Sep 1995

r* r ' I SEPTEMBER 1995 Rs 22 <4- 1 tg I Hi lb 1 i Sohrab Godrej: concerned environmentalist II, I September 1995 Volume 18 Number 2 EDITOR Jehangir R. Patel MANAGING EDITOR Amavaz S. Mama EXECUTIVE EDITOR Parinaz M. Gandhi SENIOR EDITOR Dina K. Mehta ASSOCIATE EDITOR Roxana A. Driver DESIGN Kranti M. Shilotri, Varghese W. Fernandez, Jayshree R. Ghosh MARKETING DIRECTOR Veera Patel ADVERTISING MANAGER Zarin Mistry ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES Niloufer Panthaky, Susan Hadvaid FINANCE B. L. Arora EDP Rohinton E. Daroga ADMINISTRATION R. S. Pingle MANAGEMENT Jasmine Driver DTP Bakhtavar R. Batliwalla, K. P. Ravi SUBSCRIPTION/CIRCULATION Khurshid Panthaki, Bindu Pillai ACCOUNTS Anagha Korde OFFICE Swarupa Kamat, Varsha Ashar, Indu PHlai OFFICE ASSISTANTS Umesh Poojary, Selvan Mark, Sunil Sakhare, Pramod Patil, Govind Salgaonkar, Mahipat Jadhav 2 Readers’ Forum 8 Events and Personalities 14 Zoroastrians Abroad 20 Sohrab Godrej: the reluctant industrialist by Burjor Karanjia -*¦ 22 Boys’ Town: lessons on living by Roni Khan 29 Why did he die? by Ardeshir Cowasjee 32 Rustam Maneck - 2: Portuguese Privileges by Dr Homi Eduljee 43 Milestones Cover: Photograph by Dhiraj Chawda 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: black and wrhite processing Samir Scantech. All rights reserved. ISSN: 0971-3786. Phone; 2048730 Fax; 2042922. For editorial enquiries 2048183. Tlx; 11-85710 RABO IN. For subscription enquiries and payments: C/o Kaiser-E-Hind Pvt Ltd, 300 Perin Nariman St (Behind Reserve Bank of India), Bombay 400001 :Phone; 2658619, 2665661. Annual inland subscription for one year (10 issues) Rs 200: for two years (20 issues) Rs 375. Foreign subscription rates: Seamail for one year Rs 375/US $ 14AJK £ 9: for two years Rs 700/US $ 23/UK £ 15 (please allow six months or more for delivery from the time of publication). Airmail for one year Rs 700/ US $ 23/UK £ 15 (for Pakistan, Indian Rs 500): for two years, Rs 1.300/US $ 43 UK £ 27 (for Pakistan, Indian Rs 950). For Indian upcountry cheques add Rs 10 for bank charges; for US cheques add $ 5; for UK cheques add £ 3. Cheques and drafts are to be drawn in favor of Parsiana and posted to GPO Box 892, Bombay 400001.READERS' FORUM tions against other individuals or institu- L ’ ___ _________ _ „„„ tions. As far as possible Parsiana attempts the reign, both political and religious* With to verify the authenticity of these state- t' ' ___ l.__ ments if the editors feel the matter is of unchallenged for the rest o*f hiThTe.^He sufficient concern or importance. Readers will note that in the cases where allega ­ tions have been made against particular trusts or individuals, we have carried both, the offending letter as well as the reply from the person concerned. When Ms Pervin Mistry alleged that Dr Zoroastrianism. Ali Jafarey had claimed that Omar Khayyam was “a drunkard and led a lecherous life, ” we should have checked his article on the ’Ahd-nameh to see if indeed he had made _ __ _____ o such a statement. If there was no trace of it teachings? Can some scholars throw light there, we could have written to Ms Mistry on this subject? kersee k . kabraji asking for her source and then checked with Dr Jafarey on the veracity of the statement. This is a courtesy we normally ZTFE IccturCS try to extend to our writers and corres ­ pondents. For example, if someone wrote to us saying that Ms Sherena Khan had Kabul as a figurehead. It was the crisis of the revolt crushed in 1581 Akbar was used the next 24 years to develop an eclec ­ tic cult much influenced by Zoroastrian ­ ism and centered on himself. Reading this one feels without doubt that Dastur Rana left a lasting impression on the mind of Akbar the Great about Some questions that arise in our minds are; What were the basic principles of Din- E-Ilahi founded by Akbar? How do they compare with our Lord Zarathushtra ’s on this subject? Readers- views are welcome on any subject along with the allegations, of interest to the community and should ° be sent to the Editor, Readers' Forum, Parsiana, G.P.O. Box 892, Bombay 400001. Letters are subject to editing for reasons of space and clarity. Unsigned letters or those without an address will not be published. After each day ’s muktad ceremonies held at Zoroastrian House, London, Ervad Par­ vez D. Mithaiwala and Mr Aspandiar made allegations against the Prophet, and Sidhwa gave shdft talks about our religion, if the matter was of sufficient public interest Then the following events took place, to be printed, we would check with her the " - . - - . veracity of the remarks and carry her reply On August 24, 25, 29-:H, 1995 two- hour lectures were held. On August 28, 1995 Parvez spoke about Zarathushtra Spitama. September 1, 1995 witnessed a whole day seminar with lunch and tea break. On August 25, 26 and 27, 1995 Par­ vez met and spoke to Zoroastrians of East London, Manchester and Birmingham If for some reason, due to an oversight, we did not verify the information with her and she wrote to complain about our lapse, an apology would be extended to her as well. Thus Ms Khan ’s allegation that Par- • siana’s “apology can only be the result of respectively, bias,” does not hold true. Throughout this period and, in fact. What applies to the Dr Jafarey/Ms Pervin right up to their departure, Parvez and Aspi ‘‘^^Ahd-nameh authentic?” I have followed with interest the various responses to Ms Pervin Mistry’s letter Mis try correspondence would apply to any ( Ahd-nameh authentic? Readers Fo- other similar incident where through an October 1994) and to Dr oversight Parsiana may not have verified had elicited the Editor ’s strange apology. Ms Mistry has now given a full explana ­ tion (April 1995) of her earlier statement ascribing to Dr Jafarey certain uncompli ­ mentary comments about the mystic, Omar bar in the Readers ’ Forum (“Priestly tales, ” Khayyam. - - I think it is only fair that the Editor _______________ _ _______ retracts his totally uncalled for apology to India, Vol 2 by Dr Percival Spear, which I through the divine teachings of Maghav Dr Jafarey. How can anyone objectively am sure your readers will find interesting; ~ ' — “verify ” one person ’s word against another ’s, and apologize to one at the expense of the dergone a mystical experience, a time when other? Obviously, the apology can only be he spent whole days and nights in prayer. the result ofbias. To readers like me the real — - -- question isParsiana’s credibility and sense of fair play. Ms sherena r . khan Nasik other similar incident where through Ali Jafarey ’s reply (January 1995) which allegations. “Priestly tales” It was indeed very interesting to read about Dastur Meherji Rana ’s meetings with Ak- met many other Parsis in their homes. You Parsis in India are undoubtedly very fortunate to have men of such a high calibre teaching our religion. *- CYRUS R. R. COOPER Essex, U.K. Ervad Parvez Mithaiwala and Ervad As­ pandiar Sidhwa from Bombay recently Parsiana, February-March 1995). visited London to deliver lectures on the Here is an extract from A History of knowledge of the Zoroastrian religion am sure your readers will find interesting; “About 1575 Akbar seems to have un- Sahebs of Demavand Koh. The lectures were organized by Dr Tehmton Sepai of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE) and were held at Zoroastrian House, London. The lectures were delivered during the sacred days of muktad and continued until The Editor replies Readers often write to us making allega- There followed a period of religious dis ­ cussions into which were brought Portu ­ guese fathers from Goa, Hindu Brahmins, Jains and Zoroastrians. This period culmi- September 2. Ervad Mithaiwala who spoke nated about 1580 in a break with Islam and on the ‘History of Pak Iranshah — The a revolt organized by the orthodox who Atash Behram in Udvada ’ said, “On the used his brother Muhammad Hakim in scheduled day of Fasli Adar mah and Adar 2 Parsiana September 1995 Iroj, Yazdezardi 90, November 24, on the west of Sanjan, on a hill named Sahava, a big round log of sandalwood was placed on an afarganya. In the Havanga/t, the Abed of highest status Nairyosang Awal Saheb took his position. His left hand held a glistening spatula {chamuch) extended to touch the sandalwood. The right hand held a spear and as he began reciting the sacred hymn of Atash Nyaish, the clear winter sky suddenly blackened, clouds rushed with an imposing roar, lightning struck the glistening point of the spear held by Abed Nairyosang Awal Saheb. The fire passed through the body of that great Saheb into the metal spatula right into the sandalwood log which started burning. Thus de ­ scended on earth pak Iranshah, the fire of the highest cadre in this world to offer protection not only to Zoroastrians, but, to entire humanity. ” The other talks I attended were ‘Rituals, Customs and Prolific Prayers of Zoroastrianism ’ and ‘Sudreh and Kusti — its signifi ­ cance ’ by Ervad Aspandiar S. Sidhwa, demonstrating the right method of performing the kusti prayer. Mr Sidhwa also stated that number 9 is a significant number of our religion and the Zarathushtrian religion is ruled by planet Jupiter. On Shehenshahi Khordadsal after a jashan and maachi ceremony, Ervad Mithaiwala gave a talk on ‘Life of Asho Zarathushtra. ’ ‘Marathon ceremonies of the Zoroastrian Religion ’ highlighted Vendidad and nirangdin where purity and strict religious practices are observed and it is logical that non-Zoroastrians cannot attend our sacred religious ceremonies. Mr Sidhwa talked on ‘Episode from theShah Nameh ’ and recited some of the verses in Farsi from Shah Nameh by Firdausi Tusi with lyrical grace. We the Zarathushtrians of U.K. and Europe have benefited tremendously from the true divin Our bounden duty it shall always be. ” and international eminence, his simplicity Education chair and humility are striking. He is intensely humane. He is the personification of the ambassador to Libya... Taleyarkhan ’s commitment to national causes inspired by his association with Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, non-Muslim ambassador who was able to see Gaddafi on request. As India ’s ambassador to Italy, the ties Italian and Indian dignitaries who com ­ mended his commitment. Another mark of distinction was his attire. He would inva- his achievements riably wear the Gandhi cap, and a closed in the course of collar coat, whether at home or abroad, different assign ­ ments delegated of Taleyarkhan; “In spite of his national to him, his views i on national and and humility are striking. He is intensely Her appointment this year as chairperson communal sub- humane. He is the personification of the of the University Grants Commission jects, his abilities spirit of secularism. He treats everyone (UGC) makes 61-year-old Dr Armaity as orator and wri- alike. He is enormously popular with one " • • ter, and the happy and all. He instantly tries to make amends and sad moments wherever he feels he has not been fair.” _______________________ in his life find a Though Chavan does not substantiate all enjoyed the distinction - the first woman mention in the 129-page paperback, Homi these statements, some of Taleyarkhan ’s to do so. Connected with the UGC for the J. H. Taleyarkhan — A man of Devotion, Dedication and Commitment, priced at Rs 35 and published by the author from involved in the welfare of leprosy patients, GurudattaNagar, Begumpura, Aurangabad he visited their colonies and even lunched 431004. “I hope that this slim volume will provide a source of inspiration to many young as well as aged to emulate Homi J. H. Taleyarkhan, ” writes Chavan. In his foreword to the book Dr B. D. Jatti, former vice president of India, states, “With his clear vision, integrity and sin ­ cerity coupled with his commitment and his hard work, Mr Taleyarkhan in his in ­ imitable manner has brought sparkle to any assignment under his charge. ” As the Indian ambassador to Libya, Taleyarkhan was able to win over the does not get an insight into the personal and poverty that confront the nation, confidence of Col Gaddafi, known for his background that molded Taleyarkhan and Desai ’s views were reported in an article anti-India stance. “He practised patience, his value systems, nor does one get to learn by Aruna Chakravorty in the Indian Ex- persistence, persuasion, perseverance, but of the various interests of this multi-fac- pressoi January 20,1995. Education needs not provocation. ” When India was attacked eted personality. In the chapters on “Com- to be reshaped “to make it relevant to the In his eulogistic style Chavan mentions Desai the second woman entrusted to head the apex body of the country ’s education system. Earlier Ms Madhuribehn Shah had these statements, some of Taleyarkhan ’s deeds, as reported in the book, are able to past two decades, Desai had an occasion to bear testimony. As health minister. first interact with it in 1974-75 when she was the convener of the second review commission for social work education. The present assignment is a challenge she perceives as being “stimulating. ” Prior to the current posting, Desai was for over 12 years director of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and has alto- with them to “bring some light into the darkness of their stigmatized lives. ” Frank and forthright, Taleyarkhan made it known if he was offended. On one occa ­ sion he had the temerity to express his displeasure to J. R. D. Tata. JRD, being “a gether 38 years of experience in social model of modesty, ” had acknowledged work education. Not surprisingly she would that he might have unintentionally hurt like to gear the students to be more socially Taleyarkhan when he brushed off the latter ’s proffered support when he faltered. More anecdotes would have made the lands she is keen to see them involved with book livelier. In this biography, the reader the larger issues of exploitation, injustice does not get an insight into the personal conscious then socially exploitative. In ­ stead of universities functioning like is- 8 Parsiana September 1995 -4^ *I needs of a developing country and the times, ” opines the chairperson. University Business School and the Uni- the new Company, because of “our know- Subsequent to assuming office Desai versity of Oxford to exchange ideas and how in the marketing of consumer goods in has spelt out the areas which require spe- __ information about India. ” It could also be due to the fact that cific attention: Modification of courses ’ at i»ew trends in orga- the undergraduate level to enable students nizational behavior “to develop specific competencies which research, mentions tablishment of the joint venture. Currently, relate to the world of work. ” She also Alumnus. foresees the need to train educational ad- Also in 1994, at ministrators with management skills for the congress orga- more effective organizational development nized by the Inter- of large universities and colleges. Tb-ough g||||||K^|^s|| national Association billion SHV group will be investing 51 self-monitoring systems Desai plans to |||||||||H 4^ of Applied Psycho- percent in the equity stake according to the focus on qualitative development of pro- logy in Madrid, grams. She also perceives a need to de ­ velop women ’s studies, continuing educa ­ tion programs and extension activities in the community. “These have a low prior ­ ity, at present, in our universities, ” she of the Indian Academy of Applied Psy- regrets. Faced with severe financial restrictions, as the UGC is, “it is very difficult in this day and age to steer the organization to- like the London Business School, the City prompted, feels Adi Godrej, ch airm an of University Business School and the Uni- Godrej owns a fair share of land in Bombay; one of the main considerations in the es ­ the company is on the look-out for suitable sites to set up shops in Bombay and Delhi, and later in other cities. SHV Makro which is part of the $ 14 ? news report. The Godrej-Makro stores are Pestonjee was invited as convener and expected to be operational by mid- 1996. chairperson of the symposium on “Execu- The scheme was said to be awaiting ap- tive Stress, Coping and Mental Health. ” A proval from the Foreign Investment Pro- few months later, at the XXXI conference motion Board. On a projected initial in ­ vestment of Rs 235 .crore, Adi Godrej chology in Jalgaon, Pestonjee presided expects an annual turnover of Rs 150 crore over the panel on Psychological Testing, states the report. wards its goals, ” Desai had acknowledged RcVOlution in StorC to Indian Express. per store. More important though is the fact that the Godrejs feel they will be ushering in a retail revolution, “which will meet the needs of the burgeoning middle Godrej Makro Private Limited — a joint class ” in the nascent Indian market, where venture between Godrej Soaps Limited De Jonge aims to “change the buying and the Dutch behemoth SHV Makro NV — is proposing to set up a chain of totally Handling stress and the Dutch behemoth SHV Makro NV attitude of the consumer. ” “Stress is an area where Dr (Dinyar M.) — is proposing to set up a chain of totally De Jonge in his quotes to the Press has Pestonjee has put in many years of research, computerized retail super stores in India, summarized Makro ’s formula Tor operat- published several articles and recently pub- The stores, each spread over a gigantic ing these stores or price clubs as a: “volume- lished a book called Stress and Coping — 100,000 sq ft, according to a report in driven, low-cost, low-price, self-service, ne Indian Experience" notes a write-up Bombay Times of April 11,1995, will offer cash-and-carry trading operation ... which in the May 1995 issue of Alumnus, the newsletter of the Indian Institute of Man ­ agement, Ahmedabad. Professor of orga ­ nizational behavior at the Institute where of April 5-18,1995 clarifies, the stores will Pestonjee occupies the L&T chair, for nearly a decade he has been coordinating a multi-disciplinary, multi-faculty develop ­ ment program in managing executive stress, and for the past few years has been han ­ dling a workshop on stress audit in organi ­ zations. The Commonwealth Academic Ex­ change Fellowship that was awarded to Godrej Makro managing director, J. C. A. him last year enabled him to visit several de Jonge. British universities and business schools 20,000 food and non-food items at rates “cheaper by up to 15 to 20 per cent. ” However, as a report in BusinessWorld not cater to the common-or-garden shop ­ per. The target market has been identified as “business houses, small retailers, res ­ taurants, shops, offices and large house ­ holds. ” The magazine also reports that admission to the stores will be by member ­ ship only. “We expect to enrol between 40,000 to 90,000 members per store, ” states THE DINA Where only the best will do * The tie-up with Godrej has been Gold and silver Lord Zoroaster and Asho Farohar medals available Gold, silver and diamond exclusive showroom 594, Chira Bazar, Girgaum Road. Bombay 400002. Tel: 2065137 We accept Diners, BOB card, American Express, Taj Premium, Visa & Master Cards. Contact: Bombay: Mehta 2024005, Nayyar 6040298 Mahableshwar: Jal/ Mehemooz (02168) 60246 Dina Hotel, Mahableshwar 412806Grooming rural girls In the last academic year, the Seth N. B. Choksi Charities Rural Home for Parsi Girls took pride in the accomplishments of its 16-year-old student Ms Armaity Patrawala who passed her SSC with dis ­ tinction, her special subject being music in which she secured 98 percent marks. The year before it was Ms Mehroo Jiwasa ’s achievements that brought them credit. In the Hindi Prarambhic Rashtrabhasa ex ­ amination she stood first in the state of Gujarat. Highlighting the achievements of these two children, co-trustee Ms Dinaz Choksi mentions, “Apart from imparting free edu ­ cation to children residing in our Rural Home (at Navsari), the trustees... look to worry, from the preceding or subsequent after their boarding and lodging, training '• to weave kusti, cooking, tailoring and other The first chapter in the book is devoted relevant needs... ” to the benevolent manager and further are f. Jiwasa and Patrawala Lt Gen Adi Sethna (right) presenting a silver salver to Noshir Captain as Ms Khorshed Sethna looks on. Captain serv­ ed as treasurer of the Delhi Parsi Anjuman for a record period of 19 years before resigning in 1994. A qualified chartered accountant, he is now finance manager in Bombay ’s Vantage Advertising—a part of sentence the meaning can be derived. the Selvel Group of Calcutta. During his tenure as treasurer the investments of the Anjuman were augmented from Rs 4.5 references to the benevolent leader lakhs to Rs 27 lakhs, notes a press release sprinkled throughout the book and may even find a place in the chapter on “The lets the consumer have everything from a Crazy Boss. ” Among the different chap ­ toothbrush to a television set at substantially ters, the maximum number of pages are devoted to the crazy boss or the Toxic Executive (TE), as Patel elaborates. In the section on time management I »! Twenty-seven aged five and above from the remote villages of Gujarat presently avail of the opportunities accorded at this Home. The children are encouraged to participate in sports, games, elocution and . music competitions and walk away with cheaper rates. ” However, given the ‘club devoted to the crazy boss or the Toxic the prizes. concept of operation, and the Indian ten- Executive (TE), as Patel elaborates. With meager funds.at their disposal, the dency to hoard and comer the market, how In the section on time management trustees are finding it difficulno incur the much of a macro change can Godrej-Makro there is reference to the A type personality monthly expenditure in the region of Rs usher in? Well, come 1996 we ’ll know who wants to show that he has a lot of work 12,000. They have therefore appealed to what ’s in store. Homi Rogers and is very busy; the B type personality philanthropic individuals and other chari- Mandolinist’s management By coining new concepts like ‘critico- phillac ’ and ‘impathy ’ or redefining old terms like ‘trappist, ’ author Dorab P. Patel has sought to interest readers in his 48- page book Lectures on Management. Formerly employed as a clerk in the West ­ ern Railway, the opinions that Patel had formulated in the course of his interactions with his colleagues and his superiors seem to find expression in this work. Occasion ­ ally some theoretical statements are also woven into the text, the background aris­ ing from his master ’s degree in psychology and his diploma in industrial management. Management, according to Patel, who leading the true and religious life, and introduces himself as a mandolinist, psy- developing one ’s conscience. Not supri- who wants to show that he has a lot of work 1 and is very busy; the B type personality philanthropic individuals and other chari- who is a workaholic; the C type personal ­ ity who is inflexible. But we are not told which type of personality makes optimum educating underprivileged children. Donations by crossed cheques may be sent to N. B. Choksi Charities, C/o table institutions for “generous help and donation ” to carry on the herculean task of use of his time. For effective goal setting, fundamental to company performance the SMART Hormuzdiar D. Choksi, 2 Marine Cham- (specific, measurable, actionable, reason ­ able and timely) approach is recommended. bers. New Marine Lines, Bombay 400020. It is difficult to agree with some of Patel ’s SPOTLIGHT views like in the same chapter on “The Basics of Management ” where he writes: “God has made nature as such that between jurisdiction over nearly 3,500 Rotarians memory and decision making if one has more of one aspect, then he has less of the other aspect... ” Throughout the book there is stress on As district governor of Rotary District 3130, Dr Philly Noshk* Karani will have from 85 Rotary Clubs in 12 revenue dis ­ tricts of Maharashtra, notes a press release. A consultant surgeon to various hospitals and companies in Pune, Karani has been - , — the Zoroastrian representative for the “Ex- introduces himself as a mandolinist, psy- developing one ’s conscience. Not supri- periment in Community Living, ” adds the chologist, homeopath and management singly the preface to the book is by Ervad release. consultant, can have different connota- (Dr) Peshotan Peer whose views are also tions. To a manager it means to grow quoted in the following text as for instance tions. Io a manager it means to grow quoted in the following text as for instance Dr Kekoo Kavarana was elected presi- along with the industry, to a worker it his definition of a leader as being “a person dent of the Rotary Club of Bombay, ac- means not to make a show of work as a who conquers himself. ” cording to a news item in The Bombay workaholic but to be a fairly hard and ’ ‘' " ' ' ‘ sincere worker loved by all to become a working hero or heroine. ” Punctuation and spelling mistakes as also grammatical errors Baxter Cottage, 22 StMartin ’s Road, Ban ­ make some sentences incoherent. But not dra, Bombay 400050; price Rs 40. who conquers himself. ” Lectures on Management, parts of which Samachar datedJuly 7,1995. Anorthopae- dic surgeon practising in Bombay, Kava- rana is a lover of fine arts, particularly Western classical music. Compiled by Parinaz Gandhi had featured as articles in Jam-e-Jamshed, 'fjsts published in 1994 by the author from * t Jt 12 Parsiana September 1995ZOROASTRIANS ABROAD Leading Asian lights “Their stories show the importance of cour ­ age and commitment, ” writes Ms Zerbanoo Gifford who through her latest book Asian Presence in Europe has sought to familiar ­ ize youngsters with the lives and deeds of the 30 Asians highlighted in her work. “Today, more than ever, we all need to be inspired by those who dedicated them ­ selves to a central vision, of making the world a better place, ” she mentions in her introduction. Of the 13 entries in the Trailblazers section, eight feature the achievements of Parsis: Sir Jamsetji Jejeebhoy, the Wadia family, J. R. D. Tata, Dadabhai Naoroji, Shapurji Saklatvala, Mme Bhikhaiji Cama, Ms Cornelia Sorabji and Prof Jehangir Banatvala. In the Music section there are six individuals listed, three of whom are Zoroastrians: Zubin Mehta, Zane Dalal and Freddie Mercury. In the Arts and Sport section there is no reference to Zoroastri ­ ans but as the author explains, her 70-page book includes “a personal selection of remarkable men and women, some of the f O' Tato vviYA Puss- Moth; Naoroji, Cama and (below) Saklatwalla with wife Sally a > I k s A Mehta (above); Sorabji (R); Ext L: Mercury (above) and Banatvala; Center; Neville and Nusli Wadia (top) and Sir Jamsetji; Dalal (R) Asian heroes and heroines of Europe ’s forgotten history. ’’“-She is full of admira ­ tion for the women who find a place in her book, those who have had “to overcome entrenched prejudice, and have done so with fiery determination that makes the stories of their lives even more compel ­ ling. ” A profile of those featured gives their life story in short as also their sterling contributions and the philosophy that mo ­ tivated them. In the case of Cama who fought for India ’s freedom, we learn that she believed that “Freedom is a conquest and never a bequest. ” She had prepared her tombstone with the words: “Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God. ” Sorabji, whoI was India ’s first female professor and by 30-year-old Dalal, who appears to be as the College of Business and Mana- Britain ’s first female law student, had the the youngest to merit a mention in this gement. “She has a good mix of student determination to qualify as a barrister at book, are the American Youth Symphony affairs and financial services experience, a the age of57 because earlier Britain did not Orchestra and the Utah Symphony combination that will help her provide allow females to train as barristers. Orchestra. Early in his career as a pop solid leadership for our undergraduate program. ” Until recently, McDowell was director of financial services for student affairs at Duke University, monitoring funds total ­ ing more than $6 million. She had also directed major projects (including parent programs and services) and headed Duke ’s computer education/consulting cen ­ ter. . Daughter of the late Jus­ tice Dinshah Madon, a judge of India ’s supreme court and Dr Khorshed Madon, principal of Davar ’s College of Com- pjerce. Banking and Language Studies, Mc­ Dowell earned her doctor ­ ate of busine^ administra ­ tion from the University of Southern California. “I am very pleased to be a part of the team working to provide the best possible education to business and management students. I am also excited about helping This is yet another f << candidate, Gifford, settled in England, is the recipient Orchestra. Early in his career as a pop Interesting nuggets of information can singer Mercury (born Bulsara) had said, begleanedfromthelivesofothertrailblaz- “I am going to become a legend. ” Among ers. Jejeebhoy, who is reported to have his compositions was Barcelona which gifted away almost two-thirds of his wealth became the unofficial song of the 1992 during his life-time, never forgot to repay Olympic Games in Barcelona, a year after his neighbor: The woman who had packed he succumbed to AIDS. for him a food hamper when as an orphan lad of 16 he had left Navsari to come to Gifford book to be Bombay in search of work was rewarded a published by Mantra. Her thousandtimesoverlFromtheWadiastory earlier work Dadabhai we learn that “The world ’s oldest active Naoroji, Britain’s first MP sailing ship is Wadia built. The training launched their ‘Makers of ship Foudroyant started its life in Bombay History ’ series. Former as HMS Trincomalee in 1817 (and is cur- Liberal councillor and rently nearing the end of a long and expen- three times Parliamentary sive restoration as a repository of British naval history). The maxim of JRD who expanded the Tata empire was “Get the of the Nehru Centenary best people and set them free. ” Award for her work cham- Naoroji, the first Asian member elected pioning the cause of to the British Parliament, was able to study thanks to a scholarship from his commu ­ nity. “He spent the rest of his life repaying present book, priced at I the debt, to the benefit of the whole of £ 9.99 will be given to fl India, ” notes the write-up. Yet another Anti-Slavery International " Asian to be elected to the British Parlia ­ ment, Saklatvala, also known as Comrade Saks, was in his second term the only communist in the House of Commons and used to joke that his was “the only united party in the House. ” Prof Banatvala who is regarded as a leading specialist in diseases history, ” there are references to several promising youngsters who may attain Joseph Mattingly who has retired after women around the world. The royalties from the * “to help relieve suffering McDowell: “working to of the millions of chil- provide the best” dren in bonded labor. ” Though the book is meant to keep alive the Maryland Business School continue to the memories of “the unsung Asian build productive relationships with the heroines and heroes of Europe ’s forgotten Maryland and regional business communi- —1 ties, ” says McDowell as she replaces Dr caused by viruses like the common cold, promising youngsters who may attain Joseph Mattingly who has retired after influenza and AIDS believes that people greater heights in the years to come. The nearly 25 years of service to the Maryland should not “get hooked to their past ethnic .............................. .. _ origins. ” Among the world ’s best known western getted readership of nine to 14-year-olds. classical music conductors, Mehta, by the age of 25, had conducted two major or- terms explained in the glossary would Business School, help make the book simple for the tar- I The Maryland Business School offers undergraduate courses in accounting, de ­ cision and information sciences, finance, Parinaz Gandhi Visuals of those featured should help readers get a better acquaintance with general business and management (includ- their subject. Pahnaz Gandhi ing an international business option), hu ­ man resource management, logistics and transportation, management science and statistics, marketing and production management. chestras proving right the astro ­ loger who had McDowcll at Maryland predicted to his The University of Maryland at College parents that their Park has appointed Dr (Ms) Homai son would be “a McDowell, assistant dean and director of leader of men. ” Among the orch- Business School, estras conducted undergraduate programs, to its Maryland Mobeds On the mOVC The North American Mobed Council “Dr McDowell brings 13 years of higher (NAMC) decided at its annual general education administration experience to meeting in April 1995 to update its list of North American mobeds. A special effort will be undertaken to compile a list of Gifford: “needto this position, ” said William E. Mayer, be inspired” dean of the business school also knownyoung mobeds in the 20-30 age- group to generate a new cadre of priesthood for the future, notes a report on the AGM by Dr Jehan Bagli published in the September issue of Manashni, the newsletter of the Zoroas- trian Association of Houston. The task of compilation has been undertaken byRatansha Vakil. Since the Zarathushtrian tra­ dition permits any Zarathushti to perform the outer liturgical ceremonies in the absence of a mobed, NAMC has decided to help train paramobeds to fulfill the corrununity ’s needs. To that end they propose to use the 40 lessons mini course evolved by the late Dastur Navrooz Minochehr-Homji at the behest of the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India. Also on the NAMC agenda is youth education aimed at minimizing the impact of the non-Zoroastrian milieu, specifi ­ cally inter-faith marriages. “While we fully appreciate the force of cultural immersion in the western society, and the intimate contact of Zara­ thushtrian youth with non- Zoroastrians in daily life, we believe that through the channel of education we can minimize these losses, ” notes the above mentioned report. “It is crucial that we ratio ­ nally bring the awareness of our youth, at an impressionable age, to the question of marriage, its overtone to the perpetuation, and prevent the loss of issues of inter-faith unions to other faiths by setting right some erroneous notions ” it further adds. The end is sought to be achieved by inculcating an element of pride through such topics in the curriculum as Zoroastrianism ’s current relevance, its influence on other religions and the uni ­ versality of the faith. “As a first step in this direction, NAMC has requested Dr Jehan Bagli to open a channel of communi ­ cation with the Education Committee of FEZANA,” informs the report. Assisting students Viraf Mohta of New Jersey has been compiling a list of volun ­ teers to aid newly arrived stu­ dents in North America and New Zealand. The information is available on the Internet cour ­ tesy Cyrus Hirjibehdin. Parsiana gratefully acknowl ­ edges the two lists forwarded to the publication by Ms Khur- sheed Khurody and Behram Sethna, through their respective families. The volunteers note at the outset: “We are a group of indi ­ viduals who ’ve agreed to help newly arrived Zoroastrian stu­ dents. Our primary purpose is to welcome these students to the community, and offer what ­ ever assistance we ’re capable of. Being listed as a volunteer does not mean one has to al ­ ways be available to newly- arrived students. One volun ­ teers as and when time per ­ mits. ” The amalgamated alpha ­ betic list is published for the benefit of Zoroastrian freshmen in Canada, New Zealand and the USA: ALBERTA Mehran Pooladi-Darvish 606 Chem. & Min. Bldg U. of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta Canada, T6G 2G6 Tel:(403)492-3337 E-mail : mehran @ mmpe . mineral . ualberta.ca AUCKLAND Tehmus Mistry 45 Granet Road Westmere Auckland New Zealand Tel: 6493760317 Fax:6493760317 E-mail: tehmus@ai.co.nz CALIFORNIA Essi Bahmani 601 Armarida #D11 Campbell, CA 95008 Tel:(408)376-3736 (H) or (415)336-1106(W) E-mail: Essi.Bahmani@eng.sun . com Rayomand and Bakhtawar Bhadha 3559 Sawtelle Blvd #2 Los Angeles, CA 90066 Tel:(310)915-9071 E-mail:izzy9nu@mvs.oac.ucla. edu or bbhadha@chaph.usc.edu Ferhiz E. Dinshaw 2430 8th Av #21 Oakland, CA 94606 Tel:(415)506-5580(W) E-mail: fdinshaw@us.oracle.com Jahan Jamshidi 10353 Azuaga St #015 San Diego, CA 92129 Tel:619-485-3437(W) or 619- 484-0366(H) E-mail:j ahan.j amshidi @ san diegoca.attgis.com Shiraz Kanga 831 Peary Lane Foster City, CA 94404 Tel:(415)572-8521(H)or (415)525-9622(H) or (415)506- 5412(0) Fax;(415) 506-7822 E-mail: skanga® us .oracle.com Cyrus Karkaria 1499 B Shotwell St San Francisco, CA 94110 Tel:(415)826-9999 E-mail: cyruskarkaria@arris.com Kaezad J. Mehta 10591 Caminito Alvarez San Diego, CA 92126 Tel:(619)693-3545(H) or (619)482-5011(W) E-mail:kaezad.mehta@nellcor. com Viraf Patel 34077 Cavendish Place Fremont, CA 94555 Tel:(510)791-7763 Fax:(510)791-7765 E-mail: vpatel@us.oracle.com Anita & Feroze Taraporevala 3562 Slopeview Drive San Jose, CA 95148 Tel:(408)270-3562 E-mail : kapadia.osbu_north @ xerox.com or feroze@srtest. viewlogic.com Firdaus and Farida Udwadia 2100 South Santa Anita Avenue Arcadia, California, 91006-4611 Tel:(8 18)574-9642 E-mail: fudwadia@alnitak.usc . edu CONNECTICUT Minoo B. Italia 455 Broad Street #4 Meriden, CT 06450 Tel:(203)686-1894 E-mail: Doughtfire@aol.com FLORIDA Sarosh J. Motivala 8650 SW. 109th Ave, Apt 210 Miami, FL 33173 Tel:(305)274-5045 E-mail: Sarosh .J .Motivala® students.miami.edu GEORGIA Hormuz Minina 336388 Georgia Tech Station Atlanta, GA 30332-1675 Tel:(404)875-0022 E-mail:gt6388a@prism.gatech. edu ILLINOIS Aspy & Aban Daboo 6 Swallow Court Woodridge, IL 60517 Tel:(708)969-9183 Fax:(708)575-5189 (Aban ’s office) E-mail : parsee @ aol.com Roxana Mehta 7k6 Clark Street Evanston, IL 60201 Tel:(708)974-1238 ' E-mail:ckey@i^sbah.acns.nwu. edu Cyrus Grant 891 Saylor Avenue Elmhurst, IL 60126 Tel:(708)941-7829 E-mail:grantcn@email.rosary. edu * INDIANA Ness & Jasmine Shroff 3587 Chauncey Court E. Drive Lafayette, IN 47905 Tel:(3 17)449-0560 or (317)494- 3471 Fax:(312)494-3358 E-mail: shroff@ecn.purdue.edu KANSAS Percy Master 4412 E Harry Wichita, KS 67218 Tel:(316)685-7634(H) or (316)636-8328(W) E-mail: pmas ter @ ppdpost. wichitaks.ncr.com LOUISIANA Niloufer & Rustom Dubash 10018 Commander Dr Shreveport, Louisiana 71106- 8402 Tel:(3 18)227-4129(W) or (318)798-2281(H) 16 Parsiana September 1995Fax:(318)227-6574 or (318)798- 2281 E-mail:nucphy @ aol.com MARYLAND Hufrish Udwadia 11215 Oak Leaf Drive, #1517 Silver Spring, MD 20901 Tel:(301)754-0217 Fax:(202)473-1370 E-mail:hudwadia@ worldbank, org Shehernaz Joshi Verahrami 14511 Cartwright Way North Potomac, MD 20878 Tel:(301)279-9629(H) or (202)994-7242(W) E-mail: sjpshi@main.nlc.gwu . edu MASSACHUSETTS Hanoz Gandhi 2130 Massachusetts Ave Apt 5A Cambridge, MA 02140 Tel:(617)869-3634(H) or (508)879-1916 ext. 6317(W) E-mail: hanoz@media.mit.edu Jahangir Nakra 311 Normandy Dr Norwood, MA 02062 Tel:(617)551-8029(H) or (617)461-3871(W) Fax:(617)461-3010 or (617)461 - 4447 E-mail:jay .nakra@analog.com Mehemosh Mody 46 Spiers Rd Newton, MA 02159 Tel:(617)964-4844(H) or (617)724-9568(W) E-mail: mody @ cvrc-taco . mgh . harvard.edu MATRIMONIAL Parents of a good looking, 26-year-old, 5’4” tall, post-graduate girl, working in a reputed company and residing in Bombay, invite correspondence from parents of well-to-do, professionally settled, Parsi boys, up to 32 years, having accommodation. USA settled boys are also welcome. Please respond with full bio data and latest full size photograph (returnable) to: The Advertiser Parsiana, Matrimonial (Sept/34-95)* GPO Box 892, Bombay 400001 Please make sure the reply envelope bears the reference number cited here. Khursheed N. Khurody 34A Irving St #41 Cambridge, MA 02138 Tel:(617)547-7327 E-mail : khurody @ fas .harvard . edu Parastu and Jamshed Dubash 75 Lakeshore Drive Marlboro, MA 01752 Tel:(508)481-6495(H) or (5O8)568-4268(W) Fax:(508)568-4681(W) Parastu’s E-mail:dubash@ hcacad.holycross.edu Jamshed ’s E-mail:dubash@sub pac.enet.dec.com MINNESOTA Dr Shahrukh A. Irani Assistant Professor Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Minnesota 125 Mechanical Engineering 111 Church Street S.E. Minneapolis, MN 55455 Tel:(61 2)626-7815 Fax:(612)624-1398 E-mail: shahrukh@maroon.tc . umn.edu NEW JERSEY Dr Dinshaw F. Bardoliwalla 3 Darlene Court Randolph, NJ 07869 Tel:(201)895-4671(H) Porus Cooper 114 Randle Dr Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 Tel:(609)927-4481 Katayun Kapadia 116 Randle Drive Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 Tel:(609)795-0946(H) or (215)898-1934(W) E-mail:kapadia@al.benhur. upenn.edu Viraf «fe Binaifer Mohta 4 Bozarth Ct Hamilton, NJ 08690 Tel:(609)581-1668(H) or (609)951-6315(W) Fax:(609)581-3970 Viraf’s E-mail:vmohta@ets.i Binaifer ’s E-mail:binaifer@ eden.rutgers.edu ¦org Arnavaz D. Sukhia 204 Brompton Drive Cherry Hill, NJ 08003 Tel:(609)751-7233(H) or (215)898-7796(W) Daryoosh Vakhshoori 66 Canterbury Rd Chatham, NJ 07928 Tel:(201)701-1382 E-mail: dar@physics. att.com NEW YORK Nenshad D. Bardoliwalla 705 E. Buffalo St, Apt #2 Ithaca, NY 14850 Tel: (607)277-6349 E-mail:ndbl @cornell.edu Hinata Jambuserwala 1214 S. Clinton Avenue Rochester NY 14620 Tel: (716)271-6649 E-mail:Hinata. Jambuserwala® blppadm.smbausch.langate.sprint. com Cyrus Mehta 160 Claremount Avenue #21 New York, NY 10027 Tel:(21 2)662-0932 E-mail:74671 .15@compuserve. com NORTH CAROLINA Ratansha B. Vakil 5214-D Fox Hunt Drive Greensboro, NC 27407 Tel:(910)379-5945(W) or (910)218-8881(H) E-maiI: rvakil@focus. att.com ONTARIO Jamshid Fouladian 2534 EGAN Rd Ottawa, Ontario KI V 8N1 Canada Tel:(613)523-9611(H)(613) 742-0010, Ext. 4217(W) E-mai 1: J .Fouladian @ mtmi .tele sat.ca OREGON Cherag Sukhia 1465 NW Division, #4 Corvallis, OR 97330 Tel:(503)754-5637 E-mail: sukhiac@ucs.orst.edu PENNSYLVANIA Diana Dadachanji 259 Foulkrod Blvd King of Prussia, PA 19406 Tel:(610)275-2858(H) or (215)898-6671(W) E-mail:dadachan@orion,sas. upenn.edu QUEBEC Jehangir Appoo 1100 Dr. Penfield Ave.#715 Montreal, Quebec Canada H3A 1A8 Tel:514-288-5150 E-mail:appoo97@medcor. mcgill.ca SOUTH CAROLINA Burzin A. Patel 1300 Long Creek Drive #1926 Columbia, S^uth Carolina 29210 Tel.(803)798-0210(H) or (803)939-6535(W) E-mail : burzin casey .Colum biasc.ncr.com VIRGINIA Zenobia and Behram Panthaki 500 N Roosevelt Blvd #125 Falls Church VA 22044 Tel:(703)241-1908(H) or (202)473-3486(W Zenobia) E-mail:ZPANTHAKI@world bank.org 4^ WASHINGTON, D.C. Farah Godrej 3725 Massachusetts Ave. NW Washington, DC 20016 Tel:(202)364-8412 E-mail:FGODREJ@VAX. CLARKU.EDU Nielufar Varjavand 730 24th St. NW #305 Washington, DC 20037 Tel:(202)625-7009 E-mail: GQ893C@gwuvm.gwu . edu WISCONSIN Meherrnaz & Zahir Balaporia 1626 N. Prospect Ave, #1704 Milwaukee, W1 53202 Tel:(414)289-9796(H) or (414)347-3739(W) E-mail: zahir@earth.execpc.com Compiled by Arnavaz S. Mama 18 Parsiana September 1995 I1 ENVIRONMENT COVER STORY SOHRAB GODREJ the reluctant industrialist t I 'A '1 Burjor K. Karanjia time for us. Though all his energies were spent on being successful as an industrial- The usual last question put to successful ist, he never properly initiated us into ¦ ’*' 1 industry. Left everything to us, as it were. ” “How did you manage? ” “Well, I came across Uplift of India by Sir Viswesariya in which he argues that sues, the old-world charm he preserves, His bio-data, like his life, is a crowded one. His interests are many and varied, and they digmfied and courtly . are consuming interests — industry and commerce, scientific management, social welfare, population control and the envi ­ ronment, education, heritage and art. He has several devoted secretaries who are ---------------- kept on their toes throughout the working put this question first to Sohrab instead of only through industry could the country d and at times even after His mind omnhatip* hppnmp nrncnpmns: ‘Prnsneritv throuffh works so fast that often when, in a manner of speaking, he has speeded down to XYZ, they are still at ABC. Small wonder then that his life, every . _ “unforgivingminute ”ofitfilledwith “sixty My interests lay in mountaineering, the seconds ’worth of distance run, ” is a mara- theater, becoming a foreign correspon- thon race against time, although he gets by dent. In fact, there was an offerjo jo^the on only four hours ’ sleep. I sometimes think, were he granted one wish above all others, he would ask for a longer-than-24- hour day. Some years ago the senior public rela ­ tions officer of a leading industrial house, referring to my biography of Rustom Ma- sani (Portrait of a Citizen, published by been had the stork changed direction in Popular Prakasan), askedme whose life T d mid-flight? ” like to do next. Unhesitatingly I replied, Sohrab Godrej ’ s. Why? For two reasons — the complexity of his character and the ------------ ---- ----------------- graciousness of his personality. I wasn ’t occasions when, unable to sleep, I d roam lived in a simpler world, talking about the successful industrialist, the streets around my house, in the stillness A formative influence on Sol^ab as a chairman ofGodrej companies. I was think- of the night. So many things I’ve had to child was his mother Soonabai^She was a ing more of the man who did not want to be give up, music, books. .. There just isn ’t quiet, most likable pers^, spreading sweeL j an industrialist in the first place, yet was enough time. What I regret most of all are ness and light, fond of Western and Indian made one by the force of circumstances the many wasted years for which I’ve had music and i ----- - ¦ -- —1-- •— after the household as only acaring woman can with, in Milton ’s words, “those thou ­ sand decencies that daily flow, ” from all and well-known interviewees is; If you were to be born again, would you like your life to be the same? The usual answer is in the affirmative. Some instinct told me to last. His reply was quiet and emphatic: become prosperous. ‘Prosperity through “No, I wouldn ’t like to live my life again, ’ ’ ' that is, if it means all of it.” He went on: “I was a shy, sensitive youth, not pushing, day-dreaming a lot. theater, becoming a foreign correspon- industry ’ — the^logan was like a revela ­ tion to me. My outlook changed totally. I made up my mind that if I was to succeed in industry, I might as well'Jpe as good an industrialist as involvement, example and study could make me. I learnt from my father ’s example that we had to work with a three-fold purpose, the nature of the Indian economy being what it was. We had foreign service when it was being formed. I used to think what an education it would be working for aman like Jawaharlal Nehru, first to see that customers are al ways satis- But father believed the best job is industry. ~ * ............... Often I think the stork brought me to the wrong house. ” fied so that they buy more and more goods, so that we in turn could make more and __ more goods, earn greater profits, and the ‘Do you feel regret for what might have government could get more money by way ........................ of taxation. I recall that on the first Diwali after Independence he gave a speech im- “Regrets were there, of course. Long pressing upon his workers their duty to pay bouts of melancholy. These brought on taxes to enable the government to under ­ insomnia which I came to dread. I recall take various nation-T)uilding projects. He occasions when, unable to sleep. I’d roam the streets around my house, in the stillness of the night. So many things I’ve had to ________ _ ' ;___ " ¦ > the many wasted years for which I’ve had and the sheer force ofhis will. In becoming to — still have to makeup. what he never wanted to be and doing it fairly successfully, lie the clues to his worth as a human being. Sohrab ’s abundant living, his many in ­ terests and concerns, his passion to right so , many wrongs in the country and the world, told him I would take degrees in both science and arts, but he refused. I felt terrible, then, though eventually I got rec ­ onciled to it. The trouble was, he had little fives, neighbors kept remarking upon it. impart a certain complexity to his charac ­ ter, without robbing it of the courtesy with which he receives people and tackles is- “My father was single-minded. The karkhana (factory) was his whole world. He tended to be autocratic with us. He her words and actions. Her untimely deam insisted, for example, on my sitting for the when Sohrab was only eight, left a void in ¦ his life that was never quite filled. “It was my first encounter with death. The total severance that it meant numbed I just couldn ’t get over the loss. Rela- B.Sc. degree. My interest was in the arts. I me. 20 Parsiana September 1996 h »r The Godrej chairman's many travels have underscored his passion for the social betterment of India For a long time afterwards I wore mother ’s locket. But greater than my own sense of loss was my sadness for my two younger brothers and sister who would never know a mother ’s love. Naval (Naoroji) was only three and a half then. Such a lovely child! Burjor, too. Later in life, once, when Burjor was in a great difficulty and felt lost, my conscience pricked me that I hadn ’t done enough for them as the eldest. ” Their uncle Ardeshir, eldest in the fam ­ ily, founded the Godrej enterprise, which Sohrab ’s father Pirojsha consolidated, dedicatedly and very systematically. The brothers were totally different in tempera ­ ment. “But they complemented each other, which was good for Godrej and, fortu ­ nately as it turned out, for the country as well, ” Sohrab coirunents. “Ardeshir is described as a visionary and Pirojsha as a consolidator, ” Iremarked. “But these labels are by their very nature restrictive and do not convey the full mea ­ sure of the men. For example, wasn ’t Pirojsha himself very much of a visionary in conceiving of the garden township at Vikhroli, named after him after his death? ” “That ’s true, of course. One cannot but marvel at his prophetic decision. Acquir- Above: Bird’s eye view of a section of Pirojshanagar at Vikhroli Alongside: Godrej With the Duke of Edinburgh (at right) ing so much seem ­ ingly unusable land and transforming it in 10 years, working even on Sundays, into ‘an Eden of productivity and contentment, ’ as it came to be called. He knew that he just couldn ’t afford to fail, the stakes were so high. But here the role of my youngest brother, Naval, was considerable. Father had a dream, but it was Naval who helped transform the dream into reality. Sometimes I think Naval was in some respects even greater than father. ” “Naval was no doubt a mechanical ge ­ nius who helped carry the country forward into the hi-tech electronic age. How did the two of you relate to each other? In what specific ways do you miss him in day-to- day affairs?” “Every time I visit Pirojshanagar, I think of my father and Naval. Above all, I miss Naval ’s quick, decisive approach even to complicated problems because of his thorough overall grasp.” “I would like to repeat the same ques ­ tion about your younger broth^ Burjor, an altogether different person, reserved, with a passion for research. ” “Burjor was away for five years study- continued on page 39 % 21 Parsiana September 1995INSTITUTIONS other buildings old and new, including a Above (from left) The stadiiim; Lincoln— You drive down a rustic road, columned with blazing bougainvillea flanking you cozy guesthouse, and to other sprawling Bhabha House; learning prayers like sentries in uniform. On either side, playing fields — it would help if you had Right: A memorial presented by emerald green at monsoon time, are vast a bicycle to tour the entire campus of 21 the Lions Club of Nashik. with the map playing fields. About a furlong ahead, you acres. room in the rear spot a cluster of buildings amid towering trees, and soon you find yourself in a little world of its own. You alight at the hub of this cluster, an expansive courtyard-like rectangle. The Nashik, about four hours away from both L a bicycle to tour the entire campus of 21 acres. Grand? Stately? Fancy? No. Charm ­ ing? Congenial? Warm and welcoming? able sum of Rs 1,35,000. This was the birth Yes. You are not at Eton. You are at The of the present renamed institution, founded Boys ’ Town Public School (BTPS). In with the objective of giving deserving ¦ '1 students an all-round education with many centrepiece is a large lush lawn, bordered Bombay and Pune, lying beyond the amenities at low fees — under the guiding with lilies and ornamental shrubs. On three - sides are mellowed old buildings with tiled sea level. A small city, still a little bit of a roofs, verandas. Gothic arches and inter- backwater and thankfully not claustropho- esting design details from a more elegant bic. Salubrious climate, bucolic ambience, era. On the fourth side stand modem con- . — - Crete structures that somehow do not jar with the general scene; a bond is provided fic lights, by the typical old-time “Parsi livery ” of pale yellow or off-white accented with Pirojsha N. Mehta (1877-1956), not for- brown and russet, and by the abundant getful of the educational needs of the chil- flora in every hue of green with fiery dren of his community, dipped his hand full advantage of all the wide-ranging fa- gulmohurs and the ubiquitous bougain- into his pocket and bought over the New cilities offered by the BTPS. ¦ ~ ¦¦ ¦ ................ I In keeping with the objectives of a new Fardunji H. Dastur for the then consider- India, the School spontaneously threw open % Sahyadris at a height of 2,000 feet above motto, “God Provides. ” What started out with 135 students when Soli S. Pavri took over as first principal is now a government jecognized grant-in- aid English-medium national institution with a total student strength of 1,198 and a well-qualified full-time teaching staff of In 1944, industrialist and philanthropist 42. Day scholars include girls, but boarding students are all boys; it is the latter who would appear to be better placed to take clean air. The human touch. Afternoon siestas. And only about half-a-dozen traf- villea everywhere. Radiating out of this Parsi Boarding School at Nashik from hub are byways that take you to various Boys’ Town: lessons on Isecond in command, supervise^ Ms Asha Gadgil, MSc, BEd, with the School since 1974, puts it this way: “The aim is to / and Jimmy Panthaki. The “Town ” in the School ’s name is not gratuitous. Boys ’ Town produce not only scholars but scholars is something of a town within a town. It has its own post office, bank, shop, canteen, mess, health clinic and jour ­ nal, as well as sports, residential and cine ­ matic facilities. Many activities are run by dent residents as “little citizens ” is taken students, and this spirit seriously and is innovatively used to put of involvement is touch- its doors to the members of all sister com- ingly reflected in two cenotaphs, dedi ­ munities around the time of Independence, cated to Indian martyrs and to Mahatma and healthy secularism is emphasized. The founder ’s family has consistently taken a dedicated interest in its affairs, and of the stipulated all-Parsi board of the non-profit- making P. N. Mehta Education Trust which is to see that students who leave the BTPS manages the school, Keki P. Mehta, Behram P. Mehta and Neville K. Mehta are cur­ rently trustees, along with Phiroze Vakil who can face life as responsible citizens of India with an ethical background. ” In ma ­ king this happen, discipline is the key. In the words of Nigam, “The first and foremost thing is discipline. Discipline inculcated from within, not imposed from without. Once this is ensured, all the rest follows. ’ The “township concept ” with the stu- the philosophy into practice. Without the School authorities abdicating responsibi ­ lity, there is a student-run Boys ’ Town Gandhi, erected by the students themselves corporation that manages many of the from their own pocket money. The School ’s overall philosophy is clear and visionary, even noble. “The final aim School ’s non-scholastic facilities and ac­ tivities, right down to ensuring proper elec ­ tricity and water supplies. The elected mayor and the commissioner, bedecked in are equipped to become good citizens of their robes of office on formal occasions, the country, ” affirms Dr P. D. Nigam, MSc, PhD, BEd, principal since 1987. His head a team of 21 fellow student-corpora ­ tors, with the principal providing indirect * living The Boys ’ Town Public School celebrates 50 years of imparting meaningful education Text and Photographs: Roni K. Khan Isuperintendence as constitutional gover ­ nor. The corporation functions through five committees, which include a market design and machine drawing, and food committee, works committee and ~ improvements committee. When Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru visited the School, the distinction of conferring the honorary citizenship of Boys ’ Town on India ’s first Prime Minister went not to the trustees or the senior staff but to the then addressing the whole forum. One youngster mayor, Master Dally F. Tantra. This is provides a synopsis of the latest national democratic citizenship in practice, not just and world events in what is called “news ­ in theory. A teacher of 10 years ’ stan ­ ding, Ms Jaghans Sahni, MA, BEd, sums up the Sc­ hool ’s practical orientation when she says, “We teach our students through action and activity, not only through lectures and books. ” As a matter of policy, the manage ­ ment ’s objective is to develop students into self-confident and self-reliant citizens of good character who can confront the chal ­ lenges of life and contribute to society as well. Declares Gadgil: “We want to produce P. Mehta, P. R. Vakil and K. P. Mehta independent, capable, public-minded (trustees, front row) Nigam and Desai scholars with high moral standards. People who can think for themselves —not parrots. We don ’t believe in private tuitions. ” Prin ­ cipal Nigam puts it in a nutshell: “We go for overall development. I want top class speech on any topic. And a fourth recites a officially assigned the status of a “public all-rounders, not just SSC toppers. ” This ideology translates into a variety of extra-curricular and co-curricular ac­ tivities aimed at developing the creative School ’s non-academic ideals: “Leader- arship by the Government of India on the energies andpotentialities of young people, ship, morality, character, discipline, toler- basis of a national leveVexamination. Hobbies and interests are offered and en- ance, secularism, citizenship. ” No assessment of the BTPS could ever couraged: drawing and painting, garden- But what about pure academics? How be complete without featuring its commit- ing, craftwork, music, debating, science does the BTPS fare there? Does the dis- ment to cultivating healthy secular and modelling, typewriting, computers, jour- couragement of “mechanical and stereo- ethical values through a multi-religious nalism. Organized sports like cricket, hockey, football and basketball are com ­ pulsory — it is not an accident that the BTPS has produced a sports celebrity like ity of the SSC examination results? test cricketer Nari Contractor, or that Mas­ ter Cyrus Tadwalla, a Standard X student, was recently selected to represent India in percentage is usually well into the 90s. In international handball. Technical courses with a vocational bent are offered as op ­ tional subjects for the Secondary School pared favorably with the SSC Board and Certificate (SSC) Board examination: the technical wing of the School trains stu- dents in subjects like mechanical and elec- went to 25 percent of the BTPS candidates trical technology, woodwork, furniture who took the examination, first classes to 44 percent and second classes to 27 per- The conscious attempt to mold the young cent. Nobody scraped through with a pass into future adults capable of facing life in class, and failures accounted for a little under five percent. The School ’s top ranker. went to 25 percent of the BTPS candidates into future adults capable of facing life in a confident and independent manner is ________ ______ ovupia.iB.vi, also visible in the morning assembly. Part Pradeep Nemade, scored 87.7 percent of this ritual involves Standards VIII, IX marks. and X students going up to the mike and (I 25 Parsiana September 1995 From left: Managing the institution—B. A subjectwise analysis of the latest SSC results indicates that BTPS students ex ­ celled in science and social studies, with distinctions (over 75 percent marks) at­ tained by 74 percent and 72 percent of , the candidates, res- I pectively. Distinc- % tions were achieved by 50 percent in French, by 30 per ­ cent in maths, and ’by 27 percent in 1=4 Sanskrit. Rather k surprisingly, the ft distinctions rate ¦ was only seven per- B cent in English, four H percent in Marathi, K and nil in Hindi. ¦ Though some H other schools do ¦ surpass 'the BTPS H on the criterion of academic grades in the SSC examination, the 1994-95 BTPS achievement of a 95 percent pass rate and a figure of 69 percent distinctions cum first classes are certainly nothing to be sniffed at. Indeed, it may be noted that the BTPS has been selected by the Government of I reading. ” A second makes an extempore “hat speech ” on a topic picked out on the spur of the moment. A third delivers a India for the education of merit scholars, is short story. Each secondary level student school, ” and one of its students, Ms T. R. receives this exposure in rotation. Kankaria was recently awarded a Teacher Sahni pithily sums up the prestigious National Talent Search Schol- School ’s non-academic ideals: “Leader ­ ance, secularism, citizenship. ” But what about pure academics? How does the BTPS fare there? Does the dis ­ couragement of “mechanical and stereo ­ typed education ” and the broadminded approach. The morning assembly in the encouragement of “all-round student de ­ velopment ” jeopardize the scholastic real- commodious prayer hall is a heartwarming eye-opener. The day starts off for all BTPS students with heads reverently bowed as It would appear that a happy balance they recite sublime scriptural verses from has been struck. The School ’s SSC pass all major religions represented in the School, in the original languages. A trans ­ lation follows each prayer to ensure proper the most recent 1994-95 academic year the performance was 95 percent which com- comprehension. The prayer hall speaks for itself. Beau- the Nashik district figures of 50 percent tiful marble statues of Lords Buddha, Christ and 51 percent respectively. Distinctions and Zarathushtra occupy niches at the al- I.A ^4' J s n J ms the Dutch employed two brokers; a Journal. Along with this piece there is and played^ a leading part in community tion “The Zoroastrian Calendar: view ’’ several books on Rustam Maneck and the Seths viz Jalbhai Seth’s in 1900; J. J. Modi s study in 1928; and S. K. Hodivala ’s book in 1931. Subsequently substantial reference has come to light on the family's commercial activities. We now I English translation of P. S. S. Pissurlen- car ’s Portuguese Records on Rustam Man- ock (1936); H. R. Das’s accounts of the Norris embassy (1930,1959); M. S. Commi ­ ssariat sstudy(I953)ofNowrojiRustam ’s __ _ ¦.a m m ^tr^^broZgh! him of East Indies and Persia) he write.s that Merchants and the Decline of Suratf1979). prosperity and occasionally anxiety too “The town (Surat) has very many noble areful study ofall these and many other when he, as intermediary, was expectedto loftyhousesoftheMoormerchants^ There sources has resulted in the compilation of secure the release of a captured ship. is a Parsi broker to the king of Bantam, has ---------------------—------------------- turned out (the contents) of his pocket on peearlies,.fe.„cewehave.oRusUm India. ” d,is noie Be.Jian is d.e =<,n.va- X Maneck s dealings with the European lent of Bania in Gujarati, and Zeraab of Bantam East India Companies is a brief note in a ____ di^y written in Batavia in 1681 referring suggested that the reference to three Euro- to “a translation of a Benjian letter written i . i----------------------------------w»»o*iiwLjk, 111 uuiuiiiivaiid by Kustemsie Zeraab, representative of the that Rustam was broker to the Dutch, three European nations doing business in ~ Kail makes no mention of the famous Rustam Maneck ever being employed by the Dutch a hundred years earlier. The Dutch record of 1681 refers to Rustam as L/uLvii iccoru or looi rerers to Rustam as Surat ana Aurangzeb imposed the poll tax shroff, i.e. moneylender, and not as da la I, on all non-Muslims. The favored position Rustam Maneck enjoyed as agent, broker and administra ­ tor of the Portuguese is recounted in the broker. Brokers often acted as moneylend ­ ers, but the converse was not common. John Fryer lived in Surat from 1674 to 1682, and in his account (A New Account 32 Parsiana September 1995 secure the release of a captured ship. India. ” In this note Benjian is the equiva- was a very important trading cen ­ ter of the Dutch in Indonesia, and Modi, bearing in mind the Dutch note of 1681, pean nations doing business in Surat means jumped to the conclusion that the Parsi Portuguese and English companies. The shroff i.e. moneylender. J. J. Modi has broker of Fryer was Rustam Maneck; sub­ sequent Parsi writers on Rustam have fol- Ilowed Modi uncritically. their navy on the west coast of India and on trade of western India As f^ as the Dutch connection is con- the east coast of Africa and Arabia. They In return for the cartazes the Portuguese cerned, Rustam was probably their shroff built their first fort in Cochin, in 1503; in undertook to protect ships from pirates In and recognized as such, but not their offi- 1507 Mozambique became a tributary of order to enforce the cartaz system the How®''® ’’’ many employees of Portugal; Goa was taken in 1510 and by Portuguese had several fleets patrolling the European companies also traded pri- ---------------------- .... vately and employed brokers for their com ­ mercial transactions; there were also Eu­ ropean merchants who did not belong to the companies and who traded privately. Rustam acted as broker for such private traders and it is possible that the Dutch numbered amongst his clients. The Portu ­ guese and the English appointed Rustam as their official broker many years after 1681. their navy on the west coast of India and on Portugal aimed to monopolize and tax trade unlike the others who came purely as traders Rustam Maneck and the Portuguese The Portuguese story in India begins with the arrival of Vasco da Gama near Calicut in 1498. Portugal had two commercial aims: first, to monopolize the trade in certain Asian products; second, to control, direct and tax trade in other products. This policy was in sharp contrast to that of the Dutch and English who came purely as traders, in the same way as the Arabs, Persians and Chinese. To exercise their control over the trade routes, particularly those between India and the West, the Portuguese needed forts and harbors for the seas, and this is where the importance of Goa lay; it was mid-way between Cam- bay in the north and Malabar in the south and was hence able to control the coastal trade. In Gujarat the Portuguese had a factory (warehouse) in Surat, but not on the scale of the English or Dutch. How ­ ever, they had passport offices in Surat and Daman to issue the cartazes. The above brief description of the Por ­ tuguese system in India is necessary to understand the correspondence between 1600 they had about 50 forts in Asia ex ­ tending from Sofala in Africa to Macao in _________ ________ _ China although by 1640 this number had the Portuguese authorities in^Gorand shrunk to 26. Rustam Maneck. In 1933 P. S. S. Pissur- 111. J system of controlling lencar published all the letters available i" all ships must carry a cartaz or passport f " duties before proceeding to their destina ­ tion. On the return voyage the ships again had to call at a Portuguese port to pay ________ ______ onva duties on their cargo. If any ship broke Unfortunately, Rustam ’s letters to (the these rules. It and Its cargo was confiscated Portuguese in)^ Goa have not been and the crew killed or sent to the galleys. The cartaz system applied not only to __________ _____..vu.v,, transoceanic voyages but also to the coastal dated November 22, 1691, bitten by the --- -------o -----------------------------------------iciivai puuiisneo an me letters available in !ii ---------------------------------------------------------------------archives that the Portuguese wrote a c ........ .... .. - - -- - _ t to Rustam Maneck. The introduction is in from a Portuguese port where they paid English but the letters are in Portuguese. In J--*.... republished with a shorter introduction but the letters were translated into English by S. B. D’Silva. to Rustam Maneck. The introduction is in preserved. rhe earliest letter in the Goa archives is % With Best Wishes from Air Rusy Al. Shroff, M.B.E. and Mrs Purviz R. Shroff i 34 Parsiana September 1995s ) I t I appointed Rustam as administrator; the date of this appointment is not known. As long as Villa Verde was Viceroy there was Commission of State (which governed Goa nothing Serrao could do about his dis- in the interval before the arrival of the next missal, but when the Viceroy ’s term came Viceroy) wrote to the King of Portugal on to an end in 1698, Serrao petitioned the November 30,1701: “AntonioPaezSerrao and trust you. Get the ship released. ”" King of Portugal: “That without fault or was suspended from the exercise of his Rustam set out for Daman with valuable error on the part of Your Majesty ’s peti ­ tioner, the Viceroy, Count Villa Verde, removed him from the said post and office after suspending him. That there was no regretted his action on account of the man ’s justification for this action but that of ineptitude, and ordered him to be sus- giving these posts to a non-Christian con ­ trary to the Royal Orders of Your Maj ­ esty... With these words I wait upon the generosity of Your Majesty to restore this petitioner and to direct the issue of a patent to him confirming him in the said offices. ” The King passed on Serrao ’s petition to the new Viceroy, Antonio Luiz Gonsalves da Camara Coutinho, with a covering letter dated February 14, 1699, asking him to look into Serrao ’s complaint; if the dis ­ missal was justified, then it must stand, but if it was not then the Viceroy must provide for Serrao and do what he thought best. The Viceroy reported to the King on De ­ cember 27, 1699: “Having examined the grounds which had occasioned the removal pended forthwith while he was on his way of Antonio Paez Serrao... I find that the whole proceeding had been based on false information given of him... with a view, to put it shortly, to secure the appointment of and among the officials of the Government a non-Christian named Rustomji... There ­ fore, because Your Majesty so desires in the duties of the broker of the Portuguese Sarmento in a letter dated February 18, your letter, I had decided to remove him and not those of administrator of passports 1708 to the Viceroy Dom Rodrigo da from his post and restore to the said Anto- because at this period of time his influence Costa. Sarmento reported that the ship did nio Paez Serrao the offices which belonged was more desirable than any other time not belong to the Moghuls (i.e. Indian to him; for it would not be right to repose among the merchant-subjects of the Moghul subjects of the Moghuls) and was not even confidence in a non-Christian when Your King. ” a Surat ship but was based in Jeddah. Every Majesty has subjects to whom the execu- The new Viceroy, Gaetano de Mello de year it sailed from Jeddah to Surat where a tion of Your Majesty ’s orders could be Castro, took office in 1703 and Rustam brother (Osman Chalibi) of its Turkish entrusted. ” wrote to him asking to be appointed broker owner lived, and was now returning to It would seem that the Viceroy, da ' - - CamaraCoutinho, reinstated Serrao merely regulations did not permit the granting of appears from Sarmento ’s letter that there because he could not disobey his King, for appointments for life. Pissurlencar says that on February 6, 1700 he writes to Rustam: “The King, my Master, would have sent Antonio Paez Serrao back to his post as chief captain and administrator of pass­ ports in the port; but since you serve the State with so much zeal and earnestness, I regard you as worthy to be the agent of the Portuguese; the more so as I cannot do without your influence; therefore, I have a great desire to continue the emoluments of coming from Jeddah, laden with goods, your office to you. ” ' The Viceroy then arranged that the revenue from thecartazes warship. A fight ensued and Chalibi ’s ship issued at Daman should go to Rustam “for it is not fair that you should serve the State port of Daman. Chalibi complained to the without remuneration for your trouble. ” Serrao, however, did not enjoy his rein- statement for long. Da Camara Coutinho ’s Portuguese regarding shipping was made term of office expired in 1701 and the through you. Why have they now broken the conditions and captured Osman ’s ship? Rustam, this matter can be settled only by you. The Portuguese think highly of you was suspended from the exercise of his office... by the Viceroy, the Count of Villa presents. He first went to Navsari to pray at Verde. The Acting Governor-General who the Atash Bahram for success. He then had directed his reinstatement... deeply The Viceroy sent Rustam his letter of appointment: have ordered Antonio Paes Serrao to employ you notwithstanding that you are a Parsi” went to Daman and there met the Portu ­ guese general and the Bishop and com ­ plained to them that the Portuguese had captured a Surat ship although they had promised the Moghul King, through Rustam, that they would not do so. He asked for their advice on how he could get the ship released. The general replied that the ship had Turks in it who attacked his sailors, and that was why the ship was captured. He" then advised Rustam to go to Goa and present his case to the Viceroy. So Rustam went to Goa, and when the Viceroy came to know of his arrival, he was received with honor and his plea heard. The Viceroy told Rustam to be patient and to stay in Goa for some time. Rustam stayed there for nine months, built a two-storeyed house and entertained th^Viceroy and his officers there. Eventually the ship and its cargo were released and Rustam returned to Surat with to Surat, and retained the services of the merchant Rustam... in view of his great honor. This is the account of file Kisseh. influence among the merchants of that port The Portuguese version of the incident was given by the Commander-in-Chief of there. Actually Rustamji only carried out the Fleet of the North, Antonio de Amaral the duties of the broker of the Portuguese and not those of administrator of passports because at this period of time his influence was more desirable than any other time The new Viceroy, Gaetano de Mello de Castro, took office in 1703 and Rustam wrote to him asking to be appointed broker for life. The Viceroy replied that royal Jeddah with Chalibi ’s family. It also were rumors that the Nawab of Surat was Rustam was dismissed from his office in collecting an army presumably to attack June 1703, but reinstated in November 1706. the Portuguese possessions and free the The Kisseh-i Rustam Maneck refers to ship. Between February 17 and 24 Rustam Rustam Maneck ’s service with the Portu- wrote several letters to Goa, and in one of guese only in connection with the capture them he must have discussed the capture of of Osman Chalibi ’s ship. Osman Chalibi was a rich Turkish merchant trading out of Surat in his own ships. According to the Kisseh, one of Chalibi ’s biggest ships was ship... which had sailed from Surat and which, you say, belonged to Osman Chalibi, when it was intercepted by a Portuguese a subject of the Moghul King; as I think it is not so, I believe I should tell you the truth was captured and taken to the Portuguese of the whole matter... ” The Viceroy then said that he had ordered the ship to be Nawab of Surat who sent for Rustam and brought to Goa so that a thorough enquiry said to him: “The arrangement with the could be held, and asked Rustam “to come Chalibi ’s ship, for the Viceroy wrote to him on March 10, 1708: “I note the ac­ count you give of the capture of a Turkish 37 Parsiana September 1995 *Ba } GLOBE theatres Pvt Ltd Established April 3, 1915 Pioneers of Show Business in India for the last 80 years We rededicate ourselves to the ideals we have cherished and practised ail along - namely to show NOTHING BUT THE BEST to our ever increasing number of Patrons Controlling: REGAL BOMBAY Installed with DOLBY STER^ * CAPITOL BOMBAY GLOBE CALCUTTA to Goa, for thus only you will be able the better to give testimony to the disinterest ­ edness with which I direct the procedure in the inquiry on this case. ” As for the Nawab of Surat’s rumored threat to attack the Portuguese pc33; sions, the Viceroy wrote: “I have also tell you that the threats of the Nawab Surat are not such as will intimidate the Portuguese nation...; and I am not likely to tolerate the least insolence; whatever he may do, I have stout ships and strong armies for the defence of the King ’s terri ­ tories... and to blockade Surat against the entrance or departure of all ships. I tell you this in your capacity of the broker and agent of the Portuguese so that you also may realize it.” The ship was brought to Goa in early April 1708 and was unloaded and the cargo kept ashore under strict security. A com- Council and it was decided to return the posses- to of Portuguese nation...; and I am not likely to 1_____ A. ' t do. I have stout ships and tories... and to blockade Surat against the this in agent of the Portuguese so that you also mav if ” April 1708 and was unloaded and the ----- - 1 ¦ prehensive enquiry was held by the Goa Council and it was decided to return the ship and its cargo to the owner. This deci- ^on was conveyed by the Viceroy to the p5 letter of December Kisseh and the Viceroy ’s letter and V ’ " Nawab ’s request but because he TasTTlled there by the Viceroy; also, the report makes no mention of Rustam playing any part in the enquiry. Presumably his presence in Goa was required to see for himself that the enquiry was a fair and unbaised one and if the verdict went against Chalibi, to assure the Nawab that no injustice had been done. The matter of Chalibi ’s ship is the last mat IS discussed in the letters addressed to Rustam in the Goa archives. In a letter dated December 27, 1709 from the Vice ­ roy to the Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet of the North, Rustam is referred to as agent of the Portuguese. We know that from December 1714 to 1720, the Portu ­ guese agent in Surat was Joao Gomes Phebos; Rustam ’s service with the Portu ­ guese must therefore have ended between niO and December 1714. However, the Portuguese did not forget the service Rustam and his father had rendered to them. When Rustam Maneck and his sons were having trouble with the English in Surat, the Portuguese offered to let them trade freely from ports under their control. 13, 1708. Comparing the account of the Kisseh and the Viceroy ’s letter and report, we see that Rustam went to Goa, not at the Nawab ’s request but because he was called there by the Viceroy; also, the report makes Rustam in the Goa archives In <¦ roy to the Commander-in-Chief of The Fleet of the North, Rustam is referred to as agent of the Portuguese. We know that from December 1714 to 1720, the Portu ­ guese agent in Surat was Joao Gomes Phebos; Rustam ’s service with the Portu- ended between Portuguese did not forget the them. When Rustam Maneck and his To be continued Dr Horni Eduljee was associated with the K R jMi... i,v,.u.ary secretary and asatrusteeforanumberofyears.A by profession he is also well read on Indo-lranian topics and the Zoroastrian religion. as a joint honorary 38 Parsiana September 1995 With best wishes from * Farah & Tanya I« SOHRAB GODREJ... continued from page 21 ing in Germany. It was a crucial period in the growth of our companies. I came close to Naval then. We lived in the same house global presence. Speaking generally, travel on different floors. I could talk freely with in my case has enabled me to educate him. Burjor was a reserved person. He myself. It has opened doors that would needed greater understanding. One thing I otherwise have remained closed. Among admired about Burjor. He took utmost ( ' advantage of the opportunity to study in i one of the most prestigious German insti- what it means to be a world citizen, and To his travels, and to everything he tutes in chemical technology (the Techni- how best this can be related to India and to does, Sohrab brings what Louis Pasteur cal University of Berlin —Charlottenberg). Godrej . Before leaving the country I would called “the prepared mind. ” He is painfully He was the best educated among us. But he read all I could lay my hands on about the conscious of the rampant, all-pervasive never flaunted his degrees. Also, Burjor was very perceptive. Remarking on my frequent travels, he was the only one who said later that I travelled because I hadn ’t yet found my place in life. This has left quite an impression on me. ” “How would you place the concept of Swadeshi, so vital to our freedom strug­ gle, in today ’s changed circumstances? ” “Swadeshi was a crucial part of our freedom struggle, based on self-respect through self-reliance. Its rationale, needed then, was that through the boycott of Brit­ ish goods, the British stranglehold on the map of the world and have me point out the country would be loosened and national pride built up. Besides, the use of khaddar travel experiences was my landing in Kano helped the starving rural poor to earn a living. Both my uncle and father strongly wanted our people to be self-reliant, be ­ lieving that self-reliance held the key to freedom. This was a good idea then, but in today ’s changed circumstances of neces ­ sary globalization, Swadeshi cannot any longer be made an excuse to manufacture indifferent goods. Godrej were proud to say that their products were at least as good as the imported ones. Even the late T. T. Krishnamachari (T. T. K.) argued that if we didn ’t import foreign goods, Indian goods would never improve. T.T.K. later advocated import of token consumer goods to induce local manufacturers to improve their quality. Let me give you our own experience, how we were rebuffed when we approached Olympia in Germany — one of the best — for collaboration in typewriter manufacturing. As you know, Godrej were the first in Asia to manufac ­ ture typewriters without foreign assistance. But Olympia told us that they made as many typewriters in one day as we did in an entire year! ” “You have undertaken quite a few busi­ ness tours, travelled to as many as about 160 countries, seven continents, including Antarctica. Would you like to say some ­ thing about this? ” “One hundred and sixty countries, yes. But, with many countries breaking up, my hospitable and kind, I established an im- score is going higher! ” he laughs. “My mediate, affectionate rapport and mingled earlier tours were undertaken to popularize with them, often to the discomfiture of the our products abroad, secure for Godrej a Europeans. My interest in Indo-African relations stems from that visit. “The desire for travel is still strong with me. My ambition is, or rather was, to travel one day to the moon, especially so when I was fortunate to be at a small lunch with Neil Armstrong soon after. ” others, I have met some wonderful people in high places. It has given me an idea of what it means to be a world citizen, and how best this can be related to India and to read all I could lay my hands on about the countries to be visited. After each visit I corruption, which is holding back the would note down my reminiscences. Also, I used to keep careful accounts of how much I spent. Actually, I was surprised to discover that I could travel fairly comfort ­ ably on very little. “Father never objected to my travels, although he did once say that other people travel after working, but that I did it before, which is why I concentrated to get the utmost out of my travels. He would ask me, recalls Pirojsha commenting when thecoun- ‘Where haven ’t you been?! ’ Each time I try first became free, that compared to returned home father would take me to the people in industry, niinisters ’ salaries were not commensurate with the responsibility countries visited. One of my most thrilling they shouldered. “At the time of Indepen ­ dence we did have many exemplary lead ­ ers. Businessmen then had unsavory reputation. People were wont to cry, not always deservedly, ‘Hai! Hai! ’ against busi­ nessmen. Now the tables are turned. We in business are at least accountable. Not so some of our ministers, who tend to be a law unto themselves. ” At the same time Sohrab feels that if our numbers were less, corruption could also be better controlled. The two problems that had caused Pirojsha the greatest concern were the galloping rate of population growth and, as a result, the multiplying slums and the degradation to which they led. He was convinced that population control was the first priority to prevent the erosion of economic gains and the conse ­ quent human frustration and widespread unrest. His own workers were provided with comfortable housing at heavily subsi­ dized rents at Vikhroli and, through the Pragati Kendra, information regarding family planning in conjunction with the medical staff. But what about the rest of the country? Sohrab recalls how every time they passed Worli and saw the ugly tenements built in the colonial era, with only slits as a measure of economy for windows, Pirojsha would be considerably agitated that workers (referred to as mere mill ­ hands!) who lived there were deprived of in North Nigeria. The Africans were so With outgoing Sheriff Sunil Dutt 1^0^« *-6IWT-*5 VOC MfairvAl-n ©CAME 'r HO THE SHROttTY KCAKE honorary 39 Parsiana September 1995 progress of a country with limited means, which should be used with the utmost care. As a mark of mourning for this and other abiding evils, he wears a black patch on his sleeve. A friend once enquired, noticing the patch, whether a family member had died. “The state of the country is no less important than misfortunes in the family, and it is in great difficulty, ” he retorted. He * rerai sw Aniae. ‘M- A ...... * J MVe.UC S aiKMMSK MUSS’¦ sAtms etxziiu '¦ • i.:’ a?; Biwwaw*’*' -aBSBtar : yitiSTTS >' ’ .PT A ’ B65 1 St? I »f. i ewJRHWP I B ¦ , SKi* '¦* SW * SLCBtKATisra'AA-T *¦ •i’ » fiEBj Uff . 6 XAl S' * >»*R. ‘ tW] I ®®*-| I ssrol !-««-> < PURt j -^1 SHAW UM JAW.' W”! i sss 9^ 98 »u « iWPSil ..SKA*' • * .AN. 1 iO«ii .*:**.!« (fiSSf: A' B k ! ‘ PURt > I’'-At SHAW UM JAW.' »T» ...................... SA* awagainst the dreaded diseases which infants are prone to, working out social welfare schemes for the aged... “A change of attitude is therefore called for. Basic to this are a strong commitment by all political parties to family planning, community participation and the contribu ­ tion of volunteers in integrating the family planning program into a broader program of reproductive health with emphasis on the provision of information, counselling and quality service; and finally, the em ­ powerment of women, enabling women to enjoy their full range of human rights. ” Related to over-population is environ ­ mental degradation. Sohrab is particularly proud that Godrej have made a special contribution by preserving, at enormous cost, the mangroves at Vikhroli. The Pirojsha Godrej National Conservation Centre at Delhi, tvhich is the headquarters of WWF-India (World Wide Fund for Nature), is living proof of Godrej concern. Sohrab refers to population, environment and development as The Trinity. I asked him how he rated this as a symbol to galvanize our people to action. “Turn wheip we will, we cannot escape the fact that environmental degradation is a direct consequence of the population holocaust. It is no use deluding ourselves that once Panchayat Raj is established everything will be all right. We deluded 4' ourselves in the same manner about our * Five Year Plans, which largely remained on paper. Our people have to pursue family planning with ‘religious ’ zeal. Fortunately, we are a democracy .Ina democracy power resides with the people, if only they have I the will to exercise that power. Unfortu- I nately the masses, especially women, are uneducated. Desperate ills call for drastic “The need, ” according to Sohrab, “is to remedies. Seeing how our politicians han- develop the right mental attitudes and ker after power, we could lay down a small, their mental faculties. “Our condition seems implement the right priorities. I have just planned family as_an important criterion to be worse than that of Russian peasants in Lenin ’s time, ” remarks Sohrab. “Because of centuries of suffering and exploitation, rate from over three percent to 1.8 percent, and the caste system, even equality of More and more Indians should be made to opportunity is not enough for our masses, feel strongly about the burning need to plan TTiey often need spoon-feeding, as it were, to get the skills into their hands and minds. Because they lack even basic skills, they cannot get jobs, except as laborers. ” The irony is, India has lagged behind in spite of being the first in the world to adopt and momentum of a peoples ’ movement religions, it can bring people together and family planning as*state policy — in spite and come to be considered as a mark of of being a highly industrialized country patriotism. This in turn will lead people to (though not on a scale to do justice to the realize related needs like helping back- unmanageable population), and in spite of ward communities, actually their fellow having made significant strides in advanced compatriots, ensuring survival of infants technology and scientific achievements, through well-organized immunization fresh air and had to be in darkness even in the daytime. He believed that real progress could only be achieved in a milieu of general advancement all around. He there ­ fore used to urge Sohrab, whose connec ­ tions made various fora available to him, to drive home the population-environment nexus at every available opportunity. Soh ­ rab has been doing this with an almost religious fervor. The population explosion, or holocaust as Sohrab prefers to call it, has not only eroded the physical fiber of our people, but the constant deprivation has also damaged W r 01 Bl IB 2. With Prime Minister Narasimha Rao 40 Parsiana September 1995 zz "My uncle and father believed that self-reliance held the key to political freedom zz ¦ B returned from Iran, a Muslim country, where they have brought down the birth ­ for holding any political office and not give tickets for election without this safe ­ guard. ” He believes passionately that preser ­ ving our heritage of historical buildings and monuments in this first city, as in the whole of India, is a duty enjoined on us by their families in their own interest and to improve the country ’s image which today is that of a backward one, mainly because the past. Aggrieved by the crimes wrought of the poor masses. in the name of religion, he propagates “This approach should acquire the force nature worship as the ideal: common to all thus strengthen our country. What lends weight to Sohrab ’s views is not only that they are the result of deep- rooted convictions, but the fact that he is chairman of the Godrej companies which set an example in fair trade practices.MILESTONES As compared to 20 births in Bombay in September there were 95 deaths; heart disease, claimed 32 lives; pneumonia and lung diseases 12; old age eight; cancer six; septicemia, five; asthma and malaria four each; hypertension three; TB, liver and brain diseases and hemiplegia two each; urinary tract infection, thrombocytopenia (the reduction in the number of platelets in the blood), haema- temesis, Parkinson ’s disease, dementia, epilepsy, gangrene, diabetes, bronchitis and arterio ­ sclerosis (degenerative arterial change) one each. In the case of three deaths the coroner ’s report was still pending. Due to exigencies of space outstation data as well as the statistics box have been withheld for the next issue. r 11 r BOMBAY BORN A boy, Malcolm, to Nazreen and Eric Mistry; July 3, 1995 Twins (girls) to Parinaz and Jamshed Chinoy; September 1 A girl to Kermiz and Histasp Mehta; September 1 A girl to Nina and Rustom Modi; September 2 A girl to Shirin and Sam Jijina; September 3 A girl to Kashmira and Furrhad Vakharia; September 3 A boy to /Vina and Sharokh Engineer; September 1 N boy to Binaifer and Dinyar Gandhi; September 8 A girl to Ramona and Neeraj Maheshwari; September 10 A boy to Rachel and Sohrab Bhot; September 11 A girl to Ruby and Percy Sanjana; September 11 A boy, Ardeshir, to Perces and Hormuz Bulsara; September 13 A girl to Kashmira and Noshir Pestonji; September 13 A girl to Armin and Firdose Lala; September 16 A boy to Hutoxi and Adi Doctor; September 19 A boy to Farida and Jehangir Gilder, September 23 A boy to Aimee and William Rego; September 24 A boy to Dinaz and Burzin Navsariwalla; September 26 A boy to Naznin and Phiroze Mogreliw, September 28 A boy to Anahita and V/jpj Engineer; September 30 MARRIED NHoofer Riani Engineer and Cusrow Homi Cooper; September 2 Zenobia Homi Bhapoo and Behman Peston Pestonjee of Columbo, Sri Lanka; September 2 Nahid Khodadad Pashootanizadeh and Kuresh Behram Zorabi (Kalantari); September 17 Aban Pali Bhoot and Kersie Ardeshir Vandrewalla; September 22 Farzeen Adil Daruvalla and Xerxes Pervez Coma; September 29 DIED I Minocher Dadabhai Dalal (85), residing at Pilla Lodge, 15, Shankerseth Rd, Grant Rd (W), 400007; September 1 • Soona Rustom Daruwala (93), West View Bldg, Uranwalla St, Grant Rd, 400007; September 1 Burjor Kaikhushru Jijina (64), Aloo Ardeshir Darukhana- 3B/301, Damodar Park, L.B.S. Marg, Ghatkopar (W), 400086; September 1 Nargish Darabsha Mehta (80), 7/729, Vimadalal Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; September 1 Rohinton Firoz Patel (48), Vidhwa Chawl, Thakurdwar Rd, Above Sunshine Restaurant, Girgaon, 4(X)004; September 1 Dhunjibhoy Manchershaw Setna (88), 31/5, Capadia Bldg, A. H. Wadia Baug, Parel Tank Rd, 400033; September 1 Mehera Hormusji Vaid (85), 8, Hirabai Petit Bldg, 189, Lamington Cross Rd, 400007; September 1 Homi Ardeshir Appoo (76), Ter of Shiraz, 127, Tardeo Main Rd, 400034; September 2 Rustom Dorabjee Khambat a (85), F. S. Parukh Dharamshalla, 34, Hughes Rd, 400007; September 2 Coomi Shavax ImI (83), Windcliffe, 50-D, Peddar Rd, l Piroja Framroz Manekshaw (91), Ummer Mans, (Mancharam Bldg), Grant Rd, 400007; September 7 400026; September 2 ’ ’ Alanmai Naval Bhoot (82), Meher Mans, Below Tardeo Bridge, 400007; September 3 n Jerbai Pirojshaw Engineer (94), 7 ' Dinabai Tehmurasp Batliwalla E-11, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, Byculla, 400027; September 3 !-’> Adi Shavaksha Nariman (85), 506, Mansarovar, 7, Mt Pleasant Rd, 400006; September 3 ' . Viloo Naval Wadia (81), 3/29, Wadia Baug, Parel Tank Rd, 400033; September 3 Freny Eruchshaw Akolawalla (77), No 3, Niamat Manzil, N. Petit St, Grant Rd, 400007; September 4 ' Homi Cawasji Damania (85), Lam Bldg, Delisle Rd, Lower Parel, 4(X)013; September 4 ' ’ Jer Elavia (79), Atmaj Bldg, 602, Kemps Comer, 400036; September 4 S Bachi Jehangir Postwalla (84), Hill View, 23, N. S. Patkar Marg, 4(XXX)7; September 4 I ‘ -'Tehmina Sorabji Shroff (81), 202 Venus I, Four Bglws, Andheri (W), 400058; September 4 itei ) f (86), 7, Albless Bldg, Zoroastrian Clny, Chikalwadi, Grant Rd, 400007; September 8 ' Tehmina Khurshedji Mandviwalla (90), 9/V, Dalal Est, Bhadkamker Marg, Bombay Central, 400008; September 8 Dinshah Kekobad Palkiwalla (65), Patel Wadi, Hattimullah, Vasai, 401201; September 8 Hoshang Jal Antia (65), Queen ’s Chmb, M. Karve Rd, 400020; September 9 Sherin Minocher Bulsara (83), C, 263, Anand Soc, Juhu Lane, Andheri (W), 400058; September 9 'V Homi Sheriar Irani (72), K/2, M. Cama Park, Cama Rd, Andheri, ^^058; September 9 Khorshed Nadir Mogul (87), 73/A, Finlay Towers, Parel ' Tank Rd, 400033; September 9 Adi Aderji Tarapurwala (75), Post Tarapur, Dist Thane, Tai Palghar, 410502; September 9 ’ ' Mani Shapurji Mehta (89), 127 Cumballa Hill, August Kranti Maidan Marg, 400036; September 10 Kerbanoo Behram Captain (48), Kannamwar Ngr, 218/8523, Vikhroli, 400083; September 11 Minoo Jamshedji Dalal (84), Kulsum Ter, 7 Walton Rd, Colaba, 400039; September 12 Ardeshar Dhanjibhoy Daruwalla (79^ Malegaumwalla Bldg, Marzban Clny, Gilder Lane, Tardeo, 400008; September 12 Jamshed Meherjibhai Aria (65), 723, Dinshaw Master Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; September 13 Dhunmai Cowasji Billimoria (88), C/17, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; September 13 Hiraji Darabshaw Daruwalla (85), Wasiamal Bldg, Chami Rd Jn, Grant Rd, 400007; September 13 Jer Phiroze Daruwalla (74), 678, Laxmi Villa, Katrak Rd, Wadala, 4(X)031; September 14 Rumi Bomanshaw Hodiwalla (49), West View, Uranwalla walla (83), A/22, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; September 5 Burjor Behramji Master (73), M/7, Nowroz Baug, Lalbaug, 400012; September 5 Amavaz Jehangir Randeria 806-B, Empire Mhl, Khodadad Circle, Dadar, 400014; September 5 Meheroo Burjor Antia (87), G/15, Godrej Baug, Off Nepean Sea Rd, 400036; September 6 Jal Phirozshaw Engineer (12), 14/27-A, Hill Rock Society, Amboli, Andheri (W), 400058; September 6 Dinbai Sawaksha Marolia (14j, 1, Mishra Bhavan, Wadia St, Tardeo, 400034; September 6 Bamanshah Kaikhusru Batliwalla (84), 10/156, Ideal Hse, Sion (E), 400022; September 7 Fakirji Meherwanji Engineer (83), A, Mehta Bldg, Niagam Cross Rd, 400014; September 7 43 Parsiana September 1995 I1 St, Grant Rd, 400007; September 14 t. Kersi Jehangitjee Kotwal (77), B57/551, M.I.G. Clny, Bandra (E), 400051; September 14 Aloo Homi Pajnigar (76), C/o Ms S. P. Bamboat, 12 Sheridan __ _ f<^e^ Jeh^ng^Tabadl(19^^ 4(XK)36; September 14 Framroze Cawasji Ragina (88), 0/16, S. B. Bharucha Baug, Lalubhai Park Rd, Andheri (W), 40(X)58; September 14 Dara Faramroze Fouzdar (66), 11/11, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, Byculla, 400027; September 15 Khodadad Maiyar Irani (Hunarmand) (65), 10, Habib Park, Clare Rd, Byculla, 400008; September 15 Meherbai Jalejar Wadia (84), Taher Bldg, Jalbhai St, Opp Railway Hotel, Grant Rd, 4(XX)07; September 15 Tehmina Pirojshaw Khan (85), 11/2, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, Byculla, 400027; September 16 Ardeshir Shapoorji Tampal (85), F. S, Parukh Dharamshalla, 34, Hughes Rd, 40(XX)7; September 16 Firoze Nowroji Daroga (58), 14, Fionika, Walkeshwar Rd, 400006; September 17 Mehemosh Phirojsha Mukati (35), 22, Purshotam Bldg, 230-234, Patthe Bapurao Marg, 400004; September 18 Darab (Dali) Pirojshah Siganporia (84), 17, Mistry Bldg, Wadia St, Tardeo, 400034; September 18 Dina Jamshed Tata (86), M/59, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 4(X)039; September 18 Hormusji Savaksha Baxter (81), 660, Palamkote Rd, Dadar, 4(XX)14; September 19 _ Motoo Minoo Cooper (88), G/6, Faramroze Rustomji Anklesaria Shapur Baug, V. Patel Rd, ----------- 4(X)004; September 19 Ratan Kaikhushroo Todywalla (.56), 51, Tata Clny, Parel Tank Rd, Parel Village, 400012; September 22 (78), 8, Pitha St, Fort, 400001; September 23 ' Freny Rustamji Karkaria (85), 13/9, Rustom Bang, Victoria Rd, Byculla, 400027; September 23 ---------------J, Yusuf Mans, Khetwadi Back Rd, 40(X)04; September 23 Roshon Cyrus Munsiff (78), Saker Apts, Pochkhanawala Rd, Worli, 400025; September 23 Sohrabji Manekshaw Fraser (81), Summer Queen 5, 15th Rd, T.P.S. in, Bandra, 400050; September 24 Ardesher Manchershaw J esung (82), 1, Bomanji Hse, Dockyard Rd, Mazgaon 400010; September 24 Allamai Homi Bhathena (81), E/14, Nowroz Baug, Lalbaug, 4CX)012; September 25 ¦Homi Sorabji Buhariwala (61), 9, Jaiji Ter, Sleater Rd, 400007; September 25 ! Sohrab Pirojshaw Gazdar (75), Ladhabhai Mans, Queens Rd, 4(X)021; September 25 Savak Jehangir Unwalla (^5), FI2, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; September 25 Aloo Munchershaw Vatcha (15), F. S. Parukh Dharamshalla, 34, Hughes Rd, 400007; September 25 Parkhanda Aspendiar Tirandaz Azarmi (61), Shirin Manzil, Walton Rd, Colaba, 400039; September 26 Home Villa, Krishna Sanghi Path, 40(X)07; September 19 Putly (Georgy) Kaikhushroo Sorabji (Sadri) (83), 304, Royal Dina Savaksha Mody (83) B Accord-I, Shanti Park, Mira Rd ” ¦ (E), 401104; September 19 Jimmy Noshirwan Daruvala (67), 681-A, Khareghat Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; September 20 Gustad Navroji Tarapore (62), N/21, Nowroz Baug, Lalbaug, 40(X)12; September 20 Dinamai Jamshedji Fatakia (16), 82, Malcolm Baug, Jogeshwari (W), 400102; September 21 Zenobia Phiroze Kerawalla (82), 2, Marine Chmbs, Marine Lines, 400020; September 21 Heroyce Bomanshaw Moos (91), 92, Bhiwandi Hse, Opp Gowalia Tank P.O., Cumballa Hill, 4(XX)36; September 21 Nariman Meherwanji Pardiwalla (73), B, Bhiwandiwalla Ter, Dhobitalao, 4(X){X)2; September 21 Sorab Khodabux Irani (70), 14, Shanti Niketan, 11, Padamji Rd, 4(XXX)4; September 22 Dina Piroshaw Mehta (74), F. S. Parukh Dharamshalla, 34, Hughes Rd, 400007; September 22 Homi Maneckshaw Sethna (80), A-5, Yasmina Apts, Perry Rd, Bandra 40(X)50; September 22 Homai Jehangir Tarapore (56), A/3, Rustom Palace, 222 Tardeo Rd, 400007; September 26 I Noshir Rustomji Ichhaporia (61), 646, Gai Bldg, Khareghat Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; September 27 Nawaz Navroz Mirzan (30), B/19, Bane Comp, Sane Guruji Marg, Tardeo, 400034; September 27 Jal Eruch Ruttonsha (77), Eden Hall, Dr Annie Besant Rd, Worli, 400018; September 27 Bacha Sohrab Bengali (81), 7, Firuz-Ara, 160, M. Karve Rd, 400021; September 29 Sakharbai Khodadad Dupetawala (74), A7/8, Chamar Baug Chawl, 123, B. A. Rd, Parel, 40p012; September 29 Dinbai Kaikhushroo Mevawalla (91), 13/5, Tata Clny, Tardeo Rd, 4(XX)34; September 29 Khorshed Adi Bhiwandiwalla (74), P/3, S. B. Bharucha Baug, Andheri (W), 400058; September 30 Daras Shapurji Contractor (91), A/16, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, 400027; ' September 30. Adi Faramroze Dudash (76), Prince Court, 51, Mere- weather Rd, 400039; September 30 Hormazd Eruch Khandhadia (35), C/402, Shanti Ngr, Mira Rd, 401107; September 30 X, Soonamai Keikhusru Patwa (75), 21, Petit Widows ’ Chwl, Thakurdwar, 400002; September 30 V I : f -1 Compiled by Roxana A. Driver I BOYS' TOWN: LESSONS... continued from page 26 1985, 16 percent. In 1995, three ______ percent. The downslide over the Why? “RrsV'becal^se'l fed past two decades repeats when we look at the picture for all ............... . ,,, students, boarders plus day I personally love the scholars. In 1965, Parsis counted for 34 percent of all students. In 1975, 37 percent. In 1985, six percent. In 1995, one ... ‘o pu^the'food eight Parsi boarders and three Parsi day scholars — making for a total of 11 Parsi students in the entire School. ‘The Parsi community should take more advantage of Boys ’ Town; it surprises ___ don ’t,” remarks a teacher from M S'’ h^’words.'-l ’'„l“e’ X"sSbu°I^"LL"‘“dT’‘ I” T"" Na’I'ik. give up hopes on a Parsi student for want of rrvino 'o' ”” occasion »as celebrated at the ™dtahespe.a,ea^.o™,d..^ Ss. ISS X;S?Xi^“oX of obligation to the founder and fees A brand new flat the new Godrej Bhavan, ” an arts his cont^unit, second, because Sf»n^ “;X"“s:: St„i:„ ‘’,^'’f“';iti::."h:s And then, with dis.iraibk'disap- ““'"’one "Ipp'lfSf' “ reported cost of S not happening. The.„ not J^LotdT/f their mouth, bu't the Panrt dS ThrBTPs'i'a admission. middle-class patents looking for open the mouth." ' its Sh wbth education forlheir Without compromising their bv th“ S™ luhi7,^ - "d cosmopolitan policies, the trustees in Bomhav wh Mehfil no donations please! The Boys ’ are keen to Lact morXrsi merkoHon^ * students in general — and felicitated with Dr^/M.-i no-nonsense, respectable and me that they deserving ones in particular, es- Ajay Piramal as chief an school for the pecially from rura^ areas, with c^ZamZ'to ’rnvJrE^S^l^^ “S'”' -'d ac- attractive offers that can ’t be refused but are refused. It is not for want of trying. Advertise ­ ments. Press releases. Admission virtually assured. Concessional fees. A brand new flat rate scheme (all-found for just Rs 5,000 p annum) — five offered for this year, one application, one admission. Even freeships (everything completely free) — five offered for this yzz:, application, one admission. The BTPS has just completed irc CAtk L- 1 -------- cuuvauon] hv fk children at moderate fees entertainment provided by ghazal 44 Parsiana September 1995 J5"HE PROMISED HE HAD SOMETHING THAT COULD CHANGE OUR LIVES... WE WERE AMAZED WHEN HE SHOWED US HOW!" ¦ 1 i .J!k- '’3? The friendly man from Eureka Forbes presented his card. “I would like to demonstrate our Euroclean 2000, a cleaning system you could conveniently use everyday’,’ he said. He began to show us how - patiently and thoroughly. From carpets to sofas, from curtains to ceilings, he made everything spotlessly clean. He even showed us how effectively the Euroclean 2000 could clean delicate audio equipment, spray paint our refrigerator or be used for watering our plants. He offered to drop by at home as often as we liked, to train us on how to use the product “We’ve helped over one and a half million families discover an easier way to a cleaner home? he said with pride.“'Families prefer us because they can contact us directly - with just a phone call! We have a country-wide service network and offer after-sales service at your doorstep.That’s what makes us different from the others”. We were impressed, we bought the Euroclean 2000. And our home has never been cleaner, thanks to the friendly Eureka Forbes man. I WS'M^JS^jfeh ttWWC.4 FORBtS IIMITFD HWW LKFKI, RcAwAvMklS. rwn. emitw Wi. IT NAWr MUNATVKEd OAT»;OFaiKTM vAupuwo ...4 I ' '¦’I* _ „. 0+ ¦J 1 / 1 2'• The friendly man from Eureka Forbes : Part of a successful sales organisation. 11^ 9 4* * 1 . ^w K ¦ « M ¦ :»»: S FUREKA FORBES LTD. life I Fr/ends for ‘For a visit from the friendly Eureka Forbes man, call or write to: Bhupesh Gupta Bhuvan, 1 st Floor, 85 Sayani Road, Prabhadevi, Bombay 400 025. Tel: 022-4301725/1718.4 workers ’welfce (originally ahead of leg- striving for excellence and striving for law (Vijay Crishna), should precede diver- islation), family planning, environmental perfection in that while the former contri- C?.__ :___/____ protection and mangrove preservation. As butes to the task and also imparts a sense of question. Godrej has stood the\est of time . • • . ----------- ’ — ------- I have no doubt that it will survive. One what IS happening in the two sub-groups: carried to excess leads to unnecessary de- should preserve the ideals of the founders when carrying out material expansion. ” “Talking of religion, what does Zoro ­ astrianism mean to you? ” “Zoroastrianism is the religion of the Godrej, works the longest scription for such a life than to think good striving for excellence and striving for law (Vijay Crishna), should precede diver- _ . .1 ;------------- sification. About the second part of your I chairman, Sohrab keeps himself abreast of satisfaction to the performer, the latter what is happening in the two sub-groups: carried to excess leads to unnecessary de ­ Godrej and Boyce and Godrej Soaps, lays and confused priorities. Sohrab, extra Weekly board meetings enable him to help cautious by nature, would not quite agree, shape the companies ’ policies. He regu ­ larly confers with groups of people in various departments. In the spirit instilled into him by his father, so that it has become ___ ______ _______________ second nature to him, if ever there is a hours of all, sometimes up to midnight, thoughts, say good things and do good serious complaint about a product or a ser- Also, he is constantly aware that he has to deeds, humata, hukhta, havarashta sum up vice, he gives immediate personal atten- make up for the wasted years. the essence of the good life. I would like to “Godrej have diversified into several add that as Parsis in India, we owe a debt As may be expected, Sohrab is a de- activities on the strength of the ‘Godrej ’ ofgratitude to this country of our adoption, manding, exacting boss. At the same time name. Isn ’t too much and too rapid a Not only for allowing us to settle down and he is considerate about the personal prob- " ¦ ¦ -- - - lems and difficulties of those who work with him. Stories doing the rounds at Godrej portray him as going out of his way to help them in unseen ways. In any case the workers are aware that the standards he imposes on himself are even stricter. In his concern for perfection these standards are apt to lead to delays in decision-making and sometimes to no de ­ cision being taken. Sohrab is aware of this and admits it. A marketing expert makes nephews (Burjor ’s sons Adi and Nadir; the point that there is a distinction between Naval ’s son Jamshyd) and Naval ’ s son-in- He would retort that if excellence is less than perfection, he will have none of it. _________________ And as if to make the point, he, the good life. There could be no ’better pre- seniormost in C ' * Also, he is constantly aware that he has to make up for the wasted years. “Godrej have diversified into several activities on the strength of the ‘Godrej ’ name. Isn ’t too much and too rapid a ___ diversification a danger? Do you believe practise our faith, but for providing oppor ­ that the high values you inherited and tunities to us to grow and prosper. ” cultivated will survive you? ” “How would you rate the Parsis today as “We have diversified on the strength of compared to their forefathers? ” “What seems to me to be remarkable indeed is how Parsis have merged in the mainstream of Indian life. Speaking per- that the high values you inherited and the Godrej name. But, believe me, it took a lot of consolidation, particularly on my father ’s part, to give the name its worth. Diversification is good, a sign of progress, sonally, I recall being upset as a boy bythe But consolidation of previous gains is the communal frenzy roused during the Pen- ^ne qua non for diversification to succeed, tangular cricket matches. Thank God, all that is over now.^ also recall feeling in school and college that unless I h^ more Hindu and Muslim friends, I couldn ’t call Consolidation, as I always tell my three ¦> * r For Pure Diamonds JEWELLERS 324, Grant Road, Bombay 400007. Telephone 3099648 Fax 3073483 APPOINTED VALUERS BY THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA 41 Parsiana September 1995 I