroff families in Kobe President R. Venkataraman or finance now, informs Bejan. Both came in the late 1940s or 50s from Shanghai. In the for- of four consecutive Indian ambassadors to sonal history their Korean origin is re ­ Japan: “Each made his own individual de ­ cision, as a personal friend, to come and top positions, ” informs Bejan. surprise us. We did not expect them, ” in ­ forms Manek. Tannaz teaches maths in a now, informs Bejan. Both came in the late minister Manmohan Singh, he convenes Tokyo high school after a university edu- 1940s or 50s from Shanghai. In the for- ad hoc committees. In a recent letter cation in the States. Minoo ’s daughter eign community cemetery in Kobe, there Manek writes that he is currently “busy Nina is studying Japanese in a Tokyo University. His son Vispi and daughter Shemaz are in the US. Despite all their international connections, the Davers continue to be Indian nationals. Both Manek and Dilnavaz (Dilly) are life masters of the Japan Contract Bridge League — two of the three Indians to qualify for the rank. “Tournament bridge keeps me mentally fit, ” says Manek add ­ ing that he hardly ever plays social or home bridge. In all there are at most about 15 Zoroastrians now in Japan, says Manek. Bejan remembers a population of ap ­ proximately 80 Zoroastrians in Kobe alone during the late 1920s and 30s. There used to be a Parsi Club with din ­ ners, billiards and tennis thrown in. “Ev ­ ery time a child was bom, the wife went away for two to three years — at least a year or more. Mistresses were unavoid ­ able. In those days the foreigner was king. It ’s only now that the local is king sentially highly educated professionals and the foreigner is not, ” notes Manek. “Even a Japanese bom/educated abroad is looked down upon and has certain disad ­ vantages. There are innumerable third Parsi. Everyone believes in you as hon- generation Koreans who no longer have est, ” he laughs. The organization arranges that ’s almost forgotten. Whatever Japan any Korean identity — their name and a major event at Diwali when they have a has made (of itself), its done by its own education is Japanese — but on their per- huge raffle of the items donated by the continued on page 33 Guitarist Tai Farlow with tayari (preparation) for the function we will hold for Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao to meet the community. ” The PM and his entourage will be on an official visit to Japan in June 1992. Daver considers the Japanese, as well as the foreigners who reside in Japan, as “the most - or least -- religious people in the world, ” though no time is spent on re ­ ligion on a daily basis. The Japanese go to the temple once each new year, he says. “Curiously all of us Indians, including Hindus, start by doing puja (ceremo ­ nies) for an hour or Sb a month. But after a couple of months, it just stops. Not that we ’ve forgotten our religion. We are model citizens, practising traditional kindness. We do all the things that prayer and religion ask us to aim at, just as a matter of course. Religion is life. If you live like a good man you are religious. 4 MT 1 1 .1 A 24 Parsiana May 1992 is a small Zoroastrian section, adds Bejan. The Indian community in Tokyo/ Otherwise no amount of prayers (can Yokohama comprises 1,200 persons, es- and business persons. Manek is the con ­ venor of an organization called Indian Community Activities: “It ’s nice being a a major event at Diwali when they have a huge raffle of the items donated by the make you so). ” Trying to explain Japanese attitudes Daver says, “Japan has no natural re ­ sources. Three-quarters of it is mountain ­ ous; half the land is earthquake prone. It ’s tucked away into a part of the world $ZOROASTRIANS ABROAD Hie Tajiks: In search of a religion Arnavaz S. Mama Denuded of their religious heritage, some Tajiks have turned to the Zoroastrians of India for help to revive their ancient faith They are a people in search of a past and a future. Seventy years of communism as a constituent unit of the Soviet Union has able to make a late arrival by March 18, reportedly because of sudden and succes ­ sive fare hikes and demands for hard cur- left the Tajiks with the primitive econ ­ omy of a primary producer and a dim memory of their link to the “ancient reli- rency by Aeroflot even after the had tion was to have reached India on March i ' \ ... P__. ,2._ 14. Instead only seven members were Latin and then to Cyrillic. One of the best stated objectives of the now inde ­ pendent republic is to revert to the Per ­ sian script bv 1$96, they say. “The Tajiks were the last (of ' the Central Asian Zoroastrians) to accept says Jamshedi. Is ­ lam is said to have arrived as late as the 19 th century via the Turks. And in ­ sidiously, so that the Zoroastrians _____ did not rebel against its impo ­ sition: “When the Muslims came, they did not destroy fire-temples. They trans ­ formed them into mosques. The people came to the same institutions, ” but little Dr Ahror Mukhtorov, Avesta scholar Dr by little the message changed! The people in the plains and plateaux were the first to be converted to the power the script was first changed to sear- gion. ” Seeking help from fellow Zoroastrians bookings took them to North America in 1991 (see been confirmed. “Zoroastrian Tadjiks? ” Abroad, Parsiana, September 1991) and meet the demands a sequence of events led to the planning had to relinquish of a special visit to India of an official their plans, goodwill delegation in consonance with the Tajikistan-Indo Zoroastrian Interna ­ tional Development Friendship and Cui- ber of parliament ______ __ tural Association (TIZIDFCA). The dele- Dr A. Subbotin, Master-Moos (at the mike), Ervad gation comprised scholars, historians, the only Russian N. Kanga and the Tajik delegation archeologists and originally included a member of the at the Federation meeting cultural troop. team, the rest Their mission was two-fold: to ob ­ serve Zoroastrianism as a living faith, dialogue with priests and scholars and get the literature and technical help to eluded historian and senior academician reestablish their fire-temples on the one P.................. - - - hand and, on the other, seek industrial Dodikhudo Saimidinov, archeologist Dr Isuf Jakobov and director of the Tajiki ­ stan Film .Studio Dr S. Rahimov. With Sunni sect to which the conquering Turks them was a polyglot interpreter, the suave belonged. The hardier Zoroastrians dis- in- Zoroastrians Those unable to With the ex ­ ception of mem ­ HI team, were Persian speaking Tajiks, led by Dr R. Ulmasov, vice president of the Tajiki ­ stan Friendship Society. The team in- A 'I Islam, ” * 4« collaboration to set up their economy in viable 20th centurj terms. Severely landlocked between China, . , _______ __ _____ __________ _ Afghanhtan and Uzbekistan, dependent Mme Zagarova. Preceding the delegation persed further into the Pamirs, which ir. on Soviet aviation for contact with the by a few weeks. Dr Parvonakhon Jam- elude the highest peaks in the Soviet Un ­ outside world, Tajikistan ’s plight was il- shedi, president of the Asian Iranian Cui- ion. The anival of communism made the lustrated by the last minute postpone- tural Association, had passed through practice of all religions taboo for anyone ment of the planned visit and the cancel- Bombay on his way back from London. with hope for a temporal career. “During The only people of Iranian stock in these years people not only lost their > were on Soviet aviadon for contact with the by a few weeks. Dr Parvonakhon Jam ­ shedi, president of the Asian Iranian Cul ­ tural Association, had passed through practice of all religions taboo for anyone with hope for a temporal career. “During lation of the public folk dance and music ‘ ' ’ ’ ¦__ ___ _ performances scheduled to coincide with the erstwhile Soviet family, the Tajiks sudreh-kusti but all religious books the Jamshedi Navroze festivities in India maintained their link with the language burnt. Those who hid them were impris- in March 1992. The 22-member delega- even though at the height of Russian oncd. Some had buried them; now they maintained their link with the language even though at the height of Russian 26 Parsiana May 1992I anism of Ali Jafarey who believes in spreading Zarathushtra ’s gospel of the goodness of truth, providing access to jdeas and leaving people to accept them at their own pace. “We had a lot of forcing through the ages and the people are tired. There was Genghis Khan and Islam and the communists. If you press again, people could rebel, ” adds Jamshedi who says his great-grandfather had been Zoroastrian. The little country of 14,300,000 sq me ­ ters and 5.5 million people was the Soviet Members of the Tajik, delegation relating the compelling circumstances that had made them forego many of their ancient Iranian customs. Top: Reading in Avesta from the Khordeh Avesta to testify the Tajiks’ interest in the ancient language t ¦ I M have disintegrated, ” relates ¦ Jamshedi. M And the young, be they of M Zoroastrian or Muslim stock, ¦ progressively forgot their spiri- I tual heritage. What endured I along with the language — S Farsi, spoken by all, plus Dari, * known to Zoroastrians only — - were some of the customs. March 21 continued to be cele ­ brated by all Tajiks as their new year and ture is more civilized Mehergan in October as the harvesting than any other culture thanksgiving festival. Hitherto observed today. in the quiet of the family, these have now wants good thoughts, been designated national holidays and the words, deeds; good celebration of Navroze is very similar to ecology. (We want the way the Iranis do it. With the return of the freedom of reli ­ gious practice in 1989 and the disband ­ ment of the Soviet Union two years later, some 2,000 individual Tajiks searching see for their Zoroastrian roots have banded Avesta. together to form the Asian Iranian Cul ­ tural Association, says Jamshedi. “But people inclined to there may be 10,000 more who may be Zoroastrianism inclined to Zoroastrianism, ” he adds. Though intent on catching the rising tide of interest in religion, Jamshedi says, Zoroastrians: “The fundamentalists who (IMC)thedelegationsoughtoffersforin- “We ’re not trying to force people into re- say ‘if you don ’t wear a sudreh-kusti dustries in such sectors as readymade gar- ligion. We want to spread the old Iranian you ’re not a Zoroastrian; ”’and the second ments, herbal medicine, toilet requisites, culture to the people... the old Iranian cul- variety which he typifies by the Zoroastri- consumer goods, tourism, airport devel- 1 ? Union ’s producer of fine fiber cot ­ ton, fruits and vegetables, the I source of 10 percent of Soviet gold I plus some of its silver, copper and I an outstandings proportion of its I aluminium production. Its two big I hydroelectric plants primed power I into the Union ’s grids, according to I Subbotin. I Dependent on Moscow for its I needs including such diverse re- I quirements as communications and I pharmaceuticals, now falling woe- I fully short, Tajikistan is avidly I shopping for collaborations to fill intellectuals. ” the gap. Meeting Indian industrial- Jamshedi discerns two types of ists at the Indian Merchants ’ Chamber Everybody to) take it from the old teachings and of ­ fer it to the people... Let them read books, learn let them choose... Most films. Then are 27 Parsiana May 1992 * Mi I say ‘if you don ’t wear a sudreh-kusti you ’re not a Zoroastrian; ”’ and the second variety which he typifies by the Zoroastri-opment, banking and accountancy profes- Mukhtorov, research work on Zoroastri- i, :_____ ... anism has established Tajikistan as the Arabic countries are helping the construe- ------- - J tion of mosques; in 1991 they sent one heads the archeological society of Tajiki- billion rials to central Asia and invited Stan says that linguistics have proved that 5,000 people... If we try to follow the de ­ Avestan was used in Tajikistan; that the velopment of Iran, it would be the wrong names mentioned in the Avesia are names sionals and business management exper- ; ’ ‘_ ____ _____ ____ tise, as noted IMC vice president Shekhar homeland of ZarathushtrZ jakobo7who Bajaj. . - According to Jamshedi there are eight fire-temples in Tajikistan currently in dis ­ use. Although religious practice by the ______________________________ people was forbidden, studies of the old of Tajik villages; that the Aryans of the religions and the Avesta continued in the Institutes of Oriental Studies in Moscow, Leningrad, Tashkent and Dushanbe, and these Institutes possess an excellent col ­ lection of manuscripts, says Jamshedi. The Avesta was translated into Russian 10 years ago, he says. There has also been a continuing ex ­ change of students between India and Tajikistan, informs Jamshedi who adds second millennium BC were living in that Hindi and Sanskrit have been regu- ................. .... larly taught there. Jamshedi himself is fluent in English apart from Russian, Per ­ sian, Uzbek and the seven Pamir lan ­ guages. A PhD from the Linguistics Insti ­ tute of Moscow, Jamshedi had just ful ­ filled a month ’s lecturing assignment at Holland ’s Utrecht University and a 10- day lecture tour in Oxford, Edinburgh, Manchester and was due back in London for a six-month stint with the British Broadcasting Corporation ’s Asian studies program. Dialogue with the delegates who came later was far more restricted due to the language barrier, the interpreter translat ­ ing back and forth. According to to establish its embassy in Tajikistan. The way... ” While the Parsis of India can hardly hope to rival the wealth or determination of Islamic countries in the propagation of Islam, the initial inquisitorial reaction of the Federation and the community verged on the absurd. They sought our help to put Zoroastrianism back on the wheels in Tajikistan; we worried about their presence defiling our institutions! They are planning an Avesta conference in October 1992 when they hope to invite Tajikistan before they moved to Iran and scholars from all over the world to take India; that the ruins in Tajikistan are older part. “You are the center of the Zoroas ­ trian religion and you are in touch with the world. Tell us whom to invite, ” urged Dr Pulat Pulatov. He also sought Indian There are eight fire-temples in Tajikistan currently in disuse TECHNICAL MANPOWER o z z O z o a z < (y: O g o 'Z. u Wanted a smart Executive Secretary to President of the Company (either sex). Should have a pleasing personality, be mature, efficient, and with perfect command over the English language. Respondents must have good shorthand speed, and be capable of using electronic typewriters and wordprocessing equipment. Computer literate persons will be preferred. Remuneration no bar for the right candidate. Apply at the earliest in confidence to; The Business Manager Behram Wadia & Associates 44/2 Sassoon Road, Poona 411001. na 28 Parsiana May 1992 m XJ m -o O O o o z I > z n m m Z than the Iranian ones. Saimidinov who is mainly engaged in the translation of Sog- dian, Avestan, Pahlavi and Fars, texts ________________...______ claimed to be well acquainted with the help in the printing of brochures for the work of high priests and scholars in India. Ervad (Dr) Peshotan Peer who at ­ tended the first of the sessions corrobo ­ rated some of the above statements: “In me immeuiats^ response was the nirang of the Saro.sh Yas hl in Pazend though the next day the Federation we actually pray for the Tajiks who wear sudreh-kusti. ” They are also mentioned in the Sarosh Yasht itself, he added. When Pahlavi and Sogdian texts were compared, they were the same. Tajik mar ­ riage ceremonies are based on these texts, it was stated. At the time of death, a fra- Tajik Society for Friendship and Cultural grant fire is put near the deathbed. On Relations with Foreign Authorities, the Sadeh, when the dead are remembered. House of Soviet Culture (Bombay), the candles are lit over the graves. The prac- Mazdayasnie Monasterie, tice of investing a young child with cere- Behram Baug Society, the Zoroastrian conference ” hoped “many of your people will attend the conference ”, and sought a discussion on what needed to be done. The immediate^ response was mute ___ I exon ­ erated itself with a soul searching discus ­ sion on its reaction to the visitors. The visiting Tajiks were hosted by members of the TIZIDFCA and put up in their homes. The member organizations responsible for the visit included the the Shah tice of investing a young child with cere- , ____________ monial dress and belt is observed, the College and the Asiatic Travel Service; practice going back to prelslamic times, the individuals concerned included the yThcre are many ceremonies but we don ’t former member of the Minorities Com- _ ... “ mission Homi Taleyarkhan, Russian know the source, whether they are mission Homi Taleyarkhan, Russian Zoroastrian or Islamic. Young people consul Fyodor Rozfivsky, Ms Meher don ’t have any idea of religion, ” they admit, most available information on the Master-Moos, Ms Nawaz Marker, Ms Homai Farmarzian, Ms Hutoxi subject being ferreted out of the memory Doodhwala, Yazdanyar Bonshahi, Zal of elderly survivors. “You adopted the Contractor, Mme Maisara Kolonova. Lt language of India but preserved the an- Gen Adi Sethna, Dadi Mistry, Ms Mani cient traditions and ceremonies. We are Irani, Dara Deboo, Dr Sam Bhacca, Sha- the reverse. We preserved the language vak Patel, Ms Jerry Kumana and Calvert and not the ceremonies, ” Saimidinov in ­ formed the executive council members of the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India. “The Indian people have greeted us Tajik film studios" in the year of Firdausi, D’Penha. The exercise is supposed to have had a fortuitous beginning when Moos wrote to UNESCO suggesting a prize for the warmly — more than we expected (but) for popularizing the Shah Namah. Her let- we must develop relationships between children and families, ” urged Ulmasov, ter, she relates, was forwarded to Tajiki- „ Stan and Kolonova desired to meet Moos I adding ominously, “After Tajikistan got when she transited Bombay. There fol- ' independence, Iran was the first country lowed an official invitation to Moos to J * I ks new wave which is likely to begin sweep- oiiv V..V- "..n ovuvw ____________ heartlands of Central country. That she was a knowledgeable senting the Jokhi family from Hong Asia as happened many thousands of Urging a similar study, a contrary nating experience for her and her hosts, tober conference. Dr N. Sen Gupta, secre- view notes. Undoubtedly practicing Moos, a Khshnoomist and biographer of tary of the government of India ’s Plan- Zoro^trians will face pressure from the the late Behramshah Shroff, felt that the ning Commission has also assured the Muslims who ^e already asking vigor- visit Tajikistan and unknown to herself likely to help in the travel and tourism she became the first state guest of a free 5 * J . «•¦>*** M .. ----- ’ Zoroastrian added to the Tajiks ’ delight Kong, has agreed to build a dharamstola years ago... and her short stay led to a mutually fasci- ~ Moos, a Khshnoomist and biographer of tary of the government of India ’s discovery of Zoroastrian Tajiks is part delegation of all possible help, writes ously for Islamic rule... Under the other fulfilment of Shroff ’s prophecy. In a re- Sethna. In Navsari. Dastur Meherji regime everybody was equally oppressed port on her visit to Dushanbe, Moos Meherjirana was said to be impressed by but now unless the Zoroastrians are notes, “Late Ustad Saheb Behramshah ' ..................... ' Nowroji Shroff had indicated that the Saheb-e-Delaan living in remote moun ­ tain vars (enclosures) still practised our ject, they were quite categoric that within ancient faith and the spiritu^ ruler, Shah Behram Varzavand Saheb, whose advent is predicted in Jamaspi and the Persian Revayats, would come forth by the end of this century from such a var... He had indicated that in the remote, isolated mountaintop villages in the highlands of Central Asia there still survived groups of the Maghavs. These isolated mountain tribal people have Zoroastrian ancestry whose roots go back in unbroken line for over 3,(XX) years. In the area of the Pamirs, the Altai, Caucassian mountains, the Caspian/Black Sea/Sea of Azov re- sector and Dara Deboo of Navsari, repre- complex in Dushanbe in time for the Oc ­ tober conference. Dr N. Sen Gupta, secre- Sethna. In Navsari. Dastur Meherji regime everybody was equally oppressed the Tajiks ’ genuineness in seeking to re ­ vive the Zoroastrian faith. “In Delhi, in answer to pointed questions on the sub ­ the next year or so they will be able to show a live register of Zarthushtis run- ''All religious books were burnt. Those who hid them were imprisoned'' ? helped to assert themselves and are helped to be educationally advanced and economically viable and progressive as they are here in India, they will again be reduced to the state that our people were in Iran. ” The validity of the latter view is en ­ dorsed by Steven Erlanger of the New York Times Service. In an article titled “Islam returns to Central Asia ” reprinted in The Times of India of June 13, 1992, Erlanger reports from Dushanbe, “...the very ideas of independence and democ ­ racy in the region have taken on Islamic hues... the (public) prayers (have) gradu ­ ally increased from once to five times a day. Increasingly, ’’women were seen with their arms, legs and hair covered..f “Tajikistan is the only ethnically Per ­ sian-speaking land amid the Turkic- ning into thousands which, in due course, _______________ ___ will increase manifold, ” writes Sethna. gion of"the southern USSR Republics, They also seem to have acquired a large the people are of Persian Zoroastrian ori- number of books and are all set to make a gin. In Central Asia, in the area of Balkh, success of the Avesta conference, he speaking Central Asian republics of the Karshi and the region of present Tajiki- notes. former Soviet Union. As a result, Tajiki ­ stan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Urging a study of the Tajiks by knowl- stan looks more towards Iran and Af- '' ’ ''*** ghanistan where many ethnic Tajiks live. notes. Urging a study of the Tajiks by knowl- omuI) rvtiZx*MioUciii» ivii00 J Azerbaijan, the people are longing to get edgeable persons, Sethna suggests a fact- back to their original ancient faith. ” finding study and a detailed report: “We than to modem day secular Turkey Summarizing the achievements of the Parsi Zoroastrians in India and if I may which is Washington ’s preferred model Tajik delegation ’s visit, a report from Lt say so, of the New World, are now likely for Central Asian development... ¦ • to be a mere spec in this new sea of “«««%/» Oucrinn • Zoroastrians and my major concern is that Gen Adi Sethna, president of the Delhi to be a mere spec in this new sea of “Some Russian women say they feel Parsi Anjuman, notes that Tata Chemi- Zoroastrians and my major concern is that now they should cover their hair when cals, Lakmd, Zandu Pharmaceuticals and unless we Parsi Zoroastrians in India outdoors to avoid harassment — but most the House of Godrej had all shown a posi- make an attempt to be in the van of this people still do not. Some Russians say tive interest in doing business with the new movement, we shall be completely Tajiks come up to them on the street and Tajiks. The Avari group from Pakistan is obliterated or swept away by this huge ask: ‘When are you going home? ’” obliterated or swept away by this huge ask: ‘When are you going home? 9 99 pHONt 400 We purchase unsalable unquoted shares debentures and rights renunciations with immediate payment Contact Mr.Anil Shetty Ms Beena Nair HINCON (P) LTD. 15 Linking Road. Santacruz (West), Bombay 400 054 Phones 6493193. 6493880, 6491345 Fax:6493880 29 Parsiana May 1992RELIGION j t The reenthroning of the Banaji fires The charity commissioner’s ruling in the Banaji Atash Behram case, sanctioning a temporary shift of fires, may enable other fire-temples to repair their structures Parinaz Gandhi cessitated by certain conditions does not fore shifting the fires. ¦ Most of the fire-temples in India, be- lights, the atash padshah of the Cawasjee alienation of the trust property, ’’ ruled ing built around the turn of the last cen- ! tury, have aging structures which call for ¦ repairs. The Banaji Atash Behram case dox camp members Adi Doctor, Behram can thus be considered a landmark whose outcome could ^ward off disputes in the offing. But there is no know- ing whether this precedent will need to be cited in the fu- ture for while controversies had arisen at the time of Surat ’s Goti Adarian fire shift * in 1984-85 and Bombay ’s Dadyseth Atash Bahram shift contemplated in ’88, there was no opposition at the time of shifting the fires of the H. B. Wadia Atash Bahram and the Iranshah at Udwada when occasioned by jwKyB repairs. However the tussles that would not fall within the ambit of this judgment are those involving the Godavara (Gamadia) Agiary and the Doongaji Agiary where the trustees were contemplating a permanent shift of the fires. The Godavara fire ­ temple at Fort needed major repairs, the In the early hours of the morning, in the absence of the sun ’s rays and electric result in “damage, wastage or improper Byramjee (Banaji) Atash Behram was the joint charity commissioner on June ceremoniously brought to its original 29,1991 on a plaint lodged by the ortho ­ abode. The dish bearing the embers was < . carried by a few of the boiwallas. The Mistry and Sohrab Patwa. He took into rest of the boiwallas bore the _ swords and maces which I were rehoused in the reconse- I crated sanctum sanctorum. 3 The shriiie reverberated with ? prayers while the glow ema- | nat^ from within. As the g echoes of the last chants I merged with the stillness of I the surroundings, the noctur- I nal ceremony came to an end. I For three years a contro- I versy had rag^ over the shift- I ing of the holy fire but on I May 15,1992 (when the pad- ¦ shah fire was reinstalled) and I May 20 (when the adarian fire I was reshifted) the trustees ’ ef- I forts to repair the 146-year- I old fire-temple bore fruit It | was only following the joint charity commissioner ’s verdict that the Banaji Atash Behram at Charni Road trustees were able to pursue with the renovation work they had proposed since 1988. “The historic judgment closes the consideration the trustees ’ version that cost of which the trustees felt would not controversy ” as to whether a temporary the walls of the keblah (sanctum be justified in light of the limited patron ­ shift in the fire tantamounts to diminish- sanctorum) have become black and re- age there. So, it was proposed diat the ing the “spiritual power and sanctity of quire plastering and painting; the dome fire be shifted to Godrej Baug, the new the holy fire, ” happily declared manag- necessitates repairs; the columns and housing colony off Nq>ean Sea Road, ing trustee Buijor Antia, a partner in the rafters at the roof level need to be But that was before the regular devotees law firm Mulla and Mulla and Craigie, strengthened — all such heavy repair approached the charity commissioner. Blunt and Caroe, whose legal guidance work being beyond the scope of Parsi la- appealed to the High Court, and finally has contributed to the Atash Behram ’s borers. The trustees also gave an assur- obtained a stay restraining the trustees victory. A temporary shift of the fire when ne- necessary stipulations would be met be- s J j j ! ( pjj t, ¦ ¦ I 4 Photo: Noahir Gobhai borers. The trustees also gave an assur ­ ance that on the ceremonial front all the from shifting the fire. The decision to bring the Doongaji 30 Parsiana May 1992leading to the deprivation of the spiritual the time of the recent repairs to the Atash ¦ ¦ ¦ ~ ; Behram, it wasn ’t just the Kadmis who explained by Doctor, a desecrated fire contributed. The total collection was in “does not have the strength required of a the vicinity of Rs 15,00,000 towards the rathaeshtar (warrior), he is subjected to cost of the repairs which approximated Agiary fire from Bharuch to Bombay ’s Godrej Baug had been taken by the trus- authority of the fire, they believe. As tees in 1988. But subsequently progress was stalled by some Bharuch residents. Their appeal to the joint charity commis ­ sioner, Baroda division, result^ in a stay the incessant attacks of gana min (the Rs 14,50,000, informs Antia, on the shift of the fire being granted evil forces operating in nature) and finds Unlike the Banaji Atash Behram early this year on the grounds that there it impossible to act as a receiving and which has comfortable resources, the are Zoroastrians in Bharuch frequenting transmitting center vis-a-vis the spiritual Godavara Agiary devotees have been re- the Agiary, there are sufficient « funds for the upkeep of the Agiary, S and there is a priest in regular at- " tendance. In this community some people want to create non-issues, believes Antia, referring to the opposition in the form of a protest meeting and judicial redress organized by the orthodox protagonists against the Banaji atash shift. Antia failed to understand the hue and cry when the trust deed itself clearly author ­ ized the trustees with “liberty from time to time to take down, alter, ™ enlarge, repair, rebuild and to ' make such other additions and im- provements in the Trust properties... as Godavara Agiary at Fort managed by the Bqmbay Parsi Punchayet may be necessary in the interests of the (BPP), the uncertainty surrounding the Atash Behram... ” Besides, the fires of world... Removal of an atash padshah fate of the Godavara Agiary has been this very fire-temple had been shifted in 1958 when required by “heavy repairs ” and a hurdle in the progress of the de- to the monument. 1 - - - - ' “You refer to him (the fire) as the temple). ” spiritual king yet you shift him around like a piece of furniture, ” it was charged given at the charity commissioner ’s, the at the protest meeting. “No adarian any- - - - . _ . where need be removed and relocated, ” maintained Doctor in his article in Parsiana (see “Atash adarians: not for last to their transitory lodgings, and ber and all was forgotten and the 1987 ' » notice somehow disappeared from the be reenthroned in the fire-temple which Agiary premises... ” it was reported in the had been given a fresh lease of life. Un- English Press. ¦ “ “ ” - Profuse leakage and roofing problems mazdyar Mirza, Dr Firoze Kotwal and resulting in several other structural dam- f tsi J# I * : Godavara Agiary at Fort peatedly appealing in the ' Press for donations towards , the repair of the Agiary and I have with difficulty managed I to collect Rs 3,67,000, as I stated in a report in the Jam- I e-Jamshed of January 26, I ’92. In their case contribu- I tions are of even greater con- I sequence as the trustees have I “pleaded their helplessness in I the matter and have declared I their inability to carry out the I repairs due to paucity of funds, ” mentioned a public appeal. The only agiary to be tantamounts to a breach of trust in nature bothering the devotees for several years. " ¦ ' ¦ In 1987, the Agiary displayed a notice parted souls of the founders (of the fire- signed by the Punchayet secretary stating they had been “advised by their engi- However, as per their undertaking neers that some portion of the building ; was in a dilapidated state and therefore trustees of the Banaji Atash Behram took the devotees had to enter the temple at due care to observe the prescribed rites at their own risk... After this notice the the time of shifting the fires in December trustees of the BPP went into deep slum- * shifting, ” May 1988) “if the trustees and again after five months when they had to the priests perform their duties of pre ­ serving and maintaining the padshahs ad ­ equately. ” The dwindling strength of der the guidance of Dasturs (Dr) Hor- the Zoroastrian population and the con- i sequent limited patronage for an agiary is particularly Dr Kaikhusroo JamaspAsa ages was the difficulty faced at the Go- no reason to shift the fire, believed Doc- ’ ' „ _.... . I of nine lakh rupees was the Punchayet ’s religious matters, the stipulated sarosh, architect Sam P. Rao of M/s Poonegar, vendidad and yasna ceremonies were . ..................... .... ing prayers, an enemy attack or a natural performed to sanctify the building and calamity would come under the classifi ­ cation of “compelling reasons. ” who being a trustee of this Atash Behram davara Agiary. Estimating a repair cost tor. Neither do repairs to the fire-temple was personally involved in advising on of nine lakh rupees was the Punchayet ’s qualify for a shift of fires in his opinion. Only Ae sudden demise of a priest recit- Billimoria and Company who described the structure as requiring “drastic reno ­ vation... as bit by bit repairs would serve no useful purpose... ” He advised the BPP to “consider shifting the holy fire to some other agiary and close down the Agiary on this site which would not ma- and shifted out of the-sanctified building temple, so also there is a clause in the terially put the devotees to any hardship and the holy dome and divine atmos- trust deed clearly stipulating that boi phere therein, and no non-Parsi should be ceremonies in this Atash Bchram or the allowed to enter the sanctified building. ” “choii oi«,ayc Disrespect towards these principles performed according to the Kadmi would result in the magnetic circuit in- side the fire-temple getting disrupted and the fires. Just as the trust deed provides for a There are two religious tenets that the building within the Atash Behram com- conservatives staunchly seek to preserve: plex wherein the fire can be housed when “the holy fire should not be fragmented it needs to be shifted from the fire- as there are several other agiaries (five) in close proximity (within half a mile ra- adarian attached thereto “shall always be dius in the Fort locality). ” The devotees, chiefly Dr Hoshang Mobedji, Hoshang Tarapore and Ms continued on page 44 rites... ” However when donations poured in at 31 Parsiana May 1992LAW Wedlock ’s end: 2 K. C. Vajifdar Nonconsummation of marriage — wilful or otherwise — is the most frequent ground for an early divorce r W/iar are the responsibilities imposed by marriage and what redress does one spouse have when the other spouse chooses to disregard them? Answers to the question have been a part of the gen­ eral social environment, changing with time. The Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act (PMDA) was the first to codify such so­ cial expectations in 1865, becoming the most advanced concept of social justice in India at that time. It was amended in 1936 but, 50 years later, contemporary Parsis were chefing at the restrictions and prejudices of a bygone social era. What is more, in comparison to other, later legislation in the arena of personal law, like the Hindu Marriage and Di­ vorce Act, the PMDA had lost its preemi­ nence as a legislation that was in keep­ ing with the spirit of the times. Legal personality K. C. Vajifdar ana- watchword of marriage. That a husband was granted on the ground of impotency. lyses the main clauses of the PMDA since or wife refuses to consummate the mar- In another case, the husband went on its last amendment in 1988. In a series of riage because he or she was forced to postponing consummation of marriage six articles Vajifdar explains the changes marry is very astonishing as well as on the ground that the time was not ripe that have been incorporated as also the cruel. Sometimes, the parents of the boy and the auspicious moment had not _ main heads under which either party to a get their son married despite being aware rived. He contended that the “stars ” were marriage may apply for divorce. of his physical deformity. not in his favor for consummation of mar- In his second article Vajifdar discusses / _ the problems of impotency and wilful or her mental or physical condition nonconsummation of marriage. In the last makes sexual intercourse and consum- issue Vajifdar had compared some fea- mation of marriage impossible. Impo- tures of the PMDA with the Special Mar- ( riage Act of 1954 and the Indian Penal consummate the marriage. Code. Subsequent issues will deal with bigamy, adultery, desertion, cruelty and does not depend on the capacity to con- change of religion. cause of disability. Thus, if the party is ready and willing to be subject to medical treatment and get cured, then and in that event, impotency cannot be proved. Many times, such incapacity to have normal sexual intercourse is cured with proper medical treatment. Such treatment is almost always without any danger to the life of the party accepting it Thus, it is absolutely essential that an opportunity for cure must be given to the afflicted party before court proceedings are insti ­ tuted to get a decree on the ground of im ­ potency. However, when the defendant refuses to go through a medical examina ­ tion, the court generally grants a decree of nullity. In a particular case, the malformation of an organ was recorded as incurable and it was held that consummation was a persons marrying and procreation is the practical impossibility. Thus, a divorce watchword of marriage. That a husband or wife refuses to consummate the mar- ar- of his physical deformity. A person can be call^ impotent if his riage. A week passed, a month passed, six months passed and yet the time was not right to consummate his marriage. „ , The husband then came up with the tency implies an incurable incapacity to theory that he would consummate the „ . marriage only when the time was propi- The capacity for sexual intercourse tious. When the wife filed proceedings ’ . ’ . ’. ¦ against the husband, the court held that ceive a child and the very fact that a the husband has failed to consummate the woman cannot conceive is certainly not a marriage and had given bogus reasons not Section 32a of the Parsi Marriage and ground for dissolution of marriage. Im- Divorce Act permits a divorce when a potency, as contemplated under the Act, marriage has not been consummated up (' to one year after its solemnization owing merely the incapacity to have normal allow her husband to consummate the to the wilful refusal of the defendant to sexual intercourse. The presence or ab- consummate it. Thus, a Parsi would nec ­ essarily have to wait for a period of one year after marriage before getting a di ­ vorce. One party to the marriage may have legd proceedings, the court must take entered it against his or her wish but mar- into consideration future medical or sur- riage by itself implies the union of the gical treatment which may remove the to consummate the marriage. There are psychological reasons also, does not necessarily mean sterility but In one case, the wife would simply not marriage. The medical examination of the sence of a uterus is quite immaterial. wife showed that there was no structural Also, in deciding whether a state of incapacity. From the evidence which was impotency existed at the time of mar- produced, the court held that the wife ’s riage and continues till the day of filing refusal to consummate the marriage was not due to obstinacy or caprice but to an invincible repugnance to die act of con ­ summation of marriage resulting in a pa ­ * 'i i i- 1 32 Parsiana May 1992 kART, MUSIC AND LIFE IN JAPAN continued from page 24 selves as poor because they can ’t feed 10 percent of their own people^. (Yet) To ­ kyo has 10 times the cars of Bombay and ralysis of the will and an incapacity for intercourse. As such, the husband was en ­ titled to a decree of nullity. A person may have full capacity for hard work. The Japanese think of them- intercourse and yet be incapable of per- - forming the act with one particular per ­ son. This may be due to certain reasons. __________________ ________ ____ A husband could be impotent with reg^d roads are narrow, but the traffic moves faster. And it ’s a very safe city with civic facilities — power, sanitation, water — always greater than required... “The Japanese never over-engineer. to his wife but may be very potent with another woman. If that be so, a decree of nullity can be passed. In order to establish a suit for nullity __ ________ of marriage on the ground of impotency they don ’t over-^11. In the pre-w^ days on the part of one of the parties, such im- they sold cheap products; now they sell potence must be fully proved. It must be expensive products. But they ’ve always proved diat physical unfitness for cot- bggn the world ’s biggest exporters. ’’ A faithful subscriber to Parsiana since it was first established by his friend Dr Pestonji Warden in 1965, Manek says he potence must be fully proved. It must be expensive products. But they ’ve always the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 also re ­ strict petitions for divorce within one year of marriage subject to certain ex ­ ceptions. Under those Acts the court may allow such a petition to be presented be ­ fore one year has passed in the case of ex- _____ _ ______ _______________ ceptional hardship suffe^ by the peti- giving jashan which he remembers being part of the respondent. summation existed on the date of the marriage as well as at the time of institut ­ ing the suit for nullity of marriage. The Special Marriage Acf J954 and observed a lot of changes in the com ­ munity in his time. After all, he notes, “More Parsis have migrated to the US than the Zoroastrians who came from Persia. ” But not all the changes that are taking place are progressive according to him. For example, he cites the thanks- tioner or of exc.eptional depravity on the organized in factories, offices and other For example, in the case of Mega- S s P E C I A LM ilveK MEMENTO S Silver, birth record spoon or com Elegantly styled spoon or'specialiy crafted sterling silver birth-record coin to record ail the details about a child's birth.These two items have enough space to engrave all the important details like name.date and time of birth, weight etc.Birth record coins are available in 25,50 and 100 gms. weights. Birth record spoon is available in two sizes. HEIGHT places. “Now the priests are saying 'Bahama hoi to nahi kari^ (we will not nantha Nayagar v/s Smt Sushila reported perform if there are non-Zoroastrians in All India Reporter 1957, Madras 423 present) ’ but vadil (senior) priests have the court held that adultery plus desertion done it... No religion is so practical to by the husband in favor of another change as the Zoroastrian, ’’ he continues, woman along with cruelty construes ex- adding that much more practical changes ceptional hardship. In another case, the need to be accommodated. He remembers husband drove the wife to the streets, how his 46-year-old father died overnight profiteering by her immoral earnings, from food poisoning and his mother had J -L — jQ |jg given painful injections because of menstrual taboos, before she could attend the funeral. Zoroastrians who came from Persia changed in time with local condi ­ tions, argues Manek. These now need to 4’’ The court regarded this as a case of ex ­ ceptional hardship and depravity. Even if the court were to grant a decree of divorce under such circum ­ stances, it has a right to suspend opera- ___ tion of the decree by adding the condi- modified, he adds. In other ways too tion that it shall not operate until after j^g community has changed. “Education the expiry of one year from the date has removed all entrepreneurial spirit of the marriage. If it is proved that there from the Parsis. (They ’ve) become so was I at the time of obtaining a decree of divorce, the court has the right to dis ­ miss the petition even af'er granting a decree of divorce. misrepresentation or concealment professionalized. (That is why) so few go into business. In the pre-war years there were 30 to 35 Parsi (trading) families in Kobe alone. ” Talking of changes inculcated in our lifestyles by technological advances, Koover C. Vajifdar Manek illustrates, “It took four years be- is an advocate of the Bombay High Court. He is a fre­ quent contributor to t Press on the impli­ cations of the Rent Act and the legal ramifications of marital problems. 33 Parsiana May 1992 fore (Bing Crosby ’s famous song) White Christmas became known all over the world because there was no communica- the general tion then. The Beatles were the first mu ­ sic group to attain instant world popular ­ ity because of TV and video. Who knows! In the years to come you may send Parsiana by fax to subscribers! ” Silver marriage coin Elegantly designed with a provision to engrave on the backside some important details of a wedding/ engagement/ anniversary,this coin is available in 10,25,50 and 100 gms.weights. I 5 tu Mjhaverimios. lau • S.Metro House,Dhobitalao, Bpmbay 400 020. Tel.:29 14 23,29 70 26. • 34S,Abdul Rehman St.,BoinlM^ 400 003. Tel.:32 00 65, 32 61 96/97. lauSPORTS The prized punch The first Indian on the boxing jury at the Olympics, Aspy Adajania was conferred the Padma Shri award this year Homi Rogers T vating force in the 1990 World Cup Ama ­ teur Boxing Championship held at Bom ­ bay. The city, incidentally, as Adajania tells us, has b^n the cradle of Indian box ­ ing — the Bombay Presidency Amateur Boxing Federation (BPABF) being founded here in 1925, with direct affili ­ ation to the Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) of England. It was the precursor of lABF, set up in 1949. A few days before he left for Delhi to receive the Padma Shri award on March 28, Parsiana met Adajania at his petrol pump, barely a few blocks away from the Cama Baug Agiary. Stockily built and of ruddy complex ­ ion, Adajania has the bearing of a boxer. And he also seems to have imbibed a fair share of the anomalies of a sport which refers to the perfect square in which its matches are fought as ‘a ring. ’ For one, Adajania is shy and withdrawn when it comes to talking about himself, unlike the boxing world ’s image of Mo ­ hammed Ali or J4ike Tyson. Since ’80s, Adajania has served on 48 international tournaments, ei ­ ther as a referee judge, or in the jury. In 1984, when he was upgraded as D Tz I , - / I. V ' member of the Olympic jury, Adajania dian boxers. Captain Aspy Darabsha • enkataraman (above) added yet another feather to his cap, or as Adajania. For his meritorious service to we should say in boxing parlance — to Indian boxing, his name w^ included on ing. Currently the president of the Indian his headguard. He was the first Indian on the 1992 Republic Day list of Padma Amateur Boxing Federation (lABF), and the boxing jury at the Olympics — aposi- Shri winners. serving a second term as an executive tion in which he continued to serve at the Adajania who owns two petrol pumps committee member on the prestigious 1988 Seoul Olympics, and will be doing so again at the forthctxning 1992 Barce ­ lona Games. Within barely 40 years, Adajania has established himself in the the Petroleum and pugilism make a heady Adajania (right) receiving the punch as it does for the padshah of In- Padma Shri from the President of India ing. Currently the president of the Indian his headguard. He was the first Indian serving a second term as an executive committee member on the prestigious in Bombay, besides having a share in a Association Internationale de Boxe Ama- film laboratory at Worli, has been the spur in the growing stature of Indian box- teur (AIBA), the world body to which lABF is affiliated, Adajania was the moti- [ 35 Parsiana May 1992finnament of sports promoters — a genus rather uncommon in the Indian milieu. “Indian boxers, ” he boasts, “are the most disciplined and well-behaved among our sportsmen. They are aggressive only in the ring; outside it they are like lambs. ” Boxing, he avers, is not a violent sport, but that image persists because it is such a lucrative sport. “Six or seven of the top 10 earners in the sports world are boxers. In which other sport would you get a Tyson who made 20 million dollars in just 45 minutes to defend his title? The risk ele ­ ment is overplayed to justify the big bucks. ” Adajania further Cheves that the so-called violent element in boxing helps keep boys out of trouble, “as it channel ­ izes their aggression into the ring. ” While his son Homi (19) has been Uained as a boxer, and has won the West ­ ern India Junior Championship, a reluc ­ tance to let their children learn boxing usually persists with many Parsi parents. Boxing is identified all over the world as a violent sport: "Naak naskoru fodi nakhse (will break the nose and nostril), ” caution the elderly. As for injury to naak naskoru, Adajania (who has authored a handbook for referees and judges for the lABF) in ­ sists that “besides having a thorough knowledge of the rules, the main ingredi ­ ent or quality required (in a referee) is the instinct of compassion to stop a bout before a boxer is seriously injured in tne ring. ” Adajania periodically conducts examinations for referees and opines that “far too many referees lack this basic quality which robs the sport of its glory and deters a young boxer from further pursuing this athletic activity. ” With stricter clauses stressing compas ­ sion, and advances in protective equip ­ ment like headguards and mouthpieces, boxing can shed its false image. Cur ­ rently, though, Adajania concedes, box ­ ing ranks as the fifth most dangerous sport in the world on the grounds of fa ­ tality. The pahelwans (strongmen) like Rus ­ tom and Sohrab, idolized in Parsi myths and scriptures, were wrestlers, not box ­ ers, though recent findings have estab ­ lished boxing to be a sport of reasonable antiquity. Also, by the time Adajania took to boxing, many of the Parsi greats had become a part of history — a history which Adajania recalls with a gleam in his eye. He remembers Fali Billimoria, the first (featherweight) Indian boxer who turned professional; Muncher Wadia, one of the best flyweight and bantamweights in India who wrested the Western India championship title by defeating a British soldier; and die Khatau brothers — Percy, Sammy and Cushrow — who created a record by bagging the trophies in their re ­ spective classes all in the same year. “Today, ” laments Adajania, “there are no Parsis in boxing, though at one time in the mid-twenties and thirties, the Zoroas ­ trian Physical Culture and Health League was one of the best clubs for boxing in the city. ” As a sport amongst Parsis boxing fizzled out in the ’80s, and the All Parsi Invitation Tournament has not been held for over the past 10 years for want of con ­ testants. Adajania attributes this “disappear­ ance ” to the fact that Parsis prefer to get a job on the basis of education, though sports can hold a key to good money and equally good job opportunities. At the Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO), Jamshedpur, for example, the lABF has an arrangement whereby jobs are offered to boxers at a decent salary. The annual contract was initiated by Adajania ’s predecessor, A. K. Mattoo, when he was president of that lABF and a director at TISCO. It provides boxers with a chance to practise their sport and simultaneously . learn a trade, like that of a foundryman. J MATRIMONIAL MATRIMONIAL ESTD 1850 JEWELLERY Well-reputed firm for buying guaranteed gold ornaments & jewellery. We pay highest price for old gold & jewellery ornaments. (Approved Valuers by Govt of India for Jewellery) Matrimonial correspondence invited from eminently intellectually educated, well-placed and good-natured guy between 25-31 years by well-settled, cultured, professional family for their highly educated, kind-natured and attractive daughter in her mid-twenties. Write back with full details, preferably with photo (returnable) to: Alliance invited from Parsi girls up to 23 years for 25-year-old Parsi lieutenant in the Indian Army. Kindly write giving full particulars to: The Advertiser Matrimonial (May/19-92) Parsiana GPO Box 892 Bombay 400001 M/s Framji Rustamji Choksey 253 Sheikh Memon Street Bombay 400002 Tel 325422/342639, Resi 251118 The Advertiser Matrimonial (May/18-92) Parsiana GPO Box 892 Bombay 400001 36 Parsiana May 1992gloves even when he left the Army in lively involved in the forthcoming elec ­ tions. Nor does he wish to trade punches The Adajanias migrated to Bombay with the community on the various re- from Adajan, a comparative backwater cent controversies. “Yes, I am a staunch ease of a professional boxer. It may yet be some time before box ­ ing attains the popularity of cricket, or the mega-money of tennis. But with the Additionally, the Adajania family con- which would serve them in good stead af- pointed to train the battalion team in box- punchayets, is not for Adajania. “We ter their boxing years are over. Similar ihg. Within the next five years, he was to contribute what we can to the community job opportunities, Adajania elaborates, establish himself as the padshah of pugi- in our own way, ” he says, dismissing his are available in the Railways and the lists. By then his love for boxing had in- prospects of becoming a trustee of the Services. “But then, Parsi boys are happy tensified so he did not hang up his boxing Bombay Parsi Punchayet, or being ac- in banks, ” he concludes fatalistically. For one associated with a macho sport, 1976 to look after the family businesses. Adajania was put through his first paces in a girls ’ school — Kimmins at Pan- chgani. But it was at the (Cathedral and township near Surat, around the middle of practitioner of our religion, but not a fol- John Connon School in Bombay that he thi^ century. After the displacement suf- lower of all its rules and rituals, ” he gen­ cut his first boxing teeth. “However, I did fered by the family when toddy-tapping tly asserts, parrying all questions with the more boxing at the club level, ” says was declared illegd, the senior Adajania Adajania, “than in school. ” Even today, decided to invest his family fortune in the though boxing is a popular sport, and as management of two petrol pumps. Adajania stresses, “a middle-class sport ” (a boxing club charges just around Rs 40 trols three trusts for Zoroastrians which generous backing of a government that per month to teach and practise the provide assistance to the needy after richly rewards pugilists, and the liberal sport), it is not included in many schools ’ evaluating each case on its merits. During encouragement of the Maharashtra state, curricula, but taught and practised in the course of the interview, Adajania was which has been the cradle of Indian clubs. 'There are more than 80 boxing approached by a 2k)roastrian bereft of boxing (the state, recalls Adajania, con- clubs in Bombay and Pune alone, as per arms which he claimed to have lost in a tributed four lakh rupees to the center ’s Adajania ’s estimate. railway accident. Adajania solicitously five lakhs for the staging of the 1990 By the early sixties, Adajania was in noted for him the name and address of his World Cup in Bombay), that day may not good fettle and boxing for the Bombay family trust and told him to app'oach it be far. Adajania is busy raising sponsor- University, which he represented twice, for help. Then, unobtrusively, along with ships and organizing the Super Nations In Decemter 1962 he joined the Indian the address, Adajania slipped in a note to Cup by the end of 1992. When he pro ­ Army, and was commissioned to the 59 provide some timely relief. claims that event to be “bigger than the Gurl^ Rifles. At the Officers ’ Training School in Madras, Adajania was ap- or Parsi philanthropy as practised by the weight speaking! Yet, the hurly-burly of Parsi politics, World Cup, ” we know here ’s no light- * Steamship agents — master stevedores dubashes — lighterage contractors Darabshaw B. Cursetjee’s Sons (Bombay) Pvt Ltd Darabshaw House, Ballard Road, Bombay 400038 Grams: DEADWEIGHT Telex: 6824 DBCB IN Phone: 2610021 (4 lines) (Dock Office: 2612230) A Also associates at Calcutta, Vishakhapatnam, Kakinada, Mangalore, Bhavnagar, Bedi-port, Navlakhi. Veraval, Porbunder & Kandla I Also sole Government Landing contractors at Jamnagar, (Bedl> Bhavnagar 38 Parsiana May 1992MILESTONES between Zoroas- the four-month A scanning of the marriage registers at Old Customs House revealed 17 intercommunity marriages and one marriage contracted trians over period of January to April 1992. There were seven inter ­ community marriages registered at the MHADA office in Bandra (East) for the same fjeriod. In the case of marriages be ­ tween Zoroastrians in Bombay, the age of brides — as listed in this issue — ranged between 22 and 43 years, the arithmetic mean (the total number of indi ­ vidual ages divided by the total number of brides) being 31 years. The corresponding fig ­ ures for the grooms were 26 and 42 years, averaging at 33 years. There were seven Zoroastri ­ ans who were cremated during the nine-month period of April to December 1991, according to the Chandanwadi crematorium reg ­ isters, (Parsiana made only one trip to Chandanwadi last year in April, hence did not get the data for the latter half of the year.) The Chandanwadi registers did not appear to record any Zoroas- ttian cremations between January and May 1992. As per the data available to Parsiana, in Bombay, there were 18 births as compared to 63 interments at the doongerwadi in April. Heart disease took 18 lives of whom three were above the age of 80. Nine victims fell prey to pneumonia and lung dis ­ ease while eight succumbed to BOMBAY Born A girl to Monaz and Aspi Wadia on April 2, 1992 A girl to Huffish and Rohinton Javat; April 3 A girl to Jean and Peshotan Wadia; April 4 A girl to Kamal and Viraf Hansotia; April 5 A girl to Thrity and Homavand Jehangir; April 10 A girl to Khushnum and Shahberam Kaikhushroo; April 13 A boy to Ayesha and Adi Madan; April 16 were: was the newsletters cancer and five to brain disease. Hypertension and kidney failure claimed three patients each and old age and general debility, two. The isolated cases registered last month were: tuberculosis, asthma, nervous disorder, ulcer, bums, liver disease, accident, haematemesis (vomitting of blood), high blood pressure, hypotension, diabetes and septi ­ cemia. In the case of two deaths, the coroner ’s report was still pending. A stillborn baby boy and a 23-year-old youth were also lost to the community. Ninety-seven years highest age at death. The data on births, marriages and deaths has been compiled from information supplied by various newsletters and anjumans in India arid abroad, courts and hospitals. This infor ­ mation is not always complete or consistent. For example, the birth figures for Bombay are supplied by four hospitals; births in suburban hospitals and pri ­ vate nursing homes are not in ­ cluded unless individuals send us information together with a copy of the birth certificate. In the breakup of deaths according to illnesses, especially of the elderly, death is often due to a combination of several diseases. If readers have any births/ maniages/deaths they would like published, some proof to ensure the veiacity of the report would be required. sure our readers would appreciate this requirement and cooperate with us. We are A girl to Parveen and Mahendra Patankar; April 18 A girl to Tehnaz and Gustad Homavazir; April 19 A boy to Tarina and Framroze Mehta; April 20 A boy to Karmin and Dehram Gheesta; April 23 A girl to Pinky and Rumi Bhathena; April 24 A girl to Tina and Keki Irani; April 24 A girl to Farida and Sarosh Aibara; April 25 A boy to Kashmira and Kurush Daruwalla; April 26 A boy to Binaifer and Yuzud Karanjia; April 26 A boy to Nilufer and Noshir Bhiwandiwala; April 28 A boy to Arnavaz and Rohinlon Rost ami; April 28 Married Shenaz Oomrigar and Amol Sabnis; January 1, 1992 Rohiga I. Chagla and Cyrus Pallonji Mistry; January 2 Gausia Mahmood Mukadam and Khurshed Kavas Sanjana ; January 10 Renu Kishinchand Nosta and Firdaus Shapur Iram; January 20 Rockshan Sheriar Yazdani and Kevin Roger Creado; January 21 Gulshan Irani and Punit Shah; January 22 Keshmera Aspi Photographer and Ramesh Kalyanji Kamrejwala; January 31 Meena Laxman Rathod and Gev Irach Patel; February 3 Rashna Firoz Bam and Pervez Noshir Mehta; February 4 Gulshan Framroze Pithawalla and Bharatram Nandlal Gaba; February 7 Viloo Italia and Jacob Williams; February 7 Madhavi S. Degaonkar and Farokh J. Umrigar; February 9 Behroze Kasad and Madan S. Pawar; February 10 Firozi Boman Kermani and Anthony Kuo; Feoruary 14 Vimla I. Macwan and Shahrukh Eruch Bhathena; February 27 Maharookh Munchersha Wadia and Sam Dady Billimoria; March 1 Meherzin Rusi Mistry and Sudipto Malay Das; March 6 Meher Firoze Shroff and Leigh D. Murzello; March 14 Razia Mohsinali Munji and Kersasp Khushru Dinshaw; March 20 Uma Rashmikant Sheth and Behram Jimmy Karbhari; March 27 M. Pakhota and Rayomand Iloshang Dadachanji; April 3 Coomie Noshir Kapadia and Adi Keki Motafram; April 5 Shagufa Merwan Tcinbat and Sarosh Pestonji Mistry; April 6 Daina Barjorji Bhagwagar and Darayas Murzban Vavaina; April 7 Saraswati Muni Naidu and Dhunji Kaikhushroo Dubash; April 10 Jeroo Sorab Chothia and Xerxes Franvoz Iraru; April 10 Dinaz Kersi Dhondy and Ramesh Padmanabhan; April 10 Khurslud Eruchshah Patel of Ahmedabad and Dinyar Noshir Adajania; April 11 Maharookh Nosturwan Kamdin and Hoshang Phiroze Van- driwala; April 16 Farzin Dosaldiai Wadia and Zerxis Kaikhushroo Daruwalla; April 17 Rashna Minoo Kanga and Behram Sohrab Ghista; April 17 Shanoor S. Rustomji and Avinash Kothari; April 17 Farida Rotan Amra and Kurush Jamshed Charna; April 18 Ruby Framroj Dordi and Farrokh-fflinocher Rustomji of Delhi; April 18 Behroze Homi Daruwalla 'and Kersi Ratan Amra; April 20 Havovi Kawas Elavia and Rusi Jamshed Bachana; April 20 Kiran (Kalpana) Vishindas Khatanhar and Zarir Dhanjishaw Daruwalla; April 20 Farida Faredoon Wadia and Faredoon Hormusji Dotiwalla of Karachi; April 20 Anahita Freddy Daruwalla and Cyrus Behram Nagporewalla; April 20 Zarina Dhunjishaw Satha and Mehernosh Pirojsha Shroff; April 23 Nergis Vicaji Taraporevala and Andrew Shri ‘Narayan; April 24 Parveen Behram Irani and Adi Cawasji MaroUa; April 27 Kashmira Sovak Bhesania and Mehernosh Manecksha Nazir; April 28 I Died Dhun Minocher Kalapesi (68) residing at Burani Mhl, 59, Lady Jagmohandas Marg, 400026; May 21, 1991 (cremated) Eileen Horru Duggary (62), 37/D, Belmont, L. Jagmohandas Marg, 400036; June 21 (cremated) Shireen Dinshah Guzdtw (50), 1-3-B, Brighton, 68, D. L. Jamanadas Marg, 400006; 39 Parsiana May 1992August 26 (cremated) Piloo Jamshed Harver (Jh), Jenking Hse, 11, Henry Rd, Colaba, 4()(X)05; September 17 (cremated) Hilla Dara Coma (84), Bachan Mans, Bai Deenbai Marg, Tardeo, 4(XXX)7: October 4 (cremated) Feroza Phirozsha Narielwala (9S), Breach Candy Gardens, B. Desai Rd, 400026; October 10 (cremated) Bomsi Nicholson, son of Dinoo and late Adi and brother of Shema Adi Pandole; December 17 (cremated) Meherji Edulji Fanibundar (67), Readymoney Bldg, 784, M. Joshi Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; April 1, 1992 Yezdi Nariman Madon {22>}, 13/1, NeetaTer, No 2, Mangal- das Rd, Poona, 411001; April 1 Dhuiyi Cawasji Poonjiaji (63), C/14, Shapur Baug, V. P. Road, 400004; April 2 Jayjee Earuchshah Daroga {il}, 3, Niamant Manzil, N. Petit St, Grant Rd, 400007; April 3 Dadiba Nusserwanji Khambata (87), C/o J. D. Banatwalla, 19, Ravindra Mans, Sir Dinshaw Wacha Rd, Churchgate Reel, 400020; April 3 Roshon Darab Contractor {5i), \2I5, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, Byculla, 400027; April 4 Jimmy Bomanji Kc^adia {69}, Kashinath Bldg No 1, Kashinath St, Tardeo, 4(XX)34; April 4 Homi Manekji Vazir {74}, Shemaz Manzil, Balaram St, Grant Rd, 40(XX)7; Ap ’d 4 Tehmina Phirozshaw Billimo­ ria {5i}, 719, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, Byculla, 4(XX)27; April 5 Tehmina Nariman Elavia (86), 515/B, Ratan Mans, R. P. Masani Rd, Matunga, 400019; April 5 Dolly Heroyce Moos (77), 92, Bhiwandi Hse, Opp Gowalia Tank Post Office, Cumballa Hill, 400036; April 5 ManeckS. Elavia (61), P/18, Shapoor Bharucha Baug, S. V. Rd, Andheri (W), 400058; April 7 Tehmurasp Nadirshah Karanjia (83), A/17, Shapur Baug, V. P. Rd, 400004; April 8 Bahadur Kaikushroo Kuka (62), Bacha Manor, 600, Jame Jamshed Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; April 8 Ratansha Fardoonji Dadrewalla (83), Near Gurukripa Hotel, Kathiria, Nani Daman, 396210; April 9 Manijhe Pestonji Khambhata (93), 165, Manibai Bhuvan, Khetwadi, 10th Lane, 400(X)4; April 9 Jamshed Kaikhushru Ghun- nawalla (61), 94, Aderbad, Babulnadi Rd, 400007; April 10 Daulat Rusi Pardiwala (55), Home-Coming, Waroda Rd, Bandra (W), 4(XX)50; April 10 Ardeshir (Adi) Dinshaw Billimoria (72), A, Daruwalla Bldg, Frere Bridge, Grant Rd, 400007; April 11 Amy Keki Laly (73), 10/A, Tata Block, Sir C. J. Clny, Tardeo, 400034; April 11 Shapurji Pirojsha Divecha (77), Karani Bldg, 650, Firdausi Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 40{X)14; April 12 Putla Behramji Gilder (74), Gilder Villa, Perry Cross Rd, Bandra, 400050; April 12 Male baby of Rashna Vispi Sanjana (stillborn), B, Avabai Petit St, Balaram St, Grant Rd, 400007; April 12 Sheru Jasi Kapadia (55), 284, Jupiter, Cuffe Parade, 40(XX)5; April 13 Delber Maneck Kararyawala (57), 4, Bhaveshwar Sagar, 20, Nepean Sea Rd, 400(X)6; April 13 Thrity Navroji Chothia (44), 301/A, Manish Mhl, Off Veera Desai Rd, Andheri (W), 4(XX)58; April 14. Shirin Burjor Mithaiwala (65), Mithaiwala Hse, 97/C, Bazar Rd, Bandra, 400050; April 14 Jal Framroze Mistry (86), 174, Saikrupa, Khar Danda (W), 400052; Apml 15 Piroja Nadirshaw Mistry (87), Room no 22, BhaUia Sanato ­ rium, Bandra, 400050; April 15 Dolly Aspi Patel (45), Batliwala Bldg, 721, Dinshaw Master Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 4(XX)14; April 15 Coomy Jal Sagar (82), F. S. Parukh Dharamshalla, 34, Hughes Rd, 400007; April 15 Pirojshaw Edulji Vesuna (75), 11, Hormus Bldg, Kasinath St, Tardeo, 400034; April 15 Burjor'^Furdoonji Dadacheuyi (80), 1/4, Seth Nusserw,anji Tata Bldg, Bandra, 400050; April 16 J * i With the compliments of P. S. KUKA Chairman i ? ? ? GOODWILL THEATRES PVT LTD BOMBAY OWNERS: "NOVELTY CINEMA" j j THEATRE MAGNIFICENT BOMBAY Luxuriously air-conditioned with latest 70MM Projection, Stereophonic and 4 Track Sound Equipment. J i i 40 Parsiana May 1^2L Najamai Manchershaw Guzder (11), 816, Mistry Bldg, Jame Jamshed Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; April 16 Rustom Ardeshir Mistry (54), Petit Bldg No 2, Jamshedji Petit St, Balaram St, 400007; April 16 Silloo J. Panthaki (65), 28, Daruwalla Bldg, (Ganesh Bhuvan), 1st Dhobitalao Lane, 400002; April 16 Minoo Savaksa Mistry (67), Bhiwandiwala Ter, Trinity St, Dhobitalao, 400002; April 17 Sorabji Rustomji Bagwalla (87), Damania Bldg, Zoroas- trian Clny, Chikalwadi, 400007; April 18 Jamshedji Burjorji Gandavia (72). 3/11, Tata Mills Co-op Hsg Soc, Elphinston Rd, Parel, 400012; April 18 Homai Askendar Irani (80), l-A/5, Tata Mills Co-op Hsg Soc, Elphinston Rd, Parel, 400012; April 18 Alan Framroze Poonawala (88), T-5, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd. 400039; April 18 Jerbcu Ratansha Wadiwalla (93), Albless Widow Chawl, Gilder Lane, Tardeo, 400007; April 18 Maru Dorabji Vesuna (63), Hirabai Petit Bldg, Opp Grant Rd Rlwy Stn, 400007; April 19 Eruch Dinshawji Homawalla (93), 2, Rajsi Mans, 4th Pasta Lane, Colaba, 400005; April 20 Dolly Ferdoon Irani (61), 32/FF, Khareghat Clny, 34, Hughes Rd, 400007; April 21 Katie Jal Kapadia (82), B/5, Dhun Bldg, 312, Lamington Rd, 400007; April 21 Kershasp Rustomji Kotwal (58), Empress Bldg, N. Petit St, Grant Rd, 400007; April 21 Adi Cawasji Mistri (80), Dev Chaya, Haji Ali, 400034; April 21 Goolamai Jalejar Mukadam (68), Karuijia Bldg, 378, Grant Rd, 400007; April 22 Hoshang Pirojshaw Minbati- walla (66), Jer Villa, 641, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; April 24 Meherwanjee Shapurjee Sepai (61), 5/34, A. H. Wadia Baug, Parel Tank Rd, 400033; April 24 Dossabhoy Jamshedji Kamdin (76), 4, Seth Hse, N. Sheth St, J. S. Rd, Thakurdwar, 400002; April 25 Sherbanu Manecksha Mistry (71), 1, Glass Bglw, Tukaram Javji Rd, Grant Rd. 400007; April 25 Phiroze Menvanji Bisney (80), Gowalia Tank Bldg, Gowalia Tank Rd, 400036; April 26 Mehernosh Phirozsha Dastur (97), A, Taj Bldg, Gowalia Tank, 400007; April 26 Eruch Pirojshaw Manekshaw (JO), Readymoney Bldg, M. Joshi Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; April 27 Behram Adi Siganporia (42), 17, Nanabhoy Chmbs, Fort, 400001; April 27 Shara Savaksha Udwadia (19), 51, Karelwadi, Thakurdwar, 400002; April 11 Pallonji Hormazdji Mehta (15), 12, Maneck Bldg, Lamington Rd, 400008; April 28 Sarosh Nadersa Batliwalla (52), A/301, Kailash Prabhat Co-op Soc, 173, Vidhyanagar Marg, 400098; April 29 Ardeshir Riponji Gazdar (70), 113, Dr Dinshaw Master Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; April 30 Rutty ManchershoM Madon (82), IHA, Todiwalla Bldg, Sun Mill Rd, Lower Parel, 400013; April 30 Coorru Sovak Mehta (86), ()J1, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; April 30 LONAVLA Married Dilnawaz Hosang Randelia and Percy Maneck Shroff. January 11 B BORN Boys Girls MARRIED Parsi Intercommunal 24 20 104 24 DIED Male 35 Female 28 A; Total numbers in this issue excluding 1991 B: Running totals for 1992 (February-May issues) These flgures pertain to infoimation provided to or collected by Parsiana. They do not represent the total numixr of births, marriages and deaths in the T^oroastrian community in India and abroad. 185 150 17 26 11 6 POONA Died Freny Behramji Grata (97), 16/A, Shankarshet Rd, 411001; 4pril 2 Khorshed Eruch Ardeshir (85). 14/A. Deccan College Rd. 411006; April 15 Jeru Cowasji Dhanjishaw (82). Iron Gate. 4. Stavely Rd, 411001; April 15 Katy Pesi Press (59), Cecillia Bldg, Ardeshir Irani Rd, 411002; April 16 Kersi Merwanji Surveyor (70), 202/A, Manish Darshan, Fatima Ngr, 411013; April 17 Khudabux Behram Irani (91), 6, Ardeshir Baugh, Ardeshir Irani Rd, 411002; April 26 Boman Kaikhushroo Shroff (il), 10, Hermes Tower, Sachapir St, 411001; April 28 SECUNDERABAD Bora A boy, Dinyar, to Perveen and VirrrfMehta; April 10 SURAT Died Hormusji Dharyibhai Kodia (84), Maachli Pith, 395003; April 9 Piroja Pirojsha Bohariwala (84), Disney Hse, Navyug College, Randel; April 12 Hillamai Rustomji Bodhanwalla (81), Maachli Pith, 395003; April 14 Parinbanoo Dosabhai Bhagwagar (75), Parsi Wad, TOTALS FOR 1992 Bombay Other Indian cities Foreign cities A 7 11 40 52 A A B B 1 2 2 1 3 7 1 2 1 2 3 1 4 1 6 7 Saiyedpura, 395(X)3; April 23 Jalejar Jehangirji Patel (72), Parsi Wad, niav, 394810; April 23 Darabsha Hormusji Mevawalla (Dudhwala) (86), Opp Kadmi Fire-temple, Shahpore, 395003; April 26 • BRITISH COLUMBIA Married Nancy Lee and Zubin Amrolia-, January 4 CALIFORNIA Bom A boy, Eric Hormuz , to Pervin and Jehangir Canleenyyala-, March 29 HOUSTON Bora A boy, Bahram, to Mahnaz and Feorokh Firozgari', December 2, 1991 KALAMAZOO, Michigan Born A boy, Stephen, to Rashna and Hoshi Engineer; February 4, 1992 KARACHI Born A girl, Rashna, to Parin and Naozar Virji', April 11 Died Navroze Hormusji Manelgi (11); March 1 Rashid Jamshed Irani (37); March 13 Pesi Edulji Behrana (82); March 18 Dolly Rustam Patel (72); March 19 MISSISSAUGA, Ontario Married Veera Behram Khajotia and Jemi Nusserwanji Anklesaria; November 17, 1991 VANCOUVER Born A girl, Sabrina, to Mehrshid and Phiroz Irani', November 13 WINNIPEG, Canada Died Rustomji Bhumgara, father of Soli, Hushtasp and Binaifer Patel; January 18, 1992 Compiled by Roxana A. Mina 41 Parsiana May 1992IN MEMORIAM Madhivala’s Mending Ibuch Parinaz Gandhi When few nonagenarians are stable on their feet, here was one who would de ­ liver kicks. And a kick from Dr Manchersha Madhivala augured not spite but respite. The relief from pain that his mode of treatment offered made patients return to him for other cures, recommend his name to firiends in distress and ea ­ gerly await his trips to Bombay which would receive advance publicity in the Press. Though not a qualified medical prac ­ titioner, the faith and confidence inspired by the rustic Madhivala who had his base in village Madhi, far exceeded that earned by many modem, degreed ortho ­ pedic surgeons. His mastery in bone alignment was so respected that patients entrusted their arms, legs, spine and even their neck to his care. There were some who viewed his style of functioning with scepticism for not always did he treat fractures and spondylitis only after studying X rays, but those whom he treated said his tactile sense seldom erred. In fact, his death in Navsari on December 6,1991, at 91 years of age fol ­ lowing complications arising from pneu ­ monia, has created a vacuum for his one ­ time patients who wonder whether an ­ other savior of his ilk will come to their rescue. It wasn ’t just the ordinary man not able to afford a professional ’s fees who sought Madhivala ’s aid. From directors in the House of Tatas to sportspersons like Vijay Merchant, from dancers like Ms Shirin Vajifdar to graphic designers like Ms Mini Boatwala and authors like Dr Mulkraj Anand, people from all walks of life, from all communities and all strata of society came to him for treat- Madhivala (inset) delivering a kick to a patient (above) and catching up on his reading at his farmhouse (below) Photos courtesy A. V. Somaiya j * 1 1 42 Parsiana May 1992His years of service merited a Regis- morning. When a poor adivasi needed sustained treatment, Madhivala not only tered Medical Practitioner ’s degree being ment. He was also invited to treat the then President of India V. V. Giri, in ­ forms Dr Jamshed Pithavala who had gave free medicines but also provided for accorded to him by the Gujarat Govem- known “Kakaji, ” as they referred to the boarding and lodging free of cost, re- Madhivala, for over 30 years, working members a family friend. first as his apprentice and later indepen- dently. No patient of Madhivala ’s was charged fees but contributions were wel ­ come in the donation box placed in his genius, informs a family source. Of the After Madhivala, who? Those who consulting room. Actually monies in the several commonly in use, the most popu- had benefitted from his cures had been donation box are said to have subsidized lar were dhatura (stramonium) or ‘all dreading this eventuality as each year not Madhivala ’s expenses but those of powder, ’ recommended for several ail- passed, the very poor who could not afford even the cost of medicinal applications. Men thetics or giving fancy names. When- the institution of an orthopedic ward in of means did help him out otherwise too, ever he travelled — it did not matter one of the Parsi hospitals in memory of inform his associates: In Navsari, a car whether it was a trip to the city or a vil- Madhivala ’s commitment to this cause, would be made available to him by an lage where a medical camp was orga- Fortunately the science and art of treat ­ executive at the Tatas; Vijay Merchant nized — his bags of medicines were his ing orthoptic disorders, the introduction offered him a room at Hindustan Mills regular companions. For the conve- to which Madhivala received at the where Madhivala could treat patients on his trips to Bombay. Earlier he used to “Pharma Company in Madhi and Rem- come to the city every two months; how- ( -- . . . _ ever, with increasing age the frequency distributing his medicines. Standardiza- declined. tion of dosage was introduced subse- ferent Parsi His was a makeshift clinic: “Broken quently; originally the doctor worked by Madhivala ’s brother ’s sons, Minoo bodies were everywhere -- laid out on approximations, not realizing that a Suraliwalla rende^ aid in Navsari and stretchers, bundled on the floor, col- change in proportions could cause al- Homi Suraliwalla in Bulsar. Addition- lapsed in chairs, huddled in comers, their lergy to the sensitive skin of the city ally the availability of his mediciAes en- moans and shrieks filling the air... And at dwellers who lacked the rustic resistance, the center of it all stood the great as notes an associate, bonesetter himself, surrounded by his loyal helpers. In appearance he was so ordinary, no one could have guessed what extraordinary powers he possessed. He wore a long white duglo and a prayer cap, resembling one of those men in charge of serving dinner at a Parsi wed ­ ding... ” This description of Madhivala appears in Rohinton Mistry ’s award win ­ ning book Such a Long Journey that cap ­ tures the Parsi spirit. The storyline of the novel is fictitious but his reference to Madhivala therein could not be more ac ­ curate, confirm those who had known the bonesetter. Brusque was the demeanor of the hot- tempered Madhivala. Yet his approach to the patients was always soothing, making time to explain how the ointment was to be applied or the exercises were to be done, relates Pithavala. Cases which needed his urgent atten ­ tion were taken to Madhi, a village near Surat, from where Madhivala, an agricul ­ turist by profession,, functioned, monitor injuries or ailments requiring his constant supervision, he even made pro ­ visions for in-house patients. “ adivasis around his village too found him easily accessible, practising as he did on the verandah of his bungalow every ment even though Madhivala is not be ­ lieved to have studied for any university The afternoons, the self-taught practi- examination. After a short stint with the tioner reserved for his reading. His railways in Peshawar, the young herbal applications and potions were Madhivala opted to settle in his home- largely an outcome of his own study and town Madhi to pursue a pastoral life, genius, informs a family source. Of the ‘ ........................~ - several commonly in use, the most popu- On his death. The Bombay ments. He never believed in using syn- Samachar had strongly recommended thetics or giving fancy names. When ­ ever he travelled — it did not matter whether it was a trip to the city or a vil ­ lage where a medical camp was orga- For the conve ­ nience of his patients. Indigenous Drug hands of his uncle, is now being prac- “ ........................... ticed by some of his onetime associates: edies Pharmaceuticals in Bombay started Dr Jamshed Pithavala of Dastan comes to Bombay, Jal Amaria operates from dif ­ ferent Parsi bangs in Bombay, brother ’s approximations, not realizing that a change in proportions could cause al- sures that the bonesetter ’s remedies have not been lost to posterity. Gimi ’s outstretched hand R I * % 4 43 Parsiana May 1992 To The Died: Rusi Burjorji Gimi, 69, pioneer of outdoor advertising in India and Calcutta ’s popular social worker, on Feb ­ ruary 21, 1992 in Calcutta following a two-month struggle with acute haemorrhagic gangrenous pancreatitis. “I am the most notorious beggar of Calcutta... Whenever I accost people (for donations) they call me not ‘Gimi ’ but ‘Give me. ’” The congenial man with a ready wit who is known to have raised crores of rupees for the varied charitable projects which he served was quoted in the Fed Newsletter of April 1992. In honor of this selfless worker a con ­ dolence meeting was convened at the Marble Arch at Raj Bhavan when the Governor of West Bengal Prof Nurul Hasan announced the inception of the Rusi B. Gimi Medal. The annual award which carries a cash prize of Rs 5,000 will be conferred on an individual or or ­ ganization excelling in social work in the struggle ?state of West Bengal, informs the News­ letter. Several schools, hospitals, halls recalled Gimi ’s contribution at the con- have been renamed after Gimi as a mark dolence meeting convened by the trust- of tribute to their benefactor. ees of the Calcutta Appointed sheriff of Calcutta in 1974, Community ’s Religious and Charity over the years Gimi is believed to have held responsible positions on 132 welfare among the 15 community members fe- Yerawada Jail for inciting college stu- committees, societies and institutions like the St John Ambulance Association, Rehabilitation Centres for Children nity, believing he should concentrate on (Orthopaedic), a school and training cen ­ ter for the deaf and mute, educational in ­ stitutions for the underprivileged, a home for the aged. Lighthouse for the Blind, started as a partnership venture, received Bombay. armed forces subcommittee, Calcutta Art less of Gimi ’s time although “to most of Society, Lions Club, consumer protec ­ tion and consumer action bodies. “He contributed not just money, but more im ­ portant, time, energy and organizational mote business, he pioneered the concept been telling friends, all I had to do is to ability. He was always willing to stand of modem outdoor advertising. He also put a rasgolla in my mouth and speak up and speak for a worthy cause... His in ­ terests were spread over so vast and di- door Advertising Association, notes a The humanitarian further believed, verse a field that one wondered how he booklet Mr Rusi B. Gimi — a remem- “Bengal gave me a home and a reason- kept track of them all, ” noted a write-up brance brought out under the aegis of the ably fair scope to prosper... Life is not a in the Calcutta Gavashni of February- . ........................... ' March 1992. Centre. some of it back. And so when I find that One time president of the Parsi Zoro- The booklet recapitulates Gimi ’s bio- some of my brothers and sisters are suf- astrian Association of Calcutta, a former graphical details: bom in Bharuch, fering tremendbus hardship, I go out of '' ' ~ ~ my way to reach out with help; ” Gimi is survived by his wife Zarin, ' and the Calcutta Parsee Youth League V/adia College in Poona with mathemat ­ ics as his principal subject and physics and chemistry as his subsidiaries. Re- Zoroastrian spending to Mahatma Gandhi ’s Quit In ­ dia call, Gimi later joined the freedom Funds. Even though last year Gimi was struggle and was imprisoned at the licitated by the Anjuman, of late he had dents. He drew inspiration from Netaji been devoting less time to the commu- Subhas Chandra Bose and Swami Vivekananda, besides many others. Be- helping those who are in greater need of fore venturing into his own business and his services. shifting to Calcutta, Gimi took up em- Similarly the organization Selvel, ployment with an insurance company in His respect for the Bengali culture and us his name still spells Selvel, ” read a ci- his acceptance by the Bengali people en- tation. With the prominently displayed abled him to pick up their language too. Selvel hoardings, effectively used to pro- He used to narrate in jest, “As I have served as founder-president of the Out- Gujarati — out came Bengali. ” door Advertising Association, notes a - - a remem- Socio-Legal Aid Research and Training one-way transaction; you have to give Centre. The booklet recapitulates Gimi ’s bio- pillar of the Calcutta Parsee Club, a spending his early childhood in steady supporter of the Calcutta Zoroas- Aurangabad, schooling at the R. S. Dalal trian Stree Mandal, representatives of all High School in Bharuch (discounting a and daughters Frenny Daroga, Prochi these organizations plus spokespersons year that he spent at the Sarvajanik High Mehta and Tehnaz Bahadurji. from the Saklat Physical Culture Institute School, Surat), graduating from the P.O. THE REENTHRONING OF... continued from page 31 In the course of the hearings, as re ­ ported in the Jam-e-Jamshed of January fire ablaze. 26, ’92, Dr Aspi Golwalla declared on offer sandalwood to the priest to keep the The allegiance to one specific fire is Naju Paghdiwala countered the behalf of the Punchayet trustees that they noticeable at the Doongaji Agiary too. Punchayet architect ’s report by getting were “keen to carry out the repairs ” but Not more than three to five Zoroastrians the expert views of four others: Former were “hampered by lack of finances. ” are said to frequent it daily. Besides, municipal engineer and ward officer D. He further “committed a sum of one lakh Bharuch is said to have six agiaries cater- F. Ichhaporia, and licensed surveyor and rupees towards the repairs ” and a will- ing to a dwindling Zoroastrian popula- consulting engineer T. K. Santoke ingness “to raise funds from other tion of around 250. Yet the fire was not opined that the structure does not need sources including the petitioners. ” permitted to be brought to Bombay ’s complete demolition. Architect and inte- There are no further developments in Godrej Baug which? once fully ready and rior designer Adi Darbary, and chartered court but as conveyed by both the sides, occupied, is expected to house nearly engineer, architect and structural engi- i " ’ ’ ' ' ' ; * — neer R. J. Balsara held that the building out by the contesting parties after which can be repaired without shifting the holy they hope to commence with repairs. “It is a question of our faith. How can we allow them to remove the fire which countered sources including the petitioners. ” permitted to be brought to Bombay ’s There are no further developments in Godrej Baug which? once fully ready and terms for negotiation are being worked 500 Zoroastrian families. I Clearly not all community members _ . . are able to empathize with the view that fire outside the Agiary . Balsara further “It is a question of our faith. How can a shift of fires under some circumstances described the structure as “unique and we allow them to remove the fire which may serve a dual purpose; providing a monumental ” deserving to be “preserved has been worshipped there for the last pilgrim center to a new concentration of and well maintained. ” --------------------l-j— ----- ------ • .. .. , ... . To further buttress their case that there were sufficient patrons for this contemplated. “It is faith alone that at- Agiary to warrant, that the fire be not tracts you to one particular doctor, law- transferred and the Agiary building be yer or agiary, ” some other devotees were Critics view the shifting with suspicion repaired with the available funds, statis- <-------------------------------- • ¦ - tics were cited: About 75 families have ber 30, ’90. In case of the Godavara their prayers said at this Agiary and Agiary, there is faith reposited not only about 14 tables are laid during the by the Zoroastrians but by a fair amount muktads. of non-Zoroastrians too who reportedly 150 years? ” Tarapore had voiced his pro- Zoroastrian residents, and utilization of test when the Godavara fire shift was the funds released from the sale of the old agiary property for construction and maintenance of a new house of worship. quoted in the Jam-e-Jamshed of Decern- and question the bonafides of those advo ­ cating the move. With the large number of fire-temples in the country, will this controversy con ­ tinue to brew? 44 Parsiana May 1992