Oct 1992

OCTOBER 1992 Rs 12 ’’.i,, •S'. 0 •'r***^- 'i.EDITOR Jehangir R. Patel MANAGING EDITOR Arnavaz S. Mama EXECUTIVE EDITOR Parinaz M. Gandhi ASSISTANT EDITOR Roxana A. Mirza 2 Readers' Forum October 1992 Volume 15 Number 4 6 Events and Personalities DESIGN Kranti Shilotri, Varghese Fernandez MARKETING DIRECTOR Veera Patel ADVERTISING MANAGER Zarin Mistry ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE Cheryl Sequeira CHIEF EXECUTIVE Rustom Thanavala FINANCE B. L. Arora EDP Rohinton E. Daroga DTP Bakhtavar R. Batliwalla, Asha Genesh, U. Raghunathan 15 Bordi's Bold Bharucha 20 Serenity at Saher agiary by Parinaz Gandhi 25 Dr Zal Tarapore: Riding the tide by Sunita Kulkarni-Pendse 28 Vyarawala in focus by Roxanne Kavarana 32 B^oks SUBSCRIPTION/CIRCULATION Behram Umrigar, Khurshid Panthaki, Bindu Pillai MANAGEMENT Jasmine Driver 33 Dina Mehta: “Between two worlds'' by Arnavaz Mama 35 Milestones OFFICE Patricia D’Silva, Nowzer Batliwala, Sugatha S. Kurup 39 In Memoriam OFFICE ASSISTANTS Umesh Poojary, Selvan Mark, Sunil Sakhare, Pramod Patil Cover: Photograph by Homyar Mistry, Homz Prints Parsiana is published by Jehangir R. Patel for Parsiana Publications Pvt Ltd, at C/o H L. Rochat, Navsari Chambers, ground floor, 39 A.K.Nayak Marg, Fort, Bombay 400001 and printed by him at Kaiser-E-Hind Pvt Ltd, 300 Perin Nariman Street, Bombay 400001. 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 £ 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 400001READERS' FORUM I » t » » ? 5 > J » > « I t * J » » « » M I » • f ' «» r> I * M t 1*1 I » 4 J f i S i « i V 4 » i > « < • I » » s . I 4 » » # » 4 ? M « I » > f f » * * I *¦ . JU ‘ ‘ 1 ' > I » > ? ? » » • » I ? u ’ iil -uu *** -*»*»»»»¦ ¦¦ ?* I*' ***** I*!-*! F I» y tt »>» til «« » » • "''liWlltll V cate a person on the grounds of marriage family. Their disappointment and pain to an alien. (may have been anger as well at the We all are currently witnessing the knowledge of his life-style and his denial horrors of religious fundamentalism rag- of his Indian/Parsi roots) must have ing throughout the world and I only hope deepened with the realization that their that our small community will be wisely guided onto the true path of the teachings 'MJ of our prophet Zoroaster and not onto is- • »|j sues introduced under ecclesiastical pres- ¦b sure. son and brother was dying. On reading Gustasp Irani ’s “In Me- moriam, ” {Parsiana, February 1992) I felt a sense of tragedy, a sense of the in- Dr M. D. DiSAWALLA evitability and pathos which are charac- Bangaiont teristic of such tragedies, when the main player is quite oblivious to what lies ahead, even though it is of his own mak ­ ing. But need Farokh Balsara ’s manner of life and death have been the inevitable tragedy it turned out to be? His uncle, Nariman Khory, says: “Autograph obsession” 1 was very angry as I read the article “Autograph obsession ” (Events and Personalities, Parsiana, July 1992), it be ­ ing absolutely wrong and out of pro ­ portion. •I do not spend Rs 500 every day. I spend “Rightly or wrongly, he believed that to about Rs 22 a month, that ’s two letters •I do not have Garbo ’s autograph •Pavarotti never proposed marriage •Buyers do not approach me Ms EIRENE MOWJI succeed as a pop singer it was okay to be black but not brown, so he did not adver ­ tise his Indian origin. ” That is as it may be, but I don ’t think it would have stood in his way if he had the talent, which he obviously did hgve. “An intact astral body” The “In Memoriam ” speaks of two You had printed a letter from Ms Dama- personalities: that of Freddie Mercury, nia, “An intact astral body, ” in Parsiana, Readers' views are welcome on any subject of interest to the community and should be sent to the Editor, Readers' Forum, April 1992. Parsiana, G.P.O. Box 892, Bombay 400001. Letters are subject to editing for reasons of space and clarity. Unsigned letters or those without an address will not be published. the successful performer; and Farokh Balsara, the boy who somehow got lost. The lady has it backward! Actually carried away by the glitter and adoration the astral body cannot be cut by anything of his thousands of fans. Maybe both of physical, so donation of organs after them were thoroughly confused, not death (or even before, if the physical or- knowing who they were or where they gan isn ’t necessary) is perfectly all right, belonged. Ms Julie Burchill feels “Fred- A person in an astral body after death is in a state of total unconcern for his physi- _________________ _ die Mercury belonged to Britain... ” “Safeguarding the rights...” in a state of total unconcern for his physi- Maybe he did; but where did Farokh Apropos the letter from Mr F. K. Tar- cal body. Do you still care for the first Balsara belong? Could he have had apore (“Safeguarding the rights... ” Read- car you drove, now a rusting hulk? doubts about himself as Freddie Mer- ers ’ Forum, Parsiana, July 1992), I would like to point out that what is stated therein is not correct. Our panthaky saheb of the Bangalore fire, can affect one ’s astral body since Ms Damania must think that physical cury, which made him unhappy, and fire can bum up an astral form! I really hence his hectic and undisciplined life? doubt if anything physical, including Who can tell? ; Could Farokh Balsara have been able Agiary does permit male Zoroastrians the astral body is vibrating at a higher to hold on to his identity as a Parsi and a married to non-Zoroastrian women to en- rate than anything physical... Zoroastrian if he had known how; if he ter the fire-temple to offer prayers or to attend any religious function. Unfortu ­ nately, ^roastrian ladies married to evidence [for example, phantom (astral) stronger and thus able to control Freddie non-Zoroastrians are denied a similar privilege to enter and pray in the fire- the psychically sensitive]. temple. R®'' da vid brock In Bangalore, there are more than Oregon, usa half-a-dozen such unfortunate ladies who suffer this injustice and indignity in si ­ lence, in the interest-of keeping the peace When Freddie Mercury made his illness and not raking up any controversy or ill will in an otherwise small, peaceful and harmonious community. A person belongs to the religion in which he/she is born and there are no le ­ gal or moral obligations to excommuni- rate than anything physical... I hope Ms Damania would reconsider had known what being a true Zoroastrian her position, especially considering the was all about? Would he have been limbs in amputees, which can be seen by Mercury? If he had been helped to real ­ ize that Zoroastrianism was much more than old customs and observances? That the ancient religion, though still ex ­ pressed in a “dead ” language, was also a living religion which could be expressed in our everyday living? That it could meet the needs of the world of today, in whatever context or environment the in ­ dividual found him or herself? At his death his friends spoke of Fred- “Mercury’s moment of...” public, I was both shocked and saddened for, although I cannot say that I under ­ stand a great deal about modern “pop ” or “rock, ” I thought it was a waste of talent and a young life. His illness and death die Mercury ’s generosity, his many un- also brought into focus the feelings of his publicized charitable acts, his kindness 2 Parsiana October 1992 1 1 i Mpen to be Parsis or Iranis. his soul find peace in God ’s ineffable “Mercury ’s moment of truth ” is also love and compassion, for He alone the community ’s moment of truth — al- knows and understands as to what went though for the community it has been a wrong between Freddie Mercury and “ - - - - Ms PERIN DtVECHA Kent. UK and concern for others. Where did this generosity come from? Does it have no value at all? Although I do not and cannot condone Freddie Mercury ’s life-style, I feel that somewhat longer moment. At least he Farokh Balsara. once again the Bombay trustees have recognized his moment, while many in shown a heartless and self-righteous face our community refuse to recognize what . of the community. It is so easy to be is happening and therefore fail to sense ZAGNY donation self-righteous and smug when the one the direction in which they are headed. The Udvada Anjuman has received a do- gone astray is not your own. The young boy who so wanted to sing and perform children, or the younger generation, es- didn ’t seem to have the least idea as to pecially those who were bom here, or other Zoroastrian associations of where he was headed; he was so ill- came over while still very young, and are America. This amount is for the Iran- equipped to meet the challenge when it now growing up far from their roots? shah Kathi Fund, and for helping the came. No one seemed to have been able Many of them do not want to have any mobeds, nassessalars and behdins of to help him realize his own worth as a person — as an Indian, a Parsi and a Zoroastrian. It seems as if a part of him remained the young boy who had per- believe that what they do not see could yearly luncheon get-together where formed at Bertorelli Restaurant at Worli not possibly be. Zoroastrians make generous donations, so long ago, and who so wanted to be ac ­ cepted as a singer/performer, but some ­ how got lost in a sea of diverse cultures, materialism and permissiveness. He was drowning and no one was able to save the direction in which they are headed. What are the messages going out to the nation of Rs 82,145 from the Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York and pecially those who were bom here, or other Zoroastrian associations came over while still very young, and are Many of them do not want to have any thing to do with the community, for Udvada. This amount in honor of the whatever reason. Even this the orthodox Udvada Atash Behram, is one-third of will not acknowledge. They obviously the total amount they collect at the While we ignore this truth about the All members of the Udvada Anjuman are members who stay aloof from the rest of grateful to fellow Zoroastrians of Amer- us, refuse to recognize our folly in not accepting children of mixed marriages and their non-Zoroastrian parents into him. Why? the religion, we are becoming a commu- I don ’t think that there is any jikeli- nity of little significance — with little to hood of many of our young people going offer the world of today. We are a part Attitudes Of PUTSi boyS? the way of Farokh Balsara, but, neverthe- of this world: we are influenced by it in ' ’ less, we need much more than a few different ways, but we ourselves are not youngsters attending religious classes to exerting the kind of influence the world day (especially male) are interested in save our community. We need this needs. It is a world so war-tom and mor- knowledge but we also need to listen to ally confused, trying so hard to save its each other, and stop working against soul, its spirituality, its sanity as well as each other. We have to recognize the its physical existence amidst so much fact that we need the revival of the good chaos. Our children will have to live in religion Asho Zarathushtra preached, this chaotic world, with its violence and like to point out that it is not a general We need a more intelligent and wise ap- hatred, its bigotry and ethnic and reli ­ proach so that all Zoroastrians.may once gious wars. The orthodox are only ag- again feel a pride — not arrogance — in our community, in being what we are, Parsis/Iranis and Zoroastrians, whichever country we may be citizens of today. And above all that being Zoroastrian is more important than being Parsi or Irani, although this is also important if we hap- ica and may they prosper from day to day by the blessings of Iranshah is our sin ­ cere prayer. I don ’t think that there is any |ikeli- KAIKOBAD PHIROZEJIDASTOOR High Priest, Iianshah, Udvada Why is it that the elders of our commu ­ nity insist that all that the Parsi youth to- doing is securing a clerical job of some i sort in a bank? * While I do accept that the levels of motivation amongst us (Parsi youth) are not as high as they should be, I would rule (and definitely not an established fact) that all of us are as laid-back and unenterprising as certain older members of our community would like us to be ­ lieve. I know several people of my genera ­ tion (I am 22 years old) and age, who are gravating and strengthening these atti ­ tudes within the community. In mid-April another tribute was paid to Freddie Mercury. I hope it went some way to compensate for the prayers the trustees of the Dadar Parsi Colony budding lawyers* doctors, engineers, Agiary refused' to Farokh Balsara. May businessmen, managers, chartered ac- countants and who also “coincidentally ” happen to be male and Parsi. I would request the older generations to visit the Parsi Punchayet, Bombay (each year around July-August) and see the number of well qualified, intelligent and enterprising young Parsis (both male and female) who apply for scholarships for studies abroad. If the older generations believe that we are complacent and laid-back, surely a proportion of that fault can be attri ­ buted to them as well? They have, as grandparents, parents, uncles and aunts failed to instill “the traditional Parsi continued on page 18 4 Parsiana October 1992 M ¦Art Events and Personalities The cold elections Only 18 percent of the 19,535 members on the General Register of the Bombay lowing the demolition of the Babri Parsi Punchayet (BPP) voted at the re- I' cently concluded Anjuman Committee for December 12 and 13 was rescheduled elections, the first to be held under the revised electoral scheme. In the national Parsi Colony and Bharucha Baug respec- elections the voter turnout in the _ country is around 50 percent. ¦ Of the total 3,542 people who fl voted, 777 had to be issued fl new/duplicate certificates on fl the six days set aside for elec- I tions as otherwise they would I not have been eligible to vote, I notes a Punchayet source. The I 802 seats on the Anjuman Committee were contested by 1,632 candidates, a little less than 50 percent of the total vot- j ers. fl est turnout on a single day, 1,005. Due “A real dudci’^ to political disturbances in the city fol- J I I I 1 I “He was the first Indian who had the courage to fight for India ’s freedom on | Masjid in Ayodhya, the voting scheduled foreign soil... He was a man who ranked j J’- ... I in the annals of Indian history as one of to December 26 and 27 at the Dadar the earliest architects of our freedom when no one had dared to raise his voice _ against the British Empire. ” I These tributes for the Grand I Old Man (GOM) of India came I from Homi J. H. Taleyarkhan, " chairman of the National Com- j mijtee for Dadabhai Naoroji j I Parliamentary Centenary Cel- | Q souvenir encapsulating the life j and spirit of the GOM. The . Governor of Maharashtra C.^ Subramaniam released the bro* chure and presented the first copy to well-known industria- On the polling days, over ® function at : three weekends in December, fllfll flB^ ' VT Raj Bhavan on September 5 to ' the maximum turnout was from ^^fl**2*fl|Hflfl9^^flBF^^ ’ " mark the centenary year of the the Tardeo and Hughes Road < election of Naoroji, the first (J) constituency where 578 ' Indian, to the British House members voted for the 79 seats f "A' of Commons, that were being contested, ac- jwith his election, Naoroji cording to the Punchayet Onthe first day of elections: awaiting voters Photo: Gustasp Irani carried the battle for swaraj to source. The lowest turnout was the British parliament, re ­ evinced in the Fort (B) constituency lively. While 527 persons turned up to marked Subrantaniam referring to the where only 190 members turned up to vote at Dadar, the figure for Andheri was GOM as a harbinger of spring after the vote for the 90 allocated seats, the largest 369. At Nowroz Baug, on December 19, dreary political climate that India had reserved for any constituency. And that 548 members cast their vote while at the known. To JRD, Naoroji was “as great a too when the polling center for two of the Head Office Building on December 20, man as Mahatma Gandhi. ” Gandhiji him- six days allocated for voting was in the polling was done by 532 members. self has been quoted in the booklet as Head Office Building, in Fort. It was originally the intention of the saying, “Dadabhai became a real dada While polling was permitted at any of Punchayet that voting rights would be (elder) to me... for he was my constant the six centers, irrespective of one ’s con ­ stituency affiliation, the number of their new certificates in lieu of the old people, who chose to exercise their fran- Anjuman Committee certificates. Con- chise was highest, 1,566, during the first sidering that barely 5,000 voters had deed he was in place of a father to every- weekend of December 5 and 6, and low- chosen to exchange their certificates in one of them, no matter to which province est, 896, during the last weekend of De- advance, for the convenience of the elec- or religion they belonged. ” cember 26 and 27. On December 5, torate the BPP decided that new/dupli- In keeping with Naoroji ’s secular when the venue was the Head Office cate certificates would be issued even at spirit, the morning ’s program started Building, 561 members voted. Decern- the election venue on the candidate being with an all-religion prayer song rendered ber 6 at Khareghat Colony saw the high- able to establish his bonafide identity. by. the students of Bharatiya Vidya Bha- ill 1 6 Parsiana October 1992 ¦i i I . I :< *- ¦ ... . Ifli fllll ll if I ebrations that brought out a i ’W'' " ' B' - -1 548 members cast their vote while at the Head Office Building on December 20, It was originally the intention of the granted only to those who had collected adviser and inspiration... I found that In ­ dian students (in London) had free access to the GOM at all hours of the day. In- chosen to exchange their certificates in advance, for the convenience of the elec ­ torate the BPP decided that new/dupli- cate certificates would be issued even at the election venue on the candidate being able to establish his bonafide identity.Il changes in the modem industrialized so- j ciety account for the low sperm count | among males and.the consequent inferii- | lity among couples. As a result where | one marriage in 10 used to be childless, I now 15 to 25 percent of marriages are ’ without any issue, noted gynecologist | Wilhelm Braendle of Hamburg. These j findings were disclosed at the 49th an ­ nual congress of the German Gynaeco ­ logical Society held at Berlin. That conception is difficult for women over 40 and pregnancy fraught with complications is known. But what is little known is that only 50 percent of pregnant women over 40 are able to give birth to babies that could survive, the clipping informs. Also, that the Pill, if taken in low dosage reduces the risk of contracting breast cancer — the inci ­ dence of which is reportedly high in the community. Small dosage Pills, it is be ­ lieved, reduce the risk of ovary and womb cancer, though smoking and the Pill together could be a dangerous com ­ bination, according to Prof Benno Run- nebaum of Heidelberg. Of breads and rolls other functions too organized in the city It is the only Irani restaurant that does in memory of Naoroji. The Bombay not serve lea but is paradoxically reputed Parsee Association observed his 167th for its bread which many customers en^ birth anniversary on September 4. The joy dipped in tea. The proprietors on K. R. Cama Oriental Institute had organ- Yazdani Bakery 2^nd Zend and his brothers Parvez and Rashid offer an as- tember 19. The staff and students of the sortment of bread from laadi bread or Elphinsione College convened a function pau (also known as scotch bread), brown in memory of Naoroji who was not only bran bread (supposedly good for the di- — ¦ J gestive system), the seven grains bread Mayor (so named because it is made from seven 1 •j Taleyarkhan lighting the lamp at the Dadabhai Naoroji centenary celebrations at Raj Bhavan while (from left) Tata and Subramaniam look on van. Representatives of different com ­ munities — Dalip Singh, vice principal of Khalsa College, Justice V, S. Desh ­ pande, former chief justice of the Bom ­ bay High Court, Fr John Correa Alfonso, f Dr (Ms) Mehroo Bengalee, former vice chancellor of the Bombay University — spoke of the GOM’s popularity with all . . communities and his dream of national an alumnus of that College but also the integration first Indian professor there. f—j~- . _ , . , c “Never despair ’’ was the philosophy Chandrakant Handore garlanded the bust distinct grams). Geman bread (a favor- adoDted by N^roji who believed, “Our of Naoroji which stands at the Bombay ite with the wife of a Gertn^ consul). o^ f^mrrie in ou; own Municipal Corporation building where Swiss rolls, French loaves dinner roUs, hands, ” as he is quoted in the brochure, the GOM had served as councillor. cheese and garlic bread... The latest ad- A pioneer of feminism, Naoroji stressed that unless a woman is allowed to vote the country cannot process. L- strove for female education and free edu ­ cation for all, beginning at a young age, it was recalled. With the Indian postal department , . planning to issue a commemorative Conception COmpIlCatlO^nS stamp in his memory, a permanent im- “'*.nfnrf. print will be left of Naoroji ’s dedication to India, announced Prof S. S. Mohapa- tra, secretary l Committee and former general secretary -------------------- ---------- - c ; u loao AHHitinnaiiv of the All India Congress Committee. It who are known tor late marriages and September 13, 1992. Additionally e^ is also hoped that Richard Attenborough low birth rates. ‘.......—_ .. will undertake direction of a film on Naoroji. The month of September saw several in memory of Naoroji. The Bombay not serve lea but is paradoxically reputed DaY xllgn k-Ouri, rr jufih ov, • « <• Ca« former principal of St Xavier ’s College, ized a symposium on the GOM on Sep- —. « t- _ _ in otnff *ir»H ct^HAntc nf ihp. Elphinsione College convened a function pau (also known as scotch bread), brown 7 __. dilion is the coiTtribution of Zend ’s son vv ________ _ £st be understood Zyros who after his training at the Sophia He also through Naoroji ’s own assessment of his Catering Insdtine ^ned ^xj^rience at The Bakery on Cowasji Patel Street, Fort, enjoys the patronage of some lead ­ ing figures in the city like industrialist J. W.W.. _____________ R- Tata, Justice Bakhtawar Lentin, In'^industfialized countries infertility boxing referee Aspy Adajania, journalist poses a serious problem for women over ________ _ _______35. These research findings reported in general of the National The German Tribune of September 25, . f 1992 should be an eye-opener for Parsis Despatch and 2* ............... lishments like the Associated Cement It is not only the women who could be Companies (ACC), Western Railways, adversely affected. Environmental fac- most of the clubs (from National Sports tors like chemicals in the food chain and Club of India in the north to the United His unswerving devotion to the na ­ tional cause can 1 nature: “You may burn a dordi (a coir the Taj and the Caribbean Cruise, rope) but you can never take the twist out of it. So it is with me. ” Russy Karanjia and gynecologist Dr Burjor Dastur, according to a write-up in the Sunday edition of The Afternoon 8 Rsrsisns October 1992 MAn Always remember Wlc-lHi TfiTA eflTR KHRMfiRTR Ketayun & Bomi 22/A, Wellington Terrace. Wellington Street, Bombay-400002. Tel. No. 2069636^ Buying old collections, etc We buy old English movie posters, handbills, theater programms (leaflets), color pictures, cinema star post cards. cigarette cards, postal stamps, coins, bank notes. Lux soap cards, view cards, HMV posters, banners, playing cards, anything in old English movie collections, etc. Good price will be paid. Please write to: The Advertiser (CoIlections-2) Parsiana GPO Box 892 Bombay 400001 notes. Lux soap cards, view cards, HMV MATRIMONIAL Match desired for an educated, Zoroastrian boy, 28 years, tall, slim, fair, with his own reputed family business and independent living accommodation. Girl should be under 26 years, slim, fair, domestically-trained, socially presentable, well-educated and from a good, respected tamily. Good, well-placed Zoroastrian families need only reply with bio data and recent photograph (returnable). Full confidence assured. Write to: The Advertiser Parsiana Matrimonial (Oct/43-92) GPO Box 892 Bombay 400001 10 Parsiana October 1992 Services ’ Club in the south of the city). Dutifully SCrviUg ____ more and some less. But no one can take anything with them when they leave this world. It is a matter of great satisfaction to me that when I eventually go into the Great Beyond I will have with me in abundant measure the blessings of my patients and their relatives. What more i ____ T .. ‘^..u TUfina o xizArP ¦ Leooold, Mondegar and Parisian restau- “Anyone can make money. Some make rants are also said to have their bread supplied by Yazdani Bakery. No preservatives, softeners or bleach ­ ing agents are used at Yazdani Bakery. They prefer to use the traditional method instead of the hi-tech methods of produc ­ tion which turn bread into a “white, bio ­ chemical mass, ” Zend informs. also said to have their bread can I wish for? ” These thoughts were It is at half past five each morning that expressed by 91-year-old Framroj Sar- | the day ’s first laadis of pau and the bread kari, a ward boy at Bombay ’s B. D. Petit j - Parsee General Hospital, who was among | the eight devoted workers recognized | with the Exemplary Attitude Awards by 1 the Rotary Club of Bombay Hills South .1 at a function held at the Taj Mahal Hotel on October 29, 1992. | Though Sarkari is financially quite se- | cure with one of his daughters working 3 as a surgeon in the USA and another as j an advocate in the UK, he, and the others showing remarkable dedication, all work irrespective of the monetary returns. It is ; pudding emerge from the ovens. The more exotic varieties come out at 11 a.m.; “You should see the crowds at that time queuing up to buy the oven fresh bread... Best reserve some for yourself a day in advance, ” advises The ADC corre ­ spondent. Gold medal for Bajan His studious application for nearly a dec ­ ade to the study of languages and litera ­ ture of Zoroastrianism earned Ervad Par- I Dotivala (right) and Sarkari these men and women from ordinary walks of life who are normally over-. kJ Dr Aspi Golwalla (right) and Bajan : M. Bajan the prestigious Seth vez M, Bajan me presugiuus oeui Khurshedji Fardunji Parukh Gold Medal awarded by the Bombay Parsi Punchayct looked by society and do not receive any recognition for their loyalty, devotion to duty, honesty, and ever obliging nature, as noted Club president Godrej Dotivala. This award presentation function, to mark the Rotary International vocational service month, followed a talk by world yachting champion Lieutenant Com ­ mander Farokh Tarapore who was con­ ferred the Outstanding Achievement Award by the Rotary Club, the release further adds. The governing Lion As the newly installed District Governor, Lion Firoze N. Daroga has coined for his slogan “With friendship and fellowship we serve forever. ” Following a year of meritorious service as lieutenant gover ­ nor, he was conferred the new rank at the schokirs of conspicuous distinction, release sent by Ervad Fali to notes a press Master. A practising priest, Bajan passed his MA examinations in Ancient Iranian Languages, Avesta and Pahlavi, with a first class from the Bombay University in 1989. It was under the guidance of Das- (Drs) H. K. Mirza and K. JamaspAsa religious scriptures. The foundation tor Athornan Madressa, Dadar and subse- turs (Drs) H. K. Mirza ana k. that Bajan took to a serious study of the religious scriptures. The foundation tor his religious knowledge was laid at the Athornan Madressa, Dadar and subse ­ quently strengthened at the Sir J. J. Zttrthoshti and Mulla Feroze Madressas. A science graduate from the Institute of Science, Bajan later did his masters in arts and law from the Bombay Univer ­ sity, the release further informs.Lions International Convention in Hong Kong in June last, informs a press re ­ lease. The fraternity shared by Lions, Lion ­ esses and Leos is vital to serve society, believes Daroga. During his nearly two decades ’ as ­ sociation with the Lions movement he has been in ­ strumental in the extension of the Dadar School for the Blind, in rais ­ ing funds for the Industrial Home for Blind Women, in providing hearing equipment to the dis ­ abled at the Mazgaon Deaf and Mute In ­ stitute, etc, the release adds. A builder by profession, Daroga has been adviser to various charitable institu ­ tions on property matters. His academic studies have been in the realm of science in which he graduated, and subsequently in law and construction engineering. Among Daroga ’s manifold interests are photography, pistol shooting, music, table tennis and cricket. Personnel promotion Industrial relations is his forte. And in this area he will be concentrating since his appointment this year as general manager (personnel and administration) of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Lim­ ited. While discharging his duties from this new post Jamshed P. Balsara will oversee his company ’s industrial rela ­ tions, staff, personnel, administrative services and facilities, notes a press re ­ lease. Fifty-six-year-old Balsara started his career in the field of marketing with the multinational Burmah-Shell Oil Storage and Distribution Company of India Lim­ ited in 1961. Since the company ’s na ­ tionalization he was transferred to Bharat Petroleum and has been involved with administration, gaining experience in various departments. An economics graduate from St Xavier ’s College, Calcutta, numismatics and reading are Balsara ’s hobbies, the re ­ lease further mentions. Khodaiji TT champ Al the Inter-collegiate Table Tennis fi­ nals in Bombay in August this year, Ms Parveen Farokh Khodaiji of St Xavier s defeated Ms Spenia Patel of Sydenham College to win the junior girls ’ singles title, informs the Jam-e-Jamshed of Sep ­ tember 13,1992. In the doubles event it was Patel and her partner who defeated Khodaiji ’s team to win the title. At another meet, the Bombay YMCA Open Table Tennis Tournament, Z. M. Khandadia defeated his opponent to win the veteran singles title, further notes the Jame. CORRECTION In “‘Steelman ’ Irani, ” Events and Per ­ sonalities, Parsiana, March 1992, Dr Jamshed Jiji Irani ’s age has inadvertently been printed as 65 years. He is 56 years old. The error is regretted. Compiled by Roxana A. Mirza MATRIMONIAL Alliance invited for a tall, fair, good-looking Zoroastrian girl, aged 23, graduate in computer science from educated, well-settled, cultured Zoroastrian boys. Please reply with photograph & full bio data to: ’T'he Advertiser Parsiana Matrimonial (Oct/41-92) GPO Box 892 Bombay 400001 * MATCH YOUR AMBITION TO A CAREER To do so we offer you: ? Diploma Course in Business Management (Postal) (IMC) « Banking CAIIB Course (Postal) Executive Secretarial Course ? Private Secretarial Course ? Personal Assistant’s Programme (Working Stenographers) # Shorthand & Typewriting (English/Hindi/Marathi) ? Telephone Operating & Receptionist Techniques Electronic Telex Operating ? Electronic Typewriting & Word Processing ? English Conversation & Writing Skills LATEST ADDITION: COMPUTERS Enquire at: Sir J. J. College of Commerce as ,A. 14, Nanabhoy Lane, Hutatma Chowk Bombay 400001 Tel: 2871185 Artk / WELFARE Bordi ’s Bold Bharucha For daring to confront the new landlords, Merges Bharucha as also the three activist Dahanu women who came to her aid had to brave assaults Parinaz Gandhi The 10 km chase could have been the cli ­ max scene of a Hindi film. Only the cast was different. Instead of a lovelorn dam ­ sel in distress, there was this spirited sep ­ tuagenarian, Ms Merges Minoo Bhar ­ ucha, who was trying to eke out an in ­ dependent living in Bordi. The knights to her rescue came in the form of three committed lady mem ­ bers of the Dahanu Taluka Environmen ­ tal Welfare Associa ­ tion (DTEWA) — Nergis Irani, Kety Rustom and Kerban Anklesaria who is also their advocate. Together they were trying to resist the ef ­ forts of Dinesh Thakur whose alleged ha ­ rassment for the last three years was making it difficult for Bharucha to reside in her humble abode. “Originally I was frightened but am not anymore, ” said the gutsy white- haired Bharucha relating the background was driven to despair, of the property dispute. The Thakurs, it appeared, had bou^t over the house she had been occupying since 15 years and the surrounding property from the previ ­ ous Parsi owners. What irks Bharucha is that no one had the courtesy to inform her of the change of ownership. She only in euphemistic terms could her home be where the cost of living would be lower, knew that the Thakurs who were inter ­ ested in developing the property were finding her presence on the land an im­ pediment to their plans. She was willing rooms became difficult. Her windows to consider the alternative accommoda ­ tion they were offering her until she real ­ ized that they were trying to lake advan ­ tage of her compliance. Thereafter she refused to yield; least of all to any threats by the Thakurs, Here is a lady who refused to suc ­ cumb to pressure and oppression. “In oOr again within her own confines. Life was made difficult for Bharucha when she refused to vacate the present Adopting a determined stand (from left): Irani, Bharucha and Rustom 15 Parsiana October 1992 4' * community you will find that in the face toilet was made out of bounds for her of opposition, members will turn their compelling her to dig an outlet, once back and run. She has taken a stand, ” appreciates Rustom. “What we (at the DTEWA) are trying to show is that she has taken the right stand despite the fact premises. Initially she had decided to ac ­ cept the substitute room they offered. But on going through the agreement she re ­ alized that certain ^clauses inserted were detrimental to her in ­ terests. Thereafter she was determined not to cooperate. She recalls some of the terms — to the effect that she would not be permitted to remove a nail from the room, would not be permitted to have anyone spend the night with her, the electricity meter would not lie within her control — that insinuated that she would not be deemed a tenant and could be evicted at their whim. “Am I an angootha chhaap (illiterate rubber stamp)? The answer is a Rustom informs how Thakur ’s men capital NO,” she asserts. would openly tell her, “We will kill you; we will harass you so that living will be ­ come impossible for you. ” The story of was formerly residing along with her Bharucha ’s travails is related through husband. But after her husband ’s death photographs that Rustom shows us. Only she preferred to opt for a small town that age is against her, she has no money, no power, the police refused to accept her complaints of harassment ” and she Her family memberS*in Bombay have urged her to return to the city where she described as a cottage — it is more akin She gave up her job with the Maharash- to a hut. Debris was piled in front of her tra State Women ’s Council and chose to entrance so that the approach route to her start her own business. Vending sandal ­ wood, incense sticks, eats and other mis ­ cellanea from door-to-door she prefers had barricades nailed from the outside so that she would have no access to natural retaining her independence believing that sunlight. Her roof tiles were removed after marriage a woman should not be such that her sparse belongings in the dependent on her maternal house for sup ­ room had to be shielded by an overhead port. plastic canopy. Her waler supply was disconnected such that she had perforce written or verbal communication about to install a,borcwcll in her room. The change of landlords. She continues to Never has Bharucha received either aJ send her monthly compensation of Rs 50 to Ms Soona Rusi Mehta (who was the joint owner with Ms Homai Minoo Ga- mir) even though it is invariably re ­ funded. She has been told to preserve the re ­ fusal slips. She has also been taught not to fear a physical assault and if necessary “maar khai levano (take a beating) ” so that then at least the culprits can be con ­ victed. Bharucha feels particularly let down by Mehta who had assured her that tered. The railway crossing being tem ­ porarily closed to vehicular traffic they tried to maneuver the automobile through a tunnel but the assailants fol- “We Zoroastrians have progressed so far because we have stood for truth” but also some Zoroastrians of Dahanu did try helping her. ” When Bharucha appealed to the DTEWA, the support she sought came forthwith. “Here was a supreme example lowing them on their motorbikes refused of one who was fighting for the right, to eive uo chase for nearly 10 km. “Ner- How could we not help her? ” Rustom explains their rationale. So they pro ­ vided her with legal guidance from An- klesaria and Ms Mahrukh Adenwalla, and moral backing from the other activ ­ ists who realize that their own lives are at stake but arc willing to make the neces ­ sary sacrifice. The DTEWA activists reached the Thakurs ’ residence on August 24, 1992 Likewise, the two policemen from where they were met with filthy abuse, attempts at physical assault and even threats to life, they reported. Even a couple of policemen from Gholvad who were brought on the scene had to play the role of helpless spectators Patil and his brother (two other builders from the area who had earlier been to give up chase for nearly 10 km. gishe su gari dafraavich (Nergish had to drive at breakneck speed), ” Bharucha re ­ calls the details in an interview with Par­ siana. “She drove us to the police station at Dahanu, emptied the glass splinters from her lap before the policemen on duly and then just collapsed. ” It was apparent that the Dahanu police were not keen to get involved in the case. she could enjoy the use of her premises as long as she lived, and the Zoroastrian community in Bordi who she says did not construction) allegedly joined the fray, support her cause. On behalf of the Zai Bordi Parsee Anjuman Fund, president Firoze D. Patel and vice president Firozc R. Irani gave their version when contacted by Par- siana: have no manpower or re ­ sources to fight... We Parsis have never been selfish, crude or unfair... As such an anjuman is not supposed to interfere in anybody ’s private affairs. An anjuman is mainly for the agiary uust and its proper ­ ties. But she being a Parsi and an old lady too it was our first duty to help her through and thus we tried our best by having meetings amongst us and then by having a meeting with the new landlord. Ms Bharucha is proof to it... There is one thing in life which is an important factor and that is compromise which she re ­ fused to do. The rest is the cause of it. ” According to them she refused the al ­ ternative accommodation which was “far more SMperior ” to her present lodging and demanded compensation of Rs 50,000 instead. “Living in a small vil ­ lage and having a small community of abourlSO Parsis or so, we cannot afford to... spoil our relations with others or fight with them. But in Ms Bharucha ’s case, we really did our needful... No fi­ nancial aid was rendered and as far as moral support was concerned, she had plenty. Not only we people of Gholvad Gholvad went back to their base claim ­ ing that “everything was peaceful, ” briefs Rustom. Looking back at the ordeal, Bharucha narrates how involved she was in prayer when Vinay when they were fleeing that she forgot to take notice of the vehicle number of the motorbike trailing them. Repeatedly served a notice by DTEWA for illegal through the interview she keeps pointing to the message “If God be for us who can be against us? ” to confirm her faith in of Ms Irani ’s van and then proceeded to His workings. ¦' stone the van... Meanwhile the men were shouting ‘Strip these women, kill them, we will teach them a lesson. ’ The activ ­ ists and Ms Bharucha who were quite ter ­ rified by now and within an inch of being sequent business trip to Bombay had kept her away from her home since the last harrowing confrontation with Thakur and others. “Don ’t say you are Zoroastrians if you only want to cling to words and rituals, ” is the message of the DTEWA which has “The Patils pulled the two policemen out beaten up by the mob that gathered, man ­ aged to flee in the van, ” mentioned a re ­ port in The Times of India of August 27, 1992. There was stoning from four sides. The windshield of their van was shat- Debris piled outside Bharucha's residence at Bordi 17 Parsiana October 1992 To see Bharucha once again settled in her own home was the DTEWA’s prior ­ ity in early September especially since circumstances like a wet spell and a sub- 5* a*. 8 ¦ 8magazine that I wish to offer, on behalf of our insensitive community, my heart ­ felt apologies to Roxan ’s parents, her husband and her family, for the unduly It is true that a lot of MCPs (Male long and disgusting way in which we ‘Colony-type ’ Parsis) do sit around doing have carried on, in the name of religion, nothing, but then again surely the num ­ been espousing several causes to protect READERS’ FORUM their environment. For nearly three continued from page 4 years they must have valiantly fought values ” in their grandchildren, children, against the installation of a thermal unit nephews and nieces. in their area. They are now vigilant about development activities that im­ pinge on the “ecologically fragile area ” nothing, but then again surely the num- even in such unhappy circumstances, dis- as Dahanu is classified under the state ber of them today should be much less regarding the pain, helplessness and grief government ’s notification last June, than of those say two decades ago (tak- suffered by her family with quiet dignity, notes a report in The Times of India of ing into account our rapidly dwindling August 29. They try to book those guilty population). of rampant misuse of land, contravention of building bye-laws and disregard for many of the readers tend to agree with coastal regulations which appear to be on my opinion. javid sou canteenwala the increase with the advent of ambitious London, uk builders and entrepreneurs keen to ex ­ ploit new territories. Their rewards Roxan Shah RIP come in the form of stones! Irani ’s and For a long while now the columns of this ethics? Rustom ’s homes were literally stoned as magazine have provided a platform for When a Parsi Zoroastrian man mar- mentions a news report in the Mid-Day discussion on the controversial issue of ried outside the community is allowed of September 3. “Ours is the first religion to fight for Zoroastrian woman married outside the the environment. We should set ex ­ amples for others and not do wrong our- Whatever our personal views and opi ­ nions, we can ill afford to sit in pompous It would be interesting to know how judgment over others — for none of us are flawless. The real test of our stem ap ­ proach will be when one of us faces a similar crisis — will we then be as strict and as orthodox as we are now? Or can bonds of blood weaken our religious my opinion. Their rewards Roxan Shah RIP magazine have provided a platform for A 4 disposal of the dead body of a Parsi disposal at the Doongerwadi upon death, it stands to reason that the same principle should apply to a Parsi Zoroastrian woman in similar circumstances. Be that ] community. It all began with the un ­ timely and sad death of Ms Roxan Shah, selves. That is the crux, ” emphasizes who has been choicelessly dragged as it may, it is about time the community > Rustom, disappointed with the commu- through this ugly business, with no con- stops airing varied opinions on the sub- f nity ’s indifference. “We Zoroastrians cern for the fact that she is no more — ject, and allows Roxan ’s soul to rest in have progressed so far because we have nor what hurt it might cause to those who peace. .M* thrity e. bharucha stood for truth. Link progressiveness with truth... ” through this ugly business, with no con ­ cern for the fact that she is no more — nor what hurt it might cause to those who have lost her. So, it is through the columns of this Edited by Amavaz S. Mama Best Wishes From RUSY & PURVIZ SHROFFRELIGION COVER STORY 1^. <¦ ?v s® ¦VW Hi -1*'" ¦J ¦ B Its isolation and tranquility sets apart the Saher agiary from the other fire-temples In Bombay Tirnr r- .4____ W.J * 1 1 ^\- I* Serenity at Saher Parinaz Gandhi the Garware Supermarket, Ben/cr and Amarsons, there is a prominent sign at the start of the uphill bylane directing the to learn of it but did not really devotee to the Sahcr agiary. The ascent is rewarded with a view of the sedate fire-temple commanding respect as it du- There was a time when few Zoroastrians knew of the secluded existence of the Saher agiary. Subsequently several oth ­ ers came t„ ----- ------------- know where it was located. Now there are hardly any who have not visited this Seth Hormusjee Dadabhoy Saher Dar-e- Meher in Bombay ’s affluent Warden Road area, drawn to it through reports of its tranquil surroundings or invitations istence, ” Gamadia explains the rationale. The increasing -popularity of this venue despite the hike in rental charges to Rs 1,900 this year indicates that the primary objectives are being met. “We arc booked for 22 days in December and i L lirC-LCHipiG ^UHHUaUUlil^ IV?)pCzS^L a?> IL uu- aiv iv/i v^vajk. ... ------------------------------------------- . lifully stands apart from the multistorey 21 days in January, ” informs the Trust buildings that surround it. The same trees that serve to shelter the 146-ycar-old agiary by daytime, con- soliciting attendance at some religiou.s tribute to its lestivc look by night when celebration. “Once you get there the atmosphere is most peaceful and you actually feel as though you are out of Bombay. So it is ideal for worship, ” enthuses Nowrosji Gamadia, managing trustee of the H. D. Saher Agiary Trust. Off the main road that lures shoppers to famous stores like 20 Parsiana October 1992 secretary Burjor Mehta. In fact only re ­ cently one party donated more than the lower limit set at Rs 1,900. “How much more? ” we promptly enquire. He made an additional contribution of Rs 101, Mehta clarifies. Further, the trustees see no reason why the increase in rates multihued bulbs glow to create an en ­ chanting setting for the celebrations in progress. L 1...... years that the agiary premises are being should deter any party Irom hosting hired out for functions like wedding.s and functions in thi.s idyllic location, away from the hustle and bustle, when Allbless Baug now charges Rs 1,500 and Cama Baug, Rs 900. It is only since the last five hired out for functions like wedding.s and nav'iotcs. “The idea ol doing this is to augment our trust funds. Also, more people come to know of the agiary ’.s cx- Needless to say, the h|H lights, the furniture and other perquisites would all be available at extra cost, just Sal as in the case of the other Parsi baugs. M There are certain stipulations though, laid down for the Saher agiary functions too. A religious ceremony is a must — ¦H whether navjote, lagan, or jashan in the Hg case of birthday or anniversary celebra- tions. Besides, the catering can only be ¦ assigned to a Parsi. For a choosy host ¦ with a selective guest list, this venue is the logical answer as not more than 350 the Kadmi muktads, and occasionally H can be accommodated here. Even then it even one for the Fasli muktads, informs most active among the trustees, supervis? ing the accounts and general administra ­ tion work concerning the agiary. Indi ­ viduals too donated their mite, the trus ­ tees acknowledge. The deficit was met from the Saher Agiary Trust funds. This Kadmi agiary today enjoys the maximum patronage from members of the Shehenshahi sect. As against 30 tables laid out for the Shehenshahi muktads, there are five or six laid out for I I. MMinV Ml mm isS is only the early bird that catches the parking space. This, despite parking on the left side being permitted along the different trustees and different panthak- uphill approach road to the agiary that ies. While formerly the boi prayers belongs to the Trust. would be recited according to the Kadmi A zealous watch over their financial specifications, since the last few years ’ " ¦' the fire there has got used to the chant of Shehenshahi prayers as Kadmi priests are hard to come by. The managing trustee himself follows the Fasli calendar and sees nothing wrong if prayers at the agiary are per- ' an- 80-year-old Ervad Ruslorn Bhadha who has served this agiary for 45 years under 4' Above: Saher agiary's environs and internal ambience Photos: Homyar Mistry, Homz Prints Right: A navjote in progress at the Saher agiary position has placed the Trust in a com ­ fortable position for the day-to-day run ­ ning of the agiary. However, theirs be ­ ing an old building where recurring re ­ pair and maintenance costs are inevi ­ table, the trustees realize the need to gear for a future eventuality. Their appeal for formed as per the specifications of funds early this year generated seven other sect especially when there is only a lakh rupees with which they set out to marginal difference in the text, and no concrete the open space in front of the high priest available within the Kadmi agiary where the functions are organized (see “Changes for the better? ”) Of the seven lakhs collected, the largest contri ­ bution of four lakh rupees came from the A. H. Wadia Charitable Trust, mentions Mancherji J. Cama who has been the and Fasli sects. What Gamadia considers more essential is for all “to take a practi ­ cal view of things; to make mobedi at ­ tractive. ” The caliber of the priests should be such that “they should com ­ mand respect and we should pay re- 21 Parsiana October 1992spect. ” To their own panthaky they pay keeping with the late Hormusjee ’s Rs 2,250 per month. In addition, what he earns from his clients is his prerogative. Before the present panthaky Boman- At the inauguration of the fire-temple on shah Dastoor was inducted at the Saher March 15,1846 in the presence of a large agiary, the temple wore a “jiifaigaila (di- number of Zoroastrians, the gathering lapidated) ” look, concedes Gamadia. It was informed that the fire-temple ’s is up to the panthaky in charge of the agiary to see that devotees are drawn to it rather than turning away from it, he be ­ lieves. A trustee too is accountable, accor ­ ding to Gamadia. “It is the duty of every trustee of every agiary to see that the ob ­ jectives of the trust are met in that the agiary is well patronized and well main ­ tained. ” In all earnestness he then seeks a critical appraisal of the Saher agiary so that improvements, where possible, can be introduced. He believes that all agiar- ies fall under three categories: those with funds and well patronized whose work ­ ings should not be disturbed; those with no funds but well patronized whose re ­ sources should be augmented; those with no funds and no patrons which should be merged. After relocating the fire in an area where Parsis abound, the real estate of the neglected temple could be sold and funds utilized to maintain the fire in its new abode in a respectable position. There was a time when the Saher agiary too was deemed neglected. When Gamadia as a descendant of the Saher At the entrance to the Saher Agiary family was left as the sole trustee, he remedied the situation by getting new trustees appointed to the Trust one after another. Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, Cama, Phiroze Bookbinder and Rustom J. B. Jeejeebhoy are now working with Ga ­ madia as co-trustees. They have not missed the female touch on their Trust bungalows on the family property (leased Khursheed (along with some volunteer board so far, they declare, to Dr Jehangir Eduljee in the early part school children) had undertaken the As the seniormost trustee Gamadia of the century). Along the uphill route planting of approximately 50 }re^ in has been associated with the Saher agiary for nearly 40 years. He was brought on the Trust board when Dadiba N. Saher, Cavasji N. Saher, Muncherji N. Cama gradually made way for the towering structures. With many Parsis too moving into this locality in recent times, the trustees hope down in Bombay for the summer vaca- the aura of the Saher agiary fire will en- tions and the Saher trees were well compass more devotees. Originally it wishes, the Saher agiary was built on the family estate by his brother Maneckjee. Changes for the better? 1 I ¦J I sturdy construction was built at a cost of “Saher agiary is becoming increasingly Rs 13,000 and that the family would set popular as a venue for celebrations, ” . confirms trustee Mancherji Cama. “Since the agiary is in great demand now we have to provide more facilities, ” he adds. The facilities that have been added or re ­ done at the agiary are mainly in the shape of repairs and restorations, with I the addition of some modem conven ­ iences that were lacking. I “We completely repaired the toilet i blocks with all modern amenities and plumbing. We separated the mobeds ’ area from that of the outside users. The nan nawani mori (ceremonial bathing area) was repaired and other general re ­ pairs were also carried out. For instance, we completely cement concreted the front compound that is used for navjotes and weddings, ” says Cama. Earlier the confl^ound was a dusty ex ­ panse of red soil which was notorious for ruining many a beautiful sari, espe ­ cially when the rains churned and wet ­ ted the mud. According to Cama, this is the main reason why the contractor lay ­ ered the entire area with a coat of ce ­ ment. Nawshir D. Khurody, a long-time patron of Saher agiary, however voices his concern that the cementing of the I* » 'a ‘ v. 7 aside a further sum of Rs 11,000 towards the maintenance fund of the agiary. All the multistorey buildings in the vi ­ cinity, obstructing the view and distur- compound to accommodate the navjote bing the peace, are later developments, and wedding guests has resulted in the recounts Gamadia. There were then two destruction of the flora. His daughter stood Chateau Petit on one side and a the agiary compound in July 1987. “We mansion belonging to a Marwari tycoon had planted trees at Doongerwadi that on the other. The villas of yore have morning and then around 3 p.m. went to the Saher to continue planting there, ” Khursheed recalls. “After the planting I checked the trees whenever I was and Kaikhushru Hormusji Saher were serving on it. He is not sure of the Saher family tree. He only knows that his pa ­ ternal grandmother belonged to the Saher the aura of the Saher agiary fire will en- tions family and her brother Nowrosji was the compass more devotees. Originally it maintained unlike the ones we planted father of Dadiba and Cavasji. On the used to be an occasional visitor who at Doongerwadi, ” says this young en ­ trust records there is just reference to the would drop in at the Saher agiary . The thusiast. Dar-e-Meher being founded by Hor- priests now get to see 10-15 devotees in When her father saw the changes tak- musjee Dadabhoy Saher in 1846 when wasTo; ’ Sarosh, Meher, 1215 YZ. It presume may be unsuipassed by^ any was from a 1906 publication, Parsi cJ. ------ L ’ „ . ¦ u Dharmasthalo by Bahmanji Patel, that give it a vantage position — accessible the trustees of the Saher agiary in the further information was gleaned: In yet aloof. form of a letter dated May 25, 1992, would drop in at the Saher agiary. The thusiast. priests now get to see 10-15 devotees in the course of a day. Its unusual location, th^day according to the Kadmi calendar situated at a height which the trustees ing place at the agiary on a visit in May, he was spurred to take action and to try to stop the trees from being damaged. other existing agiary in Bombay, should Khurody brought forward his concern to 22 Parsiana October 1992 1 s iPUBLIC NOTICE REGARDING TRUST OF LATE MRS RATANBAI KHURSHEDJI PESTONJI DALAL HELD WITH THE OFFICIAL TRUSTEE, MAHARASHTRA STATE Notice is hereby given calling information about the children or great grand-children or any other heirs of late Mrs Ratanbai Khurshedji Pestonji Dalal through her daughter late Mrs Manekbai P, B. Bharucha who was staying at 585, Khan Building, Dhobi Talao, Bombay 400002 and call upon the claimants to contact the undersigned at his below stated office to establish their right, title and interest in the Trust Money of the said Testator. If no response to this Public Notice is received within 30 days then without any further notice as per the authority and discretion of the undersigned the said Trust Money will be diverted as per the wish of the Testator for the education of Parsi and Irani boys and girls. Dated this 15th day of January, 1993 Sd/- S. V. Desai Official Trustee, Maharashtra State P.W.D. Building, (Ground Floor) Opp Central Telegraph Office Vir Nariman Road Bombay 400032 where he states that “A full grown thevetia nerifolia (yellow oleander) next to the far wall has been completely cut down. All the casuarina trees planted at the boundary have been mutilated and will die in due course as will the other gi­ ant trees in the compound because the contractor is not leaving enough free space around the base for the air to get to the roots. ” His suggested alternative was to lay the ground with ladis (tiles) in ­ stead of a sheet of concrete, “like they have down in New Era School, thus giv ­ ing the roots place to breathe ” and mak ­ ing the entire process slightly more eco ­ nomical. The trustees and administrators of the agiary did not take Khurody ’s concern Earlier the red soil in the compound was notorious for ruining many a beautiful sari lightly and his letter was answered by the Ward Officer, ‘D’Ward, Bombay, stating categorically that the site had been in ­ spected by their office staff and that “they (the contracting company) have not cut down/damaged any tree. At pres ­ ent they are concreting the open area in the premises and they have provided the otla around the tree basin for protection of trees. The small branches of (the) old mango tree have been cut down to reduce the weight and balance the same. ” Cama affirms that the Saher trustees have tried their best to preserve the green environment around the agiary and in fact have plans to add fruit trees to the existing ones in the back garden. The concreted area will also be landscaped with pots of flowering shrubs and other plants, he asserts. The agiary ’s popular panthaky Bomanshah Dastoor also refutes Khurody ’s secondtiry concern that in an effort to expand the wedding/navjote fa ­ cilities the lush back garden may have to be sacrificed to the cement layer ’s ’ trowel. Dastoor points out that the back garden can only be accessed through the agiary ’s courtyard, and therefore non- Parsi.s cannot be allowed into it. Yasmin D. Poonegar 191 4 OUR 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. Come to our show-room and choose from our exclusive rangexWe can engrave names and messages on sports,cups and shields according to your requirements. I ^ttver plating^ and engrav'ng ^undertaken. JHAVERIBROS. • 5, Metro House,Dhobi Talao, Bombay 400 020. Tel.:29 14 23. 29 70 26. • 345,Abclul Rehman St., i Bombay 400 003- ! Tel.:32 00 65, 32 61 96 / 97. ! > o 2 m m (D I 23 Parsiana October 1992PROFESSIONS Riding the tide Hydraulic engineer Dr Zal Tarapore’s career has been crowned with a Padma Shri Sunita Kulkarni-Pendse “When the call came from the income yard. Almost every major water project designs, research into the size of barges, tax office, I was delighted. I thought it ... • • •• .... was regarding the refund which was long overdue. But they were asking peculiar model which depicts the bridge across questions: ‘Are your tax returns clear? Are you assessable for wealth tax? Is your wife? ’ When they were satisfied with the answers, they congratulated me because I was due for some sort of an award. Then came the call from the Home Minister on the morning of the 26th (of January 1992) and I knew that I had been awarded the Padma Shri, ” recalls an amused Dr Zal Tarapore. He was awarded the Padma Shri this year in recognition of his expertise in the field of hydraulic engineering in India — to put it simply, for his exploration of wa ­ ter resources for irrigation, power, transportation, etc. Tarapore has spent 28 years of his life in mak­ ing contributions to this field. And he is only the second person to receive an award from the Cen ­ tral Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune. The CWPRS is one of the foremost or ­ ganizations in the world in the field of hydraulic and allied re ­ search. Tarapore takes obvious pride in this institute where he has spent most of his working life. He retired as director last year and now works there in an advisory capacity. “The institute is greater than an individual, ” he avers modestly when we express a desire to inter ­ view him. “Why not write about it instead? ” he queries. He is as fa ­ miliar around the 180-hectare campus as if it were his own back- in India is represented here in models built to scale. Tarapore points out the sediment control, pollution problems of coastal areas due to thermal discharges, oil spills and effluents, reclamation of deltaic areas, the pitching and heaving of the Yamuna river in Delhi, the Mahim creek where siltation is a major problem ships, etc. One is amazed at the variety and the Tarapur thermal power unit. Us- and diversity of the studies carried out in ing such scale models, various types of this complex, about 18 km away from studies are undertaken; flood protection works, bank protection measures, bridge The President of India R. Venkataraman presenting the Padma Shri to Tarapore (left) Pune city at Khadakwasala. “When my father was the executive engineer at the Nizam Sagar Dam (Hyderabad) on the Manjira river, it was one of the three dams in the country, ^e used to go on pic ­ nics near the Dam in the nfonsoon and for outings by the river or near tracts of water in other sea ­ sons as well. Moreover, my grandparents lived near the sea. So I developed a love for water at a very early age. But love is not a profession! Coincidentally, in college I had a very good profes ­ sor for hydraulics which is a branch of civil engineering. He fuelled my love for the subject and enthused me to work further in the field. In childhood I had seen water flowing over the spill ­ way. Now I was. putting the calcu ­ lations down *T>n paper, ” remi ­ nisces the hydraulic engineer. Tarapore did his BSc in civil engineering from Edinburgh. He recalls that the fees in those days were only £40 a year. “Very rea ­ sonable. And the cost of living, board and lodge about £ 3 a week. I came back to India after my de ­ gree, and through my uncle who was working on the Hirakud Dam, I met the director of design of the Central Water Commission. ” The director advised Tarapore that the best place in the world for this field was St Anthony Falls in Minneapolis in the USA. Tarapore worJced there for eight in 25 Parsiana October 1992 <1were full of zest for life. “But, ” he adds with sadness, “the poverty you see in ru ­ ral India, you don ’t see anywhere. ” India spends 20 percent of its re ­ sources on water development. “You be ­ gin to think, ‘what is the result of this? ’ At Independence there was a lot of hope, much enthusiasm, many goals. Perhapjs we haven ’t achieved them all. Perhaps a market economy will lead us to them... I really don ’t know. I have retired now, I am on the sidelines. ” Tarapore ’s wife Freni is the principal of the SNDT home science college in Pune. Son Noshir is doing his masters in computer science in Florida, USA, while daughter Newaz is in Nagpur in her final year of occupational therapy. Tarapore claims that he has no real hobby. “Music, photography, swimming used to be my hobbies, but no more. The whole day is spent at the institute. In the evening I putter around in the house and garden, watch TV and am" ready for much more so. In Hanoi, I was amazed bed. ” Moreover, he claims to be a pas- better. But I’m satisfied with the work I have done, ” he notes. Tarapore ’s thesis on erosion under spillway is considered a classic in its field. He has authored and co-authored a “The poverty you see in rural India, you don’t see anywhere” and a half years as research assistant and worked for the last 28 years do better and research fellow. “The institute gave me - -- vast experience and I worked on interna ­ tional projects in Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, Pakistan, etc, ” he continues. In 1962, when Nehru had started the concept of a scientists ’ pool to lure the best brains back from overseas, Tarapore came back to India. For almost three years the pool paid him his salary and fi­ nally in 1965 he was absorbed by the CWPRS. With his US education and his experience he was offered a post as head of the ports and harbor division. “I had the advantage here of working on many projects simultaneously. Clients were on our backs to complete their studies in time. We were constantly running up against deadlines. ” Now the institute has over 200 clients and 500 projects in hand and is almost in connection with his work. He recalls self-supporting (about 25 percent of the that his longest stay, for about six weeks, funds come from the government). In be- was in Vietnam. “You saw... serious, tween, as the importance of scale models hardworking, austere people. Women declined, the institute suffered a setback. But then the purchase of computers (and because there was not a single petrol sive observer of religious customs and their extensive network) has led to a re- pump. Every vehicle was owned by the festivals. “So many times I thought of surgence of its importance; and today government and obtained its petrol from becoming a rhember of the Parsi mathematical modelling is an important a depot. ” In Iran, too, Tarapore encoun- Anjuman, but didn ’t go out of my way to function of the instititute. “I would like tered very serious people but not as mild become one. One feels a minor sort of to see the institute for which I have or hardworking. In the Philippines they guilt at this. ” t I i total of 43 publications. And, in addi ­ tion, he has made over 20 visits overseas TheX hardworking office furniture from Steelage is here a a 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. ? I I 1 S Steelage Industries Ltd. Bombay New Delhi Madras Calcutta Banoalore Bombay New Delhi Madras Calcutta Bangalore Hyderabad Bhopal Lucknow Jaipur Bhubaneswar StMieg. 26 Parsiana October 1992PRO FESS IONS VYARAWAUX IN FOCUS Roxanne Kavarana “When Mr Jinnah held his last press con ­ ference in Delhi, an unknown woman press photographer caused a stir by top ­ pling off a tall packing case on which she had perched, the better to ‘shoot ’ the founder of Pakistan. Mr Jinnah ’s frown was transformed into a smile when he woodwork, metalwork, gardening and sewing. Her small pleasures include cooking food in cod-liver oil (the secret of her health?) in lieu of fish, which she loves. At a ripe but fit 79, her vision is almost perfect thank.s to a Bombay doc- t " .:::_________ saw that the culprit was a woman — and (and that too a determined one), but she that, although prone on the floor, she had had the presence of mind to save her camera and flash-gun from harm. “Four years have sped since... and Mrs Homai Vyarawala has become in that period perhaps the best known press photographer in the capital. Efficient and unobtrusive, she has rarely been beaten by a male competitor. Mrs Vyar ­ awala is probably the only professional woman press photographer in India. She not only takes pictures, but develops, prints, enlarges, retouches and finishes. is tar from being a lonely lady. It was his camera that Homai bor- This curious report appeared in The It is 22 years since she took her last rowed (“a Rolliflex which he very reluc- Statesman of May 14,1951 in the heyday professional picture, 22 years ago that tantly gave me ”) to use on a college pic- of the distinguished paper. It went on to the world forgot her. A chance encoun- nic. It proved extremely lucky __ her add: “Today no function seems complete ter with a press photographer in Delhi re- first-ever pictures were published in T/ie without her. cently changed the evening ol her life Bombay Chronicle, with Homai getting a Forty-one long summers later, the and landed her on the TV program Taana paltry Re 1 per snap! But from then on woman eulogized in this somewhat con- Baana. Since then, regional and national descending report lives alone in her newshounds have made a beeline for her mathubanu and drape the sari pallav on my head, otherwise they wouldn ’t send me to school. ” Notwithstanding the restrictions, she went on to finish a simultaneous BA (Hons) in economics from St Xavier ’s tor. Yes, Vyarawalla lives like a recluse College and a diploma in painting from Sir J. J. School of Art. Amidst these scholarly pursuits, her interest in photo ­ graphy was fuelled by her cousin (and husband-to-be) Maneckshaw Vyara ­ wala, a keen hobby photographer. “He used to work in Vyara initially where his love for photography developed. There was no electricity there at that time, so he used to get under a four-poster bed, cover it with blankets to make a dark room underneath and use a kerosene lamp, ” says Homai of her late husband and the biggest influence in her life. ^He made a dark room under a four-poster bed and used a kerosene lamp // zz is far from being a lonely lady. It is 22 years since she took her last the world forgot her. A chance encoun ­ ter with a press photographer in Delhi re ­ cently changed the evening ol her life Bombay Chronicle, with Homai getting and landed her on the TV program Taana paltry Re 1 per snap! But from then Baana. Since then, regional and national there wa,s no looking back. Homai and Maneckshaw (he was now quaint flat m news-starved Baroda. So place. Today, the “mummy of Indian working in the job department of The isolated a life has she made for herself press photography ” enjoys reliving her Times of India) collaborated to cover ev- that tew (not even Parsis) know that they memorable past, a past which ran con- ery walk of life in and around Bombay have a pioneer India s first woman currently with the birth pangs of this na- and managed to get their pictures pub ­ photojournalist in their midst. She tion. lished in important Indian and foreign rarely ventures out except for daily ” ’ ' ’ " ” - - ¦ • chores. Although it is a decade now since she settled in Baroda, she has few friends, preferring instead to keep herself moved to Bombay. Recounting her Stanley Japson, started giving her assign- occupied with her housework (she has childhood, she says, “I grew up in a very never believed in keeping domestic help) orthodox family. At the age of 13, my J parents asked me to wear a sari and press photography ” enjoys reliving her memorable past, a past which ran con ­ currently with the birth pangs of this na ­ tion. Homai was born in a priestly family publications, of Navsari to Sunamai and Dossabhai Hathiram in 1913. Subsequently, they of The Illustrated Weekly of India, Mr moved to Bombay. Impressed by her work, the then editor and her plethora of hobbies, notably ments. When World War II began, Ho ­ mai covered every aspect of wartime ac ­ tivity in Bombay for the prestigious 28 Parsiana October 1992 iAs the country's first woman photojoumalist, Homai Vyarawala recorded the birth of independent India J magazine. The couple got married in 1941, a full I 15 years after they had first met. With that came an offer to join the Far Eastern Bureau of the United Kingdom Publicity Office, which was shifting from Sin ­ gapore to New Delhi. Maneckshaw took over as the chief photographer and in- I charge of the studio and dark room, whereas Homai was to play second fiddle as assistant photographer. Actually, not much later, with new ­ born son Farouq by her side Homai took over the responsibility of all outdoor shooting, maintaining a gruelling mor- ning-to-night schedule till the very end. | She left the UK Publicity Office after nine years, preferring to take on the chai- « lenge of freelance press photography in ­ stead. Looking back, with a twinkle in her I eyes, Homai says, “With the coming of I Independence, life became more hectic and work more exciting and rewarding. I was amongst the very few lucky ones who witnessed and made photographic records of all the important events from very close quarters — events like mid ­ night ceremonies on the eve of the Inde ­ pendence Day, the gathering of all our leaders on the ramparts of the Red Fort and the joy of the people who had col ­ lected in thousands down below to hear Panditji make his first speech as the Prime Minister of India. ” Over the years, she shared many a joyful moment with the founding fathers and with visiting leaders eager to wel ­ come India into the new comity of na ­ tions. Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa called her “energy, ” she was “a new phe- 29 Parsiana October 1992 President, ( Dr “He was extremely Top. Vyarawaia with her cherished camera Captured moments with political dignitaries: Eleanor Roosevelt (above left) with an aide, Gandhi and Frontier Gandhi with disciples, Nehru and Jacqueline Kennedy nomenon ” to the first Governor-General of free India, C. Gopalachari, while to the Vietnamese leader, Ho Chi Minh, she was simply “my friend. ” But her favorite remained the first Vice President, Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. friendly and informal. He used to callme his ‘lady friend ’ and ‘royal photogra ­ pher. ’ (Homai also used to take pictures of visiting royalty, and for the number one society publication of those days. The Onlooker.) Radhakrishnan would call out to me in front of all the minis ­ ters, ‘Hello, Your Highness!. ’ And Pan- ditji would turn around and ask jocularly, feigning ignorance, ‘Who ’s the High ­ ness? ’ Of course, I would shout back, ‘Me! ’” Then once Homai had hurt her lips in a fall and stuck a Band-Aid near her mouth. “Radhakrishnan saw me from the stage and became very curious as to what had happened. So all the time he kept on rubbing his finger on his lips to draw my attention. Later he passed by me at Rashtrapati Bhavan and very softly murmured, ‘Were you bitten by your husband? ”’ At another time, Homai had gone to the Taj Mahal, Agra, with Chief Justice and Ms Warren of the US for a Life magazine assignment. In her own words, “While moving backwards to take their picture against the backdrop of the Taj, I forgot, in my excitement, that there was ¦ a fountain canal behind me and I fell flat into the water. I was drenched but had in ­ stinctively saved my camera. I came out and took their pictures as work had to go on. As it was a very hot day, Mrs War ­ ren came up to me and whispered, ‘How I wish I could do the same. It would at least cool me. ” Justice Warren said hu ­ morously, ‘Don ’t try this stunt again... you might break your bones! But it was not all fun and excitement; there were also disappointments and heartbreaks. No length of time will heal the wound of missing the biggest scoop of her life — Mahatma Gandhi ’s assassi ­ nation on January 30, 1948. The Vyara- walas were working for the UK Publicity Office in those days and Homai had se ­ cured special permission that fateful eve ­ ning to capture the Mahatma ’s prayer meeting on color film. “I was almost out of the office compound gate with the equipment when my husband called me back saying we could go together the next day. I insisted on going, but he per ­ sisted. He never forgave himself for call ­ ing me back, and that was the only time he ever prevented me from doing any ­ thing. True, I could have missed a pho ­ tograph of that particular moment, but that day I was scheduled to take movies, ” she rues, the images of that day as fresh in her mind as though it had all happened yesterday. To add insult to injury, she was the only photographer scheduled to be pres ­ ent for the evening. “Even the govern ­ ment of India chap was not there, ” she points out. Incidentally, only after the demise of her husband in 1960 did Ho ­ mai tell the world the real reason for missing “the greatest picture. ” There are no such regrets for having thrown away all her documentary films and a sizeable collection of her photo ­ graphic work not so long ago. “My son was interested in photography and he used to do a little bit. So I had kept my equipment arid chemicals, but then he died two years ago and I threw away eve ­ rything because I didn ’t need it, ” she says matter-of-factly. Notwithstanding the loss of an invalu ­ able treasure house of India ’s past, she still has a huge collection to offer for posterity. It is a collection that is in dire need of preservation. The National Cen ­ tre for Photography as an Art Form, Bombay, has recently sent feelers to her in this regard.Tor the present, history is suished away in the drawers-of an old wooden cupboard in Baroda. Rotary Screw Air Compressors Crawlairs and Blasthole Drills fi b. !| i •ii! '“’¦llll.'iiiilj Water Well Drills i-V 'J 1 t Jlk mcmsoumw Portable Compressors * Process Gas Compressors I Air and Gas Compressors • Construction & Mining Equipment INGERSOLL-RAND At k. Ingersoll-Rand (India) Ltd., Maybaker House, S.K. AhireMarg, Bombay 400 025 IIL1914B 30 Parsiana October 1992 IBOOKS Of lovers and freedom fighters Burjor K. Karanjia ber me, ” he replies. The word “remem ­ ber ” alarms her: “It seems that every time I meet someone I could like, he turns into a — memory. ” But Archer must go home and on the eve of his de ­ parture, he holds out his hand to wish her ___________ good-bye. She stands up on tiptoe and bes^make delightfill company, even if gently brushes his cheek with her lips, their lives are without purpose and their “What was that for? ” he asks, surprised, conversation tends to be trivial. __________ “For being you, ” she replies. And Some Take A Lover is a richly textured novel with characters that are amusing and alive and a story that fairly captures the excitement of India ’s free ­ dom struggle. It is a rewarding read for of ”cutting"herself off from her family and the sharp little insights it offers into hu- ¦ spending her life with man frailties and strengths, setting it ¦ Sudhir in an Indian village apart from the murky, sex-drenched, of which he presents to her hastily drafted and fast-selling (like fast a graphic but most de- foods) novels that seem all the rage these pressing picture. But her days. Delightful turns of phrase give it a ” - ¦' * ’ ------ J ------ “When you wear people with their quirks and eccentrici- their lives are without purpose and their “What was that for? ” he asks, surprised, conversation tends to be trivial. The conflict centers on Roshni. Her And Some Take A Lover by Dina Mehta. Pub ­ lished in 1992 by Rupa Publishers, Post Box No 12333, 15 Bankim Chatterjee Street, College Square, Calcutta 700073. Pp: 317. Price: Rs 70. Roshni Wadia does take a lover. She might also have, as her friend Douglas instincts, fuelled by her love for the taci- Archer suggests, quoting the poet, played turn freedom fighter Sudhir Mahipal, are the devil and then written a novel. But to throw herself wholeheartedly into the that isn ’t the sort of thing Roshni is given to doing, pouring out her troubles to strangers. Even in the act of love, though losing her virginity, Roshni doesn ’t really give K of herself to the rich mar- | ried businessman, Rustom I Bharucha, dealer in wines I and spirits and chemicals, I who practises adultery to I the strains of Brahms and I the rhythms of Shake- | speare. Much later, when his wife Mithu loses the child on whom he had a pinned his hopes for the fu- i ture, Rustom does an ’ about-turn, realizes (or says he realizes) a Harijan girl, who no doubt makes him a more suitable companion. Roshni ’s life is further complicated kling clusters from her earlobes ”... “He when the lover of her English friend Sab- (Fox) stood looking at her with his rina, also married, is murdered in her strange eyes, his face empty and flat ­ flat. Roshni is tortured by doubt whether tened, as if he had carefully erased the this is a political murder or a crime of outer layer of expression ”... “It was as if passion, whether Sabrina did truly sym- a page of her life had been silently pathize with Indian aspirations unlike her turned, and the breath of its turning had One insufferable husband or is an undercover changed her. Her soul came of age and agent for British Intelligence. She finds with this prodigious blossoming she herself further embroiled when, owing to ” her presence at the scene of the crime, she is confronted by the indomitable po ­ Quit India movement, even to the extent And Some Take a Lover I p-f bP family background, her literary distinction: khadi you assume a role, complete with costume and dialogue. But you don ’t such as it is, the values she deceive anyone but yourself ’... has been brought up to hold dear, make her hesi- , . tate. Ultimately, by a twist of circumstance (an ap- upbringing in school and college, the Parsi culture “She was unwhole, because one set of loyal ­ ties in her conflicted with another set of imperatives. And the choosing of one over the other, a decision on her future, ^5 pointment she fails to keep involved a painful snipping, whittling through no fault of hers), operation ”... “She (Mithu) did not look she loses Sudhir to Gauri, Mar. that he is in love with Roshni and offers to make an honest woman of her. She spurns the offer. Roshni is a very real person who gives to Dina Mehta ’s And Some Take A Lover its passion and strength. At the same time she is in a sense a curiously disem ­ bodied being, since we are not given an inkling of what she looks like. C— imagines that had her creator been a male, he might have grown lyrical over her charms. Dina Mehta prefers to leave these to her readers ’ imagination which Roshni ’s inner vitality manages to keep lice commissioner. Colonel Fox, whose continuously active. Her face on the relentless inquisition makes life hell for book cover helps — scarlet lips, enquir ­ ing eyes, a troubled frown at life passing her by. The blurb describes And Some Take A Lover as an absorbing novel about the that she meets and befriends Douglas Ar- conflicting loyalties of a Parsi family cher who opens her eyes, with a sympa- caught up in the political turmoil of the thy and understanding unexpected in a Quit India movement. Absorbing the foreigner, to the true significance of In- purpose? novel is; as for loyalties, the members of dia ’s freedom struggle and Sudhir ’s part Roshni ’s family, her friends and sundry in it. Roshni feels drawn to him, “more hangers-on are firmly and raucously on like a friend than a stranger, ” she tells the side of the British rulers. These him. “That ’s how I’d like you to remem- her till a “political ” solution to the mur ­ der is found. One happy and, for Roshni, crucial outcome of the entire sorry episode is 32 Parsiana October 1992 operation ”... “She (Mithu) did not look pregnant yet, just thick-set and self-cher ­ ishing in her turquoise tanchoi sari with her husband ’s fortune dangling in spar- ceased to be a child. ” The exotica of Parsi rituals and cus ­ toms do not really add to the intrinsic merit of this novel. Not so Sudhir ’s moving last testament, which Archer posts to Roshni, detailing his harrowing experiences in Naokhali of man ’s inhu ­ manity to man, “a record of his deeds, as well as of the unfoldment within him. ” It is as if by his own aspirations and sacri ­ fice Sudhir enables Roshni to find a meaning to her life. Also, perhaps, a At the novel ’s end Roshni does not find a husband. She doesn ’t find a job, nor even a vocation. What is more to the point, she finds herself. Ia “A novel does not have to be so exactly 1 focused and paced as a short story. A play also has the same necessity. You must say what you have to say within one and a half hours. It is better focused and has more economy than a novel, ” says award-winning playwright and short-story writer Ms Dina Mehta who recently made her debut as a novelist with the publication of And Some Take a Lover. The historical turbulence of India on the eve of Independence has been woven into the complacency of the average Parsi family. Mehta has used the nation ­ alistic ambience of Elphinstone College for her heroine Roshni Wadia to imbibe j an interest in the freedom movement. I And in the process of Roshni's emotional | and mental growth Mehta reviews the so- ! cial turmoil that faced the generation of the 1940s (see “Of lovers and freedom fighters, ” facing page). As Roshni evolves during this turning point in Indian history, she is caught as was Mehta and her generation, ‘“Bet ­ ween two worlds, ’” as says Mehta quo ­ ting English poet Stephen Spender, ‘“One dead, the other powerless to be born. ’ One set of loyalties pulling at an ­ other set of loyalties: she is lost. ” Refer ­ ring to Roshni ’s brand of nationalism, Mehta, who admits to tremendous re ­ spect and admiration for Gandhi, speaks of the Mahatma ’s political commitment as a means to his self-realization: “Un ­ less you find yourself, what can you give? Your giving has to be flawed. ” Mehta and the book have been grow ­ ing together for years. The first draft of And Some... was quite different from the published version, says the author. Origi ­ nally it had been written as a straight-line narrative. In its final version the story unfolds in a series of flashbacks. An admirer of Russian novelist Vladimir Nobokov, Mehta, who is also in the process of “rediscovering Kipling, ” is certain that you “cannot separate style from substance. Style is your per ­ ception of what you see. How can you separate it from the words you use? ” she asks. With short stories published in maga ­ zines of standing such as the London Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Homes and Gardens, Good Housekeeping and oth- ¦ Arnavaz S. Mama ‘^Between two worlds” Novelist Dina Mehta attempts to recreate the mental conflicts of the generation that ushered in an independent India ¦¦ ers, Mehta says it takes her about three months to complete one “because I’m a slow writer. A novel takes much longer. ” Then, warming up to a com ­ parison between the two literary forms she notes, “In a short story you can distil your work. I can imagine a perfect short story but I can ’t imagine a perfect novel... In some short stories the end never ties up neatly because it ’s open ended - echoes of it will go on in the outside world. ” Mehta has been tilting with the sexist bias in social morality since many years. Her plays — notably the BBC award fc winning Brides are not for burning W which is expected to be published as a H Rupa paperback next January — have ¦ consistently underlined the code of ¦ double values so galling to one deeply ¦ committed to ethical pursuits. Mehta is ¦ continually harping on the mental condi- H tioning of the Indian female, “a condi- H tioning which starts from the time the M baby is born... and sets woman against fl woman so that as a mother-in-law she ¦ gets a chance to get her own back. ” The |F concept of woman in the Indian male III mind is that of an inferior, says Mehta, ¦ and “woman has accepted herself as such and therefore allows herself to be treated so... Women are conditioned to think of men as the be-all and end-all of their lives... Women don ’t want to grow; don ’t feel the need until something goes wrong. ” Young girls go through college and may be well educated but their only aim is to get married, she says. Mehta therefore considers it.9 “breakthrough for a woman to take sex as the modem gen ­ eration does. ” In the novel, Roshni ’s sexual dalliance with Rustom, her friend ’s husband, is a measure of her re ­ bellion against the codes that tie her down, says Mehta, but it is “not guiltfree, not the action of an emancipated woman. It is her despair that has made her take this stand. ” Mehta ’s writing career began in Queen Mary ’s School, authoring “end of term plays which we used to perform. ” Describing herself as “very awkward in her early teens, ” Mehta (n6e Darasha) grew up “out of kilter at home, much more (herself) at school, ” finding in liter ­ ary expression “a kind of compensation. ” ¦ Through Elphinstone College (where 33 Parsiana October 1992With best wishes from Farah & Tanya “there was a feeling that it had turned out men in service of the country ”) and jour ­ nalistic stints with the Evening Star and The Sunday Standard, Mehta says she became ambitious under the nurturing of her “fantastically supportive ” textile en ­ gineer husband Keki. With his early passing the craft became even more im­ portant and Mehta spent a few years as literary editor of The Illustrated Weekly of India and thereafter as managing edi ­ tor of Kaiser-E-Hind. The Mehtas ’ two daughters — Huzan and Rashna — were not as happy about their mother ’s career, remembers Dina. “They still have reser ­ vations about a writing mother, feel my preoccupation was so great that I ne ­ glected them... I wasn ’t the traditional, conventional mother, ” says the happy grandmother of two whose eye problems now demand a rationing of the printed literary fare she may consume. Comparing the current dreary, con ­ temptible political scene with the resur ­ gence and idealism of the 1940s and 50s, Mehta recalls how she “saw Nehru with rose-colored lenses and looked up to our leaders... The terrible letdown on the po ­ litical scene, in all standards of integrity is or more or less like Piroja kaki pre ­ dicted, ” Mehta refers pointedly to a char ­ acter in the novel who espouses the gen ­ eral community point of view on the sub ­ ject of Indian Independence, predicting a general slide in standards of integrity as the nouveau riche take on the reins of control. “We ’re a remarkable community. It ’s a shame we are on the extinct list, ” says Mehta who is typically proud of the early Parsi contribution to the building of modern India. “We have a lot of poten ­ tial. We ’re at the top of all the profes ­ sions (and) though there has been an ero ­ sion also, ” Mehta says she has not cre ­ ated characters “whose mental outlook is limited. ” Though Mehta concedes that the com ­ munity is “moving away from the high ­ est standards, ” she ascribes it to the “definite poverty in the community. Par ­ sis are poor as they weren ’t before. ” She is aware of the lack of initiative and en ­ terprise, the clinging to Bombay city which are a part of the present scenario. “All of these are to some extent mama ’s faults, ” she admits. The average commu ­ nity yearning for the pre Independence era is also “a natural outcome, ” accor ­ ding to her. “Our lot did improve with the British. It was advantageous to our ­ selves to support them. (Thereafter) there were certain adjustments that we were not able to make. Now numerically we are down because we don ’t want to lower our standards. ” Mehta ascribes the demo ­ graphic decline to urbanization: “When we had farms, etc we could afford larger families. ” Mehta is not a keen follower of com ­ munity politics. She is unaware of the in ­ tricacies of the Bombay Parsi Pun- chayet ’s (BPP) Anjuman Commmittee and her name does not figure on the gen ­ eral register of the BPP. They are seem ­ ing irrelevancies to one whose preoccu ­ pation is the human condition. MATRIMONIAL Matrimonial alliance invited from good-natured, home loving girl, between 35 and 40 years for a Parsi athoman, divorcee, 6’ 1" tall, highly educated, good-natured, aged 45, having accommodation and earning a five-figure income. The girl may be a spinster, divorcee or widow. .JVrite to: The Advertiser Parsiana Matrimonial (Oct/42-92) GPO Box 892, Bombay 400001 1 ft MATRIMONIAL Parsi boy, 30 years, studying and working in USA, invites correspondence with a view to matrimony, from Parsi/Irani Zoroastrian girls around 25 years or from their parents, well-settled in USA. Must be green card holders. Reply to: The Advertiser Parsiana Matrimonial (Oct/44-92) GPO Box 892 Bombay 400001 34 Parsiana October 1992 ¦MILESTONES \ The age of Zoroastrian brides month. A stillborn baby and two (as listed in this issue) ranged youths, aged 31 and 36, were between 19 and 36 years, the also lost to the community. The Homiyar Noshir Nariman; arithmetic mean (the total num ­ ber of individual ages divided by lady as compared to the young- the total number of brides) being est: a nine-day-old baby girl. 28 years. The corresponding fig- “ ' ures for the grooms were 23 and 39 years, averaging at 31 years. There were 25 births in Bom ­ bay as compared to 100 deaths in Zoroastrians died of heart dis ­ ease of whom eight were above the age of 80. The other major figures for Bombay are supplied Hughes Rd, 400007; August 31 killers were pneumonia and lung by four hospitals; births in sub- Pheroze Peshotan Baria (65), 301, Raj Castle, I.C.Clny, Borivali (W), 400092; September 1 eldest to die was a 102-year-old September 4 Farida Parvez Saklatwalla and Cyrus Marzban Gorimar; The data on births, marriages September 6 and deaths has been compiled Pervin Shavaksha Elavia and from information supplied by Homiar Jehangir Daroowalla; various newsletters and anju- mans in India and abroad, courts September. Twenty-nine and hospitals. This information is not always complete or con ­ sistent. For example, the birth residing at 7, Khareghat Clny, killers were pneumonia and lung by four hospitals; births in sub ­ disease and brain disease which urban hospitals and private took the lives of 16 and 11 vic ­ tims each. Six patients fell prey to cancer, five to septicemia and four each to old age and general debility and diabetes. Parkin- breakup of deaths according son ’s disease, bronchitis, kidney to illnesses, especially of the failure, asthma, hypertension elderly, death is often due to (82), A, Temple View, and celebral malaria claimed two lives each. Diarrhoea, cervi ­ cal spondylosis, dehydration, nervous disorder, gastro-enteri- marriages/deaths they would tis, gangrene, accident, tubercu- like published, some proof to losis, polycythaemia (increase ensure the veracity of the report in the number of circulating red would be required. We are sure blood cells), fistula, malnutri ­ tion, dementia and malaria were the isolated cases registered last BOMBAY Born A boy to Arnavaz and Khushroo Bhansali on September 2, 1992 A girl, Rhea, to Sherna and Sharukh Bharucha-, September 2 A boy to Amy and Zahr Darbari-, September 2 A boy to Neena and Pervez Balsara-, September 3 A boy to Ruby and Behram Ghadiali; September 5 A girl to Maharukh and Sam Calagopi-, September 6 A boy to Manek and Aspi Deboo-, September 8 A girl to Azita and Ariz Irani; September 8 A boy to Yasmin and Aspi Irani-, September 8 A boy to Kashmir a and Noshir Mehta-, September 12 A boy to Maharukh and Adil Tarapore; September 12 A boy , A rzan, to Monaz and Adil Kavarana-, September 16 nursing homes are not included unless individuals send us infor ­ mation together with a copy of Freny Khushroo Daslur (76), the birth certificate. In the Rajesh Mans, Dinshaw Vatcha Rd, 400020; September 1 Goolbai Eruchshaw Driver a combination of several dis ­ eases. If readers have any births/ Owendunn Rd, 400(M)7; September 1 Tehmina Eruch Dastur (59), 788, Avabai Mans, Jame Jamshed Rd, Parsi Colony, Dadar, 400014; September 2 Palonji Manchersha Khodaji our readers would appreciate (91), 5, Malcolm Baug, this requirement and cooperate Jogeshwari (W), 400102; with us. September 2 Rati Behramji Sutaria (75), Sir J. J. Bldg, 277, Tardeo Rd, 400007; September 2 Keki Maneckji Daruwalla (Ti), A-13/3‘, Sai Niketan, Mount Rd, Mazgaon, 400010; September 3 Jerbai Behram Engineer (80), F. S. Parukh Dharamshalla, 34, Hughes Rd, 400007; September 3 Khorshed Kaikhusru Pavri (74), 747, Rekha Sadan, Road No 6, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 4000’14; September 3 Gustad Jamshedji Taraporwala (66), X-86/8-2, Godrej Qtrs, Stn Side, Vikhroli (E), 400079; September 3 Baby of Armic Cyrus Wadia (stillborn), 265/N, Chikalwadi, Tardeo Rd, 4(XX)07; September 3 Khorshed Homi Bharucha (70), Pandit Mans, Balaram St, Grant Rd, 400007; September 4 From Nariman Daruwalla (85), A girl to Persis and Feroze Sethrui; September 16 A girl, Vahishta, to Kashmira and Ruzbeh Bharucha-, September 18 A girl to Vehdaiti and Neville Gheewala-, September 18 A girl to Nilofer and Reshad Rostomji; September 19 A boy to Meherruiz and Rayomand Tavadia-, September 19 A boy to Goalnaz and Rohinton Bastani-, September 20 A boy to Mehnaz and Rohinton Bhiwandiwalla-, September 20 A boy to Diruiz and Homyar Aibara-, September 24 A girl to Tanaz and Jal Irani-, September 25 A boy to Kamal and Kersasp Daruwala-, September 26 A boy to Shirin and Bomy Elavia-, September 28 A boy to Kamal and Homi Surti; 2/4, Lady Ratan Tata Bldg, September 29 Turner Rd, Bandra (W), A boy to Jeroo and Cyrus 400050; September 4 Vazifdar, September 30 Burjor Navroji Motiwalla (68), Married Shahnaz Rustomji Wadia and September 11 Died Rustomji Hormusji Majoo (89), United Chmbs, Grant Rd, 400007; September 4 Bomanji Navroji Tijoriwalla (92), Nawab Manzil, Wadia St, Tardeo, 400034; September 4 Dhun Faramroz Vatcha (72), Avabai Petit Bldg, Grant Rd Stn, 400007; September 4 Goolbai Dhanjishaw Billimoria (102), 9, Patel Chmbs, R. Sidhwa Marg, Fort, 40bOOl; September 5 Dhun Tehmurasp Cama (71), K/4, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 40(X>39; September 5 Dolly Jamshed Gazdar (62), Tripathi Chmbs, 247, Bazar Gate St, Fort, 400001; September 5 Komi Homi Pardiwalla (72), 14, Wellington Ter, Dhobitalao, 400(X)2; September 5 Khorshed Faramroze Acchad- wala (80), Miraj, Irla Lane, Vile Parle (W), 400056; September 6 Sherrutz Sam Mistry (58), Cheturbhut, 285, Princess St, 400002; September 6 Delnaz Bomi Pater{9 days) 221, Bora Bazar St, Fort, 400001; September 6 Khusroo Faramroz Velaty (74), K/275, Meherbai Wadia Bldg, Chikalwadi, 400007; September 6 Rustom Nariman Dadabhoy (81), 46/C, Gowalia Tank Bldg, Gowalia Tank Rd, 40(K)36; September 7 Soonamai Erachshah Goiporia (80), F. S. Parukh Dharam- shalla, 34, Hughes Rd, 40(X)07: September 7 Goal Sam Kanga (65), M/6, Nowroz Baug, Lalbaug, 400012; September 7 Banoo Keki Khapoliwalla (68), A/3, Empire Ter, Lamington Cross Rd, 400007; September 7 Sohrab Ardeshir Nentin (86), Peace Heaven, Malcolm Baug, Jogeshwari (W), 400102; September 7 Kharshed Merwanji Patel (76), 83/A, Jal Darshan, 51, Nepean Sea Rd, 400036; September 8 Noshir Jamshedji Vazifdar (74), Eddie Hse, Peddar Rd, 400026; September 8 Sheroo Homi Mistry (64), Jamshed Hall, Above State Bank of India, 49, Forjett St, 400036; September 9 35 Parsiana October 1992 IIGarden, AFXXHI-, September 27 Baimai Dhunjishah M arolia {92), G-28, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; September 27 Rustom Darabshah Shroff (69), E/46, Jer Baug, Eh Ambedkar Rd, Byculla, 40(X)27; September 27 Rohinton Jehangir Mehta {13), The Reward, Next to Ganga Jamuna, Taideo, 400007; September 28 Pochaji Godrej Iraru (78), B, Shirin Mans, Gamadia Clny, Tardeo, 400007; September 29 Minocher Kawasji Kapadia (88), 808/C, Satyabhama Nivas, Dr Ambedkar Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; September 29 Khodamorad Behram Khosravi (80), Bana Bldg, Khetwadi, 11th Lane, 400004; September 29 Pestonji Phiroze Sakalatwala (75), 111., Anirudha Soc, Dixit Rd Extn, Vile Parle (E), 400057; September 29 Aloo {Viloo) Fall Bhoot (58). Room no 3I\, Petit Sanatorium, Cu^balla Hill, 400026; September 30 Nariman Nusserwanji Mistry (63), 1, Qureshi Mhl, Station Rd, Mahim, 400016; September 30 Daulat Boman Mody (73), 8, Tody wala Chawl, Sunmill Rd, Lower Parel, 400013; September 23 Pirojshah Pallonji Palkhiwalla (78), 4/7/C, Tata Block. Sir C. J. Clny, Tardeo, 400034; September 23 Rustomji Pestonji Vajifdar (88), 164, Bora Bazar St, Fort, 400001; September 23 Navroji Jamshedji Dinshaw (85), 3, CBI Colleagues Co-op Hsg Soc, Irla, Vile Parle (W), 400056; September 24 Adi Dinshew Mapla (80), Motiwala Bldg, 66/C, Gowalia Tank, 400026; September 24 Cooverbai Kaikhushroo Marolia {92), 4/6. A. H. Wadia Baug, Parel Tank Rd, 400033; September 24 Gulamai Pestonji Vajifdar (76), 164, Bora Bazar St, Fort, 400001; September 24 Pesi Ratanshaw Chothia {62), M/3/9-4, Cama Park, Cama Rd, Andheri (W), 400058; September 25 Nusserwanji Hormuzji Male- gamvala (80), Dhunbad Bldg, N. Bharucha Marg, 400(X)7; September 25 Dinshaw Ardeshir Patel (70), 651, Karanjia Bldg, J. S. S. Rd, 400002; September 25 Yazad Jehangir Punegar (78). 1/9. Rustom Baug. Victoria Rd. Byculla. 400027; September 25 Banubai Ratanshaw Sarkari (92). 19. Pirojbai Bldg. Mahalaxmiwala Block, 400007; September 25 L Firoz Ardeshir Sunavala {10), 7-A/35, Navjivan Co-op Hsg Soc Ltd, Lamington Rd, 400008; September 25 Jerbanoo Kaikhushroo Bhagva- gar (87). 39/40. Efqubar. Malcolm Baug Jogeshwari Burjorji Kharshedji Mowdavala (W). 400102; September 26 (95). 63. Wodehouse Rd. ----- Colaba, 400005; September 22 Nargis Dara Vania (46), B/2, Godrej Baug, Off Nepean Sea Rd, 400036; Septem^r 22 Bejonji Cursetji Dastoor (87), 728, Sorab Mans, Jehangir Vimadalal Rd, Parsi Colony, Dadar, 400014; September 23 Khorshed Darabsha Gandhi (82), Q/1, S. B. Bharucha Baug, Andheri (W), 400058; (75), Princess Bldg, 275, J Princess St, 400002; September 18 Freny Kobad Dubash (79), 12/A, Empire Est, A. K. Marg, 400036; September 19 Faramroz Fakirji Engineer (78), Bhavnagri Bldg, S. V. P. Rd. 400004; September 20 Minoo Hormusji Fatakia (58), F/17. Navajbai Contractor Baug, Mori Rd, Mahim, 400016; September 20 Palonji Navroji Karanjia (64), 4A/8, Tata Clny, Tardeo. 400034; September 20 Khorshed Beheram Lelinwala (81), Adenwalla Bldg, 30/A, Powalla St, Grant Rd, 400007; September 20 Jal Shapurji Bharucha (78), G-11/12, Munsif Bldg, Captain Clny, Tardeo, 400034; September 21 Banoo Homi Doctor (^2), Patel Bldg, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, 400013; September 21 Noshir Edulji Mody (78), 15, Sunshine, 78-B, Dr A. B. Rd, Worli. 400018; September 21 Bapai Maneckshaw Patel (82), C/o R. J. Batliwalla, C/3. Adam Mhl, 143, Tardeo Rd, 400034; September 21 Kolamai Nariman Bharucha (96), 18, Taher Bldg, Jalbhai St, Chami Rd Jn, 400004; Septem ­ ber 22 Banoo Homi Jambusarwala (90), 804, Cumballa Crest, 42, Peddar Rd, 400026; September 22 Homai Kaikhushroo Mewawalla (79), 11, Soonawala Bldg, Khetwadi, 12th Cross Rd, 400(X)4; September 22 Freny Minocher Mirza (73), 816, Mistry Charity Bldg, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; September 22 Padam Behramji Morris (73), 6, Aakash Apts, Agripada, 400011; September 9 Behram Jamshedji Zaikar {(A), Tarapur, Dist Thana, 401502; September 9 Dina Rustomji Banaje (75), 3, Habib Park, Clare Rd, Byculla, 400008; September 11 Peshotan Jamshedji Desai (78), Nohan Manzil, Tardeo, 400034; September 11 Boni Hirji Devitre (72), F/42, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; September 12 Homi Nawrojee Dubash (84), The Reward, 220, Tardeo Rd, 400007; September 12 Dina Eruch Medhora (84), P/35, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; September 12 Dara Shorabji Mewawalla (84), 113, Sona Villa, Dolly Studio, S.V. Rd, Khar, 400052; September 12 Jeroo Jehangir Mistry (62), 35, ManishNgr, Andheri, 400058; September 12 Roda Rustom Karanjia (81), 11/7, Tata Clny, Tardeo, 400034; September 13 Sirin Minoo Katrak {96), B/31, Empire Est Bldg, August Kranti Marg, 400036; September 13 Fardoon Naoroji Mehta (92), Pahclvi Bldg, 315, Lamington Rd, 400007; September 13 Hilla Pesi Bharoacha (78), 171, Silver Arch, 66, Nepean Sea Rd, 400006; September 14 Dosabhai Behramji Desai (78), A/23, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; September 14 Diita Sava^haw Pastalda (72), 42, Divecha Hse, Stn Rd, Thane, 400601; September 14 Dina Jamshedji Dadimaster (83), Mehta Bldg, Captain Clny, Tardeo, 400034; September 15 Aloo Rustomji Kaka (84), Jairajbhay Bldg, Forjett St, 400036; September 15 Jeroo Noshir Mody (77), 15, Sunshine, 78-B, Dr A. B. Rd, Worli, 400018; September 15 Freny Darabsha Homavazir (69), P/20, Nowroz Baug, Lalbaug, 400012; September 17 Rattanbai Dhunjisha J ilia (80), C/o Jilla Wadi, Suren Rd, Andheri (E), 400093; September 17 Jehangir Eruchshaw Prdel (85), . September 23 16, Jenkins Hse, Henry Rd, Pecy Gustad Irani (50), D, 400039; September 17 Motiwalla Bldg, Byculla, Boman A rdeshir Nicholson 4(X)027; September 23 CALCUTTA Born A girl, Spenia, to Kamal and Noshir Wadia; September 11 A girl to Manekami and Rohinton Ghiara-, September 17 POONA Died Coomt Maneckshah Wadia (86), 83, Thomas Vijay Chawk, Bombay 400014; September 8 Behraih Jehangir Irani (62). Laxmi Ice Factory. Sangli. 416416; September 10 Jinny Jamshed Aga (83). 172, Chinchwadagaon, 411033; September 25 Maru Eduljee Bisney (78). 526/9. Koregaon Park. North- Main Rd. 411(X)1; September 25 (85). River Crist Apts. Boat Mani Nariman Bulsara (74), Vasudev Mans, Cawasji Patel St, 400001; September 26 Dara Hormasha Kooka (81), Ravi Co-op Hsg Soc, 73, Warden Rd, 400026; September 26 Dinyar Framroz Balaporia (36), Khorshed Dad^hoy Setnna Club Rd, 411001; ' September 25 SURAT Born A girl, Khushruim, to Havovi and Afroze Patahvala', September 8 September 26 12, Ivanhoe, 139, B ackbay Reel, Opp Sachivalaya Gym, 400021; September 27 Percy Maneck Dover (31), 6/B, Crown Mans, Forjett Cross Lane, Gowalia Tank, 400036; September 27 Roda Pecy Irani (45). A, Motiwalla Bldg, Opp Victoria 36 Parsiana October 1992Died Minocher Faidrji Siganporia (62), Bibini-wadi, Saiyedpura, 395003; September 7 Eruchshaw Nowrosji Nalladaru (81), Wadia St, Maachli Pith> 395003; September 9 Sohrabji Ratanshaw Dastur Kumana (15), Rustom Bldg, Shahpore, 395003; September 16 Minocher Kaikhushroo Contractor (J4}, Palia Mohallo, Main Rd, Nanpura, 395001; September 19 Homai D. Dalal (74), Nariman Home and Infirmary, Shahpore, 395(X>3; September 23 Khurshed Nadersha Doctor (13), Nariman Home and Infirmary, Shahpore, 395003; September 25 Manijeh Peshotan Bhumgara (83), Pushpa Apts, Maachli Pith, 395003; September 26 Manekbai Pallonji Karanjia (12), Nariman Home and Infirmary, Shahpore, 395(X)3; September 26 Aluben Framroze Tipri (H}, Swami Satyanand Soc, BORN Boys Girls MARRIED Parsi Intercommunal 3 17 8 112 99 146 45 49 328 52 387 4 2 4 2 DIED INTERRED Male Female CREMATED Male Female A: Total numbers in this issue B: Running totals for 1992 (February-October issues) These figures pertain to information provided to or collected by Parsiana. They do not represent the total number of births, marriages and deaths in the Zoroastrian community in India and abroad. Ramnagar, 395003; September 26 Rustomji Framji Fitter {13}, Nariman Home and Infirmary, TOTALS FOR 1992 Bombay Other Indian cities Foreign cities A B A B A B 1 5 4 1 3 14 15 3 2 5 5 8 8 57 61 5 2 31 20 Shahpore, 395003; September 28 Dinshawji Behramji Vesuna (93}, Nariman Home and Infirmary, Shahpore, 395003; September 29 VADODARA Born A boy, Meherab, to Ruxana and Firoz Dumasia; August 28 KARACHI Born A boy. Jamshed, to Najoo and Mehemosh Dumasia\ August 8 Died Rustom J. Gandhi (83); August 1 Rustom P. Ogra (77); August 3 Framroze Cursetji Patel (79); August 13 Ardeshir F. Irani (11}', August 17 Dina Hormusji Khursigara (82); August 17 Avabai Rustom Irani (85); August 23 Behram Sheriyar Hormozdyaran (58); August 30 Compiled Sy Roxana A. Mina Steamship agents — master stevedores dubashes — lighterage contractors Darabshaw B. Cursetjee ’s Sons (Bombay) Pvt Ltd Oarabshaw House, Ballard Road, Bombay 400038 Grams: DEADWEIGHT Telex: 5824 DBCB IN Phone: 2610021 (4 lines) (Dock Office: 2612230) Also associates at Calcutta, Vishakhapatnam, Kakinada, Mangalore, Bhavnagar, B^i-port, Navlakhi, Veraval, Porbunder & Kandla Also sole Government Landing contractors at Jamnagar, (Bed!) Bhavnagar 37 Parsiana October 1992IN MEMORIAM MARSHAL OF THE AIR Parinaz Gandhi “Fight for the nation, not for the rank, ” signated Param believed Air Marshal Minoo Merwan Vishisht Seva Engineer who soared above the rest in Medal as of the Indian Air Force (lAF) “for his acts 1967) that was of gallantry in the presence of the en ­ emy. ’’ It was on the death of the 71-year- old intrepid flyer in Bombay on July 16, ledges: “To in- 1992 following cardiac arrest that many learnt that he was the most highly deco ­ rated officer in the Indian Air Force who, during his 33 years of association with cult helipads situ- " the services, played a significant role in the wars India fought and in strengthen ­ ing the air defence of independent India. As recalls retired Air Chief Marshal of casualties. On another occasion he re- Arjan Singh, “I really got to know him when I was the Chief of Air Staff and he was my deputy as Air Marshal. In this ground was being shelled by the Chinese job as the deputy chief of the Air Staff, the responsibility for making an overall operational plan fell on his shoulders. Much of the credit for the success of driven fighter and transport aircraft in those plans and operations during our wars with Paki ­ stan in 1965 and 1971, therefore, goes to him. ” In fact, his efforts in the ’71 war earned him a Padma Bhushan decoration from the government the follow ­ ing year. The citation for Engineer who was then the Air Officer Commanding ­ in-Chief of Western Air Command, commends: “The outstanding performance of Westeri* Air Command was due, in great measure, to Air Marshal Engineer ’s deep un ­ derstanding of military avia ­ tion, the leadership that he gave his offi- Engineer (center) with Gul and Indira cers and men, and his meticulous plan ­ ning and the detailed operational training of his combat squadrons. ” Prior to the Pakistan wars it was the Chinese aggression that Engineer had to fighter jets and startled experienced pi- cope with as senior air staff officer of the 1 .................. ~ ¦ new operational command in the Eastern accurately over long distances and strike Sector. The Vishisht Seva Medal (rede- Vishisht Medal conferred on him in 1964 acknow- fuse confidence in his pilots in landing at diffi- Air Marshal M. S. D. Wollen in his tribute in the Indian Aviation Civil and Military for the week end ­ ing July 24,1992. Whether it was taking off in a Hurricane aircraft from an isolated beach without a helipad, or setting j out in a Liberator in search of a missing boy from his ated at considerable heights, he flew in squadron during the monsoons when the first helicopter to land at Tsangdhar visibility was poor and flying had per- (16,000 ft) and organized the evacuation force to be done ar a low altitude,Engi ­ neer enjoyed challenges, mentions-Com- modore Keki Gocal. As relates Ms P. C. mained at Walong till the last moment and flew out only when the landing Lal, widow of the late Air Chief Marshal, it was on the strength of Engineer ’s accu ­ rate appraisal that air transportation was undert^en and Ladakh “saved from be ­ ing run over by the Pakistanis ” in 1948. This was when “the Army desperately wanted Leh to be reinforced from the air (and) the only transport aircraft available with the Air Force was the Dakota which had serious ceiling limitations in cross ­ ing mountain ranges with peaks over 20,000 feet and landing andjaking off in the rarified atmosphere on a hastily prepared airstrip at 11,500 feet. ” The Maha Vir -J Chakra crowned Engineer ’s W effective control of all air op- « erations in Jammu and Kash- mir in 1948. Prior to that he had been assigned the task of forming the first operational air base in Jammu and Kashmir, men ­ tions his bio data. Born in Hyderabad, Sind, Engineer ’s lAF inventory in his time... (Engineer early education was at the Murree Con- was equally conversant with) most forces. He set a fine example to his offic ­ ers and men by his indomitable courage. ” Known to have flown “every prop ­ 9^ • - 4 Gandhi (far left) after the Indo-Pak war 39 Parsiana October 1992 ilMW vent, and thereafter at the convent in Panchgani. He was studying science at lots... with his ability to fly low, navigate Bombay ’s Elphinstone College when he „ ¦ ¦¦ i felt the urge to join the armed forces fol ­ targets on a practice range, ” notes retired lowing in the footsteps of his elder *1 Engineer (center) with immediate family ministrative suppport as director till his last days, informs his stepson Kekoo Nicholson who apparently missed his dad ’s presence in the office. Jocularly wont to remark that “it is easier to fight a war than to fight teen ­ aged children, ” Engineer was a discipli ­ narian at home, mentions Gul. Even if his stepdaughters were expected to return late, he would insist on staying up for them. Disco music was forbiddan in the house but each of the girls was bought a piano to sustain their interest in music. Having enjoyed wildlife shooting at one time, he later gave it up realizing it was wrong to kill animals for personal brother Aspi. Frontline combat duty in dits Engineer with raising funds for a bus pleasure. There was a time when there World War II was the first posting for for the children of serving officers. “The were 11 dogs in the house, adds Gul. 19-year-old Engineer when he joined the cooperative and tactful man could never Vintage cars offered another source of services in 1940. He commanded the be abrasive, ” Gocal clarifies. “Looking fascination to Engineer. first Indian Air Force Spitfire Squadron at him (podgy face and dimpled chin not- While not a staunch follower of reli- in Burma, a region feared for its impene- withstanding. Engineer enjoyed high gious practices and customs, he re- trable jungles that are hazardous to the popularity with the ladies in his bachelor spected his mother ’s orthodox wishes in flyers. But his efforts were rewarded days) one got the impression of him be- - with a Distinguished Flying Cross (a ing a softy but he was very tough and British decoration). Thereafter he com ­ manded the only Indian Squadron in Ja ­ pan in 1946, records his curriculum vi ­ tae. Only last year Engineer had been specially invited to the Battle of Britain celebrations in London when all heroes of the Spitfire Society were felicitated. “Minoo belonged to a distinguished of a training establishment, as senior air family of aviators whose contribution to the defence of the country is really sig ­ nificant, ” informs Singh. “During World War II, four brothers were in the Air of different operational commands en- Force and one in the Army. ” The eldest, Aspi, became the chief of the air staff but that did not mean that the siblings — Jungoo, Minoo and Rohinton, all of wife Gul. whom won the Distinguished Flying C , ‘ Cross, and Rashid who was in the Army Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar for being hibition, they were not interested. She — were favored. “(He) rose to every the most highly decorated military offi- feels his mementos, medals and other rank by sheer merit in the field of com- cer. But in his exemplary career, the treasures could fill a room. mand and operations, ” credits Vice Ad- rank of air chief marshal eluded him. This pilot par excellence enjoyed un- miral Rusi Ghandhi, “and (he was) loved by his officers and men for his totally un ­ assuming nature. ” Former flight lieutenant Madhu Sawant gratefully records how Engineer, tary farewell accorded to him at the his commanding officer, believed in “ judging “us by our duties which we would do as officers rather than the main duty for which we were paid. ” He also remembers Engineer participating in the Air Force cricket team. As an officer he felt responsible for improving the moral t J ' J that he should find himself a Zoroastrian wife. He beliSved in supporting commu ­ nity institutions, says Gul, explaining how he would opt to be hospitalized at the B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital very determined. ” Always willing to as ­ sist the sister forces and in turn elicit sup ­ port from them, his strategies were marked by a rare understanding of their and generously contribute to the dona- problems, it is commonly acknowledged, tion box there rather than avail of the al- It was not all battle for Engineer. He most free services for the defence staff at did serve terms as commanding officer Asvini Hospital. But the community failed to recognize his heroism, regrets staff officer at the headquarters training Gul. There was reference to the Engi- command planning the expansion of the neer brothers ’ heroism at the function or- lAF, as air officer commanding-in-chief ganized by the Delhi Parsi Anjuman in 1990 as a mark of tribute to the contri ­ bution of Parsis to the defence services. trusted with control of forces and re ­ sources worth crores of rupees. He had Yet, this war hero was never invited to plans to write his memoirs, mentions his functions in connection with the war me ­ morial at Khareghat Colony. When Gul Only last year he was conferred the offered his treasures for the Parasika ex- the most highly decorated military offi ­ cer. But in his exemplary career, the rank of air chief marshal eluded him. Nevertheless on the popularity charts he dertaking aircraft feats: bringing his won a high rating and many of his col- plane dangerously close to ground level leagues and juniors were present to pay their last respects at the traditional mili- to salute the head of the nation on Re ­ public Day, or commanding a brilliant air show at Bombay ’s Marine Drive in 1961 which many citizens remember to this day. A project that Engineer was More than he, it is his family and very keen to introduce was an air-taxi friends who regret that he was never service so that others too could reach for given the merit he deserved. Since his the sky. retirement from active service in 1973 he “ applied himself to the affairs of Selvel, fiber of his men and “liked to do his bit the advertising agency managed by his for welfare also, ” states Gocal who ere- wife, to which he gave tremendous ad ­ Doongerwadi to the accompaniment of a volley of gunshots and bugle notes. The aviator is survived by his wife Gul, and her children by her first mar ­ riage, Kekoo, Ms Feroza Saran and Ms Roxanne Nicholson. 40 Parsiana October 1992