Aug 1992

ill r* * I «* >Ui AUGUST 1992 Rs12 I .t?. ¥r< TT Si "T -5-^- I » I % 9 6 *, t*- ¦V-5-i ( A AC r I r M? 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 INANCE B. L. Arora pp Rohinton E. Daroga IRCULATION Behram Umrigar MANAGEMENT Jasmine Driver OFFICE Khurshid Panthaki, Patricia D’Silva, Bakhtavar Batliwalla, Nowzer Batliwala, Bindu Pillai, Sugatha S. Kurup, Asha Pillai August 1992 Volume 15 Number 2 i i i; 3 Readers ’ Forum 21 Events and Personalities 26 Zoroastrians Abroad 32 The 1992 BPP Elections by Gustasp Irani 38 Homi Sethna ’ vision of the Gathas 42 The traditions of the Tata Agiary by Homi Rogers 48 Doors closed to Darius 53 AIMZ: For rightful justice by Parinaz Gandhi i. 60 Udvada deserves a better deal by Aban Bana OFFICE ASSISTANTS Umesh Poojary, Selvan Mark, Sunil Sakhare, Pramod Patil 66 In defence of the ’Ahd-nameh by Mithoo Coorlawala -.» < 81 Perceptions of Homi Taleyarkhan by Arnavaz Mama 89 Katy Dalal: From spades to spoons 102 Jehanbux Mogul: a cut above the rest 106 Wedlock's End: 5 by K.C. Vajifdar 111 Books 112 Milestones 119 in Memoriam Cover: Stained glass panel at the Tata Agiary, Bandra Photograph by Homyar Mistry, Homz Prints Parsiana is published by Jehangir R. Patel for Parsiana Publications Pvt Ltd, at C/0 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. Color processing. Comart Lithographers; and black and white processing, Samir Scantech Pvt Ltd. 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 E 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 UScheques 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 tREADERS' FORUM 3 Hi; publics, with them already building •»r ,>.»»* y M , ? i ‘ » 5 > i ), 4 * ( 1.1 > » ‘ ? * * « ! « > » J » I » t »»*?»»*>»*>» • > I < |»*t 11 M < M ‘ * J If t * » » « 9 »» . *»•«¦«¦ ¦¦ p»»» *»»« 1**1 M* 2^1 .V (¦ T “Madhivala ’s mending...” I was very pleased to read “Madhivala ’s mosques and sending in their mullahs, the question troubling us should be: Will Mending Touch, ” (Parsiana, May 1992). *5* the Muslims once again succeed in 4 crushing the Kurdish and Tajik Zoroas- trians into submission to Islamic funda ­ mentalism? Has the time come when we shouldn ’t : j|f be wasting our limited energy worrying about whether or not to admit a Kurdish Zoroastrian into our agiaries or a Tajik Zoroastrian into our dokhma but, rather, about how to become the fountainhead of our faith and leaders of the snowballing Great Zoroastrian Revival? KHURSHED PASTAKIA • ?’ Hr “Intermarriage statistics ” Your reply to Mr R. P. Daruvala ’s letter (Readers ’ Forum, Parsiana, May 1992) that the decline in population of the Parsi community in India is due to late mar ­ riages and small families relates only a part of the story. A more pertinent rea ­ son for the decline is migration. Statistics indicate that the Parsi population in India has been declining, since the end of World War II when Parsis started migrat ­ ing, initially to the UK and in the last 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. Letters are subject to editing for reasons of two decades to the USA. space and clarity. Unsigned letters or those without an address will not be published. I have personally experienced his treat ­ ment and was very much satisfied with it. Due to oversight you have forgotten to include the name of Mr K. Kotwal, a !* disciple of Dr Mad- hivala, who invited I him regularly to his I shop, O. K. Wafers at ¦ Tardeo, and is re- I sponsible for having I had hundreds of pa- I tients treated by this J angel in the garb of a man. Later on Mr Kotwal picked up this treatment and he has been giving the benefit of the same in a smaller clinic near O. K. Wafers entirely free. I have one suggestion that this gifted art of Madhivala ’s should be taught to young Parsi aspirapts by Dr Jal Amaria, Mr Kotwal and others. All these osteo ­ paths are getting older, and as such train­ ing new recruits is very very essential. DrS. R. WADIA 1 t I !, “Religion and... ” “Religion and... ” (Readers ’ Forum, Par­ siana, May 1992) is one more protest against Dr Ali Jafarey by yet another vi- brationist, Mr Bhujwala, writing in some sort of official capacity. Yes, we in Lon ­ don are in receipt of an excerpted letter from Mr Jal Birdy as well as photocopies Zoroastrians, Kurdish Zoroastrians said bility of educated marriageable boys of The Bombay Samachar caveat Jafarey to number a staggering 32,00,000 and here. article painstakingly reproduced for its now Tajik Zoroastrians (“The Tajiks: In In my opinion, the only practical solu- membership by our local association — search of a religion, ” Parsiana, May tion for stopping the decline of the Parsi the only time that The Samachar has 1992), one ought to sit up and ask him- population is to completely stop the been broadcast here onder its commit ­ self whether we, Parsi Zoroastrians, can funding of gift and loan scholarships for tee ’s rules of democracy and freedom of retain our claims of monopoly over the studies abroad. Today in India any candi- religion much longer? ’ Do we have the political will and leadership to reach out to these diverse automatically entitled to a scholarship of and through his writings. I last met him groups and establish Bombay as the Rs 1,800 for MTech and Rs 2,400 per here a month ago: we have occasional world headquarters of Zoroastrianism? Il month for a PhD. The money so saved by differences which make for bonds of un ­ can be done- ’if we move now. After an- the charitable institutions and trusts derstanding and cement greater mutual other 20 years, when Zoroasirians in could be more gainfully utilized for set- respect. He is continuing with his good these new regions have organized them- ting up both large and small scale Indus- work in attracting more seekers after selves, we may forever have to play sec- tries in CIDCO (City and Industrial De- Zarathushtra to. the faith; he does not in- ond fiddle in the community of our own coreligionists! Migration of boys abroad has a pow ­ erful effect on diminishing the popula ­ tion not only because of migration per se but also because it is partly responsible “Tajiks: In search of...” for unmarried females and intermar- With Iran claiming about 90,000 Iranian riages on account of decreasing availa- “ ¦¦¦ ” "— ” ¦¦¦ ’i In my opinion, the only practical solu ­ search of a religion, ” Parsiana, May tion for stopping the decline of the Parsi information! I can say it is a pleasure and a privi- date admitted for postgraduate engineer ­ ing courses in any institution in India is lege to know Dr Jafarey both personally the charitable institutions and trusts could be more gainfully utilized for set ­ ting up both large and small scale indus ­ tries in CIDCO (City and Industrial De ­ velopment Corporation of Maharashtra terfere with others ’ beliefs and leaves our Limited) and MIDC (Maharashtra Indus- With the Arabs of the Middle East trial Development Corporation) areas pumping men and money (by the bil- where our youths can be gainfully em- lions!) in an all-out effort to promote Is- ployed. Changing situations demand lamic rule in the new Central Asian re- changing policies. OrP.D.suNAVALA vibrationists severely alone to psych themselves up in the manner best befit ­ ting them. It is not easy to determine exactly why Dr Jafarey is singled out for disfavor 3 Parsiana August 1992 I ! 3TARACHAND & Co % Suppliers of the Meatiest of Venky’s/Mafco’s/ Al Kabeer’s/Shalimar’s Non-Veg. Delicacies This Side of Town K & D Distributors Exclusive Suppliers of Venky’s for South Bombay 80, Sleater Road Grant Road (West) Tel 3883691/3889531 among Parsiana readers. Is it because he writes to the point? Is it perhaps because he has done something he knows the prophet of his choice, our Zarathushtra, has enjoined him to do — something in which our would-be leaders have sig ­ nally failed? Could it be that he has dared to look into the Gathas too deeply — again something which we plainly prefer not to do, but to instead invoke philosopher such-and-such, or scholar so-and-so, or even sage what ’s-his- name? It is easily perceived that scholars and academics do not rate very highly with Mr Bhujwala. To be sure, some do theo ­ rize at unreal levels. He should therefore set himself to wondering why just about most worthwhile work emanating from Parsi Zoroastrians are invariably joint productions with non-Parsi “western ” scholars. I will provide a hint: it certainly isn ’t because Parsis are deficient in Eng ­ lish! His. casual comments about anyone gaining knowledge and understanding by reading translations is merely wishful thinking and a disservice to our hard ­ working, deeply involved scholars: would that Zoroastrianism were that eas ­ ily grasped! Let your readers ask themselves why it is that our negationists and exclusivists* ’ always cite those with no direct know* ledge of the Gathas — the fount of genu ­ ine Zoroastrianism — and even from other religions, and almost never quote Zarathushtra himself? Could it be be ­ cause they have come to the uncomfort ­ able realization that our prophet ’s sacred songs contain some unpalatable lyrics — truths which cannot sustain their long- held beliefs and fantasies, truths which might well rip away their superficial lay ­ ers of religiosity? I do not pretend for a moment that I have achieved greater heights of spiritu ­ ality than any of my fellows. But on the strength of what I increasingly find my­ self reading in their own words in your Readers ’ Forum, I do believe that a growing number are turning their backs on the Gathas. Mr Bhujwala summarily dismisses Dr Jafarey as lacking in Parsi culture and ambience. Whilst it is important for a Parsi to possess the full panoply of his religious traditions (whatever they may be) and institutions (whatever they are perceived today to be), it is far from mandatory for an appreciation of ZarathushRa. It might even be advisable not to look into these too closely for our J 4 Parsiana August 1992New Year Greetings from un- CHEMOULD RETAIL FRAMING SERVICES 271, Princess Street Near Parsi Dairy Farm Bombay 400002 12F Park Street Calcutta 700016 Central Cottage Industries Emporium, Janpath New Delhi 110001 GALLERY CHEMOULD 1st Floor, Jehangir Art Gallery Bombay 400023 Regular Exhibitions and permanent stock of renowned and young artists Restoration of art works undertaken Custom-made framing of paintings, photographs, certificates, scrolls, etc own peace of mind, for then we should uncover an indiscriminate mass of accre ­ tions and borrowings very far removed from Zarathushtra! Dr Jafarey is perhaps fortunate in not being encumbered with these. Perhaps it even allows him an restricted view of Zarathushtra! Why are our priests, our spiritual leaders, so silent in these matters? Do they not pray “these Gat has offer refuge and protection for us. They are for us both food and clothing? ” Does the as ­ sembled congregation not attend the Yasna ceremony to hear these fine decla ­ rations? Or do they neither know nor care? And where are our Parsi scholars and researchers: if they at all see any in ­ consistencies between Dr Jafarey ’s ac ­ tivities and their own understanding from their studies, why do they not indicate these? Dr Jafery would, I am sure, be happy to accommodate them. It is evident that we are impelled by fears and irrational, inconsistent beha ­ vior. We want to exclude fellow Indians and Iranis, yet we are flirting with the unknown quantities represented by Zarathushtra-conscious .Tajiks and Kurds! We claim to fear for the safety and well-being of our coreligionists in Iran — and goodness knows, they have troubles of their own: I for one would not^^ like to be at the receiving end of a fa-* natic ’s bullying or bullet! Yet we ignore the fundamentalist presences in Tajiki ­ stan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey and yes, even India itself! Of course we should take note of every fear expressed all about us; fears and threats are powerful reasons for total inactivity and immobil ­ ity on our part. Let us do nothing, say our leaders; leave us to vibrate in peace, let us vibrate in ignorance, for vibration is bliss! Has anyone questioned the purpose and out ­ come of these universal vibrations? How do we square the vibrations produced one moment by foul-mouthedness and in the next vibrations emitted by the same sources now in the prayerful mode? Do such amazing vibrations result in peace, harmony and advancement? Has not re ­ alization dawned in our numbed minds that these vibration theories are being blatantly put about by our ethnocentric theosophists to breed the viruses of dis ­ sension amongst us and hatred of our fel ­ low-humans? Vibration theology is not liberation from fear and ignorance — it is an obscenity and a slap in the face of Zarathushtra and his saintly disciples. By all means let Mr Jal Birdy and his 6 Parsiana August 1992WITH COMPLIMENTS SEALOL HINDUSTAN LIMITED MANUFACTURERS OF MECHANICAL SEALS HEAD OFFICE 212/2, Poona Sholapur Road Hadapsar Pune - 411028 Tel No: 670903/670949 Telex No: 145 216 SEAL IN MARKETING OFFICE Noble Chambers S.A. Brelvi Road Bombay - 400001 Tel No: 2872638/2872894 Telex No: 011 - 86873 SEAL IN BRANCHES: DELHI / CALCUTTA / MADRAS / BARODA PANVEL ! HYDERABAD J 8 Parsiana August 1992 like-minded fellows experience burning concerns — they are, after all, fire ­ priests. Perhaps the real burning issues will finally confront them some day. I for one would request these deluded folk not to concern themselves on my behalf re ­ garding my identity and salvation. My good and kind prophet Zarathushtra has very helpfully laid these out for me in his Gathas. Perhaps Dr Jafarey will also make known his views on the subject in due course through the pages of Par­ siana. We can assuredly look forward to hearing more from him about his Zoroas- trian missionary work. A small piece of unsolicited advice to Mr Birdy and company; Please look over your shoulder at the encroaching army of “alien ” evangelists. They are here in the UK and Continental Europe, as also in the States and Canada, insidiously work ­ ing upon the hearts and minds of our younger generations. And while you take stock of the real situation, do not please forget that Anglo and Americo-Parsis born in the new lands of our Parsi and Irani dispersions have less and less affin ­ ity with the lands of their parents ’ ori ­ gins. Dr Jafarey is doing his share for these imperilled Zoroastrians; what are you doing? Dr Jafarey continues to work in his own way and at his own pace. The * important thing is that he is working for Zarathushtra. He is not some brash mass converter; he has not craftily amassed millions; he is not a mounte ­ bank. If it so happens that he is playing Zarathushtra false, well does he know the penalties for such betrayal. And so, well may he carry on working — for us, for Zarathushira, for humanity! Farrokh vajiidar London, UK An intact astral body” What your otherwise immensely read ­ able publication lacks is a section de ­ voted to humor for which we Parsis are justifiably renowned. The letter “An intact astral body ” from Ms Nergesh F. Damania (“Readers ’ Forum, ” Parsiana, April 1992) would undoubtedly provide excellent material for such a section; an opportunity which has sadly gone begging. As the author ’s address is not indi ­ cated, would it by any chance be Disneyland USA? Fireproof, vibrating Parsis! What next Mr Editor? MBSOO H. MEHTA Queensland, Australia a¦ ¦3 ¦ B ¦ but amateurish they are cer ­ tainly not. DARAB DHUNHSHAW MASTER “Operation theater ” As an avid follower of the Parsee Medical Amateurs ’ pro- ’ ductions, I may safely pride H myself on being a connoisseur B of their performances (“Opera- & lion theater, ” Parsiana, March B 1992). I Over the years, they have a given enjoyment to thousands B of Parsi theater-goers, in a style I that is uniquely their own — 3 or, more accurately, uniquely p Dr Jimmy Sidhva ’s. He has en- throned himself in the hearts of | his fans as the master of mirth. I No doubt, the plays are a team effort, and mention must be made of the other excellent actors, viz Drs (Ms) Thrity and Marzban Nalladaru, Homi Dordi, Rustom Patel, Ms Pervin Mody and Sorab Sidhva. But there may be no doubt, that without Dr Jimmy and blood; even more creditable in view Sidhva ’s unique style and presence, the plays lose two-thirds of their flavor. I think that the community as a whole city of Bombay, owes this talented radiologist and his band a tremendous debt of thanks, for their dedication in sacrificing their time and energy in the pursuit of the truest A scene from Manchoo Macbeth produced in 1991 by lhe Par see Medical Amateurs form of charity — the giving of sweat V Doongerwadi affairs IF While at doongerwadi to attend the funeral of an acquaintance, (I I saw a number of notice boards fixed on the walls. I found those notices meaning- less and/or redundant. The no- tices were: •“Keep silence when the prayers are in progress. ” Does it mean that when the prayers are not in progress, one can ¦Hi talk, laugh, cut jokes, or dis ­ cuss the share bazar? Most of the people, attending a funeral, know how to conduct themselves, while there may be some who do not or cannot keep quiet. By the way has this notice served any purpose? •“Public Telephone ” - There is no tele- of lhe fad that these doctors are among the busiest medical practitioners in the phone provided there. One might have been there in the past. •There is a board to prohibit the presence Their yearly, or once-in-two-year ef ­ forts are eagerly awaited by Parsi theater of hawkers. 1 have not noticed any goers, and 1 may say with confidence hawkers ever visiting the halls. As a that amateurs they may call themselves. hawkers ever visiting the halls. matter of fact outsiders are not at all FIRSTS BY THE PARSEE COMMUNITY (1) ComiTierce Education was started by Davar’s College in 1900 by late Prof Sohrab R. Davar (2) The first institution to recognise and provide for Management Training was Davar’s College — Dr Rustom S. Davar is considered a pioneer in Management Education (e.g. having secured the Escorts Award for three of his books for contribution to management thinking) — and several courses in different fields of Management such as Marketing, Personnel, Administrative, have been introduced (3) The first course in Travel, Transportation and Tourism was introduced by Davar’s College (4) Even Computer Education was introduced way back in 1970s at Davar’s College and its Computer Courses are extremely popular Davar’s believe; “ONE SATISFIED STUDENT BRINGS TEN OTHERS” Enquire today at: Davar’s College of Commerce Management and Computers (Principal; Dr Rustom S. Davar) lind Counter, 51, Mahatma Gandhi Road Flora Fountain, Bombay 400023 Tel: 2041634,2875818 10 Parsiana August 1992 I1 r When in Bombay stay at RAILWAY HOTEL R. M. Roy Road (Charni Road Jn) Bombay 400004 Home comforts Moderate rates A/C rooms available Permit room Beer parlour Centrally situated Phone:351028 13 Parsiana August 1992 allowed and if there are any insiders, they can be told once not to visit the halls. •There is a notice board that only those dead bodies are allowed there which are to be consigned to the dokhma. Is it pos ­ sible or necessary for the relatives of the deceased to bring a corpse to the doon- gerwadi when it is intended for burial or cremation? The authorities have made safeguards in this regard. What purpose does this notice serve? It has also been noticed that benches provided are not painted or protected from rusting. Perhaps something can be done in this regard and the property of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet preserved. DAU J. GUNDEVIA Ms G. J. Tata, Bombay Parsi Pun­ chayet's joint secretary,replies: All the notice boards are placed with a clear intent and as a result of experience gained; it carinot be said that they are ei ­ ther meaningless or redundant. How ­ ever, with regard to some of the specific ones referred to, we have to observe as follows: The public telephone was misused and has been discontinued. However, any member of the community can avail of the phone in the nearby manager ’s of ­ fice, 24 hours a day, on payment. Inci ­ dentally, the notice board regarding the public telephone has since been re ­ moved. With regard to the hawkers, whilst no hawkers are normally permitted to sell any items at the doongcrwadi excepting sandalwood by authorised persons only, on specific days of importance, it is ex ­ perienced that some Parsis hawking goods do make an attempt to sell their articles at the doongerwadi. Hence the need of the appropriate notice. With regard to the benches the same are painted from time to time to prevent rusting. The benches in the pavilions were painted about two-and-a-half to three years back. Those exposed to the weather are worse off, but they are also painted from time to time as funds per ­ mit. Doongerwadi accounts are in heavy deficit and last year alone the approxi ­ mate deficit was of the order of Rs 10 lakhs. It would be highly appreciated therefore, if those, like Mr Gundevia, making suggestions also take interest in contributing to, or raising contributions towards, maintenance of the properties, in response to the donation appeals is ­ sued from time to time. I I With best compliments of * Star lite Electrical Works * Electrical Engineers & Contractors * 104, Shree Hanuman Ind Estate 42 B, G D Ambekar Marg Bombay 400031 I I s -j i if •f I i JOUR SPORTS CUPS ARE WINNERS ALL THE WAY Any sports event requires cups and shields to honour the winner. We have a very wide range of sports cups,shields and medals that can make any sports event a memorable one. Oome to our show-room and choose from our exclusive range. We can engrave names and messages on sports cups and shields according to your requirements. S3 I J I Honoring India ’s great The recent unveiling at India House, London, of the bust of Dr Ambedkar by the Indian High Commissioner and the Government of India ’s honoring him (Dr Ambedkar) — though belatedly — with the Bharat Ratna is^perhaps, indicative of ushering a highly commendable new era seemingly aimed at the pursuit of honor ­ ing India ’s great. However, no such honor has been accorded to, or even con ­ templated for Dadabhoy Naoroji, which does give food for thought. India House sports the portraits of Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Krishna Menon, etc but not Da ­ dabhoy Naoroji whose contribution to the industry of the Indian subcontinent has been immense, who co-founded the Indian National Congress, influenced Mahatma Gandhi, etc. For the Dadabhoy Naoroji Parliamen ­ tary Centenary Celebrations on July 19, 1992 at Zoroastrian House, London, the managing committee of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE) arranged to present the Indian High Commissioner with a portrait of Dadabhoy Naoroji to be placed in India House. Is this an indica ­ tion of a distinct lack of due recognition of the contribution to India of the one af ­ fectionately known as “The Grand Old Man of India ’’ and/or a complete absence of even a modicum of meaningful per ­ suasive ability on the part of the current managing committee of the ZTFE? Zoroastrian House has not found favor with Britain ’s political heavyweights e.g. Paddy Ashdown MP (leader of Britain ’s Liberal Party), Sir David Steel (formerly leader of the Liberal Party), etc have se ­ lected other venues for celebrating the Dadabhoy Naoroji Parliamentary Cen ­ tenary . FURHOK K. TANGREE France For those who will not compromise. It's a Yamaha RX-lOO India's B JHAVERI BROS. 1914 • 5, Metro House,Dhobi Talao, Bombay 400 020. Tel.;29 14 23, 29 70 26- • 345,Abdul Rehman St., Bombay 400 003. Tel.:32 00 65, 32 61 96 / 97. g (O s A tribute to Dr Warden Dr Pestonji Byramji Warden had no chil ­ dren so he was specially fond of young people. We too looked forward to his visits at the office where he was the medical advisor, "Kemchheo! Kemchheo! Ossie how are you? ” Dr Warden would call striding into the room where I was busy at my typewriter. “Oh — your hands are cold, ” he announced. “That means your circu ­ lation is poor. And that means you need a drink! Come over to see me. On sec ­ ond thoughts. I’ll pick you at 5.30 p.m. ” And at 5.30, there would be the doctor, striding in, "Ketnchheo! Kemchheo! Hurry and come on. ” 15 Parsiana August 1992 quality mobike yours only in I Rs 33,001/- Authorised Dealer M/s Anklesaria Automobiles Post Box No 1, New Road Ratlattt, Madhya Pradesh 457001 Phone; 20109 20809 24809 24909 STD Code: 07412 Gram; "ANKLESARIA" . I J .1 iI' WITH BEST COMPLIMENTS FROM PETROSIL OIL COMPANY LIMITED (Associates of Gulf Oil International Company, USA) Apeejay House, 3, Dinsha Wacha Road, Bombay 400020 Tel: 220818 Tlx; oil 83520 Fax: 91 22 2042521 17 Parsiana August 1992 Just as whisky would successfully deal with my ailment, the good doctor had similar success with Aspro. A pa ­ tient giving him a long story of ill health would be carefully listened to. Then Warden would take out a tablet of Aspro, crush it and hand it over with a flourish. Invariably the patient would get well and the doctor spared further complaints. One day, coming to me, he said “Ossie, what do you think of the name Parsiana for my new magazine? ” “Very Parsi-ish, ” I replied. “One would think you were talking about me! ” he laughed. Such was his sense of humor — as wide as his grin. True, he was very much Warden: considered Parsiana his legacy to the community Photo: Homyar Mislry Of a Parsi. Attired in a long Parsi frock-coat with a Parsi pheta on his head, he looked every inch a distinguished member of the community, except when he stepped into his huge car. Warden was so short, he barely reached the windscreen! course, he ’d take all our teasing good- naturedly - a sure sign of a large heart; and intellectual humility — for he was extremely well learned with a postgradu ­ ate diploma from England. It was said that he had cured our managing director of a disease that no other specialist could even diagnose. He lived at Worli Sea Face with his sister, brother-in-law, two nieces Tina and Mona... and with his memories. Es ­ pecially those of his wife. Her picture stood in his large room surrounded by a clutter of books and papers that often overflowed from the tables to the chairs, to the bed. The first thing he ’d do on en ­ tering the room was to light a candle in front of it and stand there for a few sec ­ onds with closed eyes. The slanting rays Famous and reputed shop for Masalas & Pickles Since 80 years M/s M. Motilal Masalawala 405, Opp Novelty Cinema, Grant Road. Bombay 400007 Only air-conditioned super market for Manual Brand: Dhanshak, Ginger-Garlic, Vindaloo Curry, Biryani, Dhanajira, Sambar, Curry Powder and many many varieties of ready mix masalas As also Kolah’s pickles — Pulses Dry Fruits — Farsan Sweets Chocolates — Provisions Surti Biscuits 100% Guaranteed Best Quality Our Grant Road Market Shop is open on Sundays r 1 J'mother a Parsi, the offspring could have a navjote ceremony. Next come the Zoroastrians married Other Zoroastrian family in the village. Mother and daughter live on a hand-to- mouth basis in dire poverty. The World Zoroastrian Organisation to non-Parsis. The above holds good tor them to. Clearly if reforms need to be intro ­ duced in all the ceremonies from birth, navjote, maniage, to death, before con- . . • J ¦ - --—--5 must be established and changes made step by step. _______________ , Reformers asking for the moon pre ­ Dalal Street, Fort, Bombay vent the first steps from being taken at ' '. S. N. NANPORIA of the evening sun cast soft shadows on the wall, bathing the room with bitter ­ sweet tranquility. Then in a few minutes. Warden would soon be his jovial enter ­ taining self. Starting Parsiana was very important to him. His dream was to leave his com ­ munity something of value. Parsiana -------------------------- ------------- - .. . - u, is anything like its founder, it must be gible for exemption under section 80G of version is even thought about. Priorities brilliant. osborne d’souza (WZO) appeals to Zoroastrians world ­ wide to contribute generously to making the sunset lives of these poor Zoroastri ­ ans a bit comfortable. Contributions, eli- the Income Tax Act, in the name of “The WZO Trust ” may be forwarded to Din- shaw K. Tamboly, 1215, P. Jeejeebhoy Warden was written by the late Osborne Towers, 1 This warm, personal tribute to Dr P. B. Warden was written oy me laie usuurrit luwvio, _ D’Souza a few months before his death 400023. Overseas contributions in the ground level. and forwarded to Parsiana by his daugh- name of The WZO to Mr Shahpur F. — ter Ms Sunila D'Souza. Captain, 25, Willow Close, Bishops Edited by Am»vaz s. Mama WZO aprpeal After having worked for 65 years at the doongerwadi in Bombay, Ervad Jam- shedji N. Sinor, 92, now lives at Navsari in abject poverty with his wife and daughter. Sinor was hospitalized for severe de ­ pression arising out of his poverty- stricken condition. His wife too experi ­ enced a fall and was in hospital for a long time. Ms Dinbai Mirza, an 82-year-old widow, resides in the village of Khata Amba in Valsad district, Gujarat state, with her daughter. Khata Amba is lo ­ cated in the tribal areas and there is no name of The WZO to Mr Shahpur F. Captain, 25, Willow Close, Bishops Stoctford, Herts CM23 2RY, UK. DINSHAW K. TAMBOLY Member, WZO Managing Commitice Establish priorities These days your magazine is, perhaps understandably, full of letters and ar ­ ticles on who is a Parsi, etc. First of all it needs to be emphasized that a person can be a Parsi — a descen ­ dent of the man from Pars, but need not be a Zoroastrian (a Parsi who has had a thread ceremony). Thus the daughter of a Zoroastrian lady married to a Parsi can ­ not have a navjote ceremony unl'ess the Parsi is also a Zoroastrian. However, if the father was a Zoroastrian and the MATRIMONIAL Wanted a humanitarian for a 37-year- old Parsi widow, earning well in Bombay, specialized in computers and science. She has an 11-year-old son who is mildly mentally retarded, ca ­ pable of independent self care activi ­ ties. Horoscopic match preferred. Girl willing to settle anywhere in the world. Apply to: * The Advertiser Parsiana Matrimonial (Aug/27-92) GPO Box 892, Bombay 400001 APPOINTED VALUERS OF JEWELLERY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA GAZDAR PVT. LTD. Taj Mahal Hotel Bombay Tel: 2023666. 2023366 Ext 3204 Telegrams: "MANUSCRIPT"Events and Personalities On the Supreme bench world, “it is a watchdog of democracy of India completed 150 years, it had a After judgeship of the Bombay High and not like most papers, a poodle of the stamp issued in its name. But The Sama- Court, he was made chief justice of the men in power, ” Palkhivala continued. char on reaching 171 years has not Karnataka High Court, and now it is judgeship of the Supreme Court for Sam it has a Parsi management (six genera- Bharucha, reports The Bombay Sama- tions of Camas have managed the news- char of June 28, 1992. When his new paper) and a podgy man (referring to Rusi posting was announced, Bharucha was officiating as governor of Karnataka. Constitutional and taxation laws have guest, industrialist Ramkrishna Bajaj. been Bharucha ’s forte. Prior to his ap ­ pointment on the judicial bench at the Bombay High Court he was practising on Gujaratis, Muslims, Memons and Jains, the civil and commercial side, according to .the newspaper report. The 55-year-old judge ’s education was at Bombay: St Mary ’s High School, founder Furdoonjee Murzbanjee laun- after which he completed his science graduation from St Xavier ’s College, and his law graduation from the Government Law College. He started practising law in the chambers of Murzban Mistree who had trained under Sir Jamshedji Kanga, daily sales of 1,26,000 and weekly sales further informs The Samachar. men in power, ” Palkhivala continued. The secret behind their success is that impressed the government? ” lamented M^ipatrai J. Shah, chairman of the BMCC. Looking forward to their publication ’s second centenary, Cama added: “Most of us may not be present when the paper celebrates its 200th birthday; we will be present in spirit for sure. ” And, for its continuity, it will require not only a face and a character, byt also a soul, pointed out Daruwalla. Cama, director of the publication) behind the wheels, jested the evening ’s chief A progressive and reformist paper, The Samachar is popular among Parsis, and as noted SPP president Dr Sam Bhacca, “It is not a newspaper, but an in ­ stitution. ” He mentioned how the DoctOPS OH PurCldc again “ ¦ - - . . variety review Doctors on Parade, ched the paper in 1822 for the benefit of staged thrice by the Parsi Medical Ama- the traders and businessmen in Surat. Just like a man is known by the com ­ pany he keeps, a paper is known by the pees for charity, will be performed again editor it has. He is responsible for the tears (PMA) early this year and which netted more than six and a half lakh ru- in Bombay in November and thereafter in Karachi and Poona, informs PMA of 1,54,000, mentioned BPP trustee Jam- president and noted urologist Dr Fardoon shed Guzder commending Jehan Daru- wala ’s contribution as editor of the paper for the last 16 years. “Isn ’t it a shame that when The Times Soonawalla. Directed by Sam Kerawalla, Doctors on Parade had skits in Gujarati and Eng ­ lish, dances and music which kept the Bhacca (in specs) presenting a casket to The Samachar ’5 Rusi Cama (in dagli) and Samachar^s new score “For a person, if his character is lost, everything is lost. ” It is the same for a paper. “If its credibility is lost, every ­ thing is lost. Age does not imply wis ­ dom, but... in the case of The Bombay Munchi Cama while Palkhivala (left) and Bajaj applaud Samachar, age has only made it better, ’ noted Bhagvati Kumar Sharma, Gujarati novelist and journalist. He was speaking at the function held on July 3,1992 at the Tejpal Auditorium to felicitate The Bom­ bay Samachar which entered its 171st year of publication. The program was held under the joint auspices of the Surat Parsi Panchayat (SPP), the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) and the Bombay Met ­ ropolitan Citizens ’ Committee (BMCC) at the Tejpal Auditorium. Only by merit can a paper stay so long in circulation, remarked jurist Nani Palkhivala who was presiding over the function. As the oldest existing newspa ­ per in Asia and fourth oldest in the 21 Parsiana August 1992 i s I Lk 1 audience entertained through the ning. After the superiority of the was debated in the last item, the quawali, the stars of the evening were introduced to the accompaniment of rap music, the idea of program coordinator and com ­ pere Dr Bomi Pardiwalla, The cast, all doctors, included: Dara _____ _ Gandhi, Noshir Gandhi, Dinyar and Ms college days when he Dilnavaz Gamadia, Murzban and Ms Thrity Nalladaru, Pardiwalla, Homi Dordi, Rustom Patel, Ms Armaity Amin, Ms Villie Bamboat, Ms Havovi Sanjana, ’ Paurus Irani, Ms Arnavaz Havewalla and Ms Zenobia Framroze. Package assis ­ tance came from Ms Aban Pardiwalla, The a&in2 COlTliniJnitv Ms Shirin Vakil and Ms Farida Green, The studio recording was done by Sarosh Bhabha and Esoteric Acoustics Corpora ­ tion were the sound engineers. The two shows in March in aid of the B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital net ­ ted an income of six lakh i which three lakhs came from philanthro- Qve- sexes modore Manek B. Madan and his wife Yasmine. At the last annual general meeting on June 20, 1992, Ms Shireen Homi Dandi ­ walla was unanimously elected trustee for three years. She will be J president Dandiwalla and vice presi ­ dent Dossu Ghandhi who r\c .u : aBHHPSiMai slso Serve as m2 h ¦" Allahabad. F . trustees of the more than half are past the age of 50. anjuman. The maximum number, 13, belong to the KB The Dandi wali^ doiS; T ^O-SO-yeaT agc-gfoup, writes Captain daughter Shenaz will be used by the rupees of Homi Dandiwalla, president of The Al- ‘" ' ’ ¦ ' ’ ¦ . - -¦ iahabad Parsee Zoroastrian Anjuman pist Kaikhushroo Chinoy and one lakh (APZA). There are six youngsters in the Jamshed Guzder, informs Pardiwalla. The proceeds are to be used for the Hos ­ pital ’s equipment requirements and treat ­ ment of poor patients. Rs 56,500, raised from their very first show on March 8, was earmarked for scholarships to medi- cal students, states PMA honorary secre ­ tary Dr (Ms) Thrity Nalladaru. To bring in more youngsters will be the focus of the PMA in the years to come, mentions Soonawalla who took over as president of the association from New Allahabad trustee Dr Aspi Golwalla last year. His own in- Shireen Dandiwalla volvement with the PMA dates to his used to social events for PMA’s precursor, the Parsi Medical Social Gathering, he remi- nisces. The tradition for earmarking funds for different charities has contin- ued since those days. s from Bombay Parsi Punchayet trustee one-19-year age category, and 12 others in the 20-49-year age-group. In each of the age-groups the sexes are almost evenly distributed. The figures were cal ­ culated after taking into consideration one birth and one death recorded last year as also the migration of Air Com- cleaW machined I 1923-1992 Sixty-nine years of clean service! DI ANA-ECLIPSE For all your carpet and upholstery cleaning ? "Parag" 27, Peddar Road, Bombay Tel: 4941987, 4945302 i 1 i i’ I I assisting | • •’ - - t f tion of Rs 10,000 in memory of their - —3 Allahabad Anjuman towards the mainte ­ nance of the burial ground, as per the S minutes of the meeting. It was further re ­ solved at this meeting that any youth rep ­ resenting the AHahabad Anjuman at the f meetings of the Federation of Parsi Zoro- |' astrian Anjumans of India, the Federation of Zoroastrian Youth Associations or youth seminars would be provided travel and conveyance costs. H’ f; QR^ETirfGS APiD GOOD WISHES TO ALL OUR PARSI PATROHS THE WORLD OVER EOR VERY HAPPY HEW YEAR! ASIATIC TRAVEL SERVICE The House of Travel 12, Murzban Road, Bombay 400 001. Tel.; 204 8151 (8 Lines) Fax: 2873355 Tlx.; 011-3151 G-3, Konark Apts., 175, Dhole Patil Road, Pune 411 001. Tel.: 667934, 666431,668493 Tlx.; 145-472 AIRA IN. APM/ATS;92-2 1^" I jJk. ._ 'Two Parsis stabbed She opened the door to a familiar neigh- shouting for help when the thief whipped Assembly, informs Bo^ay Hills^High-^ ................„- out a knife and attacked the chasniwalla, - - • " bor ’s face. It was the same 15-year-old according to the Indian Express of July 21. lad residing on the floor above her at lights, a bulletin of The Rotary Club of Bombay Hills South. A science and law graduate, Doti ­ vala ’s education was at the Aitchison Chief ’s College at Lahore, the Elphin- stone College, Bombay and the Royal In ­ stitute of Science, Bombay, now called the Institute of Science. Sixty-two-year- old Dotivala is currently a consultant with Accra Pac (India) Private Limited, reportedly the leading aerosol manufac ­ turers in India, and Marshalls, the pre ­ mier wall-paper makers in the country, notes Bombay Hills Highlights. He knows six languages and takes a keen in ­ terest in philately and photography, in ­ forms the release. As a historian and a bi ­ ographer he compiled and edited a book on Sir Pherozeshaw Mehta in 1990. The lad residing on the floor above her at The deceased received nine stab Tata Colony, Tardeo who used to help wounds and died before he could be ad- her out with domestic chores and in re ­ turn get rewarded in cash or kind. Know ­ ing that 58-year-old Ms Aloo Wadia was alone at her residence, knowing her hus ­ band Soli ’s schedule, knowing where she firmed sources, the murder could not kept the cash in her house, Rayomand have been occasioned by robbery, but Jehanbux Patel chose to enter her resi ­ dence in the pre-noon hours on June 15, , 1992. Along with his accomplice Chris- Dotivala Rotary president topher Macwan, Rayomand overpowered “It needs an ability to make up one ’s the lady and after murdering her, the duo mind, to take a decision and accept the absconded with Rs 7,(K)0 according to a subsequent responsibilities. ” This state- detailed report of the crime in Shri, a Marathi tabloid of August 8. It was the domestic aid who noticed the door of the flat open and her mis ­ tress ’ body lying in a pool of blood. She of the Rotary Club of Bombay Hills raised an alarm and sought their neighbor South. An invocation by Dastur Hor- Ms Freny Patel ’s assistance. The police muzdiar Mirza to the effect that service were mortem, when the body was cleaned, 34 stab wounds were noticed. Originally it was the domestic servant who was kept in a lockup for two days focus on the development of the youth, after which she was proven innocent and i . released, mentions Wadia ’s brother Mi- of association with this movement Doti- Winning seven medals at the 35th Na- noo Patel. Her statements gave the police vala has been involved with different tional Shooting Championships (Big the clue that Rayomand and Macwan projects concerning the youth. His other Bore) held at the Army Infantry Scho^ could be possible suspects. She reported activities concern polio awareness cam- that they would often stop talking when- paigns, blood donation drives, creation ever she happened to pass by. Rayomand was then convicted and af ­ ter a continuous beating he confessed to Jaiphalwadi slum dwellers. Several the crime, giving the police the gory de- awards and shields have been confened tails of how the victim had tried to fob on Dotivala in connection with his com- off the criminals, how the two boys had munity service and his key role in the or- prevented her from seeking her neigh- ganization of the Model United Nations bor ’s assistance, and how they had con ­ tinued stabbing two knives into her body Rotary president Dotivala (cuts cake) while looking on (from left) are Sudha Jobalia, even after one of these was broken. Dr Rustom Davar, Kishor Jobalia. Manekshaw, Mirza and Havovi Dotivala Macwan was later traced near the Bom- m bay Central railway station, mentions the I Shri report. According to the police, the ¦ boys were drug addicts. The juvenile de- I linquents were originally detained in a H remand home as they had not yet reached g the age of maturity. They will undergo I their respective sentences on becoming E majors, notes a family source. F Barely a month after Wadia ’s murder, 1 Keki Sohrab Balsara was killed on the street I in Bombay ’s Fort locality on July 20. J The 40-year-old chasniwalla at the Godavra Agiary had parked his bicycle outside the Agiary and had gone across the road to shop for provisions at around 6.30 in the morning. Balsara spied some- one trying to steal his vehicle and started mitted to the St George ’s Hospital, men ­ tions the news report. The murderer has not yet been traced by the police. But according to uncon- was possibly motivated by vendetta. ment was part of the' keynote address de ­ livered by Field Marshal Sam Ma- nekshaw at the installation of Rotarian Godrej Naval Dotivala as the president other organizations with which he is con ­ nected are: the All India Flexible Pack ­ aging Manufacturers Forum and the Indo-Australian Society where he is then summoned and after the post to man is service to God, set the tone for president, the India-Iran Cultural Society where he is honorary treasurer and the Mayor ’s Fund where he is honorary sec ­ retary, thejelease adds. the evening ’s function at the Taj Mahal Hotel on July 16, informs a press release. In the coming year the Rotarians will announced Dotivala. During his 15 years Master markSHiail of association with this movement Doti- ' in Mhow in April this year was Zor^l Zend from Maharashtra, informs The of sports and recreational facilities, and Times of India of May 2. He won three provision of basic amenities for the golds, one silver and three bronze in the international shooting union category in the 300 m range. Representing the Cha- mundi team from Maharashtra, the versa ­ tile marksman, with his SLR (self load- continued on page 96 24 Parsiana August 1992ZOROASTRIANS ABROAD form to reveal that he could sing Elton John ’s Sacrifice like the original track and. Spitman Petigara could accompany plating process on the organ to accomplishment, ” writes thp. Ms Sunnu Golwalla of budding impres- in and around Karachi While others have been talking about re ­ verting to the Fasli calendar which is consonant with the seasons, the Informal Religious Meetings Trust Fund of Kara ­ chi has produced a diary for Yazdegirdi sario Ms Cyra Noshirwani. 1361 (March 21, 1992-March 20, 1993) The Young Mazdiyasnian Zoroastrian in which Cyrus Cowasjee • urges the Association (YMZA) which sponsored reader to “make Fasal Sal calendar the I’ ' - only Parsi calendar and forge community backstage. 1--’___ JI — unity. ’ ' • , -,, Starting with a short explanation set construction/decoration. about the calendar, the first few pages ‘ spell out the 30 days of the month and their meanings followed by a list of tainment, conceiving the program, chore- Zoroastrian festivals and ghambars. Each ography, costumes, and light effects, set- month begins with an exhortation from ting in motion 76 performers, informs the Gathas. Golwalla. Advertisements by banks and industri ­ alists, Zoroastrians and non-Zoroastrians, The varieties modelled ranged from wed- have enabled the publishers to produce a ¦¦ ¦ ’¦ neat job with quality paper. Boeing generates about 3,200 gallons of cyanide waste water daily from its >, informs Hill. For 12 years before the new CDU came on line, Boeing employed a flow through treat ­ ment process that was costly and cum ­ The Young Mazdiyasnian Zoroastrian the show provided invaluable assistance ¦ • ¦ - . Smart young Zoroastrians helped in compering the show and with A fresh college graduate, Noshirwani visualized the two-hour non-stop enter- ography, costumes, and light effects, set- Golwalla. ding lace, zari woven, temple purchase, badlas, salma/sitara and Swiss borders to the ultimate Chinese garas. Ladies in their 20s to late-50s strode the catwalk draping the ubiquitous sari in myriad Khosravi with daughter Roxanne-Shirint^ and son Jimmy Among the late Dinshaw Avari ’s many interests was health culture which led . „ . him to preside over the Jehangeer ways, writes Golwalla. There was the nine-yard sans choli wear, the Bengali non-petticoat style, the Gujarati half ­ sari-half-petticoat version and the inno ­ vative two-sari-two-palo wear. The Sari Extravaganza was presented bersome and required the company to ship waste water to their vendor for treat ­ ment when the cyanide levels were high, notes the article. The new system is not only said to be cost effective but safer. Working on a batch system, each batch is pumped into a tank where the new chemical works like a domestic bleach, destroying the cyanide. The purified wa ­ ter is then released into the sewers, in ­ forms Hill. Versatile Fred had scored the highest marks in English in the SSC examination before acquiring the St Xavier ’s Col ­ lege ’s Rajadhyaksha Gold Medal for highest marks in chemistry at the BSc examination, recalls his brother Rashid who forwarded the Boeing newslettei write-up to Parsiana. Will the twain meet? “Can there be orthodoxy and reforn within a faith? ” Jchangir Sarosh of Hertfordshire, UK has scheduled a seminar at Zoroastriai House, London, to answer- the questior on November 15, 1992. Supported bj the World Conference on Religion ant Peerozshah Dubash Health Culture Insti ­ tute for 34 long years. To honor his pro ­ longed commitment Avari ’s portrait was unveiled at the Institute by Khawaja Na ­ dir Pervaiz, federal minister for water and power. The function continued with an exciting display of gymnastics, exhi ­ bition boxing and a body-building com ­ petition as notes a report in the Parsi Sansar ane Lok Sevak of May 2, 1992. Byram Avari, member of the national assembly who is now president of the Karachi Anjuman and of this institution in the place of his late father, empha ­ sized the need for additional sporting fa ­ cilities and announced developmental Cowasjee is said to have frequented the plans including a swimming pool, a vol ­ leyball court and a table tennis room, in ­ forms Parsi Sansar. Avari also used the occasion to vault the dedication of other edgeable ladies. Institute members, notably Boman Dalal who has served it for 52 years. Nadir ­ shah Dubash, representing the Dubash Faridoon (Fred) Khosravi ’s new waste family which had donated this building to the Institute in 1927, presented a me ­ mento to Byram Avari. under the aegis of the Karachi Zarthosti Banu Mandal (KZBM) by its joint honor ­ ary secretary Ms Hutoxy Cowasjee, to celebrate the KZBM’s 80th year, informs Golwalla. An enlightening documentary on the history of different types of saris, differ ­ ent styles of wearing it and technical de ­ tails of embroidery and weaving, gave depth to the show. To achieve all this. libraries of a local fashion designer and of the wife of the Indian consul general, and had sought the expertise of knowl- Khosravi ’s new system “With her talent she mobilized the young to catwalk, dance, sing and perform on stage; building along the way camarade ­ rie and sense of fun, and discovering tal ­ ent: That evening Asha Irani got a plat- treatment system — the cyanide destruc ­ tion unit (CDU) — is generating thou ­ sands of dollars annually in cost savings for the Boeing Company in Portland, Oregan, notes a write-up by Ms Susan Hill in the Company ’s house magazine. Khosravi has not only designed the unit but customized it to meet the Portland division ’s very specific needs. 26 Parsiana August 1992T Peace and the World Congress of Faiths the seminar, which is open to all, expects to use Jewish experience as a guideline to Zoroastrians stumbling along the path. “How the Jewish community has been able to draw strength from the differ ­ ences of opinions and interests within the faith ” will be presented by Rabbi Dr N. Solomon of Selly Oak College, Birming ­ ham, and Rabbi Hugo Gryn of the West London Synagogue. The topics that the two clergymen will cover include intermarriage, conver ­ sion, the cost of maintaining orthodoxy, nee^ anh impor ­ tance of rituals, the role of discord and harmony in enriching the faith and the division or convergence of the coreligionists. Unwala ’s sweep After setting a precedent with a distinc ­ tion in each of the 12 subjects that he of ­ fered in his high school exmination in Nassau, Bahamas, Darius Unwala topped Uy. the list in the entrance exam to Haleybury College, Hertford, England. He also received $ 3,000 as scholarship from Resorts International for his out ­ standing performance, notes a news clip- source. Unwala is also an excellent swimmer, plays music and is interested in the martial arts as notes a report in The < Tribune. No wonder Queen ’s College principal Rev Charles Sweeting com- * mended Unwala “as an example to all the youth of the nation, ” as quotes The m Tribune report. i t t k Unwala: with younger brother — excel­ lence all the way ping forwarded to Parsiana by the fam- Despite these successes, Unwala is not quite sure in which direction his ca ­ reer lies — in law like his barrister mother, engineering like his father or medicine like his uncle, informs a family ? ¦ Wabash Kotwal ’s attainments After a master ’s degree in theater from the Ohio State University (OSU) Kaizaad Kotwal is now set for a one-of-a-kind teWw toat % ing, theater and computerized animation there, informs his mother Mahbanu. The OSU is credited with having produced some of the most prominent cartoonists in the country. At the Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, whence he graduated after schooling at Bombay ’s Cathedral and John Connon School, he blazed a trail of achievements: He was said to be the first student in the Col ­ lege ’s 160-year history to attempt a triple major in economit^, art (painting, sculp ­ ture and design) and theater — and score a double distinction. During these four years as an undergraduate Kotwal was Conference, Wedding or Party — Leave it in West End’s experienced hands. Your Favourite *Tfie Gourmet' Restaurant offers Executive Buffet Lunch • 16 delicious courses • From 12.30 p.m. to 3 p.m. every day. Including Sundays. Restaurant open from 8 a.m. to 11.30 p.m. Conference Plan Inclusive of: Roorn Rent, Buffet Lunch, Morning and Evening Tea. Ask for special concession offer for larger _________ conferences. I < A LA CARTE in the soothing comfort of 'The Gourmet* or TAKE AWAY to the comforts of your home, or office Continental, Moghlai, Tandoori, Vegetarian A NAVJOTE. A LAGAN. A SILVER OR GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY A FIRST . BIRTHDAY PARTY — OR ANY SUCH ^HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR LIFE Celebrate them at West End Hotel, in the beautiful setting of the •¦y Terrace Hall. Choose the day and leave all the other problem to us. f' ( West End Hotel 45. New Marine Lines. Bombay-400 020 Tel. 299121 Telex 011-2892 BEST IN Gram' BESTHOTEL separiS. 28 Parsiana August 1992 'd I.1 1 awarded a string of prizes from the Col ­ lege plus an award for outstanding volun ­ teer service from the State of Indiana, serving as councillor and assistant teacher on the Indiana Governor ’s Schol ­ ars Academy. “Kaizaad Kotwal is the type of individual who will make a con ­ tribution to society on an international level. He is the only student of whom I have ever made that assessment, ” avers Professor Gregory Huebner who chairs the College ’s art department. History professor Peter Frederick comments on Kotwal ’s knowledge of many cultures and philosophic traditions. The son of orthodontist Dr Navroze Kotwal, Kaizaad says he enjoys writing short stories and poems, had sung for his College choir and participates in dramat- •’ ics. His characterization of The Man in Holding Talks by Ola Rotimi Wabash theater department production — drew high praise from writer Ms Susan Cantrell in the local newspaper. As one who epitomizes all those who rationalize their way out to taking action, hiding their reluctance to commitment in a tor ­ rent of words, “Kotwal gives an extraor ­ dinary performance, ” she writes. a Fracis: into more creative pursuits I change and self-imporvement “not as I result of competition with others, I from competition with oneself. ” K* I Goodbye, technology I No longer motivated by his technical ca«: I reer as a computer professional, Sohral»; I Fracis seized upon the expiry of an existOg I ing contract to veer his life into mor^K I creative pursuits, notes an interview by|B ’ Charlie Patton in The Florida Times [/nfll ion. “I decided it was now or never. needed to make a stand, to make my lifeflB 1 revolve around something I was truIy^^B I motivated by, ” says Fracis. So he starte^f I out to write his first book — a nove®| I called So-Long, So-Mesh that has landeMg the first prize at the contest sponsored bw| the Florida ’s First Coast Writers ’ Festi-K val, informs the Times-Union article, w So-Long revolves around the experi-® ences of a young Indian immigrant toS America, informs Patton. And while® awaiting a response from publishers. Fra-® cis, a graduate in,^engineering from thefl^ A irt Chosen to give the commencement addres.s — reproduced in Wabash Notes, summer 1991 — for his graduating class, Kotwal had three suggestions to make to University of Delaware, enrolled at thej his Alma Mater; the need to foster diver ­ sity, make a serious commitment to University of North Florida to pursue « continued on page 12(i\ With best compliments from DINSHAW & DINSHAW ENGINEERS & CONTRACTORS 390/286, Bootee Street Camp, Poona 1 Tel: 24746 - 20930 - 20486 30 Parsiana August 1992POLITICS AND POLICY r ¦ i ¦ . i i The 1992 BPP Elections I Orthodox set to win Almost every second person standing for the BPP Anjuman Committee elections will win a seat Gustasp Irani dra-Mahim and Andheri-Jogeshwari con- | stituencies. As Fali Poncha and Ms Silloo |. By October 13, 5,155 old D Register Kavarana were out of Bombay, the onus I j _ “ " ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ t withdrawal, and the sifting of invalid no- have preceded the four-year delayed minations, the number dropped to 1,578. ----- ¦ • E, " ¦ 'T T’"" ' ' certificates had been exchanged for the of finding candidates fell largely on Dm- | In the wake of all the legal battles that Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) Anju ­ man Committee elections, the two ortho- ---- ------------------ ----------o ------------ ~ -'u u tp F‘ dox groups appear set to win the majority new general register ones. As a result of shaw Mehta. Furthermore, with the JC , the various amendments to the election also in the fray and seeking to fill its own scheme approved by the Bombay High slate, the exercise was reduced to a scav ­ enging game. We glean an idea of the problems the The High Court contesting parties faced by considering Minochehr-Homji which is fielding ruled that the elected representatives on around 200 candidates had taken the ' electoral initiative much earlier than the rudderless middle-of-the-road Commit ­ tee for Economic Revival (CER). The CER is fielding around 425 candidates. (In the last Anjuman Committee elec ­ tions in 1981, the CER — then known as the Committee for Electoral Rights — had swept the polls,defeating an oppor- ---------------------- tunistic orthodox alliance.) In constituen- register certificates up to December 16. Compounding the problem was the cies such as Dadar and Khareghat Col- Much time and energy was frittered constant flux the BPP found itself in as it ony, independent parties have emerged over the fixing of the last day for filing tried to come to grips with the nuances of as strong contenders from their areas. nominations when the election dates the new election scheme. For instance Prior to the tame electioneering was a flurry of legal activity, an endless jug ­ gling of election dates and schedules, and the issue of interminable public no ­ tices in the Press by the BPP to keep the and thence to September 30 — with the seemingly indifferent electorate posted numbers rising from 1,133 to 1,390 to 1,663 — was the CER. The legal tug-of-war between the 04 ana n up to/z irom j/. 1 CER and the ZCWA was set off by their 2- CL?. ----- Z--- * - conflicting needs: while the CER sought have to let more than two-thkds of the ? time the ZCWA wanted to get on with ' the contest. To understand their diago ­ nally opposite positions we need to ex ­ amine the number of nominations each of the 802 seats being contested. The Zoroastrian Cultural Welfare Association (ZCWA) led by Dr Syrus Irani which has fielded 718 candidates and the Jashan Committee (JC) led by Bomanshah Court, voters who wished to exercise their franchise had to obtain new regis ­ tration certificates. the statistics. Should all the three parties have fielded the full slate of 802 candi- | dates each, there would have been 2,406 B candidates in the fray or about 50 percent k of all Parsis registered with the BPP and R who had bothered to collect their certifi- B the Anjuman Committee would have parity with the F Register donor voters i.e. those who had paid Rs 5,000 or more under the old scheme and Rs 15,000 un ­ der the new scheme. The certificates ex ­ changed by the donors amounted to 496 cates under the new election scheme (as ¦ on 1/9/92). In other words every other Parsi eligible to vote would have to be a of a total of 802. With trusteeship elec ­ tions tentatively fixed for December 19, donors are free to exchange their old F candidate, register certificates up to December 16. Much time and energy was frittered on the ever-changing scene. As the two main parties contesting the elections, the CER and the ZCWA, spent most of their energies in the court rooms, they ap ­ peared to have little left over to devote to campaigning on issues facing the com ­ munity, or to win votes. As per the latest court directive, the dates finalized for holding the Anjuman party was in a position to file by Septem- Committee elections are October 30 and 31 at the BPP office and the Dadar Parsi Colony respectively. Nominations up to September 30 — i.e. one month before the election date as for the electoral candidates from Dadar whom Adi Doctor scheme — have.been excepted, totalling 1,663. By October 14, the last date for 32 Parsiana August 1992 r r nominations when the election dates were changed by court orders at the be ­ hest of various parties. The main benefi ­ ciary of the extension of the nomination ., date from September 1 to September 17 Goregaon and Jogeshwari) which in turn K resulted in the number of seats on the B Anjuman Committee from each constitu- r ency being revised —xT C 64 and H up to 72 from 57. by late August they had transferred 359 B ’’ • names from constituency F (Parel con- stituency) to constituency H (Borivli, V down to 49 from When the CER found that it would | seats go abegging, instead of filing its 250 nominations on schedule, it sought to buy time and move the courts. A fallout of the legal battle that en- I 3- sued led to a growing disenchantment in \ ber 1 -- the original cut-off date. The ZCWA claimed to be ready with the whole slate of 802 candidates covering all the 11 constituencies (allowing for 84 is spearheading). By contrast the CER had only 250 from Colaba, Parel, Ban ­ an already indifferent Parsi community. “The average Parsi is not bothered about the Anjuman Committee elections. There is indifference to what they refer j to as ‘Parsi politics, ’” says Adi Doctor who has managed an orthodox slate of 81 ; candidates from the Dadar constituency. li­Hapless parties to the ‘Parsi politics ’ are the various independent groups con ­ testing the elections. In Dadar, in par ­ ticular, the equation gets complex as both the ZCWA and the JC have en ­ dorsed the group organized by Doctor. Irani says, “Dadar we have left to Adi Doctor. ” Minochehr-Homji, managing trustee of the JC observes: “Adi Doctor is working for us in Dadar. ” Doctor, however, remains guarded in the matter. Admitting that the ZCWA and the JC sought his assistance he ob ­ serves: “Our group does not belong to any organizational structure. ” He steers clear of committing his group ’s vote to either the ZCWA or the JC that endorse it: “Should our group win we will advise our candidates to vote for the best candi ­ date when the trustee elections come up. ” He does, however, clarify his posi ­ tion on the eternal orthodox-reformist conflict within the community: “1 am not an orthodox, I am an ultra orthodox. ” Likewise the other Dadar faction — a Anjuman Committee along with an equal The main parties have, to date at least, loosely held group of 80 individuals number of 802 donors will be called been merely shadow boxing. The JC, ac- organized by Ms Silla Motivala, Ms upon to elect two people as trustees of cording to Minochehr-Homji, has sched- Pervina Doctor, Ms Tehmy Aga and the BPP in December this year. The can- others — refuses to commit itself to vot ­ ing for CER trustee candidates just be- candidature according to Irani is “defi ­ nite ” while his own is in the realm of “all candidaies but Minochehr-Homji prefers not to disclose their identities. “When the time comes we will let you know, ” he states. The other difference between the ZCWA and the JC is that while the for ­ mer extends its platform beyond reli ­ gious orthodoxy to social and economic issues (see “The 1992 BPP Elections: marked by inertia, ” Parsiana, June cause the party has endorsed its slate in Dadar. Says a group member, “We can ’t stop anyone from endorsing us. But it probability. ” The JC has its own two docs not mean we will have to vote for their trustee candidates. We will vote as individuals, each according to his or her own preference. We will look at ail the candidates and vote for the best. ” The best, at least according to Motivala, will be someone who is educated, enlight ­ ened, socially responsible and broad ­ minded. The capacity to tackle the changing circumstances and hard reali ­ ties is a prerequisite. While in Dadar 1992), the latter confines itself largely to the Adi Doctor group will get the com- religious fundamentalism. Anjuman bined vote of the ZCWA and the JC, in Committee candidates standing on the JC the other constituencies where the JC has fielded candidates, the orthodox block of votes could well be split between the two. Minochehr-Homji shrugs. “It can ’t be helped, ” he says. The chief divide between the ZCWA Mazdayasni Zarthosti din. I am a firm and the JC is their choice of candidate.s believer in dokhmenashini. I am against for trusteeship. The newly constituted juddin navjotes and juddin marriages. ” Anjuman Committee along with an equal number of 802 donors will be called religious fundamentalism. ticket, as informs the managing trustee, are asked to sign a declaration stating. “...As for my views, I am a strong Zoroastrian believing in all the tenets, rites, rituals and traditions of our uled a number of public meetings. The ZCWA fed poor Parsis at Cama Bang on didates the ZCWA proposes to put up are Dr Viraf Kapadia and Irani. Kapadia ’s September 20. The CER by comparison FIRSTS BY THE PARSEE COMMUNITY (1) Commerce Education was started by Davar’s College in 1900 by late Prof Sohrab R. Davar (2) The first institution to recognise and provide for Management Training was Davar’s College — Dr Rustom S. Davar is considered a pioneer in Management Education (e.g. having secured the Escorts Award for three of his books for contribution to management thinking) — and several courses in different fields of Management such as Marketing, Personnel, Administrative, have been introduced (3) The first course in Travel, Transportation and Tourism was introduced by Davar’s-College (4) Even Computer Education was introduced yvay back in 1970s at Davar’s College and its Computer Courses are extremely popular Davar’s believe; “ONE SATISFIED STUDENT BRINGS TEN OTHERS” Enquire today at; Davar’s College of Commerce Management and Computers (Principal; Dr Rustom S. Davar) I Ind Counter, 51, Mahatma Gandhi Road Flora Fountain, Bombay 400023 Tel: 2041634, 2875818 35 Parsiana August 1992 I|' i ifi ;i ii I! ¦|! ii •II li i »Printers of perfect packaging appears to be floundering as it struggles to get its act together. Whether the par ­ ties will be able to whip up any degree of enthusiasm among the Parsis before the election remains to be seen. Otherwise the victor of the Anjuman Committee elections might well be a winner by de ­ fault. Winners of national awards Patronised by every industry R.M.D.C. Press Private Limited 70/71. Worli Estate, Bombay 400018 Tel No: 4935101/2 & 4937239 Welcome to JERROZ HOTEL Panchgani 412805 STD: 021684 Phone: 238 Self-contained family rooms Contact: Dorabji J. Kalyaniwalla The court rounds The first shot of the current court battle was fired four days before the last date (September 1) of filing nominations un ­ der the old schedule. Nariman Mehta and five others of the CER moved the City Civil Court in late August seeking exten ­ sion of the nortlination date on the grounds that the BPP had retracted its earlier ruling that a candidate could stand from as many constituencies as he or she desired and now restricted each candi ­ date to only one constituency. The court accepted their plea and extended the last date of filing nominations to September 17 and the right of a candidate to stand from as many constituencies as he or she desired. As a result, the BPP referred the mat ­ ter to the High Court seeking clarifica ­ tion on its earlier ruling of one candi ­ date-one constituency and prayed for an extension of the elections as a result of the confusion. The High Court con ­ firmed its ruling of one person-one seat and advised the BPP to hold the elections as scheduled. Back to the City Civil Court where the BPP and the CER in separate suits sought clarification on the extension of the final date of nominations to Septem ­ ber 17 and on the same day agreed to consent terms in the High Court whereby the entire election schedule was post ­ poned. As a result the last day for filing nominations was set for October 15, the Anjuman Committee elections were to be completed by December and the elec ­ tion of the two trustees by February 1993. Enter ZCWA. In the High Court they challenged the consent terms agreed to by the CER and the BPP on the grounds of collusion and won a ruling reschedul ­ ing the election to their original dates — namely the Anjuman Commitee elec ­ tions to be held before the end of October and the trustee elections by end Decem ­ ber. The BPP subsequently revised its original Anjuman Committee election dates. Now they were to be held on two continued on page 98 Sal-Mubarak (Yazdegirdi 1362) To our Parsi community all over RATAN SURVEYOR & Co. Engineers & Contractors of Repute For Construction Work of Good Quality Piramal Mansion Dr Dadabhoy Naoroji Road Fort Bombay 400001 Phone 2619670 36 Parsiana August 1992RELIGION Visions of the Gathas Homi Sethna attempts to present the philosophy of Zoroastrianism in his new documentary Homi Rogers There is no mythology in the ent occasions in the film. He introduces 1 the Amesha Spentas, defining for us how | Ahura Mazda gave us Vohumana (the I good mind) to distinguish between good and evil, and guide us towards the path to | Asha (righteousness). The other immor- | tai spirits working in unison are: Spenta j Armaiti (piety, devotion), with | Khshathra Vairya (desirable control), contributing to the building of a healthy and perfect world, Haurvatat and, finally, Ameretat (immortal bliss). Can this philosophy, presented in such a lackluster manner, be intelligible to the average mind, to whom the Zoroastrian devotion), Of all Zoroastrian scriptures, the one that has attracted the most attention, espe ­ cially of scholars, are the Gathas — hymns said to have been composed by are no legends about them. So, how does the prophet himself. Widely translated, one depict them? And how does one able origin Sethna depicts Angra Mainyu annotated and declared to be the only convey the message that with their assis- here as a black devil, with ungainly valid document of the Zoroastrian faith, I the Gathas have spawned innumerable the forces of Angra Mainyu? interpretations, from the scholastic to the fictitious, as in Friedrich Nietzehe ’s Thus board approach. Prof Kaikhosrov Din- Spake Zarathustra. It is thus only fitting that the message that was disseminated as an oral tradition over the centuries, and then interpreted podium, pointer in hand, on three differ- variously on plaques and paper, should 25 centuries later be depicted in the me ­ dium of the times: the movie screen. The transition from clay tablets to cellu ­ loid is a long journey in time, but the hymns have lost none of their esoteric richness in the passage. That is the im ­ pression one is left with on viewing Homi Sethna ’s 45-minute documentary. The Voice of Zarathushtra'. an attempt to portray the prophet ’s teachings in the visual medium of film. Sethna is a trained and experienced documentary filmmaker. His earlier film on the Parsis, Happiness Unto Others, made in 1983, won critical and popular acclaim, and was lauded by an over-sen ­ sitive and critical community as a faith ­ ful depiction of its life and mores. One, therefore, had come to expect much from Sethna, even if the latest project seemed over-ambitious. At no time are the Gathas an easy document to comprehend. They contain Ahura Mazda ’s revelation to our prophet on how, with the aid of Amesha Spentas (holy immortals) man can achieve per ­ fection and happiness here, and eternal bliss in heaven thereafter. But it is no easy task to depict this in a visual me ­ dium — and yet be faithful to the origi- Naksh-e-Rustom: arouses curiosity Photo: Girish Dikshit, The Times of India nal. Gathas, the Amesha Spentas do not con ­ stitute any kind of divine family. There theology of dualism itself is barely com-, prehensible? Using a visual of question- i tance one can fight duality in life, defeat claws and emitting smoke — the very I embodiment of evil. The didactic nature i of the film weighs it down; and the prophet ’s voice is shrouded in obscure chants, instead of coming to us in a fa- j miliar catechism. It is, as we epneeded earlier, a diffi ­ cult task to portray the prophet ’s teach- Sethna resorts to the traditional black- shaw Irani, who collaborated on the script and on whose suggestion the film was made, lectures the audience from a r, 38 Parsiana August 1992 <•' •i bl ¦fl ^>4-1 ** I .1 - ^4 W| M s A > i r i ¦' Hl < •T L .4, 1 f 5*^ '-i; ' I 'S* ‘4 A ¦* I w. “ A1 I ings. But if only Sethna had in- fused more spirit into them! Not that the documentary is X without occasional flashes of brilliance. Within the short framework, Sethna focuses on contemporary concerns, which the Gathas had dealt with: ecology, environmental preset- vation, sanctity of marriage, role of righteousness in soci- ety, to cite a few. What is even more laudable is that this exer- SHH cise is undertaken with an ¦HHI economy of words; it informs with an air of detachment, sans sentimentalism or dogma. The script alternates between passages from the Avesta sonorously ren ­ dered by Ervad Rustomji Panihaki and Ervad Ramyar Karanjia, and the English But though Scihna tias some rare visuals, translations as effected by Irani ’s father Dinshaw, an established authority on the Gathas. One of the finer sequences is the juxtapositioning of Vedic chants with Avesta recitations as boys training to be places where pockets of the faith still ex ­ priests are shepherded into The Athornan Boarding Madressa (a school at Dadar in Bombay for imparting religious educa ­ tion to boys from priestly families). Sethna ’s work traces the history of re- amongst Parsi viewers for having ligion from the age when supernatural glimpsed a monument from their madar- forces like volcanoes were worshipped, more from fear than reverence, to the age when Zarathushtra, doing away with sha ­ mans, propounded a monotheistic reli ­ gion. There are some good portraits of gets the message muddled in his rather ’ii' z ¦ Sethna (left) with collaborator Irani Zarathushira, including some very rare and lesser known ones, probably culled from ancient books or German ariisis. his commentary doc.s not throw light upon them. A couple of scenes seem to be shot in Iran. A viewer would have appreciated knowing the names of these ist. The lomb of Darius I is shown; but a lillle more emphasis given to the visual of Naksh-e-Ruslom in Perscpolis would have made for that extra enthusiasm amongst Parsi e-vatan (motherland). Selhna may well argue that such a commentary would dilute the message of cording of the prophet ’s voice. His in- the film. But unwittingly Sethna himself rambling screenplay, which lingers over the rituals of navjote, marriage and death, probably in a bid to breathe some visual life into the theo ­ logy. There are small incon ­ gruities like having a navjote girl wearing a pink frilly west ­ ern cap instead of the tradi ­ tional Parsi topi', or choosing Irani, dressed in a suit rather than a dagli, to nlay the narra ­ tor, instead of a revered Parsi priest. Clearly, Sethna rides two horses in this docudrama, and rides neither loo well. This is not to belittle a brave attempt to convey Zaralhushtra ’s message in modern times and Selhna, who confesses to having known nothing about the reli ­ gion till he started work on this project, may have found it a revealing exercise himself. But does Irani ’s commentary and the passages selected from the Gathas convey to the viewer that one can dispel evil from this world by using one ’s free will to do good actions? Or that one suffers misery and failure by opting for the evil path? If the viewer gets this message, which is the true voice of Zaraihushira, then Sethna has done his job well. Seihna ’s documentary is a faithful re- I tenlions are laudable. What is missing is the lyrical content. |i With Best Compliments From A Well-Wisher I #•i ' RELIGION COVER STORY re % I J: f K ¦ * **^a3 S I I ¦ 1 a. I t w r< 9 Ki 4 PHOTO: HOMYAR MSTRY. HOM2 PRINTS A stained glass portrait, a kebla facing south and a multi-panthaky system set apart the Tata Agiary in Bandra Homi Rogers Road on which the Agiary stands is to be widened, and the vacant courtyard of the 108-year-old Agiary may have to be ceded to the Bombay Municipality to meet the growing needs of civilization. It is a mildly warm mid-September eve ­ ning. Ervad (Dr) Peshotan Peer sits at his glass-topped desk at the Seth Nusser- wanjee Ruttonjee Tata Agiary at Bandra, his large ledger-cum-almanac (in which he records his clientele ’s rites) partially Concessions to changing u-ends may thus covering a legion of photographs of the usher in further assaults on this century- Tata family placed beneath the glass, old citadel of Zoroastrian traditions Through the iron bars from the windows though secretary P. P. Ravtewala of the across, a gentle breeze wafts in, along N. R. Tata Bandra Agiary Trust states with mild tootles from paper flutes. As the evening shadows darken, the tramp of footsteps beyond the wall that sepa ­ rates the Tata Agiary from the road out ­ side, increases in volume. And the toots crescendo into near cacophony as revel ­ lers return from the annual Mount Mary festival in droves. Next year, the flutes may sound even louder. And the faces of revellers be ­ come visible. For the Lady Jamsetji Hill origin. R. M. Lala, who has authored a trilogy on the Tatas, states that there is no mention of the stained glass in the Tata archives to which he has had free access. K. H. DadiNatha, one of the present trustees who has served the Tatas for over 40 years, mentions that it is be ­ lieved that the glass was once a part of the Tata Palace, before being shifted to the Agiary. But neither he nor Ravte- wala can tell for sure if this was so, or when it was transported to the Agiary. Old-timers recall having seen the that they have made a representation to hold on to the land which is earmarked for religious purposes. What distinguishes this Agiary the panel (Zoroaster ’s portrait is depicted most — not only in its neighborhood, but between Edwardian motifs) for donkey ’s amongst Zoroastrians the world over — is the stained glass portraiture of the Prophet Zarathushtra which has graced of great antiquity. It probably dates back, many a Zoroastrian calendar or greeting card. Surprisingly, despite its great popu ­ larity, next to nothing is known about its years, but cannnot recall any history to it. Yet there is little doubt that the piece is as Kekoo Gandhy, owner of Gallery Che- mould and a behdin respected at the Agiary, hazards to guess, to the end of 42 Parsiana August 1992the last century, or the early 1900s, when a European, probably an Italian artist, may have been commissioned to do the job. The art of making stained glass is it­ self very old-, having been developed dur ­ ing the Middle Ages in Western Europe. After an initial period of glory, it went into oblivion and was revived only in the 19th century. Authentic stained glass is founded, as the tablet informs us, “out of (priests in charge of administering the colored during the glass-making process, his own money, ” lhe Nusserwanjee Rut- then cut by a glass cutter and reas ­ sembled to form a picture. Simulated stained glass is where colorless glass is chemically treated or painted on to look like stained glass. This art is closer to painting on glass, and Ms Anu Marwah, who specializes in it, estimates its dura ­ bility “to be around 10 years. ” Consider ­ ing the antiquity of Tata Agiary ’s Zoroaster, there is little doubt that it is a section of authentic stained glass. . Strangely, though, the portraiture does Gandhy, who resides in a bungalow fur- not seem as authentic as lhe stained glass. Zoroaster ’s features are not as distinctly Pilhawallaian as . in the popularly accepted por ­ traits of the Prophet by Muncherji •: Pithawalla which hang in our fire-temples. And, for a change, the Prophet is shown holding up his left hand — instead of the right — in blessing, while lhe right hand has changed its func ­ tion, and holds the mace. Ls it a case of the European ‘vive la dif ­ ference ’ or, has the glass been as ­ sembled (or re-assembled) at lhe Agiary in a wrong sequence? 9 Or, is the “enor ” analogous to the Agiary ’s kebla (sanctum " sanctorum) whose entrance faces south, so that when the worship ­ per prays, or bows to lhe fire, he is facing the north, the direction which most Ilm-e-Khshnoomisls consider to be the abode of j Ahriman, to be shunned when of- [j fering prayers. According to M Maneck Vazifdar, the panlhaky I I at the Wadia Agiary outside - ? Nowroz Baug at Lalbaug, his and the Tata Agiary are only two of their kind in Bombay to have lhe entrance to their kebias facing south, \vh>'e lhe oppo ­ site end is sealed off. “There is little truth in the north-no-good theory, ” counters Peer. “Otherwise, would lhe (earlier) that “it pul Ballard Estate (lhe then Nari- Yaozdalhrcgars (priests skilled in per- man Point of corporate Bombay) to forming liturgical riles) not have pressed shame. ” It is a scene that invites descrip- for a change? ” lion. There, in lhe hall, where today According to Bomanji Behramji Patel, author of lhe now out-of-print Par- siona Dharamsthalo (Religious places of the head priests from all the ecclesiasti- Ihe Parsis), Nusserwanjee Tata agreed to cal divisions had converged for a jashan. set up an agiary at Bandra on being ap ­ proached by a group of Parsis residing in the northern suburbs of Mahim. He be ­ lieved, in keeping with Zoroastrian ten ­ ets, that wherever eight to 10 Parsi fami­ lies stayed, a fire-temple should be pro ­ vided. For this purpose, Nusserwanjee thanks. And the trinity of panthakies Nusserwanjee ’s son, Jamsetji (yes, the same Jamsetji who laid the blueprint for the Tata Iron and Steel Company, and gave Bombay the Taj Hotel) read out a message from his father, who could not be present. The elders proposed a vote of 44 Parsiana August 1992 Boinanji ¦ ¦ religious needs at the fire-temple), ap- tonjee Tata Agiary, consecrated to the pointed by the Tatas, took over the duties, memory of his late wife Jiva(n)bai. He himself defrayed expenses for the main ­ tenance of the Agiary for the first six months, besides “setting aside a sum of Rs 25,000 for its maintenance, ” informs Ravtewala. The opening ceremony of the Agiary are traditional priests from Navsari. on roj Behram mah Shehrevar 1253 YZ They were so named because when in (corresponding to March 6, 1884) was, from all accounts, a stupendous success. The administration of the Tata Agiary by three panthakies is a unique arrange ­ ment, against the normal ratio of one to an agiary. Moreover, all three pantha ­ kies have to be — and to date, have been — of the Bhagaria family. The Bhagarias lher down Hill Road where the land 'r ¦ I® Wil i I i 1215 AD Hom Bahmanyar with his son Fcridun, and three grandsons, came to Navsari to serve the growing population of Parsis there, the priestly duties and in ­ comes accruing thereof were to be shared by the families. The system worked well in Navsari, and the families were hence called Bnag-arias, or sharers. The Tatas, who also belong to a family of Navsari priests (Jamsetji, like his father Nusserwanjee, and grandfather Ruttonjee was a fully ordained priest, as were his sons Sir Dorab and Sir Ratan Tata) decreed that the flame be tended only by priests belonging to their fami- lies. Though, why three, remains ¦ a iiiyaivij-. panthakies ¦ Khurshedji Behramji Sahiar 5 whose portrait still graces the S wall near the fire; Ervad o Meherjirana, a descendant of the . > famed Dastor Meherjirana who expounded lhe Zoroastrian reli- iS gion in Emperor Akbar ’s court; jg and Ervad Framroze' Navroji d Kutar who was a co-translator I with his brother Mahiyar of the entire Shah Namah into Gujarati in 10 volumes. Succeeding generations of the above panlhakies continued the tradition till 1960 when Ervad Kaikhushroo Kanga (also of lhe Bhagaria sect) expired, and Ervad Darab Kular, a direct descendent of Framroze, requested lhe trustees that, in view of spiralling costs, lhe Bhagaria ’s bhags (divisions) be permitted to only two henceforth. Naval Tala, then a trus ­ tee, agreed and lhe Tala Agiary has since 3^ I ¦¦ ¦ / I like i * i ..u ¦ t meets lhe sea, recalls a clipping from The Times of India (preserved in his family collection), which slated that “over 500 distinguished Parsis were present, ” and the road was so cleaned and spruced up lion. There, hang the photographs of all the Tata men and women associated with the Agiary, a mystery. The first set of three ! were savants: Ervad BehramjiI P i K i Mi * «*! 4W. I «*«* ¦* Peer at his table lecturing to Zoroastrian devotees at the Tata Agiary Photo: Dolly Divecha ment of Tata Blocks at Bandra in 1927 swell the Tata Agiary ’s coffers, its occu ­ pants preferring to visit the neighboring had only two panthakies, the current ones being Ervad Jehanbux Tata, who is as ­ sisted by his son Zarire, and Peer. Tata predates Peer as the Agiary ’s panthaky Panthaky Agiary instead, by five years when he joined to replace ~ (the then Ervad) Dastur (Dr) Firoze “perform jashans or house-warming Kotwal, who left after a seven-year stint to take up the principalship of the Athor ­ nan Madressa in Andheri. The present panthakies have con ­ tinued the Zoroastrian traditions of their predecessors. And Peer has even ushered cently bought flats in the neighborhood, in additional stringent codes of conduct. - - The food offerings on baj-satum, are strictly vegetarian. “Non-vegetarian food an Irani next to the Agiary, however, has invites not the angels, but darvands given the Tata Agiary the friendly neigh- (devils), ” argues Peer, a noted votary of borhood adarian status, vegetarianism as a Zoroastrian way of life. The Tata Agiary may not be the first dormant for a hundred years, have started to promote vegetarianism. That distinc- to sway the palm fronds that stand over- tion perhaps belongs to Colaba ’s Seth looking the Agiary ’s well. Jeejeebhoy Dadabhoy Agiary, where Peer was panthaky before his services “were summarily terminated, ” in his own words, for what he believes was his ad ­ herence to placing only vegetarian foods, trustees visiting the Agiary (“Ratan and even for the sethias ’ dear departeds. But the Tata Agiary is probably the one with the longest tenure to shun meats. Most made welcome there, will Ms Aloo Tata behdins, though, do not pay much impor- be given the same reception? For Aloo, tance to the abstinence from meat for though of Parsi parentage (she is the their departeds ’ souls. daughter of Pallon Mistry of the According to Gandhy, Peer is “an ace Shapoorji Pallonji family) is married to at prayers ” and compliments the panthaky Noel Tata, the baptized Catholic son of for his mellifluous rendering of them. A measure of the confidence reposed in panthakies can be gauged from the though it could have meant the termina- muktad tables at an agiary. The Tata tion of his tenure for choosing not to pay Agiary has had around 40 to 60 tables in his last respects to a trustee, states that he the past few years. The figure could be will not utter the new lady trustee ’s name more, but Peer is too conservative to “at ­ tract ” more behdins; nor did the establish- “Ervad Tata and I,” stresses Peer, ceremonies only when the non-Parsi member of the household agrees to stay away from the jashan room. ’’ With prices on Hill Road, a posh locality, skyrocket ­ ing, there are few Parsis who have re- The setting up of a co-operative society — Namdar House — on land owned by In other ways too, winds of change, On the death of Naval Tata, the Agiary ’s trustee for more than 50 years, the trust nominated Ms Aloo N. Tata, his daughter-in-law, as a trustee. With the his brother Jimmy were here this New Year ’s Day, ’’ gushes Peer), and being Naval and Simone Tata. Peer, who did not attend Naval Tata ’s cremation, even in the Tata prayers at the Agiary. Probably the answer, allegorical 47 Parsiana August 1992 though it sounds, should be sought in the Agiary ’s visual glory: the stained glass. Aftab Khan, Bombay ’s veteran stained glass maker of over a dozen years, claims that “the functional aspect of stain ­ ed glass is to primarily reflect light. ” The Tata family have been pioneers in many a field, and known for their foresight and vision. Will their stained glass Zoroaster throw light on a vexed community and il- lumine the path of those who seek Him? I LATE NEWS BPP Elections further postponed The ruling of the Bombay High Court on October 23, 1992 has extended the date for the holding of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) Anjuman Com ­ mittee elections from October 30 and 31 (see “The 1992 BPP Elections Or ­ thodox set to win, ’’ page 32 in this is ­ sue) to December. The date for filing nomination for the Anjuman Commit ­ tee elections was also extended from September 30 to October 31. The greatest beneficiary of this extension will be the midcRe-of-the-road Com ­ mittee for Economic Revival (GER) which had only mustered around 425 candidates. The Zoroastrian Cultural Welfare Association (ZCWA) led by Dr Syrus Irani had fielded 718 candi ­ dates while the Jashan Committee (JC) fielded around 200. The ZCWA and the JC were both supporting the Adi Doctor orthodox camp in the Dadar constituency. With the extension of the deadline the elections will be more keenly con ­ tested as the CER would be in a posi ­ tion to file more nominations for the elections. The tentative dates for the elections in December are 5th, 6th, 12th, 13th and 20th. The elections are to be held in five centers. The Anjuman Committee elections are being held after a span of almost 12 years. The last election was held in early 1981 and the next was originally scheduled for early 1988. The trusteeship elections have now been set for February 13, 1993. The terms of Dr Aspi Golwalla, the chairman of the BPP and Jamsheed Kanga, one of the founders of the CER are over and both are continuing as trustees at the behest of the Bombay High Court. Both these seats will be up for election once the new Anjuman Committee is formed. I ¦ * IRELIGION Sd “Certified that I had the pleasure of per ­ forming the navjote of Master Darius Puz-Surti, son of Mrs Rati Puz-Surti and Federico Puz, of Rheinau, Switzerland, this morning at the residence of Mrs and Dr B. S. Surti of 37, Sarojini Devi Road, Secunderabad 500003 in (the) presence of the Parsi Zoroastrians of Secundera ­ bad and Hyderabad, and others. Burjor Pavri, July 25,1990.” For Darius, this document signed by Ervad Pavri is as important as his birth certificate because it recognizes his “new life ” in the Zoroastrian religion. Born to d Zoroastrian mother and a non-Parsi fa ­ ther, Darius ’ status as a Zoroastrian may have been legally established with the performance of this ceremony but not so his right to admission at all fire-temples in India, most of which are open only to Parsi Zoroastrians (those born of Parsi parents or Parsi fathers and have been initiated into the faith). For, soon after the child was taken to the Khan Bahadur Seth Edulji Sohrabji Chenoy Anjuman Dar-e-Meher in Secun ­ derabad, his grandparents and parents re ­ ceived a letter from the managing com ­ mittee of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anju ­ man of Secunderabad and Hyderabad (PZASH) objecting to Darius ’ entry to the fire-temple. “This illegal act has not only wounded the religious sentiments of our community, but has also caused the des ­ ecration of our sacred place of worship. You will agree that Master Darius cannot, by any definition, be considered a Parsi Zoroastrian, ” wrote the honorary secretary N. F. Nagarwala. The correspondence that went back and forth between the Anjuman, Darius ’ mother Rati and the maternal grand ­ father Dr Bahman Surti shows the points that were raised by both the sides. Thereafter Ms Puz-Surti decided to approach the trus ­ tees of other anjumans enquir ­ ing whether they had “any ob ­ jection to my son entering your agiary... during his visits to India. ” Barring the Delhi Parsi Anjuman (DPA), .she )» Doors closed to Darius In her quest to gain admission to agiaries for her son Darius, Rati Puz-Surti received rejection slips from three out of four anjumans I received only negative responses from I the rest. I The reason that the DPA could admit I Darius is because according to the Privy I Council judgment (of 1915) in the case I of Saklat vs Bella (see Parsiana April I and May 1990) the trustees of a fire- I temple are at liberty to admit the child I of a Parsi mother and a non-Parsi father I if they so choose. The Privy Council I judgment noted that the trustees “can I treat her (Bella) as a trespasser. But it I does not follow that they are bound to I so treat her... When the subject matter I of such a trust or charity is the render- ing of some convenience or service of such a nature that it will not hurt the law ­ ful recipients if others share with them, their lordships are aware of no case in which it has been held that the trustees are bound to exclude persons who have no legal title to share... The intrusion of an unbeliever info a place of religious worship might well be a case of substan ­ tial interference with the devotions of worshippers. But the plaintiffs have failed to make out that Bella was not a Zoroastrian. ” Three members of the Parsi com ­ munity of Rangoon had filed the suit claiming that Bella ’s entry into the Ran ­ goon agiary on March 21,1915 “not only wounded the religious feel ­ ings entertained by religiously inclined Parsis, but also caused the desecration of the said sacred temple. ” While the first judge dismissed the suit and the Chief Court of Lower Burma concurred with the judge, the Privy Council upheld the appeal viz “that Bella was not entitled as of right, to use the temple, or to attend to or to participate in any of the religious ceremo ­ nies performed therein. ” But the judges also noted that “the plaintiffs have failed in the greater part of their suit and that giving to them of a decla ­ ration is an indulgence. ” The judges refused to give an in ­ junction restraining Bella from entering the fire-temple a second time. In Bella ’s case, of course, the proceedings » 48 Parsiana August 1992were not initiated by the trustees of the fire-temple but by others. In the case of Puz-Surti, the opposi ­ tion generated has only served to strengthen her resolve to get her daughter initiated as a Zoroastrian — irrespective of whether the agiaries in India choose to acknowledge her as one. Parsiana reproduces the entire, unedi ­ ted exchange of correspondence (obvi ­ ous typographical errors have been cor ­ rected) between the Surti family, PZASH and the other anjumans of India. J Between PZASH and the Surti family Dr Bahman S. Surti and Mrs Khorshed B. Surti Dear Sir/Madam, The managing committee has been in ­ formed of the conduct of an alleged navjote ceremony of one Master Darius Puz who is the offspring of a non-Parsi Zoroastrian father (and also your grand ­ son) on July 25, 1990. However, the alleged navjote is no concern of our Anjuman, but what is a matter of deep concern to both the Anjuman body and the community is the fact that, Mrs Khorshed Surti and Mrs Rati Puz had brought the child presuma ­ bly after the alleged navjote ceremony. into the Dar-e-Meher, unknown to the young mobed, Neville Bhatela (who was at that time tending the adaran) knowing fully well that no person, adult or child, other than a Parsi Zoroastrian can enter the Dar-e-Meher. This illegal act has not only wounded the religious sentiments of our community, but has also caused the desecration of our sacred place of wor ­ ship. You will agree that Master Darius cannot, by any definition be considered a Parsi Zoroastrian. Your attention is in ­ vited to the decision reported in ILR 33 Bombay 509; and AIR 1925 Privy Coun ­ cil 298. We are shocked and surprised that Dr Bahman S. Surti, a renowned scholar of the Zoroastrian faith, a translator of the Shanama, recipient of many awards and a former trustee of our Anjuman should have turned a blind eye to the flouting of the tenets of our sacred religion. It is surprising how Dr Surti, a staunch be ­ liever of our faith and its practice, could have radically changed his views when it concerned his family and to have agreed to be a party to such an illegal act carried out by his family in this regard. You are fully aware that the terms of the declaration of trust restrict the right of worship and participation in our reli ­ gious ceremonies only to those who are Parsis (including Iranees) who profess the Zoroastrian religion. The managing committee takes strong objection to this act of transgression in the matter of Master Darius, son of Mr and Mrs Frederico Puz of Aheinau, Swit­ zerland being brought into our sacred Dar-e-Meher by Mrs Khorshed Surti and Mrs Rati Puz. Master Darius Puz is not a Parsi Zoroastrian and is not entitled to the use and enjoyment of any of the benefits as enjoined by our declaration of trust. Please take notice that in spite of this letter, should you or any of your family members, violate the terms of our decla ­ ration of trust or offend the tenets of our religion within the precincts of our Dar- e-Meher, we shall have no alternative but to take appropriate steps under law, both civil and criminal, as may' be advised, to vindicate our rights at your responsibility as to all costs and consequences thereof. Yours faithfully n. f . nagarwala Hon Secretary, PZASH August 1/3,1990 Copy to Mr an(| Mrs Frederico Puz with a request to take note of our objections mentioned above. continued on page 74 d MATRIMONIAL MATRIMONIAL Wishing you all "Happy Pateti" &; "Happy New Year" With best compliments from The members of Bhopal Parsi Anjuman Dara Pavri President Rohin Gandhi Vice President Gev Dhunjibhoy Secretary We seek an alliance for an attractive, charming lady, from a cultured, landed family. The lady is tall, slim and highly appealing, widely travelled and well educated (overseas). She is keen on animal welfare, physical fitness and the fine arts. The groom should be a refined businessman or profes ­ sional, caring and sociable up to 50 years, with a compatible background and preferably settled in Bombay or Poona. An early marriage (within six months) would be desirable. Divorcees/ widowers may also reply. Please write in detail to: The Advertiser Parsiana Matrimonial (Aug/28-92) GPO Box 892 Bombay 400001 Well-to-do parents seek matrimonial alliance for their pretty, graduate daughter, 21 years, 5’7" tall from well-settled boys with cultured and affluent family background. Please reply with full details and recent photograph to; The Advertiser Parsiana Matrimonial (Aug/26-92) GPO Box 892 Bombay 400001 50 Parsiana August 1992INSTITUTIONS < m AIMZ For rightful justice Parinaz Gandhi At its first general meeting the Association of Inter-Married Zoroastrians highlighted the indiscriminate treatment meted out to women married outside the fold “We don ’t want confrontation... We don ’t want to stoop to calling names... We only want our legal rights, ” stated Ms Meher Amersey, chairperson of the newly formed Association of Inter-Mar ­ ried Zoroastrians (AIMZ) at the body ’s first general meeting convened at Godrej Bhavan on July 15, 1992. Speaking on behalf of the other lady members of the meeting, whose father had been categori- Association who objected to the commu- cally informed by the priest at the Me- nity condemning its women for marrying outside the fold while the men married to non-Parsis continued to enjoy all the rights, Amersey reiterated, “We women are outraged as most of us continue to community organizations are governed practice Zoroastrianism after marriage. ” by their own trust deeds, Anand, as a Some priests in certain fire-temples beneficiary of this institution can move have barred these ladies admission after the charity commissioner or file a civil their intercommunity marriage. On their suit challenging the trustees and priests death, priests have refused to pray for for barring her the right to use the fire- them. They need special permits in the temple, advised Desai, form of affidavits for interment in the dokhma set aside for their exclusive use. Their children, even if their navjotes are performed, have been declined entry to religious houses. prompted the Association to seek parity. “We intend to take a test case to court and see how the courts react, ” said advo ­ cate Berjis Desai, the AIMZ honorary a Zoroastrian to be entitled to the use of secretary whose Fort office is used by the Association to manage its administrative affairs. Their coming together at the first gen ­ eral meeting was to discuss “common problems and for interaction, ” as noted should enjoy the same privileges granted the circular letter announcing the meet ­ ing. There were no formalities, no dais, no microphone for the informal gather- quest to gain recognition for her son, ing of nearly 40 like-minded individuals. Puz-Surti wrote to the major anjumans in Facing the audience sat Amersey in the India enquiring whether they would per ­ center flanked by The Bombay Sama- mit her son entry to their respective fire- char'^ director Munchi Cama and editor temples. Barring the progressive Delhi Jehan Daruwala, and the Association ’s Parsi Anjuman she had got only negative - vice chairperson Ms Smita Crishna and Desai. “We are impatient about results, ” de ­ clared Daruwala. “We want to see re ­ sults achieved in our lifetime... There ’s no time for compromise. ” The preva ­ lence of certain inequitable laws in the community prompted Daruwala to quote, Where laws end, tyranny begins ’... (In build up an electoral college for the our community) we have laws yet unfor- Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) tunately tyranny prevails... Is there any Anjuman Committee elections scheduled such religion which would deny prayers to a person seeking it? ” “A year has gone by. People are los ­ ing interest, ” lamented Ms Homai Bode impressing upon the AIMZ members the need to fight for “justice against injus ­ tice. ’’ Earlier it was the priests at the Doon ­ gerwadi who had declined to pray for women married out of the community. In recent times there was the instance of Ms Roshni Anand, present at the July 15 vawalla Agiary in Byculla that she would not be granted entry to the Agiary where her mother ’s after-death prayer ceremo ­ nies were scheduled. Granting that most In Secunderabad, Ms Rati Puz-Surti was admonished in writing for bringing her son, born of a non-Parsi father, to the Dar-e-Meher, causing “desecration of Such treatment has our sacred place of worship. ” This was after his navjote was performed. “It may sound odious. But that ’s the law of the land ” where one has to be a Parsi as also certain religious institutions, briefed De ­ sai. The AIMZ is only interested in pur ­ suing a matter through court if they can be sure of victory — in establishing that the children of Parsi-Zoroastrian women to the progeny of Parsi-Zoroastrian men and their non-Zoroastrian spouses. In her responses from the other anjumans, in ­ formed Puz-Surti. A need was also expressed for main ­ taining a register of those whose navjotes had been performed so that their Zoroas ­ trian bonafides would not be questioned at a later date. The AIMZ’s immediate plans were to for October. With the BPP’s amended election scheme now stipulating that per ­ sons of either sex married outside the community may be called upon to attest 53 Parsiana August 1992 I I K <4- IPRUDENTIAL SHIPPING AGENCIES PVT LTD. Shipping Agents and Brokers 77, Mint Road, Fort, Bombay 400001 Phones 2622566/2620154/2622787 Cable; “SHIPMENT” Telex: 011-82307‘PSAB’ IN Fax:91-22-2870139 PROFESSIONAL PROGRESSIVE PRUDENT Agents for: ANTWERP —BELGIUM their Zoroasirian status at the time of registering as voters, the AIMZ was happy with the parity. Earlier it was only the females who were required to give a confirmation that they continued to be Zoroastrians. All present were requested to enlist as voters on the BPP rolls. But assuming that they manage to conscript new voters, the AIMZ would only have a stronger say in the Anjuman Committee elections seven years hence, the registers for the present elections being deemed closed as of December 1991. When Puz- Surti sought to ascertain whether those residing outside Bombay could register as voters, she was told that they couldn ’t. “We want to see results achieved in our lifetime. There’s no time for compromise” whilst actually they are permitted to. “Instead of sporadic and ad hoc ef ­ forts by aggrieved individuals, well di ­ rected and organized efforts under the umbrella of an Association will yield better and faster results ” was the belief that prompted the AIMZ to set its wheels in motion, as specified their first circular letter. But they do not wish to lake any hasty decisions which could impede their fu ­ ture. The AIMZ has therefore adopted a guarded stand with regard to the BPP’s revised decision on the dokhmenashini issue, for while earlier the BPP had re ­ fused interment rights to a lady married outside the Zoroastrian fold, they had subsequently declared that on submission of an affidavit from the deceased ’s fam ­ ily the body could be interred in a sepa ­ rate dokhma. The BPP “deserves our support because al least they rcjecied the fundamentalists ’ demand (to debar Zoroasirians married outside the fold any rights to community inslilulions), ” averred Desai. “We will be making a representation to the trustees pointing out the lacuna in their resolution and asking them to rectify. After persuasion we may take legal action, ” he continued. A newsletter is also being planned by this new body which had received its cer ­ tificate of incorporation only a few days prior to the holding of the general meet ­ ing. This would be more to express their I BURNPUR HOTEL For a comfortable stay when in BURNPUR-ASANSOL- KULTI-DISHERGARH Quiet, Congenial Atmosphere Personalised Service AC, Non-AC Rooms Attached Baths Indian and Western cuisine Fully Licensed I I i BURNPUR HOTEL S I 20, The Crescent Burnpur, West Bengal 713325 Phone: Bumpur-280 Best compliments from D. H. Bilimoria & Sons Adra, Dist Purulia West Bengal 723121 55 Parsiana August 1992With Best Compliments from viewpoint as against the orthodox opin ­ ions canied by Deen Parast which all AIMZ members were receiving regularly even when they had chosen not to sub ­ scribe to it. One orthodox votary went to the extent of sending anonymous letters to the non-Zoroastrian husbands of AIMZ members instructing them to keep their errant Zoroastrian wives in check, it was reported. Enquiries on the strength of the mem ­ bership brought in varying reports, rang ­ ing from “77” to “close to 100.” As con- 1 DUBASH FRERES & COMPANY “The impression given is that they are the innocent prodigals hounded by the traditionalists” With Best Compliments From Exporters, Importers, Agents & Manufacturers of Machine-Made Precision Neutral GLASS AMPOULES, VIALS, SUTURE TUBES, TEST TUBES, TABLET TUBES, ETC Victoria Building S. A. Brelvi Road Fort, Bombay 400001 Phones: 2860069/2860130 Cables: “DUBFRERES” Telex: 11-84739 DFCO IN veyed at the meeting, some are finding the one-time fee of Rs 1,000 from regu ­ lar members (Zoroastrians married out ­ side the community and their children aged 18 and above) and Rs 300 from as ­ sociate members (any person above 18 who sympathizes with their objects) rather prohibitive. On the other hand, some are said to have sent contributions larger than that required for the life membership dues. Efforts are continuing to bring in more members for the AIMZ. “Having taken up a cause, one should not go about it in a half-hearted manner, ” ad ­ vised Daruwala in The Bombay Sama­ char of July 26,1992. He further recom ­ mended, “Let not the ladies take it as yet one more social pastime... they should be vigilant and active. Every case of dis ­ crimination or persecution should be highlighted through the Press and the au ­ thorities concerned should be asked to play the ball. They should not allow their interests and rights to be subservi ­ ent to that of any other organization, in ­ stitution or group... Luckily there are bold, frank and forthright members of the AIMZ such as Meher Amersey, Smita Crishna and others led and advised by the brilliant young solicitor Berjis De ­ sai... Its prime concern should be to fight for and assert the rights of its members. This however should not preclude their involvement in matters concerning the Parsi community in general. ” A report of the July 15 meeting in The Times of India of August 4, sympathizing White Cloud Filter Pads Pvt Ltd Pioneer Manufacturers of Finest Quality Machine Made Filter Pads in the Country. 412 Gultekdi Road, Pune 411037 Phone: 448942 Gram: Filter Pads J 56 Parsiana August 1992 J IWith best compliments from Adi with the AIMZ’s objectives, evoked re ­ sponses from different quarters. Doctor, Ms Rati Sorabji and Kaizad Keravala challenged: “The impression sought to be given is that they are the innocent prodigals who are being hounded by the traditionalists... It ’s an insolent breed, instigated and misguided by a couple of solicitors and fusty jour ­ nalists... If the AIMZ wants to avoid bit ­ terness and acrimony in a small commu ­ nity, all that it has to do is to set up its own religious institutions, as the Jews “They wish only to safeguard themselves against the orthodox who discriminate against them” WHAT? NEVER HEARD OF PARAGON TOY SHOP? MY GOODNESS! ¦¦ consecrated NARIMAN NALLASETH Pvt Ltd ENGINEERS & CONSULTANTS 27, Tamarind Lane Rajabahadur Compound Apollo Street Bombay 400023 Phone Nos: 270066 & 272986 have done the world over, and not bull ­ doze its way into the time-honored and hallowed consecrated institutions. ” Along similar lines Ms Sherena Khan disapproves of the AIMZ members who have “consciously and voluntarily flouted their community ’s unambiguous rules on intermarriage. Having done so, they now seek to escape the known con ­ sequences by stridently challenging and distorting an ancient and time-tested reli ­ gious code to justify themselves... The hypocrisy of their proclaimed concern for their religion is overwhelming... ” A contrary view wa.s put forth by Ms Khurshecd Khurody: “The AIMZ was formed to protect the rights of women, not to assault the Zoroastrian faith which docs not in any of its tenets support prejudice and bigotry. Parsi women have no intention of forming their own sub- laith. Instead they wish only to safe ­ guard themselves against the contentions of the orthodox who blatantly discrimi ­ nate against them... ” she continued. Despite the criticisms coming their way, the AIMZ was pleased that Cama and Sorabji Godrej, chairman of Godrej and Boyce were among those present at the Association ’s July meeting. Of fu ­ ture support for the AIMZ Desai was confident: “In the years to come, the numbers will be overwhelmingly in our favor. Today every family includes one non-Parsi, tomorrow every home may have one. ” It’s a shop with a good selection of TOYS, DOLLS CYCLES, SCOOTERS, PEDAL CARS, EDUCATIONAL TOYS, PRESENTATION BOOKS, PUZZLES, NOVELTIES, ETC I Established in 1943 in Calcutta Branch in Bombay since 1971 A shop known for reasonable rates & good service. Many families have been our regular customers for 3 to 4 generations now ADDRESS No 108, Heera Panna Shopping Centre (With car parking space) Bhulabhai Desai Road (Old Warden Road) Near Haji Ali Bombay 400026 59 Parsiana August 1992COMMENT Udvada deserves a better deal Only about 150 Parsis, mainly the aged and infirm, remain in Udvada today Aban Bana Far removed from the turmoil of urban hamlet of Udvada is home to the most existence, the 1,500-acre coastal village venerated temple of this monotheistic of Udvada survives today as a dim re ­ minder of the halcyon days of the Parsis in India. Situated 178 km north of Bombay just sively on ecclesiastical custom, where in outside the confines of the industrialized township of Vapi in southern Gujarat, the never a commercial outpost offering op ­ portunities for either employment or en ­ trepreneurship. While the athomans were grouped into nine different fami ­ lies, collectively known as the nav kutumbi, and assigned the privilege of tending the Iranshah, the behdins were mostly cultivators, transporters and sell­ ers of toddy and liquor. With the tasks thus clearly designated, these settlers managed to eke out a comfortable liveli ­ hood and Udvada thrived under their be ­ nign influence. Prosperity was much in evidence and a visitor strolling down one of the dusty lanes of the village could see the well- maintained timber-and-mortar home ­ steads, complete with their manicured kitchen gardens, teeming with adults and children. The fragrance of incense and sandalwood wafted into the streets while the older residents in knee-length sudrehs muttered their kusti prayers on the white ­ washed verandahs. Shapurji Kavasji Hodivala writes in his 800-page Gujarati volume. The His­ tory of Holy Iranshah that in 1927 there were 1,353 athornans (481 of them women, 446 men and the remainder chil ­ dren) inhabiting 230 houses, while the behdins numbered a mere 101 and lived in 40 houses. Today, Udvada is a faded reflection of its past glory when the pioneering zeal of the Parsis throughout India had projected them resolutely to the forefront of na ­ tion-building. Hardly 150 Parsis dwell here now though the census records a to ­ tal population nudging 5,000, including the bhandaris, kolis, manghelas, harijans and adivasis, residing in 876 houses. Not one Parsi birth has been recorded here for the past three decades and the P. P. Mistry High School and the Zilla Prath- mik Shikshak Samiti ’s primary school, having a total of around 1,700 pupils, do not have a single Parsi child on their rolls, according to the Gram Panchayat talati, or revenue officer, Ramanbhai Patel. However, the village is not en ­ tirely devoid of Parsi children as Homi Sidhva and his wife, who run the Globe Hotel with their two sons and daughter ­ community, which enshrines the holy in-law, have their two grandsons staying fire or Iranshah. A village established almost exclu- numbers lhe athornans (clergy) far out ­ stripped the behdins (laity), Udvada was 60 Parsiana August 1992 r on the premises; and Noshir Motiwala, who with his wife runs the Ahura Bakery from his house, has a son and a daughter The venerated Iranshah at Udvada& * FX fl I I > i/ i 'Av ~’'h «*» ¦3'. ***»»*«*> •V - . -. ^''6 r •• .1 S *4.** *,*“* ;«¥• I*'’’*- ><< >! 1*' Deserted homesteads in Udvada: a grim reminder of past prosperity Photos: Ashvin Mehta fallen into disuse. engaging in arguments at the drop of a Among the elders of the village who hat. passed away in the last few years was who are pupils at a school in Daman. His brother, Jambax, also has two chil ­ dren studying locally. But these are the only Parsi children Noshir Motiwala ’s father. Marzban Mo- in Udvada village. Mostly the aged and tiwala, also known as Marzban Bis ­ infirm have remained behind, many of cuitwala because of the distinctive khari them unmarried or widowed, their fami- biscuits, macaroons, khatais and Surti lies and other relatives having ventured biscuits that were produced by his Hor- out to more beckoning pastures. Even mazd Bakery. He was seen all over town the priesthood has been dismembered, in his woolen sweater and black frayed doyen of tlie Pundold'sect in Udvada, the sons having migrated to Bombay or jacket, even on the hottest of days, push- who was a regular speaker at all religious abroad where they pursue professions ing his bicycle rather than riding it, his functions organized by his followers, and a lifestyle that afford them no time attendant trudging behind him with the Another recent death was of Hormasji for religious duties. Admittedly, they iron trunk of biscuits balanced on his Munshi who with his wife Aloo had were also disinclined to take after their head. There was also Behram Sidhva, a settled in Udvada for the past few years, fathers because of the bleak economic confirmed bachelor who dwelt on the ve- having purchased a flat in Ashirwad prospects which characterize their voca- randah of his locked cottage opposite the Apartments that overlook the Iranshah. tion. Consequently, distinguished an- Seth Jamsetji Jeejeebhai Dharamshala. cient lineages of priesthood have now He was the odd jobs ’man at the Iranshah withered away and there are never and went about his chores with a kerchief ter devotion till he breathed his last, enough mobeds or priests to recite the lit- round his neck, his trousers rolled up Aloo Munshi has also brought a lot of any of rituals and ceremonies Parsis are knee-high and a withered black topi on color to her surroundings, having planted known for. Many dwindling families of his head. Then there was Jal Sidhva flowering plants in the compound of Udvada have sold off their homes and who, too, worked at the fire-temple, Ashirwad and spending considerable joined the rest of their kin elsewhere, seated in his soiled sudreh at the place Others have left, but still retain their where devotees performed their kusti, properties which lie locked up and have twining the wicks of the oil lamps and The charming seaside Majestic Hotel had become identified with its owner, Minoo Patel, whose directions to his ser ­ vants boomed across the sprawling struc ­ ture. Majestic has never been the same after his demise some years back. Then there was Ervad Behramshah Bharda, the A paralytic, Hormasji was fortunate to have had a wife who tended him with ut- time in her enclosed garden. There are still some ‘living trade ­ marks ’ of Udvada, among them Pesi 61 Parsiana August 199263 Parsiana August 1992 3 (Above) New construction clashes with 2 the old and mars the Udvada skyline. I (Left) The sale of sandalwood continues * to be a vocation for residents Patel, the owner of King ’s Hotel over ­ looking the beach. A squat, rotund per ­ son, this former sarpanch of Udvada has a thriving circle of friends and can be seen every evening (except when it pours) sitting with them in a semicircle on the beach, chatting away until sun ­ down. Close to King ’s is the Seth ni Dharamshala, managed by the genial couple, Ardeshir and Amavaz Mirza. There is also Sorabji Dastur who ran the village library next to his house for dec ­ ades before he finally had to quit his pleasant job because of advancing rheu ­ matism. But shortly before his retire ­ ment, he singlehandedly collected Rs 70,0()0 for repairs of the building. In the lane leading to Iranshah sits Rusi Panthaky in his tiny shop that ‘ emerges out of the wall of Ervad Firoz- eshah Makujina ’s residence. There he sells sandalwood and other religious bric-a-brac to those,worshippers who pa ­ tronize him. Minoo, another son of the late Marzban Motiwala, runs a pokey “soda lemon shop ” where he prays right through the day. He also alternates as the J local corpse bearer as there are none in B Udvada. * The condition of most Parsi survivors in Udvada is pathetic. Economic depri ­ vation is palpable and many of them live on charity that is barely sufficient for a dignified existence. Malnutrition and eye diseases linked with geriatric prob ­ lems are also prevalent, and there are no trained people to look after the aged and the needy. Many of the old generation mobeds, bent with age, now bide their time at the fire-temple, hoping for alms from sympathetic worshippers. Often, their abject penury staves off medical treatment till it is too late, or till their aggravated illness forces them to seek it. And, compounding the plight of the poor is the fact that the commodity prices in Udvada rival those prevailing in Bom ­ bay. Survival, then, is often at subsis ­ tence level. The statewide prohibition in force in Gujarat has also been something of a H damper to the development of tourism in this picturesque seaside resort. Many visitors thus prefer to lodge themselves . ? in hotels on the adjacent Union Territory of Daman, drawn there by the proliferat ­ ing licensed bars and streetside taverns. I iiIronically, the highest consumption of liquor in India is probably in Gujarat, with alcohol being smuggled into the state from almost all directions, making prohibition a farce. But the hoteliers in Udvada are an honest lot who do not be ­ lieve in bending rules by greasing the palms thrust towards them. There are five hotels and three dharamshalas run by the local Parsis in Udvada, but they are patronized mostly during weekends, fers the Parsis of Bombay an easily ac- Business is slack for the rest of the week though summer holidays and Parsi festi ­ vals stir up life to a marked degree. The construction of apartment build ­ ings has considerably helped rejuvenate the city for good if Udvada could provide the village. Four such blocks have been erected and one more is under construc ­ tion. The flats are tenanted mostly by community stronghold and restore it to middle-class Parsis from Bombay who its past primacy. are regular visitors to Udvada. Conse ­ quently, these flats too, like the old ment place for retired Parsis from Bom- houses, remain locked up most of the time. Frequent visitors to the village feel it metropolis. With so many houses in deserves a better deal: its age-old ambi ­ ence, its quaint tumbledown houses, its casuarina-fringed beachfront, its clear purpose. The trust could then rent out, air, its bracing winters and its delicacies lij^e umbariyoo and tareli boi make it a potentially alluring resort. Ideally, it of- locked up owdng to neglect. It could well be rejuvenated to provide the aged resi ­ dents a venue for entertainment. And for destitute Parsi widows and spinsters from Bombay an entire cottage industry could be established in the village, where they can live in harmony as a community and make dar ni port, beadwork garlands, papad, pickles, umbariyoo, kopra paak and a range of provisions and items that can be sold both within the village and cessible idyllic retreat from the noise and outside. In fact, Udvada has no place filth of their metropolis. There are many who feel more at home in Udvada than in Bombay and would unhesitatingly leave It is the only ethnic stronghold we have. There are never enough mobeds to recite the litany of rituals and ceremonies a means of livelihood and school educa ­ tion. They are thus eager to revive this The village can at least be a resettle- bay, which in turn could greatly ease the community ’s housing problem in the Udvada up for sale, these could be ac ­ quired by a trust set up specially for the 65 Parsiana August 1992 I where one can even go for a cup of tea! Udvada deserves a chance to survive. educationist. An trained in Switzer­ land, Ms Aban Bana is the founder of the North London Rudolf Steiner School (also known as the Wal­ dorf School) which believes in imparting comprehensive edu­ cation to children through unconven­ tional methods. She Intends to establish a similar project in Indif on her return in Septem­ ber 1992. Drawn to Udvada since her childhood, Bana has been a witness to the charrges that I on a nominal basis, these premises to re ­ tired Parsis. A gymkhana already exists on the beach in the village, but remains, have transformed this pilgrim town. Best Compliments from MERIND MERIND LIMITED Regd Office: New India Centre, 17, Cooperage Road Bombay 400039 Committed to improve the quality of life I I $ I LCOMMENT In defence of the ’Ahd-nameh Mithoo Coorlawala Tolerance of other “people of the Book” marked the early phase of Islam, argues the author Dr Ali A. Jafarey ’s review of the book ted by oppressed people to claim conces- Purity and Pollution in Zoroastrianism, sions, but on the contrary as later at- Triumph over Evil by Jamsheed K. temnts bv the conquerors themselves Choksey (“The Purifying Prescnp- tions, ” r---------- sparked a controversy during which a critic, Ervad Darius Sethna, had sug ­ gested Jafarey consult the ’Ahd- nameh (Readers ’ Forum, Parsiana, April 1991). In a rejoinder Jafarey had questioned the authenticity of the ’Ahd-nameh. The' following from Ms Mithoo Coorlawala is a re ­ sponse to Jafarey. In his article “The Purifying Prescrip ­ tions ” {Parsiana, October 1991), Dr Ali A. Jafarey offers some sweeping state ­ ments on the ’Ahd-nameh and Salman Farsi which need to be properly evalu ­ ated. May I be allowed to share with your readers my own findings? I have to agree at once that the spell ­ ing 'Ahd-nameh is more appropriate than the more usual ’Ahed-nameh. For the rest, I am boggled by this scholar s cate ­ gorically stated and all too individualis ­ tic pronouncements. Here, we must rec ­ ognize that we are in a relatively obscure area, but history does offer considerable I factual information that can scarcely be brushed aside. There seem no special reasons for Jafarey ’s lofty dismissal of the ’Ahd- nameh (i.e. written covenants or char ­ ters, granted by early Islam to conquer ­ ed and subject peoples, guaranteeing protection from persecution) as “a very late fabrication by the Iranians to win some favor from their belittling Arab overlords. ” This niay be noted as an in ­ formal personal opinion, as is the op ­ posite theory of Columbia University s _ — 11 1-1 _i______z,,*-/-..-.,! 11-1'11 these ’Ahd-namehs are inauthentic. But long suppressed? Is there, perhaps, an analogy here? To get a historical perspective, it must be remembered that the Zarathushtrian MJ ¦¦i'.z, _ ________ ’Ahd-nameh are not an isolated phe- “The rescripts of nomenon. ’Ahd-nameh were granted to other Ahel-e-Kitab (“people of the Book ”), the Christians and the Jews, by _ ... zj fourth Caliph Ali, and also by the Caliph Omar. The texts of several such ’Ahd- nameh survive — a covenant granted to the Jews is preserved in the National Li­ brary of Tehran, 6he to the monks of the monastery of Hizquil Zalkifl in the Chil Satoon Museum, Isfahan, besides cove ­ nants granted to the Jews of Medina, the Christians of Najran, the Christians of Mount Sinai, and the people of Jerusalem when that city fell to Caliph Omar. Ad ­ ditionally, there were innumerable minor charters granted to subject communities ur VMM x.MH— or stubborn pockets of resistance by mili- for the teachings tary commanders or governors of prov- L inces, dictated by military or political ex- aiioting Dr Farhang Mehr, a staunch and pediency. learned Zarathushtrian. When specifi- There is no doubt that the granting o cally questioned about the authenticity of covenants of ‘o'eralion and PrMe«ton 1 _ la-i ..,AP o QpVnnw ftflQP.n dfin well aC’ sions, but on the contrary as later at ­ tempts by the conquerors ‘ I me I uiiijiliy ¦ _ __ _ 1° Create a tradition of Islamic tolera- Parsiana, November 1990) tion! In a letter seen by me, the erudite Prof Russell states; “Tf*? Muhammad, Ali, etc are late and in ­ authentic, interesting in so far as they are an L. . tudes an ancient pedigree and sanction. On the other hand. Dr Saleh Moham- erticle med Alladin, co-editor of the 13th edi ­ tion of Extracts from the Holy Quran, is firmly of the opinion that based on “abundant internal evidence ” the ’Ahd- nameh are genuine since they reflect the conciliatory and tolerant spirit ol the Holy Prophet Muhammad. ” For those who may like to believe as Dr Jafarey thinks fit to suggest, that “the ‘treaty ’ is a favorite subject for some Zoroastrian scholars to quote, ” presuma ­ bly as an affirmation of the Prophet Muhammad ’s reverence f_. T : of Asho Zarathushtra, I cannot resist l*earned Zarathushtrian. When specifi- ca..^ ------- the ’Ahd-nameh, Dr Farhang Mehr said he believed them to be genuine, adding the sturdy remark that it was of no im ­ portance whether the ’Ahd-narneh were held to be genuine or not, since “our reli ­ gion needs no attestation. Similarly, Dr Jafarey ’s negative argu ­ ment that “there is hardly any Muslim ing ulema who knows about the very exis ­ tence of such a ‘scripture ’” is unimpor ­ tant and establishes nothing either way. Strangely, Dr Jafarey uses the collective word “ulema ” in the singular, but with ­ out quibbling about semantics, it is not surprising at all that for reasons of Prof James Russell. Both are agreed that ^^d authority ^such it is interesting that Prof Russell secs the ’Ahd-nameh not as forgeries concoc- lOIlUC, IIHCICMIIIK lU OVI itu VAXZ ------------ , , T __ aliempl to allribule to tolerant atti- the Prophet Muhammad, the mam and _ __ 1 _______ ” f/M.rih C-jlinh All and also bv the CallDh ‘treaty ’ is a favorite subject for some was a well acknowledged and well ac ­ cepted feature of the prevalent culture, of the ethos of early Islam, and there are no special reasons for assuming that the Zarathushtrian 'Ahd-nameh under refer ­ ence are necessarily spurious. In fact, in view of the strong prevail- :..g influence of the Zarathushtrian Sas- anian Empire (of which Arabia was a dependancy when the Prophet Muharn- mad proclaimed his mission), and in view of the life-long companionship of Salman Farsi, the Iranian mystic later one of the most respected of the Ahsab (companions of the Prophet), it is per ­ missible to think that a charter might in ­ deed have been granted to Salman s ’i a document might well fail to be acknowledged by one _ - y chnkQan and his Muslim ali,n ora body of ulema. Why, brother Farrukh-b n-Shak^n and after all, were the Dead Sea Scrolls so Zarathushlnan coreligtonists. Zarathushtrian coreligionists. 66 Parsiana August 1992 i 4 I I i I IBurjor Framji & Company Licensed Plumbers Sanitary & Drainage Contractors Marine Mansion 1st Marine Street Bombay 400002 Tel: 2083207 69 Parsiana August 1992 These charters have a quality of genu ­ ine concern for the people to whom they were granted, with the privileges and protections clearly stated and unequivo ­ cal. It is sadly true that they held only for the times in which they were written — i.e. during the life-time of the Prophet Muhammad and the early Caliphs, his immediate successors. In the years that followed, what was nobly writ on parch ­ ment was rarely performed. It is painful to rehearse the torments and indignities suffered by Zarathushtrians and other subject peoples in the ensuing Islamic centuries. That, however, is a separate issue; not conclusive proof that these 'Ahd-nameh. were never written. Coming to Salman Farsi, Jafarcy is right in that it would be inappropriate to designate him as the “preceptor ” of the Prophet Muhammad; but it needs also to be clarified that this “simple follower who joined Muhammad in Medina ” was no rank-and-file person, nor was his first encounter with Muhammad in Medina, as Dr Jafarcy would have us believe. In his study Salman Pak, Prof Massig- non discusses in detail Salman ’s status in the new community established in Med ­ ina, i.e. whether Salman was rightly a Mujahir — a fugitive who had accompa ­ nied the Prophet on his flight from Mecca — or an Ansar — one of those in Medina who had come to the Prophet ’s assistance in this city of his refuge. It is clearly established that Salman (far from meeting with the Prophet in Medina) is distinctly designated a Mujahir therefore as having known the Prophet in Mecca before 1 AH (anno hegirac). Further ­ more, he is one of the 16 companions of the Prophet chosen on arriving al Med ­ ina, to participate in the “rite of fraterni ­ zation ” which bound the Mujahirun, one by one to their hosts the Ansars. At Medina, Salman directed the de ­ fence of that beleaguered city which he saved by the simple stratagem of digging a moat around it — an exercise in mili ­ tary engineering unknown to the Arabs of that lime. Il was on the occasion of this “War of the Ditch (Khandaq)" that the Prophet, according to a Sunni tradi ­ tion, pronounced the celebrated Hadiih (5 AH): “Salman minna Ahl-al-Bait (Sal ­ man is one of us, we who arc the people of this house), ” thus confirming Salman ’s adoption into the inner circle of Muham ­ mad ’s own family. He is listed among those who received a share of the Sadaqat-Ahl-al-Bail — the provision made for the maintenance of the Prophet ’s household — and his name I I M. NUSSERWANJI & COMPANY Transport Contractors & Fleet Owners 94, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Pune 411001 BOMBAY PUNE BANGALORE MADRAS I t i I' « I IJ. R. DASTUR &CO (A member of the Council for Fair Business Practices) Arvind Colony, Near Police Commissioner's Office, Shahibaug Road, Ahmedabad 380004 Ph: (O) 332167 (R) 385310 "EVEREST" Fibre Cement Products "RIBBED" Torsteel with TOR mark "ACC" Cement With best compliments from f PENOSH TRANSPORT (The name that carries weight) Transport Contractors and Transporters of Heavy Machinery 94-A, M. G. Rd, Pune 411001 Phone: 645162-65 Telex: 145-7418 Fax: 645166 was read amongst theirs in the register of pensions (Diwan ai-ata) under Omar. The exact year of the meeting of Sal ­ man with the Prophet Muhammad is not clearly established in Zarathushtrian or Islamic tradition, but we are told that it sparked a strong spiritual connection that was instantaneous and lifelong. According to Zarathushtrian tradition, Salman is identified as Behzad, the well- Salman directed the defence of Medina which he saved by digging a moat around it born Dastur Dinyar, a spiritual counsel ­ lor to the Sasanian Emperor Chosrocs II. According to the same tradition, it wa.s revealed to Dastur Dinyar that it lay in his destiny to leave his country to convey the laws of God, as revealed to Ziu ’athushtra, to the Prophet of a bur ­ geoning new faith, a messenger-of-God who was described but still unknown to him. Dastur Dinyar travelled for many years through Palestine, Syria, Iraq and Egypt: he explored Manichaeism and Christianity, met with masters in spiri ­ tual practice, until at last he came upon Muhammad in Arabia. Apart from this Zarathushtrian tradi ­ tion reported by various Parsi scholars, J, E. Saklatwalla, N. F. Mama, G. K. Nari ­ man and S. M, Desai, there is no other conclusive identification of Salman with Dastur Dinyar. If we arc to accept Jafarcy ’s confident assertion that “History (which presuma ­ bly excludes Zarathushtrian tradition) knows of no ‘Dasturan Dastur DinyiU', ’” it is still an undeniable fact that by birth Salman Ecu ’s! wa.s a Zarathushtrian mys ­ tic, a spiritual personage who supported Islam at a time when there were no pres ­ sures or compulsions to do so, and when in fact it would have been materially more advantageous to remain attached to the Sasanian court. Regrettably, little is known about Sal ­ man ’s earlier days in Zarathushtrian Iran. His later life and exceptional role as a participant in the birth of Islam in Arabia are well documented in Islamic sources starting with Ibn Ishak (AH 151), seven or eight recensions of the long Hadith Khabar Salman (AH 150 — 175), the Childless couple, well-settled abroad, from affluent background desirous of having a baby, seeks a healthy reasonably good-looking young woman with no family history of medical problems who would be willing for ovum donation. Best of care will be provided for full anonymity and comfort assured. Handsome remuneration offered. Contact: The Advertiser (Ovum) Parsiana GPO Box 892 Bombay 400001 I I HOTEL SAI BABA I Deheri-Davier s Only 5 km from Umbergam station near the sea. Airy rooms, 24 hours water. Rs 160 per day per head — with food I J I Pasi Patel: 026354/2067 71 Parsiana August 1992Sawn Timber Doors & Windows * Kiln Seasoning * Chemical Preservative Treatment Packing Cases & Pallets Furniture Components * * ? * B. F. Wadia & Sons 142, Reay Road Bombay 400010 Tel: 3721934.3720235 Fax: 3758873 Tlx: 11-74571 BFW IN E. A. Chindhy INDUSTRIAL & DECORATIVE PAINTERS 4, East Street, Camp Pune 411001 Phone: 662974 Res: 666027 72 Parsiana August 1992 later biographies of. Quazi Nurullah Shusiri, Abdul Huq Mahaddis and other Oriental writers listed by Massignon but too numerous to mention . here; in addi ­ tion there are the studies in Western lan ­ guages including the works of Huarie, Caetani, Horovitz, Zeki Pacha, Ivanov, Massignon, and most recently in English by A. A. Rezwi in Elmhurst OSA — an impressive body of biographical writing for Prophet Muhammad ’s “simple fol ­ lower ” whom Jafarey would sweep into obscurity. Salman Farsi came to occupy a unique place in Islamic history. The first of the Dharr Three Apostles (Hawariyun with Salman’s salary was distributed by him to the needy Migadad and Abu Dharr), Salman was granted the unique privilege of reciting his prayers in his own tongue, the Persian language. By this act, the Prophet Muhammad clearly founded the spiritual beginnings of Iranian Islam, and Salman the “foreigner ” (Ajami) became a pillar of the Shia sect, elevated to the Nau- sairian Trinity, together with Hazrat Ali and the Prophet himself. It was whispered by the enemies of the Prophet that it was Salman the Ajami (Persian foreigner) who helped Muham ­ mad with transcribing and interpreting the Divine Revelations; “They say, surely a person tcachcth him. But the tongue of him at whom they hint is for ­ eign, while this (i.c. the Quran) is plain Arabic (Quran XVI — 103).” According to Tabari, Ibn Dahhak identifies Al Ajami, the non-Arab teacher of Muhammad, as Salman, and held the view that Salman had helped the Prophet to evaluate seriously the spiritual antece ­ dents of his revelations. This is further explained by the Ismailite belief (accord ­ ing to Ivanov, Ismaililica) that the angel Jibri ’Il was the name conferred upon Sal ­ man for his divine mission, that while the Quranic revelation is of divine source, the dictation by an invisible angel is re ­ placed by initiation from soul to soul communicated by divine order to the Prophet by his companion Salman. Salman who was older than Muham ­ mad by many years survived the Prophet to support with unflinching loyalty his son-in-law Ali and his immediate family. 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) M/s Framji Rustam ji Choksey 253 Sheikh Memon Street Bombay 400002 Tel 3425422/3442639, Resi 251118 With Best Compliments From TRIKA AGENCIES Quality Rrinters & Suppliers of All Kinds of Stationery Items Tel Off: 2613953/ 2612734 Res: 3675375 Address: 41, Manek Abad 5, Setalwad Road Off Nepean Sea Road Bombay 400036 rI * r during the schism that followed the Prophet ’s passing. He is one of the five companions who took in private, at the Prophet s behest, an oath of fealty to Ali, and he is one of the seven protectors with whom Ali will bury Fatima at night. The loyalty and devotion of this mystic of Zarathushtrian origin to the Prophet Muhammad and his family are impec ­ cable, and his involvement with the genesis of Islam intense. Salman Farsi ’s ordained engagement with Islam and its holy Prophet is a fitting example of the significant Zarathushtrian influence on many great world religions. The second Caliph Omar appointed Salman governor of Mada ’in, the fabled city built on the ancient site of Ctesiphon and Seleucia on the Tigris. There is a poignancy in the thought of this self-ex ­ iled Iranian, returning finally to this capi ­ tal of the whole Persian East. It was as great in civilization as its Byzantine rival Constantinople, the center of the banking business and of Oriental sciences. The coins minted here bear the mint-mark Al- Bab, i.e. the sublime port! As governor of Mada ’in, Salman ear ­ ned a salary of 4,000 dinars (the salary of the Caliph Omar being 6,000 dinars at this time). We are told however that Sal ­ man ’s salary was distributed by him the needy, and that he used for his ger needs the income from the mats he wove and sold. Here in Mada ’in, Salman died between the years 26 and 28 AH. His modest tomb at the foot of Taq-i- Kisra, the solitary arch of the palace of Ctesiphon, is a place of pilgrimage for devout Shias on the traditional anniver ­ sary of the 15th Sha ’ban and at variable times for pilgrims returning from Najaf and Karbala. To use Jafarey ’s words (but in quite a different sense!), Salman Farsi was in ­ deed and essentially a “simple follower ” of Prophet Muhammad, in that he filled his exceptional destined role and bore his high office meekly. . When that is said, one can only won ­ der at Jafarey ’s petulant disregard for the facts of history. to mea- With best wishes for the future From I I I ' i ! i 73 Parsiana August 1992 Afe Mithoo Coorla­ wala holds a master's degree in English literature. By Inclina­ tion she is a searcher in ancient Persian history. re-(who is also an offspring of a non- Zoroastrian father and future daughter- in-law of Mr and Ms Behram Mistry, trustee of the Chinoy Parsi Dharam ­ shala) also entered the premises of the religious ceremonies to only agiary in June/July 1990^after her ot- a thanksgiving prayer. Why were the members of the managing committee and the members of the community neither shocked nor surprised at her entry into the fire-temple? Does the managing committee have separate special laws pertaining to any one else who is not named Surti? I demand an explanation as to how Miss Nayar was allowed to enter the agiary despite your rules and regulations (or should I say man-made laws) of your .UUOU.U.. _ ________ ___ Not long ago a navjote ceremony of navjote ceremony was performed on July Mr Noshir F. Nagarwalla s daughter was 25, 1990. performed at the age of about approx 30 the decisions of the managing com ­ mittee. We reiterate that we are bound by the terms of our declaration of trust which restricts the right of worship and partici- those who are Parsis (including Iranees) gagement to their son Mr Mistty to oner who profess the Zoroastrian religion. The other comments are extraneous DOORS CLOSED TO... continued from page 50 The Honorary Secretary PZASH Dear Mr Nagarwalla With reference to your harshly worded pation in notice sent by registered post ac ­ knowledgement due accusing me of “so- called desecration ” of the atash adaran, I would like to know whether the honorary and do not deserve any specific reply, secretary has got the authority to issue such notices without the approval of the managing committee. If so, was it a unanimous decision of the managing The Secretary committee? If not, how many members l^^SH of the managing committee voted for such a harebrained resolution? As a member of the Zoroastrian com ­ munity I am entitled to seek this infor ­ mation. Mr Nagarwalla, your advisors are ap ­ parently referring to the Privy Council judgement and the judgement of Justice Beaman and Justice Daver quoted in the Law Reporter and AU India Reporter that that this act has no bearings to the present day cir- cumstances and facts. Mr Nagarwalla I challenge you to re ­ fer the case in all its details to Mr Soli Sohrabji, who has been appointed as the matter. In fact many members of our attorney general by the Government of i , India. and happiness to accept him as a new Mr Nagarwalla do you understand member of our dwindling community, what is meant by the word “desecration ” " of any temple within India? Does the reverent entry of a child born of the womb of a Parsi Zoroastrian mother, whose navjote has been duly performed not show the least signs of neither anger by a fully qualified ervad saheb mean ' ’ ‘ “ *¦ ‘ “desecration ” of the temple? Mr Nagarwalla until I hear from you your cool and considered reply to my questions I would request you not to rush in where angels fear to tread. Mr Nagarwalla remember those who have raised objection due to vindictive stay in house of glass should seldom throw a stone. Yours disgustingly Yours faithfully N. F. NAGARWALA Hon Secretary, PZASH August 31. 1990 Dear Sir I am in receipt of the copy of the letter written by you to my father accusing me and my mother for taking my son Darius who is the offspring of a non-Parsi anjuman. Zoroastrian father to the agiary after his I’ ’ performed at the age of about approx 30 I am equally shocked and surprised years behind closed doors after having has wounded the religious renounced her Zoroastrian faith in order to enter into the community again. Why were not the members of the managing committee shocked and surprised then? Or did you consider it to be a legal act? I would however like to know how sentiments of our community as no member of our community neither the panthaky saheb of the agiary raised any objection to me directly regarding this community expressed their willingness many members voted for and against my case and would also like to have the min ­ utes of the meeting where my case was discussed. As a member of the Parsi Zoroastrian community I am well within my rights to best in the sanctum of the agiary and did enquire. ;____;___ " • • I have also seen that certain funerals nor shock. The very ”fact that he neither of Parsis are attended by non-Zoroastti- showed any signs of shock nor anger ans which actually should not be the makes me come to the conclusion that case. How does the Anjuman close an only certain members (three or four per- Even Mr Nalladaru and his wife (mem ­ ber of your managing committee) greeted Darius and wished him all the ....... ............... - eye to such happenings? Is it not a mat- haps) of your managing committee (and ter of deep concern for the community? not all as you mention in the letter) may ’ ¦» 4' * <¦ In case your managing committee be ­ lieves in perpetuating traditional and ritualistic practices do you think it proper to allow non-Parsi Zoroastrians to see the faces of the dead bodies after their geh sama ceremony has been done? This practice has been allowed in the presence of your managing committee members and spiteful reasons just because I hap ­ pen to be Dr Surd ’s daughter. It has been proved twice in the court of law that my father was deprived of his right to remain as a trustee of the manag ­ ing committee of your Anjuman and I . _ _ can well imagine that you are seeking who have attended such funerals. Dr B.S. SURTI August 7, 1990 Copy to: 1. Mr Jehangir Hormusji 2. Mrs Gool Y. Chenoy 3. Dr Miss Pouruchisti N. Chenoy 4. Mr Noshir Marker 5. Mr P. Nalladaru 6. Mr Jehangir Bisney 7. Prof reasons to hit back upon him. It is how- Dr F. D. Vakil 8. Mr Cyrus Irani 9. Mr ever pathetic to note that whatever ill- Keki Rustomfram 10. Mr B. F. Dittia feelings you may be having against my IAS (Retd) ever pathetic to note that whatever ill- It is high time we become broad ­ minded and accept such children in our religion as I firmly believe that an off- Dr Behman S. Surti Dear Sir It is always implied that the honorary already been perfcJrmed. secretary is authorized to write to the parties, whenever necessary, conveying father for no fault of his own is being spring of a Zoroastrian mother can be re ­ continued and thrown on an innocent garded as 50 percent Zoroastrian whereas child whom I consider to be a Zoroas- it is very difficult to prove whether the trian because his navjote ceremony has father is really Zoroastrian or not. J ¦ " ' I have gone through the declaration of I have further been informed through trust but nowhere does the declaration reliable sources that one Miss Nayar define as to who is a Parsi. There does < 74 Parsiana August 1992 Inot appear to be any prohibition in the declaration of trust against persons born to parents, one of whom is a non-Parsi. The decision which you have referred family, to relates to an era when the fundamental right to practice the religion of one ’s choice was not existing. I may not be able to give you decisions of courts but I can assure you that the constitution of In ­ dia guarantees the right of my son Darius to live and worship as a Parsi and prac ­ tice the Zoroastrian faith. It is indeed regrettable that your Anjuman should resort to threats of civil and criminal proceedings against me and my family members to vindicate your so- called rights. It is obvious that you are not sure of your rights and that is why' you have descended to the level of throwing out undignified threats. Kindly note that your agiary is not the only one in the world. It is consoling to know that there are possibilities for me to take Darius to other agairies which are not ruled by hypocrites and fanatics and who are ready to welcome the child with open arms rather than considering it an illegal act. Last but not least may Ahura Mazda grant you enlightenment to come ter con ­ clusions in a fair and just manner in fu ­ ture. Yours faithfully Dr Behman S. Surti Master Darius and the mother Ms Rati Dear Dr Behman Surti Saheb as Parsi Zoroastrians have the right to en- My greetings to you and your beloved joy the privileges bestowed upon all Zo ­ roastrians. What a tragedy that a progressive community should turn the clock back to the age of darkness and irrationality and justify man-made irrelevant rules which also perhaps can succeed in preventing the entry of Lord Zarathushtra on the grounds that he is not a Parsi. Welcome to the fold of Zoroastrian ­ ism, dear Baby Darius. We need you for our existence. Yours very truly Dr f . d. vakil Dept of Political Science, Osmania University August 8, 1990 At the outset pardon my delay in writ ­ ing this letter to you. I was expecting a “What a tragedy that a progressive community should turn the clock back to the age of darkness” Between Ms Puz-Surti and the anjumans of India copy of the letter issued by the honorary Puz-Surti’s letter to the Bombay Parsi secretary of Parsi Anjuman on behalf of Punchayat is reproduced here. We as- the managing committee to you and your daughter Ms Rati, but I did not receive the same hence I was ignorant of the con ­ tents. Ms Rati ’s letter and yours which I Chairman, Parsi Panchayat, same the other anjumans were given a similar brief. Dr Aspi F. Golwalla have received this day makes it clear that Office of the Pafsi Panchayat Funds and Mis rati PUZ-SURTI August 5, 1990 Copy to: 1. Mr Jehangir Hormusji 2. Mrs Gool Y. Chenoy 3. Dr Miss Pouruchisti N. Chenoy 4. Mr Noshir Marker 5. Mr P. Nalladaru 6. Mr Jehangir Bisney 7. Prof irrational letter refiects all the members Dr F. D. Vakil 8. Mr Cyrus Irani 9. Mr mind. Keki Rustomfram 10. Mr B. F. Dittia IAS (Retd) the honorary secretary has not taken into F*roperties account the strong protest and dissent - made by one member in the committee meeting. I for one did not subscribe to the “irrational ” views and also strongly man Catholic. We are residents of made clear my dissent should be placed Rheinau, Switzerland. I dW not renounce on records. So Sir please do not for a while think that the managing committee ’s harsh and Dear Sir I am born of Zoroastrian parents and am married to an Italian citizen who is a Ro ­ man * Mrs Rati Puz Dear Madanv Your letter dated August 5, 1990 was re ­ ceived by us on August 6, 1990 and we are to reply to you as under; We have to state that we are bound by and even go to the extent of seeking jus- the terms of our declaration of trust and it was never our intention to have sepa ­ rate laws for different persons. In so far as the case of Miss Nayar is concerned, we are to state that we were not aware of haps can explain the same, her having entered our Dar-e-Meher. The restrictions which we have placed in the case of Master Darius will apply equally to Miss Nayar. All other issues raised by you in your letter are irrelevant and do not call for a specific reply. Yours faithfully my Zoroastrian faith at the time of mar ­ riage and was married under the Special Marriage Act. I am still following the Zoroastrian religion. I have two children — a boy named Darius aged 8 years and As a teacher and an activist belonging a daughter named Nadirah aged 5 y^s. to the Human Rights Association Am ­ nesty International, I strongly voiced my concern and made it very clear to the members that any action taken against the innocent child of Ms Rati will be jection. cruel and wrong. Hence I will not hesi- Neither of my children have been bap ­ tised as Catholics because we decided to bring them up as Zoroastrians to which my husband did not have the slighest ob- ___ ; _ ; ___ " . ... . • Exactly a year ago my son Darius ’s tate to mobilize public opinion nationally Navjote was performed in Secunderabad (a xerox copy of the certificate of which tice in the court of law through “public I am enclosing in my letter along with a interest litigation. ’’ The next point which I made is why should a letter be written to Dr Surti? Only malafide intention per- 77 Parsiana August 1992 N. F. NAGARWAI.A Hon Secretary, PZASH August 31,1990 Dear revered Sir, as a Zoroastrian, I assure you that the pain and agony caused to you and your family will also be shared by me. I shall strive my best within my abilities and capabilities to create a mas ­ sive awareness on this avoidable situa ­ tion and to fight the issue till your stand is vindicated. xerox copy of a short account of the Navjote which appeared in the Septem ­ ber 1990 issue of the Parsiana). I would like to know from you whether your Anjuman has any objection to my son entering your Agiary in Bom ­ bay during his visits to India. I am enclosing a self-addressed enve ­ lope and would appreciate an early reply as I will be leaving India in four weeks. Thanking you Yours faithfully Mjs rati PUZ-SURTI July 19.1991Mrs Rati Puz-Surti Dear Madam Thank you for your letter dated July 19, 1991. u -s u You are no doubt aware that Zarthosti gories of persons have to wear the sudreh anjumans in India function autono- and kusti. mously and in Madras entry into our Dar- Thanking you e-Meher is the privilege of the following: Yours faithfully •Bom Zoroastrians i.e. both the parents have been Zoroastrians •Those Zoroastrians, whose father is a Zoroastrain although the mother may be a non-Zoroastrain •Those who wear sudreh and kusti Thanking you Yours faithfully m. k. belgamvala President, Jal Phiroj Clubwala Dar-e-Meher July 29,1991 ing held on August 2,1991.1 am directed navjote was performed in Secunderabad, since your husband is not a Parsi Zoroas ­ trian, your son will not be entitled to the benefits of religious institutions under our control - including our agiary as per the judicial decision. Yoiirs faithfully and mother a non-Zoroastrian and the i „ child should have been inducted into the to State that though your son Danus Zoroastrian faith. At the time of entry, the above cate- M. K. BELGAMVALA Chairman and trustee Jal Phiroj Clubwala Dar-e-Meher September 13, 1991 G. J. TATA Joint Secietaiy Office of the Trustees of the Parei Punchayet Funds and Properties, Bombay Septembers, 1991 On further enquiring whether her son would be eligible to enter their Dar-e- Meher according to clause 3 of the ear­ lier letter, she was told: Dear Madam We thank you for your letter dated August 25,1991. We reiterate that entry into our Dar-e- Meher (fire temple) is the privilege of Dear Madam the following: •Bom Zoroastrians •Persons Whose father is a Zoroastrian Mrs Rati Puz Surti Dear Mrs Surti Please refer to your letter dated July 19, 1991 addressed to our president. In this connection, as per rules of our BPZA (The Bangalore Parsee Zoroas ­ trian Anjuman), we regret that we are not Anjuman is a progressive one. It is for ‘ this reason that it permits the children of Parsi women married to a non-Parsi spouse, whose navjote ceremony has been performed, to enter the fire-temple. I trust that this information will be of some assistance to you so that you can bring your son to the Delhi fire-temple whenever you happen to be here. With kind regards Your letter dated July 19,1991 addressed Yours sincerely to chairman Dr Aspi F. Golwalla was placed before the trustees at their meet- Mrs Rati Puz Surti Dear Mrs Puz Surti You are right in stating that the Delhi in a position to permit your son entering our Agiary. With best wishes Thanking you D. N. BILUMORIA Hon Secreury, The Bangalore Parsee Zoroastrian Anjuman August!, 1991 Mrs Rati Puz-Surti Y.S.KAPADIA New Delhi Sqitember 4,1991 continued on page 98 1 Compliments Of J. M. SHROFF TRANSPORT PRIVATE LIMITED TRANSPORT CONTRACTORS For Bulk Liquids, Petrochemicals, Petroleum Products, Acetic Acid and other Chemicals all over India. Special Mini-Tankers available for Part Loads. Sita Estates, “A” Wing, No 1 1st Floor R. C. Marg Chembur, Bombay 40(X)74 Tel: 5555425,5519359 BRANCHES BARODA: Tel No 329924,329818 HYDERABAD: Tel No 76515 78 Parsiana August 1992 IPROFESSIONS Perceptions of a Politician Arnavaz S. Mama Veteran politician Homi J. H. Taleyarkhan was awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution to the public life of India undertaken by the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India, the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), the Surat Parsi Pufichayet and the WZO. “There are 8,000 poor Zoroas ­ trian farmers in the rural ar ­ eas... Unfortunately there are no privileges for minorities — only for scheduled castes and tribes. ” The project has dis ­ persed aid worth more than Rs 15 lakhs so far, he informs, adding, “We are insisting that there should be proper monitor ­ ing. ” So far the aid has been dispersed not in cash but in kind, cover ­ ing such areas as pumps, pipes and tube wells, seeds, fertilizers and pesticides and, where possible, the hiring of farm A He may be the last representa ­ tive of that dying breed — a Parsi politician of national rank. And as such, it was fitting that Homi J. H. Taleyarkhan was awarded the Padma Shri by the President of India in the centenary year of Dadabhoy Naoroji ’s election to the British Parliament, an event which sig ­ nalled the birth of the Parsi na ­ tional politician as a species. It is apt too that Taleyarkhan, who is chairman of the Dadabhoy Naoroji Centenary Year Celebrations Committee, asserts “the staunchest belief in the spirit Taleyarkhan receiving the Padma Shri of secularism, meaning respect for all re- from President R. Venkataraman ligions while adhering to one ’s own, the highest integrity...hard work, sincerity, application, devotion, dedication and de ­ termination to get things done. ” In an age of fast disappearing Gandhians, ployment, underemployment and beg- Taleyarkhan is prone to quote Gandhiji who greatly admired Dadabhoy as his “Dada ” in the genuine sense. But the community ’s attitude today is sincerely believing that if the community Commission, was an imposing affair as a "" .......... ’ fleet of government cars carried the local collectors, bankers, dairy experts and other officials not only to remote villages the year he had inaugurated a housing but into the slushy monsoon fields, trudging wearily behind the determined septuagenarian. Crediting WZO repre ­ sentatives Dinshaw Tamboli and Daver Kavasji Modi for their dedication to the cause of the rural Zoroastrians, Taleyar ­ khan admitted that despite the good in ­ tentions there were complaints that assis ­ tance was not reaching beyond a particu- numbers with an increasing segment be- . , ______ low the poverty line (which he identifies machinery for the use of the Zoroastrian farmers. *- Using his considerable political clout, Taleyarkhan ’s initial survey of some of the Gujarat villages in 1990, when he was still a member of the Minorities at 35 percent of the community), unem- gary as the community ’s overriding pro ­ blems today. In his own words, “houses not spouses, ” are the need of the hour. a far cry from Naoroji ’s. Commenting on could have all the housing it needs, espe- the sparse community representation in cially the weaker sections, its negative the political arena today Taleyarkhan growth rate would be reversed! Earlier in rues, “Parsis don ’t want to get involved, ” I' emphasizing, “Politics is not a profession colony at Sanjan established by the Teh- — it ’s a vocation. ” In the course of an in ­ terview with Parsiana early in the year Taleyarkhan emphasized the need for the small Parsi community to stand united, with a mind-set receptive to changing committee Taleyarkhan is deeply com- conditions. mitted to the project for the amelioration Taleyarkhan perceives dwindling of rural Zoroastrians in Gujarat jointly murasp Pundole Trust, with flats renting at Rs 100, and held it up as an example. As chairman of WZO (World Zoroas ­ trian Organisation) India ’s executive 81 Parsiana August 1992food and civil supplies, national savings, fisheries, tourism, family planning, etc at various times. In that period too Taleyarkhan con ­ solidated his image — the tall Nehru- under the 15-point project of the late In ­ dira Gandhi. If that comes through, we will give funds through the voluntary or- organizatuns — for education, health, various projects for self-employment, jacketed frame, the Gandhi cap atop the Taleyarkhan ’s entry into public life dates to 1948 when, less than 30 years lar area. Acknowledging that “some are disgruntled that only one section is get ­ ting help, ” Taleyarkhan enunciates his approach to the problem: “It is better to ganizations — which may include Parsi have something for all than all for some. Should the others not get help? Should they become poorer? ” His egalitarian ap- small scale industries, entrepreneurship, tanned visage, the amalgam of good hu- proach may be explained by the fact that career guidance, health, etc. ” mor and hard work with brusqueness. It Taleyarkhan ’s years in politics have Taleyarkhan ’s entry into public life is this last characteristic^ coupled with spanned almost the entire history of free dates to 1948 when, less than 30 years what his critics and well-wishers term his India, especially under Jawaharlal Nehru old, he became the youngest corporator egotism — that seems to have detracted and Indira Gandhi when socialism was of the Bombay Municipality. After four from Taleyarkhan ’s popularity. Taleyar- the guiding philosophy of the Congress years in the Corporation Taleyarkhan khan however objects to this assessment party. He is however keen on building a graduated to the Legislative Assembly, corpus for the project and believes that only the income from the donations should be utilized. Taleyarkhan feels that “banks are un ­ able to reach out for the requirements of chief minister Y. B. Chavan (whom he the minorities. ” As a former senior mem ­ ber of the Minorities Commission ’s steering committee Taleyarkhan has en ­ dorsed a “strong recommendation to the government to set up a development and finance corporation for the minorities with a budget of 200 to 300 crore rupees Taleyarkhan handled health, housing, as unfair. He sees himself as “frank, initially of the original state of Bombay never brusque... I am available to one and thereafter of Maharashtra. For a dec- and all from any section of society and ade and a half Taleyarkhan functioned any community to help solve their prob- variously as parliamentary secretary to lems as much as I can. ” Taleyarkhan considers his appoint- recalls as an ideal and understanding ment as the first resident Indian ambassa- leader), as chief whip of the Congress dor to Libya as the most challenging as- Legislative Party and as its general secre ­ tary during Morarji Desai ’s chief minis ­ tership. Rising to cabinet ministership ter) Indira Gandhi said she was sending on the formation of Maharashtra state, me into a ‘burning cauldron. ’” Those signment of his career. “On the eve of the Bangladesh war (then Prime Minis ­ me into a ‘burning cauldron. were the days when Colonel Mohamer 82 Parsiana August 19921 Left: An audience with Pope John Paul II for Thrity and Homi Taleyarkhan Right: With Gaddafi in Libya I s I BB JI ;W I lar < disg ting appi hav< Sho they pro£ Tak spar Indi and the part corp only shoi 1 able the I ber stee don gov fina will Gaddafi, a fundamentalist, had just taken over in Libya and there was substantial ignorance about India. As Taleyarkhan recounts it, “It was so bad in the first year: Indians were very few and very nervous. We were advised not to wear Gandhian gear. Many of the Libyans would turn their backs on us when they saw us. The shopkeepers would not sell their goods to Indians! ” Taleyarkhan says that instead of tak ­ ing umbrage he practised “patience, per ­ sistence, persuasion, perseverance but not provocation. ” When India was at ­ tacked in public meetings, Taleyarkhan would not leave the venue as other am ­ bassadors did when their country was at ­ tacked. Instead he said he would ask to see Gaddafi. It would take a week to 10 days before the Brother Colonel — you couldn ’t call him Excellency — would grant the interview. On each occasion Taleyarkhan says he hammered in some hometruths about India. “He didn ’t know that India has the second largest popula ­ tion of Muslims in the world...that we have complete freedom of worship, equality of opportunity for all, the largest number of mosques... ” Gaddafi was “greatly impressed. Within a year or so the tide turned, ” Taleyarkhan recalls in triumph, his tenure as ambassador being extended from three to six years, the last year ’s extension'being at the request of Gaddafi himself. By that time Taleyar ­ khan says nearly 20,000 Indians had be ­ gun working in Libya sionals and shipping and oil experts — “on the same salary as the westerners. ” There were also Rs 600 crores worth of mainly profes- project exports from India to Libya, the biggest awards going to Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd and M. N. Dastur and Company. Taleyarkhan claims he was the only non-Islamic ambassador to be able to see Gaddafi on request — a prerogative he enjoyed “because of our support to the Arab cause and Palestinian rights. Any non-Islamic country (espousing) Pales ­ tinian rights would be given preference. ” Eventually Gaddafi “recognized India ’s role in running their schools and hospi ­ tals... Though he was the totally accepted leader of the Libyans he wanted to con ­ vince me that he was democratic. ” But Taleyarkhan says he had to ensure that Gaddafi received “glass, handle with care ” treatment and, to create a climate of confidence, nearly 60 delegations were exchanged between the two coun ­ tries. When Sikkim joined the Indian Union in 1981 Taleyarkhan was appointed its first Indian governor to occupy the office for the full four year period. His activity in Sikkim, though questioned by certain local factions, helped the Indian govern ­ ment consolidate its position in the stra ­ tegic and beautiful border state. A visible link to the Sikkim assignment was a pair of Pekingese pups — Tinkoo and Betsy — who retained their cherished place in the Taleyarkhan household for almost a decade thereafter, and subsequently in the family ’s fond memory. Ambassadorship to Italy and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations followed. Within months of taking up his task Taleyarkhan recalls the flow of condolence visitors to the embassy as news of Indira Gandhi ’s as ­ sassination spread. Among them was Mother Teresa, wanting to come to India for the funeral and they flew down to ­ gether with the Italian foreign minister Guiseppe Andreotti. “Italy was the first western democracy to respect India ’s re ­ quest for a memorial, and a park and gar ­ den were named after Indira Gandhi in^' Rome on her first death anniversar^ when Andreotti and the Mayor of Rome unveiled the plaque and asked the Indian ambassador to join in the ceremony in the presence of a 2,000 strong gatiier- ing. ” While Taleyarkhan faced no political problems in Italy, he realized that “our weakest link is that we ’re incapable of projecting our capabilities abroad. ” Ac­ cordingly, he says, he got several portfo ­ lios done up in Italian to showcase Indian products and services. Taleyarkhan found the Italians conversant with Indian culture and was taken aback when hilltop villages burst into songs by Rabindranath Tagore in Bengali! One of his achieve ­ ments, he says, was the agreement to eliminate double taxation between the two countries. International subscriber dialing between Indian and Italian cities was also established during his tenure: “Now you get Rome more easily than Delhi, ” he laughs. A man who likes to see and be seen, to hear and be heard, Taleyarkhan ’s re ­ markable energy and political predilec ­ tions have propelled him into various fields. He has been chairman of the Gov ­ ernment of India ’s national savings reor- 82 J 84 Parsiana August 1992himself! Taleyarkhan ’s education in Pan- 1 ( 1 1 1 - AIDS and on keeping the community united and within the mainstream of na ­ tional life,eschewing petty-mindedness. 1 “We must find more points of agree- : ment. We have got to keep the commu- i nity together, ” believes the workaholic, ganization commission, all of whose rec ­ ommendations were accepted and duly implemented by the late Indira Gandhi, chgani, Poona and London (King ’s Col- he notes. As chairman of the Maharash ­ tra State Financial Corporation he saw to it that small scale industries were as ­ sisted by expeditious clearance of their is proud of his lineage: His paternal and to that end sees a single calendar for applications for bank loans. In promotion grandfather Hormusji was the first Indian of business, trade, industry, energy con- principal of an English school, the Pro- servation, environment, tourism and a host of other fronts Taleyarkhan has found the time to participate. His pub- lege and Lincoln ’s Inn) was interrupted when his parents sought his return on the outbreak of World War IL Taleyarkhan “We must find more points of agreement. We have got to keep the community together” the Zoroastrians as an end worth seeking. Taleyarkhan would like to see obso- prietory and Fort High School at Gowalia lete trust deeds changed through cy pres Tank, he recalls. Father Jehangir was oc- petitions. Another source of funds, ac- cupied on the stock exchange while his cording to him, could be the sale of de ­ mother Tehmina was “a great social funct dokhma lands, the proceeds being worker. They were the finest and most used for housing, health and education, loving parents one could have had, ” add ­ ing fondly, “and the finest and most lov ­ ing wife ” referring to Thrity (nee Li- chmore) who was awarded the Padma Shri in 1965 for her sustained contribu ­ tion to organizing and promoting the Parsis continue to receive the respect of handicrafts of India. The loss of their other communities motivated Taleyar- only child Firdauz —a lawyer of stand ­ ing on the Bombay Bar and a dedicated mountaineer who sustained a fatal fall in the Garhwal Mountains last year close on the heels of the assassination of Rajiv Parliament House two years ago. Earlier Gandhi — created a chasm in the this year he was involved in the 400th Taleyarkhans ’ lives. anniversary celebrations of Dastur Instead of dwelling upon the tragedy Meherjirana who is credited with having that was, Taleyarkhan has chosen to Citing Swami Vivekananda Taleyar ­ khan is keen that Zoroastrianism is sepa ­ rately listed as a major religion in the na ­ tional census and not mixed up with “others. ” The desire to ensure that the khan to get then Vice President Dr Shanker Dayal Sharma to unveil the por ­ trait of Mme Bhicaiji Cama in the pres ­ ence of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in created a chasm in the lished books and articles cover such sub ­ jects as The Importance of National Inte­ gration and Communal Harmony (where commemorate Firdauz by initiating sev- his model is the Parsi community), the promotion of tourism in India, Environ­ ment and Foresty in Economic Develop- and donating his precious law library to ment, Conservation of Energy, I have it the Bombay High Court. The Bombay understanding between the BPP, the Fed- from Gandhiji and more. Loathe to miss a single meeting of the junction of Gamadia Road and Warden Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anju ­ mans of India, Taleyarkhan finds himself ________ _________, the repository of problems that need his needy, as notes his father. Taleyarkhan spends cagily. “In any case I’m giving political connections — in preserving or now concentrates his thoughts on social .................. ... - freeing encroached Zoroastrian proper- problems — on drug awareness and ties, immigration problems, helping w*® young Zoroastrians with high marks to ¦ 5. — gain admission to medical and engineer- ‘ ing colleges that are foreclosed to them as the rising level of reservation has made competition for open seats increas ­ ingly tough and out of reach. Taleyar ­ khan was instrumental in getting a proper road made from Udvada Station to the town and in getting the Gujarat Mail to stop at Udvada every day to facilitate Zoroastrian pilgrims to the Iranshah. Im­ patient but genial, Taleyarkhan has used his personal contacts to help the youth, often going out of his way to share the joys of nature and of animals with kin ­ dred souls 50 to 60 years younger than convinced Emperor Akbar of the, purity of the Zoroastrian faith and for having eral projects in the field of helping young pioneered the study of comparative reli- lawyers, training young mountaineers. gions. “Very keen that (there be) complete * Taleyarkhan with mother Tehmina to his right and wife Thrity to his left after being elected Municipal Corporator in 1948 86 Parsiana August 1992 Municipal Corporation •has named the eration and the WZO” it has been ru ­ mored of Taleyarkhan that he is inter ­ ested in the trusteeship of the BPP. “That ’s what I have heard too, ” he re ­ Road as Firdauz Taleyarkhan Chowk in view of his services to the poor and the all help to the community whether I am in the Punchayet or not... ” w ¦PROFESSIONS From spades to spoons Homi Rogers Katy Dalal was happily immersed in archeological ruins until eye problems accidentally led her to a new career in catering Over a quarter of a century ago, Ms Katy Darab Kutar, a mobed at the neighboring him personally, or had enjoyed long Feroze Dalal ’s career lay in ruins. And agiary. “He was a sage, ” Dalal recalls sessions with his shrink! “But what I say far from being devastated by this, the reverentially, “and looked like one of our is history recorded in the many texts, ” lady was smugly pleased. Suiprised? ancient priests... as if he had just stepped stresses Dalal, reputedly an authority Not if you consider that Dalal was then out of a Persian mythological book. ” on the Achaemenians, the dynasty that India ’s up-and-coming archeologist. Dalal, then Frenchman (“bet you ruled Persia when Alexander defeated Today, some two de ­ cades later, Dalal ’s voca ­ tion has changed. Ruins (archeological) been forsaken rahnnis (kitchens); relics have given way to reci ­ pes. Like a leitmotiv, pots and pans still figure in her life as Dalal takes on a new — and equally successful — avatar as the czarina of catering. Yes, the lady behind the blazing coal fires, add ­ ing just the right ingredi ­ ents to make the patra (sit-down dinner served on plantain, leaves) de ­ lectable at many a navjote and lagan in Bombay, is the same who faced scorch ­ ing sun and sleeting cold 30 summers ago, discovering in the heart of the Thar wouldn ’t have guessed my maiden sur- desert a civilization older than the Indus Valley. Bom on New Year ’s day (January 1, 1942) in a middle-class household in Bandra, a suburb of Bombay, where Dalal recalls that a mango grove shel ­ tered their cottage, she took to history like a fish to water. “There is a stirring within you, ” Dalal says with a sparkle in her eyes, “that sets the pace of your life, right from early age. ” And something speaks of Alexander, the man who de- within her was always propelling her, she " ~ claims, to know the past. Her natural passion for history was fanned, “as fate would have it, ” by Ervad out of a Persian mythological book. ” Dalal, have for Photo: Homyar Mistry, Homz Prints Darius III. By now it would seem that Dalal ’s course had been charted for her: the past interested her enough for her to make it her future. But her ship almost floundered, for pecuniary reasons. Her father Nariman, a clerk at the Claridges ’ printing press, could not have borne the strain of educating two sons and a daughter on his meager resources. But, at a time when Dalal may have had to give up her stud ­ ies, history came to her rescue: she obtained the highest marks in World History at the inter arts examination of the Bombay University, bagging, in the process, the Wordsworth Prize and Scholarship. The rest, as they say, is his- name, ” she chuckles), attended the pre- navjoie discourses by the learned priest, tory. and continued to be fascinated by him af ­ ter her initiation ceremony as he retold tute for her graduation; and under the tales from the past to his rapt young audi ­ ence, peppering them with his ready wit. "He brought to life Alexander, the pleted her BA two years later, in 1962, Macedonian king who ruled practically majoring in Ancient Indian Culture. half the world, ” claims Dalal. In turn, Dalal, with a sneaking admiration. Young Dalal joined the Heras Insti- eagle eye of Fr John Correa-Afonso, a figure of repute in history circles, com- The journey from Bombay to Pune is just 192 km, but for young Dalal it seemed aeons away. Spurred by her suc- feated Zoroastrian kings and reportedly cesses, and the growing realization that burnt our ancient scriptures in the royal her dreams of making a career in history library “at the behest of his mistress. ” She talks of him as if she had known were becoming a reality, she stepped back in time to do her masters in archeol- 89 Parsiana August 1992nize fragments and fossils. But Dalal | , ’ » saw the cruel side of life. Though j always clad in a sari (“I would wear slacks underneath for comfort, ”) the The lecture set Dalal off to discover ­ ing a civilization that predated the Indus also Valley civilization, celebrated for its sites at Mohenjo-daro and Harappa. ------- Three explorations were carried out by young Dalal would be mistaken for a ___ ________ her in Bikaner. In between she got mar- of Pre-History, respectively, ried and found in her husband, Feroze, an officer in the merchant navy, a true part ­ ner and supporter of her work. Feroze not only took an interest in archeology, he even 1____ the lure of this profession, thought to be ogy at the only university then oftering postgraduation studies in the subject: Pune ’s Deccan College. Here Dalal trained under two brilliant men. Prof H. D. Sankalia and Dr V. N. Misra, who were then the director and head of de ­ partment t Today, her eldest son Kurush pursues a career in archeology at the same vener ­ able institute where in 1964 his mother had received a first class first in her mas ­ ter ’s degree. By now, Dalal had considerable ‘digs ’ to her credit. She had explored the Har- appan site of Rojadi in Saurashtra, the „ . historic site of Dwarka, and seen most of the ASI, but the cost ofj.he expedition is the explored material housed in Gujarat ’s museums. But, as it had happened to her on other occasions, it was a chance event barring a that altered her life considerably. Amalanda Ghosh, the then director gen ­ eral of the Archaelogical Survey India (ASI) read a paper at the C^WllV^V O * iviv .....................—------- --------- - - - , Indus civilization ’s origins, extent and Her father, enthused by his^daughter s tions, and came up trumps, with the luck woman of easy virtue. Laborers engaged for digging would occasionally try to ex ­ ploit her. Dalal also witnessed the many miseries of a caste-ridden and male- dominated society, and the strange ail- ' lOOK an iiuercsi ui (uwituiugj, ----- „ financed her expeditions. For all ments that plagued the land. By then, she uit luit VI luio .uxvoiv.., claims, she had received the gift of being synonymous with treasure-hunts, no gold able to read the other person s mind, and or silver falls into the lap of an archeolo- gist. All treasure must be handed over to claims, she had received the gift of being would uncannily know what/whom to protect herself against. She had also be ­ come a kind of faith healer which won -uu „ Deccan discovering the mysteries ot an ancient College ’s Proto-history seminar on “The civilization, Dalal explored life itself. Indus civilization ’s origins, extent and Her father, enthused by his daughter s chronology. ” He refened to a place work, accompanied her on a few expedi- called Sothi, which he had discovered on the Drishadvati river in Bikaner. The pottery at Sothi, Ghosh felt, could joined her on a dig, and it must have perhaps offer an insight into the origin ’ *" of Harappa. borne by the digger. Dalal has usually her ample love from the simple vUlagers. explored sites from her own resources, „ I r - ¦; - " : month granted to her by the Sir Dorab Tala Trust for three years. In the following years, in addition to discovering lhe mysteries of an ancient les iruiii iici uwii iCavuivCS, In 1967 she weathered the cold wave. Fellowship of Rs 350 per unsurpassed in the past 50 years, that -• - • swept the Great Indian Desert, causing temperatures to drop way below normal and thunderstorms to rage... But it was more bitter for her to face the antipathy of some of her peers who rejected her claim of having unearthed a civilization predating the most ancient civilization uuiio ___ _______ known so far. H^e again her husband of a beginner. Her father-in-law, too, was a pillar of strength. She sailed with -ie.> - ___ - ' him to England, where they met Sir Mor- been amusing to see two old men, shovel timer Wheeler, the universally acclaimed in hand, digging up a mound to scruti- < archeologist. Wheeler encouraged Dalal MATRIMONIAL MATRIMONIAL Matrimonial correspondence invited from a Parsi/Irani Zoroastrian girl, aged 24-27, of homely nature and of good family background by Irani Zoroastrian parents for their son aged 29, 155 cm tall, of medium build, settled in Australia and employed in a secured Govt job of a computer operator. Please reply with details and preferably a photograph (returnable) to: Parents of a double graduate, tall, fair, good-looking, good-natured daughter, 25 years, working as a high school teacher and interested in literature, art and music, invite correspondence from suitable well-settled Parsi boys up to 31 years. Apply with full details to; MATRIMONIAL Parsi lady, 40 (young looking), trim, elegant, writer, participator in civic and social issues, invites correspondence from established, mature, cultured gentlemen up to 55 years. Contact: The Advertiser Parsiana Matrimonial (Aug/24-92) GPO Box 892, Bombay 400001 MATRIMONIAL The Advertiser Parsiana Matrimonial (Aug/29-92) GPO Box 892 Bombay 400001 The Advertiser Parsiana Matrimonial (Aug/30-92) GPO Box 892 Bombay 400001 Alliance invited for fair, good-looking, medium-built, Parsi girl, aged 24, 5'6", honours graduate. Please reply with photograph (returnable) to: The Advertiser Parsiana Matrimonial (Aug/25-92) GPO Box 892 Bombay 400001 90 Parsiana August 1992 Iin her research and was very keen that she excavate sites in Rajasthan. In 1972 Dalal published her thesis on pre-historic people than of many* others at the Col- pottery along the lost Saraswati river, - - - and dedicated it to Wheeler ’s and Sir Aurel Stein ’s memory. The explorations entrance charge for hearing other speak ­ in Bikaner and Bahawalpur, so close to the Indo-Pak border (“we could see the Pakistani soldiers guarding their posts ”), were confirmed as the first sites where matenal earlier than the pre-Harappan period had been found. Its publication led to Dr Rafique Mughal, of Pakistan ’s Department of Archaeology, writing to Dalal to inform her that the pottery un ­ earthed by her was equivalent to finds in Hakraware in Pakistan, dating back to approximately fourth millennium BC. For soldiers of the past, both Dalal Congress held under the auspices of the <-- - • ¦ K. R. Cama Oriental Institute in January patia,” she proclaims, agreeing to share her recipe with Parsiana riders for Navroze. “It ’s interesting, though, ” says delegates with her excellent daily Dalal when her daughter Freny, mock ­ ingly teases her for giving away a ‘trade secret,' ' trian College. ' Dalal with justifiable pride, “attract more “My lectures, ” claims with enough time on her hands to indulge in her hobby of baking puddings and cakes and preparing traditional Parsi lege. One reason for this could be the food. In the spirit of Parsi camaraderie, she helped out a few friends when their cook was away or a celebration called for, before seriously contemplating send ­ ing out tiffins for a fee. Dalal ’s palate ticklers soon had their fans. Her cuisine brought new savor to the food at Masons ’ Club and to the dhansak at Ripon ’s. The Princess Victoria Memorial (PVM) Gymkhana gourmets, too, were left ask ­ ing for more. The successes, though, were short-lived, as Dalal, embroiled in some unsavory controversies, quit PVM fact that while Master-Moos levies an No gold or silver falls into the lap of an archeologist ers, Dalal ’s lectures — at the archeolo- ; , 1. 2 gist ’s own insistence — are free. She and Ripon Club, and decided to do it on was also a speaker at the International and son Kurush predict a bright future. “There is so much yet to discover in a culturally rich country like India, that the plaudits on the podium, she charmed the avenues are endless, ” says Kurush, echo ­ ing his mother ’s thoughts. Like Dalal, who lectures at Bombay ’s St Xavier's College, Kurush is considering teaching, and hopes to do further research abroad, fatefully. On a trip abroad^with her hus- 1989, an event where, besides winning her own. “My favorite is prawn and pomfret lunches. Cooking has also been Dalal ’s forte, secret, ’ “how the same recipe can be in- And her career in catering came about terpreted so differently. I once tasted " ' . " \ dhansak at a cooking contest, and all the Dalal now no longer goes on ‘digs, ’ but band in 1978, she complained of an eye five entries tasted sri^ dif ferpint ” ! For Dalal, life has been sweet as-well continues to contribute papers to journals problem. The visual impairment had the _ . „ couple cut their trip short. Cautioned as pungent. But she has blended the in- ------------- gredients right and therein lies the recipe ment, Dalal found herself housebound, of her success. and lectures regularly on interesting fac- < ' ’ ' ets of architecture and scripture at the Dr against undue strain and constant move- (Ms) Meher Master-Moos-run Zoroas- 4 TheW hardworking office furniture from Steelage rn? n § co g I (0 O is here What used to be exclusively manufactured for leading banks, now comes to add efficiency to your office. Steelage range of office furniture. Steelage chairs and tables in various models and Servall steel cupboards. n Q a I 93 Parsiana August 1992 S Steelage Industries Bombay New Delhi Madras Calcutta Bangalore I MMiag. Hyderabad Bhopal Lucknow Jaipur Bhubaneswar Ltd.salt only if necessary as the pomfret and beaten eggs two or three at a time, and prawns are already salted. Add cherry fry in hot oil till golden brown. Serve tomatoes. Cut the brinjals into four pieces. Re ­ tain the stalk. Place in salted water. Cut PARSI BHARUCHI AKOORI the capsicums into slices. Heat the re- (serves 4-8) fined oil in a frying pan or kadai. Fry the Eggs (12) baby brinjals and allow the oil to drain Milk (!6-l cup) on a plate. Put the capsicum slices in the Onions (5 — sliCed finely) same pan and remove immediately from Coriander (3 tbsp — chopped) - the oil. Boil the drumsticks in salted wa- Green chillies (1 tsp — chopped finely) ter and set aside. Chop the coriander. “ Serve the patia by placing it on a flat chopped) dish. Decorate it with the fried baby Ginger-garlic (16 tsp — ground paste) brinjals, capsicum, drumsticks and cori- Black pepper (16 tsp — ground) ander. Serve with hot parathas or yellow Raisins (16 cup — fried) Parsi dal and white rice. Almonds ('>6 cup — sliced and fried) Pistachios (’4 cup — sliced and fried) Salt (to taste) Oil for frying Place oil in a kadai. Deep fry the sliced onions till golden brown. Place toma ­ toes, green chillies, ginger-garlic paste and black pepper powder in a heavy bot ­ tomed pan. Add 4 tbsp of oil from the with potato chips and a green salad. Tomatoes (2 — skinned, de-seeded and PRAWN AND POMFRET PATIA (serves 6-8) Prawns (1 large cup — deveined) Pomfret (8 slices) Coconuts (2 — grated) Kashmiri chillies(l 5-20) Cumin seeds (2 tbsp) Dhana-jeera masala (1 tbsp) Garlic (1 large pod) Mustard seeds (16 tsp) Black peppercorns (1 tsp) Vinegar (16 cup) Jaggery ('4-16 cup) Onions (4 large — chopped) Curry leaves (2 stems) Coriander (1 bunch) Tomatoes (4 large — finely chopped) Cherry tomatoes (20) Drumsticks (6 — cleaned and cut into 3- CHICKEN FARCHAS inch pieces) Baby brinjds (10) Chillies (4 — de-seeded and split) Capsicums (2 — sliced) Til oil (116 cup) Refined groundnut oil (1 cup) Salt (to taste) Take a large flat bottomed vessel. Wash tsp — ground) pomfret and prawns separately, salt and Green chillies (2 — slit) set aside. Grind coconut, garlic, Ka- Coriander (1 tbsp — chopped) shmiri chillies, cumin seeds, mustard Celery (some leaves or !6 a stalk) seeds and peppercorns with the vinegar Breadcrumbs (1 cup) on a grinding stone or in a mixie. Put the Eggs (4-6) til oil and curry leaves in the vessel and Oil for frying allow the leaves to crackle. ..................................... chopped tomatoes, the ground masala, salt and ginger-garlic paste. Coat it with split chillies and the dhana-jeera masala to the pan and cook over gentle heat. When a tantalizing aroma arises out of the chicken in a heavy bottomed pan _ . ; over a low fire and allow to simmer till the flesh is soft and tender. Coat the chicken pieces with the bread crumbs. Place oil and jam as a breakfast item or with rotis in a kadai on high heat. Beat 4 of the eggs. Dip the chicken pieces in the (serves 4-8) Chicken (8 pieces) Salt (to taste) Ginger-garlic (l'/6 tsp — ground paste) Kashmiri chilly powder (2-3 tsp) Turmeric powder (116 tsp) Cinnamon, clove and black pepper (116 kadai in which the -onions were fried. Cook on a slow fire till the tomatoes are soft. Add salt to taste and half the cori ­ ander. Beat the eggs well and add 16 cup milk or more as required. Add the beaten egg mixture with the fried onions to the cooked tomato mixture along with Add Wash the chicken and marinate it with half the raisins, almonds and pistachios. Stir the pan vigorously with a slotted spoon till the mixture becomes fu ’m and the masala add the prawns and cook along with 1 cup of water. Place them over a slow fire. Add 2 cups of wa ­ ter. When the prawns are cooked add the fish and jaggery. Roll the dish from side to side by holding the vessel with 2 cloth pieces. Do not stir with a spoon. Add the chilly, turmeric and 3 spice powders. Allow to stand for half an hour. Place pulpy like yoghurt. It should not be al ­ lowed to dry up. Quickly transfer onto serving dish and decorate with the remaining raisins, nuts and coriander. Serve with buttered toast 94 Parsiana August 1992 or parathas for lunch or dinner. coniinued on page 98 Ibr- EVENTS AND PERSONALITIES continued from page 24 Zend: the sharp shooter JRD’s ready wit A scaled down version of the Tata Estate (the pride of the Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company) crafted in wood, was to be presented to J. R. D. Tata at the Company ’s annual general meeting this bassy was no help at all, ” year. But just as the model of the automo ­ bile was being handed over to JRD, one of the wheels came off to the embarrass ­ ment of the organizers. “I hope this model comes with a warranty period, ” was JRD’s spontaneous remark that saved the day, reports the Indian Express had accompanied him only three months of August 24, 1992. prior to the dismissal order. But luckily for Chichgar, Shehernawaz had proceed ­ ed on leave without pay instead of re ­ signing from the State Bank of India. On their return to Bombay it was her income that supported the family in the course of the troubled months during which turned to Bombay in early May. Being an Islamic country, the decision could not be challenged in any court of law for the only courts that exist there are Islamic courts. “Even the Indian em- notes Chichgar. The only consolation for him was that his company intervened with the ikanama office that controls work per ­ mits and granted him an extended stay so that his children ’s academic year would not be disturbed. The Afternoon reports. His wife Shehernawaz and children “You have to leave! ” That particular morning when he re ­ ported to work, Rohinton Chichgar was summarily informed that his services had been terminated. After working as a shift manager for an oil refinery in Al Jubair Chichgar was unemployed. “If the Saudi Arabians do not want Parsis in their country, why do they grant them visas in the first place? ” questioned Shehernawaz who recounted how her hus ­ band had felt Qbliged to report for work just before the start of the Gulf War “be ­ cause his company needed hirh... His oil refinery is so close to the air field base... there was tremendous risk to his life. ” The Chichgars have one piece of ad ­ vice for all the Parsi emigrants to Saudi Arabia: “Don ’t tell them that you are a Parsi. And if you are proud of your reli ­ gion and do not want to hide it, don ’t ap ­ in Saudi Arabia for eight years, Chichgar was shattered when he with his family were asked to leave Saudi Arabia within a month ’s time. The reason cited for his dismissal was his religion, Zoroastrian ­ ism. This story has been recounted in The Afternoon Despatch and Courier of July 6, 1992. “Why they are against the Parsis, no one will tell us. We were only told that people belonging to (our) religion are not allowed to work in Saudi Arabia... Nine times out of 10, they do not even tell you why they are terminating your contract. ing rifle) commonly used by the earned three gold in team events and the other medals in individual events. “Parsis are basically good marks- , „ . ___________ ____ _ ...„^ men, ” believes the champion shooter You are just asked to leave^and you have ply for a job in Saudi Arabia. ”’ who would like to see a greater number to leave, ” points out Chichgar who re- continued on page 100 of young Parsis opting for this sport. He himself is a regular visitor at the Worli Shehernawaz and Rohinton Chichgar: not allowed to work in Saudi Arabia Rifle Range. For several months prior to a shooting competition, Zend puts in a couple of hours ’ practice daily in the early mornings. There are three-four other Parsi boys too who seriously pursue this sport at the Range. The rest just come to while away their time during the holidays, remarks Zend. According to the marksman, shooting is “not a costly sport. ” The Range pro ­ vides the newcomer with a pistol and the guide ’s fees are nominal. One has only to pay for the pellets, informs Zend who of ­ fers to assist anyone interested in this sport. A wine dealer by profession, Zend ’s love for the sport started out as a hobby during his childhood. His father used to take him hiking to Khandala and Lonavla where they practised shooting with a .177 air rifle whilst ensuring that never an innocent life was lost, he reminisces. army. to leave, ” points out Chichgar who re- 96 Parsiana August 1992The 1992 BPP ELECTIONS... continued from page 36 days (October 30 and 31) at two centers and not on five days at five centers as earlier planned. “Getting five Parsis to agree on anything him, the person that the Khareghat Col- is hard enough; getting 79 to agree is im- ony group will vote for as trustee must be possible, ” Patel says as he explains why mature and yet not too old, of social stat- the group decided against contesting the ure, qualified, rational and with time full slate — 79 — at Khareghat Colony, enough to devote to the task. No, they do When it started organizing itself after the new scheme of the Anjuman Committee had been announced, the group originally not have anyone who fits the bill or whom they propose to put up as their candidate. “When the time comes, we will meet all the (trustee) candidates and vote for the person we think is best suited work. Patel points out that all the mem ­ bers of the group are well settled and re- Khareghat Colony activists While the different interest groups within the Parsi community seek to contest and envisaged was smaller. However, they win the largest number of seats in the expanded to accommodate a few more forthcoming Anjuman Committee elec- people who expressed interest in their for the job. ” tions, a small group of Khareghat Colony residents aim to contest only 25 seats. Petrasp Patel, noted tax consultant and spected members of the community. He one of the guiding lights of the group, agrees that 25 votes may not be much in an Anjuman Committee of 802 elected members and an equal number of donors, but in a close contest it could influence the outcome. llie important point according to trusts they manage have firm bindings Patel is that to have meaningful leverage the 25 must vote as a bloc and it is for this reason they limited their numbers. Patel is muted on his campaign plat ­ form as he does not want to be drawn into controversies, be it housing, religion, also takes pains to clarify that he is only the election system or whatever. Neither one of many who have contributed to it. does he see the need to link the election Patel believes that the future of the of trustees with the localized problems of community depends on the trustees who Khareghat Colony. “We do not want to are elected to the BPP. “The trustees ’ confuse the election of trustees with the job is not an easy one ” says Patel. “The problems of Khareghat Colony. We do not expect the trustee we vote for to feel and they must work within these bind- obliged to us. We will do our duty and ings. It ’seasy to make problems, but dif- elect the best man. Let them do their ficult to deliver, ” he adds. According to duty and do the best job, ” says Patel. DOORS CLOSED TO DARIUS Meher at Delhi since 1987. Although non- have a cosmopolitan membership of the continued from page 78 Parsi spouses of Parsi Zoroastrians could Anjuman, enfry into Dar-e-Meher and Mrs Rati Puz Surti become members of our Anjuman since Dear Mrs Puz Surti 1987, it was only on September 8, ’91 that Your letter dated August 25, 1991 has the annual general meeting of the Anju- been with me for some time and I do apologize for'delay in replying. The de ­ lay has been intentional as you will un ­ derstand from the subsequent paragraphs. I had also received your letter dated July 19,1991 addressed to me in my personal capacity which too was not replied as we were in the process of making some changes in our rules. Any Zoroastrian who has had his or her navjote performed is permitted entry ship privileges, into the Kaikhushru Pallonji Dar-e- burial facilities are open only to Parsi Zoroastrians who have had their navjote ceremony performed. I will also like to man has permitted children of mixed point out that the board of trustees of marriages to become members of the each anjuman have to frame their rules Anjuman provided they have had their and regulations in accordance with the navjote performed. Their spouses, in turn, can also become members of the Anjuman. It may please be noted that under our ship of the Anjuman. rules, non-Parsi spouses cannot make use of religious facilities, viz. agiary and ar- amgah, nor can they become trustees, but otherwise they enjoy all other member- trust deeds they administer, and the gen ­ eral consensus of the overall member ­ I trust you will appreciate the delay in my replying. With best wishes Yours sincerely You will thus see that whereas we Lt Gen (Retd) A. M. SETHNA President, The Delhi Pars! Anjuman October 16, 1991 4 de-seeded, FROM SPADES TO SPOONS continued from page 94 LAGAN SARA ISTEW (serves 4-8) Tomatoes (I-P/2 kg — 1 skinned and chopped) chopped) Onions (4-6 large — finely chopped) Currants (1 cup — washed and cleaned) Sweet potatoes (’/i kg — washed and Vinegar (16 cup) cubed) Sugar Q/2 cup) Red pumpkin (’/? kg — washed and Salt (to taste) cubed) Oil for cooking and frying Sooran (yam) (V2 kg — washed and Soak the double beans overnight. The cubed) next day rinse and cook in a pressure Bhendi (okra) {V2 kg — washed and cut cooker along with salt and tsp turmeric into 1/4" slices) powder. When cooked, strain off the water. Carrots (V2 kg — washed and cubed) Take a large kadai half filled with re- Double beans Q/2 kg) fined oil. Place on the stove over a high Turmeric powder (V2 tsp) flame. Salt all the vegetables lightly and cooked vegetables. Stir and Ginger-garlic (1 tbsp — ground paste) Chilly powder (1 tbsp) Cinnamon, clove, black pepper powder other flat vessel. (1 tbsp) Take a heavy bottomed pan. Place the Dates (1 cup — washed, stoned and chopped onions along with V2 cup left over oil and cook over a low flame. When the onions have become soft and golden pink in color, add the tomatoes, spice powders and dry fruits and allow to cook till soft. Add 1/2 cup of water or more as required and the fried vegetables and double beans. Shake the vessel from side to side. Mix the vinegar and sugar, using as much vinegar as you desire. If you don ’t want to use ’/2 a cup, use less. Mix well till the sugar has melted. Pour over the serve. fry each vegetable separately in small lots and set aside in a large thala or any 98 Parsiana August 1992EVENTS AND PERSONALITIES continued from page 96 Personnel advancement He writes papers on the subject of per ­ sonnel management and industrial rela ­ tions. He conducts workshops and semi ­ also been included on the state level committee of the Workers Education Centre, constituted by the government of Madhya Pradesh. Indore born Pavri is a graduate in science and law with a postgraduate de ­ gree in personnel management. He is presently the president of the Bhopal Parsi Anjuman and also serves as joint sec ­ retary of the Rotary Club, Bhopal South, the release adds. SPOTLIGHT India ’s ace yachtsmen Lt Farokh Tarapore and Kelly Rao have nominated for the Rajiv Khel Ratna award ace been insti ­ tuted by the union ministry of sports, reports The Times of India of August 12, 1992. The selection committee com- nars in his line of specia ­ lization. His 20 years of ac ­ tive participation in this field has earned Dara Pavri a corporate membership of the London based Institute of Personnel Management, informs a press release. A personnel and admi ­ nistrative manager cum fac ­ tory manager with Permali Wallace Limited, Bhopal, Pavri is a life member of the National Institute of Personnel Manage ­ ment, Calcutta and has been elected hon ­ orary secretary of the Indian Society for Training and Development, Bhopal prised Ramanathan Krishnan, Prakash chapter. He has been included on various com ­ mittees constituted by the Madhya Kumar. Pradesh Chamber of Commerce and In ­ dustry and the Confederation of Indian Industry. The personnel manager has Padukone, Prasun Bannerjee, Man- soor Ali Khan Pataudi and Ashwini Compiled by Roxana A. Mirza Always remember TflTfl BRTR KHRMBRTn Ketayun & Bomi 22/A, Wellington Terrace, Wellington Street, Bombay-400002. Tel. No. 2069636. Buying Old Collections Old English Cinema Stars ’ Photos, Post Cards, Books, Herald ’s (colour pictures). Posters, Cigarette Cards, Boxes, Copper, Silver Coins, Medals , S tamps , Covers , Bank Notes, Picture Post Cards, Album Collec ­ tions, etc. Good price paid. Please write to: The Advertiser (Collections) Parsiana GPO Box 892 Bombay 400001 ZORO GARMENTS PVT LTD (An BigiMe Export House Recognised by the Govt, of India) Manufacturers and Exporters of Readymade Garments, Made-Ups & Fabrics Address; C-3, Industrial Estate, Ambattur, Madras 600058 Phone; 652416/652497 Telex; 4122059 ZORO IN Fax; (91) 44-6257789 too Parsiana August 1992 ij 1 : 1 LI ’ .¦a,.:PROFESSIONS A cut above the rest Gustasp Irani A preoccupation with hair has led Jehanbux Mogul into the upper crust of professional beauticians IB “I want to cut your hair. ” I What made the impulsive I statement truly startling was i that it came from a tailor | who had never cut hair be ­ fore. But his friend was will ­ ing to take the risk; at worst he would shave himself bald, at best he would col ­ lect Rs 20 from his parents for the free haircut. He col ­ lected Rs 20. if * time client submits her hair to his ministrations. Mogul runs his fingers through the mane, assessing it. “Split ends, ” he declares and ad ­ vises her on the right meth ­ ods of shampooing and car ­ ing for her hair. He would 5, "W like it to go short, he says. * S She is hesitant and Suggests — ** Mogul explains what he proposes to do — give her an A line cut. Then he starts his work; combing out her hair and snipping; curling strands around his sensitive fin ­ gers and snipping. The movements are fluid, the comb and scissors orchestrating the emerging desigij. And when it is fi- keeps him busy through the week in the nally over the girl looks at her mirror self _— ---------------------------- ¦ and sighs — in relief and appreciation. pre- ¦ h Jehanbux Mogul, 37, currently one of home he grew up in Bombay. “She has Bombay s leading hairstylists, both for an open mind and has always been very men and women, recalls the day, about supportive. ‘If you like it then I like it, ’ 15 years ago, when he gave his first hair ­ cut to his intrepid friend Kersi Mistry. “I owe a lot to him, ” confesses Mogul, who recognizes that one instance as the turn ­ ing point which led to his switching ca ­ reers from snipping cloth to snipping hair. Mistry aside, Mogul was his own first personally cleaning up after each client, guinea pig. “Even as a child I loved han- ¦ y_______ dling hair. At home I would be ever day long and you don ’t get combing people ’s hair; at school advis ­ ing friends on hairstyles and I would do weird things to my own locks. Once I had them permed into tight curls and on another occasion dyed them a flaming flowing. red, ” says a soft-spoken Mogul with a soft smile playing on his gentle features. she would say, ” Mogul recalls. Today Mogul ’s fan club is extensive: it includes both sexes and all ages and little saloon he has established at his resi- i ' 'J “ / _ dence at Grant Road. Here he works with Mogul later explains he woulThave ferred to have gone shorter but... But hairstyling is more than just cut ­ ting hair — it ’s part human relations. A beautician, Mogul explains, has to be tuned in to his client ’s sensibilities and more so when it comes to hair. “Hair is the only thing you can change overnight. You can ’t do anything drastic with your other features — unless you are Michael Jackson, ” says Mogul, who for this rea ­ son sees hair as the most significant as ­ pect of beauty. But he clarifies; “A change in hairstyle is not going to change your per ­ sonality or identity. What I aim to do is uncomplicated efficiency and neatness. “It ’s hard work. You are on your feet all „ t a moment to sit down and rest, ” says Mogul. But no matter how tired Mogul may be, the moment a client with untamed hair walk.s in, his creative juices start Anyone who comes to me with wild, unstyled hair I find challeng ­ ing, ” says Mogul. But he is the first to Most people around Mogul were taken admit that the chances are he will have to compromise on the cut he will eventually give. We watch such an encounter as a firsi- aback by his obsession, some were an ­ noyed and literally saw red, but not his grandmother Dinamai Aspar at whose 102 Parsiana August 1992down if that entails Mogul visiting the residence of his clients. But there are many who value Mogul s pampering of their hair to endure his inflexibility. Though Mogul is happy doing his own thing, he is not insensitive to his roots. He is acutely aware that he is partly responsible for a break with an old Parsi Zoroastrian tradition. His father, now 71, is the last in the line of one of the nine priestly families that have cared for the Udvada Iranshah fire. After him not eet'to see all my childhood madness there will be no one to t^e over. “My and obsessTn wi7 hair, ” says Mogul, paternal uncle is in Karachi and his chi - But once the father came to learn of it, he dren have no plans to come to Udva^. protested against hairstyling as a possible And I am not even a Jiayar. er y pruicbicu 6 7 Udvada ther there will be only eight pnesUy cuS ’ hair? Nor So Mogul famil^s left in Udvada (to tend to the to Straight flowing hair, ’ he observes. As Mogul looks back on his career he observes that he did not encounter any problems as a male straying into the fe ­ male world of hairstyling. “I was not the first man to enter the field. And I still do men ’s hair even though most of my clients today are women, ” he clarifies. If at all he encountered problems it was because of his circumstances as the son of an Udvada mobed. “Dad was a priest in Udvada so he did highlight the plus points. ” When decid ­ ing on a hairstyle, Mogul ’s starting point is the shape of his client ’s face; it could be oval, round, square, rectangular or whatever. “Not everyone can carry ev ­ ery style, though the oval-shaped face can carry most, ” he observes. Equally important is the client ’s im ­ age of herself and the kind of hair she would like to wear. An honest reaction helps Mogul in his task. It is not uncom ­ mon, after he has finished flashing his scissors, for a girl to say she had some ­ thing quite different in mind. For in ­ stance, a girl wanting to grow her hair: in such a case Mogul will give her a cut which will let her hair grow gracefully. y- “Sea" hTh sees fte sad decline of his fam- of split ends. Says Mogul: “1 don t f.nd l^in pX diSo “se aXz^- Uy Xsion as only the beginning of long hair particularly attractive. He School in Poona), d d a c collapse of a system that has barely finds short curls which are ‘tossy more apkar School of a g ,„„,ivpa the. nnslaueht of time. “Soon attractive and versatile to groom. Fifteen years ago when Mogul started styling hair, he found that Indians were cautious and preferred the standard U cut; that is, short in front and long be ­ hind. Today they are willing to try new styles and wear their hair shorter. - Hairstyling aside, part of Mogul ’s job side. At that point is advising his clients on hair care: how to brush and shampoo. “I may advise some to wash their hair bending over or tell them which kind of shampoos to use and when to switch. For instance in win ­ ter they might need an oily shampoo and in summer a dry one, ” says Mogul. Ac­ cording to him there are no standard tips on hair care; each case is distinctive. For instance Parsi hair; in all these years he has been unable to^^slo.haU into any Requests to style nair tor nas sta... ZtnToX, front threk fuTzy curls weddings and social functions are turned nto^^.. partly responsible for a break with an old of Wilson College (he had Iranshah). ” — ¦ Mogul sees the sad decline of his fam- the collapse of a system that has barely survived the onslaught of time. “Soon there will be only three or four families left in Udvada. The next time you go there just look around. You will not see young priests there, ” he observes. The reas(Si, according to Mogul, is form of retirement fund or exists for an aged apkar School of Tailoring and set up his own tailoring shop. Three years later came that eventful day when Mogul gave his first haircut. Soon other friends and relatives were en- scissors and for two years he ran his tai- own tailoring shop. Three years later came that eventful day when Mogul gave his first haircut. Soon other friends and relatives were en ­ trusting their hair to Mogul ’s comb and loring and haircutting operations side by obvious, no _ L I*** ---- would dedicate his career entirely to hair. His father, meanwhile, had come to terms with reality and did not protest any more. Even though Mogul ’s clients at the time had faith in his ability and crea- tivity, he attended a proper hairstyling don t course at Bandra before starting his new hunger.^ career. For all his adventurism Mogul likes to function on familiar grounds: he will cut hair only at his own saloon, even at the Requests to style hair for hasjtarted one This kind of awareness, as well as the exploration of new avenues, Mogul sees as a reflection of the resurgent spirit in the community. “Earlier I was distressed by the lack of ambition in Parsis. All they wanted was to become bank clerks. Now I find that things are changing. We are getting more interested in our reli ­ gion and more Parsis are venturing into new businesses and trades, ” says Mogul. Mogul himself is an example of this new resurgence in the community. Our forefathers were known for their re ­ sourcefulness and their ability to respond to an opportunity; there were Parsi car ­ penters, craftsmen and skilled tradesmen. Today there are Parsi beauticians and hairstylists. Mogul keeps alive the tradi ­ tion of enterprise. he decided that he financial security . mobed. “You can ’t blame the priests for not wanting their children to suffer as they did, ” says Mogul. And yes, th^' sight of some mobeds in Udvada begging is painful, but as Mogul says: “If they ’ ’t extend their hands, they will die of Recently there is a growing awareness of the plight of the Udvada mobeds in the community. Efforts are being made to help and trusts are being established. In fact, his cousin in Karachi such trust for the Udvada & 104 Parsiana August 1992 pHONt bis/400 81-27^0LAW Wedlock’s end: 5 K. C. Vajifdar While mental cruelty is increasingly recognized by the law courts, change of religion can no longer ensure divorce r was always telling his wife, “Don ’t be late and get ready soon, ” this was not held to be an act of mental cruelty; but when a husband goes on accusing his wife of having affairs with other men though not naming them, he was held guilty of inflicting mental cruelty. Repeated verbal onslaughts, either by lhe wife or husband, which disturb the frame of mind are considered mental cru ­ elly. Mental cruelty is a good ground for taking a divorce. Nowadays there is hardly physical cruelty but almost al ­ ways mental cruelty. Il is always judged by weighing the consequences of the ut ­ terances and the acts done by the hus ­ band or wife to determine whether they cause mental anguish. Mental cruelty is supposed to be of far more consequence than physical cruelty. Between a hus ­ band and wife usually there is no evi- What 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 chafing 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 preem­ inence as a legislation that was in keep­ ing with the spirit of the times. Legal personality K. C. Vajifdar analyses the main clauses of the PMDA for divorce under the amended PMDA. since its last amendment in 1988. In a series of six articles Vajifdar explains the changes that have been incorporated as tion of the court whether to grant a de- also the main heads under which either cree for divorce or judicial separation accept lhe version of a wife than that of a party to a marriage may apply for di- only. Thus, it is very clear that even husband, even though there is a law of vorce. In the ensuing article Vajifdar dis­ cusses changes in the law regarding Judi- lhe court to come to its own conclusion wife, whilst narrating such instances, cial separation and change of religion, and not grant divorce but mere judicial cries in a court of law and, bearing in In four earlier articles Vajifdar had ex­ plained impotency and non-consumma- tion of marriage, bigamy, desertion, adultery, etc. The last article will deal with alimony and the custody of children, tcred, lhe frame of mind is disturbed. The court, whilst considering this aspect. Under the Parsi Marriage and Divorce would bear in mind lhe fact that lhe acts Act (PMDA) any married person may or words are of such type which would sue for judicial separation on the ground really upset lhe other party. However, that the defendant has been guilty of such when a person is very sensitive and can ­ cruelty to him or her or their children or not lake anything spoken or accepted in has used such violence or has behaved in society in an ordinary manner, lhe same such a way as to render it, in the judge- would not be considered as mental cru- ment of the court, improper to compel elty. Thus in lhe case where a husband the plaintiff had been passed against the 106 Parsiana August 1992 K. J him or her to live with the defendant. Cruelly has now been made a ground dence of a third party. Thus all would depend upon lhe man­ ner in which lhe party deposes before the court of law whilst giving evidence. The courts are lenient and are more prone to However, in every suit for divorce on the ground of cruelly, ii is left to the discre- only. Thus, it is very clear that even _ though a Parsi may have filed a suit for equality between them and no differen- divorce on the ground of cruelty, it is for liaiion should be made. Almost always a lhe court to come to its own conclusion separation. Mental cruelty is proved when lhe court is of the opinion that by certain acts done by the party or certain words ut- mind human instincts, she tends to get a favorable verdict for herself either by convictio'h or sometimes by making a fuss about the same. In one case a woman broke down repeatedly whilst narrating the evidence and could not give a coherent answer in the cross examina ­ tion and yet the sympathy of the court was with the woman. Originally, under section 32(h) of the PMDA, a Parsi could get a divorce three years after an order for judicial separa ­ tion awarding separate maintenance todefendant. The amended Section 32(h) has reduced the period from three years to one year. should take place during that time. How ­ ever, if the parties resume cohabitatidn after a decree of judicial separation is passed, they would not be able to claim the relief granted under this section. What d^s resumption of cohabita- was filed within two years of the plaintiff the religion which he has adopted When tion mean.' becoming aware of the said fact. one party gets converted to a different In one very interesting case, a wife According to the changed law, simply faith and the religions of the husband and obtained judicial separation from her because a Zoroastrian has ceased to be a wife are different, the law which is appli- some time, she returned to her husband ’s house with the child. The husband al ­ lowed her to live in a part of the house. The husband and wife occupied separate parts of the house. Cooking was also done separately. It was agreed between the husband and the wife that the wife would pay a certain amount of rent which would be deducted from the main ­ tenance which was awarded to her. The ¦ court, in this case, held that cohabitation does not necessarily mean ___ , _____ should be sexual intercourse between the Zoroastrian parents. But, a wife would husband and wife. Cohabitation simply i._: __ _____ _______ means living together as husband and ground that her husband "docs wife. Thus, it is very clear that in order to get a decree of divorce after judicial when change of religion is proved that separation, there must be no resumption either party could get a divorce. ^0 the Constitution of In- in 48 Bombay Law Reporter 864 a may be living like complete strangers. dia, every individual has a right to Zoroastrian woman was married to an- It may be added here that nowadays change his religion at any time and at his other Zoroastrian according to Zoroas courts do allow the wife to remain in a own choice. A Hindu can become a trian rites Tlran X®w,fe subS ‘ Porhon of the premises belonging to the Muslim or a Christian. A Hindu or a quently converted herseif to the Islamic Muslim or a Christian who has changed faith and asked her husband to do the sible, separate entrances are given and as and when separate entrance is not pos ­ sible, the parties are called upon to stay together as strangers and have nothing to do with each other. The wife cannot be thrown out from the premises by physical force by the husband. The same prin ­ ciple applies whether it is a judicial sepa ­ ration or a divorce. No decree for divorce IS granted if a quired. Christianity also requires certain n.ereiy oecausc ^si has failed or neg ected to comply religious ceremonies to be performed for the Muslim faith with an order for maintenance passed ---------— against him under Section 40 of the Act, . or Section 488 of the Code of Criminal ________ . v...u.ugg imuu. aiiu lo ^tjedure 1898 OT Section 125 of the become a Muslim, a person has merely i Code of Criminal Procedure 1973. , Z ¦' The question is, should the husband and wife be forced to live with each other despite the fact that there are grave differences between them? In my opin- j ion, marriage laws should be made so i that long battles in court are avoided. The introduction of divorce by mutual consent is one of the best innovations made in the PMDA. No marital intercourse overdue. Until recently under Section 32(g) of reconverts to his own faith, the PMDA it was contemplated that any /" ’' __ ___ _ married person may sue for divorce on personal law also changes. After the ground that the defendant has ceased to be a Zoroastrian provided that the suit all the rights under the personal law of was filed within two years of the plaintiff ........................... becoming aware of the said fact. __ According to the changed law, simply faith and the religions of the husband and That advantage is especially for the pur- It had been long pose of marrying again. Once that pur ­ pose is achieved, a person almost always Along with the change of religion, the „ ¦ conver ­ sion to the new religion, the convert gets hu^ban^and^ started living apart. After Zoroastrian would be no ground for tak- -u . J.................... ing a divorce unless it is proved that a Zoroastrian has changed his religion by conversion. It is true that some Zoroastrians do not wear the sudreh or kusti and do not ac ­ cept the tenets of their religion. They never go to the fire-temples nor do they just nor right to hold that a marriag^was ; conver- cable for determining monetary transac ­ tion is also different. Another problem which arises is the question of matrimonial relief or dissolu ­ tion of marriage when one of the parties to the marriage gets converted. In some cases, it has been held that it is neither pray. Sometimes, they do not even call automatically dissolved by the Sion of one of the parties to the marriage to another religion. Once a person has married under a particular law, even if there is a change themselve.s “Parsis. ” However, they have not changed their religion. Such a per ­ son is an unbeliever of the Zoroastrian that there laith, although he may be born of 109 Parsiana August 1992 of religion, the fonder law is applicable. ---------------------.J a Muslim cannot marry another woman unless he divorces his first wife accord ­ ing to the Hindu Marriage Act. In a very important case of Robasa Khanum versus Khodadad Irani reported in 48 Bombay Law Reporter 864. a not abtejo get a divorce merely on the Thus, a Hindu who converts himself to Z ‘ ’---- 1 J_ 3 not wear the sudreh or kusti and does not call him ­ self a Zoroastrian anymore. It is only either party could get a divorce. According to the Constitution of In- faith and asked her husband to do the same. The husband refused to do so. As such, Robasa filed a suit against her hus ­ band in the High Court that it be declared that owing to her conversion to Islam, - , . her marriage with her husband stood dis- adoption of solved. The court held iTi this case that ............ ~ ' the law which must be complied with in law but the rule of justice, equity and good conscience. The court held that merely because Robasa had embraced , it did not dissolve the his religion can reconvert himself to his own religion. Zoroastrians, however, do not allow or admit conversion. What does conversion mean? Con ­ version means the voluntary relinquish- another religion after a formal ceremony f . ___ m as may be required by different religions this case was noTihe MusUir*pei^nd or communities. For conversion to the ¦ ¦ • • ~ • Hindu faith, a certain ceremony is re- conversion to their faith. Conversion to Islam docs not require any such cere ­ mony. In order to embrace Islam and to to believe in the fundamental articles of the faith. Now, conversion is of two kinds. The first kind is where a person wants to benefit by entering the kingdom of heaven according to his own belief. The other type of conversion is when a man wants to take advanuigc of the situation. marriage. It was held in another case that a Parsi who has changed his religion but has not been lawfully divorced from his wife remains bound to the provisions of the PMDA and cannot validly contract an ­ other marriage. Koover C. Vajifdar is an advocate of the Bombay High Court. He is a frequent contributor to the general Press on the implications of the Rent Act and the legal ramifications of marital problems. 1BOOKS ‘‘Action is the issue of religion Homi Rogers the soul of ox, and the soul of cow to the benefit of man? ’ Or the ‘ox-soul resigns itself... ’ But the Gathas are not laments of cattle, but of creation, of — as Sorab- terns of the prophet ’s mind. But, as Sod ­ erblom rightly puts it, “The language is archaic, obscure; the order of the words extremely intricate... The Gathas are composed in a complicated and sustained jee Kanga translates — meter... ” “The weeping world... It is this handicap that has beguiled. In war, confusion, plunder I am hurled. I’m steeped in darkness deep in midst of bright sunshine. ” Soderblom ’s interpretation gives Zoroastrianism an agrarian slant — a re ­ ligion of cattle-breeders and farmers. Ac­ tually, Zoroastrianism is the religion of the common man —a socialist religion. Soderblom is aware of the limitations posed by confusing translations. “It seems to me hazardous to deprive these words of their reference to persons and beings... ” he confesses. But if some pas ­ sages are blighted by this deficiency, there are yet many passages which Sod ­ erblom imbibes with a rare vitality to bring out the ancient religion ’s many finer points. Few philosophers have un ­ derstood and put in print the fact that in Zoroastrianism “action is the issue of re ­ ligion. ” Sodcrblom celebrates the fact that Zoroastrianism eschews asceticism, does not make a virtue of penance, and takes a “consistently positive attitude towards labor, the arts of civilization and Soderblom: a rare vitality interpretation Religion As Fight Against Evil. Zarathushtra by Nathan Soderblom. Published in 1992 by F. N. Mehta, Pehelvi Bldg, 315, Bhadkamkar Marg, Lamington Road, Bombay 400004. Pp: X+77. The ancient religion of Zarathushtrian- ism, probably the first monotheistic reli ­ gion at a time when the elements were worshipped, encompassed its theology even foxed, many a western mind, and within the poetry of its hymns. The Gathas are a communication (in 17 sec ­ tions) between the prophet and his lord, Ahura Mazda, on how man can survive in a world infested with evil, and yet ad ­ vance the cause of good. Over the centuries the Gathas have fired the imagination of thinkers and lay ­ men alike. Translated, and trans-created in many European languages, they have placed the ancient religion within the reach of the common man — even if for many a Zoroastrian the hymns lie buried in a mesh of dogma. It is said that a Ger ­ man soldier was found reading the Gathas in his trench during World War I. The appeal of the hymns lies in its simple — and socialistic — philosophy. Zarathushtra was no Moses: he issued no commandments. What he stressed was the use of one ’s free will. The songs he composed spoke of oppression and how to overcome it — whether it be the op ­ pression of feudal lords, or the clergy, or interpretations have varied from slightly earthly obligations. ” of tradition. offkey versions to the ridiculous. The an- Soderblom ’s lectures weave in the age Variously interpreted and expounded, cient Avesta language could have pro- and times of Zarathushtra, his kinsmen, the Gathas, as the present slim volume under review informs us, were the sub- there were any such in that period, and Kavis. The lectures,even shed some ject of the Gifford Lectures delivered at Zarathushtra could be interpreted both as light on the literary ment and the metri- the University of Edinburgh in 1931 by ‘the one who possesses golden camels ’ cal construction of the Gathas, often Nathan Soderblom who had won the and ‘the golden star. ’ The word ‘khar ’ neglected as content takes precedence Nobel Prize for peace the previous year, could mean either ‘gliucring ’ or ‘donkey! ’ The purpose of the Gifford Lectures is Similarly the word ‘geushurvan, ’ which ‘‘the promotion of natural theology, ” and appears often in the Gathas, is translated the lectures may be delivered by men of mainly by western scholars, including and crisper interpretations have been of- “any religion, or no religion. ” Soder- the much respected Stanley Insler, as fered in the past 60 years since the lec- blom, the archbishop of Upsala in Swe- ‘soul of the cow, ’ or sometimes, ‘lament tures were first delivered. Mehta, in ‘‘at- den, was, to quote from publisher F. N. Mehta ’s foreword, ‘‘a contributor to the science of religion, honored as a prince being the same in Avesta. of the church, and beloved by many as a good man. ” His credentials, hence, are impeccable. And his scries of lectures on “Religion As Fight Against Evil ” as ex ­ pounded by Zoroastrianism, an ideal in ­ troduction to the complex thought pat- offkey versions to the ridiculous. The an- vidcd delight to the crossword buff, if and even his opponents, the Karapans there were any such in that period. ‘the one who possesses golden camels ’ and ‘the golden star. ’ The word ‘khar ’ could mean either ‘glittering ’ or ‘donkey! ’ over form. Soderblom ’s lectures have not — like the religion itself — dated. But fresher the much respected Stanley Insler, as ‘soul of the cow, ’ or sometimes, ‘lament of the cow, ’ when it should be ‘lament of tempting to present this book to the small creation, ’ the word for cow and creation but great-hearted community, ” has suc ­ ceeded in his aim to place before the readers more information about our pro- These incongruities of translation, ei ­ ther inherited or so interpreted by Sodcr- phet and his work. It would be equally blom for his study, hamper the smooth welcome if more such treatises put forth flow of his thoughts. For what can one by scholars, including some of our own make of the lecture where Soderblom in ­ terprets a stanza as ‘who shall care for learned priests, are brought to the atten ­ tion of the community. 111 Parsiana August 1992MILESTONES The age of Zoroastrian brides death. There was a murder case (as listed in this issue) ranged reported last month and a still- between 21 and 38 years, the arithmetic mean number of individual ages di ­ vided by the total number of brides — being 29 years. The corresponding figures for the grooms were 32 and 51 years, averaging at 39 years. As compared to 110 Zoroas ­ trians who died in Bombay in July, there were 18 births. Thirty-eight Zoroastrians fell prey to heart disease of whom 17 were 80 years and above, supplied by four hospitals; while 18 succumbed to lung dis- births in suburban hospitals and ease and pneumonia. The other private nursing homes are not killers were old age and general included unless individuals debility (16) and cancer (seven). Six victims each fell prey to septicemia and brain disease while kidney failure, malnutri ­ tion, hypertension, tuberculosis cially of the elderly, death is of- diabetes and nervous disorder claimed two victims each. The isolated cases registered last month were jaundice, athero ­ sclerosis (deposition of fatty like published, some proof to substances angina, Parkinson ’s ulcer, bronchitis and liver dis ­ ease. The coroner ’s report was still pending in the case of one the total in the arteries), disease. BANGALORE Died Kaizad Tarapore (22), son of Nergesh and Keki on April 4, 1992 BOMBAY Born A boy, Rohan, to Pervin and Rohinton Vesuna-, May 16. A boy to Aloo and Jimmy Billimoria-, July 1 A girl to Avan and Manek Kalyaniwala', July 1 A girl to Kamal and Malcolm Maodawala-, July 3 A boy to Zarine and Keki Hilloo-, July 4 A boy to Anjali and Pheroze Bharucha-, July 7 A boy to Simonil and Dinyar Madon-, July 8 Twins (boys) to Roshan and Pervez Kohinoor, July 10 A girl to Dilnawaz and Jamshed Karanjia-, July 15 A boy to Meher and Keki Panthaki-, July 15 A boy to Pari and Nevil Jokhi, (84), residing at 3/4, Anand, Ambamath (Dist) Thane, 400601;June 30 AderbadNanabhoy Cama (90), 17, Hampton Court, Wodehouse Rd, 400005; June 30 Khorshed Pirojsha Ranji (91), 802/C, Dady Hse, Khareghat Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; June 30 Kaikhashroo Dinshawji Anklesaria (92), 9, Dr Daji mation is not always complete Bldg, Station Rd, Mahim, or consistent. For example, the birth figures for Bombay are bom baby was lost to the com ­ munity. A centenarian breathed her last. The youngest to die was a 12-year-old girl. The data on births, marriages and deaths has been compiled from information supplied by various newsletters and anjumans in India and abroad, courts and hospitals. This infor- newsletters unless send us information together with a copy of the birth certifi ­ cate. In the breakup of deaths according to illnesses, espc- ten due to a combination of sev ­ eral diseases. If readers have any births/ marriages/deaths they would ensure tlte veracity of the report would be required. We are sure our readers would appreciate this requirement and cooperate with us. July 17 A boy to Roxana and Miki Buhariwala-, July 18 Twins (boy and girl) to Hutoxi and Zubin CorUractor, July 22 A boy to Khushnoor and Sarosh Tangri-, July 25 A boy to Behroz and Eddie Pherozshaw, July 27 A girl to Sandra and Darius Kavarana-, July 28 A boy to Meher and Kavas Dadabhoy-, July 30 Married Hutoxi Savak Merchant and Kersi Jamshed Divecha; January 20 Rashna Dara Karbhari and Mehernosh Burjor Sutaria; June 8 Nargish Behramji Photographer of Dcolali and Zarir Bejanji China-, June 11 Gulcher Rohinton Pestonji and Keki Burjorji Shaw, July 12 Died Najamai Manecksha Bhada 400016; July 1 Dosabhai Khershedji Bhathena (78), 629, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; July 1 Shirin Jalejar Govewalla (86), Mirza Bldg, N. Petit St, Grant Rd, 400007; July 1. Behram Nesarwanji Mistry (62), 165, Manibhai Bhavan, Khetwadi Back Rd, 400004; July 1 Meheroo Tehmurus Rustomji (88), 665, Band View, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; July 1 Khorshed Dhunjishaw Garda (71), B/9, New Khareghat Clny, Babulnath Rd, 400007; July 3 Maneck Burjorjee Dordi (70), 607/C, Samarth, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; July 4 Kersi Sorabji Palkhiwala (72), 42, Beach Queen, 35/B, Juhu Koliwada, Juhu, 400049; July 4 Meherbai Darabsha Balsara (80), Mistry Bldg, Captain Clny, Tardeo, 400034; July 5 Piroja Piroze Bulsara (68),' 804/B, Sai Niketan, Dr Ambedkar Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; July 5 Munchershaw Dadabhai Desai (75), 689, Dr Dinshaw Master Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; July 5 Yezdi Savaksha Karai (78), A, Kanta Bldg, Grant Rd, 400007; July 5 Eruchshaw Jamshedji Morena (81), A/38, Nootan Ngr, Guru Nanak Rd, Bandra, 400050; July 5 Homai Jehangir Avasia (79), 611, Pateti Block No 3, Jame Jamshed Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; July 6 Roshan Minoo Jalnawalla (66), 2, Doctor Bldg, Panthaki Baug, Andhcri (E), 400069; July 6 Kushnuma Rohinion Khambata (12), 629-B, Rusmcher Bldg, A. B. Homavazir Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; July 6 Dhanmai Munchershah Mehta (92), Chothia Bldg, Zoroastrian Clny, Tardeo, 400007; July 6 Eruchsha Bejonji Bhote (74), J/15, S. B. Bharucha Baug, S. V. Rd, Andheri (W), 400058; July 7 Sorabji Jehangirji Birdy (92), 585, ^an Bldg, Cb ira Bazar, 400002; July 7 Sheramai Sorabji Irani (78), Room no 7, Zaveri Bldg, Chami Rd, 400007; July 7 Dinamai Padamji Kapadia (90), B, Ambar Prasad Co-op Hsg Soc, Bandra (W), 400050; July 7 Dina Jamshedji Kavarana (65), Banaji Bldg, Forjett St Cross Lane, Gowalia Tank, 400026; July 7 Mehera Minu Modi (83), C/16, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; July 7 Burjor Nowroji Pestonjee (89), Modi Lodge, Dinshaw Vatcha Rd,0 nler ••liltle nameless onremem- sSS5 ssS: s: £sSS s":a- ‘5lv; Si: S“.Se:n“dta:K school of Music. London, showed dreir grniiiude by having a_.mass ing continued. After the cessation of his own paper, he spent time penning letters to the editors of other publications and there was even one i----------- his bedside on the day be breathed his last. Heerjibehedin is survived by his wife Aloo. impresario led a void for many organiza- nade High School rn eomoay lions, particularly lhe Sophia-Bhabha ‘“k up employment wiA Muller ^d ........- change the govern aMis ’owrbXX ^^eS Suring manner, his readiness to help anyone who needed as ­ sistance, ’’ noted R a m i n a Coutinho, chair ­ person of the Society for the Higher Educa- All for the love of music as Sister and devotion to the cause of music, ’ wrote R. A. K. Baker, first secretary, cultural affairs with the British Deputy High Commission. His appointment as of"the Royal School of Music, London. iners overseas, to accommodate the last- bur. ________ minute entries from music students in In- unfinished letter by dia. But the ever obliging “Hosi, ” as ev ­ eryone fondly called him, would never turn down a request, remembers his close diwala. friend and current honorary secretary of the BMSO, Adi Sagar. _ ___________ ____________ Along with Sagar he organized many .t-, concerts for the BMSO. Even when the ZOROASTWANS ABROAD BMSO ceased to officially collaborate continued from with the Indian Council of Cultural Rela ­ tions, Vsjifdar would help out in his per- individuals or organizations taking ad ­ vantage of his generosity, elaborates Sa- resident secretary of the Associate Board of the Royal School of Music, London, ---------- o ------ -z . required Vajifdar to liaise with the exam- said for Vajifdar at their church in Chem- Vajifdar is survived by his brother vajuuiu la amvivvu ..... Shiavax, and sisters Nergish Buchia, Khorshed Chothia and Homai Bilpo-^ P.O. master ’s degree in English. According to Died: Hoshang Jehangirji Vajifdar, 71, an integral personage on the western music scene in Bombay who used his ------- offices with the Bombay Gramophone the years were a great o* enjoy- Society and The Bombay Madrigal Singers ’ Organisation (BMSO) to intro ­ duce international performers to the Indian audience; on February 22, 1992 following a road accident in Bombay. . i Full of music and mirth at the end of collection of 78 RPM records was do- the first night of the 1992 Jazz Yatra where he was one of the assistants en ­ trusted with the organizational work, Vajifdar had sought a motorbike ride from his friend,little realizing that it was Patton, Fracis ’ second novel would be a sonal capacity. He had no regrets about historical epic on the Parsis. individuals or organizations taking ad- . „usianfhrnnv vantage of his generosity, elaborates Sa- Career 111 phjiantnropy ear. Before age slowed him down, he Bombay bom Russy Sumariwalla has would be on I— — — stretch, gladly skipping meals so long as he had his cups of tea. . His fantastic collection of record al- voluntary organization with more than . bums and books on music acquired over 200 branches all over the wo^ VI tv J >1^ »» w w ¦ ment to the bachelor. There are many datelined Alexandria, May 18. The who received their first exposure to west- UWI’s Indian affiliate. United Way of ern music at Vajifdar ’s residence, remi- Baroda, was launched in 1985 and has nisce several of his former neighbors at been engaged in resource mobilization, Chira Bazar ’. On his death, his unique allocations, management assistance and ¦ ¦ . public education, notes the report, nated to the British Council which is sup- Sumariwalla, a former fellow with the posed to have subsequently forwarded it United Way Strategic Institute, is said to to the National Centre for the Performing have been a consultant to numerous phil- Arts which houses the archives, informs anthropic organizations. his sister Nergish Buchia. compiled by Amavaz S. Mama his feet for hours at a been named interim president and chief executive officer of the United Way International (UWI), a leading technical ing India, notes a report in The Daily i 120 Parsiana August 1992