May 1995

PaW MAY 1995 Rs 18 BBB •\ L . RUI^ MODY cockfrit i' it 5 IEDITOR 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 Mistiy ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES Niloufer Panthaky, Susan Hadvald FINANCE B. L. Arora EDP Rohinton E. Daroga ' ADMINISTRATION R. S. Pingle MANAGEMENT Jasmine Driver May 1995 Volume 17 Number 9 2 Readers’ Forum 10 Events and Personalities 15 Rohinton Rivetna: “We are much closer together” 19 Dolly Dastoor: “We can’t keep compromising...” 23 Russi Mody: The Great Achiever by Burjor Karanjia 30 A gentlemanly election by Arnavaz Mama 37 Cawas Billimoria: Ten times title by Aspi Ustad 40 Milestones » * DTP Bakhtavar R. Batliwalla, K. P. Ravi SUBSCRIPTION/CIRCULATION Khurshkl Panthaki, Bindu Pillai ACCOUNTS Anagha Korde, Varsha Ashar OFFICE Smitha Nair, Swarupa Kamat OFFICE ASSISTANTS Umesh Poojary, Selvan Mark, Sunil Sakhare, Pramod Patil, Govind Salgaonkar, Mahipat Jadhav 46 In Memoriam Cover: Photograph by Pradeep Chandra, Bombay Times 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 white 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 150; for two years (20 issues) Rs 275. Foreign subscription rates: Sea mail for one year Rs 375/US $ 13/UK £ 8; for two years Rs 600/US $ 22/UK £ 13 (please allow six months or more for delivery from the time of publication). Air mail for one year Rs 625/ US $ 26/UK £ 16 (for Pakistan, Indian Rs 350); for two years, Rs 1.150/US $ 50/UK £ 29 (for Pakistan, Indian Rs 650). 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. L-READERS' FORUM RMders' views are welcome on any sublect 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. typical illustration of the harm which some well-intentioned but misguided Zoroastri- blood group and age (as on January 1, 1995). Please note that the organizers are only ans try to cause, involved in the compilation and publica ­ tion of the Directory and do not undertake the railways and I have spent the first 19 to coordinate and line-up blood donation. This is being clarified as, invariably, re ­ quests are received for the same. The users are required to refer to the Directory and contact the donors personally. KERSl LIMATHWALLA My grandfather and father worked in years of my life in railway quarters in Valsad and Surat very happily and amica ­ bly in the midst of sister communities, celebrating and enjoying with them all their festivals and ours in the true spirit of hamazor. It is indeed surprising that Brig Grant For the aged poor who as an army officer might have been The World Zoroastrian Organisation exposed to an equally, if not greater, cos- (WZO) is delighted to inform the members mopolitan backgroynd and must have of the community that a 92-year-old Hindu fought in battlefields shoulder to shoulder gentleman, having enjoyed lifelong friend- with jawans and officers belonging to sis ­ ship with many Zoroastrians and love and ~ affection for the Zoroastrian community, has donated to The WZO Trust a munifi ­ cent sum of six lakh rupees. This donation will swell the Adelji Nusserwanji Kharas ter communities, wants the Dastur Meher Road Zoroastrians ‘to sour instead of sweeten ’ the atmosphere in which the Ganesh festival is celebrated. Granted that in the streets of Poona the and Shirinmai Nusserwanji Kharas of Pune discipline and d&orum with which the Fund which he had established within The armed forces celebrate the festivals would WZO Trust with a donation of one lakh I rupees in February 1994 to a total of seven of the pandal, the din and --------------------- lakh rupees. The amount is to be capitalized in gov ­ ernment securities and the income to be utilized for providing solace to and welfare creed and color put up with it at the time of of senior Zoroastrians who are poor and each and every festival including the cele- lonely by providing financial assistance ¦. to bration of weddings, poojas, etc. remember the loved ones who have passed _ ~ ....................... away, to provide items that would provide days in Defence Colony, the entire street spiritual solace such as sudreh, kusti and was allowed to be blocked by mandaps (on prayer books , arrange modest get-togethers payment of a fee of Rs 10 only) whenever on occasions such as their birthdays which otherwise they would have had to pass disheartened and in solitude, to fund the be missing; granted also thaUhe location of the pandal, the din and noisecould cause plenty of suffering and inconvenience to the residents; but this situation exists in all locations. All residents irrespective of caste. Brig Grant may recall that in his Delhi Will you donate blood? _ _ _ The CER Blood Donors Directory was first on occasions such as their birthdays which a family residing in that location had a published in 1983 listing names of over otherwise they would have had to pass death or wished to celebrate a wedding, a 1,000 blood donors. The second revised disheartened and in solitude, to fund the janoi, a mundan or hold a satyanarayan or edition was published in 1988 containing performance of the last rites of the poor other pooja. over 1,700 names. The third edition, under who oass awav without any relatives, or I would like to believe that the Zoroas- compilation, will contain more than 2,500 names. The data in the Directory has been classified groupwise and areawise for easy Fund has been set up is to bring some joy reference. i The Directory will be published by the i end of the year and the same will be widely are economically weak, aged and lonely . distributed among our bangs, Parsi con- ~ glomerates, doctors and hospitals. Those wishing to register as donors may community, write to the undersigned at B-18 Aidun Building, 1st Dhobi Talao Lane, Bombay 400002, clearly indicating their desire to do so. Please state name, full address, office and residence telephone numbers. who pass away without any relatives, or whose relatives are too poor to have the triansofD.M. Road and the trustees of the obsequies performed, etc. Poona Parsee Panchayat did not proceed The essence of the spirit for which the along the lines suggested by Brig Grant due to the spirit of hamazor with sister communities even at the cost of being ingful gestures, into the lives of those who dubbed ‘spineless ’ by our Zbroastrian The WZO salutes this noble human being on behalf of the entire Zoroastrian DINSHAW K. TAMBOLY Managing Trustee, The WZO Trust and happiness, by way of small but mean- ‘Don Quixote. ’ I also hope and pray that those who read the “Spineless Parsis ’’ are not motivated into urging Brig Grant to lead them into ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade. ’ As regards the Federation being both “Spineless Parsis” toothless and gutless, I must admit that The contents of Brig Grant ’s letter (“Spine- quite a few of the delegates who attend the less Parsis, ’’ Parsiana, January 1995), is a T Federation meetings have lost some of 2 Parsiana May 1995 I ?an early age, after giving her two more tisements. Can you not reduce the price in children, Faredoon and Mehroo (my order to reach a larger audience in the their teeth and their guts might also have been subjected to the cruel kindness of the surgeon ’s knife, but their hearts and their mother) who were toddlers, Bomanbai was community? I believe you have now moved heads are in position. kekij.gandhi ‘ ‘ Hon Secretary, Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India left to fend for herself. The wealthy Wadia into bigger office prerhises. How did you brothers gave her a very small allowance, but she did not lose heart. She raised some poultry, sold eggs, etc, and raised her children in Porbandar, later brought them do well to repeat the important and notable to Bombay, and arranged for their mar- manage that? Your article was educative for me. I had very little idea of certain events. You will events that may have taken place in the past for the benefit of the younger generation. I have seen the “Questionnaire ” pub ­ lished in the Parsiana. It will be entirely I will be proud of my grandmother always, a brave Parsi lady who ventured to study medicine, practice nursing in a big futile for us to fill up the predictions, and city, and fulfilled the obligations of family it is not likely to serve any purpose. Instead MANECK NAWROJI BHUJWALA ‘Tast Ideals A letter-to-the-editor from a former nurse at Sir J. J. Hospital, pointed out the missing riages. information about Parsi nurses in an earlier article (Readers ’ Forum, Parsiana, Janu ­ ary 1995). This prompts me to pass on some information about another nurse. My maternal grandmother, Bomanbai and society in spite of the misfortunes and I would suggest that you, along with the Bhajiwalla (her maiden name) had served obstacles that came in her way. I would like otherpublicationsnamelyJam-e-Jazni/ied as amidwife at J. J. Hospital around the end to hear from any relatives of hers from her and Mumbai Samachar coWect statistics on of the 19th century. I had seen the many paternal Bhajiwalla family. the community, which will be able to tell volumes of medical books written in Gu- maneck nawroji bhujwala us the future. You may collect data on a jarati that she had studied for her practice. .. variety of subjects and then make a zzrwi •• summary. There must be some organiza ­ tion in our punchayets with data on the community. You may collect the same and Originally from Poona, where Boman- “To Think AnCW” bai grew up with her parents Dorabji and It was interesting to read the Editorial Navajbai, and sisters Jerbai, Dinamai and Viewpoint “To Think Anew ” (Parsiana, Pirojbai, she later came and worked in November 1994). Over the years Parsiana publish the same for the information of the Bombay for several years. When one of her sisters, who had married into the business achievement that it has survived for such a familyoftheWadiasinPorbandar,Gujarat, long time in spite of the fact that the trians in North America will be over 50,000. died, leaving an infant son, Pudamjee, she married the widower husband, Merwanjee, the smallest community in India and per- to take proper care of the infant, as was haps in the world. customary. The price of your magazine is rather When my maternal grandfather died at tough, in spite of a large number of adver ­ has played its part and it is indeed an community. MrR. M. Rivetna has predicted Zoroas- magazine caters to a small percentage of I sincerely hope it happens. History tells us that in countries dominated by Christians and Muslims it is difficult for minorities to survive. Hindus are not fanatics and we in India have survived because\)f the indif- a % VJaikinto ready-to-V )se Office stylish 0 Executive Centers ? 6 Business Centers in India & 140 Business Centers abroad in tie-up with GLOBAL-ALLIANCE NETWORK | Bangalore: Tel: 2267272 * Fax: 080-2261133 Bombay : Raheja Chambers. Tel: 287 2641 * Fax: 022-2872640 Calcutta : 8, A.J.C. Bose | Road, Calcutta-700 017. Tel: 2477280 * Fax: 033-2474614 Madras : 31 A, Cathedral Garden Road, Near Palmgrove Hotel, Madras-600034. | Tel: 8275191 * Fax: 044-8257258 New Delhi : World Trade Towers, Barakhamba Lane, New Delhi-110 001. Tel: 331466 I * Fax: 011-3312830 Secunderabad: 111-115 Chenoy Trade Centre, Park Lane, Secunderabad-500 003. Tel: 842588 * Fax: 0842-846855 s 5 11 A ferent attitude of the Hindus. However I religion which he/she has abandoned J.--------J right. No doubt, I will not be there to see the alien religion. ’’ DAU J. GUNDEVIA Although these Dasturs do not cite the .. ______ The Editor replies ^as gone over to another faith. Dastu Collecting census statistics is a difficult Hoshang (c. 1478 AC). The following is task and an expensive one. Unless substan- C__ .2___ _ ___ tial trained volunteers are available, the Rivayatsof HormazyarFramarzand0th- data could be skewed and incomplete, erj by B. N. Dhabhar, Bombay 1932: There is no community organization un ­ dertaking the job yet, though the need has been discussed ad infinitum. As even the municipality and the Government of India census office have ceased to identify births/ deaths by community or religion, we have to be dependent upon our coreligionists to inform us. Not all do, with the result that the data tends to be incomplete. The Parsiana questionnaire was not meant to provide statistical data but an indication of how our community thinks and what it expects. We do-not expect to predict anything. The price of Parsiana is dictated by the costs of paper and printing which are mov ­ ing unrelentingly upward. As it is we have to subsidize the publication cost from other sources. We have been functioning from the same premises for the past 22 years. ___________________ _ iv. There has been no change in our address ! The religion of the behdins, is* it allowed or Zoroastrian again. You have performed a service to the com- mumty by revealing the remarkable and (prescribed). He should be advised and uneditedcorrespondencebetween the well- j ’ __ _________ _ regarded Mr Neville Wadia and the seven (then) bareshnum should be adnSdste^ respected high priests ( A Zoroastrian to him. He should again engage himself in again, Parsiana, October 1994). performing penitential acts and should re- The “again ” in the title of your piece is t_ 1 'll, ~______ __ misleading, as are similar statements in the that he should be allowed (to be retaken) Corresnnndfinrp liV#* “‘rA.Qnnnintmonf’ ________ .___ .. the Zoroastrian religion,' ‘back ’ into the faith, ” ‘“i faith, ” and “‘re-inducted ’ into the Zoroas ­ trian faith. ” ™sisacaseofslTaightconversion,as word dregvazir which Ervad K. E. Kanga In sum, Nariman Hoshang ’s Rivayat Mr Wadia has newr been a Zoroastnan at defines as “deviating from the mandates of simply does not apply to Mr Wadia ___ he My time. Born a Christian of both Chris- Zarathushtra; not following the doctnnes is not a “behdin-tumed-darvand! ” ti^M parents, he was duly admitted into the of religion; an irreligious or evil person ” Dastur (Dr) F. M. Kotwal offers no Church,hasbelongedtotheChristianfaith {AvestaDictionary,Bombtuy 1900).These religious evidence. He only provides four throughout his and has brought up his Avesta-based definitions are inapplicable non-religious “mitigating circumstances ” own children as Christians these are, to Mr Wadia — a bom, initiated and life- of no ecclesiastical relevance, and in his reportedly, the religious circumstances. I—3—:............................ - - In their joint letter to Mr Wadia assent- valid religion, ing to the “navjote, ” Dasturs (Drs) H. K. / ~ Z Mirza and K. M. JamaspAsa have thought ther in Avesta ______________________ _____ _ it appropriate to offer the following as their times, was a non-Zoroastrian regarded as a mony . sole religious evidence: “It has been stated darvand... ” {The Bombay Samachar, Oc- in the Persian Rivayats that it is proper and tober 4, 1992). As he further explains allowable to take back a Zoroastrian man (' ' ‘ * z________ or woman who wishes to revert to his/her in Avesta, anyotkaesha (one of alien faith); VA vAAw AMiiuua. iluwcvci 1 iciigiun wnicn nezsne nas aoandoned un- ho^ and pray that Mr Rivetna proves der certain circumstances and accepted an nsht.Nodoubt.Iwillnnthethfti^tAfiMfh^ rAiminn DAU J. GUNDEVIA in Pahlavi, oner (non-Iranian) and yutda (one of different religion); and in Persian juddin, with like meaning. A “darvand ” is a former Zoroastriai “^ravand (is) one 'v/h^ht „„ - AZ-.' . gone astray, a wicked person — this gen. me pertinent text from The Persian erally refers to a Zorpastrian who ha neglected and discarded the Zoroastriai practices... ” (“Conversion Caucus, ” Bom ­ bay 1971). Sir Ness converted to Christian ­ ity; but his son, Neville, always a Chris ­ tian, never discarded Zoroastrianism foi Christianity. Likewise, Mr Neville Wadia has neva been a “behdin. ” Dastur Mirza defines this term (Out­ lines of Parsi History, Bombay 1974) as: “Behdin, ‘a Zoroastrian, a member of the Zoroastrian laity. ’ The Zoroastrian reli ­ gion is termed in the Avesta: daenan vanguhim ‘the good religion. ’ From this term is derived the Pahlavai vehden. Mod ­ ern Persian behdin ‘one belonging to the good religion ’ — a term generally used io Pahlavai and Modem Persian to designate a Zoroastrian... ” Dastur Mirza he^s us clinch the matta with an earlier comment of his on thesame key question from the same Rivavat (Mirza, op. cit. 1971): “Eduljee quotes Nariman Hoshang ’s ‘Question: A behdin turns darvand (i.c. goes over to another faith). If he returns to Wadia: “roots are purely Zoroastrian " •“Question: A behdin turns darvand (i.e. goes over to another faith). If he returns to not? • Answer. It is allowable. They should Rivayat in the following words: convert him to the religion in the way correspondence like “‘re-appointment ’ to welcome me rejoin ’ our great ing the then behdin ’s chiltUiood.) admonished, should perform a patet and the religion of the behdins, is it allowed or not? ’ “ How can Eduljee quote these words in support of conversion of non-Zoroastri- cant (his former deeds). Let it be known ans? Does he mean to say that ‘abehdin ’ is a non-Zoroastrian?... ” this way. ” (Note: no navjote prescribed or By precisely the same token, how can necessary taken as duly performed dur- the Dastur envisage these words in suDDort inn fllA __ I t M _ . .. ** Mr Wadia is not a dravand/darvand. _____ These terms are later variants of the Avestan is a non-Zoro^trian? word dregvant which Ervad K. E. Kanga a non-Zoroastrian?... ” By precisely the same token, how can of conversion of a non-Zoroastrian like Mr Wadia? Do they mean to ssty that “a behdin ” to Mr Wadia — a bom, initiated and life- _____________________ _ ___ long non-Zoroastrian belonging to another first letter, he actually calls such a “navjote ” As Dastur Mirza has explained, “...nei- the “most farcical element. ” Dasturs H. Dastur and N. M. Dastur echo the scholar- nor in Pahlavi of Sasanian Dasturs, giving no further religious testi- Thus, all the five assenting Dasturs have provided inapplicable and hence ir- there, the words for a non-Zoroastrian are: relevant religious evidence, or none at all, in their correspondence giving the go ­ 6 Parsiana May 1995 •K*5 With Compliments From GLOBE THEATRES Pvt Ltd Established April 3, 1915 Pioneers of Show Business in India fur the last 7 9 years We rededicate ourselves to the ideals we have cherished and practised all along -- namely to show NOTHING BUT THE BEST to our ever increasing number of Patrons Controlling: REGAL BOMBAY ahead to Mr Wadia ’s “navjote ” and “con ­ version. ” How can a critical religious consent of such dimensions be given with no or irre ­ levant religious evidence cited? On conversion, the three scholar-Dasturs have already made themselves thoroughly disgusts me that there are peopfe in ou clear in their published monographs titled community who will condemn the ordi “Conversion in Zoroastrianism —A Myth nary man for a particular action, but wi Exploded ” and “Antia ’s ‘Acceptance ’: A exonerate the rich for the same action. Zoroastrian ‘Ahrmogih ’ (Heresy) ” (both by Dasturs Mirza, JamaspAsaand Kotwal), faith to remain silent on the action of a rid and “Conversion Caucus ” (by Dastur Mirza). Just the titles suffice to indicate the authors ’ findings on the subject. To quickly convey something of the flavor ofthese comprehensive studies, here the religious credibility of the communit is part of Mirza ’s conclusion in his “Con- — it means these same people, who hav version Caucus: ” been crying themselves hoarse over ma “With confidence and with emphasis can religious issues which they deem will han one assert...that: or demean the faith, are willing to delibei “(1) There is no word in the Avesta for ‘to ately close their eyes, to numb their rei convert ’or for ‘conversion ’in the sense of ‘change of religion. ’ “(2) Never in their long and chequered history have the Zoroastrians adopted a policy of ‘conversion ’ of non-Zoroastri- dare to drag througl ans. ” religion which d(fe: To leave the reader with another enigma unreliable support, from the correspondence, Mr Wadia states in his letter to the seven high priests, “My The third child own roots are purely Zoroastrian... ” Ac- ~ _______ cording to reports of his religious and have initiated a scheme to helplhosefamili parental antecedents, Mr Neville Wadia ’s ¦' ’ ........................ “roots ” appear to be as “purely ” Zoroas- trian/Parsi as they are “purely ” Christian/ British. ronik khan Nasik is part of Mirza ’s conclusion in his “Con- of his affluence and influence? Each individual has the freedom to b modern or orthodox in his approach to hi religion —but what I am trying to point on here are the double standards with whid we treat our own people. It angers an For the self-appointed defenders of th man, which action would have cause grave trouble within the community ha the same emanated from a man of ordinar means, is a very sad commentary indeed o gious sensitivities, to make compromise when the people involved are people t means, whom they do not wish to conten with. It is only the defenceless that the dare to drag through mud in the name of religion which :s not really need the MsTHRlTY E. BMARUCH The trustees of Parsi Punchayet, Bomba in which a third child is born after Juj 1993. But I do not think it is practical ff the following reasons: : •The food and medicine cost of each chij is over Rs 1,000. •The books and education and tuition fet come to over Rs 1,500. •The majority of families live in less tha Mr Neville Wadia had his navjote per ­ formed (“A Zoroastrian again, ” Parsiana, _________ ________ October 1994) and the orthodox segment 500 sq feet space which is just enough ft of the community has not recorded any • ¦ • - protest, as has normally been done in the past. In fact, letters of congratulations have employment or employ fulbtime hei CAPITOL BOMBAY GLOBE CALCUTTA husband, wife and two children. •The wife will be obliged to give up hj ___ I been published, for his having entered the which will cost nearly Rs 2,000 per mont Zoroastrian fold! ....................................... — It is surprising that the newspapers were not splashed with condemnations that a sacrilege was committed. Why? Why are the protectors of the faith sleeping? When difficulties they dead people have not been spared, as in the f ' ___ ____ case of Ms Roxan Shah, when a young boy heavily for private tuition, the mother who became a navar was termed a half ­ breed because his mother was a non-Parsi including food, plus a lot of things disaj pearing from the home. I have got over 100 pairs married in tlj last 10 years. I visit their homes and see tj are facing in educati^ their two children for, even after payi( the father is compelled to see that the chi has completed the lesson and in son (which was indeed shameful on the part of places I have already seen the wife cot those who used this term), why was Mr polled to give up her job to save priva Wadia insulated from the wrath and vehemence of the great defenders of the faith? Why are they silent? Is it because tuition and daily worries from the ayah, The third child is only possible for ri< families having more than Rs 15,000 p he wields more power in the form of month but the rich family girl will not 1 wealth? Are they cowered by the enormity ready to bear the hardships of giving bit ¦ 8 Parsiana May 1995 L *toUireechildrenwhichwilldepriveherof -Baronets and knights alike bear the prefix f ' CniOvin? frp.f^.dnm until tkiA . ? • • ------------- --- %»«*7MAaAtiT piwiuvvu names. It is interesting to lack of mutual charity — as it has alas iPi^nAtC /^na fz% 9-l*A««n a*.,... ______ a ’ no enjoying freedom until the third child gets ‘Sir ’ before their to be 10 to 12 years old. I think it is far better to give very high education to two children so that they can get good jobs and face the world, for children of backward communities are _____ .vha on coming up very fast and have become not been baronets. They were Sir JanXfiw officers in banks and ntbpr rArtufA/i con- ____ . __ yo getting low- mander of the Star of India (KCSI) naid inhs nf Pc 9 non fzx-J nnn_____ :_______ x-. ... note that two baronets, due to their per ­ sonal achievements of a very high order, received titles from the British Empire, which were of such a nature that they could have used the pref^ ‘Sir ’ even if they had ^jeebhoy, fifth baronet, Knight Com- ,-------) and Sir Cowasjee Jehangir, second baronet, Knight Grand Cross of the British Empire (GBE), officers in banks and other reputed con- r — . ~ . paid jobs of Rs 2,000 to 3,666 maximum and so they are obliged to marry later — at the age of 25 to 30 years. This is my personal view. I am 83 now. My house collapsed, my wife died after 51 S5®y“ Asiary needs funds The Boyce-Dhana Patel Agiary building is in the last world war and thereafter worked a landmark at Tardeo. It is cLtrallv !o- on Haj ships till I fell sick and was obliged to give up my job. I attended the matrimo ­ nial court for 10 years and observed that married girls were forcing their husbands to leave their parents ’ home and so divorce had to be given. TEHMURAS PESTONJI SETHNA “Of baronets and knights” With reference to the letter “Of baronets and knights ” by Ms Freany J. Ashburner (Readers ’ Forum, Parsiana, June 1994) and subsequent additions to it made by Mr Behram S. Rustomji, I would like to add the following: •Sir Dadiba M. Dalal was for a certain period the High Commissioner of India in England. •Sir Cowasjee Jehangir, Knight, Compan ­ ion of the Star of India (CSI), a leader of the r ¦ and industrialist, was not a baronet. It was his nephew and adopted son and heir, who became Sir Cowasjee Jehangir, first baronet. 9 Parsiana May 199S deed, be alarm if this disunity produced sometimes done. But there need be no alarm about the fact of disunity itself. For the truth is that any great idea or move ­ ment, anything that appeals to people of every sort and is genuinely universal, is going to fragment. Anything that absorbs the mind and is intellectually stimulating will provoke di ­ vision; anything with emotional springs of action will appeal variously to different J^^^.Cororoa„derofd,eI„dia„Eropire facelsofftehil^^i^-Z "6 IKUh,. d,virafminocherdhalla ideas, like religious ones, always split up into orthodoxies and heresies, though there may be occasions when brute force is able -------------- - is centrally lo- lity or uniformity, cated and serves the spiritual needs of 1 ¦ ’ -- within a one-mile radius all round. BuiU ( dedicated priests who preserve the purest and most pristine form of ceremonials and rituals. Funds are needed for extensive repairs. Cheques crossed and marked “Payee ’s v..x. Account only, ” are requested in favor of if it the “Boyce Dhana Patel Fire Temple Re ­ pair Fund. ’,’ Of the estimated amount of < “ lectedZbeen promised Rs 10 lakhs. NADIR A. MODI j. p. p SHROFF secreuiy Boyce Trust '7 . ¦ r .7?---------- ^''-^““^’^¦tx^iuasinanism IS entrusted to wkHn '^omen it shares the SSiS .^y - -‘’J-t to the same historical influ- ’ as So Zoroastrianism has the capacity to nvpr Pe inspire passiuiittic uifiei>nces precisely ’*causc it is a living idea. The terrible fact lected/been nrnmispH Pc in lobk,. • nticiuuiclaci A sign of vitality Many are scandalized or saddened by the Boyce Agiary: where rituals are performed in their pristine form into orthodoxies and heresies, though there may be occasions when brute force is able to deliver a deceptive semblance of stabi- Because Zoroastrianism is entrusted to ex^rience of other movements in the world, ences. Ideas that are held with passion and conviction are defended at high cost, and are taught to children as truth — not as vague possibilities. Who, today, teaches children abou^the evil of communalism If It were a tentative hypothesis? inspire passionate differences precisely is that when people stop quarreling about ¦*’ religion it will mean that they will no '• longer regard it as of ultimate value. This is all very difficult for the modern mind; in the Western culture, and like ilk, the trend is to put welfare, material security and personal happiness above ideas. Divisions amongZoroastrians arise from many causes. Some relate to variations of human personality itself: one person may like formal worship and another may pre ­ fer informality. Differences of social sta ­ tus have obtruded jipon the life of the ^roastrians. There are tensions between liberal interpretations and those who ad ­ here to traditional belief, though these tend to produce lapses from the faith altogether rather than institutional divisions. The historic disunity of the Zoroastri ­ ans was caused by incompatible under ­ standings about the nature of the transmis ­ sion of Zoroastrianism itself; about how the “people of Zoroaster ” may be defined, and what is the nature of religious author ­ ity. These, are all signs of vitality. 2toroaster spoke of the world as a place of discord, where even families would divide for his sake. And so it is. FURHOK KEIKUSHROO TANGREE La Roche-sur-Furon, France continued on page 481 i L Events and Personalities Extending the Parsi ward As Hormusji Engineer, the longest serving anniversary of Sir J. J. Hospital, Rustom inmateofSirJ. J. Hospital ’s Parsi ward cut Jejeebhoy acknowledged with grace and the ceremonial ribbon on May 15, 1995, a pride the substantial aid of the commu- new room with additional eight beds nity ’s social workers, presenting each with became operational at what once used to a floral posy: “We would be misguiding be a glaring sore in the Parsi community ’s so ­ cial services and has, since some time, been metamorphosed into a showpiece. Engineer earned a garland of flowers from Sir Jam- setji Jejeebhoy, seven ­ th baronet. The clean, newly tiled and painted ward bore a festive air as a jashan invoked divine benediction on the place JC and its inmates, all freshly turned out in new sudrehs, lenghas Extending the ward (Lto R): Dadi and chesses. A combination of geriatric Mistry, Zal Contractor, Engineer and ward, old people ’s home and hospice, no Parakh; (Right) Kavarana and one who enters the portals of the Parsi ward Sir Jamsetji Photos: Adi suder ever leaves it alive — they have nowhere to go: their families are often unable and sometimes unwilling to maintain them. To make amends for the isolation and desperation of their lives, several social workers have taken it upon themselves to Ms Silloo Kavarana whom Jejeebhoy de ­ provide the 25 old folks there with meals, scribed as “not only the backbone of the medicines, clothes and, most of all, per- ¦ ward but its heart and soul. ” The provision Welfare COnCCmS sonal contact and comfort. So well are they looked after that there is a queue for those seeking admission. Permission to use the new room (as well as one above which is yet to be done up), was given by Dr S. P. Shirolkar, dean of the cha, Ms Farida Khanna, Ms Silloo Limboo- J. J. Group of Hospitals, last year. It was used as a dump for hospital refuse by the PWD (public works department) and inmates; Ms Dolly Sarbanwalla, Ms Gool Rustom Jejeebhoy, in his welcome add- Kama:; Yezdi and Ms Zarine Daruwalla, Charity Fund to commemorate the 150th I '5 In earlier times, the inmates of the wanj were not only bereft of decent food ani company but of medical attention, despit^ being bedded on hospital premises, h contrast, now noted surgeon Adi Nazij not only visits the ward regularly buj ensures that the yount housemen on his tean “are a source of strength to the patients. ” Jeje4 bhoy also appreciated the cooperation of thi nursing staff with parti* cular reference to head sister Tapke. As for full-timd social worker Aspi Paj rakh, “I have yet to see social weaker so dedi-i cated to his task, ” said Jejeebhoy, adding that Parakh “dons many caps — as adviser, benefactor, confidante, trus ­ ted and loyal friend. ” Ere the function concluded with th^ sharing of chasni (consecrated food) and other goodies among the inmates and th^ invitees, the resources of the ward ha(| Jni ;an 4' you if you believe that what you see is all on account of us, ” he said. Arranging the appreciated by another Rs 50,000 — pro-' resources to waterproof the entire roof mised as a donation by Bombay Pars| of the Parsi ward has been the work of Punchayet chairman Jamshed Guzder. Arnavaz S. MainS of new beds and accompanying bedside Seventy Zoroastrian families from IS tables had also been undertaken by Kava- rana. Ms Arnawaz Mistry, Ms Roshni Da- mania, Ms Goolu Lala, Ms Villoo Bharu- villages in south Gujarat were supplie(| groceries, provisions, sudrehs and towel^ by the Young Rathestars in mid-Febru- ary 1995. One family in Vangan village . was helped with Rs 20,000 to enable them walla were profusely thanked for the good to establish a small grocery shop to sup^ cheer and comfort they bestow upon the plement their income. One family ii| Dharampuri village and another ii( Mankunia were given Rs 1,(XX) each t4 ress, appreciated the cooperation of Shirol- Ms Mani Siganporia, Ms Amy Paymaster repair the roofs of their huts, according kar and Messrs Kakre and Kadam of the for supplying delicious home cooked meals to Ms Silloo Mahava, joint honorary secs PWD for releasing the space for the use of on a daily basis; the Lions Club of Cuffe retary of Young Rathestars who in her Parsi patients. Though the additional room has been FaliPoncha for providing essential commo- renovated from funds provided by Sir J. J. dities and medicines. Parade through Ms Sunu Dadyburjor and appeal for further funds has given a re-j * ‘ port of the work undertaken by their orga-l nization. J 10 Parsima May 1995 *was declared the best trainer, notes the Mid-Day of March 28, 1995. A memento was presented to him by P. G. Beliappa, chairman and senior steward of the Banga ­ lore Turf Club. At the end of the season, Byramji has reached the 200 mark in Clas ­ sic winnings: a landmark which “will give I Guinness some alteration and update ' work to do. ” Byramji already features in the Guinness Book of World Records with 100 wins to his credit, adds Mid-Day. As admitted a brusque, bluff Byramji, “I am getting a little bored now; I would like to win a big race somewhere abroad. ” And the trainer whose life revolves around horses said, “I do not know what I’d do if I retire; I would probably die. ” “Growing problem” - , “According to the World Health Organiza- feature with Young Rathestars is their ex- store for us ” (No. 145) and the advice in the tion, the global life expectancy will be 63 hibition-cum-sale, their ghambars where very next quote, “let us not mope over the years in 2000, and about 70 years in 2025. they feed the poor, and their door-to-door dead yesterday of despair when tomorrow By 2025, about 20 percent of the popula- collection drive, the proceeds of which is dawning with tidings full of hope. ” tionofthe world will be more than 60 years are distributed to around 150 families. All More importantly, however, the com- old, ” write guest editors Dr RuzvaBhathena the activities of the 52-year-old organi- pilation does not seem to distil the wisdom and Dr Rustom Soonawala in FOGSI Fo- , _ cus, the newsletter of The Federation of written) could have been uttered by any Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of 1 -.1 R- % •Hi ¦f Mahava (with handbag) supervising distribution by the Young Rathestars and (right) WZO’s Dinshaw Tamboli interviewing recipients H. J. R Besides distributing foodgrains and not mourn over the sorrows of yesterday, clothes to the needy in Bombay, an annual forgetful of the joys that tomorrow has in store for us ” (No. 145) and the advice in the very next quote, “let us not mope over the is dawning with tidings full of hope. ” More importantly, however, the com ­ pilation does not seem to distil the wisdom zation are geared towards the welfare of of the Prophet. The sayings chosen (or the community, writes Mahava. i ................................ “Young Rathestars are very eager to holy man, and the kernel of Zoroastria- continue distributing foodgrains in the vil ­ lages of Gujarat every year and comple- tant religion seems sadly missing. Equally ment the work that the World Zoroastrian 1 ' ‘ Organisation is doing... To enable us to do Zarathushtra ‘spoke. ' this. Young Rathestars will continue to require the generous support of the mem ­ bers of our community. ” Cheques and drafts in the name of Young Rathestars are headings range from prayers and optimis- to be sent to Mahava at 788 Avanbai Man- tic faith, death and immortality to know- sion, Jame Jamshed Road, Parsi Colony, ledge and wisdom, and even women and Dadar, Bombay 400014. The Prophet’s message? A part of the “Thus Spake ” series brought out by the Sri Ramakrishna Math, Madras, eluding a gem that states “Ahghra (prob- Thus Spake Zarathushtra is a miniature ably, Anghra) Mainyu, the evil genius, pocket book of 136 pages conveying 324 reaps his rich harvests on the battlefields sayings of the Prophet. Compiled by late (No. 279);” a strange kind of Zoroastrian B. S. Surti, author of Shah Namah of Fir- charity, surely. daosi, this booklet is now in its second edition, with “additional, new but relevant material ” being incorporated, and “a cer ­ tain amount of regrouping and rearrange ­ ment of quotations (undertaken)... to en ­ hance the informative value. ” The book, with or without the additions and re-groupings, is a tidy bundle of com ­ plications with considerable duplication worth buying, for at Rs 2, it costs less than lose 50 percent of their skeleton by 70 ofthought, a serious lapse when the purpo- even a popatji. Homi/.Rogers years, while men lose merely 25 pecent by se of such booklets would be to encompass . . 90 years. Spinal osteoporosis may lead to the thoughts of seers in a compact and con- vldSSlC trsincr the typical dowager ’s hump, characterized densed manner. Witness, to cite one ex- With 44 winners to his credit during the by a loss of height, chronic backache and ample, Zarathushtra ’s sayings that “let us Bangalore racing season, Rashid Byramji deformity. ” India. Through the special issue devoted to menopause and HRT (Hormone Replace ­ ment Therapy), the contributors seek to lost is the poetry and imagery with which bring awareness among the Indian popu- The 324 quotes, preceded by a short, 16-page chapter/note on the Prophet, are divided into 26 categories. These subject nism that makes it the world ’s oldest ex- lace which believes that “menopause is a natural event that should be left untreated. ” While the 16-page newsletter has a lot of technical information of use to those in the medical fraternity, even a layman can pick up important tidbits of information. And Parsis in particular, known to be an aging community, could benefit from knowledge on menopause described as a “growing problem. ” Menopause could be accompanied by degenerative changes in the cardiovascu ­ lar system and bone structure making women “vulnerable to increased incidence of cardiovascular accidents and fractures and to psychological strain and other dis- The booklet ’s last chapter has 19 quotes abling complaints, ” mentions Dr V. B. on the subject of “Think for yourself, ” Patwardhan, president of FOGSI. “Depre- the most quoted thought from the Gathas . . . .. by a section of the community. However Surd ’s emphasis is on opposing supersti ­ tion rather than promoting free indepen ­ dent assessment of set beliefs or dogmas, onset of the menopause, ” states Dr Behram Despite its shortcomings, the book is Anklesaria. He also writes that “women worth buying, for at Rs 2, it costs less than even a popatji. Homi J. Rogers children. However, many a quote under a relevant section barely pertains to the sub ­ ject heading. A fair amount of sayings under ‘Philanthropy ’ deal with ‘War, ’ in- ssion, nervousness, irritability, forgetful ­ ness, lack of concentration, loss of confi ­ dence and decreased libido are the com ­ mon symptoms occurring just before the 11 Parsiana May 1995 4’ Imodem art museums, in many indust^ houses and residential homes. The NavsJ born artist, as mentions the bio data, I studied at Sir J. J. School of Art in Boni| from where he proceeded to London f Paris to train under European masters. |. his return he held his first exhibition! Bombay at the Princes Room at the I after which his works were displayed < regular frequency. His extensive toursl India, Malaya, Indonesia, France, S< zerland and USA gave him an insight if people and their culture. As Chavdj| quoted in the invitation to the Retrospt five, “From the point of view of art, 11 attempting to tackle the problem of and movement, the simplification of If and colour. There is to me nothing! throbbing with life, in a lightning releasf energy as it were, as a serpent. ” j Super protection Permission to incorporate the SP mark Super Protection on Odomos Mosquito n packs was recently granted to the ma| facturers Balsara Hygiene Products Limij by Sumitomo Chemical Company, Jap|^ This distinction signifies a recognition) their “commitirtfent to highest qual| standards, ” as notes a press release. Further reinforcement for this prod came from the Fredrick Institute of Tn 3 ia| and rendering the good aspect of life. He -------------------------------- — r---1 avoides the grim,- the tragic. As a result his came from the Fredrick Institute of To art is decorative, entertaining, pleasant, cology, Tamil Nadu which carried ? and joie de vivre, ” S. I. Clerk had commen- exhibitions. HRT not only prevents osteoporosis in the elderly but is believed to have a signifi ­ cant beneficial influence on the health status of women 15-20 years after their reflecting optimism and expressing beauty laboratory investigations to evaluate menopause, according to the newsletter, andjoie de vivre, ” S. I. Clerk had commen- performance of eight commercially av HRT can be administered orally or non- orally depending on the circumstances. One of the possible repercussions of HRT is the risk of breast cancer if used for more than 10 years but as of now it has been established that the benefits far outweigh February 5,1995. The grace and beauty of pack of 30 Odomos mats is available the risks. the dancer, the vibration, swirls, rhythm, balance, the creative energy came forth in hundreds of sketches and paintings he did on this theme. Acclaimed for his excellent * ted on viewing one of Chavda ’s earlier able mats and four coils after which tl ’ reached the conclusion that the “Odor i The artist ’s personal favorite though mat causes maximum repellency as agai) any other mats available in the mark ' was his series of line drawings on dancers, notes an article in The Sunday Observer of mentions the promotional literature. Rs 39. A relatively new product from Retrospective on Chavda Pencil drawings, crayon pastels, Chinese ink on rice paper and oils — some 30 to 35 Balsara group is the Odonil anti-moth a j board freshener that claims to prevent n draftsmanship, the line was considered dew, eliminate unpleasant ordors h paintings of Shiavax Chavda were brought “the life force of Chavda ’s art, ” in the freshen the cupboard guarding the exp - ......... J sive zari saris and woollens against mol) few masterful lines, some indications of cockroaches and other insects. Avails f in three fragrances — Old English Lav ) words of art critic H. Goetz. “With just a shading and touches of color he would create structure and even movement, ” he added. And, in keeping with the sentiments of the artist who loved nature and animals. together from private collectors all over the country to be exhibited at the retro ­ spective in memory of the late artist from February 2-8, 1995 at the Jehangir Art Gallery, Bombay. “Chavda ’s wide range is seen in the current retrospective : portraits, landscapes, abstractions, the sort of tantric designs which grace the foyer of the Tata last year his family donated two of his Theatre, ” mentioned art critic Dnyanesh- war Nadkami. It is a fine tribute to the man who had earlier been elected as one of the nine eminent artists of India by the Lalit Kala Akademi and subsequently been elected its fellow. “He is interested primarily in observing tions of connoisseurs all over the world, in works to a non-profit organization, People for Animals, which had organized an art show. One of his paintings was priced at two lakh rupees and another at three lakh rupees, reports The Sunday Observer. Chavda ’s paintings are in the collec- 12 Parsiana May 1995years he was president of his School ’s Interact Club, the school wing of the Ro ­ tary Club. Having just completed his 12th stan ­ dard, Kotwal who aspires to be an engineer lists reading and watching English movies as his other interests, notes his father Pesi. Roxan A. Driver I I i By her speedy and stern action, which includes penalties on the offending ad ­ vertising agency, a demand for a letter of apology and five lakh rupees in damages, Meher-Homji has nipped in the bud a possible trend of ‘digital disrobing ’ by computer technology without the consent of the model. “The message I hope is clear, ” stated Meher-Homji in The Times of India dated April 2, 1995, “you can ’t get away with such unprofessional behavior. ” Sherie has proved that you don ’t have to grin and ‘bare ’ it, if your contract doesn ’t State so. H J R der, country spice and lemon fresh — the hanger and refill packs are priced at Rs 15 and Rs 11.25 respectively, mentions the press release. Tops in sales In the marketing and sales management examination conducted by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan ’s Rajendra Prasad Institute of Communication and Management, Ms Role model Maharukh Phiroze Siganporia secured the first position winning the Kulapati ’s award, a cash prize and a gold medal that was presented to her on March 4, 1995. Her advertising to be ‘disrobed ’by a computer, market research on “Sales promotion of In what could have developed into a scnsa- BPL audios in Nagpur ” served as her study tional and widely-reported legal wrangle SPOTLIGHT paper for which she scored 98 marks. She had an out-of-court settlement not been While Sam Katgara was declared the a so gained distinction in three other pa- effected, Meher-Homji alleged that acorn- fastest driver of the day, Ms Shaneen SitoIrtFhA aJerPhirozeSiganporia, puter was used to strip her on the sly to Dastur was adjudged the fastest Pres=nSrZktag “h Housing De- "?Veedol autoeross held in velopment Finance Corporation Ltd, Ma- harukh ’s prior work experience was at GR Electronic and Trading Company (stockist its kind in Indian SvSng^ m'adrthe of BPL consumer electronic products for Vidarbha) and Shrinivas Training and Ma ­ nagement Consultancy Services where her known and discussed, job first involved human resource deve ­ lopment before she took up responsibilities From left: Siganporia and Kotwal with trophies A dubious distinction has been conferred on young Parsi model Ms Sherie Meher- Homji. She is the first model in Indian In what could have developed into a sensa- had an out-of-court settlement not been effected, Meher-Homji alleged that a com ­ puter was used to strip her on the sly to uasiur was aajuagefl the tastest woman make her appear completely nude in an driver at the Veedol autocross held in advertisementfor ‘Bare Necessities ’which Bombay on February 19, 1995, reports she had modeled for with her boxer shorts The Times of India of the ’ following day on. ‘Digital disrobing, ’ possibly the first of Katgarastoodfirstinthreeeventsandsecond The Times of India of the following day, term ‘image manipulation ’ and the capa ­ city of a computer to bring it about, widely in two others. as a marketing executive. The Nagpur girl was a student of the J. N. Tata Parsi Girls High School and subse ­ quently graduated in commerce from the Nagpur University, according to her cur ­ riculum vitae. Record attendance For the 13 years he studied at Loyola School, Jamshedpur, Maneck Kotwal has “not missed a single day ’s attendance, ” notes the citation on the Principal ’s Award that was conferred on Kotwal in April 1995. “Soft-spoken and amiable, ” is how a family member describes the 19-year-old, six-foot-tall Kotwal who is not only good at studies, but is a keen sportsman too. He has represented his school and state in basketball and volleyball tournaments and was conferred the best sportsman of the year title for the year 1994-95. Actively involved in social service also, for two Alongside: To mark the fourth anni­ versary of its foundation day, the Parvez Katrak Foundation organized a function on March 11, 1995 where Parsi lady journalists were felicitated. (From left): Shemaaz Engineer, Rita Mehta, Bachi Karkaria, Khorshed Deboo, Parvez Katrak, Kamal and Goshasp Limki. Photo: Adi Suder Compiled by Parinaz Gandhi 13 Parsiana May 1995 IZOROASTRIANS ABROAD i i i FEZANA founder president Rohinton Rivetna feels that Zoroastrians around the world need to be in touch with each other ( “The greatest joy is to see the community flower, to be recognized in religious circles... Hopefully Zoroastrians will be known for their goodness, charity, hard work, industry. There is every sign that this is where we are heading. ” Rohinton Rivetna, founder of FEZANA (Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America) who stepped down as its president in July 1994 after eight success ­ ful years, was recapitulating the thrill of the high Zoroastrian profile at the Second Parliament of the World ’s Religions held in Chicago in September 1993. The behdin ’s involvement with the Interfaith Council and his unremitting labor in the organization of the Parliament resulted in Zoroastrian high priest Dastur (Dr) Kaikhusroo JamaspAsa being appointed one of the 14 presidents of the Parliament. Moreover, eight Zoroastrians were in ­ cluded among the assembly of 250 world leaders designated to perpetuate a Global Ethic to save the world from self destruc ­ tion, with Rivetna as chairperson of the Council ’s international planning commit ­ tee. This is a far cry from the vague and often faulty perception of Zoroastrianism in the world at large. Rivetna has earned his place as one of the community ’s outstanding facilitators and as a visionary who passionately be ­ lieves that all points of view are needed to contribute to Uie richness of human exist ­ ence: “When you begin to work with other communities you soon realize that Zoroas- triahs have much fewer problems than the other traditions. We are much closer to ­ gether than they are... Others have frag ­ mented into hundreds of groups; other traditions, even small ones, tend to splin ­ ter. Zoroastrians, in spite of everything, have stayed together. ” At the time of participating in the Par ­ liament Rivetna says he advised his coreligionists that “we were about to par ­ ticipate in and be a part of a diverse group. In fact, we were going to celebrate diver ­ sity in humankind. If we were going to celebrate external diversity we must first ¦ OMsi •III lill We are much closer together Amavaz S. Mama 1 JJ I celebrate internal diversity. ” This concept I of each group celebrating its traditions in I its own way fructified in the jashans around I the world, as Zoroastrian settlements the I world over programmed their jashans to I coincide with the inaugural of the Parlia- I ment. I “At the Parliament itself we made cer- I tain we had no one group representing us or I making presentations. The whole spec- I trum of ideology was presented — as did I the other faiths, ” recounts Rivetna who has I proposed to FEZANA that its members I observe a unity day in North America to I celebrate the variety of views on Zoroastri- 1 anism. Reiterating that he has “no trouble with diversity at all, ” the soft-spoken troubleshooter adds, “Any time I have an opposition, I make sure, advocate that (point of view). ” Rivetna says he makes I certain that various viewpoints are reflected s in the FEZANA Journal, terming it an even I handed approach. Accepting the idea that f we have much to learn from each other, I Rivetna notes that average Zoroastrians are quite happy to accept differences of outlook though “the leadership at both ends of the spectrum is sometimes not as tolerant — a viewpoint is not taken for what it is but a search for what is wrong. ” The signing of the Global Ethic by the multifarious religious groups present was the Parliament ’s greatest achievement, says Rivetna. An initial declaration, the Ethic binds the signatories to the concept that every human being must be treated hu ­ manely. It advocates a culture of nonvio ­ lence and respect for life, of solidarity and a just economic order, of tolerance and truth and gender equality leading to a transformation of consciousness. The assembly of religious and spiritual leaders signed the Ethic but dispers^ with ­ out setting an agenda for the future. Re ­ grouping after the big event was over, those who had labored to organize it de ­ cided to begin by developing an interreli ­ gious group in Chicago, working on a program to disseminate the knowledge and material collected at the Parlia- 4’ 15 Parsiana May T995I ment, says Rivetna. As chairperson of the international plan ­ ning committee Rivetna says the first pri ­ ority was the education of the international community on the concepts of the Global Ethic. A second and more onerous objec ­ tive was conflict mediation in wars fought on religious grounds. A third and even wider area of work relates to “outreach — to make the human community feel con ­ nected with each other, ” as Rivetna- phrases it. The committee soon realized that “work ­ ing (by ourselves) in Chicago is not going to get us close to our vision. ” Accordingly the 250 leaders of the world were invited for consultation to Chicago on September 26, 1994 of whom 80 came in person. JamaspAsa was among those who res ­ ponded to a questionnaire. An ad hoc com ­ mittee will provide direction for a global effort. It was Rivetna ’s hope that a ‘precom ’ would be held in the spring of 1995 fol ­ lowed by a summit towards the end of the ye ar with “someone with global visibility isfying ” eight years as FEZANA president Boutros-Ghali ” present to give the needed ; ¦ “ * ® --------- - — mw » “ ‘would be a wonderful event if (Wife) Roshan and I both work together coming together on the UN’s 50th anni ver- erates, adding, “We have to keep working for a greater understanding. The more en ­ trenched (the position of mutually exclu ­ sive factions) the harder it is, but not impossible. People are coming around, ” he notes optimistically, citing the example of and Zoroastrians through her contact with California ’s three warring associations who rado which they wish to turn into a Global Village. Chunks of the property have been offered to traditional religious groups to build whatever structure they might want. “Hanne is an admirer of Zoroastrianism Jamsheed Marker (Pakistan ’s permanent representative to the UN). She approached me at the 1993 Parliament when I (con ­ ducted) this workshop on a UN of Reli ­ gions and offered to give Zoroastrians 40 acres of the property, ” says Rivetna. Just before his trip to India in October 1994 when this interview was conducted, Rivetna and a party of 30 plus Zoroastrians went to the site, spending the day there. Rivetna considers it to be an ideal place for a retreat — for comtemplation, learning and recre ­ ation (ski slopes, etc are just a couple of hours ’ drive away) — though it is a 3*/2- hour drive away from Denver. It would be a wonderful opportunity for the youth to visit, especially if an elder Zoroastrian priest was available, on rotation, to give them the necessary guidance. According to Rivetna an anonymous Zoroastrian do ­ nor has promised to match whatever sum the community gcjperates for the project. A more critical priority in Rivetna ’s Rivetna claims, “We ’vejust scratched the cil of Zoroastrian Federations (WCZF). surface. ” But gauging from the euphoria that marked the presentation of the com ­ memorative plaques and the standing ova- “If we form a world assembly of religions, who is going to represent Zoroastrians?” came together to host the first World Zoro ­ astrian Youth Congress in 1993, adding happily, “That frame of mind is continu ­ ing. ” Reflecting on his “rich, rewarding, sat- like (UN secretary general) Dr Boutros Rivetna notes, “It takes a trerhendous Boutros-Ghali ” present to give the needed amount of work to get things moving, support. It “would be a wonderful event if (Wife) Roshan and I both work together on the world s religions make a declaration of everything. ” After each of them putting in comingtogetheron the UN’s 50th anniver- an estimated minimal 30 hours a week sary, ” Rivetna hopes. If the leaders of the world ’s religions declare that they are coming together to work together, a formal constitution, etc ___________________ _____ _ could foHow. Rivetna sees a significant tion they received at the Ninth North Ameri ­ can Zoroastrian Congress in July 1994, North American Zoroastrians don ’t quite concur with his estimation of their contri ­ bution. According to Rivetna the challenge to Zoroastrian leadership in North America is __ _____ to look 20 to 25 years ahead and set up just disappeared. They wire^Zs'imilated systems and infrastructure to sustain the community as it doubles its present size JI®™.’??!.®*1'^’ together. When one doesn ’t have ment on that continent can emerge. Fund ­ ing is a crucial problem and community needs are outstripping the contributions that philanthropists can provide. He is exercised with the need to inculcate the concept of collective funding (individuals vision for the community is a World Coun- role for Zoroastrians in the process “be ­ cause Zoroastrians are accepted by all the different faiths; if not the first we ’ re one of the first to have given the world the con ­ cept of religion. Therefore Zoroastrians can play a key role in the process, in making it happen. ” Recalling the scheme he had presented to the Parliament which requires represen ­ tatives of all faiths to come together and _______ _______ _ work on different issues facing the global before reliable figures of communitysettle- community, meet at least once each year, ' Rivetna said that for sustained effort a body comprising of some members would need to work on a day to day basis. The project seemed to buttress the demand for a world body ofZoroastrians for, as Rivetna asks, Who would represent Zoroastrians committing to contribute a certain amount on a regular basis) as a community ideal. C ; _______________ trated by a body that had the support of all finance is participation in Hanne Strong the Zoroastrian communities around the C ' • ¦ globe. Instead the Zoroastrian effort was I' primarily my effort. That ’s not the way we general who orchestrated the Earth Surnl should be conducting our affairs. If we i _ form a world assembly of religions, who is chairs the Toronto Power and Light Corpo- _ r, c, .-----.. ration) have substantial property in Colo ­ in the forum? When we orchestrated the Parliament, it should have been orches- going to represent Zoroastrians? ” he reit- 16 Parsiana May 1995 “The primary need I see is networking between all the communities spread throughout the globe... Communities can help and guide each other (by) communi ­ cation covering events, reactions, inputs. Its a two-way system (whose time has come), ” as Rivetna sees it, because it’s only in the past 20 years that people have been migrating and striving to maintain their identity. Earlier, “the Zoroastrians with very little trace because there were no local organizations that could... bring that, people find other ways to satisfy those needs, ” he says, implying the assimilation into the host culture which then follows. “Now we have the organizational unit in place in almost every part of the world. It satisfies the need to be together. Where there is no clear cut organization, Zoroas ­ trians try to get together loosely. As the . first generation ’s roots are in the mother One project that would need a lot of country, we keep in touch through the anrf* IC nartir'inatinn in ______ _ _ Global Village. Hanne and her husband Maurice (assistant to the UN secretary mother country. But one more generation and that linkage would be lost. ” Seizing on the opportunity of a number of international Zoroastrians gathered in init at Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and who Chicago for the Parliament, Riventa held an informal constitutional convention to plumb their minds on the prospects of at i. WCZF. A special invitation was extended to the World Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO) “and we were delighted that Shahpur Captain and Rumi Sethna from continuity and follow-up. the WZO also participated. ” The meeting was open to all interested persons and working there is the fear that it would about 40 individuals attended, some as key become the lead organization. It may prob ­ participants, others as casual observers, all ably happen. There is no difference bet ­ search on global issues concerning TLoroas- trians and non-Zoroastrians; to coordinate Zoroastrian world congresses, providing “Though the primary purpose is net- I “A viewpoint is not taken for what it is but a search for what is wrong” ween a network and a world body ... Every ­ body recognizes that networking is neces ­ sary. How it is to be orchestrated, is the question. Given a set of circumstances (e.g. the existence of the WZO) how do we synthesize all the forces? I am searching for an answer, ” says Rivetna. The world has been divided into 13 regions for the benefit of Zoroastrian rep ­ resentation — Africa, Australia and New Zealand, Europe and UK, India, Iran, North participating in their personal capacity. 7 ¦ ¦ “ ~ At the FEZANA annual meetings of America, South America, East Asia (Ja- ’91, ’92 and ’93 Rivetna had been man- ' dated to pursue the concept of a WCZF to work with the WZO. A draft constitution ________ ____ jointly prepared by Adi Davar, Dinshaw the Middie East (Dubai...)' “If a few ofthe Joshi and Rivetna stressed that ’the WCZF regions decide to get together you would would be only a coordinating body and the have a nucleus... It is a challenge to keep administrative and religious independence everybody together, ” notes Rivetna, confi- of its member associations and Federa- dent that “there is a 1(X) percent chance of tions would be preserved. its happening by the turn of the century. The WZO representatives had argued There are events occurring like the Parlia- that most of the WCZF objectives were mentofWorldReligions where we need to already incorporated in the WZO constitu ­ tion, that a new body would be divisive for the community and that the WCZF could be incorporated into the WZO framework. The WZO representatives had agreed to consider a bicameral approach, said Rivet- pan), Central Asia (Tajikistan...) South ­ east Asia (Singapore...) South Asia (Sri Lanka. ..), Southwest Asia (Pakistan ...) and Joshi and Rivetna stressed that the WCZF i J ' ' would be only a coordinating body and the have a nucleus... It is a challenge to keep of its member associations and Federa- speak with one voice. ” The man who helped to establish the reputation of the Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Chicago as a stable, middle-of-the-road body as its president - - and committee member over the years; na, though no firm conclusion was reached who enthused Chicagoans, particularly the in Chicago. ¦ .... Accordingly two more draft constitu ­ tions were prepared, one as an independent body and the second as a body of Federa ­ tions forming one of the WZO’s two cham ­ bers while its original membership contin- ________ ___________ ued in the other. The seat of the WCZF Anjuman of California into the FEZANA could be Bombay, Chicago or London, family; who has striven for a Zoroastrian according to the drafts. So far no firm identity in North America over the decades response has been forthcoming, neither and is now venturing into the international from the WZO nor from the Federation of sphere, remains the same low key, contem- - J . —. — i " .-----------— —* v*. Xlud (FPZAI), stated Rivetna. met in 1988. At that time FEZANA had According to a summary of discussions been barely a year old and Rivetna had at the convention it was noted that there are been concerned about this newborn off ­ spring. Now the midwife is focussing on the safe delivery of a potentially more fractious infant, the WCZF. Says Rivetna, “There is interest but we youth, to participate in the construction of its Darbe Mehr; who has welcomed Ameri ­ can engineer Joseph Peterson into the Zo ­ roastrian fold and equally graciously ac ­ cepted the ultra conservative and critical Traditional Mazdayasni Zoroastrian could be Bombay, Chicago or London, family; who has striven for a Zoroastrism according to the drafts. So far no firm identity in North America over the decades res^tyse h^^been forthcoming ’ neither and is now venturing into the international Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India plative, concerned individual Pamiann had more than 100 associations around the globe; the critical needs are good network ­ ing, communication and coordination be ­ tween such Federations as exist e.g. FEZANA and FPZAI. Among the objects know that we ’re treading on soft ground, ofthe body would be to discuss, inform and Everybody is very cautious that we don ’t make representations on behalf of Zoroas- trians to other world or governmental bod ­ ies, to study, conduct and orchestrate re ­ tread on toes, don ’t cause divisions. I look at it as a challenge to our leadership to come up with solutions... ” 17 Parsiana May 1995 THE DINA Where only the best will do Contact: Bombay: Mehta 2024005, Nayyar 6040298 Mahableshwar: Jal/ Mehemooz (02168) 60246 Dina Hotel, Mahableshwar 412806 T I w Et’S.fi T CflffA ' -TIOIIDWflR- For Earfy Risen and Light Eaten Juke Box Musk all the tunc. Wide choke of Been Nev Regal Onana, ColabaCanaeway, Bombay 400 039 Hiooe; 2020591 IZOROASTRIANS ABROAD “We can’t keep compromising Religious beliefs evolve with the socio-cultural environment says FEZANA president Dolly Dastoor ¦ ¦ ¦ I Arnavaz S. Mama / I To shore up the community ’s self-esteem educational, age, sex and financial profile, dancing. Their expression of religion is can milieu the new president of the Federa ­ tion of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA), Ms Dolly Dastoor, is promoting the concept of nationhood with ­ out territory. “Together we can create our ______________ _____ Zoroastrian nation — in our hearts and in tory would facilitate the creation of a Zo- our homes, ” she noted in the course of her roastrian credit card on which Houston ’s acceptance speech at the Ninth North Kaemarz Dotivala is c ____J, American Zoroastrian Congress where she through a bank, informs Dastoor. It would was elected to fill the office occupied for alsoenablegreaternetworkingamongpro- die past eight years by founder president fessionals and business people. However Rohinton Rivetna. - - To define that ‘nation ’ however, Dastoor envisages a physical, social, educational, administrative and financial infrastructure. An agiary in a high density area like Ontario or Califomiais one of her hopes and “should come about in our lifetime, ” she noted in an interview with Parsiana last Septem ­ ber. “To be able to lay down your roots and feel you belong,you need solid structures. The feeling you get when you visit munity which has such a structure — _ SSBS HSSssss sity of people with a community dar-e- meher is different from those without it, as they begin to preserve religious traditions: “People in Toronto and Chicago have muktads, ” she notes in substantiation of her belief. Another bulwork for the Zoroastrian _____________ vvuunuiin anu I?® generation of greater the religion than Parsis7^admits the Bom- host community. But to project their image tional common language (apart* from and hence its identity in the North Ameri- The information would help FEZANA . plan foreducational courses, scholarships, a chair in Zoroastrian studies at an Ameri ­ can university, the necessary post retire ­ ment provisions. A consolidated North American direc- was elected to fill the office occupied for alsoenablegreaternetworkingamongpro acom- a a section of the community, particularly the Iranians are worried that they may be open to harassment if the information about family origin, etc is easily accessible. An ­ other blank spot is encountered as people are reluctant to divulge their age. Even if the directory misses out on five to 10 percent of the population, Dastoor feels it would still answer “the need for a database (as currently) we are throwing out figures, groping in the dark. ” An investment policy “to better manage more pragmatic, she adds. A common calendar would be a con ­ solidating factor but if the ongoing attempt to ascertain grassroots opinion on the sub ­ ject reveals thatV'people don ’t want to pursue it, we ’ll drop it,” assures Dastoor. A part of the nationhood concept is concern for Zoroastrian visitors. “Zoroas- currently working trian students should contact us and keep in „ T. . J touch. (They should) make provisions be ­ fore coming but most contact us only when they ’re in trouble. We want an idea of how many people are coming (because) we have our own students to support. ” The ongoing recession has had its impacton the Zoroastrian community too, she notes. Referring to Hanne Strong ’s offer of 40 acres of land at the proposed Global Village i n Crestone, Colorado (see page 16) Dastoor notes the proviso that “within three years we must build something. ” Being a retreat not too easily acoessible to most Zoroastrians, Dastoor would prefer it to be a longer term project. we are considered a philanthropic commu ­ nity, we do not have a history of donating on a regular and individual basis. We need ___________ to change that mentality, ” Dastoor had leadership. ” Defending the need of differ- noted at the Congress. ¦ - Though Iranians seem to be reluctant to divulge personal data, they are “much more nationalistic for the community and Zoroastrians among the bay born and reared Dastoor. With a func- accurately; Zoroastrians need to have a clearer concept of how many they are, their English), the Iranians have a greater sense of culture, have their own plays, music. the religion and its practice, Dastoor says “ We can ’ t keep compromisi ng all the time. We need to take a stand — its the price of ent Zoroastrian settlements to talk to each other on global issues, Dastoor reiterates that the survival of the community could be better ensured by “pooling people to ­ gether in one nationhood, one commona ­ lity. The religion has to evolve with the socio-cultural environment (through) un ­ derstanding and acceptance of the reality of the situation. ” She says we must create 19 Parsiana May 1995 II Cowasjee notes in a letter that in case the conference needs to be postponed, it will be held in December. Zoroastrians between the age of 18 and “structures to prevent outmarriage and absorb those that happen... We need to relook at our scriptures objectively, look at the source of our practices. ” With a lifetime of work in geriatric 40 years are eligible to attend, those with a psychology, Dastoor is an assistant profes ­ sor at the department of psychiatry at u Investment in property We must create structures to prevent outmarriage and absorb those that happen” I single Zoroastrian parent being equally welcome. The two-day conference hosted by the Zarathustrians of Karachi, Pakistan, will feature a keynote address, presentations and group discussions. Working sessions ranging from 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. will be followed by a barbeque at the Yacht Club and a dinner dance respectively on the two nights. The cost of the conference, inclu ­ sive of dinner on the eve of the Conference, is Pak Rs 3,250, to be made payable to the Asian Zarathushtrian Youth Conference by bank draft on a Pakistani bank in Pakis- Four delegate categories are envisaged. Conference theme. Spreading awareness about the Zoroastrian religion and heri- Pune is the best city Montreal ’s McGill University, and amem- ber of the executive committee of its Cen ­ tre for Studies in Aging. Ex president of the tani currency, to avoid exchange costs. Alzheimer Society of Montreal she cur ­ rently holds the chair of its Family Services Participants, expected to form a bulk of the Committee and is a doctoral candidate in audience, are assured ofvoicing their views psychology atConcordiaUniversity, notes during group dicussions. Speakers need to the September 1994 bulletin of the Centre submit papers of 15 minute duration on the for Studies in Aging. Dastoor ’s phenom ­ enal energy has enabled her to simulta ­ neously serve as chairperson of Zonta tage, keeping the community united in the International ’s International Committee on the Status of Women, attend the UN com ­ mission on the Status of Women in Vienna, serve as secretary-treasurer of the section on Adult Development and Aging of the need to brief the audience on the aims and Canadian Psychological Association. She objectives of the body they represent. Zo- has been past (and current) president of the Zoroastrian Association of Quebec and secretary of FEZANA apart from her per ­ sonal contribution to the community in raising a family of three children who have embraced different professions. Asian Youth Conference “We have made history, let us not become history ” is the theme of the First Asian Zoroastrian Youth Conference scheduled jodaro, the site ofone of the oldest to be held in Karachi on October 23 and 24, 1995. Conference chairperson Ms Toxy century ahead, preserving its identity and/ or providing research and statistics are some of the suggested topics. Representa ­ tives of organizations or associations would roastrians who wish to attend but do not meet the age specification may do so as observers, without the right to participate in group discussions unless specifically invited to do so. In all cases the uniform registration fee applies. Further post conference activities have been planned at additional cost, for those who wish to participate, including, among several, a full day trip by air to Mohen- _______ texcava ­ tions in the world and a sail in bunder boats at night to catch and feast on crabs! Flats: We offer flats and row-houses to your requirement to suit your budget at rates of Rs 600 to over Rs 4,000 per sq. ft., with or without amenities like Club-house and Swimming pool, etc. Bungalows: At prices ranging from about Rs 50 lacs tc^over one crore, depending on size of the plot and the location. Commercial: Offices and shops as required. Bungaiow Plots: In different locations in town and within a radius of about 15 kms. A few plots of 5,000 sq. ft near the Race course in an open, green location, at the most reasonable rates available. 4' 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 CitiBank, Taj Premium, Visa & Master Cards. Write to: Minoo Bhathena BYSEL ESTATE 302 Devika Apt 2010 West Street Pune 411001 Tel: 650757t PROFESSIONS COVER STORY ¦ I I ¦ ¦ z*. a ¦¦IS ¦1 i ¦ r The Great Achiever Charman of Air-India and Indian Airlines, Russi Modv is testing his managerial skills in an alien environment Burjor K. Karanjia The image is larger than life. The * uv image 15 larger man lire. 1 he man, as opnosite extreme hv v r r' i often happens, is smaller - apparen ly S of S w \ back in 1939 on the modest salary of Rs lOOamonth, and over the years turningthe firm into the most successful and presti ­ gious one in the country. It shows him promoting a unique management style in which the employees and he were col ­ leagues working towards ---------- chief, J. R. D. Tata, praised him for pos ­ sessing “a matchless capacity for leader ­ ship ” which sentiment was echoed, at the way standing of labor. ” But the man appears, at first sight, to fall short of the i---- rotund, bespectacled, smiling, rather like an honest and successful stockbroker im ­ mersed in his own affairs than an outstan ­ ding leader of industry. But Z*l*an^ T rx long-time ences over 50 event-filled ennrh.mav;„„ ences over 50 event-filled, epoch-making years, the man grows before our unbeliev ­ ing eyes to fill the image and even to outgrow it. Appearances are deceptive, but they can be helpful, too, as young Russi Hormusji Mody discovered during his first foray into industrial relations. It so happened that 15 or 20 men working directly under him at not joined the recently formed MercaniWe Employees Union in Calcutta. An im- as we walk “I muttered something, ” recalls Mody, about the men wanting to show their appreciation for my sympathetic attitude to their problems and left it at that. ” But J. R. D. Tata, who knew a good thing when the o„V„ “ ^hfh^ wanting to show their to their problems and left it at that/ ’But 23 Parsiana May 1995 Itation, the anger subsided and they sat And he was proved resoundingly right. The company which thus far had been the last but one in productivity rating, reached he saw it, asked him whether he would be prepared to work in the newly formed down to talk to me. ” personnel department at Jamshedpur. Mody said he would. When could he start? To ­ morrow. It was smooth sailing till one afternoon, walking to his office after lunch, Mody saw that was never to be broken. The incident Plant at Kharagpur. Five million pieces an angry crowd surrounding his office, was revealing in other ways too. Mody ’s were targeted for production every month, shouting, gesticulating wildly and assault- stocky appearance belies his flamboyance Less than half were actually produced, ing the supervisors who were trying to - . — ~ Mody feels that at this crucial moment arapport was established between him and the top in less than two years. his workers that was to last for several decades thereafter and establish a bond TISCO took over the Metal Box Bearing that was never to be broken. The incident was revealing in other ways too. Mody ’s The same story repeated itself later after 1 “My workers had the right to call me ‘bloody fool,’ so long as I could also call them the same! of style yet, paradoxically, sustains it. The Characteristically, Mody went straight to common touch he exemplifies offers him immediate and easy access to his workers, so that to them he is one of them, in a they complained. position to represent and assert their com ­ mon will. This is in marked contrast to his mentor, the late J. R. D. Tata, who gave an appear ­ ance of aloofness, who was comfortable maintaining his distance. Mody, on the cannot possibly cope with the rising cost of other hand, looks the sort of man who, living. ” while able to hold his own among the classes, mingles easily with the masses. Not only mingles, but — the secret of his lutely inadequate. We are getting only Rs success? —derives his strength from them. Again and again he has shown that he has the common touch — the Midas touch of we are prepared to compromise on Rs 70 success — making the impossible pos- per month. ” sible. The case of the Tata collieries of which he was appointed deputy agent in 1955, comes to mind: suffering from lowproduc- shifting uneasily on their f^et. Mody began laughing. “Sir, this is a matter of life and death for us and you are laughing? ” But Mody was laughing at the pettiness '. of their demands. He told them that they would get their fish and meat. Their sala ­ ries would be reconsidered, and as for the leave travel concession, they would get not 70, not 80, but Rs 1,000. “Sir you are making fun of us! ” Mody shook his head. No, he was seri ­ ous. The atmosphere was electrified. “Look, the workers. “How can we produce what you want when our demands are not met? ” “Tell me, what are your demands? ” “We get fish twice a week. We want fish and meat. ” “Noted. What else? ” “Our rates of payment are low. We “Noted. What else? ” “Our leave travel concession is abso- 40 a month when we should get at least Rs 80. However, since the company is losing, “What elsq ’” There appeared to be nothing else. All the workers, fiery youngsters ’ fell silent. 4’^ }f quieten them. To this day Mody wonders tivity, the company was incurring a loss of why he was not dealt with in similar fash ­ ion. None of the workers knew who he was or what he was doing there. Very likely it was his appearance, a rather unconven ­ tional one in khaki shirt and shorts, that saved him. But let Mody describe it in his colliery, no electricity, a shortage of drink ­ own words in an interview he gave to Business India (January 1, 1994): “That cost — Rs 12 lakhs for new roads, Rs 23 was when I realized that all my education, lakhs for electricity, Rs 20 lakhs for pro ­ training and background at Harrow and viding water, adding up to the grand total Oxford was not going to be of any use in dealing with this situation. In broken Hindustani I began by asking those nearest to me what was the cause ofthe trouble and making out a strong case for providing whether I could be of some help. I felt that they would beat me up too. But to my amazement, they started telling me their grievances. I found myself naturally react ­ ing to them with sympathy. I asked them have agreed, ” comments Mody. Nobody again, in all innocence, whether they would but Mody, it is equally certain, would have behind his many achievements. Great men like to sit down so that we could have a hadthetemerity, provoked by the justness chat. To my great relief, after a little hesi- of his case, to have made such a demand. over Rs 50 lakhs per year. He sensed that the workers alone could lead him to the root cause of the poor performance, so he your demands total up to Rs 1 Vi lakhs. I am discussed the issue with them. They listed giving you Rs 1P/2 lakhs. ” The workers their grievances: no proper roads in the applauded. “But wait. I am giving you this . . _ ¦ . on two conditions :Pirst, absolute and com ­ ing water. In his mind Mody reckoned the plete discipline. And second, sincere ef ­ forts on your part to achieve the target of five lakh pieces. ” The workers agreed. Comments Mody: “And you know something, not only was the target met, but the company made crores of rupees after giving workers con ­ cessions amounting to only 1P/2 lakhs. So you see, in matters like this, the timing is of Rs 55 lakhs for a company that was incurring a loss of Rs 50 lakhs! Undeterred, he wrote to the chairman these facilities to the workers. And, to his surprise, the chairman wrote back within important, not what you do so much as 48 hours agreeing to his demands. “I am certain that nobody but Mr Tata would when.” The common touch! So uncommon in fact, and the single biggest factor are not all achievers. Russi Mody is a great achiever. 24 Parsiana May 1995I 1 I No holds barred i " ‘ We were interrupted by a phone call. I ment-labor meetings at departmental and guard, only half-listening to the questions ------------------- -' ” - ................................................ rated office on the 22nd floor of Air-India with all the supervisors every three months. ~ Our talks were free and frank. No holds barred. My workers had the right to call me ‘bloody fool, ’ so long as I could also call reason. I fostered and encouraged manage- and Mody ’s. They seemed to be on their looked around his spacious, tastefully deco- plant levels and held collective meetings put to them, half-thinking of the replies rated office on the 22nd floor of Air-India with all the supervisors every three months, they would give, choosing their words ever building. To the right, just across the wide Our talks were free and frank. No holds so carefully, so that a distance was estab ­ sweep of the bay, the early morning mist barred. My workers had the right to call me lished between them and me. Mody gave was rising above the dimly outlined build- ‘bloody fool, ’ so long as I could also call his total attention to the questions I put to ings at Walkeshwar. Almost exactly oppo- them the same! ” him, answered spontaneously and freely, site, to the left, was a large portrait of Mody . .. . . . _ dressed in a Maharajah ’s costume, turban, < _________ _____ _________________ * gold braiding and all, greeting JRD, suited Biju Patnaik threatened to take over the him for the first time, yet there and smiling. This photo was taken, the „„ tu^,. —n-j » - ¦ • • ¦ courteous and helpful press secretary Ashok worried JRD rang up Mody, requesting J , him to speak to the union and find out March 3, 1987. where they stood. Mody was able to assure The essence of Mody ’s work-style is to hischiefthatthe workers were lOOpercent _ __ with them. In fact, the Tata Workers Union The acid test of the workers ’ loyalty briefly and to the point, as if there was came in 1978 when George Fernandes and nothing whatsoever to hide. I was meeting company ’s zamindari as they called it. A Tomar informed me, on Founders ’ Day, : was an instant rapport. I felt he related totally to me. I understood, I sensed the spell he must exercise over those who work for and with him. As if to bear this out, union leader Gopal revealed an interesting fact. Till 1936 when maintain close and constant contact with his men. He recalls his very early days when, shifting heavy machinery on the factory floor, he would earn eight annas a day, later increased to 10 annas. When he took charge of the ferro-manganese plant in 1965, he invited all the 410 workers in batches of 50 at a time to his bungalow. He would keep open house on the ve ­ randah between 7 and 9 every morning: “Never had the workers seen the inside of a director ’s bungalow. I made them sit down and served them cold drinks. No one would touch his glass. For 15 minutes I couldn ’t get a word out of them. Then they all spoke together, making all sorts of _______________ waa»u.vuv demands. I went on sanctioning ... boots, limited to the nuts and bolts ofthe business helmets, all kinds of things for them, right All the social responsibilities that Tatas, as there on the spot. From the corner of my enlightened industrialists, had taken on eye I could see the manager almost col- like schools, health services, markets, parks lapsing because till then to get any of these and other civic amenities, Tatas continued small things they had to go through 15 different tiers before receiving sanction! ” Cutting through red tape was a continu ­ ous process. It would, however, not be fair to give all the credit for TISCO’s enviable record of harmonious industrial relations to Mody. After all, TISCO had a long history of enlightened management prior lopment came to a standstill till in des- to his joining — an eight-hour day, leave peration almost, Jamshedpur was ’returned with pay, accident compensation, provi- * ' dent fund, etc. There was also a three-tier consultative structure already installed. What then, I asked, was his specific contri ­ bution? •• I J **v*K.« * * 1 null IVU ^UUU Enlightened systems work. I was able withtheBiharministers. So whenithought . ¦ the time was ripe, I argued the case with _________ _ ..u.nani unce against them. Frankly, between you and me, the the management and workers changed their .nroufrh Rlnarffnvf‘rnmAnthorlr’Ar«/\«n,,4„-__ ____ e- . . ® -- ' • - —«________ nmvin 1 luO 1 red tape was to extract the maximum po- f ----- tential from the existing structure. Every responsibility. ” working day I visited a different depart ­ ment or office and met 20 to 50 people Exaggerated report‘d individually. I answered all their letters Having interviewed several ministers in- personally ; and whenever I had to say ‘no ’ ' " to a request, I made it a point to give the “My concept of management is to make people happy in the work they do and so get the best out of them” unanimously adopted a resolution oppos ­ ing the nationalization demand. Notwithstanding this, and in spite of TISCO’s pending appeal in the Supreme Court, the Bihar government took posses ­ sion of the township. An ironic situation arose. The government takeover was strictly like schools, health services, markets, parks to bear. Some takeover! Realization dawned on the Bihar gov ­ ernment, al belt dimly, that they had grabbed something they could not possibly handle. Conditions deteriorated. Squatting and encroachments blotted the once efficiently run, clean township. All the planned deve- to the company. JRD gave all the credit for this to Mody; “This would never have happened without Russi Mody. ” Mody himself was more modest: JI had maintained good relations the time was ripe, I argued the case with to rid the workers of their ingrained suspi ­ cion that the management was _ them. What I tried to do by cutting through Bihar government had i factory. They were relieved to be rid of the the union was weak, it was militant. Once 25 Parsiana May 1995 eluding a former Prime Minister, I noticed a striking difference between their style nornoney torun the confrontationist stance, the union became an association vital to the workers ’ inter ­ ests. Mody was shrewd enough to sense this. Not only did he not undermine the union in any way, he went all out to streng ­ then it. I asked him; “Is it true, or is it just part of the legend that grows around a man in I7 your position, that on yourbirthdays, 30,000 workers used to pour into your bungalow, profusely garland you and make you ride an elephant in triumphant procession through the streets of Jamshedpur? ” “The report is slightly exaggerated. There were not 30,000 workers, only 20,000. The rest is true, ” he said quietly. “So many qualities have been attributed to your success — inspiring your workers to think big, selecting the right people for the right job, delegating authority, getting to the heart of any problem, getting along with people, including Biharis which must have taken some doing. To which of these do you give the greatest importance? ” “Delegating authority, (Also) I feel strongly that in any undertaking the lowest of the low must get justice. I conveyed to the workers that the management was ob ­ jective. I convinced them. And I never allowed my interests or whims or preju ­ dices to stand in the way of my judgement. That, I think, was my major contribution. ” There was also a comprehensive mod ­ ernization program for which he claims no exclusive credit. It was a combined effort involving three stages, all successfully accomplished. Prior to Mody ’s retirement from TISCO, not quite voluntarily as it happened, he worked out a fairly success ­ ful voluntary retirement scheme. Mody was so involved with TISCO, the company was so much a part of his life that the thought of retiring at the fullness of his powers was anathema to him. But the world goes by rules. There was the retire ­ ment age factor, and there were younger Karanjia (left) interviewing Mody at the latter’s office in Bombay, Rashna Ardeshir and an Air-India official (All photos by Spectravision) “In TISCOI was not only head of the company, but head of the entire city of over a million people anathema to him. But the like JRD to support him, whereas now he has a minister hopelessly lost between the ghulam and azad in his name and a host of MPs who seem to take excessive umbrage at the off-the-cuff remarks Mody is wont to make, which are brutally frank, yet have humor and more than a grain of truth. If in TISCO he “rolled back the constraints, ” such as they were, now he has to learn to live with them. He is like the proverbial bull in the china shop — with this differ ­ ence that he has the capacity and the urge to replace the china shop with a magnifi ­ cent department store. “Running an industrial culture and run ­ ning a government department are two different things, ” declares Mody. “I can no more run a government department than a secretary can run a corporation. I cannot ff tarians, ministers, etc... “I have been able to make some im­ provement in the working of Indian Air ­ lines, which passengers have acknow ­ ledged. But the ministers are not happy with the thought that an outeider has been Sn the country. At the saine time, talking of responsible for these improvements. Many the public sector, he had once told the more such improvements ^e necessary Prime Minister that there wasn ’t a single without which —make no mistake about it — Air-India may have to close down and Indian Airlines cannot hope to flourish. In men waiting in the wings. There was some unpleasantness and a lot of recrimination that, with a little tact, could have been avoided. But nothing can dim the bril ­ liance of his contribution to TISCO. And people waiting to write finis to his career ----- , - were soon going to be disappointed. For break or change the system. Ifl try to break Mody was invited by the Prime Minister to the system, my head will break. Every- take up the chairmanship of the ailing Air- thing has to be solved within the system. In India and Indian Airlines. Mody accepted, an industrial culture whatever I said was This chairmanship is, however, a far cry done. Now I have to deal with the manag- from TISCO’s. I could not help recalling ing director, the board of directors, the Bal Thackeray quipping, at the Damania secretary, the joint secretary, parliamen- Airlines ’ anniversary function when the airline was suspended for some infringe ­ ment, that airlines in India face two haz ­ ards — air pockets and ministers ’ pockets. Mody agreed that corruption was at the root of almost everything that was wrong i_________- - the public sector, he had once told the more such improvements ^e necessary > «. *1 __• i.1___ X __ .L> 1 nlzn M zx v-Ma cttnlz'A 1 ? public sector undertaking that, given the chance, would not become profitable. He had added, however, that “under the present Tata ’s things were much better. JRD en- system there wasn ’t a chance in hell that couraged me and gave me a free hand, this would happen. ” Mody has certain ideas like avoiding Mody ’s experience so far with the air- duplication in routes and resources, merg- lines bears out that much is wrong with the ing the two airlines and giving employees lines. Effecting these and other improve ­ ments is, however, going to be an uphill task. At the same type, by refusing to be provoked into resigning by the minister ’s reprimand for his remarks (like calling Air-India the world ’s third-worst airline and so on), and by his dignified and mature response, putting his remarks in their proper context, Mody has emerged the bigger of the two men. He also recognizes that he cannot afford to betray the trust that the thousands who travel by these two airlines have reposed in him. As for the obstacles in his path, well might Mody echo the sentiments of the poetRobertBrowning: “Iwaseverafighter, so one fight more, the best and the last... ” But to return to TISCO with which Mody ’s name will always remain linked. * system there wasn ’t a chance in hell that ... *5 Mody ’s experience so far with the air ­ system. In TISCO he had a towering figure a 20 percent equity stake in both the air- 26 Parsiana May 1995He saw his responsibilities as reaching far tamer s sense of humor, I asked him if he an abiding faith in God. “I believe in a beyond ranning the company: ‘We had a could recall any anecdotes about his father. Supreme Being who regulates my life be- company, but head of an entire city of over ding over a lecture by the late journalist D. amillion people. I tried to make life worth- - ” • father ’s sense of humor, I asked him if he i could recall any anecdotes about his father. Supreme Being who regulates my life be- jog his memory I recalled Sir Homi presi- . Karaka to the Progressive Group of day before an important meeting or at ~ Bo^ ’bay . Karaka was supposed to have an crucial interviews I murmur the two prayers eye for pretty women, and he had just Ashem Vohu and YathaAhuVairyo for His written a book entitled / Go West. So Sir blessings. I don ’t believe in superstitions Homi began his introduction with the words, “Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you my good friend, Dosu Karaka, author of / Go Mae West..." Mody recalled an occasion when he * absolutely. I never go to bed without a prayer on my lips. Several times during the . 5 . - - t make them feel that they belonged to a eye for pretty women, and he had just Ashem VohuQ.nA fam^Tvblessings. I don ’t believe in su^rstitions warnin ’’wher^ ’m luich ^’"’" live it over agah,Xt^h?ng^^^^^^ nrL T e wnere 1 m lunchme. Pon.s was mn. ri,»c;,.z>9 ” When I referred to recent trends in management, scientific management fol ­ lowed by value-based management and __ on, Mody brushed the idea aside; ‘‘Don ’t talk to me about this or that type of man ­ agement. I have never read a book on m»agemen.. Myconcep. of management today ’a; IS to make people happy in the work they - do and so get the best out of them. Two Biblical injunctions have guided r throughout my career, ‘Do unto others you would have them do unto ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself. ” Referring to his extravagant lifestyle I asked whether he would agree that such a style would be inconceivable except within the Tata tradition. “Of course I agree. But let me tell you so where I m lunching. ’ Pops was quite con ­ cerned. ‘Is that so? ’ he asked with a serious face. ‘Yes, ’ I replied. ‘I still don ’t know whether I am lunching at the Savoy Grill or Claridges... ’” Mody considers himselfan Indian rather I have found^^ulfiUment desire? ” “I would not like my life to be changed even by an iota if given the chance to live it again. I have done my best in whatever I have taken up and a man can do than a Parsi. It is deplorable that in India God has been ....... ‘ J m a recent speech to the Rotary Club of Bombay: “We have millions of Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, and so on; we have millions of Bengalis, Biharis, so on; we have millions of Brahmins, Kayasthas, Rajputs, Backward Classes, Forward Classes, OBCs (other backward castes); but we can ’t find an Indian. Where is the Indian? ” no more, beyond riches, very good to me and His blessing has sustained me. ” me miiuus, vnnsuans, sikhs, and so on; we s as have millions of Bengalis, Biharis you ’ and Punjabis, Gujaratis, Maharashtrians, and so on; we have millions of Brahmins, Kayasthas, Rajputs, Backward Classes, Forward Classes, OBCs (other backward castes); but we can ’t find an Indian. Where plane, etc, etc, etc. Let me tell you some ­ thing else. I am not a hypocrite. I enjoyed this lifestyle, lived it up to the hilt — as long as it lasted. I cannot afford it now. No life to which they'arrenfitled" more private planes and homes abroad for " ~ me. But I have taught myself not to miss these things. I have no time to look back to the past. I live for the future. ” In the evening of his life Mody counts away to doomsday. Our multiplying num ­ bers negate all the advances the country is making in scientific, economic and other fields. It^denies our people the quality of For five years Mody acted as president of the Parsi Association at Jamshedpur. He stoutly denies that today ’s Parsis have lost He has great faith in young Parsi men and present and the the pioneering spirit of their forefathers. **fekind„ffamilylifefhad^^othing^^he today, as he didL yeiJs ago itai ~on,dn„.askforsea.reserv^a.i„ns. gances, but there was no ill will in his nature. ” Since he has obviously inherited his lieves today, as he did six years ago, that but rely on the talent they have in abun ­ dance. Mody may not observe rituals, but con ­ fesses to being a deeply religious man with 29 Parsiana May 1995 B. K. Karanjia, veteran journalist, editor and author, and former chairman of the Film Finance Corporatidh (which grew into the National Film Development Corporation), is currently chronicling the Godrej story. > Always remember TATA BATA KHAMBATA Ketayun & Bomi ^¦^J22/A,Wellington Terrace Wellington Street Bombay 400002 Tel No. 20^9636, 2057242 MATRIMONIAL Parents invite correspondenee from a well settled, educated, smart boy either professional^usinessman, up to 34 years, from a cultured, respectahig family, for their graduate and’intelligent daughter, a'ged 27, fair complexioned and 5’1” tall. Please apply with details and a recent photograph (returnable) to: The Advertiser Parsiana, Matrimonial (May/23-95)* GPO Box 892, Bombay 400001 Please make sure the reply envelope bears the reference number cited here. a IPOLITICS AND POLICY A gentlemanly election Despite a close contest CER’s Dadi Engineer won the BPP trusteeship election I Arnavaz S. Mama .... ww > I in «• It was expected to be a close race. CER (Committee for Economic Revival) presi ­ dent and its candidate for trusteeship Dadi Engineer, noted solicitor, avid Rotarian and president of the WZO (World Zoroas ­ trian Organisation) India, was the first to file in his nomination for the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trusteeship seat vacated Overseeing the arrangements was Rus- Mehta, noting, ‘•This is a real victory for by Jamsheed Kanga two years after his tom Hormazdiar as the president of the Dinshaw Mehta. ” reelection in March 1993. As Rustom election, aided by scrutineers Ms Homai Mehta, joint honorary secretary of the Tirandaz, municipal counciUor honed in Modi and Rusi Bhumgara, and the Pun- CER, has been an indefatigable worker city politics for 27 years, joined the fray, chayet staff. Over a hundred voters had to and strategist whose energy and drive have the balance was evened. Homeopath Dr be furnished duplicate certificates before served the CER again and again. However. Viraf Kapadia, the third candidate, was no match for the heavyweights. Prior to Kanga ’s resignation the CER by a margin of 88 votes, getting 467 to dominated the BPP board by a majority of Tirandaz ’s 379. Kapadia earned nine votes and nine were invalid. The CER, tittering datQ as Engineer had agreed to stand. on the brink of Mehta filed in his nomination just before the deadline closed and Engineer with ­ drew in his favor, enabling Mehta to as ­ sume trusteeship unopposed.) Engineer was repeatedly questioned on the issue and matter-of- though he explained away his earlier with ­ drawal on the basis ofbther commitments, the CER was far from sanguine about the of the current Anjuman Committee (AC) total of 1,534, comprising 744 donors and 790 elected members (70 members of the AC have deceased since it was last con ­ stituted in 1992). Of those who voted, 341 were donors and the rest, elected mem ­ bers. Overseeing the arrangements was Rus ­ tom Hormazdiar as the president of the election, aided by scrutineers Ms Homai Modi and Rusi Bhumgara, and the Pun- The victor: promises to keep The three contestants ( below from left) Engineer, Kapadia and Tirandaz < five to two and BPP watchers were won ­ dering if the tide would turn against the CER to un ­ dermine the chan ­ ces of Engineer, a self-professed or ­ thodox in reli ­ gious matters. As it turned out, the two candidates see- ’ / med to run un- be furnished duplicate certificates before served the CER again and again. However, ' ’ ' • so-caijed backdoor entry onto the BPP board on Homi Ranina ’s retirement in July 1994 had upset many community stal ­ warts. (No other group nominated a candi- they could vote. At the final count Engineer was elected 4' * celebration since Tirandaz erged a half hour earlier to anno ­ unce factly that in his estimate Engi ­ neer was leading electoral results, by 100 votes, could openly ju- , bilate after the comfortably close official anno- through the mor- uncement at 7.15 ning of July 8, p.m., made not by 1995 if the prospective electors registering the BPP chairman as in former years, but with the respective supporters in the portico by a staff member, of the J. J. School were any indication. Two hundred votes were cast by noon and 567 more by 4 p.m. The final hour saw 100 more voters filing in (at least two arrived after the gates closed promptly at 5 p.m. and turned away disappointed) to make a total of 867 votes cast — over 56 percent em- Engineer, who addressed his meetings largely in Gujarati, had been campaigning on a program which included division of responsibility for the BPP’s colonies among the seven trustees, “running the BPP as you would a corporation ” with targets and incentives, including young people on the staff, providing legal aid services forZoro- It began with the presentation of a single astrians, revamping the outdated objec- rose to Engineer, followed by a garland fives of trusts within and without the BPP which he whipped off to place, with a hug, through meetings with trustees of parallel trusts to avoid duplication, increase in the dole amounts which remain pegged to their 1983 levels. Again and again he had reassured his listeners that he would give on BPP trustee Ms Silloo Kavarana ’s frail shoulders as “the person most responsible ” for his victory. Kavarana herself trans ­ ferred the credit to fellow trustee Dinshaw 30 Parsiana May 1995( up other work to provide time for BPP the highest personal integrity, not merely change. ” Tirandaz ’s harping on adult fran- activities. At a joint meeting of the three respected but revered. They made sure that contenders hosted by the Khareghat Colony the community remained united. Thereaf- and Aderbad Group on July 1, Engineer ter they were entrusted with the wills of directly for trustee (see What price adult was pointedly asked, “Will you resign people. Parsis were builders of men, not franchise? ”) and may have contributed to from the CER on election? ” “Immedi ­ ately, ” Engineer had responded. Tirandaz ’s main plank was adult fran ­ chise for Parsis in the choice of BPP trus ­ tees, concentrating on their role as akabars to espouse the creation of an arbitration cell within the BPP: “Three hundred years ago the BPP began as an arbitration cell to sort out disputes between two groups of warring Parsis...It contained people of people. Parsis were builders of men, not donors of doles. Over time we lost that his defeat, great objective...If the family court can , According to Tirandaz ’s manifesto, come into being, then an arbitration cell of “One of the reasons for the unpopularity of the BPP would get the support of the High the Parsi Punchayet is the lack of public Court. ” Describing himselfas “a harbinger relations and transparency. Whether it is of change, ” Tirandaz noted, “When things accounts or allotment of houses, why should are not going right I do everything in my power to upset the system so that there ’s (L to R) Mehta and BPP chief executives Rustom Anklesaria (retd) and Behram Lashkari (incumbent) Top: J. J. School building houses the BPP; the seclusion of the ballot boxes Below: Candidates with their spouses Silloo Engineer (left) and Armaity Tirandaz; Pali Master of the Athoman Mandal after casting his vote chise may have turned off some F (donor) register voters who value their right to vote the Punchayet, as a public charitable trust, be so secretive? ” he asked. He also noted in his manifesto that “the bane of the community is lack of motivation. Trustees are generally seen as an uninspiring, undynamic and passive group of men and women sitting in ivory towers. I would like to change this concept. The Punchayet not only requires a face-lift but complete re ­ constructive surgery. ” At the Khareghat Colony meeting he promised “to the best of my available knowledge and be ­ lief...never to bring my ego into any ­ thing...In an issue of who comes first, it’ll always be the community...I ’m standing 15 years after (ex BPP trustee) Dr Nelie Noble first asked, me to stand because BPP trusteeship is not a badge to we^but a cross to bear. ” Tirandaz had also emphasized, “I have been avail ­ able to every Zoroastrian at all times. ” Engineer ’s manifesto, pub ­ lished in the Jam-e-Jamshed a week after Tirandaz ’s, though long on words was low key. A senior partner in Crawford Bayley — a leading solicitors ’ firm — Engineer is said to have had much interaction with various trade and industrial organizations like the Indian Merchants ’ Chamber, The Associated Chambers of Commerce, and Industry, etc. He claims the field of excise duties as his area of specialization. He now noted that these commercial contacts could be availed of in community interests. Known to be a peaceable, witty individual with an aptitude for interpolating a timely joke to disperse tension, his manifesto speaks of the need for a closer homogeneity in the working of trustees: “I could try to harmonize diver ­ gent views and suggest practical solutions. ” He is committed to promoting “optimum utilization of existing housing facilities by the BPP” i.e. officially permitting the sharing of underoccupied flats. Both the youth and the aged find men ­ tion in Engineer ’s manifesto: “I would try to see to it that the necessary expertise and * Iinfrastructure is made available to the youth tau bi nathi thatu (Your own trustees are in of our community with a view to see that they are self-employed. The problem of keso ke ‘me try kidhu pun nahi thayu (You drug abuse among our youth (in his ad ­ dresses, Engineer estimated 500-600 Parsi youths on drugs) is another serious prob ­ lem to which I could address myself. ” There is however no policy on the aged spelt out in the manifesto except that he “would like the BPP to tackle the various problems of the aged on a war footing. ” Engineer ’s legal base is best illustrated by his statement on adult franchise: “A fresh attempt could be made to introduce adult franchise (for which I stand) at the same get the gate done, I could do it in three time protecting the rights of the donors and months. But the BPP does not want it.” providing adequate safeguards against mis ­ use of this system of voting! ” Engineer, whose nomination was pro ­ posed by solicitor Rusi Sethna and sec ­ onded by businessman Zal Contractor, was supported in the Press by such heavy ­ weights as legal luminary Nani Palkhivala, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and indus ­ trialist Ratan Tata. Likewise, Tirandaz ’s candidature had been proposed by tax con ­ sultant Paeterasp Patel and seconded by Khshnoomist scholar Adi Doctor. He was capitalized and the interest used for the supported by former member of the Mi- general betterment of the Baug. Nothing norities Commission Homi Taleyarkhan and most of the orthodox camp such as Ms Perviz Dotiwalla, Ms Mithu Petit, Cowasji undertaken by the tenants who still pay a the chair, yet nothing gets done). ’ Tame bi lowly Rs 27 as rent and the pending court cases against unauthorized residents of some of the flats. A couple — Banoo and Jamshed Gandhi — seized the opportunity to plead their case. According to the Gandhis they had stayed with a single old man who subsequently died and the BPP has served them with an eviction notice ( will also say,T tried but didn ’t succeed). I’m sorry. ’ Mr Poncha has said this since the past two years. There ’s no follow-up. What can we say to our cotenants? Maru bi monu nicchu thai jase. Mane bi lagech ke CER ma rahi ne sufayedo (I will also lose face. I also feel, what ’s the purpose of despite their efforts to settle with the BPP. supporting the CER)?” Engineer, who promised to attend board Acknowledged Fali Poncha, “There are meetings of the BPP “100 percent, ” and no excuses. No doubt it’s (due to) lack of noted that “trustees must be easily ac- commitment. If the Punchayet told me to Grumbled Mehta, “They don ’t tell us, don ’t call us. (BPP chairman) Jimmy Guzder and Kanga wouldn ’t let us get into the Wadia Trust. ” (Only the three senior trustees are on the WT.) As there was no way to use the ESI (floor space index) released by the munici ­ pality at Nowroz Baug itself, the FSI was coverted into a TDR (transfer of develop ­ ment rights) certificate and sold for two crore rupees. The money was to be * is the stepchild treatment it receives at the hands of the WT in comparison to Cusrow has been done so far and, it was stated, only a small fraction of the amount has actually come in. A continuing source of dis- Dinshaw (Adenwalla), Hoshang Vania, satisfation with the Nowroz Baug residents Top: Triumphal hoisting Ervad Pervez Bajan, among others. '' The voter turnout was a substantial improvement on the numbers attending Baug which is immaculately maintained, the electoral meets that the candidates had That the CER trustees, despite their addressed. When Engineer met the Nowroz preponderance on the BPP board, had been Baug representatives at the LalbaugAgiary unable or uninterested in encashing their (about 35 individuals) this so-called CER promises to the voters, was viewed as a stronghold took the party to task. Frus- betrayal, trated by years of assurances regarding i building repairs and rebuilding of the gate vading the relationship between the BPP that was demolished when the municipa- and the WT which is ostensibly one of the lity widened the road outside more than Punchayet ’s 18 subcommittees but isdomi- seven years ago, the voters demanded to know the reason behind the inaction. For example, when Mehta, who shared the the CER doing for Nowroz Baug? ” Party podium with Engineer, tried to explain bigwigs were also asked why the CER summon a meeting of its support ­ ers on the AC before filing the trusteeship nomination: “A meeting should have been called... asked for nominations. Had the Second row: Addressing voters at the Khareghat Hall and the Engineers with Kavarana Third row: Nadir Modi and (right) a determined voter Bottom: Candidates’supporters straddle the entrance; WZO’s Dinshaw Tamboli (left) and CER's Kersi Limathwalla: Stepping away from the politics per- Atwre trusteeship candidates? and nated by Neville and Nusli Wadia, the voters faced the party directly: “What is that the BPP had been unable to coordinate with the Wadia Trust (WT), he was asked pointedly, “Won ’t this continue even when Mr Engineer comes in? ” Engineer: “I have rapport with the Wadias. ” (trusteeship candidate been selected) by ................- ... ¦ (2!ER members, there would have been no need for Dadi Engineer to go everywhere. ” At Captain Colony the meeting started Heckler: “Mr Kanga also had rapport with Wadia! ” Cyrus Bhayya, an AC member from Nowroz Baug noted how Kanga had said at 25 minutes late with barely 16 individuals the time of his reelection that work on the gate would commence in 15 days. “Noth ­ ing happened, ” continued Bhayya. “Ten ­ ants say, ‘ Tamaraj trusteeo bethela che in the audience although Guzder and Kavarana also attended. Among the issues there was the payment of the Punchayet ’s share in building repairs which had been 32 Parsiana May 1995 Guzder with community members 1L'-i- "If I do not spare the time you may demand my resignation after one year" ilH • I ¦ ¦ ’sxT 33 Parsiana May 1995 cessible...it is the birthright of every Parsi to at least get a reply (from the Puncha ­ yet), ” told the voters, “If I do not spare the time you may demand my resignation after one year. ” He also said that he would welcome “public criticism and public chas ­ tisement ” if he failed to live up to his promises. In answer to CER members who demanded accountability (“CER trustees should be accountable to the CER,” de ­ manded Soli Shastri of Nowroz Baug) Engineer volunteered to report to his elec ­ torate at the end of three months. He told his Nowroz Baug audience, “Don ’tcall me I as chief guest like Tirandaz. I’ll turn up on I my own. ” ! Well-known lawyer Nadir Modi who chaired the Khareghat Colony meet on July 1, had charged the electorate to know their candidates, “look at the track record, look for the reality behind the words : people don ’t change overnight...If change is needed who is likely to bring about change? Who has the initiative, courage, ideas? ” “By and large. Parsis are gentlemen, ” Modi had noted. Compared to earlier occa ­ sions there was noobvious mud-slinging apart from xerox copies of an unwhole ­ some report in a publication called Bombay Eye casting aspersions on M^ta which had been circulated to some voters with the caption “Will you now vote CER.” The CER was equipped with handbills denying the propaganda and stating that “Mehta is about to serve a defamation notice against the newspaper. Tirandaz denied having had anything to do with the report or its dissemination. Similarly, there was an al ­ legation against Tirandaz regarding a deal about a flat which he firmly disavowed; nor was it taken seriously by the electorate. On another ground Tirandaz was ada ­ mant. I 11 fight each and every election until I break the systerruand win — or I bring in adult franchise, ” he promised, even as a victorious but subdued Engineer and some of his CER supporters left for the agiary before attending a dinner hosted by Contractor who invited all those about to disperse, including the defeated candi ­ dates who very sportingly joined in the victory celebration. It was, after all, a gentlemanly election. What price adult franchise? The Anjuman Committee (AC), as consti ­ tuted by the Bombay High Court in 1908 to elect trustees, comprised 100 elected mem ­ bers and all those who had contributed Rs 5,000 or more to the Punchayet ’s funds in a single donation. By the early 1980s it an established concept that the AC * in was com- I «i i between 1987 and 1991 (the donor register was suspended between 1985 and 1987) Trust. ” Indeed, Suresh tried to confine the bur ­ geoning AC (by then more than 1,500 and, prospectively, those who gifted Rs 15,000 and more. However the right of new donors to vote for trustee could be prised of such donors and an equal number of members elected once in seven years. However, at trusteeship elections there had been cries of foul play as it was alleged strong) to a total of 200 members — 100 that last minute donors beefed up the donor elected by the community plus 100 com- register in the interests of a particular prising elected representatives of donors exercised only after a minimum morato- candidate with “money power. ” who had gifted between Rs 5,000 and Rs rium of five years or the next AC election which would equate the number of elected members to that of the donors. By this proviso the original complaint of disparity between the donor and elected registers of the AC had been addressed. who had gifted between Rs 5,000 and Rs In the aftermath of the 1984 election of 49,999, and all those who had contributed Homi Ranina the BPP agreed to file an amended scheme before the High Court by March 1985 (the price it paid to be allowed to proceed with the election). A variety of affidavits and ideas were submitted by be maintained. But the number has out- community members, including direct grown to such an extent... it is necessary adult franchise proposed by COVP (Council that this number be reduced so as to make Of Vigilant Parsis) stalwart B. K. Mistry it a feasible proposition. ” who was represented in court by K. N. Dastur. Rejecting adult franchise as inap ­ plicable in this case. Justice Hosbet Suresh had opined in his oral judgement, “In all matters of Trust...the manage ­ ment. . .ultimately depends upon the persons who take an active interest in the day-to- day management of the Trust. It is not a question of one ’s popularity in the com ­ munity as a whole; it is essentially a question of having proper personnel, the Bombay High Court restoring the di ­ efficient and active who ultimately desire to take the responsibility for managing the Rs 50,000 or more. The judge observed, “The principle of parity has been recog ­ nized in this institution for a long time and I think the principle of parity will have to The new scheme was challenged by four donor members who argued that “the vested right of any donor cannot be taken away without the specific consent of the donor. ” The old scheme was described as “a unique fund raising scheme (whose) chief aim was to create a continuous source of money. ” The protracted litigation ended on De ­ cember 17, 1991 with the appeal bench of rect right to vote of all pre- 1985 donors of Rs 5,0(X), those who donated Rs 7,500 MATRIMONIAL Handsome Baroda based Parsi gentleman, aged 40 years,6’, fair, from a respectable family, earning a good salary seeks matrimonial alliance from educated,home-loving, working/ non-wroking girls. Apply with photograph returnable to: The Advertiser Parsiana, Matrimonial (May/22-95)* GPO Box 892, Bombay 400001 ‘Please make sure the reply envelope bears the reference number cited here. s MATCH YOUR AMBITION TO A CAREER To do so we offer you: Diploma Course in Business Management (Postal) (IMC) Executive Secretarial Course Private Secretarial Course ? Personal Assistant’s Programme (Working Stenographers) Shorthand & Typewriting (English/Hindi/Marathi) Telephone Operating & Receptionist Techniques <> Electronic Telex Operating O Electronic Typewriting & Word Processing O English Conversation & Writing Skills LATEST ADDITION: COMPUTERS * /, / Enquire at: Sir J. J. College of Commerce 14, Nanabhoy Lane, Hutatma Chowk Bombay 400001 Tel: 2871058 34 Parsiana May 1995SPORTS “It’s either them or me. Somebody has to lose. And fortunately for me I was winning always, ” says 10 times national judo cham ­ pion Cawas Kersasp Billimoria who in August last was conferred the Arjuna Award, the highest award for sports in India which earns the recipient a trophy, a citation and a cash gift of Rs 50,000. “It ¦ was a crowded hall at the Rashtrapati Bhavan with the best of sports talent in the country assembled, but what made us feel more proud was the presence of the Presi ­ dent of India, Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, at whose hands the Arjuna Award was pre ­ sented to us, ” says Billimoria. The secret of his triumph, reveals the six-foot-four-inch-tall Billimoria is “the way I think. After I win a particular com ­ petition I don ’t sit and bask in its glory because I know that I was the champi ­ on only for that particular moment. If I were to fight somebody the next minute I might lose. So I always start thinking of how to get prepared for the next tournament. “The most important thing in judo is 100 percent concentration, ” believes Billi ­ moria narrating his recent experience at Ae 1994 National Games at Pune. He was just seconds away from winning the Games title when he lost his concentration for a fraction of a second as he avoided giving his opponent a big point. His shoulder dislocated, he had to concede the bout and be satisfied with a silver. “Such injuries do occur during competition and they are part and parcel of the game, ” states Billimoria who has not yet recovered from that injury, f. events too Billimoria he won^a bronze medal at the i Korea, and a silver at the Com- r- ... - - at Cardiff, Wales. One of the most exciting moments of his life, recollects Billimoria adjusting his specs, was when he,along with athlete Hirji Nagarwalla, entered the Asian Games Talent Contest after halfan hour ’s practice. “This competition was open for the participants of the Asian Games. Alongside Hirji on the keyboard, I sang, and we picked up the first place, ” he recollects the event f t ) ¦i i i ( ¦ ¦ f J ¦I Ten times title a fraction of a second as he avoided giving his opponent a big point. His shoulder dislocated, he had to concede the bout and be satisfied with a silver. “Such injuries do occur during competition and they are part and parcel of the game, ” states Billimoria who has not yet recovered from that injury. At international events too Billimoria has brought credit to the country : he won a bronze medal at the HfH Asian Games at Seoul, South Korea, and a silver at the Com- monwealth Judo Championshin 1 Aspi Ustad Cawas Billimoria's dedication to judo earned him the Arjuna Award recently recollects Billimoria adjusting where for the first time in his life he sang in public. Ever since his major break in 1984 when he won the National gold for the first time, he had been winning the same title year after year till 1993. “To win the nationals for such a long period is no mean joke, remarks Billimoria. “I train in Bom ­ bay by doing all sorts of exercises like jogging, cycling, weights, swimming. No judo as I don ’t have a sparring partner '*** available in my weight category, ” he in ­ forms. Billimoria was first drawn to judo in 1975 when,as a ninth standard student at St Mary ’s ICSE, he was taken by his uncle to watch ajudo demonstration given by Parvez Mistry. He then decided to learn judo, not as a sport but as an exercise to keep physicially fit and as an art of self-defence. The first time he participated in a compe ­ tition was in 1979 when he struck gold at the Bombay City Championship. This qualified him to represent Bombay in the Maharashtra State Championship where he could manage a silver ns^dal. In 1981 he represented his state, Maharashtra, for the first time at the Judo Nationals but lost in the preliminary round as he was choked by ' - his opponent, Billimoria recounts in brief. This did not deter him. In fact, the follow ­ ing year he won a silver medal at the Nationals held at Delhi in the open weight category. He was able to repeat the same feat in the 1983 nationals at Bangalore Thereafter it was all golds. Along the way the judoka has received support from his family: his parents Kersasp and Persis and an understanding wife Tanaz who gladly looks after their son Karl when tawas is preoccupied ¦K with his sport. While judo is Billimoria ’s mainstay, he is also into sumo wrestling, playing the harmonica and keeping pet snakes which he lists as his hobbies. An employee of The Tata Iron and Steel Company Limited, Billimoria is grateful to his g|g| employers who have “always sup- ported and encouraged me by |HB granting me leave and at times HH Billimoria receiving the Arjuna |H| award from Dr Shankar Dayal HHH Sharma award from Dr Shankar Dayal 37 Parsiana May 1995 IL have foot my bill too. ” Others to whom he is beholden are “our Maharaja — Air ­ India which have given me free passage several times, andafew of our Parsi trusts... “As responsible members of an enlight- I : • With best wishes from Farah & Tanya 38 Parsiana May 1995 ened community we should institute such awards, parallel to the Arjuna Award to be given to sportsmen and women of our community who have devoted their life to sports and brought glory to the country and the community by their achievements. This would further encourage youngsters to take up sports as a career, ” opines Billimoria. Now officiating as a referee at national and international meets, 32-year-old Billi ­ moria is keen to promote another genera ­ tion of judokas who would be the future flagbearers of India. Presently he serves as a government representative on the na ­ tional selection committee, runs his own judo classes at the National Sports Club of India (NSCI) and is engaged as judo in ­ structor at different schools in Bombay like the Sir J. J. School at Fort and the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Parsi Charitable In ­ stitution (BJPC). When asked whether he would like to train a couple of Parsi youngsters, he re ­ plies in the affirmative saying, “I would be more than happy to see a youngster come up, irrespective of whether he breaks my record... ” BOYS’ TOWN Public School Nasik 2 Recognised as a Public School by the Department of Educa ­ tion for Indian Merit Scholars. Excellent Climate — All- round Education. A new two-storeyed donnitory with attached bathrooms, study and lounge rooms has just been completed to house 180 boys. * All Academic Subjects — Technical Subjects: 3Vork- shop Technology, Mechanical & Electrical Maintenance, Carpentery & Farming. Train ­ ing in Self-Government through Elected Boys ’ Office bearers. Games — Physical Training — Daily Assembly with Congregational Prayers - Weekly intensive Zoroas ­ trian —Geeta —Koran classes - Excellent Modern Kitchen and Dining Room facilities. Moderate Fees. Concessions to Deserving Students. Apply to THE MANAGING TRUSTEE P. N. MEHTA EDUCATION TRUST Cooks Building 324, Dr D. N. Road Bombay 400001 I if F *MILESTONES i The age of Zoroastrian brides — as listed in this issue — ranged between 19 and 41 years, the arith­ metic mean (the total number of individual ages divided by the total number of brides) being 28 years. The corresponding figures for the grooms were 23 and 51 years, ave­ raging at 32 years. As compared to 12 births in Bombay in May there were 83 deaths. Twenty-four Zoroastrians fell prey to heart disease. Among these 19 were 80 years and above. The other major killer was pneu­ monia and lung disease claiming 14 lives. Old age and general debi­ lity took a toll of nine victims whereas four deaths each were attributed to brain disease and cancer and three to liver disease. Two patients each succumbed to uremia, Parkinson’s disease, diabe­ tes, hypertension, kidney failure and tuberculosis. Cerebral malaria, urinary infection, bronchitis, hypopituitarism (pituitary gland insufficiency), hemangioma (a malformation of blood vessels which may occur in any part of the body), malaria, nervous disorder, asthma, septicemia, gastrointestinal bleeding and atherosclerosis were some of the isolated cases registered in May. Apart from a stillborn baby that was lost to the community, there was a case of stabbing and one BOMBAY Born A boy to Zeena and Kurush Cooper on May 2, 1995 A boy to Yasmin and Afsad Motashaw; May 3 A girl to Roshni and Cyrus Taraporewala; May 5 A boy to Meher and Atul Ursekar; May 9 A boy to Firuza and Hoshedar Elavia; May 12 A girl to Rosfmi and Percy Lakdawala; May 15 A girl to Arnaz and Jamshed Antia; May 20 A girl to Rukhshana and Marazban Taraporewalla; May 23 A girl to Yasmina and Kersi Avari; May 24 A boy to Shernawaz and Kekobad Batliwala, brother to Huzwak; May 26 death due to a vehicular accident. The eldest to breathe her last was a 103-year-old lady as compared to the youngest to die: a 46-year- old lady. The Zoroastrian life expectancy at birth for May in Bombay was 78 years. The data on births, marriages and deaths has been compiled from information supplied by various newsletters and anjumans in India and abroad, courts and hospitals. We are unable to carry data from areas where the anjumans do not furnish the particulars. This infor­ mation is not always complete or consistent. For example, the birth figures for Bombay are supplied by four hospitals; births in subur­ ban hospitals and private nursing homes are not included unless individuals send us information together with a copy of the birth certificate. There may be an inad­ vertent repetition of names in the marriage list when a civil marriage precedes a religious ceremony. In the breakup of deaths according to illnesses, especially of the elderly, death is often due to a combination of several diseases. If readers have any births/mar- riages/deaths they would like pub­ lished, some proof to ensure the veracity of the report would be required. We are sure our readers would appreciate this requirement and cooperate with us. A girl to Tanaj and Rohinton Contractor; May 29 A boy to Bakhtawar and Jimmy Godrej; May 31 Married Jennifer Rusi Canteenwalla and Jimmy Erach Dadrewalla; April 25 Yasmin Navroji Kharas and Soli Bhikhaji Kodia; May 2 Shernaz Sam Sethna of Deolali and Dosabhai Rusi Medhora; May 2 Parveen Aspandiar Irani and Cyrus Minocher Guzdet; May 5 Zarin Nash Mehta and Behram Nariman Rabadi; May 5 Shernaz Pesi Ravji and Cyrus Rohinton Shroff, May 5 Khurshid Noshir Batliwalla and Vispi Phiroze Palkhiwalla of Goregoan; May 6 Khorshed Jamshed Lelinwalla and Homiyar Maneck Mehta; May 7 Armin Shavakshah Dalal of Bulsar and Kaizad Darayes Patel of Bulsar; May 7 Faryal Kersi Parabia of Navsari and Cyrus Tehmatan Wadia; May 7 Huzan Farrokh Mehta of Thane and Percy Kersy Mowdawalla; May 8 Ruzeen Noshir Mistry and Kershi Dara Daruwala; May 9 Gulshan Mehli Irani and Mhernoos Rattan Bhesania; May 12 Farida Yezdi Kotwal and Mehernosh Minoo Billimoria; May 13 Hilda Maneck Driver and Jesper Rusi Dolasha; May 13 Pouruchisti Hoshang Driver and Cawas Keki Dubash; May 14 Afried Fall Khambatta and Furrokh Doshabhoy Kamdin; May 14 Armin Behram Vandrevala and Kersasp Rustomji Wadia; May 14 Pervin Jehangir Siganporia and Hoshang Furdoon Variava; May 15 Parvin Noshir Patel and Homiyar Sam Aibada of Thane; May 16 Shiraz Bahadur Bhagwager and Hoshang Erach Dastur; May 16 Gospi Jal Suratia and Firdosh Rusi Patel; May 18 Rukshana Kersi Contractor and Adil Pesi Billimoria; May 19 Farida Erach Ghadiali and Naval Kersi Bodhanwala; May 19 Firozi Dara Contractor and Adarbad Dossabhai Motafram of Ajmer; May 19 Dhun Faredoon Mehta and Kersi Hormusjee Toddywalla; May 19 Sanaya Noshir Choksey and Zal Jamshed Sethna; May 20 Phiroza Phiroze Damania and Yezdi Minoo Patel; May 26 Michelle Eddie Sapurji and Harry Fall Khumbata; May 28 Shiraz Feroze Mistry and Khushru Homi Dossabhoy of Rajkot; May 30 Died Kaikhushroo Hormusji Marolia (91), residing at A. H. Wadia Baug, Parel Tank Rd, 400033; April 30 Yazdanyar Ardeshir Bonshahi (56), A-4/44, New Khareghat Clny, Hughes Rd, 400007; May 2 Putlibai Jehangir Gamadia (103), 31, Nepean Sea Rd, 400026; May 2 Bomanshaw Burjorji Patel (87), 358, Goa Hindu Association Bldg, Lamington Rd, 400007; May 2 Kaikhusru Nusserwanji Workingboxwalla (Billimoria) (90), Ripon Bldg, Balaram St, Grant Rd, 400007; May 2 Khorshed Ardeshir Irani (74), 38, Boman Hse, 9th Rd, TPS IV, Bandra, 4(X)050; May 3 Roshan Jal Kapadia (64), D/105, Shree Shiv Dam, 62, Link Rd, Malad (W), 400064; May 3 Banoo Kavasji Karaka (87), Katgara Hse, 15, Nepean Sea Rd, 400026; May 3 Piroja Jehangirji Batliwalla (80), ^5/A, Dhobitalao, Girgaum, 400002; May 4 Nariman Dadiba Boatwdla (74), C/8, Satguru Apts<^ehind Hotel Golden Palace, Thane, 400601; May 4 Homi Nowroji Gandhi (87), 764/F, Sarosh Court, Tilak Rd, Dadar, 400014; May 4 Nariman Hormusji Kaikhushroo Vacha (78), B, Shireen Mans, Gamadia Clny Rd, Tardeo, .1 I f I- I I 400007; May 4 ’ ’ I Sapal Muncherji Crawford (82), *¦ 6, Jalbhoy Sett Bldg, 279, Tardeo Rd, 400007; May 5 Rustomji Nariman Mehta (79), 10, Modem Flats, 128, / - 10, Modern Flats, 128, t Wodehouse Rd, Colaba, 400005; i May 5 Dosu Rustomji Patel (62), C/o 14/A, Banaji St, Fort, 400001; May 5 Faramroze Peshotan Cooper (14), A/l, Palacimo, Silver Oak Est, B. Desai Rd, 400026; May 6 Naju Nariman Fanibunda (86), 7, Sharda Sadan, Kohinoor Rd, Dadar, 400014; May 6 Kaikashru Ardeshir Ghadiali (S6), J/14, Shaputji Bharucha Baug, S. V. Rd, Andheri (W), 400058; May (> Coomi Shiavax Khambata (84), 63, Shermen, 22, Narayan Dabholkar Rd, 400006; May 6 Sheryar Dinshaw Wadia (83), 26, Khareghat Clny, Hughes Rd, 400007; May 6 i. 40 Parsiana May 1995 %I Mehroo Eruch Daruwalla (46), 5/5, Om Sai Kripa Co-op Hsg Soc, Near Shree Ram Talkies, Vithalwadi, Kalyan, Dist Thane, 421301; May 7 Aloo (Allamai) Cawasji Desai (89), 31,Ruki Mhl, Colaba, 400005; May 7 Banubai Gustadji Sethrui (90), 3, Sir Ratan Tata Bldg No 2, Tata Blocks, S. V. Rd, Bandra, 400050; May 7 Jehangir Burjorji Treasuryvala (83), Dina Villa, 23, Pali Rd, Bandra (W), 400050; May 7 Pirozshaw Bhikaji Daruwalla (92), 45, Parijat, S. V. Rd, Andheri (W), 400058; May 8 Allabai Minocher Kapadia (82), 808/C, Asha Hse, Dr Ambedkar Rd, Dadar, 400014; May 8 Rati Melhi Kapadia (68), G/29, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; May 8 Khorshed Jamshedji Kanga (84), 94, Ardeshir Dadi St, Khetwadi, 400004; May 9 Noshir Barjorjee Secretary (11), 643, Goolshan Ter, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; May 9 Jal Behramsha Sukhadwala (70), J/5, Parsi Clny, Opp Shoppers’ Stop, S. V. Rd, Andheri (W), 400058; May 9 Dhunjisha Ardeshir Dubash (89), 784/A, Mancherji Joshi Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; May 10 Jamshed Sawak Mehta (15), 16, Todywala Bldg, 28, Sun Mill Rd, Lower Parel (W), 40(X)l 3; May 10 Minoo Jamshed Mistry (53), A/16, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; May 10 Nargis Feroze Mistry (11), Kavas Lodge, 5, Perry Cross Rd, Bandra, 400050; May 10 Manekbai Hormusji Umrigar (85), C/301, Apeksha Apts, Sai Ngr, Vasai (W), Dist Thane, 401202, May 10 Tehmirui Jehangirji Vazifdar (75), B/3, 104, Mapkhan Ngr, Andheri (E), 4(MM)69; May 10 Dolly Cawasji Bhesania (74), Fairy Manor, Gunbow St, Fort, 400001; May 11 Daulat Dinyar Irani (82), 4, Shustry Bldg, Bellasis Rd, Above Raj Oil Mills, Nagpada, 400008; May 12 Baby of Khurshid Jehangir Mistry (stillborn). Engineer Bldg, Princess St, 400(X)2; May 12 Rustom Behramshaw Pastakia (71), 5, Golf Links, Pali Hill, Khar, 400052; May 12 Aloo Dinshaw Karani (78), D/2, Mehta Bldg, Captain Clny, Tardeo, 400034; May 13 Banoo Coverji Kohiar (85), 584, Jillobai Wadia Bldg, Lady Jehangir Rd, Matunga, 400019; May 14 Darabshaw Pestonji Panthaki (83), K/9, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; May 14 Phiroze Bomanji Wadia (90), Adam Mhl, 147, Tardeo Rd, 400034; May 14 Perin Shiavax Doctor (76), Jer Mans, Guzdar St, Chira Bazar, 400002; May 15 Peroja Framroze Moos (84), 6, Dubash Mans, 217/C, Mount Mary Rd, Bandra, 400050; May 15 Shirin Rusi Wadia (15), Parvati, 396/3, North Avenue, Santacruz, 400054; May 15 Eruch Jehangir Writer (11), Mani Villa, 23, M. Pasta Rd, Dadar, 400014; May 15 Pirojshah Khushru Irani (89), 598/C, Wadia Bldg, Girgaum Rd, 400002; May 16 Nariman Eduljee Mandviwalla (79), 666, Orient Hse, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; May 16 Kaikashroo Nadirsha Pardiwalla (90), B/301, Ahura Co-op Soc, Dr S. S. Rao Rd, Parel, 400012; May 16 Nargez Minoo Patel (80), 62, Iris Apts, Cuffe Parade, Colaba, 400005; May 17 Dinamai Navroji Amrolia (92), 15, Mehta Bldg, Panthaky Baug, Andheri (E), 400069; May 18 Nariman Dinshaw Bhagat (82), 12, Old Khareghat Clny, Hughes Rd, 400007; May 19 Jer Rusi Davar (72), Silverett, Rd No 27-A/122, Sion (E), 400022; May 19 Khodaram Behram Irani (Roshni) (95), Adenwala Bldg, Pauwalla St, Grant Rd, 400007; May 19 Najamai Ardeshir Patel (15), 9, Navjivan Soc, Lamington Rd, 400008; May 19 Merwan Noshir Dubash (87), F. S. Parukh Dharamshalla, Hughes Rd, 400007; May 20 Homi Ratanji Lathiwala (82), F. S. Parukh Dharamshalla, Hughes Rd, 400007; May 20 Boman Jalejar Bhandara (70), 3/7, Golwalla Bldg, Khetwadi 8th Lane, 400004; May 21 Perin Kaikhushroo Irani (81), Behjat Hse, 83, Mint Rd, Fort, 400038; May 21 Sheriyar Bapuji Tadwalla (74), Golwalla Bldg, Khetwadi 8th Lane, 400004; May 21 Din Dorab Banaji (83), Clo D. M. Batliwalla, 30, Sleater Rd, 400007; May 23 M it han Ratanshaw Bhabha (84), Meher Mans, Tardeo Bridge, Off Lamington Rd, 400008; May 23 Khorshed Nariman Bulsara (74), West-View, Uranwalla St, Grant Rd, 400007; May 23 Spitman Cawasji Desai (82), A/9, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; May 23 Roshni Faredoon Ginwalla (19), G/1, Shapur Baug, V. P. Rd, 400004; May 23 Minoo Faredoon Madan (55), 664, Roshan Mans, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; May 23 Daulat Dinshaw Baria (80), J/5, Dalal Est, Lamington Rd, 400008; May 25 Shirin Shawakshaw Turner (83), B/1, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, Byculla, 400027; May 25 Framroje Cooverji Bhagwagar (83), SBl Alka Soc, Ceasar Rd, Amboli, Andheri (W), 400058; May 26 Manijeh Sorabji Engineer (87), 3, Patel Chmbs, Gunbow St, Fort, 400001; May 26 Shirin Phiroze Talati (89), Tafti Bldg, South Frere Bridge, Grant Rd, 400007; May 26 Ardeshier Palonji Dover (92), 8/10, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, Byculla, 400027; May 27 Dhunmai Savakshaw Wadia (91), 7/A, Navjivan Co-op Hsg Soc, Lamington Rd, 40(XX)8; May 27 Jehangir Pirojsha Petigara (80), Habib Hse, 293, Grant Rd, 400007; May 28 Hormuzjee Rustomjee Pir (91), Q/16, Bharucha Baug, S. V. Rd, Andhcri (W), 400058; May 29 Kali Manchershaw Bhagat (76), R/23, Nowroz Baug, Lalbaug, 400012; May 30 Kekobad Darabsha Katki (83), L, Dalal Est, Lamington Rd, 400008; May 30 Jer Boman Mehta (87), Empress Court, Churchgate Reel, 400020; May 30 Hiraji Ardeshir Vankadia (70), B/24, Usha Kiran, Lallubhai Park, Andheri (W), 400058; May 30 Nargish Jehangir Batliwala (74), Alamai Kawasji Nalawala (91), Patel Bglw, Gholwad, Dist Thane, 401702; May 31 Tehmina Jamshedji Shroff (89), Lady Navajbai Tata Bldg, Tata Clny, S. V. Rd, Bandra (W), 400050; May 31 A/a«i Adi Vakil (62), Vakil Bglw, Opp Mission Church, Vadkun, Dahanu Rd, Dist Thane, 401601; May 31 CALCUTTA Born A girl, Kaizeen, to Aban and Cyrus Confectioner, sister to Yohan; May 20 ¦ Married Zarine Antia and Dinshaw Billimoria; May 20 b: Died Perin Yezdi Hormusji, sister of Jehangir Mehta, Nergish and late Pervez and Jolly; May 14 b" JAMSHEDPUR Died Sheroo Piroshaw (66), wife of Noshir and mother of Shiraz Tata and Zhaver Chowdhuri; May 27 NASIRABAD, RAJASTHAN Died * Edulji Framji, father of 2^ine Dotivala; January 1 POONA Died Puran Boman Shroff (5f)), 10, Hermes Towers, 18, Sachapir St, Camp, 411001; May 3 Sam Faredoon Ghadialy (82), Narsan Mitra Hsg Soc, Nagar Gaon, Lonavala, 410401; May 4 Nerges Adi Contractor (15), E/4, Hermes Park, 30, Bund Garden Rd, 411001; May 5 Mehra Eruch Pastakia (72), 109, K. P. Towers I, Fatima Ngr, 411013; May 10 Nassarwanji Naoroji Engineer (81), 21, Banb Villa, Ghorpadi Gaon, 411001; May 31 4’ * I SURAT Died Eruchshaw Dhanjisha Variava my Maachlipith, 395003; May 1 Meharwanji Eruchshaw Patel (82), Village Dumas, Dist Surat, 394550; May 3 Savakshaw Mancharsha Tadiwala (15), Maachlipith, 395003; May 4 Nariman Home and Infirmary, Shahpore, 395003; May 7 Baby boy of Cyrus Noshir Jabbar, Village Bhatha, Dist 42 Parsiana May 19$S *Surat, 394510; May 20 Najamai Minocher Ilavia (75), Village Kumas, Taluka Rajpipla, Dist Bharuch, 393145; May 21 Jaloo Fall Dadina (67), Engineer Bldg, Turki Wad, 395003; May 22 Baby boy of Pervez Fall Cooper, Aganovad, Sayedpura, 395003; May 29 Khorshed Homi Mistry (75), Choki St, Nanpura, 395001; May 31 Ardeshir Dorabji Vesuna (75), Village Vesu, Dist Surat, 395003; May 31 BORN Boys Girls MARRIED Parsi Intercommunal A 6 6 30 Bombay B 133 115 TOTALS FOR 1994 AND 1995 India C A B C A World B C 294 78A 39 36 1 13 8 4 3 5 5 36 32 9 7 153 25* 1 16 5 2 1 3 13 5 2 5 t .. CANADA Montreal Died Amy Mistry (50), wife of Faredoon and mother of Burjis and Avan; March 16 DIED CONSIGNED Males Females CREMATED Males Females 43 41 501 495 202 186 9 9 74 99 43 37 9 10 37* 30* 11 16 i 12 10 2 r Toronto Born A girl, Emilia, to Sima and Joseph Rojas; December 17,1994 Died Khorshed Daroga (90), sister of Firoze Sethna; May 2, 1995 A: Total numbers in this issue B: Running totals for 1994 (February-March 1994-May 1995 issues) C: Running totals for 1995 (February-March 1995-May 1995 issues) A Males married out in 1994 - 44 ‘Males married out in 1995 - 12 Females married out in 1994 - 34 Females married out in 1995 - 13 • Overseas deaths are listed in the consigned column as Parsiana does not have any breakup of those cremated. These figures pertain to information provided to or collected by Parsiana. They do not represent the total . t • ..i_r ______«_____ _____ 1 Ik* AAmmiinihi in ln/4ia nr ahrnad IIIO9O IIMUIO0 ¦¦ aiw* > • —• - ---------------f ... « _j- L j number of births, marriages and deaths in the Zoroastrian community in India or abroad. Vancouver Born A girl, Natasha, to Anna Marie and Babak Marzbani; January 11 IRAN Died Mirza Soroush Lohrasb (90), father of Shanaz and Shah- behram; May 16 Tehran Died Mahin Banoo Sohrab, mother of Hida Mazdiyasni; February 24 Bahman Urmezdyar Atashband, father of Shahriar; April 14 PAKISTAN Karachi Born A boy, Shayan, to Dilshad and Firdous Irani; April 26 A girl, Anahita, to Perveen and Khurshed Katila; April 29 Died Jilla Mherwan Nanavati (95); January 21 Perin Rusi Mody (67); January 25 Minoo Nadirshaw Pajnigara (60); February 7 Byram Savakshaw Gandhi (71); February 18 Nariman D. Kapadia (84); February 19 Mershmine P. Dubash (63); March 11 Mehra Feroze Kerawalla (82); March 12 Mehrwan Burjore Dhatigara (73); April 17 Phiroze Jamshedji Bharucha (84); April 21 UK London Born A girl, Rukhshana, to Navaz and Sam Sethna; February 20 A boy. Rehan, to Laila and Jehangir Petit; May 4 Died Nowshir Jungalwalla, husband of Piloo, father of Hoshang and brother of Amy Bhabha, Siloo Vatcha, Jean Moos and Tehmie Gazdar; May 8 USA California Died Noshir (Nick) Mullanferoze; February 19 Mana Khorashadi (5), daughter of Zoreh and Mahmoud; April 18 Golestan Shahzadi (67), mother of Fariborz; May 17 Chicago Born A girl, Gordiya Parsi, to Anne and Zarir Khademian; April 22 Married Gurpreet Masuta and Farokh Kianipour, son of Irandok and Keki; April 8 Ami Shah, daughter of Hansa and Samprati and Neville Bilimoria, son of Bachi and Maherji; April 14 Dallas Married Sharnaz Ghadially and Sohrab Mistry, December 11,1994 Iowa City Married Vanessa Behrana, daughter of Zenobia and Mehelli and David A. Jensen; May 20, 1995 Maryland Born A boy to Perviz and Vispi Gowadia; January 11 New York Died Freny Mehta, wife of Khurshed and mother of Farokh and Jer; February 10 Towaco, New Jersey Born A boy, Neville, to Khursheed and Shailendra Dusaj; December 2, 1994 ii Woodcliffe Lake, New Jersey Born A boy, Farhad, to Jeroo and Shiroy Ranji; January 19, 1995 Compiled by Roxana A. Driver REQUIRED t Store-keeper for a printing press in Fort area. Knowledge of computers preferred. Write giving details to: t- ¦ The Advertiser (Store-keeper) GPO Box 892 Bombay 400001 ¦ 44 Parsiana May T995 *1 1 IN MEMORIAM I Matchless Mama Parinaz Gandhi International as also the Wisden Cricket monthly he received regularly and insisted on retaining all those copies in his small house, much to his wife Mani ’s dismay. “To the statistician, his work has not been a job, it has been a passion, ” wrote Behram Contractor in his “Round and about ”column in The Afternoon Despatch and Courier of March 20,1995. Contractor who includes Mama among India ’s two Died; Bapoo Burjorji Mama, 70, leading cricket statistician, on March 18, 1995 at Bombay ’s B. D. Petit Parsee General Hos ­ pital following multiple organ failure. “Not only was he an efficient cricket statistician but also one of the best of our times. ” This tribute to Mama came not from a junior, but a much respected statis ­ tician, Anandji Dossa, whom Mama con ­ sidered his mentor. “When test matches began to be telecast (in India) in 1972-73, Bapoo became the first statistician to assist the new media and that he remained there for nearly two decades is a tribute to his awesome ability, ” mentioned Dossa in . _ Mid-Day, March 22,1995. His passion for There were files of such correspondence class match been out caught and bowled " that he maintained. Being stationed in when his score was 97?’ Mr Mama would of course be able to supply the information immediately... I could imagine them sit ­ ting in a row, AIR microphones in front of them, three commentators, the expert and their official statistician with his pile of books, his charts, his scorecards. None of them were seen, they were all heard, ex ­ cept the statistician who was neither seen nor heard... computer data fipished all that... ” Regarded as a storehouse of informa ­ tion, Mama gathered his knowledge in the course ( a conversation with a fellow patient at the Bel-Air Sanatorium in Panchgani many decades ago. Mama ’s casual attempt then to discuss cricket despite his want of know ­ ledge had so irked that cricket fiend that Mama decided he would bring up the subject the next time only after a thorough grasp of it, informs Mama ’s brother-in- law Keki Mama who had also been his co ­ student at St Xavier ’s College when they graduated with history and economics as their principal subjects. During his school days at the New Bharda High School Mama was rated an outstanding student in Eng ­ lish. On completion of his education Mama served short stints at B. B. Nadodwala and like-minded enthusiasts across the globe. Company, Calcutta ’s Merchants and Ship- “His letters, beautifully handwritten or tions of the world, ” notes Meher-Homji. Recently he wrote to the Australian cricket greatest cricket statisticians also has memo ­ board for unofficially including an ‘A’ ries of radio commentator Pearson Surita team in the Benson and Hedges world saying, ‘“At the end of this over perhaps series which he feared would prove to be a Mr Mama you could tell us how many nightmare for statisticians, reports Vaidya. times has a left-handed batsman in a first- cricket statistics started in 1954, four years before statisticians were required to assist radio commentators. “Mama took great care to be accurate and would go to considerable lengths to secure the minutest of details, ” acknow ­ ledged sports enthusiast Sudhir Vaidya in The Times of India of March 26, 1995. “Inaccuracies and incomplete information in newspapers, his main source, would upset him and he would run from pillar to post seeking the correct scores, ” he added. Besides checking his facts with the print medium, he would also listen avidly to radio commentaries and watch televised matches played abroad, staying up late into the night if necessary, to make minute notes of all happenings singlehandedly, reports Dossa. His flair for writing Mama put to use to present statistics in a readable and engag ­ ing style in the many columns he wrote like “Figures are fun, ” “Factfile, ” “Down memory lane, ” remember his colleagues. “He was an inspiration to me and to many other cricket writers, ” acknowledged Kersi Meher-Homji of Australia, recalling how Mama, “his personal friend for 25 years, ” once wrote from a hospital ward — with drips in one hand — to keep his deadline. His fair criticism of Indian sports brought content led him to exchange notes with him occasional censure but, as an un ­ abashed Mama had explained to Meher- “His letters, beautifully handwritten or ping Company, the executive engineer ’s Homji, “I criticize what is chronically neatly typed, had a human touch... and he secretariat. Public Works Department, wrong with Indian cricket; our xenophobic was always prompt in his replies, ” states Government of Bombay and the British tendency to boast about our cricket to the Vaidya. Institute of Technology. A lung ailment exclusion of all other countries. ” “Although progressive in outlook, he was against senseless modern innovations Webber, Arthur Wrighly and Bill Frindall, which spoilt the good name of cricket; When others grumbled and did nothing, Bapoo was bold enough to write his strong Annual (from its first issue in 1948), the protests to MCC and other cricket associa- T ‘ Photograpn courtesy Mid-Day Panchgani due to health reasons, his in ­ ability to discuss the game to his heart ’s ( 1 of his varied readings triggered by J r 46 Parsiana May 1995 He also had an enviable collection of forced him to seek treatment at the Bel-Air books by renowned statisticians like Roy Sanatorium where he eventually took up ¦ ”, residence and work as in-charge of the some of them personally autographed by stores department while Mani worked as the authors. All sets of the Playfair Cricket secretary to the superintendent. He had opportunities to attend several medical Playfair cricket monthly and Cricketer camps and help in the treatment of poorpeople in the course of his association with ticularly heavy metals, according to a re- Bel-Air, according to Keki. His deep inter- port in The Times of India of July 11,1994. Besides being a fellow of the Royal , . Institute of Chemistry in London she was Declining numbcrS. also elected member of the American Oil . Bel-Air, according to Keki. His deep inter ­ est in Western classical music he was able to pursue at Panchgani too. In memory of Mama who succeeded in putting India on the world map of cricket Chemists ’ Society, statistics Vaidya has suggested the setting up of a museum wherein his books, manu- READERS’ FORUM continued from page 9 This is no time for introspection, neither is this the time to debate as time itself is our Management of health laboratories too problem — it is rimning out on us. Why came under her purview and she worked scripts, scores, statistics, audio and video towards improving the standards of hospi- __________ 1________ 2- -L 1-1- I tals and laboratories. support of a move whereby the cricket Recalling Vachha ’s “uncanny ability board or some other body takes charge of of motivating people ” when she was presi- his statistics and preserves them on the rationale, “You never know when the com ­ puters may fail and Mama may be required bered her as being “warm, fair, friendly saddest day on earth when no Parsi will to answer a query. ” and understanding with a great deal of exist — we are like the salt in the food; Mama is survived by his wife Mani. common sense and integrity of character. ” without us all joy, humor, camaraderie, selflessness, caring, sharing, brilliance, etc. will vanish into thin air. If I were Meherji Rana and history had to be rewritten. I’d have added salt to the pulav instead of sugar to the milk. It’s time to find recourse in certain practical steps. One that is of immediate concern is to allow all children of Parsi intercaste marriages to be accepted in our fold without preconditions and with open arms. Let the^^rodigals return to their roots. I remember years back Dastur Bode had cassettes could be housed. Contractor is in support of a move whereby the cricket dent of the University Women ’s Associa ­ tion (UWA), Ms Sita Shahani also remem- can ’t every single Parsi realize that we are a fast disappearing race, soon to be a had been? Drastic steps and progressive reforms are the need of the day. No one can satisfy every one, but steps have to be taken to see that our tribe increases. It will be the and understanding with a great deal of common sense and integrity of character. ” The Pune-based scientist was also in ­ volved with other local bodies. She was an active committee member of the Poona Zarthosti Seva Mandal and of the Mandal ’ s Ladies Club for many years where her guidance and help will now be greatly missed, acknowledges Ms Ratal Patell. She made time for The Poona Music Soci ­ ety too and for nearly a quarter century t Vachha's care and control Died: Dr (Ms) Silloo Manek Vachha, 71, former director of Central Food Laborato ­ ries and deputy director of health services of the government of Maharashtra, on Oc ­ tober 16, 1994 in Pune following cardiac arrest. Her extensive research in the fields of served as its committee member, food adulteration and water pollution led to Vachha ’s expertise being sought not only by the government of India but also Girls ’ High School which deemed her “one • r illustrious products, ” and the the gumption, guts and foresight to convert Nowrojee Wadia College from where she such kids ofsingle Parsi parents, at Vansda, graduated in science. She did her doctorate in chemistry at the Agricultural College, Pune. Her post doctoral research was at the University of Illinois where she investi- gated the toxicity of different grades of mineral oils, detected as adulterants in edible oils. Vachha (nee Naegamwalla) difficulttofindsuitablepartners within our was one of the three women scholars from community, and this alone makes us venture India, of the 40 worldwide, selected by the American Association of University Women to receive a fellowship that cov- ered full tuition and living expenses at an American university, as reported the Poona Herald of May 28, 1965. She was then chemical assistant at the Public Health Laboratory. Besides publishing research papers in Your magazine makes good reading, which different scientific journals Vachha also served as research guide in biochemistry for students doing their doctorate at the IRkUH University of Poona. Commenting on Vachha ’s commitment to social and aca- demic causes Shahani summed up, “In a by the World Health Organisation (WHO) world where care and attention to detail and the Food and Agriculture Organisation are fast disappearing, she showed a tre- know there will be inhibitions initially, but (FAO). With the WHO she had collabo ­ rated for strengthening laboratory services in Maharashtra and the FAO had commis ­ sioned her to direct a project which moni ­ tored the use of food contaminants, par- Vachha ’s academic foundation was at Parsi institutions: Sardar Dastur Noshirwan MH I ii «. '"I L i ¦ w 48 Parsiana May 1995 to our Zoroastrian dharam (religion). Now ¦4 those children are very much a part of our ' i faith. If he could do so then, why are we shying off it now. Whatever sanskars you give your child ­ ren, today the fact remains that it’s terribly i * out. Let fresh blood flow in and let ’s cherish the offspring of our intercaste marriages, accept them and the result will be a positive spurt in our numbers. Ms RODA HAKIM Vadodara Matrimonial assistance is informative, unbiased and above all amusing. I do not hesitate in suggesting that you should publish a separate matri ­ monial column to help the younger lot and their parents, often worried lesttheirchild- ren seek partners outside the community, more out of necessity than choice. We mendous sense of caring for all things that once the momentum is gained it will be a appear trivial to most of us today. ” She is survived by her husband Lt Col Manek Vachha, a retired army psychi ­ atrist. P.O great service to the society. UColJ. C. FRAMJI Bangalore Edited by Arnavaz S. Mama j 1 j I