Jul 1997

Al' :!,£-?ry' ------^S. ..... 1997 fis 45 It w'[ /PW^ 'I ............. ............................ •5Jg J ? Second World Z oro as tri an Youth Congress WW^' M^l< EDITOR Jehangir R. Patel MANAGING EDITOR Arnavaz S. Mama EXECUTIVE EDITOR Parinaz M, Gandhi SENIOR EDITORS Dina K. Mehta, Hilla P. Guzder ASSOCIATE EDITOR Roxana A. Driver DESIGN Kranti M. Shilotri, Nivedita S. Dhotre MARKETING DIRECTOR Veera Patel ADVERTISING MANAGER Zarin Mistry ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE Susan Hadvaid FINANCE B. L. Arora MANAGEMENT Jasmine D. Driver DTP Bakhtavar R. Batliwalla, K. P. Ravi SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER Khurshid Panthaki ASSISTANT SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER Swarupa Kamat ASSISTANT PURCHASE MANAGER Bindu Pillai ACCOUNTANT Anagha Korde ASSISTANT ACCOUNTANT Varsha Godbole ACCOUNTS ASSISTANTS Indu Pillai, Satwant Kaur, Hufrish Chama OFFICE ASSISTANTS Umesh Poojary, Selvan Mark, Sunil Sakhare, Govind Salgaonkar, Mahipat Jadhav 2 Readers ’ Forum 22 Events and Personalities 36 SOAS’s commitment to Zoroastrianism 41 Zoroastrians Abroad: Faron Sutaria 44 Federation aid to Jabalpur 70 But a passage by Hormazdyar Dalal July-August 1997 Volume 20 Number 1 73 Championing charity by Noshir Dadrawala 76 Iranian influence - 2 by Dr Mani Kamerkar 81 The Federation salutes... 92 Second World Zoroastrian Youth Congress by Arnavaz Mama Parsiana is published by Jehangir R. Patel for Parsiana Publications Pvt Ltd at C/o H. L. Rochat, K. K. (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 Tricolour. All rights reserved. ISSN: 0971-3786. Phone: 2078730,2072624. Fax: 2074541. For editorial enquiries phone: 2078183. E-mail: pan/o @ giasbm01.vsnl.net.in. For subscription enquiries and payments: C/o Kaiser-E-Hind Pvt Ltd, 300 Perin Nariman St (Behind Resen/e Bank of India), Bombay 400001. Phone: 2658619,2665661. Fax: 2654585. Annual inland subscription for one year (10 Issues) Rs 250; for two years (20 issues) Rs 475; for three years (30 issues) Rs 700. Foreign subscription rates: Seamail for one year Rs 450/ US $ 14/UK £ 9; for two years Rs 850/US $ 25/ UK £ 15; for three years Rs 1,250/US $ 36/UK £ 22 (please allow six months or more for delivery from the time of publication). Airmail for one year Rs 750/ US $ 23/UK £ 15 (for Pakistan. Indian Rs 525); for two years Rs 1,400/US $ 43/UK £ 27 (for Pakistan, Indian Rs 975); for three years Rs 2,100/US $ 60/UK £ 37 (for Pakistan, Indian Rs 1,450). For Indian upcountry •cheques add Rs 20 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. 116 Rustom Sethna: The civic civil engineer by Gustasp Irani 120 Jimmy Mistry: Italian furniture 124 Soli Kapadia: Moved by music by Parinaz Gandhi 130 A jewel in the Chenoy crown by Mithi Dinshaw 132 Excise inspector N. K. Cama by F. N. Gama 136 Splashing success by Hilla Guzder 146 Feasting on favorites by Bhicoo Manekshaw 156 Books 170 Milestones 188 In Memoriam Cover: Second World Zoroastrian Youth CongressREADERS' FORUM 9 Readers ’ views are welcome on any subject of interest to the community and should be sent tp 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. free to write to me for a copy (27 Cleve ­ land Road, Barnes, London SWI3 OAA)? FARROKH VAJIFDAR London, UK pose. It becomes a question of etiquette, and had I had the courtesy of being in­ formed of this intention on your part, I would have unhesitatingly withdrawn my entire review as I do not believe in submit ­ ting sycophantic twaddle. In the event I read a savagely butchered parody which makes little sense to me, and, I am sure, would make even less to an intelligent readership. I see, for instance, a particularly nonsensical insertion, suppos ­ edly from my pen, “On occasion we meet a slew of percentages that deal with the larger question of the achievements of ethnic Indians in the UK vis-a-vis the host community. ” I have emphatically not writ­ ten any such gobbledygook — what on earth does it mean, and, pray tell, what is a slew? The impressions I had conveyed were “Surfing surnames with respect to the UK Parsis ’ view of themselves, their self-projection before the majority population, and above all Hinnells ’ own view of this situation — a situation which is gradually worsening, no The Editor replies Parsiana regrets the offence caused. All reviews and articles submitted to Parsiana are edited, ofttimes substan ­ tially. And in the process of editing, spell ­ ings too are invariably amended so that we have consistency throughout the maga­ zine. The spellings and meanings of the words we use in English can be found in Webster’s Dictionary. Parsiana follows the American spellings as the words com ­ prise fewer alphabets thereby conserving paper and ink. “Identity in jeopardy” Having been asked by Parsiana to submit a 2,000-word review of John Hinnells ’ Zoroastrians in Britain, I unwittingly com ­ plied. To be sure, I did not realistically the collective feeling at editorial level anticipate the reproduction of all the pearls spelling conventions, of wisdom in it. My original review, high- it is a disservice to any lighting some salient features of the good author to directly Professor ’s book, concentrated on aspects quote him/her differ- which have directly affected our UK com ­ munities ’ well-being: the factual reasons for the absence of harmony and the result ­ ant disunity. Your own recent coverage of the fracas and fiascos endemic here bears out my point. In my review of this substan ­ tial and expensive volume I had utilized the author ’s own statements, some bal­ anced, some tendentious. I now find an unacceptably garbled most unlikely that Professor Hinnells could version of that offering printed by you (“Identity in jeopardy, ” Books, Parsiana, February-March 1997) and, to add insult to injury, I see another reviewer ’s services were enlisted for ostensibly the same pur- --- ~ Many congratulations to Burjor Daboo on his compiling of an extremely comprehen ­ sive list of Parsi surnames (“Surfing sur ­ names, "Pars iana, February-March 1997). I (like several other readers) just had to thanks to the mindlessly irresponsible skim the list to check that most of my spokesmen al Zoo House. (In view of your own publishing of the facts of loutish behavior by the impudent hijackers there, it should no longer be appropriate to print Zoroastrian House, there now being little Zoroastrian about it.) Because of the absurdities you have printed under my name, I would like to completely dissociate myself from the au- family surnames did appear in the list. And they did! Both Rao and Canteenwala fea ­ tured as did more distant family surnames — Coachbuilder and even Hathikhanawala. Around the late 19th century, several Parsis who left the west coast of India to settle further inland took on surnames like Dinshaw, Ardeshir, Framjee, Sohrabjee, etc. These “name-surnames ” do not find a thorship of that travesty of a published mention in the list... but then surprisingly, review. A small point which you may like to consider for future publications: whatever on ently from the actual published form of his/ her work. Here I have in mind your tamper ­ ing with Hinnells ’ use VajifdiU’: regret of colour twice in the the review closing quote of the review. However much Parsiana would like to go mid-Atlantic in this matter, it is stoop to color. If it happens that any serious-minded reader is, after this protest, interested in knowing the real and full contents of my original review, would he/she please feel neither does the surname of my childhood French language teacher... Bobbinmaker. Finally, whilst I know of the Soda- waterwala family, I wonder if your readers can inform us if there actually is a Soda- waterbottleopenerwala (this surname ap­ pears in the list) family? Could it merely exist for the benefit of the late Adi Marzban’s naataks (plays)? I must commiserate with the rhale mem ­ bers of the Chor, Dik, Ghati, Moos, Screwvala and of course Gookhaoo fami ­ lies... but then the famous bard (no relation of the Shakespearewallahs) did write, “What ’s in a name? That which we call a rose... by any other name would smell as sweet ” {Romeo and Juliet). But alas, a little Birdie tells me that the Gookhaoos disagree! JAVID S. CANTEENWALA London, UK This is with reference to the article “Surfing 2 ParsianaJuty-August 1997M- With compliments of ADI B. SAGAR & Co. ELECTRICAL CONSULTANTS ENGINEERS AND CONTRACTORS BOMBAY 4 1997 surnames ” (Parsiana, February-March 1997). The community owes a deep debt of gratitude to Ms Goolcher D. Coyaji and Mr Burjor M. Daboo for the stupendous task they have undertaken. May I add my bit by mentioning three surnames which were not there in the list? They are Falapalan, Panty and Papa. There could be many other sur ­ names too which could not have been listed because they are extinct. We look forward to your readers supplementing the list by writ­ ing to you so that we come to know of “dead ” surnames amongst Parsis. I would like to congratulate Ms Goolcher D. Coyaji and Mr Burjor M. Daboo for their efforts. To them it was a labor of love. SAM M. BILLIMORIA The list of Zoroastrian surnames carried in Parsiana (February-March 1997) is of much interest. I, myself, have compiled a list of about 600 surnames out of which about 125 surnames do not appear in your list. I give them for what they are worth. Afagh, Anjeerwadi (another variation is Anjeerwala), Aryamehr, Asa, Asavaid, Bachana, Backon, Bahmani, Bakerry, Bambawala, Bangalorewalla, Barafwalla, Baralakh, Bastani, Bennet, Bhoori, Bhumia, Bobbinmaker, Borkhadiwalla, Bozana, Brandywalla, Bunsa, Burge, Burmawalla, Burniwalla, Butki, Calagopi, Chakkar, Chamdawalla, Chhappania, Chhatriwalla, Chobdar, Chowdhary, Dankewalla, Darjeelingwalla, Dattra, Dehradoonwalla, Dervish, Desana, Deshmukh, Devkawalla, Dewan, Dharampurwalla, Dohadwalla, Ellavia, Elchi, Farsiwalla, Fisher, Gambhir, Ganjia, Gardin, Godavra, Godhrawalla, Goli- barwalla, Gorakhpurwalla, Guineawalla, Gumasta, Hazari, Hodiwala, Hubliwala, Jambusarwalla, Kaifer, Kalaigar, Kalalia, Kalfati, Kayani, Khairabadi, Khapoliwala. Khatarawalla, Khosravi, Kohina, Lafa, Liloonwala, Lodhanwalla, Macca, Malach, Malaiwala, Mansukh, Maskati, Matches- walla. Mochi, Mojia, Mombassawala, Mooghat, Moorawala, Morenas, Moriabadi, Mowdawala, Mumbrawalla, Mumpala, Mydear, Naksatkhan, Nalladaru, Nallaseth, Nanjivorah, Nasrabadi, Panchmahalwalla, Parelwala, Patch, Penti, Pochee, Qazi, Rabbani, Raimalwalla, Revetna, Rumwala, Sasani, Shukrekhuda, Sibina, Sotori, Sta­ tionmaster, Surbhanwala, Tankariwala, Tarachand, Tester, Thookchat, Vanori walla, Vapiwala, Vasania, Vesawala, Vyara, Waghaiwala, Waglacooper, Zaikar, Zorabian. firdaus s. kothavala Pune With best compliments from MISTRY MOTORS Petit Compound Nana Chowk Bombay 400007 Telephones 3878402, 3878837“The sacred sojourn” Although “The sacred sojourn ” by Rustam Sidhwa {Parsiana, February-March 1997) is relevant to some extent, it must be bundagi is re- remembered that the deceased author lived ally asking lot in Pakistan and must, therefore, have been able to frequent the Iranshah only once in many years. While for many of us going to Udvada is routine, for him the pilgrimage must have been a very major and important should forget event in his spiritual life. Due to these contextual differences, I do not agree with him on the following iting Udvada i> counts: •It is perfectly possible for a devotee to establish a direct rapport with Ahura Mazda at Udvada without “the medium of a din dastur. ” The rapport is established within one ’s mind and heart, nowhere outside. •Before going to Udvada it would be quite ridiculous to “meet all one ’s family and friends and seek their forgiveness. ” If I went to my cousin (Khushnuma) ’s Bandra something flat, knocked and started begging her for- ' ”• giveness, she ’d probably get the fright of her life and think I had gone off my rocker ! •In Zoroastrianism, ours is a one-to-one . relationship with God. While humbundagi accommodation, ” {Parstana, February- has its place, to suggest that the presiding March 1997) I wish to draw your readers ¦ ¦¦ attention to a printing error in the rates tor children. It should read “£8 per day for one child and £15 per day for two children. ” Pilgrims at the Iranshah the unneces ­ sary. •The sugges ­ tion that we our desire for food” when vis I I dastur should lead the congregation inside the Iranshah in group prayer five times a day through the whole lot of farajyat nothing short of a penance which our reli ­ gion prohibits. Self-denial has no place in our teachings so far as I know. I, lor one, see nothing wrong or irreligious in devouring readers of your magazine “fried bois, milk puffs and niroo" (or special rates to cornpanies ; a Globe or Paradise. “London accommodation” Regarding my advertisement, “London touch stronger) at dear old KHURSHEDPASTAKIA I would also like to inform corporate that we offer whose execu ­ tives may be travelling to London on a regular basis. khorshed d. bhote London, UK Reservation of seats Upon assuming office in the national Com­ mission for Minorities as a representative of the Parsi Zoroastrian community, I took the liberty of contacting all the Parsi anjumans and punchayets all over India to 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 Assistants ’ Programme (Working Stenographers) Shorthand/Typewriting/Electronic Typewriting Telephone Operating & Receptionist Techniques English Conversation & Writing Skills Personality Development and Computer Packages Enquire at: Sir J. J. College of Commerce 14, Nanabhoy Lane, Hutatma Chowk Mumbai 400001 Tel; 2871058/2844329 Fax: 2871185 6 ParsianaJuly-August 1997_____________" ¦ do something for obtaining reservation of assets within the community^ • ing them. One of"the important problems seats in engineering and medical colleges facing young Parsi boys and girls, espe ­ cially from Bombay and Gujarat is the question of admission into engineering, medical and other colleges. As conveyed to me by: •Mr D. N. Billimoria, honorary secretary of the Bangalore Parsee Zoroastrian Anju- man, 15, Queen ’s Road, Bangalore, two in the medical course are reserved for CoUege (affiliated to Parsis in the State of Karnataka. However, this is subject to the applicant having com ­ pleted the last seven academic years in the State of Karnataka. •Mr Darius Marshall, the managing trustee oftheCalicutParsiAnjuman(KeralaState), - ------------- ------- has informed me that one seat is reserved this grand Hospital. 1 Patrawala: need for a degree course in the St Joseph ’s College at Devagiri, Calicut for any Parsi boy or girl. I hope parents will kindly take note of this information so that they can plan the future of their children well in time. I also hope this information will moti- . vate the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) RcVlVe flSSCtS •' . r> •»-. _ _ ....______ T UnAM toll/inn tQ some people who matter regarding the profitable use of the large non-performing ascertain various problems and issues fac- The lament is that not much can be done because of the original trust deeds created by the donors/benefactors. Also, some of the trustees are not prepared to flex their knees and re-orientate the use of the “gold for boys and girls of the Parsi community. Nearly 80 percent of the community in India, especially the educated youngsters, reside in or around Bombay. I would also like to draw the attention of mines ’’ they control, the trustees of the BPP that according to my information some years ago two scats were reserved for Parsi s seats in engineering courses and one seat in the Grant Medical the Sir J. J. Hospital) as a mark of respect to the illustrious son of the Parsi community. Sir Jamsetji Jejeebhoy, who had established hope the trustees of the to save seats BPP will take up this issue with the Maharashtra government to try and revive these two nominated seats in the medical faculty for Parsis. MARAZBAN J. A. PATRAWALA which is the premier Parsi punchayet of For some years now,1 have been talking to India and also perhaps the richest Parsi ' -**“ """" trust in India to draw inspiration and try to I was told that several years back, the House of Godrej was prepared to give a handsome fee for hoardings at Parel (Bombay). But owing to some wrangle, it did not materialize. Instead of debating about stupid and moribund subjects, our elders need to have an Assets Revival Plan (ARP) at the apex level of the Parsi Punchayet, Bombay. It ! should catalog the community ’s assets 2 across the country. The proceeds from such a revival should go to sustain: •our hospitals; •our educational institutions; •our orphanages; •more scholarships to deserving students (particularly those who are unable to get a first class grade); •establish a Parsi-run college (there is none today and it’s urgently needed); •sustain community publications Parsiana and Jame', •prevent the old seeking alms at agiaries. viz MASTER MARINE SERVICES Surveyors Licence No: SLA 19207 Surveyors and Consultants Ship, Cargo and Marine Surveyors, Loss Assessors, Technical Consultants, Container Terminal Superintendents and General Contractors, Container Repairers Reefer Cargo/Container Surveyors 22/D, S.A. Brelvi Road, Fort, Mumbai 4(XXX)1 Phone: 2873567/2832145/2870716/2886642/43 • Cable; ‘MOORINGS’ Telex: 118-2119 MMSB IN • Fax: 91-22-2870139 • Email: g=mms/s=bom/p=gems/a=vsnl/c=in Internet: mms.bom@gems.vsnl.nct.in Branches Ahmedabad - Calcutta - Jaipur - Kandla -- Ludhiana - Nhava Sheva -- New Delhi - Surat 8 ParsianaJufy-August 1997These are not the only causes, but some of the important ones, besides housing. If any input is required from me, I am rcsdy dastur Global umbrella This is with reference to the various ar­ ticles and opinions expressed through the Press against the formation of the World Council of Zoroastrian Federations (WCZF). Probably the objections have been raised through the mistaken belief that the creation of the WCZF will subjudicate the sover ­ eignty of member associations and anjumans and also that of The World Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO). I have the greatest respect and admira­ tion for the WZO which has grown over the years after viewing their wonderful work in the fields of social, economic, cultural and educational uplift of Zoroastrians worldwide. In fact, the office bearers should be officially congratulated and nominated for various prizes instituted worldwide for individuals and organizations engaged in the social uplift of the economically weaker sections of society. However in this world you need a representative organization to bring this to the notice of the organizers of these prizes. I am also proud to be a humble negotiated settlement as regards rejresen- tation in the Federation saw the BPP rise in status vis-a-vis other smaller anjumans and has made the Federation of India a truly representative body of all Indian It is therefore essential that WCZF and the WZO work together on one apex organi­ zation to achieve a common goal: of uplift­ ing the socioeconomic and political identity of Zoroastrians worldwide, the WCZF through pol itical representation and the WZO through their welfare activities. The onus of negotiating a workable arrangement between these two bodies must lie with the WCZF. I do not believe the WZO could amend its constitution to encompass the objects of the WCZF. This in fact would definitely dilute member of this Organisation since its in­ ception in India. It is also possible that the mistaken belief that the WCZF will override the importance of the WZO stems from the fact that the name of this new world body Zoroastrians^ does not imply the nature and intent of its object. Perhaps its objects would better be represented with a name such as WCZFZAA (World Council of Zoroas ­ trian Federations of Zoroastrian Associa ­ tions and Anjumans). This name indicates the very nature and intent of it being a world apex body of Zoroastrian federa ­ tions. And it is intended to be largely political in nature, meant to represent Zo­ roastrians through a democratically elected apex body to the various countries where its members reside and also when required its basic objecN.e. wellie, to serve as liaison between various organi­ zations and bodies of the United Nations. The members of WZO need have no fear that the WZO will lose its special identity. When the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India was formed, no Zoroastrian organization or anjuman represented therein lost its individual iden ­ tity. It is true the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) did fear that it would lose its tradi­ tional apex body status, but a properly It is a logical conclusion that like ­ minded individuals form an association; that like-minded associations form a na­ tional federation; and that like-minded national federations form a world council. The Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India, the Federation of Zo­ roastrian Associations of North America, the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe, the Zoroastrian Association of Hong Kong, Canton and Macau have provided Zoroas- Freny, Neville & Tanaz Go di wall a Wish All Parsi Patrons A Very Happy and Prosperous New Year For the tastiest food in town, with moderate rates too; none to beat the Godiwallas! Just give us your budget and we'll fit you in. Telephone Nos: 3765842, 3762065, 3765360 10 ParsianaJuly-August 1997..... ; a national stature. It is now desirable that Zoroastri ­ ans '------ an apex umbrella organization. The WCZF if any is intended to be such an organization, and " Zoroastrians worldwide would definitely benefit from an communication. trians residing in their areas housing market/land sales in Britain re ­ sulting in substantial downturn in the price y, on a warrantedly accelerated basis was instituted to profit from this status? The well-written booklet: The Unim- LllC. IL 13 livjw uvoiiwuiv iiiwv worldwide get a world status through of property/land. What meaningful action, interlinking network of peded March of the Zoroastrian B. S. NAGARWALLA Ahmednagar London land site The newsletter of April 22, 1997 of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe, Lon­ don (ZTFE), states that the “bid for a land­ site ” for a 4.5-acre plot at the Ridgeway, West Harrow, has been unsuccessful. A pity indeed! However, the “steering committee ” fails to reveal/clarify the following pertinent aspects of great interest to the ZTFE mem ­ bers at large: •The precise offer in pounds sterling made by the committee for the said plot of land. •The nature of the information, in full, claimed to have been submitted to the council. •The precise quantum of the offer made by mams a mystery. 7- urkAw tkw c/'hi the highest bidder. •Since about 1994 up to the end of 1996 there has been a reported slump in the ascribed £1,000,000 for purchase of land and landscaping to provide for car parking facilities (Phase 1 of the project). The committee had al that time expressed the feeling that because of the uncertainty of land prices. Phase 1 of the program was most important and should be achieved within the next six to eight months. De ­ spite this alert, a bid was submitted only recently. The reason for this recalcitrance is clearly befogging. In the ZTFE circular pertaining to the open forum on July 30, 1995, a target of £500,000 to acquire a plot of land of about two to three acres (Phase 1 of the project) has been stated. However, the basis for apparently halving the unexplained initial outlay of £1,000,000 claimed to be earlier allocated for the purchase of landsite re- When this scheme was first mooted, in the early 1980s. by some forward-thinking members ot the then managing committee 1 ¦'A: < J J ft II OIF w V niQi '^¦ '1 Zoroastrian House in London of the ZTFE, a vast parcel of ground with a playing field, car parking space, etc was found available in/around Wembley, Lon­ don (a location readily accessible to the only. 'I'he managing committee lost out to majority of members) at a cost of £250,000 With Best Compliments From s J COTTON SOCKS Casual/Dress and Sports Socks for Ladies, Gents and Children Manufacturers: MUSTANG ENTERPRISES 219, Milan Industrial Estate, T. J. Road, Cotton Green . Mtmbai 400033 Tel: (91) (22) 4147453 Fax: (91) (22) 4146319 12 ParsiariaJu/y-August 1997the Armenian community collaring the the ZTFE claims to hold funds approach- during Navroze and Pateti only F(< the deal by their meaningful promptitude of ing £ 150,000. rest of the year it is virtually emp y and on commendable action. -It may be surprising that library, sports limited occasions only a handful of vis ­ it is interesting to note that at long last, facilities and accommodation have not tors have been in evidence, all com or - after a lapse of some three years, the com- merited any interest from the respondents, ably located in the accomrnodation pres- mittee has seen wisdom to try and obtain a It is significant that only about one ently available. However, if it be conad- consensus of the Zoroastrians concerned, percent i.e. just four persons were respon- ered polUic to enlarge this to comply with Just about 25 percent (i.e. 352 out of a total dents from the London area who would the wishes made known for an a of nearly 1,400) are claimed to have re- probably be.more prone to using the Zoro- dadgah ’Vpermanent place of wors ip, e sponded to the “feedback questionnaire ” astrian House premises. Since 21 percent adjacent room could be easily annexed at sent out to members. An analysis of these (i.e. 74 persons) of the total respondents comparatively lower cost. is believed to have revealed: live outside the London area, by inference, •For the celebration of special events with •58 percent of those who responded, i.e. it could be that their use of the said tacili- the customary frivolities, one of the sev- 204 only of the total membership, ex ­ the ZTFE claims to hold funds approach- •It may be surprising that library, sports facilities and accommodation have not It is significant that only about one percent i.e. just four persons were respon ­ dents from the London area who would probably be more prone to using the Zoro­ astrian House premises. Since 21 percent live outside the London area, by inference, it could be that their use of the said facili- —- . . ties would perforce be very limited/highly eral large municipal halls or equal with v'A. vKw UX.ZWV*. ...»----------r ’ . 1 • 1 r.r»Kf* hirArl/ pressed a primary preference for a “place intermittent considering trattic, etc, i of worship. ” •Seven percent only, i.e. some 25 of the total membership, gave top priority to a bungli (chapel of rest). •About 172 (i.e. about 49 percent of the respondents) are claimed to have expressed London), seems only tepid preference for an “atash dadgah ” p-"*. with a permanent fire. ticed: only tepid preference for an “atash dadgah ’ •Some 38 percent or about 134 of the respondents are understood to have ex ­ pressed top priority for a fully consecrated agiary. •About 204 i.e. 58 percent of respondents, showed preference for Zoroastrian priests . to be on a full-time salaried basis for which (by no means over-capacity) primari y parking, bar, etc facilities can be hired/ reserved in the London area at very afford­ able prices, with the exercise of sufficient forethought and the appropriate cost easily recouped from the sale of tickets, etc. •The feedback has clearly revealed an almost utter lack of predilection for a library at Zoroastrian House which would therefore seem superfluous to retain in its present form. This is particularly so since London abounds in libraries that can pro­ vide excellent material for the study/pur- suit of Zoroastrianism for anyone wishing im­ pediments to be expectedly encountered in travelling which is not known to be everyone ’s cup-of-tea. The usage of the present premises (Zo­ roastrian House, 88 Compayne Gardens, to be favored as the top priority by the ZTFE members. As no- •Only during Navroze, Pateti, New Year s eve and perhaps, Christmas eve, the atten ­ dance has tended to be marginally in ex ­ cess of available capacity. •In the existing premises the “Satayash to do so. It would therefore seem apt to Gah ” has witnessed a number ot devotees earmark and convert the present library room as accommodation for a full-time With best compliments from BECK ENGINEERING COMPANY PRIVATE LIMITED and BECK CONSTRUCTION COMPANY PRIVATE LIMITED Civil Engineers and Contractors 23, Police Court Lane, Fort, Mumbai 400001 Tel: 2615820, 2694752. Fax: 2626389 14 ParsianaJu/y-August 1997priest, preferably one well-versed in Zoro­ astrianism like that of our high priests on the Indian subcontinent. The foregoing balanced and realistic evaluations unequivocally affirm that with the suggested apt modifications the need for “new premises ” at an exorbitant cost could well nigh turn out to be a white elephant and do not seem overtly war­ ranted. The important/main issue of provi­ sion for a place of worship for Zoroastrians can be readily incorporated in the existing premises for a substantially smaller out­ lay. One certainly does not need a table ­ spoon to stir tea in a cup ! The main require ­ ment of the day is to project a true and real image of Zoroastrians/Zoroastrianism. The exhaustive savings in the available fund.s could be readily directed to focus and meet the paramount needs of the hour like pro­ viding meaningful help to many of the needy Zoroastrians and the community at large. furhok k. tangree La Roche-sur-Foron, F-rance Youth Congress in London Due to my involvement in various reli ­ gious and peace organizations I have a lot of opportunities to attend many conler- g' ences arranged by profession ­ als and amateurs in different parts of the world. But I can quite confidently say that the Zoroastrian Youth Congress held in Lon­ don has been one of the most inclusive and well-run con ­ gresses I have been to for a long time. Inclusive in the sense of the inclusion of all physical, mental and spiri ­ tual aspects to meet the needs of young Zoroastrians. The organizers attended to every detail and need of all the delegates, from the Vada Dasturjis to the youngest delegate. The atmosphere was grand and alive. They dealt with the usual controversial issues and yet maintained harmony and unity which is the hallmark of a true Zoro­ astrian. I wish I knew of a better way of saying how well it was done rather than simply “well done ” or “congratulations. More ­ over, I must recognize and give full credit to teachers such as Jal Amrolia, Tina Mehta, Khojeste Mistrcc and many others (even though I may not agree ........ - 2 with some of their Delegates at the Youth Congress Photo: Arnavaz S. Mama suggestions on Zoroastrianism) for inspir ­ ing our youth and giving them the solidity and education over the past years which I believe was instrumental in the Congress being what it was. Just great! JEHANGIR SAROSH United Kingdom BUZY raising funds We take pleasure in informing you that the Baroda United Zoroastrian Youth (BUZY) has formed a working committee with the guidance and help oi Federation of With compliments from P. A. DARUWALA & COMPANY Engineers • Contractors • Builders 53-C, Meherzin, l()9-A, Wodehouse Road. C'olaba. Bombay 4()()()()5 Telephones; 2181352/2187778 Piroia Mansion. Ground Floor, Opposite Grant Road Station (F), Bombay 400007 Telephones; 3092974/3088231 13 Parsiana July-August 1997Zoroastrian Youth Associations (FOZYA) Uplifting At the SethNanabhai Bejonji ChoksiHome for rural Parsi Zoroastrian girls at Navsari we have at present 23 children plus three staff members. For the last 32 years we have been looking after the education and uplift of the underprivileged Zoroastrian girls residing in the remote villages of Gujarat and also the villages around the city of Navsari. Besides boarding and lodging we also have to cater to their medical and nutri­ tional needs. Additionally, they are given oDservers. training in kusti weaving, tailoring, cook- To meet the monetary demands of a ing and other relevant chores. Free educa- high budget financial exercise like this, we tion is imparted to the chiWren than^ to ,.,ai hA hrinaina oiit a souvcnir hoping to the trustees ot Sir J. J. High School at and the Baroda Parsi Panchayat and has taken up the task of hosting the Xlth All India Zoroastrian Youth Seminar at Baroda from November 2-4, 1997. We at Baroda expect around 250 del ­ egates from all over India to participate in the Seminar which will mainly focus on entrepreneurship, social work and com ­ munity welfare. Only those in the age- group of 16 to 40 years will be allowed to participate in the discussions. Neverthe ­ less others are most welcome to participate as observers. girls residing in the remote villages of 6' will be bringing out a souvenir hoping to tap goodwill and the Zoroastrian philan ­ thropic spirit. These funds are crucial foi a fledgling youth organization like ours. We not only hope to cover our expenditure tor the forthcoming Seminar but also save ishing food, clothing, etc to these uomDay,iiuivsa.vH<^.L.-.--j —--- me^ChinTv^^A2iary '^The'^priestsP were Besides the inputs from Mistree and the ian Stree Mandal (ZSM) of Secunderabad- T.SXX visiting priests, the cooperation of their 'Sm for Mistree who They laid a brick tunneWike sur- ;”t;t;;;™n;:ers.retnr„ed ceremonies, the ZSM^had felicitated on behalf of the Agiary Trust by its secretary Pcstonji Baria, and on behalf of ZSM by its president Pinky Katrak. One garland was c ----------- - - - was instrumental in arranging this pro­ gram. His talk at a ZSM convened seminar in February 1996, when he referred to the purity in Zoroastrianism and the signifi ­ cance of the high rituals, inspired the local visiting priests, the cooperation of their be acknowledged, mentions the report, rounding the well and leading to the back door entrance; the sandpav; for thefc/zajMri Jashan in progress at Hyderabad’s Bai Maneckbai N. Chinoy Agiary (left) ing the prayers, sitting in a particular man 22 Parsiana July-August 1997 1* chores like cooking, watering plants, painting doors, to “assure them ol their self worth. ” Stringing beads for a the state border check-posts at Maharashtra, nearby local industry also keeps them Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh would al­ low the Tata Sumo to pass without inspect ­ ing it, which was necessary so that the sacred alat would not be seen or touched, permission had to be sought from the cen ­ tral and state excise and prohibition com ­ missioners, the transport commissioner and the acting deputy commissioner of police. “Those of us who were present in and pomegranate trees; screened the well from three sides; organized accommoda ­ tion for the visiting priests... To ensure that busy while earning them a little pocket I money. Their handwritten in-housc I magazine, Jeevan Sandhya, is another I preoccupation for them. I “Here we encourage a secular at- I mosphere, ” stressed Dastur reporting I that they install a Lord Ganesh statue | every year and also celebrate the Parsi ? New Year, Diwali and Christmas with ? the Hyderabad Agiary on November 30 to equal gusto. I welcome the team were visibly moved to see the Tata Sumo (arrive)...safely, ” men ­ tion the organizers who were keen to wit­ ness these higher liturgical ceremonies performed in their area, having been ex- , plained by A. Dadachandji that they bring the then governor of Bombay in the pres- Started in 1847 with a munificent ¦ contribution of Rs 1,45,000 from the I first baronet, the first free cosmopoli- ¦ tan home for the destitute aged in Asia was Cricket stalwarts (from left): Dliotiwalla, inaugurated by Sir George Russel Clarke, Eduljee and Reporter the left arm spin bowler was also a member of the first national side that toured abroad and captained the Indian team in the first for the last 23 years being World Cup match. Her feats have been recognized with the Shiv Chhatrapati Award, the Arjuna Award and the Gaurav Puraskar. Even then, on the eve of her retirement from international cricket after a record stretch of 22 years, she declared in April this year, “Nothing has changed, ” in the last 25 years “and the women ’s ence of a distinguished gathering of Euro­ pean and Indian citizens, mentions Dastur. The facility which started in a beautiful The sesquicentennial celebrations of the bungalow is Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Dharamshala were extended from the three-storeyed structure observed with the release of a special built in 1974. cover and cancellation by the postal de- partment on May 11,1997. Presently there Beiietlt matCIieS are 88 inmates of different faiths residing The Grand Lady of Indian Cricket, as 40- in the three-storey building at Nagpada year-old Diana Eduljee is known, set an- with spacious airy rooms and sprawling other record to her name when for the first - ; . • r ' . * • ” • ’ • -— -- the country a benefit match was cricketing infrastructure remains the same. held tor a woman cncRcici uh npn *2, -------------- - -------------- _ 1997 at Bombay’s Brabourne Stadium, former test umpires Piloo Reporter and The match, awarded by the Women s “unseen blessings to our community. ” Acceptance for the aged extended from the three-storeyed structure and cancellation by the postal de ­ partment on May 11,1997. Presently there in the three-storey building at Nagpada year-old Diana Eduljee is known, set an- time m held for a woman cricketer on April 12, verandahs, according to an article in Bombay First, June 18,1997. Besides shel ­ ter, the residents are also assured of free food and clothing, and provided the ser- . . • u vices of a physiotherapist, a psychiatrist Cricket Association of India, and which ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ was to be telecast live on Doordarshan uicu lui juuv x, x.^ . _ channels was expected to earn Eduljee Patel Stadium^ The star Rs 10 lakhs, as noted different newspaper ' and social worker to administer to their other needs. Only the aged who are destitutes, with no source of income and not suffering from reports . any contagious disease, are admitted here. “Many who come here have a sad tale to _ narrate, ” mentions Dharamshala chairman best players^ participated, the Jropl^^ Vispi Dastur. Abandoned by their loved ones or employers, they find acceptance and a sense of belonging in this home. To make them feel useful, they are assigned 3naF(ni special cover wc ¦sftslWki tRwai ISO YEARS OP SIR JAMSETJEE JEJEEBHOY DHARAMSHALA (HOME FOR THE DESTITUTE AGED) 24 Parsiana Juiy-August 1997 Yet another benefit match in honor of Dara Dotiwalla, promoted by the Bulsar District Cricket Association was sched ­ uled for June 1, 1997 at Valsad ’s Sardar were to include many national players, including Eduljee. Leading the Elf Lubri­ cants India Invitation XI was Sachin Tendulkar, while Mohammad Azharuddin was to be the skipper of the Bank of Baroda Invitation XL The honorary secretary of the match committee Dara Pochkhanawalla said that they had chosen Valsad as the venue hop ­ ing that the presence of international crick ­ In the double wicket tournament in which eight teams constituting the nation’s ¦ < was won by the Indian Railways, her employ ­ ers. Incidentally, it is Eduljee who is said to have guided the Indian Railways team to 11 national championship triumphs of the 12 held so far. „ . Besides eters on these grounds would attract crowds, claiming over 100 test wickets which is a world record, Eduljee is reportedly the first L-L woman to take the first test catch and the first test wicket. Since her debut in the first na­ tionals in 1974, SE foa i t 01 •! »wii :: iM*iwr While not the entire game, the highlights were to be telecast on TV, according to a write-up in \hzJam-e-Jamshed of May 11, 1997. Pochkhanawalla hoped that each of __the umpires would get a purse of at least six Indian lakh rupees. Fifty-eight-year-old Reporter has umpired in 14 test matches, 24 one-day internationals; 63-year-old Dotiwalla in six tests and nine one-day events, men ­ tions an article in Mid-Day, May 20,1997. To Reporter goes the credit of being in­ cluded in the first ever pair of neutral umpires in test cricket history during the1986 series between Pakistan and West Indies. He is said to be the only Indian umpire to have officiated in World Cup May 18. matches held outside Asia. Mentions an article in Mid-Day, June 1, 1997, “Re ­ porter has managed admirably over the out by the FPAI, they carry out extensive Family planning activist ( ’ ' ¦ years to combine enough good Parsi earthi- planes and battleships to war but they are . _ _ - - . a 1 . . 1 1 • - ________________________ iiinrc Frr^m hfinrtpn-. them was presented a cheque of Rs 10,000, out by the FPAI, they carry out extensive states a write up in the Jam-e-Jamshed of programs of information, education and , cal services for fam­ ily planning and ma- I ternal and child I health; train person- I nel and undertake I research. I Wadia has also served as past presi ­ dent and patron of the International Planned Parenthood Federation which is considered motivation; render clinical and non-clini- “They are powerful. They don’t order in positions to prevent wars from happen ­ ing at all...they are part of a global network influence is felt all over the world. So notes the introduction to the top 100 people, listed by the New York published The fart/i Times in its issue of July 1-15, 1997. Featuring within this “guide to where the power lies, ” is Avabai Wadia who has been described as “the founder of the fam- ness and Maharashtrian aplomb to tackle the wrath of cricket ’s superstars. Imran , . Khan at his wildest, a snorting Viv Richards of activists and decision-makers.^.their and a threatening Malcolm Marshall have confronted Reporter ’s slight frame and have had to back off before his basilisk gaze. ” According to the chief minister of Maharashtra and president of the Mumbai Cricket Association Manohar Joshi who was the patron-in-t.„------------------- Committee, “Few umpires in the world have given back to the game and these are two of them who still continue to serve even i---- ------------------- cricket by conducting umpiring coaching classes and acting as examiners for the Mumbai Cricket Association. ” The three outstanding cricket person- ---------- ,, . alities, Eduljee, Reporter and Dotiwalla Wadia oversees its operatmns at Us head^ J^se of his 37-year innings with were accorded a special felicitation by the quarters m Bombay an ¦ .« _!¦_ X*___ A nnlp + nnt PAmmiCCinnPf World Zoroastrian Organisation on May 11, 1997 at the Ripon Club when each of Wadia: family welfare concern. considered the world’s leading voluntary family planning grand organizado. Durtag her tenure as aame of Tlic i Th.., dent from 19»3-sy, sne naa receiveu un elatas ,o provide a peep into “.he world of “alf of .he Fede^ata .he UN ....vz ..V... — _______ the insiders in the spheres of environment Xtofftihmen. from .op elass andtVlKamdy Planning Health Organ.za.ion, no.es a wr,.e-up ,s- - -------- sued by the FPAl’s publications depart ­ ment. Police portfolio the police force. Assistant Commissioner of Police Sam D. Patel with his consider- dame of The Establishment. ” This guide Association of India (FPAI), a non-politi- cal and non-profit making organization consisting of volunteer members and staff. accorded a special felicitation by the quarters in , area projects and 30 integrated rural projects. According to a pamphlet brought C hero n tion Award, the Third World Prize and a Health-for-All Medal from the World We cater for buffet dinner and lunch for navjotes, weddings and social gatherings ¦ A R s Contact Ronnie Denier & Viraf Gas walla Office Zorabian Chambers, S. V. Road, Milan Cinema Junction, Santacruz (West), Mumbai 400054 Telephone 6163437 (4 lines) Kitchen 1/2-237 Khaushe House, (Opposite Orion Building), 20th MumS^sTTdeptae?^^^ P^ger No. (9602) 106564,(9624)2451248 A Zoroastrian Enterprise 26 Parsiana July-August 1997L. of the Criminal Investigation Department, handling foreigners and external security. Nabbing one Iranian national who had robbed Citibank of 4.5 lakh Qatari rials, and one Jordanian national who was posing as Al Yamani, the world famous petroleum king of Saudi Arabia, were among the im­ portant cases dealt by Patel, he reports. His training in fuel checking, bombs and explosives, computer training at the National Crime Record Bureau, National Informatic Centre, and the Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Ad­ ministration have stood Patel in good stead. able exoerience in traffic management must for Patel was during the Shiv Sena riots at fave pSdoJ escorted iLunterable Bhiwand, in 1969 after just seven years of VVIPs like the Prime Ministers of India, experience in the police force as a the Prime Minister of Zambia, the Presi- subinspector. Despite being wounded he dent of Congo, the Prince of Japan. How- i ever, a recent occasion when his expertise benefitted the Bombayites was the Michael Jackson show at the Andheri Sports Sta- dium on October 30, 1996. Barely six months before his retirement Patel was entrusted with the responsibility of plan- ning the traffic arrangements in and around the Stadium such that the estimated crowd f of 60,000, many of whom were dignitaries ' and eminent personalities, could witness the program. There was not a single unto- “ jwauMi wiin sucv.ai ........ ............ ward incident, nor a traffic jam, claims _ , . „ n w e r s earned 225 good entries, cash rewards of Patel. whereby he Rs 28,878,65 commendatory notes and 80 He is also credited with having estab- antisocial ele- appreciation letters from dignitaries and f„.,g„off,cea.„c,uai„gace„ifica.efro™ menace of taxi drivers who were fleecing nnkv^through the ^18 pro- The seniormost among Zoroastrians in tourists. Pate, however had to te etg^h, the police force at the h- of his retue- riots a— . - ----- could be successfully implemented. The new traffic Scheme at the Dahisar check ­ post to permit free movement of vehicles on the Western Express Highway has also been due to his efforts, writes Patel. A particularly hazardous assignment put up a brave front, he recalls. After communal ots wari in 1992- 93, Patel was called upon establish the M e g h w a d i adauntingjob. Besides winning the President s Police and entrusted Medal for meritorious service, Patel was with special bestowed with the DGP’s insignia, has powers whereby he ___- J___ ¦ ;-----y 250 antisocial ele ­ ments and sentence them to rigoroils impris- t ,1 Patel: traffic innovations could arrest as many as Hindu-Muslim unity through the 18 pro- ¦ ¦ lin Indgramsorganizedbyhimhavebeenlauded ment, Patel says there are only seven mem ­ bers of the community now remaining as inadequate knowledge of Marathi proves a problem for those seeking to join the state Zls^^lnii'nTndia'were Routine police departureui. R’oonrmending ® interested tojoin the national police branch. the Press. Patel ’s detective work has also earned encomiums. Apprehending offenders for forging passports, smuggling foreign cur ­ rency or c ------ J tasks when he was with the Special Branch Wishing All Our Patrons A Very Happy And Prosperous New Year M/s Framji Rustamji Choksey Estd: 1850 (Partner Sorabji Eduiji Cooper) Goldsmith & Art Jewellers (Approved Valuers by Govt of India for Jewellery) Shop: 253, Sheikh Memon Street, Bombay 400002 Phone: 3425422, 3442639 Residence: 585, Khan House, Chira Bazar, Bombay 400002 Phone: 2051118, 2063099 28 Parsiana July-August 1997Patel states that promotions there are quicker. Besides his social work activities that Patel is presently involved in, render ­ ing assistance to those in distress, he has also been made a member of the Road Safety Advisory Committee by the Traffic Police, he mentions. The curtain came down On the stage she was known for her histri ­ onic talents. On the dance floor she was Motivated murder? First was seen an announcement in the newspaper declaring Piloo Rustam Antia missing since the afternoon of July 2, 1997. Within four days came another news report that her mutilated body was found by a State Transport bus driver in a ditch at Safale, in Palghar district. According to police sources, she was admitted to a local showing any nexus between him and the estate in Matheran) gone sour could have resulted in the killing. Of the four accused who were remanded to police custody, Patrawala, as mentioned reputed for being the teacher of well-known in the newspapers, has a criminal record which necessitated his reporting to the police station every day as a condition for being granted bail. Earlier in 1989 he had allegedly assaulted a Kamal Panthaki at her Warden Road residence but was nabbed at the scene of the crime, according to newspaper reports. Antia, Umrigar, Masani and Patrawala have been granted bail by the Bombay and virtuosity. High Court. Antia’s advocate argued there was no tangible evidence against his client names like Shiamak Daver, Javed Jaffrey, Karishma Kapoor and Aamir Khan. To those emotionally or mentally disturbed, she was known to be a fine counsellor, a wonderful listener. Farida Peddar Sethna ’s death on April 18, 1997 of adre ­ nal cancer when she was in her early 40s led to many of her associates reminiscing in the Press, recalling her varied virtues According to director Rahul Da Cunha, “She was the best female actress of En­ glish theatre... ” Acting since she was 16 hospital and then shifted to the Bhagwati alleged offence, reported The Times of in plays such as The Elephant Man, Hospital in Borivli where she was declared India (Octobers, 1997). The report also Godspell, The Idiot, Night’s Mother, A dead. The postmortem report showed the noted that Umrigar ’s lawyer submitted Flea In Her Ear, her most well-known 73-year-old Antia died of hemorrhage and that his client was nowhere near the scene performance though was her role of a mute a fractured skull, states a news item in The of the crime on the date of the incident. girl in Children Of A Lesser God, notes an Times of India of August 2, 1997. Subsequently the police arrested the deceased ’s son Marzban, her son-in-law Roomie Umrigar, estate agent Homi Patrawala and owner of Fairdeal Garage in Colaba, Zen Hasan Mohammed Masani ------------ ... for plotting her murder. Press reports also client had been falsely implicated in the fighter, strongly opinionated... stated that a property deal (concerning her murder. Director Pearl Padamsee who had seen Safale, in Palghar district. According to India (October 8, 1997). The report also noted that Umrigar ’s lawyer submitted that his client was nowhere near the scene of the crime on the date of the incident. The Bombay Sainachar of 26th October article in The Indian Express of April 19. stated that Patrawala's lawyer argued dur­ ing the bail application that his client was an estate consultant and that his only inter- _ est was earning his brokerage for the sale concerned and thoughtful, ” Dadachanji of the Matheran property. He claimed his i----- , She was to play the hostage in Ruki Dadachanji ’s Acts of Faith which was to open in May 1997. Describing her as “very added, “She was a great lady, a spiritual murder. STERLING AND WILSON ELECTRICALS PVT LTD Leading Electrical Engineers & Contractors City Office Esplanade House, 2nd Floor Hazarimal Somani Marg Fort, Mumbai 400001 Telephone: 2074177, 2071882 Fax: 2073741 New Delhi Office Flat No 202-205, G K House 187/A Sant Nagar, East of Kailash New Delhi 110019 Telephone: 6233381, 6236320 Fax: 6486282 Bangalore Office 183/C K H B Colony Sth Block Koramangala Bangalore 560095 Registered Office 70, Nagindas Master Road (Meadows Street), Fort, Mumbai 400023 Telephone: 2653287 30 Parsiana July-August 1997St K I s sS; 3*^, Pedder addressing the audience after a drama competition. Hindi farce. Besides these Indian languages, she could Clayton finishing school in London,” writes Cyrus Merchant in The Afternoon Des­ patch and Courier of April 19. Eventually, also speak Urdu like her father ’s displeasure with her model ­ ling career persuaded her to follow another vocation. After a stint in Australia, teach ­ ing the blind, she returned to the stage as an “any Delhiwalla. ” In fact her interest in nataks had originated since then, watching actress. She later went to the Alvin Ailey Urdu nataks bein School in New York to learn jazz ballet performed by Parsi and thereafter started her own dance class, notes the Afternoon write-up. In addition to the glamor world, Peddar ’s sensitivity beckoned her to study at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (after her schooling at the Cathedral and John Connon, and graduation from St Xavier ’s College) which she viewed as an “eye and heart opener, ” working with prostitutes. (T Natak Mandlis. It was at one such natak that she met a young Parsi actor Kavasji Palonji Fenton: in farces Khatav who was working for Jchangir Khambatta. Befriended by Khatav, Mary came to Bombay and involved herself in the Parsi theater, drifting from one natak company to the other. The slum dwellers, the physically and mentally final curtain rolled down for Fenton when handicapped. Happy with the variety life had to offer her, Peddar had told friends last year, “It’s been a very interesting life, a very full life. ” she was 42 years old, dying poor and help ­ less in a city hospital, states Mehta. The Irish Meherbai She dressed like a Parsi lady of those elegant times in the late 19th century. Among her circle of friends and the natak Lessons in Life Watch your thoughts; do not compare your­ self with others; nobody belongs to you and you belong to nobody; do not judge; live from moment to moment; introduce Peddar blossom since her performance in Princes, referred to the actress as “highly fraternity she was known as Meherbai. gifted, brilliantly creative, patient, obser ­ vant, committed... ” According to Alyque Padamsee, when he was looking for some ­ one to play a female Ceasar last year, “Farida was the first person (to) come to my mind. I could think of no one better. Not only did she have the charisma, but she had the courage as well. ” “Blessed with an exquisite bone struc- Actually, this Gujarati-speaking actress gathered on who performed lead roles in Parsi farces was Mary Fenton, daughter of an Irish officer in the British army stationed at Delhi, reveals a write-up by Virasp Mehta in the July 1997 issue of What’s On, the newsletter of the Karachi Zarthosti Banu Mandal. She is particularly remembered for her ture and a coloring which attracted foreign role of Shirin, a spoilt high-llown socialite modelling agencies in the ’70s when black still wasn ’t beautiful, Farida did some modelling for the renowned House of Krizia in Milan, ads for Max Factor, a few ramp shows. She even attended the Lucie- in the play Najo-Shirin, and Bholi Gooli in a tragic drama of the same name. Her stage presence and ability to sing brought added charm to her performances. She is even known to have played a hilarious role in a Politicians and eminent figures of Bombay June 12, 1997 to witness the inauguration of the Busi Mehta Chowk at the hands of the Mumbai Congress Pradesh Committee president Murli Deora, when the mayor Vishakha Raut was the chief guest. The junction of Patthe Bapurao Marg, Balaram Street, Alibhai Premji Marg and R. S. Nimkar Marg will now be known as the Rusi Mehta Chowk to commemorate the memory of the late municipal corporator Rusi Mehta who was assassinated JO years ago by antisocial elements opposed to his crusade against bootleggers and pimps in the area, notes a write-up in the Jatn-e- Jamshed of June 15, 1997. 1 B 32 Parsiana July-August 1997 11! fi w i rs I. 1 I B 1 I \ h 1 9 II Life and Hereafter Rumy Dastoof| change in yourself... These are some of the “Divine Seeds of Wisdom ” that author Rumy Rustom Dastoor seeks to plant in the reader ’s mind through his 108-page book Life and Hereafter. “This book...tells you how to live here and hereafter, ” declares Dr Leo Rebello in his foreword. “Like a good travel agent he prepares your itinerary for the sojourn in ‘foreign lands ’ and books you on a plane for a turbu- ience-free journey and smooth land­ ing into a ‘bliss world,”’ he adds. Life need not be a struggle. As as ­ serts the author, “the game of life is played by the Al­ mighty who knows best how the game should be played. The problem of the game in the human kingdom arises when each piece — human being — tries to be overwise and starts moving on its own independently on the grand chessboard of life unmindful of this Intelligent Player. That is precisely why fence of God has been reiterated by each we humans make a mess of everything, including our lives as also that of others. ” Once the laws of nature are understood and experienced, surrender to the Law becomes an effortless process thereby en ­ abling the soul of an individual to make rapid spiritual progress, says Dastoor. In the series of lives that each of us has to undergo we face varied experiences that For the fifth year, Capt Homi Dandiwala (seated on the chair), president of the Allahabad Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman, re­ cited Zoroastrian prayers on Jawaharlal Nehru’s death anniversary. He was among the six priests of different faiths invited to participate in the prayer meeting on May 27, J997 on the lawns' of Anand Bhawan. >g have to be learnt and assimi ­ lated. Death of the physical body and death of the astral self should therefore not be viewed as separation or sev ­ erance but merely a change of consciousness, an exit “from one room to another or the changing from one outfit to another, ” opines the author to eliminate fear of this dreaded passage. Since sorrow, attachment, pride can breed elements of discontent, Dastoor has dwelt on them before re ­ minding the reader that he is but a spark of divinity, one of the creations of the creator which has ultimately to lose its identity and merge into the sea of uni­ versality. “Religion has been taken over by the priests and they have used it tor their own needs, ” believc.s Dastoor pointing out that God was imprisoned in temples “only for the sake of convenience to man. ” The omnipresence, omniscience and omnipo- of the prophets, states Dastoor who be ­ lieves that conversion is futile. Summariz ­ ing the evolution of different religious faiths and the message ot the messiah, the author delineates the path through (Press) Letter Writers AssociationJ28/552 which He can be reached. When referring to the tenets month of ‘Ramadan ’ or Ramazan follow­ ers of this sect are supposed to go on a fast quently in spite of my editing, there may for the entire month just as the Zoroastri ­ ans do the same during their month of Boman. ” Surely this would confuse a lay­ man for the penance known in Islam is alien to Zoroastrianism. Devoting one chapter to prayer and another to contemplative meditation, Dastoor defines true prayer as “one whereby one is fully cognizant of His presence in Samata Nagar, Kandivli East, Bombay of Islam, he says, “In the 400101). But as states Rebello, “This is Rumy Dastoor ’s maiden book. Conse- Managing director oj Industrial Boilers Limited Rusi Engineer (left) receiving at the hands of union finance minister P. Chidambaram a special citation instituted by the Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry on June 19, J997. The company’s “significant achievements during the year 1996-97...propagating conservation of en­ ergy and preservation of the environment in the interests of industry and society, ’’ were recognized, as per the citation. every thing and being... ” There are typographical errors in Life and Hereafter published by All India be some flaws. But do not look out for them; look for pearls hidden therein. This book will either show you a detour, make you take a U-turn, chart a totally new path or guide you along if you are on the right road. Follow this road map and begin a new spiritual journey. ” Compiled by Parinaz M. Gandhi 34 Parsiana July-August 1997SCHOLARSHIP SO AS’ commitment to Zoroastrianism Bailey, W. B. Hennings and Boyce fol Hinnells — which made the School an “ideal place for study of Zoroastrianism in lowed by Profs A. V. H. Bivar, Sims Wil 36 Parsiana July-August 1997 London University ’s famed School of Ori­ ental and African Studies (SOAS) has re ­ ceived a substantial financial coimnitment , towards the study of Zoroastrianism. The liams, Philip Kreyenbroek and John donor chooses to remain anonymous, an- 1--------- ------- nounced Sir Tim Lankester, director of the School, at a special, small, invitees-only Europe, ” adding, “If we secure an endow- gathering in a comer room of the insti ­ tution’s Brunei Gallery building on July 8, 1997. Timed midway during the Second World Zoroastrian Youth Congress, the array of academics that evening was bolstered by Dasturs (Drs) Kaikhusroo JamaspAsa and Firoze Kotwal and Bombay ’s Zoroastrian Studies (ZS) founder Khojeste Mistree, the latter two being alumni of the School. What lent special luster to the occasion was the presence of Prof Mary Boyce, the institution within the institution whose name has been synonymous with research on Zoroastrianism over several decades. Hailing the Congress as “an opportu­ nity for us to meet the Zoroastrian commu ­ nity,” Lankester referred to “Zarathushtra ’s profound influence on the religions of the world.” He then traced the “distinguished London University ’s School of Oriental and African Studies announces an anonyrnous donation for study of Zoroastrianisrn Arnavaz S. Mama lineage of study ” — notably Sir Harold ment for a post here, research, teaching ® /'I __J___ 1___fl-ion cfiidiPC and scholarship in Zoroastrian studies (would be ensured) forever. ” Registering “the delight of all of us at this new development, ” JamaspAsa said there was “no better place ” for continued involvement with ancient Iranian studies Left to right (1st row): Boyce, Godrej Sidhwa, Zal Sethna, Farokh Byramji, Dr Ros han Dalal, Boyce, Busy Dalal and Mistree; (2nd row) Dinshaw Tamboly, Shahrokh Shahrokh; JamaspAsa, Dalal, Kotwal, Lankester and Boyce; (3rd row) Jenny Rose, Sims Williams, Malcolm Deboo; Bivar; Pheroza Godrej and Marazban PatrawalaIS’ A FOR ALL THOSE WHO STILL BELIEVE THAT EQU Al.rn' IS A BASIC TENET OF ZOROASTRIANISM The Association of Inter-Married Zoroastrians would like to make sure that the rights of inter-married Parsis are not compromised. We would welcome your support —whether or not you are inter-married. Formed in 1991 with a view to ensuring that Zoroastrian Parsis married to non-Parsis are not deprived of their rights, the Association of Inter-Married Zoroastrians has, for the last five years, been steadily working towards this goal. We have not, as many of our supporters feel, been inactive. We have always maintained that we are a “GINGER GROUP” or catalyst and not a militant association. But our very presence reinforces our stand that Parsi men and women should be treated alike. The number of inter-married Parsis is already substantial, and growing almost daily, and our efforts are geared towards ensuring that one day they will not be discriminated against in matters regarding rights to worship, rights to death ceremonies and, above all, the right to bring up their children in the Zoroastrian faith. Subtle changes towards these ends are already taking place and we are doing our utmost to make sure that these steps are carried on. We do however need the active support of our well-wishers to help us move towards equality in the true Zoroastrian tradition. Contact us for membership details at A.I.M.Z., P.O. Box No. 16170, Malabar Hill Bombay 400006. than SOAS with its “rich tradition of world renowned scholarship, ” and hoped that the project “will run into the next millennium for a long time to come. ” Boyce, her voice frail with age but precise nonetheless, “(looked) back on all the years between the School and branches of the community. ” Her first lecture had been Parsi funded; it had also fired in her a “need to go out to Yazd,” she reminisced. The first Parsi student she recalled meet ­ ing was Dastur (Dr) Hormazdyar Mirza, “then a young ervad doing his doctorate in Iranian philolo gy” under Hennings. Ac ­ cording to Boyce, Hennings had learnt about the rituals from Mirza which had illumined the texts for him. Other alumni she mentioned were Ervad Peshotan Anklesaria, Kotwal and Mistree. She had taught in Tehran and Shiraz, and had been director of the Achaemenian Foundation in Persia. Several Islamic Iranians had come to SOAS with state funding, she said, but never a full-time Zoroastrian student. “The very ancientness of the faith, the different countries and languages involved ” create problems in the study ot Zoroastri ­ anism, said Boyce. There has to be deep interest in the student, deep willingness ol the teachers to pass on accumulated knowl­ edge for the continuity of scholarship in the field, for “not all of it can get into books, ” noted Boyce. To some extent there has been continuity with Williams teach ­ ing Avesta and Hinnells, comparative reli ­ gion. (At some stage they had been SOAS students.) Now she hoped that with this welcome offer of funding, a new focus and identity could emerge leading to a lecture ­ ship, “one day perhaps ” a professorship, in Zoroastrianism. On behalf of the community, the Zoro­ astrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE) president Rusy Dalal thanked SOAS for its commitment to Zoroastrian studies and Boyce who he said has “inlluenced two generations of scholars ” and thus had a “direct impact on the community as a whole. ” A memento — an etching of Zarathushtra on glass — readied for the occasion by the ZTFE was presented to Boyce by her former student Kolwal. She called it “a lovely reminder of this lovely occasion. ” CORRECTION In the article “Come to a decision ” (Zoroas ­ trian Abroad, Parsiana, February-March 1997) it was mistakenly stated that Shehernaz Joshi Verahrami had been born in Delhi. She had been born in Indore. The error is regretted. 38 Parsiana July-August 1997ZOROASTRIANS ABROAD cc To make a fortune 55 Arnavaz S. Mama Faron Sutaria made his millions trading London ’s real estate market creIteriXTTb^'r'"fr^'^ ‘^"^"^ fanedtoseeitsrelevancetohisownfuture, rich... There are very few rich employees... * j '**t**^ I I 111 insurance, he knocked I wanted to make a fortune. ” ’ » * ’ ^oors 12 hours a day. “Ninety-nine times And so, at the age of 23, “to my parents ’ N * » would be slammed in your face considerable horror, ” and against the ad- * people used to buy.” Sutaria says vice ofwell-meaning people, he threw up a =‘I he did it very very successfully and it “very highly paid job for someone of my lT ¦ increased his contacts with a variety of age... to see for myself what I could do” K insurance work led him into Effusing an aura of tensile strength, the -’¦^1 mortgaging. Though initially reluctant “to dapper40-plusmillionairerecalledtherug- succeed in,” Sutaria ged road to creating a niche for himself in ,‘"7" h, that I an environment that, on initial impact at the couldn t do it all my life. ” Then he decided age of 13 had been so daunting, he would Ua u' expected, if things have willingly taken the first flight back to crashing round his ears, ” he could India. go back to his old job. To the Pathankot born boy with his ** i loaned him a few hundred “very Indian upbringing... very Indian ¦ / poimds f’we never had much money ”) clothes, very Indian accent, ” the initial re- ' I purchased his first flat (in action to Britain was “one of brutal shock. ” ” Bayswater, he recalls) and sold it at asize- '¦ It is one thing to emigrate as an adult or a uble profit three months later, with which very small child, he reflects, quite another > / bought a larger flat. These repeating to do so at the age of 13 —“a difficult age c ¦ ..e . cycles led to the founding of the estate in the extreme. ” His initial goal was peer ‘^^ner agency — “quite by chance. ” acceptance. “The insecurity breaks you or Arnavaz s. Mama He describes the estate agency business His sparse build making him seem even iy 80 e,n^^iyees Tta’eXai^vTnThs r""” ” " ±=S-s;.s;:5 . was an easy host at his West Ealing resi- mailed to 250,000 homes in the capital each T’ » year back. Hanbro dence where he invited Parsiana to break month as hp nntn ¦ » • i- Countrywide, effectively the largest agent fasten Angus, 5,1997.™:?;:^“ proxies w^X^^iry in Europe „i,h 750 offices in ,het,K(fnd) paintings and prints, the beige and off- Hnmoen„enioeoo..„f _______j n . pp not a single one in London until six months white decor, old furniture, wood and brass chests attest to Faron and his wife Kamal ’s _ _____ ... .vc..n,„giuii emu , penchant for muted elegance. Their shaggy go up and up from £ 185^to £ 650 little dog Taro, missing his friend Karl, their 10-year-old son who __ ___ _ i.iv his mother in India, flounced by our side as Law he dismissed the interview proceeded to the accompani- L..„ J_____ .wans uhc uccuiia been told he was des- breakfast table. The estate agency business that Sutaria created in the teeth of well-meaning ad­ vice, now considered one of the largest I ¦' 4* '111 a -i ¦ «*» It I S ¦ ¦ I on can ever on was peer I or ( Sutaria: Success breeds from inner conviction ” Photo: Arnavaz S. Mama Tj- 1 •,. , . --------------¦¦'e.Llvr|JullS, CIIIU IS SCI Viet_ His sparse build making him seem even by 80 employees. The company and its lorrh'inhpic _ _____ ‘i:___ p i r- . . r j colorful magazines (produced under sub- - but under taut Sutaria supervision) an easy host at his West Ealing resi- mailed to 250,000 homes in the capital each month, as he notes, aim to pair top quality properties with top quality buyers/tenants ¦ to £ 700,000 while weekly rents quoted in the magazine in Kensington and Chelsea years tjza___ I p --------- i^unuun uniii SIX months ’SO’ hi" ’ "" offer he could „ol resis, Sutaria had been vocationally guided to was away with choose between the fields of law and sales. . . . ~ J--- -- - "‘J —.M.TT IlV UlOlIlUavj as academically too the interview proceeded to the accompani- '— ' ” A » A _ i f t P .A A ._ the Sutarias ’ well-appointed kitchen and long drawn out. He recalls “one peculiar tined to go into mortgaging at the age of 31! Quitting college midway because he — many million pounds plus continued chairmanship of the company ’s board. For one year the latter is mandatory. Thereafter Sutaria has the option to terminate ___ tinue. Hanbro, the merchant bank, has major stake in the agency. Having thus achieved his aim with singleminded devotion, Sutaria could af­ ford to tell the youths gathered at the Second World Zoroastrian Youth Con- or con- a 41 Parsiana My-August 1997gress in London, “To have a meaningful difficult — for no ambitious path will be kinds of unforeseen opportunities... faith in the future of our community I ' ' " ' submit that you must first have faith in yourself. To improve and develop your own ability or to strive for and attain excel ­ lence in whatever you do should not be an optional extra. You owe it to yourself to get the best out of yourself... You can go and get anything you want. The only thing breaks you or drives about which you need to make up your - mind is what do you want, how much you want it and are you prepared to pay the price of achieving it.” Remarking that “our community needs people that create wealth, ” Sutaria added, “More than that it needs people who make their mark in whatever form of industry ways tell you how you could have done they choose to pursue. ” Comparing excel- s . lence of accomplishment between the arch i entrepreneur Jamsetji Tata and angel of by you is too important to be hampered by breeds from an inner conviction of ambition and inner sense of self trouble free — your self belief is the only thing that will sustain you. It will drive you, encourage you and remind you that your ambition is not merely a fantasy but that “The insecurity you. It drove me...” you can and will attain it. Unless you are extremely fortunate there will be around you the well meaning critic or the person who with the benefit of hindsight will al- “All manner of questions will plague you,” he cautioned. “Am I good enough? What if it doesn ’t work out? are inevitably but two. But never forget that fortune does favor the brave. It took me 20 years to achieve the first of my many ambitions. Those' 20 years, despite the fact that they were fraught with difficulty, were the most invigorating years that any man could wish for... that moment when you know that despite the odds, in your sphere of work you won the gold.” And he challenged the youths: “Your theme for this Congress is ‘Faith in the future. ’ I urge you to have that faith by first having faith in yourself. For only by em- something differently or better. My advice powering yourself will you effectively is ignore them. Your ambition as defined empower your community. ” Describing himself as “compulsive ” in his behavior, Sutaria says he stayed away from any other interests hitherto to main ­ tain some family life along with his work. Now he has promised Kamal (nee Vakil) a _ _________ . year ’s sabbatical. She has begun doing her are not. In the same way you cannot be MBA (initially she worked in the company nearly committed. Nothing worthwhile is ever achieved with ease or without per- anyone else. ” He spoke of commitment: “You will need to make a commitment to your ambi ­ tion. To use an expression: You cannot nearly be pregnant. Either you are or you mercy Mother Teresa, Sutaria noted “suc ­ cess your own worth. Therefore, irrespective of whether you wish to be wealthy, or caring or both, you must first be able to define what your ambitions are and where your talents lie. ” The crusty British accent must have been a painful acquisition for the Pathankot sonal sacrifice. When you make the com- lad. He now told his coreligionists, “You i..”-----: need to believe in yourself. When times get strength of purpose, a boldness and all mitment, with it will automatically come a with Faron). He says he is passionately fond of all types of music and intends to learn to play the piano. “Maybe, next time we meet I’ll play you the Moonlight Sonata...” SORABJIRUSTOMJI & CO. Exporters & Stockists of Sandal Wood, Sandal Wood Oil & Other Essential Oils Sales Depot Durlab Bhavan, Shop No 4, R. M. Roy Marg Charni Road Junction, Bombay 400004 Tel: 3856675, 3821637 Fax: 3738161 Cable: INSANDAL Sales Depot & Factory Hooseinbad Compound, Champsi Bhimji Road Old Anjirwadi, Mazgaon, Bombay 400010 Tel: 3738343, 3728346 42 Parsiana Juiy-August 1997POLITICS AND POLICY Federation aid to Jabalpur The Jabalpur Parsi Anjuman received pledges of financial support from the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India to restore its quake devasted property Arnavaz S. Mama Ten anjumans and the World Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO) together pledged Rs 2,25,000 for the repair of the quake dam ­ aged Jabalpur Dharamshala at the executive council meet of the Fed ­ eration of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India in the Pudumji Hall of Pune ’s Anjuman Agiary on June 14 and 15, 1997. The spontane ­ ous aid was in answer to the Jabalpur Parsi Anjuman ’s appeal. The birth of triplets to a young couple in Indore was a source of joy for a community facing rapid demo ­ graphic decline. The Bombay Parsi Punchayet ’s (BPP) third child scheme has-been extended to pro­ vide the family with triplets Rs 3,000 per month as maintenance allow- I ance. I The Federation ’s awards for ex- I cellence were distributed on the I evening of June 14 and the awardees I invited to attend the Federation meet * the following day. The remarks of some of the winners in professional and educational fields led to one more revaluation of the community ’ s stand on reservation in educational institutions founded by Parsis. Describing the community as “nice captive group,” Tata Memo ­ rial Hospital director Dr Ketayun Dinshaw suggested that the Punchayet can E:::! Are a«, a pro,a,on,.. the president of the requesting member recorded proceedings would be provided to anybody. With substantial funds remaining un- executive council ’s taped proceedings was settled in favor of the Federation secretary Keki Gandhi providing clarifications to » c- -ti-- m .'ti.jg li :U \\ * * I'f Dara Irani, Eriich Irani and Guzder with Vandana Chavan lighting the symbolic officeholders in their respective appoint­ ments. However, the offices of the joint honorary secretary and joint honorary trea- surer are currently open with the retirement of Eruch Desai from the HH BPP board and desire to resign on bB the part of Peshotan Nargolwala HE respectively. Some delegates have M urged that younger members be 'll coopted on the executive council. a The two-day conference was in- auguratedbyPune ’smayorVandana mH Chavan lighting an afargan of fra- 1 grant sandalwood. She welcomed * delegates to her beautiful city when premonsoon showers had dimmed the heat and restored the springi ­ ness and irridescence of the foliage B' even as she thanked BPP chairman and Federation president Jamshed Guzder for his gallant welcome. Guest speaker, Cyrus Sataravala, an attitudinal engineer, told the as- sembled delegates to hold fast to their dreams because history ’ s great- est achievers were those who dared HIj to dream the impossible dream. “How willing are we to make the O dream come true?... The giant red- 3lH wood was once a little seed... ” But laughed maverick BPP trustee Rustom Tirandaz, “My dream may be your nightmare! ” Bomi Heerjee, president of the Indore anjuman, has accepted the responsibility of hosting the next meeting of the execu ­ tive council on January 31 and February 1, 1998 in Indore in conjunction with the provide the leadership to the many Parsi the genetic factors and lifestyles which predispose it to diabetes, cancer, blood • pressure, etc. The controversy regarding the estab ­ lishment of the World Council of Zoroas ­ trian Federations (WCZF) continued with ------------- - . . Dadi Mistry and Mani Clubwalla of WZO used, the Bharuch punchayet is frustrated position challenging the minutes unsuccessfully and by stymied cy pres petitions. Also on their tion m« - rth^wryp nin.hnSz Tamholv seeking more time for anvil: how long must baaj-rojgar (after- had assented to the formation of the WCZF. death ceremonies) bequests be honored.' The annual general meeting on the morning c. ----- ------------ anjuman, but that no transcripts of the Mhow and Ratlam anjumans. WCZF vs WZO Despite a spirited defence of the WZO’s ¦ ' 1 as a world body, the last Federa ­ tion meet in Bombay in December 1996 Dinshaw Tamboly seeking more time for WZO to amend its constitution. A procedural question regarding the right of attendees to seek copies of the WZO vice president in India Mistry now _____ c _ challenged the minutes of that meeting as of June 7? confirmed The main “not factually recorded. ” He contended c a I ¦ & ..: 44 Parsiana July-August 1997 Igs .:ss fev _ ft t I 1 I*' . 5 • 4 'I ; i B- Ail liVii &w I M \ ¦ H ¦ n! -(f '?-i II s 1 »» I 5, * f 8 ¦s IO 3 fe s i- 6 I I- w i HI "W LtoR( 1st row): GU7.der, Gandhi and Sethna; (2nd row) Taleyarkhan, Shroff, Bisney, Karanjawalla and P. Irani; (3rd row) Mogrelia, Patrawala, Dittia and Tamboly; (4th row) Dinshaw Mehta and Kavarana 1 45 Parsiana July-August 1997 JClockwise from top left: Tirandaz, Rustomji, Cluhwala, D. Mistry, Ginwalla, Masani, Cama and Marshall meet. Gandhi said he had sent duplicates of the abovementioned papers t^. ----- ..uSS the table. ” He was supported in stand by Delhi Parsi Anjuman (DPA) Adi Sethna (retd) and DPA’s Brig Adi pressed himself “totally against it. I don’t want 800 tapes floating around India. Another issue dealing with the WCZ was the circulation of succeeding drafts ot . it across his Siaiiu UJ —--------------- . “ , president and Federation vice President Lt Gen ' V----z Sahukar (retd), and by Guzder who ex- that the WZO position had not been suffi ­ ciently enunciated and that the Federation s assenttothe WCZF was not a fait accompli. He was prepared to pay for a copy of the verbatim tapes to shore up his allegation. He was supported by Clubwalla of Ma- dras, a WZO meraber who said .ha. lhe ,a,er da.ed June 6, iii= -^bX'aveonlyonebodyw^^^^^ . .,,e Prevent them from making comments on an community spread ai over constitution? It would create a ..„Jd.” Referring to the oft cited imbal- the that any member ance in the WZO constitution whi ch gi P ^.^pjes and an anjuman like the BPP and an individual g ^^at one vote each, the Jamshedpur note s a , against the “Mr Captain has given an assurance n even^ tho^^^^^^ ¦ ing that this would be modified suit- to these 800 tapes floating around India. 1997 signed by Jamshedpur Parsee Asso WZO position as espoused by its president and vice president in India, Dadi Engineer and Mistry respectively and managmg di­ rector 01 ------ Tamboly, see “Federation ’s nod to world council, ” Parsiana, January 19973 She simultaneously noted that the WZO had been given time until December 1997 to change its constitution. She said s e a would be moumeu not received a copy of all pa^rs (GandI t g had circulated copies of a WCZF dra an agreed time frame, cons.i.u.ion^(rtus , WMnfL .hen we would be jus.ified in joining Captain s objection to t--------- WCZF along with the suggestions ot the Borivli Anjuman to alt Federation mem ­ bers). The delegates from Pune, Calcutta, bring under one umbrella the entire Zoro- '‘S Parsiana, January 1997.] She lar clause within an agreed time frame. the formation of the then we the world councd as Rivetna. ” Gandhi went “on record as stating that the minutes are a * Captain’s objection to Borivli Anjuman to all Federation mem ­ bers). The delegates from ,h/ “"nutes' are a^faithful record of what Bhavnagar and Jamshedpur had ^ade availability of tran- similar complaint at the December m PP strong opposition but Bombay which had been recorded in the of any minutes. Based on that, Jamshedpur^ Aniuman had any objection to the minutes SrbeJou,j,uee.b.n.u„dcU.ft, decision had been taken at the Bombay 46 Parsiana July-August 1997 even those ---- — Council should get a constitution. Gandhi reasoned that the constitution will be forwarded only to those who have voted in favor because it is only illllVM i»i .........O , • * ’ 'T'U^oz-* proposed by Mr those people who anjumans remain ------- _ are not interested in what the IS, because t.>—-- — - the constitution, so those anjumans after we have seen the constitution we will ¦ ) are interested. Those who have abstained want to lin neutral. Those who have said no their decision is not subject to who ' would write and say that we will consider ,„y objecion .0 .he m.nu.es after we have seen .he eonsto.ion we w., wouldmeethimandclarify certainly send it. To send itk' L to R (top to bottom); Heerjee, Roshan and Minor) Engineer, Dittia, Dandiwalla, Eruch and Silloo Surti, Sohrab Dahmubad and Pastakia, Batliwalla and Bala r ¦ member anjumans would be a waste of money. As it is a lot of money and time have been spent on circulating the dos ­ sier. ” Guzder endorsed his statement, “Those who want it or those who are anxious to see it would be sent copies, ” and Heerjee was satisfied. Individual anjumans The Mhow anjuman remains the only one to have drafted the Federation as a custo- dian trustee on its board with co-opted lation in Allahabad would be reduced to 15 member and Federation treasurer Rustom Anklesaria as its representative. Capt Homi Dandiwalla, president of the Allahabad anjuman, has been keen to similarly induct a Federation representative there, noting • that 80 percent of the Zoroastrian popula­ tion of Allahabad is over 60 years and with ________ many aged people, the population could dar-e-meher. decreasedrastically.Howeverhehadfailed Agra’s Daulat Debara recounted the eration would have a say in the manage ­ ment of affairs and properties of the anjuman only after the Zoroastrian popu- __ ___________ J or less. Until then the anjuman ’s right to dispose off its immovable properties was also sacrosanct provided 3/4 of its mem ­ bers favored the proposal. Problems in Allahabad concerned encroachment by unsocial elements outside the aramgah and lack of a paramobed for the Gandhi decreasedrastically.Howeverhehadfailed ictuumcu me to impress his colleagues who voted against anjuman ’s happy break because of the the Federation being invited as custodian heavily publicized Yanni trustee. Gandhi offered to meet the i.. mt la wi Allahabad Zoroastrians and explain to them people from India and aSoad music program in the environs of the Taj which drew that under the proposed scheme the Fed- “Our dharamshala was full for four days! ” she declared. Two rooms and toilets had been spruced up for the occasion at a cost of Rs 40,000. Some visitors from Surat had shown them ways of increasing the returns from the dharamshala. However, the spe ­ cific suggestion of opening it to non-Parsi users was voted down by the anjuman, she said. Gandhi enquired if there were statutory provisions in the anjumans ’ constitutions for annual budgets to be approved by the general body, but hardly any anjuman reported such a proviso. In Allahabad it was mandatory to give a clear seven days ’ notice of the AGM with books of accounts open to scrutiny. In Ahmedabad there was budgeting and earmarked funds, ¦’"L noted its representative and FOZYA (Fed- 47 Parsiana July-August 1997Under the auspices of the MAZDAYASNIE MONASTERIE and the ALL INDIA SHAH BEHRAM BAUG SOCIETY (for Scientific and Educational Research) in the world The one and only ZOROASTRIAN COLLEGE WOULD YOU LIKETO LIVE INTHE COLLEGE CONDOMINIUM WITH EDUCATED RELIGIOUS MINDED ZOROASTRIANS? ZOROASTRIAN COLLEGE within about 3 hours travelling easy access of Bombay, and CONDOMINIUM, has Building time with frequent trains ser- the International Airport with Construction approval for the vices in both directions of none of the hassles of City ' ~ ‘ life. _______ ______ ___ , Ideal for Senior Manage- Baroda, Ahmedabad, Delhi.) ment persons due to retire There are fast train connec- within about one-two years, dominium of36flats on ground, tions from Vapi and Umergaon ^.EAF^LY^ able local trains from Sanjan. MINIUM ACCOMMODATION 3. There aregood Health Care UNITS IS NOW OPEN. THE facilities for elderly person, with FIRST BUILDING OF 6 local doctors and hospital at FLATS/CONDOMINIUM Sanjan and also Vapi and UNITS is scheduled for con- IICII& caul I uii luuiiv. __ struction during 1997/1998. secoTid floo? with garden 4. There are good English Me- The complete College Condo ­ space im Hiiim .^nhnnls in the vicinitv at minium is scheduled tor Mazdayasnie Zarathushtrian 5. You enjoy your own garden A.D. - CONDOMINIUM, has Building time with frequent trains ser- the International Airport with main College Building of Bombay (and also Vapi, ground,firstandsecondfloors, Udwada, Navsari, Surat, of 80 ft. X 40 ft. and six Build- P ‘ r^^iu. \ ings of six flats each. The Con- -------— ------- --------- w cad dominium of36flats on ground, tions from Vapi and Umergaon EARLY BOOKING FOR first and second floors is set in in both directions and comfort- THE lush green Country side be ­ tween Dahnu and Vapi on the Sanjan River bank. Each resi­ dential Building has plinth area of 30 ft. X 60 ft. , divided into two flats each on ground, first and D^nu. spaced Each Condominium dium Schools in the vicinity at minium holder has access to the Sanjan/Nargol. completion of 36 Flats by 2002 Mazdayasnie Zarathushtrian 5. You enjoy your own garden A.D. - 1672 Y.Z. Early con Research Centre Library of space with good farm fresh struction is less costly an over 12000 books on Avesta, nutritious food at cheaper 'at%buildings. !So ACT NO . WILL YUU DC AMvJHVIO I ____ the fortunate few International environment, and CHOSEN ONES? Please write for further in- 1672 Y.Z. Early con- Religion, Health Care, and rates. varietv of subiects. 6. You enjoy the benefit of an I___________ . ¦ The advantages of this Col- space for your personal ^pirb- 1. You live in a Pollution Free and body good health, atmosphere in scenic sur- . ------ roundings with the Bahrot Hills, Exemption facilities and the Sanjan River, the Railway have the benefit of a good . Station, the Highway, and the home/familyabode, retiremerit [^^5,3(3 Building, (2nd floor), Umargaon/Nargol Beaches condominium at cheaper cost, pherozeshah Mehta Road, nearby - these are some of the The Zoroastrian College gQ^bay 400001. India, best Beaches on the West Condominium provides an -|-g|. 2660214, 2662950 Coast of India, in a lush Green ideal investment for N.R.I. after hours: 3644737 Belt Zoroastrians residing Fax:Bombaylndia022- 2. You live with in easy access abroad who would like to 2662735-A/c 121 and of Bombay City by train/road retire to live in India, within 3634274 A/c 141 leqe Condominium for you are: tual development and mind formation to the Mustafa Bldg. « sc:! Address given above, for the 7. You benefit from many Tax first two Buildings bookings. Correspondence address :Advertisement Courtesy : Mr Jamshed N. Guzder The Sanjan River ­ side with the Barot Hills. From right to left, The College Building as at present. Mr Rustom Chothia hoisting the College Flag on the Terrace of the College Build ­ ing. Prayer Room in the College Building. Mr Jamshed N. Guzder, Padmashri Homi J. H. Taleyar- khan, Mr Rohinton Davierwalla,DrMeh- er Master-Moos and the College Partici ­ pants in the Library Hall.Clockwise from top left: Sheroo Master and Adil Crawford, Anklesaria, Laskari, Edulji, D. Debara. Sahukar, Dick and Dinshi Patel eration of Zoroastrian Youth Associations) helg?" possession concern Ahmedabad Youth League when it hosted dead. X the Pune youths for an intercity meet ear ­ lier in the year. Baroda’s Boman Cama noted that its 285 families account for a population of 1 000 Zoroastrians. Two community din- ners on Jamshedi Navroze and Khordadsal punchayet^ bring them together. All children securing over 60 percent marks (63 last year) re ­ ceived merit awards. Owners/occupiers of the property adjoining the dokhma land have obtained a stay order from the court restraining the panchayet from construct ­ ing a pavilion and boundary wall on the dokhma land, he informed the council. Bharuch ’s depleting population is strug ­ gling with problems of excess funds. The monies are t have lapsed which has not been functioning for more - ¦ ; ask? ” he queried. Crit- are quick to cast aspersions of ^Taisa ICS are quicK lo casi khaai jaavoch/khotte raste vaaproch money (money is lining the wrong pockets), said t..e _e< my jurisdiction, ” declared Patrawala. Ginwalla’s problem: “How long do we continue prayers for those whose descen ­ dants are no longer alive? ” was placed by Patrawala in the court of the high priests but Gandhi declared it to be a legal prob­ lem; “The Bharuch punchayet accepted J from the settlor to say prayers for the dead... When interest on t..------- not enough to say prayers every year, you F. N. Unwalla of Bhavnagar declared that their body was a trust and not an anjuman and that there was no budgeting practice, no accounts and no AGM among its barely 30 members. The Borivli and Suburban Zoroastrian Association has been promoting interac ­ tion among Zoroastrians in the suburbs with a moonlit cruise, a picnic^in Uran, particularly appreciative of Ava Yazad, the funds is - ; “How long do we continue prayers for those whose descendant are no longer alive ” Politician Marazban Patrawala, the Zo- than 20 years and where the annual interest ees would lay and young need to understand the reh- accrues'at over Rs 75,000, as per Sarosh of .™X7vTr other^p^^ g^n,” notid Pastakia. Ginwalla. Their cypres petition seeking to they used the y f tl^ P^ Calcutta has been holding regular rechannel the funds for education has been without a cy pres order i . . . _ MpmnriAl four° years. “Judges come and go. the property adjoining the dokhma land ing a pavilion and boundary wall on the dokhma land, he informed the council. Bharuch ’s depleting population is st^g- earmarked for objects which practice, no accounts and no AGM among its barely 30 members. The Borivli and Suburban Zoroastrian Association has been promoting interac ­ tion among Zoroastrians in the suburbs with a moonlit cruise, a picnic in Uran, Dae mah jashan, etc. Khurshed Pastakia s account was ] . Dadar Madressa principal Ervad Ramiyar Karanjia’s explanation on Ava Yazad, understand the reli- Ginwalla. Their cy pres petition seeking to commissioner. But the courts are outside noted and asked, “Can the Federation or ¦There is no remedy except patience and 1 send directives or summons to the charity (veteran politician) Mr (Homi) Taley arkhan ghambars from the Olpadwala Memorial Fund, informed Cyrus Debara. Its veteran Olympian, Jehanbux Kapadia, 90, is ready to attend the next Veteran Olympics m 50 Parsiana July-August 1997n L to R: Dinshaw, K. Mistry, Thirty Patel, Gool Vakharia and (below) Mugat was registering a change ot attitudes on the part of the | tenants who, like their coun- I terparts in Bom-bay, had I for 60-70 years resisted any I increase in rent. Mogrelia I said that they asked the ten- 1 ants what rents they arc comfortable with. “You need to find some people in I the bangs who accept the idea that one needs to give Durban, South Africa for which he needs financial assistance, informed Sethna. Air­ fare plus seven days ’ stay and mediclaim together amount to Rs 84,000 of which the WZO has given Rs 25,000, he added. DPA’.s Farrokh Rustomji suggested that the Federation request Freni Ginwalla, the speaker of the South African parliament, to use her good offices while Mistry sug ­ gested a request to the South African High back to the community what Commission to waive his visa fees. ' ' has been received. Then leave them to propagate the idea. It is very necessary that the philosophy is propa- g' t committee, as noted Heerjee. Projects include an improvement in the dokhma land where the WZO is pro- viding support and attempts are on to rehabilitate the dharamshala. Their popu- lation received a boost with ¦ 1 five births including the / triplets mentioned earlier. B The mother of the triplets — two boys and a girl — is a youthful 22-year-old Jut an BCom student. The father earns Rs 3,700 and pays Rs 1,700 in rent (very reasonable rent in Indore, Heerjee assured his startled colleagues on the ex ­ ecutive council). The Indore Parsis have rallied round them with support. Guzder agreed to pay Rs 3,000 per month from the BPP and urged the Federa ­ tion to encourage more Parsis to produce as “One needs to give back to the community what has been received ” Calicut ’s population has been hiked by 40 percent thanks to the arrival of a Zoro­ astrian naval officer ’s family from Delhi, said Darius Marshall. The figure has now gone from seven to 10! In Madras, anjuman properties have been repaired and a 10 percent hike in rents every three years has been well accepted, noted its president and Federation vice . . presidentNariman Mogrelia. He was happy general body approves the expenses, in­ to report that [ ’"J some tenants Sethna. Nor- had voluntarily increased their dies are nomi- rents 200 jj^md to the percent. Those °indoreisa mation'sought from Jabalpur) the DPA, truly needy muuiv la a e .. . _ ------ have been ex- scene of Irater- empted from "itV’ the hikes. He deriewithfour women plus a youth repre ­ sentative on its eight-member been forwarded by the Red Cross includ- ;ated, ’’ he advised the BPP officials. The Madras anjuman had offered to contribute a total of Rs 10,000 to enable a youth representative from Madras to at­ tend the Second World Zoroastrian Youth Congress in London, said Mogrelia. He also noted that lhe term “chasniwala ” had been phased out in Madras and had been . ,, c u ? replaced by “general assistant, ’’ the post tory we should support them. Sahukar carrying a salary of Rs 2,000 per month plus free lodging, electricity and water. IIIV 2^ lid."' d i/ivn/vi ---------------- ing system but so far there is no budget be inducted into a better-paying vocation approval by the general body, lhe execu ­ tive board prepares lhe budget and the The DPA has a proper annual account- Cyrus Satara- vala (left) and Grant 52 Parsiana July-August 1997 triplets, quadruplets, etc. “What about the . v other anjumans? If they have created his- pointed out that in five years inflation would considerably reduce the BPP’s aid in real terms and suggested that the father But the suggestion was lost in general banter concerning who was responsible for the triplets: mother or father? The recent earthquake in Jabalpur had badly damaged the dharamshala, informed Kerman Batliwalla. The estimate for re ­ pairs ranged between Rs 1,20,000 and Rs 1,50,000. To BPP’s earlier offer of one lakh rupees (contingent on certain infor- Calicut and Mhow added Rs 5,001 each, Bharuch Rs 5,000, Madras, Indore, Saron- da, Jamshedpur and Shirin Dandiwalla Rs 1,001 each. Tamboly pledged an addi­ tional one lakh rupees from the WZO. Eight tons of clothes and mattresses had•The Gourmet' Rcsta.urant Buffet Breakfast from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Buffet Lunch from 12.30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Buffet Dinner on request Continental Food including Sizzlers Tandoori Food ( Take away & TeaTime Snacks 8 Fish Specialities Pure Vegetarian Food West End Hotel open From 8 AM to 11.30 PM 45, New Marine Lines, Bombay -20 Tel: 2039121,2057484 Fax 91 -22-2057506 __ ; too warm "quake affected residents of Jabalpur, ing clothes received from abroad for Latur which were ® ___ .i,« rp.sinCntS Ot for that region, to the informed Taleyarkhan. ¦¦¦¦ Smoo Surti from Jamshedpur spoke of less than 200 Zoroastri- ..3 in Jamshedpur though the di^to^ lisU 650 because work- JamXdpm)" ’’^Currently TELCO’s divisional manager in charge Jamsheop J Surti said, “WhenT retire there will not be single Parsi (senior) executive heniise no editorial contributions are coming m. they know; life in Jamshedpur is good. Also, if vice trainees want to apprentice with TISCO will have Parsi homes to live m. A bright spar ‘^^^briwXTEwTn^^^ mIX HX''X"XShe"X^ ansin — ing members and college of community services. a The preprimary Vliu uiivvuwxj ----------------- . f r level children (have) all gone out (ot ive left (in TELCO, Jamshedpur). ” school run by the JPA supports a number of •------------ of the agiary garden and because no Jamshedpur she young engineers th young social service trainees TELCO, etc they \....... - IS voung Yazneen Rana who has gone are coming to into the archery nationals. W/fh Best Compliments From antelec Limited Experienced tutnkey 0—^l^i™- S .ears in India, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Experienced turnkey 1 IWVX ¦ wr ***• ’ — Indian and International Nepal and Sri Lanka. „ qnali.,, reliability and time are in your project, call Antelec Limited ¦ ¦ 1 Point, Mumbai 400021 Fax; 9122-2021040 Nehru Place, New Delhi 110019 Registered Office: 73 Jolly Maker Chamber No H, Narirnan Tel: 2021067/2850383/2020563 Branch Office; 802 Chiranjiv Tower 43 roi7662 Tel; 6417345, 6463974 Fax: 9111-621766^ 52b Parsiana Juty-August 1997JOIN DAVARS’S COLLEGE OF COMMERCE BANKING, SECRETARIAL, COMPUTERS AND LANGUAGES Established 1900 For * Job Oriented Courses * Translations in all Languages * Jobs Guaranteed FREE PLACEMENTS Only at Davar ’s FIRST COUNTER from FRONT ENTRANCE at Fountain Phone Fountain: 2042007/2824678 Vashi: 7685046/7686567 Goa Panjim: 221140/234257 prefer to leave (the anjuman property) in the hands of Parsi tenants because (as it is) houses are locked up,” noted Masani. [In Bombay, where the government has the discretionary power to waive the provisions of the act in the case of registered charities, former chief minister S. B. Chavan had refused the BPP’s request on the grounds of not discriminating between communities, former BPP chief executive Rustom Anklesaria informed the gathering.] In Nagpur where Zoroastrians today number approximately 700 (half the original number when the Empress Mills were in swing), seven buildings have been constructed to accommodate 67 tenants, informed Keki Bala. The Secunderabad delegate Lt Col Gev Edulji disagreed with an earlier suggestion that the anjumans nominate a lady on their board, in keeping with the reservation for women in parliament. “Our ladies stand for election and do better than men. We don’t need our ladies to be propped up,” he said. The Poona Parsee Panchayat (PPP) distributes Rs 80,000 worth of foodgrains among the poor despite the fact that the anaaj fund has a corpus of Rs 1,74,596 and nets only Rs 17,000 in interest, informed its secretary and Federation vice president Eruch Irani. The balance amount is drawn from the general corpus and the same applies for their outgoings on medical relief (corpus Rs 2,22,354) and education (corpus Rs 3,95,754). They have determinedly fenced 68 acres of the Punchayet ’s open land against trespassing. Bureaucratic and financial problems have to be faced before they can proceed with their housing project. The objects ofthe PPP do not include housing and clearance is awaited from the charity commissioner as also new plans for the demar ­ cation of plots from the Pune Municipal Corporation. Their request for seed money to construct residential accommodation has been turned down by the Hong Kong Zoroastrian association. With best compliments from DIANA SOAP COMPANY Diana hand washing liquid soap ideal for clubs, hotels, restaurants and hospitals 9 Sussex Road, Pallonji Compound Near Victoria Garden, Byculla Mumbai 400027 Phone (Res) 3747624 Phone (Off) 3723779, 3720863 Fax; 3720863 52d Parsiana July-August 1997accommodation ” But Guzder declared that though you’ve been providing housing lor accommouauoii. go many years, the population is falling... Housing is perceived as a right. What The Poona Parsi Panchayat property at LuUanagar after the fencing and greening; its caretakers (at right) “We have land and expertise but no money, ” said Irani suggesting that the BPP ensure a share in the project by providing financial input. PPP president Dara Irani gave his cotrustees all the credit for the smooth working of the body over the past two-and-a-half years: “The cooperation is just fantastic. Decisions are taken unani­ mously; there is no fighting, no quarrel ­ ling.” Shroff complimented him on his leadership: “It takes two to tango.’ BPP and housing Wi.h “„o.asquareyardofFSI - W f // . /I O h J H ;i H II ii i R is 5 . » ;j if 4 M ’’ , S' Is " , t reminded the delegates. He saluted those Parsi ladies who successfully lobbied to restore two seats in engineering for Parsis in the Miraj Sangli College and suggested that Parsi families plan ahead in order to avail of the two seats in medicine and one for engineering reserved for Parsis who have studied for seven years in Karnataka. “Unless you speak up, nothing will hap ­ pen. If the child doesn ’t cry, even the mother will not give milk! ” Another Patrawala suggestion in the educational field was that Parsi trusts could donate to new colleges for computers/ least t\vo” of the five reserved seats for engineering/medicine/dentistry which need Parsis in Bombay ’s Grant Medical Col- Clockwise from top left: N. Palkhiwolo, a youth delegate, Burzin Khan, Cyrus Debara, Sahavir B ha rue ha and Perzid Reservations Award winning orthodontist Keki Mistry unknowingly revived the reservation de ­ bate when he wondered why there were currently only two or three Parsi students in dentistry at Bombay University. When told the frustrated students were losing out after scoring marks in the 90s, he opined that community stalwarts “should prevail on the country ’s leaders to give some leeway for Parsis. ” Patrawala emphatically endorsed his stand, noting that most Parsis were men ­ tally living in the era of the 1950s. “Parsis then didn’t have to deal with 50 percent reservation for SCs and STs (scheduled Daruwala castes and scheduled tribes)... Today other communities are in the same fast track with us... The days of bap karni (depen ­ dence on elders) are over. Stand on your own feet — aap karni (self-reliance), oth ­ erwise you’ll be passed over, ” he declared. Noting that there can be “no Parsis or Iranis without Zoroastrianism, ” Patrawala rued the lack of religious leadership and urged the BPP to promote a council of high Punchayet to “make an effort to restore at priests. On the social level also, due to the lack of data on the community ’s numbers, its age, sex, education and professional lege which “lapsed or were given away.” profile “everybody is talking in the air.” He upbraided the elders for making no parameters of life as their parents did... Parsi girls and boys with 94 percent marks are outclassed because of a lack (of com ­ munity support). ” Quoting a Supreme Court ruling that an educational organization run by a minority community has the right to keep 50 percent of the seats for itself. Patrawala urged the funds for land or equipment and block two seats for the next 20 years. Rich Parsis abroad could give similar donations and avail of the five percent quota for NRI (Non Resident Indian) seats. Earlier Jhansi ’s Ronnie Dick who claimed to be the fifth generation of his family working for the Indian Railways, ture in India today. Patrawala claimed that had urged Taleyarkhan and Patrawala to ¦ ¦ ¦¦ seek reservation for Parsi boys and girls in government service. Patrawala noted that there is a move that there should be 25 grounds that Parsis don’t need reservation Maharashtra and Gujarat legislatures. “If percent minority representatives, includ- when others don’t have reservation. “The you have no forum to voice your griev- ing Zoroastrians, on government selection youths are not operating within the same ances, vou are shouting in the air,” he committees. He now asked the Federation Noting that Anglo-Indians, a smaller com ­ munity than the Parsis, have two seats effort to establish a place or authority in the Lok Sabha, two in the Uttar Pradesh where Parsi births can be recorded and Legislative Assembly and one each in urged the Punchayet to employ educated Maharashtra, Karnataka and Bengal while unemployed youths to create a census. ' " It was Patrawala’s stand that Sir Sha- poorji Billimoria was in favor of accepting the Minorities Commission had agreed in a reserved seat for Parsis but that Sir Homi Modi decided against the idea on the there was not a single Parsi in any legisla- principle to recommend one seat for Parsis in the Lok Sabha and one in each of the you have no forum to voice your griev ­ ances, you are shouting in the air,” he 56 Parsiana Juiy-August 1997Investment in property Pune is the best city For sale, purchase or lease of residential or commercial properties in Pune, contact Minoo Bhathena BySel Estate 302, Devika Apartment, 2010 West Street, Pune 411001 Tel: 650757 Dorrabji ’s JERROZ HOTEL Under Cliff, Ring Road Panchgani 412805 POWER PUSHER FINANCIAL SERVICES Private Limited Hanoz P. Patel and Zubin P. Patel Dealing in: Bonds, issues, company fixed deposits, HDFC, UTI, LIC, mutual funds, post office savings, PPF, shares, primary issues, inter-corporate deposits, 10% tax free relief bonds. Office: 306, M B House, 3rd floor, 79 Janmabhoomi Marg, Fort, Mumbai 400001 Tel: 2846522, 2846521 Fax: 022-2846521 Res: 3866533, 3879979 to endorse the move by passing a resolu ­ tion and sending it to the Minorities Com­ mission. He also felt that Parsis should lobby for an observer status at the United Nations (UN) as the Bahais, Tibetans, etc already have. This suggestion was shot down by Taleyarkhan who was convinced that any move for direct representation at the UN will mar the Parsis ’ standing as an integral part of India. Guzder accepted most of Patrawala’s earlier suggestions including contributions to new colleges. A new aspect of the educational prob­ lem was raised by Prof Hoshang Mugat of Pune: “Our children in Poona are not get ­ ting admitted to Std XI and XII (Junior College)... Then where is the question of engineering and medicine? ’’ He felt the need to prop youngsters against the ex ­ treme competition. “We have so many institutions with Parsi names which have not insisted on Parsi management. Ask them for only one percent seats for Parsis... Till last year there were seven to eight seats in the Wadia College of Manage ­ ment. Now there are no management seats. We have got schools. Push them up at least to Std XII,’’ Mugat suggested, expressing satisfaction with the performance of all the students whom he had helped secure col ­ lege admission. “Please, please give edu- With Compliments From Victory Theatre 2429 Gen Thimayya Road Camp, Pune 411001 58 Parsiana July-August 1997 Lits quality, educational levels, aims, etc had to be ascertained on a priority basis. “Start with a directory of the commu ­ nity as a whole not only the association members — as a database. Ask the del- egate,s to bring their directories, put them nity,” said Rustomji about the Aligarh Christians, adding that the DPA will de ­ cide on what to do in Hathras. As far as the Srinagar aramgah is con ­ cerned, Sethna said he was aware that the 200-year-old, two-acre property in the can ­ tonment area was safe from en ­ croachment. The question of Zoroastrian land in Uran acquired by the Indian Navy was once again revived by Mistry I who is of the opinion that alterna- i tive land would be forthcoming I from the government if the matter I is correctly pursued. Masani opined I that under the Land Acquisition ‘ Act the land acquisition officer de- j termines the compensation which ' is subject to appeal to the high I court within a time frame but there land. The matter has been sporadi ­ cally discussed by the Federation. Anklesaria clarified that BPP of- I ficers seeking facts had noted that the Bhiwandiwala Trust to whom the land belonged had no record of having given the land. The matter was about to be dropped when Sahukar suggested that the South ­ ern Command headquarters in Pune * may be holding the records if the land was given on a 99-year lease. He undertook to instruct the PPP president on how to acquire this informa ­ tion from Southern Command. The vigilance committee constituted by the Federation in June 1996 to aid on a computer. Then the answers will Katpitia registered its inability to help come, ” suggested Sethna. “We Parsis are because they state Katpitia chooses to work alone. Eruch Irani, Karanjawalla and Pervez Irani noted that Katpitia would be saved unnecessary trips if he would allow them to function at the local level and summon him when required. But Gandhi noted, “Certain people like to do things their own way... If new cases come up and the others want to handle them on, their own steam, they are welcome to do so. The vigilance committee was not formed to exercise vigilance on Katpitia but to bring new cases to the Federation ’s notice with ¦X'.- I i*-**.-- »1 I'rijile celebration: Adil 1 cation much more priority than housing. ” Eruch Irani noted that the Neville Wadia Management Institute was donated and founded in the last five years. “The family is there, the trust is alive. Request them to keep some seats. ” Patrawala suggested that the BPP put advertisements in the Press seek- j ing information on Parsi-founded . institutions. “Then we can find out i I j there were Parsi seats... ” j In the context of medical educa- | tion retired Maj Gen D. B. Doctor I informed the gathering that a mini- I mum 60 percent is required for ad- I mission to the Armed Forces Medi- j cal College though oral and written j admission tests are also taken. To­ day there is only one Parsi doctor on its administration. Of course, the candidate must be willing, to (ointbe armed forces. A disenchanted Brig Noshir Grant, who had organized training for Parsi youths wishing tojoin the armed forces in response to a BPP/ Federation request some years ago. had found no takers for the facility. “You can have any amount of reser ­ vations. It’s not a case of taking horses to water. We have no horses !" Heerjee who had served as secre ­ tary of the Minorities Commission for three-and-a-half years was not ready to accept that the community ’s spirit today was so different from what it had Thrity Dosabhoy with Hormuzd, been at the time of Indian independence. “Competition is meant to draw the best out of all of us... Homi Daji of Madhya Pradesh had won his elections (to the Lok Sabha) on sheer pace and popularity. If we try to chary of answering questions because we find short cuts others will be ready to pull us down.” Reacting to “pleading letters from par­ ents of frustrated children, ” Gandhi asked the delegates to “kindly put your personal pride and opinion in your pocket and ask youths about their opinion.” Agreeing that had been to check up on the Hathras and Parsi children need a break at the crucial Aligarh aramgahs which are under the level, Gandhi spoke from experience that protection of the DPA. Rustomji reported on the trip they found “so useful and edu ­ cative. ” The Aligarh cemetery is looked after by the Christians whose cemetery is specific information. ” Gandhi reminded the council that three people had come with stories at its Bombay meet in Decem ­ ber. But they did not meet BPP chief executive Behram Laskari the following day, as advised. He now offered Pervez Irani to undertake the project relating to the Tarapur land on his own, but there was no confirmation from Pervez or the vigi­ lance committee. Freyan and A rhan think of problems, not solutions. ” Defunct anjumans In the absence of Sorab Katpitia the update on defunct anjumans was scanty. Rustomji and DPA youth trustee Adil Nargolwalla “behind our backs ” political authorities consult eminent Zoroastrians who tend not to support the call for reservation. He • urged Patrawala to convert such people to adjacent to that of the Parsis. They look after the Zoroastrian graves, a common chowkidar maintains vigilance. In Hathras a Muslim family is looking after the aramgah without seeking monetary sup ­ port from anywhere. There is no encroach ­ ment and the boundary wall is intact. “(We the changed scenario, mobilize public opin­ ion before making an application to the government. But Disney was sceptical about “tack ­ ling community issues piecemeal. ” Ac ­ cording to him a master plan projected over the next several years was required are) quite sure that no Parsi cemetery would . . , provide such facility to another commu ­ and for that the quantum of the population, 61 Parsiana July-August 1997t AGM Sethna, Bodhanwala and Mogrelia continue as Federation vice presidents for the north, east and south zones, Surat Parsi Punchayet president Dr Sam Bhacca and Eruch Irani as vice presidents for West Zones A and B. The co-opted members Rustomj i, Clubwal la, Anklesaria and Eruch Surti also continue unchanged. Co-opted member and Federation joint honorary treasurer Peshotan Nargolwala had sought to resign due to ill health and increasing age. When Gandhi proposed that Nargolwala be asked to continue out of sentiment, some members felt that a youth in this position would be better able to serve the body. Some confusion followed whether a youth meant a FOZYA appointee or a council/anjuman nominee. Essentially, co-opted members are community mem ­ bers who are involved in working for its welfare and could be residents of the areas they represent, but not necessarily so. After much quibbling over the nomenclature (youth/younger person/ young committed member/young committed worker) it was decided that the matter will be rediscussed at the next executive council meeting and “whatever resolution is passed, will be approved. ” The other election dealt with the appointment of a joint honorary secretary, a position held by former BPP trustee and chairman Eruch Desai until his retirement. Gandhi informed the delegates about the Iranian Zoroastrian Anjuman ’s complaint that it has no seat on the executive council and its request that Pervez Irani be appointed joint honorary secretary in Desai ’s place. Mogrelia was in favor of finding “younger people to help Keki and Rustom who have been pulling the burden alone. ” But Gandhi was of the opinion that the position was a BPP prerogative and should remain that way. Youths The next all India Zoroastrian Youth Seminar is slated for Baroda, November 2 to 4, 1997. It will be held under the joint banner of FOZYA and the Baroda United Zoroastrian Youth League as noted its representative Hutoxi Ankleshwaria. The League is normally involved in organizing social and cultural events, games and dinner, blood donation, camps and fund raising drives. “Are you educating the youths on the development programs and problems of India?” asked Taleyarkhan, urging increased awareness. “Know more about the country to which you belong (so that) you can answer when asked abroad,” he urged. Although the subject is not on the agenda so far, Ankleshwaria agreed to “work in this direction. ” Gandhi supported Ankleshwaria ’s request for donations be ­ yond the one lakh rupees promised annually by Guzder, noting that promises for the FOZYA programs should not only cover the expenses of the seminar but generate funds for FOZYA’s projects. Calcutta ’s small Parsi community shrinks with each family ’s migration to other parts of India or abroad, noted Cyrus Debara. Their youths had been completely out of FOZYA activities until one youth partook of the ninth seminar organized by the Surat • Youth League. Thereafter their representation increased to six in Bombay. Ahmedabad Youth League ’s Burzin Daruvala spoke of vol­ leyball and cricket, housie and dance as normal activities along with the traditional jashans. They hosted 38 Pune youths, Decem ­ ber 20-26, 1996 in an intercity meet that had roused tremendous enthusiasm. Of the 100 plus youths from India attending the Second World Zoroastrian Congress in London, July 4-11, 1997 as Pervez Irani mentioned, 20 are said to be from Ahmedabad. THE ZOROASTRIAN CO-OPERATIVE BANK LIMITED (Established 1927) We welcome you to - Fully Computerised Operations - Extended Business Hours - Prompt Personal Payments on Teller - Courteous and Efficient Service - Higher Interest Rate on Deposits - Competitive Interest Rates on Advances - Banking Facilities for all Communities We invite you to give us an opportunity to offer you our prompt and efficient services and facilities So come Bank with us “A Bank that is Big on Tradition and Trust” For opening new accounts please contact us at: Central Office Khushesh Mansion, 1 st Floor, Janmabhoomi Marg, , Fort, Mumbai 400001 Tel: 2027501/2027503 Registered Office and Main Branch Zoroastrian Association Building, 16, Horniman Circle, Fort, Mumbai 400023 Tel: 2665617/2665937 Branches Tardeo * Bandra * Andheri Dadar * Pune 63 Parsiana Ju/y-August 1997VAHISHTAAD RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX A PROJECT BY THE OWNERS OF PARADISE HOTEL First time in Udwada a complex with swimming pool and common club house Pune ’s annual summer sports camp had been held May 1-31 with karate, aerobics, drawing, painting, dancing and stitching classes included, as informed Nawaz Palkhiwala of the Poona Youth League. When they hosted the Ahmedabad contin ­ gent in a return meet they had included visits to Khadakvasla and the Poonavala Stud Farms. They had been actively in­ volved in repair and maintenance work at Doongerwadi and were complimented by PPP president Dara Irani for their coopera ­ tion in the hosting of the Federation meet ­ ing. Of Indore ’s total 150 Zoroastrians, 35 are youths. The Indore Youth League formed in 1994 is trying to revive activities like ghambars, plays and games on Khordadsal and Jamshedi Navroze. Bisney recalled the Secunderabad Youth Fest held in 1990 which was well at­ tended. The Secunderabad Youth is now planning a literary youth meet, Kaleido ­ scope, over the sankrant weekend, January 8-11, 1998. More than 10 literary and art disciplines will be embraced including human resource development, advertis ­ ing, stock exchange games, debates, es ­ says, painting, quiz, dancing and singing. Determined that the emphasis will be on quality participation, not quantity, del- y^ith Best Compliments From GALLERY CHEMOULD A gallery of Contemporary Indian Art Available Flats (Five) Bungalows (Five) Row Houses (Three) Penthouses Just behind Pak Iranshah Atashbehram HDFC approval in process For details contact Farida/Hekter Paradise Hotel Udwada Beach Udwada 396180 Tel: (02638) 70188 ABZEE FOODS Try our barbeque sauce, thousand island dressing, chocolate sauce, mayonnaise, tarapori patio, etc For details contact Bombay telephones 3866179/3879025 Selection of good paintings Tasteful Framing Care and Restoration of old paintings Jehangir Art Gallery 1st Floor, M. G. Road Bombay 400023 Tel: 2844356/2833640 Fax: 2836058 64 Parsiana July-August 1997Matheran ? egates will be obliged to participate in at least one discussion. Mere spectators will not be allowed, said Disney. The Baroda seminar will qualify for Guzder ’s standing donation of one lakh ¦rupees, said Gandhi. But the industrialist was not as welcoming when Disney sought his aid for Kaleidoscope. It was subse ­ quently learnt that Guzder has given Rs 35,000 in advertisements and an assurance that one lakh rupees will follow. fa o Free Transportation by Luxurious Tourist cars. ? Swimming Pool & Health Club. ? Inclusive of All Meals. ? CCTV, Star Movies, Mini Fridge, Telephone & all modern amenities. Awards A Federation award in memory of the late Ardeshir Katrak, the feisty stalwart of Bombay’s Small Causes Court is in the pipeline. Proposed by Kaiser-E-Hind with whom Katrak’s professional association had spanned over 20 years, it is meant to honor the man who never charged fees to widows, priests or people from his home ­ town Gandevi. Hence the first criterion for the award, as spelt out by the donor would be legal aid for the community. Lawyers with proven commitment to fundamental rights, constitutional law and general ex ­ cellence in the legal field would also be considered, in that order. In response to Taleyarkhan s proposal for an award for lady entrepreneurs for small scale industries, Gandhi said there rights, constitutional law and general ex- With best wishes from Cyber World ir Including Free Stay for upto Two Nights. ? Spacious Bar & Discotheque. ? Vegetarian & Non ­ Vegetarian Separate Kitchens. For Instant Bookings: Tel: 6436504/6459639 6512216/6423856 6451930/6430480 6202106 Membership Scheme open With Compliments Of Manize Estd: 1959 Ladies Department Store JEUNESSE: Total beauty care and hair dressing Cumballa Hill Flyover, Bombay 400036 Telephones; Shop: 3877833, 3869855 Resi; 2151900 and Spin Weave Textiles HO; Piramal Mansion, 235, D. N. Road, Bombay 400001 Telephone; 2616781 Fax; 2611744 Pune ’s newest computer store Address Metro House 7/B Mangaldas Road Opp T.M.T.C. Pune 411001 Tel: 626071 Fax: 626103 iSi;i I S' J 66 Parsiana July-August 19970^ 22 Carat Guaranteed Gold KUMAR JEWELLERS House of Gold, Silver & Diamond Jewellery Specialist for: Asho Farohar & Lord Zarathushtra Medals in Gold and Silver has been “no bio data, no nominations ” for the Pestonji Mehrji Agiary in Hyderabad, the two original awards for entrepreneurs informed special invitee Bazun Dittia. An- since 1992. “We find so many Parsis with excellent performances but they don’t get a chance because they are not nominated, ” said Bisney. As a case in point he referred to Aban Satarawalla, principal of a school in Jodhpur which produced six SSC top­ pers. Gandhi confirmed that as no nomina ­ tions are coming in and addresses are difficult to come by, awards in certain categories have missed several years. Miscellania Taleyarkhan declared that the Gujarat gov­ ernment will begin constructing a 300-foot long breakwater 40 meters out in the sea in the third week of October. The Save Ddwada Committee has contributed four niversary celebrations of Dadabhai Nao- roji, a ghambar and navjote of poor chil ­ dren were also programmed for the cel ­ ebrations, August 6-10, 1997. A big name in his time Mehrji had borne the cost of minting 40 lakh rupees worth of coins on behalf of the Nizam who never paid up, alleged Dittia. Mehrji ’s appeal against the Nizam went to the Privy Coun­ cil but he lost the case on a technical ground and was much reduced in financial status, Dittia added. The trustees of the Agiary are planning to produce replicas of the coin on the sesquicentennial of the agiary that he built in his heyday. Instilling an awareness of Zoroastrian identity among the host population is one reason behind the exercise, according to Dittia. 596, Chira Bazar Near Wadia Fire Temple Bombay 400002 Tel: 2017707/2011894 We buy old Gold, Silver and Diamond Jewellery We accept Master, Visa, Diners, BOB & Inter cards lakh rupees toward the 40-45 lakh rupee pro­ ject to halt the ingress of the sea in that area. The amount includes Rs 1,00,000 from the BPP and Rs 2,27,000 from the Baroda Parsi Punchayet. Solicitor Berjis Desai has forwarded a draft for the method- Hostels built for Zoroastrian boys and girls in Iran by Peshotan Marker are lying empty Those attending the Federation meeting were: Dolat Debara from Agra; Sahavir Bharucha, Perzid Da­ ruwala and Porus Karanjawalla from Ahmedabad; Capt Homi and Shireen Dandiwalla from Alla­ habad; Sarosh and Pilloo Ginwalla and Dara and Shirin Mahudawalla from Bharuch; F. N. Unwalla from Bhavnagar; Wishing you all a Happy New Year from Oliaji Duke-Hotel Duke Hotel Estd 1936 Dosabhai Nariman Oliaji President Daman Parsi Jarthosti Anjuman Devka Daman 396210 Tel: 02636 54251 68 Parsiana July-August 1997 ology to be employed in the establishment of a Federation fund for venture capital, informed Gandhi. Guzder was particular Jamshed Guzder, Minoo Shroff, Silloo that all angles are well covered: “The tax Kavarana, Dinshaw Mehta, Rustom authorities shouldn ’t feel we are doing Tirandaz, Dinshaw Tamboly, Behram business or they will cancel our charity Laskari, Rustom Anklesaria, Sheroo Mas- status. ” ter, Adil Crawford and Gool Kias from Under the WZO’s self-employment Bombay; Khurshed Pastakia from the scheme 200 Zoroastrians have received in- Borivli and Suburban Zoroastrian Asso- terest free financial support since August ciation; Cyrus Debara from Calcutta; 1995, informed Tamboly. Amounts vary between 2.5 and .3 lakh rupees and have to be returned in 45 equal interest free instalments. Most allottees have gone into trade. One lady from Ruslom Bang is exporting lilies. Darius Marshall from Calicut; Lt Gen (Retd) Adi Sethna, Brig (Retd) Adi Sahukar, Dadi Mistry, Farrokh Rustomji and Keki Gandhi from Delhi; Dr (Ms) M. H. Panthak from Ilav; Bomi Heerjee, Freny There is not a single defaulter, said Tamboly and Phiroz Madan, Shiraz Daruwala, and invited upcountry anjumans to recom ­ mend potential entrepreneurs. Sethna informed the delegates that Aus ­ tralian Zoroastrians were looking for busi ­ ness partners in India, preferably among the community. Consultancy in health care, insurance, home care, agro industries, food Jamshedpur; Ronnie and Gulnaz Dick from processing, mining were some of the fields Jhansi; Nariman Mogrelia and Mani indicated. Interested parties were requested Clubwala from Madras; Behram and Dolly to fax Sethna or Gandhi in Delhi (6864609 Masani from Mhow; Keki Bala from and 6448322 respectively). Nagpur; Dara Irani, Shiraz Anklesaria, Dastur(Dr) KaikhusrooJamaspAsa will Eruch Irani, Boman Irani, Farokh Irani, conduct the 150th anniversary jashan of continued on page 130 Neville Wankadia, Minoo and Roshan En­ gineer, Jehangir Daruwala and Noshir Mobedji from Indore; Pervez Irani and Sohrab Dahmubad from the Iranian Zoro­ astrian Anjuman; Kerman Batliwalla from Jabalpur; Eruch and Silloo Surti fromOBSERVATION But a passage Instead of mourning, remember the dead with love and prayers Hormazdyar S. Dalal With best compliments from SUNBIRD SEALS AND PLASTICS PRIVATE LIMITED versaries, etc. Offerings prepared with love, too, play a very important part. Simple offerings like fruit, milk and flowers are enough. At the most one or two favorite courses with rice or chapati could be added. Such offerings are appreciated, and the departed souls invariably visit the place where the prayer is said, mainly the home, to accept them and bless the family. In brief, long spells of sorrow and mourn­ ing do in no way help those who have had to bid farewell to this imperfect world. Instead, they fully appreciate being re ­ membered with love and prayers for their “Death be not proud,” said the English poet John Donne. The challenging tone of the line has stuck in my mind to this day. It has taught me an important lesson in life; not to be afraid of death. Many poems on death have been writ­ ten by British and European poets, and by the poets of our own country. They teach us one, to respect death or, for that matter, to’respect the dead. And two, that all human beings are equal before death, the ‘great leveller, ’ which does not differenti ­ ate between the rich and the poor. But what is death? Why is it considered so". “nsuous, I. is but by Nosbu one place to another or, if you like, tne eno ........................ • - t?- of one chapter of life. Is the separation of sons and daughters from fathers and moth ­ ers or brothers and sisters etc, so impos ­ sible to accept after all? If we think ration­ ally of death, it is not so dreadful. It is rather selfish and self-indulgent of us to wallow in our personal feelings. And once control over the self is lost, there is no end to the matter. . The Zarathusti view on the subject is auestfons of various writers taken notable, and noble. It teaches the difftrent sources. Of these, only about 27(pp ^43, ?raltheme,dealh.Theendresultis.herefore the dear departed souls is extremely im^ ^‘^^P^"Jg”dingDaboo’shook, this writer CyX’SXdTmr^ew remembered Merru.e, F ro. Kno., abode, the ‘abode of the creator. ’ Not only that, but in turn the happily departed souls look after their dear ones on this earth very lovingly, and guide and protect them in their difficulties. To this end we have in our Avesta the prayers Patet Pashemani, Satumno Kardo and the Fravardin Yasht, to be recited in memory of the dead. Again, the baj, afringan and farokshi are strongly recom ­ mended to be recited with special offer ­ ings on solemn occasions like death anni- John Donne. The challenging tone of It has taught me an important lesson in life; "n death have been writ- by British and European poets, and by to respect death or, for that matter, the dead. And two, that all 70 Parsiana July-August 1997 or two favorite Manufacturers of Daboo, with an additional chapter in En- glish entitled Bliss Beyond is written from this angle, to advise the readers to be calm and patient at the time of death in the family, and to be helpful to their dear departed ones on their journey to the house of God. But, sadly, the author has tailed to do his homework systematically. He has not done justice to this serious subject, but devoted 44 pages in Gujarati to the opin- 27 pages (pp 16 to 43) are < of death in the and patient at the time departed ones on their journey to the house his homework systematically. He has edge About the Spirit World, a book pub­ lished in 1989 in English by an erudite mobed saheb. And there are nearly 30 books in English on death or life after death by thinkers and scientists. Among them, Raymond or Life After Death, and Raymond Revised by Si^Oliver Lodge are Gujarati columnist has also written and lished in 1989 in English by an erudite books in English on death or them, Raymond or Life After Death, and Raymond Revised by Sir Oliver Lodge are widely read. Shri Pragji Dossa, the popular Gujarati columnist has also written and published a thought-provoking book. Mot Upar Manan, on this eternal theme. It is available from publishers of Gujarati books. ? * Sunbird Plastic Seals An ultimate pilfer proof sealing system For your products in transit with An irrevocable locking | mechanism Embossed individual number and monogram In colours of your choice * And above all a patented product 815/Bldg No. 3 Navjivan Cornmercial Premises Coop Soc Ltd Lamington Road Mumbai 400008 Phone 3078821, 3080594 Fax 91-22-3080595 Cable FRAVASHISr COMMENT Championing charity AH queries related to charity come within the purview of the 10-year-oid Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy Noshir H. Dadrawala We genuinely believe in doing more than what others expect, constantly striving, maintaining high quality standards and small but effective source of leadership in the philanthropic sector, ” he added. Director of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, Lala has been a founder member of the Centre for the year 1995-96. “The Centre has a definite social vision and views itself as a going the extra mile. It is a personal com ­ mitment which makes the small band of workers at the 10-year-old Centre for Ad­ vancement of Philanthropy take on new along with other respected individuals like challenges, often having to make time when there is none. Every year over a hundred individuals and institutions seek the assistance of the Centre on issues ranging from registration formalities and seeking tax exemptions to more complex issues like correct interpre ­ tation of certain legal clauses, documenta ­ tion work for filing papers before various government authorities, judicious invest ­ ment of funds and effective adminis ­ tration. The Centre essentially serves as a resource and service organiza­ tion providing free advice and assis ­ tance to a wide range of philanthropic- institutions, including grant-making . foundations, voluntary agencies, ad­ vocacy groups and developmental agencies in areas of charity law, taxa­ tion, resource mobilization, human resource development and effective management. Not just small volun­ tary organizations but even large bod­ ies like the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, N. M. Wadia Charities, Jamsetji Tata Trust, Pirojsha Godrej Foundation and Child Relief and You (CRY) have often availed of our various services. As on March 31, 1997, the Centre had 28 patron members, 79 institu ­ tional members and 94 associate members with a corpus fund that stood at Rs 2,030,501. “More mem ­ bers would not just mean more rev ­ enue for the Centre. It would also mean a Left column: greater sense of belonging to a central organization which can serve more effec ­ tively as a representative body of philan ­ thropic organizations in the country, ” noted Lala, Chari and chairman R. M. Lala in his annual report H. T. Parekh, chairman emeritus of Hous ­ ing Development Finance Corporation Limited, D. M. Forbes, director, Forbes Marshall Group and R. R. Chari, retired commissioner of income-tax. “Having suc ­ cessfully completed our first decade, what form will our Centre take during the next lO years'. ’ I* « Dadrawala Parekh (top) and Forbes. Right column (from top): Should we redefine our structure, our mis ­ sion, change our priorities? ” enquired Lala. On the threshold of our second decade the Centre has launched a new division to promote ‘Corporate Community Involve ­ ment. ’ With liberalization have come sev ­ eral corporations which are looking at putting money into community projects, and therefore, the need to direct their ef ­ forts to build meaningful partnerships with the development sector. The government is simultaneously stressing the need for industry to help build the country ’s social infrastructure by donating one percent of its profits. Given this scenario, the need to address corporate philanthropy in an orga­ nized, systematic and result-oriented man­ ner is the need of the hour and one that comes within the Centre ’s purview of work. The Centre ’s new division is conceived as an information and database agency that can serve as a uniquely effective interme ­ diary between corporations and the development sector. In this role, it would perform the crucial task of matching corporate resources with development and advise corporates on their options while investing in the development sector. Five years ago the Centre launched the Bombay Community Public Trust on the lines of community founda­ tions and chests in the USA and other South Asian countries. This Trust is today one of the premier, multifac ­ eted, professionally managed fund- raising and grant-making foundations supporting a wide spectrum of devel ­ opment causes in the city to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Bombay. The Centre also undertakes re ­ search and critical appraisal of pub­ lic policies affecting philanthropy and serves as a clearing house of information in the field. Whenever required, it also advocates the cause of the philanthropic sector before government, public bodies and the media. Through seminars, confer ­ ences and workshops the Centre as ­ sists organizations work with a better understanding of the law. Philanthropy, the Centre ’s bi­ monthlyjournal, doesn ’ t merely give facts and figures. It also attempts to analyze and comment. The focus is essentially on humanizing and sim- 73 Parsiana July-August 1997With the compliments of DAKS COPY SERVICE PRIVATE LIMITED Apeejay House 3rd Floor 130 Apollo Street Mumbai 400001 Phones: 2844672, 2844862 74 Parsiana July-August 1997 plifying philanthropy. The Centre believes that good management and proper under ­ standing of legalities involved is the key to success in the philanthropic sector. Issue after issue, the journal, edited by Noshir H. Dadrawala, covers various topics, news and views and, although researched in depth, articles are economically written, in plain language that everyone can under ­ stand. The journal is widely circulated not just among those directly connected with grant-making foundations and voluntary organizations but also those in the corpo ­ rate sector and professionals like chartered accountants and lawyers. Between 1991 and 1993 the Centre had “The most important thing in any relationship is not what you get, but what you give ” also published three books, stlzHand Book on Administration of Trusts, The Art of Fund Raising and Investment Opportuni­ ties for Charitable Organisations. All three books were sold out within one year of publieation. A comprehensive 300-page hardbound volume titled Management of Philanthropic Organisations which cov ­ ers the historical development of philan ­ thropy, the main statutes affecting chari ­ ties in India and management principles in the administration of such organizations is presently available at the Centre at Rs 200 per copy. A couple of other publications are also in the process of being published. The internal strength of the Centre stems from what we would like to call the four Fs — focussed articulation, flexibility, friend ­ ly attitude and the fun approach. Eleanor Roosevelt believed, “The most important thing in any relationship is not what you get, but what you give. ” And this has been the bedrock of our philosophy at the Centre. Whether a friend or a stranger, whether a member or a non-member, whosoever ap­ proaches us with a problem or an issue, we extend our assistance — readily, happily, gratis. The author Noshir H. Dadrawala is the executive secretary of the Centre for Advancement of Phi ­ lanthropy. Besides editing the Centre ’s journal, Philanthropy, he has also authored books like Hand Book on Administration of Trusts, The Art of Fund Raising, Investment Opportunities forChari- table Organisations and Management of Philan­ thropic Organisations. HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM HOMI & Company Opticians and Contact Lens Clinic Authorised dealers of Bausch and Lomb Raybans and soft contact lenses and solutions. Varieties of frames, lenses -- CR39 plastic multifocals, photochromatics tinted -- high index and UV for ultra violet protection from computer glare. For complete eye-care, a trusted name for over 50 years. Only at Grant Rd; tel 3823980 Peddar Rd; tel 3861073 Girgaum Rd; tel 3879629 3823564RELIGION Iranian influence —- 2 Zoroastrians extend their sway Coins and architecture in India bear testimony of Persian influence Dr Mani Kamerkar “Contact between India and Iran goes back to prehistoric times... The Hindus stand in close kinship with the Iranians with regard to tradition, religious be­ liefs, ritual observances, customs and manners. These early ties are reflected vice of humanity, in the similarities of the languages of India and Iran... Avesta and its com­ mentaries help us in the proper compre­ hension of the early religious and lin­ guistic history of India.” This summa­ tion came from Dr Mani Kamerkar in a paper presented by her at a conference and Pahlavi ha of the Indian History and Culture Sod- ’ ety. Titled “Zoroastrian Iranians and their influence on Indian religion and culture, ” edited excerpts from this pa­ per are being carried over three instal­ ments of Parsiana. In the first episode we learnt of the common ideals propounded in the Vedas and the Gathas, and how, once dijfer- ences arose, similar sounding terms came to connotate opposite meanings. After outlining the main tenets of Zo­ roastrianism, Dr Kamerkar concluded that “the path of Iran was that of karniayoga... attainment through ser- That the Mauryan palaces were built as per the style of architecture in Persepolis, that India contributed a third of the revenues of Darius’ empire, that coins of the Sasanian type bearing inscriptions in Nagari been found in the north-west of India is conveyed in this second instalment. Other than India, Zoroastrian influ­ ences were evident on Mithraism and the Roman empire, as will be reported in the final instalment. The doctrine of the four ages of the world that is evident in the Judeo-Christian view of histori­ cal time is believed to have originated in Iranian mythology. ve in bringing out the close connections. The Hindu writers used the word Parasika for the Parsis and Pahlavas for the Parthians or Iranians generally. It is seen from the Mudra Rakshasha that the Parsis helped Chandragupta in his invasion of Northern India. In Manu Smriti, written in about the second century BC, we come across the names of the foreign tribes inhabiting north ­ ern India, among whom we find the Yavanas, Sakas, Pahlavas, etc. They are also mentioned in the Raghu Vansha of Kalidas in about 550 AD and in the Katha Sard Sagar, written by Samdeva in the 12th century AD. In addition various in­ scriptions going back to 430 BC assert the existence of Iranians in India at Taxila and in 150 AD at Gorinar, and at a later period at Karla caves and Nasik, thus spanning India from the north to the western part of Maharashtra starting even before the im­ migration of the Parsis from Iran in the eighth century AD when the first of this group landed at Sanjan. The Iranian connection continued with the Indo-Parthian kings and lhe Kushans, and later a close relationship developed between the Sasanian Persians and India. Obviously political and military alli­ ances also brought about close religious ties witnessed by the inscriptions on the Kushana coins of Meher (sun), Muo (moon), Oado (Vat, wind) and othei such nature manifestations of Zoroastrianism. Also we find syncretic connection be ­ tween Zoroastrianism and Buddhism. Traditions of ancient Persian kings and generals having come to India arc tound in The Iranians had come to India and lived there from the Vedic times downwards as affirmed by several scholars. The excava ­ tions at the historic site of Patliputra under the supervision of Dr D. B. Spooner led Mauryan times, and they probably bad a hand in the erection of the Mauryan pal­ aces which were built after the style ol the Persepolitan halls. There are good reasons for believing that the regal pomp of the Mauryan court wa.s to some extent copied from Iran, and that the Mauryas employed Iranians soldiers, architects, masons and in other ......... ....... I____ capacities. The stone architecture on a surprise to the scholarly large scale, sculpture, and the election ot ... . *.1_ :_____1zJllzTl him to what he calls “the Zoroastrian pe ­ riod of Indian history. ” The theory that the Zoroastrians had • extended their sway as far as the Gangetic valley and ruled at Patliputra as imperial rulers came as a s . world. Mauryan emperors, as far as his ­ torical examination finds, were not Zoroas ­ trians. The Iranians, it is possible, had come to India to fight for Chandragupta, the founder of the Mauryan dynasty, and lived in India as subject races. Some of these served as chiefs and petty rajas in the as 76 Parsiana Juiy-August 1997 Firdusi ’s Shah Namah, Abou Fazal’s Ain- i-Akbari and Kasim Mohammad Farcsta ’s History. Firdusi also give.s the story ot Asfandiar, the son of Gushtasp, who came to India and persuaded the Indian Emperor to adopt fire-worship and accept the Zoroas ­ trian religion. Many more references from the Shah Namah might be given to show the connection of the ancient Iranians with India (Elliot’s History, V, pg 568, Kutar’s Shahname VI, pp 86-87). According to Faresta, there existed good relations between the Indian King Krishna and the Iranian Emperor Tehemurasp. In support of the statements ol Faresta, Dr J. J. Modi and Prof James Darmesteter give monuments with inscriptions were due to Iran’s influence under the Mauryas. It is also not improbable that Zoroastrian doc ­ trine, tradition and ritual had some share in the formation of Mahayana Buddhism. Similarly references to Iran in early the tradition about the fort of Jamrud in the Sanskrit literature including the Vedas help Khyber Pass, namely that the said fort was ‘oVarious inscriptions going back to 430 BC assert the existence of Iranians in India Ladies give your hair and body a vacation 9 Come to our Hair and Beauty Saloons for a smart hairstyle, facials, manicure, pedicure, waxing, bleaching, head shampoo and body massage by our lady beauticians. Remember you owe this vacation to yourself for all the hard work you put in. ENNIS Gents and Ladies Beauty Parlour 3, Russel St. Phone: 298088 NU ENNIS Gents and Ladies Beauty Parlour 6A, Corporation Place. Phone: 2442272 AUGUST MOON Strictly a Ladies Beauty Parlour 27A/B, Royd St. Phone: 29-8873 We are interested in selling the above mentioned saloons. If anybody is interested, write to: Jimmy S. Ardesher 177, Lenin Sarani, Calcutta 13 Phone nos: 264316/2258254 connected with the name of King Jamshid of the Peshdadian dynasty. The period of the Achaemenians was the glorious age in the annals of the history of Iran, and they extended their dominions to the borders of India. Gandhara and India were included among the 20 satrapies under Darius, and their extent comprised the course of the Indus from Kalabagh to the sea, including the whole of Sind, and perhaps included a considerable portion of the Punjab, east of the Indus, and probably reached as far as the Beas. The Iranian dominion in India continued to the end of the Achaemenian sway in 330 BC. It is said that India contributed a third of the revenues of Darius ’ empire, 360 talents of gold dust equalling over a million pounds sterling. Darius sent a naval expedition under his general Scylax to explore the Sindhu. Indian regiments fought under generals in the Graeco-Persian wars during the reigns of Xerexes and Darius III. Achaemenian contact had its effect on India in several ways. The Mauryas and their administration were greatly influenced by Iranian ideas as would appear from a number of Iranian words used there, as also from the adoption of the Aramaean and Kharosthi scripts, and from the court etiquette and manners. The general use of stone, under the Mauryas, for columns and statues in place of wood, ivory or clay, was due to Graeco-Persian influence. As rightly observed by the learned critic Chanda, “All Ashoka ’s monuments, whether monolithic columns, rock inscriptions, or sculptures, bear witness to a happy adaptation of Achaemenid models. ” The lions of Sarnath display the combination of the vigor and dignity of Assyro-Iranian tradition with genuinely indigenous elements. Specimens of the Achaemenian style are to be found in the Sunga period also. The “fire-worshippers ” of Upper India, some perhaps local converts but others foreigners, seem up to Timur ’s (1398 AD) conquest to have been an important body. In the middle of the 10th century, Al Istakhiri noticed that parts of Hind and Sindh belonged to the (Parsis) Gabres and other parts to Kafirs and idolators. In 1079 AD, Ibrahim the Ghaznivide attacked a colony of the Parsis who had long been settled at Dehra, perhaps Dehra Dun. In 1184 AD, Parsis were settled at Uccha, probably Uch in Punjab. They would seem to have been in communication with the Cambay Parsis. In 1323 AD, there was in Cambay a copy of the Vendidad that was brought from Yazd to Uch in 1184 AD. At the time of Timur ’s invasion (1398 AD) among the captives, there were Magians as well as Hindus, and the people of Tughlikhpur are described as believers in the principle of good and evil, and are said to have acknowledged Yazdan and Ahriman. About a hundred years later (1504 AD) Badauni mentions that the Emperor Sikandar destroyed fire altars and in Abul Fazl’s time (1590 AD) Gabre is mentioned as a dialect of the Kabul country. The Gabres of Rohilkhand, the Magyas of Malwa and the Maghs of Tughlikhpur may, in Prof John Dowson ’s opinion, be the relics of the old Upper India Parsi Zoroastrians. He held that the infidels of Tughlikhpur were Manichian Christians. But the fuller information that has since become available shows that they were Parsis. About the beginning of the Christian era the Kanerkis, the Indian scythian rulers of the Punjab, from the fire altar on their continued on page 89 78 Parsiana July-August 1997AWARDS The Federation salutes... Fifteen Zoroastrians received the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India awards for excellence Arnavaz S. Mama The Pudumji Hall of Pune ’s Anjuman Agiary was a-hum with expectation as Federation delegates and Pune residents gathered on June 14, 1997 to felicitate 15 outstanding Zoroastrians. Their achieve- orthodontics at the Government Dental India and abroad in safe techniques of ment of excellence in various fields in College, Bombay, Dr Keki Mistry received vasectomy, MTP (medical termination of 1994-95 was acknowledged by a grateful community with the formal presentation of a shield, a citation, a purse of Rs 1,000 During his 40-year career Mistry has been and a rose. India’s chief delegate to World Dental The trophies are financed from interest Congresses, as notes the citation. It credits on initial donations of Rs 10,000 on the Mistry with persuading the World Health institution of each award and cover profes ­ sional competence; the performing and fine arts; study of Zoroastrian history, culture and scriptures; academic perfor ­ mance; education, research, science and technology; social and community ser ­ vice; military competence; and adventure. Community stalwarts like Bombay Parsi Soonawalla who presided over the Federa- Punchayet (BPP) chairman Jamshed Guz­ der, Delhi Parsi Anjuman (DPA) president Lt Gen Adi Sethna, BPP trustees Minoo Shroff, Silloo Kavarana and Dinshaw petence for 1994. Internationally recog- Tamboly, and former and current mem ­ bers of the national Minorities Commis ­ sion Homi Taleyarkhan and Marazban Palrawala gave away the prizes. Poona Parsee Panchayat (PPP) secretary Eruch for original work in lUC by the University Irani called out the winners and Nawaz Palkhiwala read the citations. Professor and head of the department of included training programs for doctors from orthodontics at the Government Dental of Kiel in West Germany. Soonawalla’s long association with family planning has the Nargis Adi Gandhi Memorial Award pregnancy), female sterilization and tubal for professional competence for 1994. reconstructive surgery, as notes the cita ­ tion. President of the International Society for Radiation Oncology, Dr Ketayun Dinshaw is director of the Tata Memorial Organization to declare 1994 the Year of Hospital — the first lady to be appointed to Oral Health. The Asian Pacific Apprecia ­ tion Award, the Hind Gaurav Award, the Bharat Udyog Award and the Vikas Rattna Gandhi Memorial Award for professional Award were also conferred on him that competence in 1995 when she was elected year. president of the Association of Radiation High profile gynecologist Rustom Oncologists of India and vice president of the international body she now heads. Dinshaw has been advisor and consultant to the WHO and the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) on the applica ­ tion of radiotherapy in developing coun ­ tries and belongs to the editorial boards of international journals in the fields of radi- tion of Obstetric and Gynaecological Soci ­ eties of India in 1994 was presented the G. K. Panthaki Award for professional com- head the country ’s premier cancer institu ­ tion. Dinshaw was awarded the Nargis Adi nized for his original work in intra uterine contraception (lUC) — he designed the Soonawalla IUD in 1963 — Soonawalla ology and oncology, notes the citation, was conferred the Von Graffenberg Medal She is a much sought resource person in the ¥ Awardees tUe-d-tUe: Dinshaw, Keki and Tehmi Grant, K. Mistry; Soonawalla and Dhalla at the awards ceremony 81 Parsiana July-August 1997! ¦l^ - ¦ ¦ ? ¦¦¦¦¦ ¦ list I i w ¦SW I 1 if 9 jj'ii / it 82 Parsiana My-August 1997 ; w. fe-? / T ‘ *' I c /, 4 ’i t k ¦^1 ri'' J;-- s lOB IB ____ _ i » • ri5’1 I ¦ i ‘4* A '¦ iiliiBl ' 1 i R S' - i* j I J 1 L »'* 1 ' jgMM* yl I* J IWr ^¦n¦^ JU I ¦ o .1 I: ! 4 1 \ /I ' « On « It' •' ? e. gSTT I ¦ h ¦ 5’S ff I I . 4 I, f . r85 Parsiana Juiy-August 1997 of India by the conferment of the Col Adi Tarapore Memorial Award for 1995. The longest serving woman cricketer and all rounder, Diana Edulji, who has captained the Indian women ’s team be ­ tween ’78-’93, was awarded the Jiji D. Irani Memorial Award for sport for 1994. Edulji has represented India in three World ways and the Institutional Zone since 1985, leading them to victory in national cham- excellence in the sphere of the performing and fine arts for 1994. For having represented the Parsi com ­ munity in the fields of religion, peace, ecology and interreligious dialogue at more than 20 international conferences. Dr Homi Dhalla was conferred the Bombay Parsi Punchayet Award for 1994. The Award has been instituted to recognize excellence Cups and has captained the Indian Rail­ in the study of Zoroastrian history, culture and scriptures. Dhalla had represented the Federation at the Second Parliament of pionships, notes the citation. A world record World Religion.s in Chicago in 1993. He was appointed chairman of the Zoroastrian Forum, presented three papers and was interviewed by NBC Television on Zoroastrianism and Parsis in India, notes Maharashtra Government GauravPuraskar the citation. Dhalla ’s is a recognized and Award in 1990. holder for taking maximum wickets in test matches in women ’s cricket, Edulji was awarded the Shiv Chhatrapati Award in 1978, the Arjuna Award in 1983 and the appreciated presence on the international interfaith circuit since he was in­ vited to be a member of the World Conference on Religion and Peace in Melbourne 1989. His pa­ pers on Zoroastrian reli ­ gion, history, culture and scriptures have been widely published. Commander Cawasji, commanding of- Aspi The Poona Punchayet also presented awards to 16 outstanding local Zoroastrians Three outstanding stu ­ dents were selected for community recogni-tion by the Federation ’ s awards committee. Sahavir Bha ­ rucha who secured the highest marks in mechani ­ cal engineering at Gujarat University ’s Bachelor of Engineering examination in 1994 received the Dhunjishaw Gheyara Memorial Award for that year. Sahavir has already been awarded the Gujarat University ’s Champakben A student of Ahmedabad ’s L. D. College of Engineering, Bharucha had stood first in the first four semesters and second in the ficer of INS Karanj led his submarine INS Shishumar in Springdex ’95 and com ­ pleted 1,000 dived hours in a record of 80 Yagnic and Yatin Dilip Derasari Medals, days, records the citation. Entrusted with the task to prove the most advanced indig­ enous state of the art submarine censors, Cawasji ’s exceptional devotion to duty fifth. During school Bharucha had won was recognized by the award of Nao Sena Medal on Republic Day 1996. Earlier when commanding the INS Shishumar during merit by the Maharashtra State Board of the Indo-US Naval Exercise, the timely Secondary and Higher Secondary Educa- discovery of a major cavity in the pressure tion for securing 12th rank in the non­ hull avoided the flooding and sinking of vocational batch in the HSC examination the submarine. It was Cawasji ’s novel idea not to undock submarine sitting on the chocks with its ballast tanks open but to percent in physics and 95 percent in botany flood the docks to allow a ship to undock and zoology. Thereafter Irani completed and another to dock above it. The success ­ ful exercise saved considerable time and expense to the nation, commends the cita ­ tion. Cawasji ’s achievements in the mili­ tary field have been recognized by the MBBS students. In school, Irani’s aca- Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans prizes in athletics. Shayan Irani was awarded a certificate of of 1994. He scored 100 percent in chemis ­ try, 99 percent in maths and statistics, 98 his first MBBS examination and stood first in anatomy, physiology and biochemistry in Dr Shiwalker ’s general proficiency scholarship examination for first year Left to right: Pune awardees (top row) Kayani and Dastoor with Tamboly, Grant with D. Irani and D. Anklesaria with Shroff; (middle row) Moogat with Guzder, M. Anklesaria, K. Irani and N. Irani; (bottom row) D. Mistry, Mehta, Jagus and Pudumjee demic excellence had proceeded hand in hand with extracurricular activities like cricket, elocution, dramatics and social service activities. For his academic excel ­ lence Irani was conferred the Godrej Karai Memorial Award for 1994. The Dhunjishaw Gheyara Memorial Award for 1995 was presented to Behram Panthaki who completed his Governmentother faculties for Zoroas- . trian students; Noshir Ja- I gus who supplies the fur- I nishings and equipment required for all commu- g nity functions at his own I expense, including the j transportation costs; Do- I rab Mistry who has worked as head nasse- j ssalar for the PPP for 25 years and never made any demands; Nusli Pudum- jee who is constructing a dharamshala in the heart ______ of Pune and has been in- ' volved with Mugat in ^7- helping Parsi students; advocate Kershasp Irani who pioneered the challenging of misap ­ propriated community properties; Rohinton Mehta who has always helped in the renova ­ tion of the agiaries; Dinshaw Anklesaria who has provided free transport at all junctures; Red Cross president and Padma Shri Dr Jal Mehta; Cyrus and Zavareh Poonavala who have built parks and roads in Pune at their own cost; “Poona’s Florence \-k\-k TOURS Package tours to: * USA, CANADA * UK - EUROPE * AUSTRALIA * NEW ZEALAND * EGYPT - NILE CRUISE * FAR EAST - THAILAND * SINGAPORE. HONGKONG, * JAPAN * * MAURITIUS * SEYCHELLES * KENYA * SOUTH AFRICA * ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES * * * For details contact: H.K.LALA& COMPANY Capitol Cinema Building Marzban Road, Bombay 400001. Tel: 2075094/5744/3006. Fax: 9122-2076925 Diploma Examination i n Architecture with a first BB class first in May 1995. This diploma from the Government of Maha- rashtra Board of Techni- cal Examinations is equivalent to a bachelor of architecture degree |S from any Indian univer- Ml sity for pursuing post » graduation courses in In- dia or abroad, informs the citation. Panthaki had W been awarded a merit cer- ||Pl tificate by the Rachana Sansad Academy of Ar­ chitecture for his out- standing performance in the final year and for all-round perfor ­ mance through the five-year course. Panthaki received high rating from the principal and faculty members of the Acad ­ emy of Architecture for exceptional lead ­ ership qualities, aquestioning and research ­ ing attitude and a comprehensive and pre ­ cise methodology, states the citation. In­ strumental in the successful organization of USA/UNESCO’s XIII International Nightingale ” Nargish Kayani; yoga instruc- Seminar on Affordable Spaces for Educa ­ tion for All, Panthaki has collected several certificates and awards for academic and extracurricular activities. After the Federation awards had been distributed, PPP president Dara Irani ac ­ knowledged the services and achievements of 19 outstanding Zoroastrians of Pune: physician Dr Keki Grant, gynecologist Dr BanooCoyaji and surgeon DrP.K.Bharucha comfortable weather but threw the awards for providing free treatment to Parsi patients and helping the Panchayat with community service; industrialist Noshir Irani for con ­ structing the fence that has been recently put was over and pretty girls had serenaded the in place to conserve community property at gathering, community style, glasses clinked Lullanagar; Prof Hoshang Mugat, the last in congratulations and bonhomie prevailed Parsi on the staff of Wadia College and a respected academician who has been instru ­ mental in securing seats in engineering and tor Colly Dastoor; Pesi Anklesaria whose buses are provided free for funeral services; Adarbad Hozdar and Mehr Anklesaria whose water tankers service the doongerwadi... Dara Irani’s appreciative words indicated that in Pune, as in every community pocket, individuals have added lustre to the Zoroas ­ trian name. The premonsoon showers made for cool. night arrangements off kilter. Originally billed for the J. J. Agiary, the changed venue created some delay but after the ceremony as Pune Zoroastrians, Federation awardees and delegates enjoyed Dorabjee ’s sumptu ­ ous spread. 87 Parsiana July-August 1997 ” Above: Trophies on display From left: Palkhiwala, Dara Irani and Erach Irani at the awards • function tours ouithin India & !\cpal With Best Wishes From THE PLACE TOUCHE THE SIZZLER Clover Centre 7, Moledina Road Pune 411001 Tel: 634632ZOROASTRIANS EXTEND... their leaders, whom Wilford believed to continued from page 88 have been a son of Khusru Parvez, the coins, seem to have adopted the religion of family of Udcpur is supposed to have Zoroaster. Closer relations between India and Iran date from the revival of Iranian power though their origin is doubtful, the Kon under the Sasanian kings (226-650 AD). In ------- :-------------------------------------------- the fifth century the visit of the Iranian prince Behram Gor (436 AD), probably , . , , , to ask for help in his struggle with the third ot the revenues White Huns, his marriage with a Hindu Darii lo ’ omniro princess, and according to Hindu accounts, LJclIlUo UllipilU his founding the dynasty of the Gardhabin -------------- —------------------------------------ kings, was a fresh bond of intimacy. In later times both Naoshirvan the Just (531- 579 AD) and his grandson Parvez (591- 628 AD) were united by treaties and by connected by trade. Kosmas Indikopleustes planted by the third and last of the histori- the interchange of rich presents with the (545 AD) found the Iranians among the cal dynasties of ancient Iran, the Sasanians. rulers of India and Sind. In connection chief traders in the Indian Ocean and his Ardashir (Ariakhsir) established the great with these treaties it is interesting to note that Naoshirvan ’s embassy to Pulikesi II, the ruler ofBadami in the southern Maratha between Thana and the Persian Gulf, country, is believed to be the subject of one of the Ajanta Cave paintings, and another Greek kingdoms established in Bactria of the pictures is supposed to be copied from a portrait of Parvez and the beautiful Shirin. According to one account, early in the seventh century a large body of Iranians landed in western India, and from one of sprung. Wilford held that the Konkanasth Brahmans were of the same stock. But India contributed a the vigorous rule of Mithradates I (171 to 138 BC) and Mithradates II, the Great (123 to 88 BC), the Iranian power was again extended to the Indus, and even to the east of that river as far as the Jhelum. This close contact between the Parthian monarchy and the Indian borderland is proved by the long line of princes of Parthian origin (Maues, Vonones, Azes, Gondophernes, etc) who held power in the Punjab and adjoining parts during this period, no doubt as feudatories of the Great “King” who held his court at Ctesiphon. After a sway extending over nearly five centuries (256 BC to 226 AD) the powerful kanasthas are probably older settlers than the Parsis. Besides, by treaties, western India and Iran were at this time very closely Parthian dynasty of the Arsacid was sup ­ chief traders in the Indian Ocean and his statement that the Kalyan Christians had Sasanian house in Ctesiphon (226 AD), an Iranian bishop points to close relations Though the third century AD is a period of great confusion and darkness in Indian About 260 BC we find independent history, the renewal of Iranian influence in India is proved by numismatic evi ­ dence. Some valuable information about the and on the north-western frontier of India, and the same period saw the revival of Iranian power under the Parthian dynasty relations of Iran with eastern lands at this of the Arsacid (c.256 BC). The rulers of period is given by Prof Ernst Herzfeld in this house gradually revived the aggres ­ sive policy of the Achaemenids, and under his work on the great inscription discov ­ ered by him at Paikuli in Kurdistan on the In Loving Memory Avan Soft Drink Concentrate o Fla or Boy For exquisite Food Flavouring & Essences Avan: For Quality Soft Drink Concentrates. Giving you refreshing Soft Drinks in 11 different flavours for Aerated Waters, & Syrup Manufacturers, Caterers & Hoteliers. 'S®p 1®® Also Manufacturers of Instant China Grass, Jelly Crystals & Vegetarian Jelly For Further Details & Requirements for exports & Dealers; Contact: Fcrozc Foods & Flavours 403, CentralTin Estate, D.Kondeo Marg, (Sussex Road), Byculla, Mumbai 400027.Tel: 3729724/3640341 • Fax: 3640341 a®® Late: Mr Soly D. Sethna Born: 27/12/1919 Founder: Feroze Foods & Flavours . Avan Soft Drink Concentrate In loving memory of our Beloved Soly Darasha Sethna Who left us for his heavenly abode on 18/8/97 May His Soul Rest In Eternal Peace. Respectful Homage from: Wife: Aloo Son: Feroze Daughters: Persis & Hutoxi Sisters: Bhikhoo & Arnavaz Sons-in-Law: Naozer & Ruzbeh Daughter-in-Law:Persis Grand Children: Zarin, Jasmine, Kashmira, Ferzin, Avan, Rushad 89 Parsiana Ju/y-August 1997high road leading from Media to Ctesiphon. It is a bilingual epigraph, in Pahlavi and Pazand, dated between the years 293 and 296 AD in the early Sasanian period. The inscription was engraved by the order of the Emperor Narses and it includes the names of a With Best Compliments From SEALOL HINDUSTAN LIMITED The Kalyan Christians had an Iranian bishop a large number of provinces and subject states, including some in India, whose rulers came to pay him homage on his accession. There is also another feature of the Sasanian administrative system which is important in the present discussion. We find several princes of the royal blood in Iran being appointed imperial viceregents under the title of Gurganshah, Sakanshah, Kushanshah, Kermanshah, etc indicative of the regions and the tribes over which their authority extended. Thus, the Kush ­ anshah was overlord of the Kushan princes of Bactria, of the Kabul valley and Punjab, whose coinage shows distinctly Iranian characteristics. The Sakanshah s authority extended over all the Saka princes frorn the old Achaemenian satrapy of Drangiana, called Sakastan (Sistan), eastwards into India where the western satraps held sway over Rajputana, Malwa and Saurashtra, including large parts of the Bombay Presi ­ dency. The Gurganshah was in charge of Gurjistan (the modern Georgia) and adjoining territories. We also learn from the coinage of Khusru Parvez (590-628 AD) that gold and silver coins of this Emperor were struck at Multan in the years 21 and 37 respectively of his reign, depict ­ ing on the obverse the bust of Khusru II and on the reverse that of the solar deity Adity a. It is well-known that sun-worship was at this period in vogue in Multan where a temple was built in honor of Surya or Aditya. Coins ofthe Sasanian type bearing inscriptions in Nagari and Pahlavi have I been found in the north-west of India. To be concluded in the September issue. A historian interested in Parsi history, Dr Mani Kamerkar is vice president of the Asiatic Society of Bombay. She was former director, Coi- lege Development Council of the SNDT Women ’s University in Bombay. She has also served as principal of the Nanavati College. 90 Parsiana July-August 1997CONGRESS COVER STORY Together, to the 21st century The Second World Zoroastrian Youth Congress has demonstrated that goodwill can bridge the ideological divide Text and photographs by Arnavaz S. Mama ering to say one Ashem Vohu, then “go out and talk to each other. ” The next day, to avert “the schism opening up,” in the words of Congress master of ceremonies Dinyar Cooper, and to answer “the criticism that the priests ’ panel was one sided, ” the Con­ gress committee fielded Zoroastrian Stud­ ies founder Khojeste Mistree to respond to questions from the floor in a damage con ­ trol exercise. The articulate Mistree had won the respect of the London youths when he helped them understand and weather the conflict between rival groups that beset the ZTFE in the 1980s, accord ­ ing to Cooper. Mistree now urged the youths at the international forum to begin to think in terms of a “two-model, one community setup. ” Two books were launched at the Con­ gress. A Basic Textbook of the Zarthoshti Religion by Ervad Faribourz Shahzadi of the Iranian Mobed Council of North America was described by its presenter, Anahita Parsi, as a simple text comprising monotheistic doctrine, ethics and religious symbolism, the scriptures, prayers, the cal- ndar, festivals, customs and history. The other book to be launched on the occasion was a biography of Dadabhai Naoroji by Omar Ralph of London’s Race Relations Council who had been actively involved in the centenary celebration of Naoroji’s election to the British Parliament. A number of books and publications from all over the world — old titles and new - on Zoroastrians and Zoroastrianism were on display and sale at the Congress venue, rvaianj.a ...u ------------ Also on sale were a number of artefacts Yazdi Aibara all representing the Indian including mugs, T-shirts, key chains and ¦ silver medallions commemorating the Congress. The proceeds of the sales were _______________ intended to defray part of the £10,000 Antia from Chicago andDrMehran Sepheri deficit of the Congress which the sponsor. The second edition of the World Zoro­ astrian Youth Directory published on the occasion contains the details of 1,063 young emerging as a sane and stabilizing force in the strife-ridden community in London. On a worldwide basis what the Congress “Success means different things to differ ­ ent people. I believe it can best be defined as the attainment of something that you consider to be worthwhile and something established w^s that given goodwill ari^d that you very much want to achieve, ” real estate millionaire Faron Sutaria, guest of honor at the Second World Zoroastrian Youth Congress (WZYC), told the as ­ sembled youths. By that — and other — yardsticks the Congress in London (July 4-11, 1997) was a thumping success. Nearly 500 individu­ als participated in the eight-day delibera ­ tions on “Faith in the future; Zoroastrian identity into the next millennium ” — the longest that any Zoroastrian congress has been organized. The participants came from all over the world, speaking in a variety of accents, representing a gamut of opinions. The first four days of the delib ­ erations were conducted in residence at the five-star Sheraton Skyline Hotel near Heathrow airport. Thereafter the delegates fanned out to their host families, seeing London by day [some outings being planned by the organizers, among them a trip to the British Museum where the room of Iranian antiquities was specifically open on the request of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE)], meeting at Zo­ roastrian House for early dinner and subse- okay to pursue two or quent workshops. Though the numbers religious worship. .... - ¦ - • ...... jhis v/as a particularly gratifying de ­ velopment coming as it did after a head-on collision between the panel of priests - Dasturs (Drs) Kaikhusroo JamaspAsa and the Firoze Kotwal, Ervads (Drs) Ramiyar Karanjia and Rooyintan Peer, and Ervad tolerance the Zoroastrians could be con- Pennant designed by Roshan Rivetiia of FE7ANA - on loan to the Congress e sidered a single community and that it was more models of diminished in the latter half of the Con­ gress week, there was substantial atten ­ dance despite the attractions of the city. Even at the Sheraton Skyline, though there were reports of delegates patronizing t..^ • bar into the wee hours, the working ses ­ sions in the morning witnessed a very satisfactory turnout. Organized by the Young Zoroastrian Congress Committee under the aegis of the ZTFE, the Congress established not only that the youths (defined as the 16-36 age- group) were perfectly capable of organiz- . „ . ins such mega events with a little guidance mixed marriages, session chairperson group) were perfectly capable of organiz- from the more experienced, but were Zoroastrian religious establishment — and the votaries of Cathie “freedom of choice from North America like Ervad Mazda /Alllltl 1 1 Uill tlliW l-xi ITAVU. ------- ------------------ of California. At the end of the heated ZTFE, has underwrittem sparring on the acceptance of children of Darius Karkaria asked the assembled gath- 92 Parsiana July-August 1997i® I 94 Parsiana July-August 1997 I95 Parsiana Ju'y-August 1997 L to R (first row): Zaheer Kasad, a delegate, Natasha Dalal, Kerman Jasavala, Mehrengise Cooper, Zubin Sethna Photo: Zaheer Kasad ; Mehran Sepheri and Jasavala; Omar Ralph, Rushna Master Photo: Noshir Dadrawala, Trity Pourbahrami, Farishta Dinshaw, Bapsy Dastur; (second row): Yazdi Irani Photo: z. Kasad , Khursheed Khurody, Malcolm Printer, Navaz Bustani, Betty Marchant, Rustom Manecksha, Farmeen Sorab, Mazda Antia, Anahita Parsi, Dinyar Cooper; (third row): Perses Sethna and Navaz Suratia (both standing) conducting the university quiz Photo: Z. Kasad; the youths running the bar - one source of Congress funds; some of the organizers relaxing by the Sheraton swimming pool Photo: z. Kasad; (fourth row): dance team from Washington and scenes from Son of a Preacher Man Photos: Z. KasadLtoR (first row): Rusy Dalal, Khojeste Mistree (Photo: Z. Kasad Kamal and Faron Sutaria, Parviz Ravani; (second row): Shahrokh Shahrokh, Mehraban Zartosh- ty, Simin Shahrokh; Tahamtan and Gor- darfridAresh with Noshir Dadrawala; Rashna Writer; (third row): Peter Clarke, Sam Kerr, Vesta Curtis, Porus Karan- jawalla, Arif AU; (fourth row): Shahriar, Laal and Shahin Bekhradnia, Noshir Ava- ri, Burjor Mistry and Coomi Avari; Pari- dokht Zartoshty with Taronish Jasavala 98 Parsiana July-August 1997L to R (first row): The mobeds led by Firoze Kotwal and Zal Sethna; Jamasp­ Asa; Yezdi Aibara and Rustom Bhedwar ; (ext right); (second row): Tina Mehta and Jenny Rose; Lyla Mehta; Godrej Sidhwa and Ramiyar Karanjia (both standing); (third row): Farokh and Vera Jehangir Sarosh, willing help in the Parekh, Cyrus Lohraspi, second ZTFE kitchen generation mobeds in London; (fourth row): Ros han and Cawas Sethna, 99 Parsiana July-August 1997Zoroastrians from 15 countries including Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, UK and USA. The first edition had been pub­ lished in 1993 after the First World Zoro­ astrian Youth Congress at Los Angeles. The current edition priced at five pounds runs into 166 pages of data plus nearly 20 pages of advertising. A program souvenir published on the occasion was also priced at five pounds. Mes- sages from Prince Charles, Pro- fessors John Hinnells and Mary Boyce, and Meher Amalsad, chairperson ofthe first WZYC, were read to the gatherinj A source of general dissat- .. .JHHH isfaction was that Iranian del- egates had been unable to at- tend lhe Congress, UK visas being denied to them. Thus Parviz Ravani, the Zoroastrian -t'l SBgjtS -' representative in the Iranian Majlis, was the only one to be present from that country. He publicly registered his displea ­ sure with the organizers and the ZTFE, implying that sufficient effort had not been made to overcome the bureaucratic hurdle. ZTFE president Rusy Dalal however con ­ veyed “sadness ” at the “Iranian brothers not being able to join us for reasons of political control ” and, at the valedictory function, Canada based Iranian philan ­ thropist Mehraban Zartoshty made it a point to discount “rumors (that it was) due thoughts and participate in the Congress, tomisunderstandingthatouriranianyouths though I for one do not consider myself as could not attend the Congress. I assure you belonging to the group for whom (this every effort was made. Nothing more could gathering) was intended. ” be done. ” A grand ball when dinner was served in style (all other meals were buffet) and a talent contest, won hands down by bari­ tone Dinyar Vania of Syracuse, NY with a stirring rendition of Santa Lucia, were evening attractions. A bilingual (Gujarati -English) comedy. Son of a Preacher Man, scripted by Natasha Dalal and Mehrengise Cooper, two members of the organizing team, was a welcome relief from the heated arguments of the day. It also laid bare how the community ’s materialistic yearnings tional Suite, the inaugural divo was lit by London’s own young mobed Farhad inrormation highway, the Internet, was Sethna. The audience, including ZTFE responsible in attracting many of the par­ trustees and managing committee mem- bers, representatives from the Federation thought of putting up dating agencies of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India,the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA), the Bombay Parsi Punchayet, the Indian Minorities Commission and the Iranian Anjuman, with Zarathushtra ’s scientific faith. The information highway, the Internet, - '5- A ±. Congress artefacts on sale ticipants. The London Zoroastrians have on the Internet and there is a site where you can order sudrehs/kustis, said Jasavala. The enthusiastic Dalal, during whose tenure as ZTFE president Zoroastrians have acquired official state recognition from Buckingham Palace, being regularly invited to represent the community at the Com ­ monwealth and other state func ­ tions, said, “because of the in­ volvement of the youth our ac ­ tivities have multiplied. ” He was referring to the religious classes and pilgrimage trips to Iran and India. He now ex ­ horted them “to use the oppor­ tunity of the Congress to learn, socialize, make new friends, be torchbearers of Zoroastrianism in the next millennium. ” What ‘ may be equally gratifying is that three members of the Youth Congress Committee - Rushna Master, Perses Sethna and Dinyar Cooper - are also members of the ZTFE managing com ­ mittee. Dalal also spoke of a forthcoming announcement from the London I’i 111 stood in reverential silence, heads covered as per the exhortation in the program (“All stand, topis and scarves on please ”). Be ­ fore he led the humbandagi and invoked University ’s School of Oriental and Afri- obedience, peace, generosity, reverence and truth upon lhe gathering, Dastur JamaspAsa noted his happiness “to share Second WZYC president Kerman Jasa- vala, the young systems analyst who led C( Use the opportunity of the Congress to learn, socialize, make new friends, be torchbearers of Zoroastrianism in militate against its own cherished desire the next millennium ” for early marriage of the children and increased progeny. Unfortunately there were many in the audience unfamiliar with Gujarati, notably Iranian Zoroastrians from US and Canada, who had to be satisfied with an apology from the playwrights. When the program got underway on the evening of July 4 at the Sheraton ’s Interna- can Studies (SOAS) regarding its commit ­ ment to Zoroastrian studies (see “SOAS’ commitment to Zoroastrianism, ” pg 36). “One practical drawback, ” according to Dalal was that “We couldn ’t invite you to a place of your own... A new Zoroastrian House, with a place of worship, will be with Ahura Mazda’s blessings, ” he prom­ ised, adding “It is the only route to our historical progression... ” “This event has brought together many young Zoroastrians from across the world. If its purpose is to bind us together - to inspire an atmosphere of aspiration for individual excellence and to focus your mind on just how much can be achieved, then its organizers will have made a won­ derful contribution to tomorrow ’s Zoroas ­ trian world,” noted Sutaria, a self-made millionaire in his early forties. Having made his mark in the real estate business which has been a predominantly white preserve, the spry, vibrant Sutaria told the youths, “there is no reason why the world the team of 45 organizers, remarked in his welcome address how work on the Con­ gress had taken over all their lives in the should not be your oyster. You can go and past few months: “Jobs, education, have get anything you want.” taken a back seat. ” He was particularly enthusiastic that they had embraced new discussions began each day with a id- technology wherever possible, in keeping minute briefing for speakers and chairper- After the ceremonial, the three full-day 101 Parsiana Ju/y-August 1997sons followed by a 10-minute slot for church obligations in Sasanian times, he identity, stated JamaspAsa. humbandagi. Questions on identity, sur- asked, “Was this strait-jacketed Zoroas- “What has survived of the Zoroastrian r.r.ri iccl.pc nrpnpriiniftH the. trian identitv resDonsible for the downfall faith bears little resemblance to what Zarathushtra actually preached but the tra­ dition has been completely and carefully preserved. A priest ’s vocation was his life. It was hereditary and it maintained a solid foundation of tradition and practice, ” said the dastur. Tracing the West ’s interest in Zoroastrianism to the revival of ancient Greek and Roman literature which led to an interest in the outstanding philosopher, Zarathushtra, JamaspAsa said that the open ­ ing up of Zoroastrian scriptures to Europe ­ ans had a direct impact on Zoroastrianism: “The caliber of the Zoroastrian priesthood came under a cloud... “Years of privation had bred reticence among Zoroastrian scholar priests. Their offers of explanation were dismissed as ignorance... Here were elaborate rituals, pantheons of divinities, counterparts of demons... The Zoroastrian religion experi ­ enced a singular disaster as 19th century European scholarship tried to remodel the living faith into their premeditated no­ tions. ” In the meantime the Parsis adopted the English language and dress but they were unable to defend their faith against the well versed missionaries and “the down­ ward slide to obscurity began for the Zoro­ astrian priesthood ” as it stood accused of creating rituals that it had preserved. JamaspAsa described the 20th century _ ______ _ _ - '_____ ? ¦ asked, “Was this strait-jacketed Zoroas- vival and gender issues preoccupied the trian identity responsible for the downfall gathering. Updates from Australia, Canada, India, Iran, Pakistan, the UK and the US were presented by Navroz Sethna, Trity Pour­ bahrami, Porus Karanjawalla, Ravani, Farishta Dinshaw, Farmeen Sorab and Firrozeh Irani respectively. An irate Ravani noted that Iran has more than 30,000 youths eligible to attend the Congress but were unable to do so. He felt that representation at world congresses should be proportional. “I warn you that such actions will lead to the populations going their separate ways... Last year at the World Zoroastrian Con­ gress in Tehran anybody who wanted to take part from anywhere in the world was (enabled) to attend, ” he said. He had origi­ nally “intended as protest to be silent... However the unity of Zoroastrians is of foremost importance to me and the youths participating here are innocent. ” In the first keynote address Dr Rashna Writer, political analyst and research fel ­ low at SOAS presented the history of Zoroastrianism. Disclaiming any exper ­ tise in Zoroastrian theology. Writer sought to provide an overview of three Zoroas ­ trian empires that spanned over a millen ­ nium and noted, “our (current) problems (of identity) stem from the fact that we ’ve forgotten our history. ” Consultant surgeon (to the University they became fugitives in t..^.. - ------------ ------ . - - , . , of New South Wales College Hospitals) with legitimate means of livelihood denied tton in India and anin^easing y g irmaspAsa^e^called that it was a 100 asked, “How do you preserve your iden- ___ iknt n Uz^*iz4 rMirrrnnfc WAnt tn titV?... of the Zoroastrian state? Is it what fanned the Zoroastrian propensity to rebel? ” Books OH Zoroosii lanisni - old, new and reprinted - from all over the world Be that as it may, the choice before Zoroastrians was to convert or be killed and . their fatherland scene as one of a dwindling, aging popula- Dr Sam Kerr recalled how Zarathushtra to them, he noted, addressed humanity directly and point­ edly in an era of change and noted that a persuasive evolution comprising educa- _ tion, progressive adjustment and reforma- are now Zoroastrian migrants to various tion in stages, was needed too in our changing world: “Change is all-perva ­ sive. Only at the end of time will there be cessation of change on earth... Religious thought too is subject to cyclical growth and decay. ” The “harmonizing of the in­ ner spirit with intellect ” was Kerr ’s pre ­ scription for a happier community. ZTFE’s honorary librarian Malcolm Deboo ceded his 30-minute slot on July 5 for a presentation on “Zoroastrians in Brit- . ain” to JamaspAsa whose 30-minute talk on “Zoroastrian Identity ” had been pro­ grammed for July 9 at Zoroastrian House thenticity is debatable, admitted the priest, where space constraints would preclude a comprehensive gathering of the youths, religious observances were Observing that the current Zoroastrian ' . calendar has not reached its second mil ­ lennium yet, JamaspAsa said, “It’s a good ensured that the Zoroastrian culture could time to take stock nonetheless. ” Recalling not completely enter these religions and explicit, clearly expounded religious and thus Zoroastrians maintained their own diaspora with a melting pot culture and vears later that a band of migrants went to tity ?... .................... “It has been suggested that Zoroastrian- has provided its best features to Chris- India’s hospitable shores, adding, “You too — ¦ ism tianity and Islam and has no further role to play. Also, that it is science that is provid­ ing the answers to nature ’s mysteries. “Most of us yearn for a simple religion which is easy to follow. There is no time for complicated controversies. Zoroastri ­ ans are looking in many different places like the Vedas, theosophy, etc. They are flocking to dubious saints and seers and various cult followings. Some Zoroastri ­ ans will believe in everything! “As apathy pervades the spirit, all ear ­ lier privations will pale into insignificance in comparison to the blow we are dealing ourselves, ” warned JamaspAsa. “There is circumscribed turmoil and confusion with many different helmsmen. People are clutching at faith and hope. We are looking for a divine savior, hoping someone else will come to clear up the mess we ’ve made. Both Jews and Zoroastrians are waiting for a messiah. Ravani noted that Iran has more than 30,000 youths eligible to attend the Congress but were unable to do so parts of the world.” The Kisseh-e Sanjan was written 600 years after the event. Its au- Though the Parsis ’ dress, language and by the injunctions of the host raja, it was the insular nature of Hinduism and Islam that 102 Parsiana Ju/y-August 1997every day and felt no need to question religion. “Things changed when I met Vera. She asked questions I could not satisfy, ” said Farokh who then started read- ;..g translations. The ensuing education, he^said, changed their ignorance to pride, turned them both into stronger Zoroastri ­ ans and better human beings; a knowledge of Zoroastrian history strengthened their sense of identity; with knowledge, cus ­ toms and traditions became relevant. Now, as young parents the Parekhs are aware that they will need more than the I- told-you-so approach to make their off­ spring comfortable with the strange cer ­ emony of the navjote which causes chil ­ dren of seven or eight to feel isolated from their peers at a time of life when they most want to be like their friends. “Each new generation wants to know more... If we want the children to maintain the same level of faith, we must pass on some knowl- * ’5 According to Mistree, the historical model demonstrates that Greeks, Romans and other peoples with whom the Persians came into contact or held sway during the heyday of empire, were not included into the fold of tribal entity and that Zoroastri ­ anism was restricted to ethnic Iranians. He urged the youths to “move away from the paradigm of good thoughts, good words, good deeds per se to find the Zoroastrian some toe mpu.s ,„e ... ee Pasargadae and Persepolis: timber from Though Ibere ,s worship of two gods bur (the awareness) of two forces, the good alone being worthy of worship, ” he said, de ­ scribing evil as parasitic: “(It) comes chro ­ nologically after the good.” Calling for a combination of head and heart. Mistree recommended the practice of rituals with an understanding of the theology behind them: when we unwind the kusti to Ae recitation of Kemna Mazda, we are asking for help to preserve the world against the demonic powers, in Ahuramazda Khodai we vow to reject evil doers and whip the kusti to smite evil; by utterance of manashni, gavashni, kunashniwe are seek ­ ing direction from the spirit world to our own. “The knot is a ritual covenant with Ahura Mazda,” Mistree explained the sym ­ bolism of the kusti. Quoting Prof Arnold Toynbee ’s three components that have enabled Judaism to survive: a separate ethnic identity on the basis of ritual and law; not merging with the host majority; and a strong economic power view of the Zoroastrian dating game. “People want to keep Zoroastrianism so ------ ¦ ' ' proud to say that we had no dogma except --------- ’ . ' . — , wonderful it becoming so strict that we may have ¦__ J room to breathe? I wouldn t like to think I’d have to marry out of my religion... (I’m) not really in favor of inter ­ we us “History has repeated itself and have survived these repetitions. Let v,., —r • , , x temper our predictions with a knowledge pure, but at what risk? (We used to be) so iviiipvi ................... ......., .1 . no dopma exceot of the past, ” advised the dastur. “There are two mutual antagonists -- good and evil. This world is a \----------- no asceticism or reclusion. It is a part ol life and living. Marry and procreate. Hap­ piness and joy are attributes of Ahura Mazda as are knowledge and wisdom. “There are Zoroastrian scholars in ev ­ ery sphere of learning except Zoroastrian ­ ism! There is much that we Zoroastrians have to be thankful to foreign scholars for. But take their pronouncements in the light of their own times and attitudes, ” coun ­ seled the priest. “Let us endeavor to reach the Kingdom of Truth : place a guard on our words, thoughts and deeds; practise humility and benevo ­ lence. For the problem is that (man ’s) brain has outgrown man ’s heart. ” JamaspAsa ’s outspoken analysis of Zo- good thoughts, good words, good deeds. Is ing UliV w»>«« •• ~ place to be in. Zoroastrianism advocates hardly any T. • _ ________ .-.4' llb-£i tr\ tKin attributes of Ahura marriage or conversion. But what are the “There is no reason why the world should not be your oyster. You can go and get anything you want ” alternatives available? ” 1___ _____ spoke of the embarrassment ot arranged : a Zoroastrian and not marrying at all. On the other hand, it is not always possible for single Zoroastrians to meet each other. While one pondered the difficulties of adjustment which would be In the ensuing discussion the youths edge. roastdan Ltory and current angst won him meetings, of the a standing ovation from the assembled tween marrying c. ----- youths. Dr Vesta Curtis, the Iran born curator m the British Museum ’s department of coins and medals, spoke on the art of ancient Iran, providing a historical perspective on objects exhibited at th? Museum ’s Iranian Gallery. Curtis recounted the source of some of the inputs into the building of Lebanon and India, gold from Sardis, lapis lazuli from Sogdiana, while the stonecut ­ ters were Curtis ’ talk was one sessions in different suites of the hotel. Simultaneously Mistree presented a slide young slow and discussion on L„..---------- ceremony showing how the priests who solemnize the liturgy seek to increase all that is wise < the visible and invisible worlds. Solicitor Bapsy Dastur from Bombay which were examined what, why, when and how the Zarathushtrian paradigm is relevant to c modern times. Peer distinguished between an individual’s personal concept of his compounded in an intermarriage by differ ­ ences of background and culture, another felt that a common religion is not a suffi- paradigm of good thoughts, good words, ; an awareness of the need to marry, one of the speakers referred to the “desperation (that) is not a part of other lonians and Sardinians. communities and works to our detriment of three parallel while another thought that there was not * . . __ _ _______fhof enough pressure to get married and that c ..... . .-.g Zoroastrians tended to be too com- Muw a... .-I Iran and Kotwal fortable in their single status to take on the demonstrated and explained the ijashne onus of marriage - ceremony Zoroastrians tended to be too com- ; and were likened to “di­ nosaurs in the Ice Age. ” One pleaded for an extension of the ne lllUIiiy IV lllVivtiov J..-------- and good and bountiful in both religion to permit intermarriage s.nce he ® .... » . _i 41______ +'z-.AiT TAFAactri mnmfiQ’ftS had “seen a few Zoroastrian marriages ¦ ¦ ' ; horrible. ” Another noted. If you understand the core of the religion you can keep it alive. ” A third speculated on a “baby boom ” with a “strong onus on mar ­ ried couples to produce more than two • religion and that of the community ’s: “The offspring. ” . -------- UK born Vera Parekh who grew up with total dependence on God in a white social environment in Surrey except tor fellow- Indians in college said she felt a sense of belonging and pride at the names of Zoro­ astrian roads and buildings she saw in Bombay born and bred hus- band Farokh had the blind faith of one who pends on quires a f community is an institution. It has its own rules. Some sort of order is necessary, ” he maintained. A panel discussion on 21 st century sur ­ vival was preceded by Yazdi Irani’s per ­ sonal perspective on matrimony. A staff translator at the Hong Kong and Shanghai Boml^ay. Her B Banking Corporation with a penchant for I------------- music and comedy, Irani presented his had seen his parents and grandparents pray matrimony. A stall base. Mistree noted “survival de- 1 excellence since survival re- financial base. ” If we lack eco- 104 Parsiana Ju/y-August 1997 LAnjumans in New York and California had been engaged in legal battle regarding the uij io .... ..... J ____ _____ . darbc mchcr. Zoroastrian youths in NA are pear... When you have committed yourself inside the blender. We need to understand to action... make yourself the leader of those and prepare for (ehangey ” He listed “mea- of faith nomic strength our identity will be weak and diluted, he warned. And “if racial iden ­ tity is lost, religious identity will disap- to action... make yourself the leader ol those in need of monetary, psychological, spiri ­ tual help. Remove any form of poverty... ” Depicting life in the rapidly changing technological world ot North America (NA) where “we work 10, 12, 15 hours a day,” Sepheri described the changed lifestyle. “In Iran time was spent with relatives, going to agiaries... ” but in NA there is less than 10 percent of time tor such activities. “Out marriages are about 50 percent; the biggest party of the year for youths is Halloween; the Parsi and Iranian darbc mchcr. Zoroastrian youths in NA are ig sured change, qualified tolerance, selec ­ tive use of technology, balancing and freedom, the sorting out of other inllu- ences ” among the future challenges that the community must face. 'g members of other communities into Zoroas ­ trian places of worship and religious places, ” he added, noting acerbically that to liberals “‘equal ’ meant marrying anyone and ‘broth ­ erhood ’ meant inviting everyone to Zoroas ­ trian rituals! ” A strong feminist lobby led by Lyla Mehta and Khursheed Khurody sought the right to officiate as priests. The first ques- g' tion put to the priests ’ panel was “Why can ’t menstruating women attend agiaries and why can ’t women be priests? ” Jamasp ­ Asa ’s reaction was that “teenagers are trying to pull our legs, trying to be priest ­ esses! They may not even be able to recite Karanjia’s message was conservative in the extreme. Preaching “genetic and spiri ­ tual exclusivity ” the youthful principal of the Dadar Athornan Madressa accepted that “circumstances were favorable for inter- ------ . . communal marriages, ” but urged the youths the kustt prayers^ conwtly^^ No ting that ¦‘to be strong, not to succumb... Disallow ' ‘ Anukul Jama Yojana X scheme ? ? ? ? ? even a high priest can ’t enter the sanctum sanctorum without going through the nine- day bareshnum purification, JamaspAsa described the strenuous life ot a boiwalla and challenged, “Are girls willing to do this? Any takers? ” But the women persisted: “We are asking whether religiously it’s the right thing to do and if not, why not?” Karanjia responded by noting that a priest is also a teacher and scholar and performs smaller and higher rituals. It is only the high rituals that require rigorous ritual purity which women, not because of impurity but because of biology, can ’t perform. ” The other activities weie open to them. Kotwal supported Karanjia’s differentiation, noting that “the priests are talking of inner, pav mahal, ceremonies. Outer ceremonies any Zoroastrian can per­ form ” Explaining that ‘pav mahal ’ meant ..... . . . these had spent years in seminaries. “Such priests are and if not, why not?” Karanjia responded by noting that a priest is also a teacher and scholar and performs smaller and higher I A Unique Fixed l>epostt Scheme Liquidity Unit-wise prenature withdrawal without breaking the entire deposit. Flexibility ? Deposit cd'Rs. 5,000/- & above in units of Rs. 1.000Z- ? Period of I -10 years. Gonvenience k options for interest withdrawals ¦ quarterly/half yearly/yeaty or on maturity A Easy withdrawals by means of order forms. ‘within the building,’ Kotwal noted that priests capable of performing a paucity. You want to perform this? (It’s) absurd and ridiculous! ” After a few innocuous questions regarding categories of priests, etc. 'g For further details contact your nearest branch. UNION BANK OF INDIA to fntn/t on't/t Flexibility in your favour I I I O) $ m S o z somebody asked, “Why can ’t mobeds come to a united decision on conversion and intermarriage? ” and mercury in the air-conditioned hall began to rise. “There were six rats and they were all brothers, ” responded Kotwal. “One lost his tail and thought his brothers shouldn ’t have tails'. Wc cannot afford intermarriage. There arc mobeds and mobeds. We do not per ­ form the navjote of a child ol a Parsi father (and a non Parsi mother). In 1919 (the mobeds) resolved unanimously that they are against mixed marriages and against conversion. Can you call a juggler mobed? We want priests who preserve ancient heritage. If you want to to a united decision on conversion thought his brothers shouldn ’t have tails'. they are against mixed marriages and a our convert (someone) out of self-interest, you y?-.i can do so in your own home. No one will stop you... (Such) navjotes and 106 Parsiana July-August 1997Mrs Jeroo & Jehangir N. Medhora "Wish a Happy New Year to the Parsi community" JEHANGIR MEDICAL ELECTRONIC INDUSTRIES marriages are null and void... We have the licence to do what is right according to our religion and our first and foremost duty is to preserve the religion and the community at all costs. The upset liberal lobby faulted the organizers: there is a “real absence of balanced arguments. There are two sides to this debate. Both sides are not represented. You are not letting the other side speak. ” In the general confusion it was not possible to ascertain who was voicing the protest. But the liberals pointed out that conversion implies change from one religion into another, while the dasturs were talking about the children of mixed marriages. Are there any specific religious injunctions against them in the Gathasl they asked. And, in terms of the Daver-Beamanjudg- Parsi women, they said such children had the right to be consid- ASSOCIATE COMPANIES JEHANGIR ENGG ASSOCIATES JV BIOMEDICS INTERNATIONAL Tel No: Factory 4930853 (Fax), 4922782 Office 3888020 PRODUCTS RANGE to preserve the religion and the community at all costs. The upset liberal lobby faulted the organizers: there is a “real absence of balanced arguments. There are two sides to this debate. Both sides are not represented. You are not letting the other side speak. ” In the general confusion it was not possible to ascertain who was voicing the protest. But the liberals pointed out that conversion implies change from one religion into another, while the dasturs were talking about the children of mixed marriages. Are there any specific religious injunctions against them in the Gathasl they asked. And, in terms of the Daver-Beaman judg­ ment of 1908 which accepted the progeny of Parsi men and non- Parsi women, they said such children had the right to be consid ­ ered Parsis and demanded an apology from the priests on their behalf. , , Thi.s led JamaspAsa to specify that Justice Daver had included in his definition of Parsis the children of Parsi fathers after they had been duly initiated into the faith and declared, “If I do not admit the child (into the fold as a Zoroastrian, by performing his/ her navjote) no one can take me to court. ” When it was pointed out that such navjotes do take place, Karanjia noted, “If things have happened surreptitiously, you can ’t take that (as a precedent), ” Someone from the audience responded, “By denying reality, bv not accepting that there are mixed marriages, you are making ELECTROTHERM Portable 250 Watts (Short Wave Diathermy) * THERASONIC Portable Ultrasound Therapy unit * ELECTROMYODYNE STD-3 Muscle Stimulator * FARADYNE Faradic Stimulator * SONOMIST Ultrasoimd Nebulizer CONTINUOUS PASSIVE MOTION UNIT TRANSCUTANEOUS NEURONALGESIA (TENS) ELECTRONIC TRACTION FOR CERVICAL & LUMBER TRACTION TABLE FOR ABOVE UNIT * * * * * Pioneer in manufacturing of Physiotherapy and Electrosurgical (Cautery) equipment in our country. 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We have fossilized views of science and cultural practice. ” The question of adoption of a child of unknown parentage was struck down by Kotwal with a counter question: “How can it be considered Zoroastrian? ” When the querist persisted, “What is the scriptural basis for this decision that there cannot be conver ­ sion or adoption?” Karanjia noted wearily, “You’ve missed the point throughout the day.” So the wag turned his question around. In terms of the scriptures, he wanted to know, “What do we have that we are allowed to be a part of this wonderful religion? ” And Karanjia referred to Mistree ’s earlier talk wherein he had noted that Greeks and Romans, even when subjugated by the Persians, were not incorporated in the Zoroastrian fold. Indeed, Mistree was the most quoted source at this Congress. When Sepheri pointed out that Iran’s Council of Mobeds has approved of the navjote of a child whose one parent is Zoroastrian, Kotwal noted that this was a “recent development in Iran. We have our tradition. We have our rules. ” When further Baited, “Fifty years hence if the Zoroastrian religion is about to die out renege on wadwX'k ously preserved. In . challenged to convert/admit others to the Zoroastrian faith within their geographic boundaries. At which point the vehemently orthodox Gordarfrid Aresh demanded that Sepheri apologize to the high priests. It seemed that the debate had reached its normal crescendo. And then a well-enunciated young voice pierced the pandemo ­ nium from the very rear of the long hall: “I really feel proud to be a Zoroastrian priest. ” Ervad Mazda Antia of Chicago recounted that he had performed the navjote of a seven-year-old son of a approved of the navjote of a child whose one parent is Zoroastnan, Kotwal noted that this was a “recent development in Iran. We have our tradition. We have our rules. ” When further Baited, what (will be) your advice? ” an irate Kotwal declared that nothing a counter argument Iranian mobeds were their geographic boundaries. At which point the vehernently a Zoroastrian priest. ” Ervad Mazda Antia of Chicago recounted 108 Parsiana July-August 1997For best Dhanshak Kabab in town every Wednesday and Friday Many more Parsi dishes We also serve Chinese IDEAL CORNER 12/F/G, Hornby View Gunbow Street Fort, Bombay 400001 Tel: 2621930 B. Jamshedji Jivanji Goldsmith & Manufacturing Jewellers Estd 1901 Opp Mumbadevi Zaveri Bazar Bombay 400002 Phone: 3427464 110 Parsiana Ju/y-August 1997 Parsi father that morning. “It was a great day for me... Behman knew the prayers and the translation due to the work of his mother and his grandmother. To me this is the Zoroastrian religion. These people want to believe in the path of Asha... You might say I’m ruining the religion, that I’m going to hell... It’s not about identity... This is the religion of righteousness of deeds... ” Argued Karanjia, “History has taught us that such things lead to the extinction of the race... Pockel.s (of Zoroastrian settle ­ ment) in China and Punjab were lost... We love our community and religion much more than an individual.” With each side of the ideological divide skeptical of the other ’s Zoroastrian bona- fides, the Sheraton Skyline ’s International Suite was a babble of voices. Session chair ­ man Darius Karkaria recommended to the gathering to “say one Ashem and go out and talk to each other. ” Responding to the “criticism that the priests ’ panel was one-sided, ” perturbed at the prospect of “a schism opening up,” Dinyar Cooper introduced a question-an ­ swer session with Mistree to “see if we can overcome it.” Drawing two partly overlap ­ ping circles - one representing the anjuman/ community, the other, the youths/individu- als — Cooper suggested that increased knowledge might help the common area to increase. “This conference is really about giving young people lots of information and different points of view, ” he declared and recounted how Mistree had helped the London youths come to terms with the ZTFE-WZO (World Zoroastrian Organi­ sation) split in the 1980s (ostensibly over the question of whether non-Zoroastrian spouses could continue to attend religious ceremonies). Questioned about the importance of pronunciation, Mistree compared Zoroas ­ trian prayers to the opera — follow the meter of prayer.s to acquire the mystical experience. “Is it the same afterlife for everybody? ” Mistree refused to speculate on what happens to the others but ex ­ plained the muktad in reference to the principle of resurrection. “At the meta ­ physical level I don’t believe God pun­ ishes since He would be using the facilities of the god of evil. ” But he believed that Zoroastrian souls “retain their individual­ ity, don’t become one with God.” When Sepheri questioned him on “whether Ahura Mazda is all powerful or not,” Mistree referred to the Shikand Gumik Vizcif, the medieval text which postulates the dualis ­ tic argument against monotheistic Chris ­ tianity. Mistree described Ahura Mazda as Wzfh best compliments from DINSHAW & DINSHAW ENGINEERS & CONTRACTORS 390/286, Bootee Street Poona 411001 Engineers of repute for construction works of good quality RATAN SURVEYOR &Co Engineers,Contractors & R.C.C. specialists Arbitrator (Member -- The Indian Council of Arbitration) Piramal Mansion Dr Dadabhoy Naoroji Road Fort, Bombay 400001 Phone: 2619670ing the Zoroastrian thrust on creation. He gyback on the old one. ” Unlike the Indian _____________; 2“ ¦ i priests. Mistree, his evangelism mellowed work in Bombay deals with the counseling by time, was able to articulate the orthodox of Parsi gays. “At the religious level there i omniscient and present everywhere, as wisdom which is inherently perfect, good. Evil on the other hand is “imbalanced, destructive. Does God permit the imbal ­ ance to exist? Is He responsible for such .....J ......... ........ ......r. imbalance? Is He (then) worthy of wor- understanding, tolerance, are important... ” those who did not, levels ot rancor and ship? If God is good, evil (comes) from Ritual purity, priestesses and the calen- resentment were perceptibly lower, outside Mazda. It is an intellectual di- dar issues were also raised. Mistree ex- A number of demonstrations and work­ lemma. The Islamic position is that God is plained the resistance to the proposed cal- shops were held concurrently, both at the transcendent. He knows best. Just accept endar change in terms of daily prayers: Sheraton Skyline and atZoroastrian House, it. Reincarnation too is a statement of faith. ” Responding to the most vexing ques ­ tion of all - Why is Zoroastrianism con ­ fined to the Aryan race? - Mistree reiter ­ ated that through 1,100 years of Imperial Iran there were no conversions to Zoroas ­ trianism. “Please don’t think I’m speaking on behalf of God... We have killed to develop power, (but) we have never killed in the name of religion. ” Responding to the youths ’ criticism of the priests ’ pronouncements, Mistree asked, “What will the Pope say about birth control, divorce? Our priests will say what is the accepted position of the commu ­ nity... The community runs on a vision of what is good for the majority of people... Different parts of the world require differ ­ ent inputs. ” He suggested that social scien ­ tists prepare a referendum for a new model maintaining in the discussion a philosophi ­ cal level of principles. “Build a new model first. If it works, bingo! But don’t destroy the Fasli, said Mistree, “starts with the what has been built over centuries. ” He cautioned that the new model has not been successful, historically. “Now put your money where your mouth is, ” he chal ­ lenged. The individual versus community con ­ flict was also brought to the fore when Carl Kalapesi of Australia commented, “There is only one God and how we access that God is personal. Some need rituals, others don’t. To condemn people who connect with God from (within) is religion gone astray. ” Mistree defined religion as a system of beliefs and practices. First you “belong to the overall precept. Then you internalize it, make your own religion. (That ’s) your privilege. But if you profess to be Zoroas ­ trian and want membership of the commu ­ nity and the religion then a certain format qualifies you to be part of the Zoroastrian brotherhood. The community can ’t be run on individual lines. That ’s what we are experiencing. ” Other questions raised to Mistree in­ cluded one on the Zoroastrian view on homosexuality. “It is considered a worse sin than murder, ” said Mistree emphasiz- noted however that about 20 percent of his ............... ; message in terms which the youths ac- is only one answer. But psychological cepted and understood. And even among understanding, tolerance, are important... ” Ritual purity, priestesses and the calen ­ dar issues were also raised. Mistree ex ­ plained the resistance to the proposed cal- “There are specific days with specific notably Ervad Rustom Bhedwar ’s demon ­ prayers. There ’s nothing for the one-fourth day. The spring new year is right in prin- ‘Tm not really in favor of intermarriage or conversion. But what are the alternatives available? ” stration of Zoroastrian wedding rituals, and with Ervad Godrej Sidhwa, the perfor ­ mance and explanation of the boi cer ­ emony; Mehta ’s “Beyond the hen-pecked male sissy and autonomous dominating ‘bawi’” where the packed youths enthusi ­ astically “unpacked notions of gender in the communitythe “Power of One ” work­ shop conducted by Pourbahrami, Meher- nosh Mody and Arianne Teherani of NA, the World Youth Zoroastrian Education Project with Jehangir Sarosh and Writer as facilitators; and Tina Mehta ’s Zarathush ­ trian perspective on the environment. A university level quiz found teams of 10 ciple but in India there are no seasons and therefore no need for a seasonal calendar. ” Mistree described K. R. Gama ’s advocacy , . of the Fasli calendar as a “political change competing in noisy camaraderie un er (putting) the seasons as more important quizmasters Navaz Suratia and Perses t quizmasters Navaz Suratia and Perses than individual prayers. ” He also pointed Sethna. to a 10-year difference between the Fasli and the Shehenshahi/Kadmi calendars. The . latter two count the years from Yazdegird Disco, ” when the youths took much time Ill’s ascension to the Sasanian throne while and trouble to rig out in apparel reminis- On the last evening of the event, July 11, there was dinner followed by the “70’s and trouble to rig out in apparel reminis ­ cent of the 1970s. The valedictory function was held after dinner the previous night. “Standing in front of this crowd I do feel older than yesterday, ” said Rusy Dalal and was greeted with a spontaneous singing of Happy Birthday. “The real work for you begins now,” he told the youth. “What (it is that) you do in your daily life will propel us into an iden ­ tifiable community (in the coming millen ­ nium). ” Dalal acknowledged the work of a dozen subcommittees and of help, guid­ ance and financial assistance from abroad. He now used the occasion and the presence of Mehraban and Paridokht Zartoshty to thank them once again for their largesse to the London community. Apart from finan­ cial support for the construction of the extension to Zoroastrian House in 1983 where this function was being held, and their frequent donations to ZTFE activities and to this Congress, Zartoshty ’s moral support has helped the London association weather many a political storm. His pres ­ ence was also regarded as a bonus as the flight of Mohammed from Mecca to Medina. How can you follow a calendar whose genesis is in another religion? ” “Will everyone here be ready to take a DNA test to prove their Aryan descent? ” With cloning a possibility, another asked, “Whose soul will go with whom? ” Some ­ one else compared the orthodox Zoroas ­ trian position to that of the Jews who consider themselves an elected people, terming the entire concept as “highly rac ­ ist and incompatible with equality and freedom of choice. ” Unfazed, Mistree re ­ ferred to a German girl who had come to Bombay to study Parsi physiognomy. “We went so far as to give her people who didn’t look Parsi. ” She then went to Khorasan measuring nails, eye sockets, etc and came to the conclusion that “Parsis have main ­ tained an identifiable physiognomy. ” He urged the youths to “move away from the emotive concept of purity of blood.” “Saddened that you think my position racist, ” Mistree noted, “This is the para­ digm of history, ” and suggested that the ancouver-Saseh fim'larii ’nropisa ’ha'ti only youths “recognize how we can improve in a win-win situation... create a new system instead of being parasitical and riding pig- recently recovered from a serious illness. The Congress was his first such trip there ­ after and he was obviously pleased to have 112 Parsiana Ju/y-August 1997Get good value for your money Visit RAILWAY HOTEL Railway Hotel Building Charni Road Junction Bombay 400004 Telephone: 3851028 Beer Parlour/ Permit Room/ Homely Comforts ___ ___ : : ¦ ’ • support. In the UK we feel that projects Faridoon, has maintained the Yazd Atash bring people together, help to bury differ ­ ences. ” Acknowledging the help from the previ ­ ous Congress committee, Rushna Master noted that there were two aspects from the feedback to the first Congress that shaped the second. “People felt that four days were made it. The man who, with his brother Bahram for the past several decades, apart from charities worldwide, said, “What we have done is negligible and we have done it purely for the love of our community... We congratulate everyone for having such a grand congress, (with) 400 youths under one roof, especially Rusy Dalal and Kerman not enough because of jet lag, etc. ^(Also2 Jasavala and his executive committee. ” Noting that “We need unity, peace and harmony among ourselves, ” Zartoshty ad­ vised the youths to “follow in the footsteps under the same roof, of your forefathers with integrity and char ­ ity... use common sense and go towards progress. ” At a subsequent press conference Jasavala noted that deciding on “the theme of the Congress took ages. We wanted to reinvigorate peoples ’ feeling of identity. ” He informed that over 100 delegates had come in response to invitations sent to various associations and anjumans and published in the Press; 70 to 80 delegates people from the hall. ” came via the Internet. Shiraz Daruvala, Malcolm Deboo and others who had at­ tended the First World Zoroastrian Youth Congress had put in London’s bid to hold — the next congress, said Jasavala, adding youths accepted their tasks as a sort o that “Rusy (Dalal) gave a great deal of continued on page 192 that when they stay together they feel much better. ” Hence the eight-day program, the first four at a venue where people could stay The original planning was for 300 del ­ egates. When more people asked to join, the committee had to book rooms for 100 more in another hotel in the Heathrow vicinity with bus transport to and fro. The increased demand upset their budgeting, propelling the estimated cost of under £100,000 to £110,000, as informed Perses Sethna. “Close to 500 people may have participated, ” he estimated, including “60 The fund-raising for the event had been a long-time preoccupation. “Rusy (Dalal) was heavily involved but remained in the background, ” said Perses Sethna. 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C., Tel: 30037/32766/32767 Valsad: Kamla Nehru Road, Tel; 53294 Billimora: Gohar Baug Road, Tel: 53175/53397 Navsari; Opp Central Bank, Tel: 5900819 Delivery Godown: Zaveri Sadak, Tel: 1601 Udhna: Road No 2, Tel: 678612 Surat; Delhi Gate, Dangi Sheri, Tel; 35428-35712 Delivery Godown: Ring Road, Near Surat Textile Market, Tel: 621774 UNN: Near Bus Stand, Tel: 872807 114 Parsiana July-August 1997BUSINESS The civic civii engineer Refusing to compromise on his principies Rustom Sethna believes in constructing enduring structures Gustasp Irani ¦ ¦ J an unstated code of the profes ­ sion but it was a conscious decision I made XU W«O U.li - ---------------------------* A J • J’ J of residential quarters for the personnel erect hmdles along Jhe way. And ^did. that would man Dahanu ’s i once 1 of project that most young civil engineers would probably give a lot to do. Not Rustom Sethna though. He was giving away nothing; noth ­ ing, that is, to grease the cogs of bureaucracy which otherwise consequences. There were problems, many It was an important contract, the building would not only move ever so slowly but also brealdng wouiu man Daiianu's power-plant Sethna had brokeiAhe unwritten norms of once I graduated from IIT (Indian Institute it became operational. It was the kind the profession and was willing to face the of Technology) and parted a c°mp^y, ----------------------- ---------- SethnaConstructions PnvateLimited, with and major problems, but the job my dad (Soli Sethna). I have not yet broken was eventually completed and not a single rupee went into a pocket it was not supposed to stray into, mentions Sethna. “No bribes. I knew I was Sethna and the buildings he has constructed (clockwise from top right): Owaisi Medical and Research Centre, Hyderabad; the BPP residential complex, Andheri; and The Jackers in Bandra 'SO k* this commitment and I don’t regret it one bit,” says the stocky 36-year-old Sethna. We feel the intensity of his commitment radiate strength in his face, particularly the eyes that gaze out from under a thick crown ttU iL J /¦ WfP W ¦* ^^99^ 1g • « '1 Wf Rf I a M ¦ r I & 116 Parsiana Juiy-August 1997 tfirm he had been working with for decades as a senior civil engineer, started a new company. Sethna Sr moved to Bangalore to these Zoroastrian values? Maybe, look after that end of the business leaving his son to look after Bombay. Junior got his first job when a developer approached him to complete a building abandoned by an earlier contractor. His next assignment was a civil works contract at the Willingdon Club. In 1988 Sethna started work on the new resi ­ dential blocks of BharuchaBaug for the BPP and that got him thinking on housing and the community. “Listening to Parsis talk about the hous ­ ing problem that the community is facing you would imagine all our other problems are linked with it. The truth about housing is that if you have a housing crisis it is your personal problem and not the community ’ s problem. You have to resolve things on your own and not ask the community to solve it for you. It’s that way with every other community. They move to a town where they can afford to buy a house or to the suburbs. But with the Parsis it’s the Punchayet that is to blame and the Punchayet that must solve the problem, ” observes Sethna. No, he is not talking from an ivory tower. Housing was an issue he too had to grapple with when he was ready to gradu­ ate from IIT. Since he could not afford a flat in Bombay, he had decided to settle down in Hyderabad. “And I would have done so. It was luck that dad decided to move to Bangalore and I got to stay on in Bombay at his place, ” says Sethna. And he brushes off as absurd the sug ­ gestion that the decline in the numbers of ) iiau lu uv ucni UVU...U* ..................- Parsis is due to the housing shortage the tively going into an agiary and praying that community is facing. “Take a survey of the job went off well. “I guess you may say families who have not faced what we love that I am religious, ” he observes, adding to call the housing problem, of families that he does not need to go nosing around to see if others follow our rituals or not. Sethna believes that there were two major watersheds in his life. The first was when he, a Bombay born and bred lad, transferred from his school in the city to a boarding school — Rajkumar College in Rajkot. “This was when I really grew up. With no mom and dad around, I had to fend for myself and work out my own problems, ” age was when he was admitted to the IIT. Interestingly enough, it was while work- - " • —the Bharucha Baug residential com ­ plex that Sethna realized that the commu- ¦ _ " la problem that he felt was of greater concern than housing — one of the average Parsi attitude to work. Young lads living in the colony would approach him for work and even while they were being of hair brushed back from his large forehead. Speaking for myself I can say that there Sethna picks up an antique level gauge from the desk in his Colaba office whose walls are adorned with modern paintings and photographs of his buildings, and briefly examines the floating bubble. Sure it meant that he did lose out on some plum contracts and there is even one large Indus- W trial house that will not consider him after having worked with him once and finding him unbending on this point. But then again, it helped him win other contracts. “It cuts two ways. Once you have established a reputation in the mar ­ ket, people you work with know you will not compromise on the materials and in­ puts of a project — which is something you will have to do if funds are diverted into other activities. They will even pay a pre ­ mium to have you work for them, ” ob­ serves Sethna who employs a staff of 100 plus and whose annual turnover is in the region of Rs 20 crore. Yes, Sethna has worked on a number of major projects, the principal ones being a hospital — the largest hospital building in India, a Rs 25 crore project — for the Muslim community in Hyderabad; the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) residen ­ tial complex at Bharucha Baug at Andheri, as well as residential buildings for private developers in Bombay and Bangalore. Two Shara ongoing projects are the Godrej Sky Gar­ dens in Panvel, an American style condo ­ minium complex with fancy gardens and father did their navar ceremony. But he is Godrej Bay View, a 16-storeyed residen ­ tial building at Worli seaface. In addition, Sethna is a recognized property developer, but the kusti is optional. Yet, on the day Sethna, however, is quick to point out when a particularly challenging building that he is not the only exception in the civil engineering business and that there are a few other firms that do not toe the corrup ­ tion norms of the profession. “Of course it was tough at first but you must realize that even corruption requires an effort and if someone knows that you are not going to reward his effort he would rather focus his energies somewhere else, ” says Sethna. Yet, Sethna stops short when it comes to moralizing on the evils of corruption. According to him it is a product of the system and the fact that he has decided not to work within its framework does not make him any better or worse than some ­ one who does. “I don’t think people are corrupt. It’s the laws and the system that “Suddenly I found myself plummet from the ing on L ¦ " ' ’: r ’*’ me realize that Mr Brilliant was Mr Average nity faced and if I had to make something of my life I were certain values that my father and mother (Soonie) instilled in me. ” And were t___ ______ Sethna is hesitant though. Yes, he is from <» • % '¦» **, ** « A ' I, r , ¦ % “• S 5 *" ¦ *>1 *5j1 mutual help already exists in certain circles. t, for instance, should run into a legal problem I pick up the phone and call a lawyer friend who puts in a word in the right place and the crisis is solved. I would A range of Kitchen and Laundry equipments wider than t- imagination can conceive. At your ---¦ a quality that is impeccable. The Customer Service > That's the best you can expect. And to top it all, half a century of solid experience. Over the ’ expertise in our core areas and offer like to see this network include community, ” says Sethna. According to him he is ahcuuy uoing his little bit in this direction. Very often friends and acquaintances (and sometime.s even strangers referred to him by friends) drop in on him to ask for advice and guidance in civil engineering matters that h personal nature. In such cases Sethna has willingly given them his time expecting nothing more in return than the satisfaction of knowing that he was of some assistance to a friend or a fellow community member. “I would like more Pysis to offer their services to the commu- 1 y, and it is in this matter where the BPP can help by providing us with a platform and a forum, so that everyone in the com ­ munity has access to it.” Meanwhile Sethna will get on with the task of giving shape to his dreams by building more concrete structiimc the entire is already doing 1 sometimes J to ask for advice and engineering matters that I cases time, Potato Peeler ’-’vcr the ycars, we have developed total expertise in our core areas and offer a whole range of services ranging front destgn & consultancy through equipment supplies to installation and final commissioning. Dur illustrious client list ' ' ranging from design & c. speaks for Itself ; The Oberoi, Park Sheraton, Taj Coromandel, Ashoka Hotel, West End » Hotels and r conscious hotels who laundry equipments. ¦ Kitchen / Canteen Equipi ¦ Laundry Equipments. ¦ Hospital Equipments. .. W.xshcr-Cum-tx-nrrifugc/Extractorj Eflufpment Pvt. Limited many other quality­ use our kitchen / •ments. ¦ HT.' ¦t i ¦ get on with the J concrete structures. 119 Parsiana Juiy-August 1997 ^mail : natsteel.eqpt@gems^vsnl net.in My parents have never forced me into question of aptitude and attitude, of anything, they have merely given advice ¦ • ¦ and left me to do things on my own. I have learnt things the hard way as initially ev ­ erything was bought with great difficulty and paid for by instalments. ” Mistry has always, dared to be different. In a community where the average age of bridegrooms hovers around the 30s, he was just 21 when he married Delna Jamaji in 1993. Daughter Pearl arrived two years later. Pictures of his family adorn his of­ fice, while a silver diva lends a warm glow to a picture of Zarathushtra. Daily prayers consist of kusti prayers and 101 naam, he maintains, “and I don’t skip on that, though I do not get time for lengthy prayers as I travel for 20-25 days in a month. My community has been very good to me, I am indebted to various well-placed Parsis for their help and support. ” During his travels, he discloses, he has been greatly impressed by the progress made both in profession and business by Parsis settled abroad. Fired by their ex ­ ample, he feels, the community is sure to progress, in India and internationally. “By all means, our future is bright, ” he visual ­ izes, “I am very positive about this. ” Nagpur using local skilled labor. But it’s a (. taking the right decision at the right time. Your success depends on you, on how you square foot office in Andheri, he observes. Mistry points out that he has applied for ISO 9001 registration for his company and hopes to complete the formalities, which normally take a year, within a shorter time. He currently employs a work-force of 130 in Bombay and Nagpur. “I want to make my company grow into a corporate, ” he declares. “I started my business from scratch, I knew no one in , r i ¦ Bombay when I began in 1990 as I was all places for design, born in Ahmedabad, did my schooling ~ in Indore, Ahmedabad and Bombay and my DME (Diploma in Mechanical Engi­ neering) from Nagpur.” His first venture, he narrates, was a pest control firm which he ran for a year. With an interest in design, in mid- ’91 he started taking up turnkey contracts for interiors, executing the projects for established architects. He then set up his own interior design company, Jimmy Mistry and Associates, undertak ­ ing work for hospitals, offices, commer ­ cial premises and residences. Tecnica was registered in April 1995. “Tecnica is an international name, ” he explains. “The Arabs, English, Americans, all use this name for their ventures. It took a lot ot guts to start a furniture-making factory in “I chose Italian furniture because Italy is the mother of be it garments, cars, motorbikes or furniture ” represent yourself and your company. I chose Italian furniture because Italy is the mother of all places for design, be it garments, cars, motorbikes or furniture. Giving his parents, Rusi and Lily, a fair measure of credit l or his success, he states, “I am fortunate that I have received paren ­ tal encouragement at every stage. From my father (who retired as a general man ­ ager of Sarabhai Chemicals) I have inher ­ ited marketing and human relation skills. PROTECTION & INTELLIGENCE SERVICES Security/Manpower Consultants * Armed/Personal Bodyguards * Cash/Cargo Escorts (with vehicle) * Kennel squad Spot payment offered for Indian/ Imported cars For booking of flats under construction at Udvada (Near Iranshah) 250, 1/1 Pehn Nariman Street, Fort, Bombay 400001. Tel No: 2611926, 2621281,2617331 Main Street, Pune 411001. Tel No: 631963 122 Parsiana My-August 1997MUSIC Moved by music With his meiodious voice and original compositions, Soli Kapadia is gaining popularity with audiences in India and abroad Parinaz M. Gandhi but that depends on the availability of a good singer. The program is usually very as he could the Harmonica ano me nanjo lour 01 Euiupc, ic.i mv impromptu, there being time for only one without receiving any training. His parents (there) was better than in India. A lot many or two rehearsals at the most. On innumer- were hoping that he would outgrow his autographs ” were sought, he beams his able occasions he has waived his fees to adolescent obsession. Ultimately, smile. The expressions on the show his support for chantable causes — Soli Kapadia’s parents gifted him faces of his listeners, and the the blind, cancer patients, the Aurobindo the much wanted harmonium as a kind of numbers he is re- Ashram in Pondicherry, the fund-raising reward for successfully completing his school leaving exqmina- tion. That was over a decade ago when Kapadia himself did not know he would take up music as a vocation. To­ day the 30-year-old singer from Surat has made Bombay his base, has nearly 500 performances to his credit and is considered an artiste of repute invited to perform in India and abroad. His solo album Prem Etley Ke... has gained wide popu­ larity among Gujarati audi­ ences and he anticipates the release of two new albums: Mere DU Ki Baat with its Gujarati equivalent, Mara Hriday Ni Vaat, and another bhajan rendition, Hari Varne under the HMV (His Master ’s Voice) ban­ ner. The music composition for his songs is undertaken by Kapadia himself, his forte being off-beat melodies and tunes based gauged, says Kapadia who finds that it is He insisted on a harmonium, convinced that and Gujarati songs. Enthusing about the he would be able to play this instrument just reception he evoked during this, his maiden, as he could the harmonica and the banjo tour of Europe, Kapadia felt ‘ the response autographs ” were sought, he beams his smile. The expressions on the faces of his listeners, and the kind of numbers he is re ­ quested to render are the other efforts by the Lions, Rotary... Whenever invited by the Parsi commu ­ nity, he has sung will­ ingly. But such occa ­ sions have been rare; at a Pateti function in Surat; before del ­ egates who had come to Ukai to attend the executive council meeting of the Fed ­ eration of Parsi Zo­ roastrian Anjumans of India; at the Parsi Fiesta organized in Bombay. His offer to sing at the Second World Zoroastrian Youth Congress in London in July had been accepted, says Kapadia. But then, Kapadia: programs are impromptu for reasons unknown to him, he found that he did not feature in the program, shrugs parameters by which the feedback can be the unassuming songster. “I am better ___ “ 2 ¦ ~ known among the other communities than usually the second half of the program my own, he adds matter-of-factly. ................................ Noticing that Parsis, and particularly the community in Bombay which is more " Xs 1 ¦ on classical raagas. More than a com ­ poser, he was looking forward to a break as following the intermission when he is in a playback singer which came in August his element knowing that only those genu- . ¦ ................. inely interested in his music have stayed modernized and westernized, are into west- behind. Invitations to perform in the near em classical and pop music, Kapadia ex ­ future also indicate an artiste ’s popularity, presses his “dream to make Parsis learn to 1997 with the Gujarati film Moksha where Gaurang Vyas is the music director. Addi­ tionally, he has auditioned for stalwarts likeLaxmikant-Pyarelal,Nadeem-Shravan mentions Kapadia who will be tounng and Vishal Bhardwaj who are names to ~ . reckon with in the Hindi film music world. Just a few days prior to the interview on July 28, 1997 Kapadia was in Europe, regaling audiences in London, Germany, Italy and Switzerland with his Hindi ghazals elude a female voice too in his concerts. Europe again this October on the invita­ tion of a new set of organizers. His entourage usually includes five or six artistes who give him musical accom ­ paniment. Given a choice, he likes to in- 124 Parsiana July-August 1997 em classical and pop music, Kapadia ex- appreciate more Indian light classical music. ” If they can speak in Gujarati, why can ’t they appreciate music in Gujarati? And Hindi being the national language, they should also try and understand songs in Hindi, Kapadia shares his thoughts. A considerable amount of awareness forKapiulia flanked by his parents and sister Jasmine Navroze Mubarak second standard, he was assigned the duty of singing slokas each morning over the school microphone, his voice relayed to every classroom. Elementary training in vocal music had commenced when Kapadia was in Surat. Pandit Ganpatram, J. K. Patel and Robin Kapadia’s music performances was cre ­ ated through his interviews on BBC (Brit­ ish Broadcasting Corporation) radio and TV, reveals the singer. “Even today, radio is the best medium, ” believes Kapadia De were among the first to influence his who is an approved All India Radio artiste vocal chords. Ten years ago he started whose songs are broadcast twice a day intensive training in classical music under several times a week. “At home, the radio veterans like Pandit Phiroze Dastoor and is on almost all the time; all the waking Pandit Aj^ay Pohankar of the KJjana hours, ” he specifies and that is not because he looks forward to hearing his own voice! A singer should deliberately make time to listen to other well-known voices “which 3 ChllCl, pending on the mood. Whose can charge your own bat- . . , ¦ mood? The guru s, clarifies tery, ” recommends Kapadia. I WOUlCl uGar the dedicated pupil who says Kapadia is no stranger to tele- ppr+ojn <50110 A would like to be a stu- vision too. Besides perform- Ceriain SOOgb dent all my life. Presently ing on 1 also featured on El TV and Home TV, and lent his voice for serials like Trikaal, Khel and Chhuta Chheda. His most memorable per ­ formance, according to his own rating, was the one at the Nehru Centre, one and a half years ago, when he was invited to sing Urdu ghazals at their three-day festival along with well-known figures like Hariharan, Jagjit Singh, Pankaj Udhas, Rajkumar Rizvi, Chandan Das, Rajendra and Neena Mehta. A two-hour slot was „ _ reserved for each of the artistes when ' jarat University, Kapadia chose to make a Kapadia sang his own compositions. His earliest memories of singing before an audience date to his formative years as a ! who is an approved All India Radio artiste vocal chords. Ten years ago he started veterans like Pandit Phiroze Dastoor and gharana. To date, he continues with his training twice a week. Sometimes the ses ­ sion can last for two hours, sometimes six hours, de ­ pending on the mood. Whose Doordarshan, he has on the radio and burst out crying ” he also trains under Taan Mohan Khan, a direct dis ­ ciple of Bade Ghulam Ali of the Patiala gharana. Though Kapadia is convinced that “the Kirana gharana is more my kind of style, it suits me, ” he believes, “If you imbibe different styles, you better your own personal style. ” Before music beckoned him, Kapadia had a lucrative job as export manager with Garden Vareli. Having graduated in sci ­ ence with distinction from the P. T. Sarvajanik College of Science, South Gu- can career in synthetic textile chemistry, his line of specialization. Then one day he __________________ realized, “I’m not here for this (job).” student at the T. and T. V. Sarvajanik Much to the chagrin of his parents. High School. When he was in the first standard, one of his teachers had over ­ heard him chant Sanskrit slokas. From the Dosabhai and Dhunmai, and some of the trustees of the Surat Parsi Panchayat who knew that he had availed of their academic 126 Parsiana July-August 1997 For your investment in Fixed Deposits, Shares, Debentures, Unit Trust, National Savings, Tax free bonds, etc. For safe investments under one roof FRAMROZ &SONS (LANGRANAS) Hamam House Hamam Street Fort, Mumbai 400001 Tel: 2652.621,2656327 Dadar Office: Tel: 4152237, 4166635 (Above Central Bank, Khodadad Circle) No branchesscholarship since he was an eighth grader, munity. ” Even then, Kapadia believes • • ¦ ¦ * “more in humanity than sticking to certain norms. Of course, religion is there. But he announced a change in his vocational priorities. His parents however were later able to humanity is the basic religion that every- empathize with his choice, knowing how ' ' ’ ‘ moved he was by music since his infant days. Confides Kapadia, “As a child, I body should follow.” Zoroastrians should marry within the community, recommends the bachelor singer. He is in favor though of With best compliments from PARAGON TOY SHOP 108 Heera Panna Shopping Centre Haji Ali Bombay 400026 would hear certain songs on the radio and burst out crying ” for no explicable reason. Among those songs was the qawwali in the film Bobby, he re ­ calls. When he had to be put to bed too, cer- If they can speak in Gujarati, why can ’t they appreciate music in Gujarati? accepting children of intercommunity marriages (irrespec­ tive of whe-ther the mother or the father isanon-Parsi)within the fold on the ratio­ nale that the num­ bers are too few, “there ’s no scope for discrimination. ” Four years ago Kapadia turned a veg ­ etarian on the simple logic that “I don’t need to eat non-veg food.” As a singer he has also a regimen set for himself: mini- tain lilting tunes from Mohamad Rafi were sure to satiate the little boy, realized his parents. “There should be substantial encour ­ agement from the community ” for an ar- „ tiste, advocates Kapadia. He was speaking mal late nights, avoid cold not in the context of his own life where he is particularly grateful to his parents and friends who have supported him, but of other Parsi talents with whom he has been . . associated, like the poet Adi Mirza (Driver) preferably m the mormng^begmmng 6^ 15 whom he regards as “the rarest of poets (but one who is) hardly recognized. ” He may be “proud to be a Parsi, ” a member of a “very nice, disciplined com- sleep for two hours before a performance so that the vocal chords are rested. Addi­ tionally, daily riaz (practice session) for at least two hours is a must with Kapadia, or at any other time, depending on his daily schedule. Notes the promising artiste, “When you sit for riaz, it’s a kind of prayer to God... Music is a kind of meditation. ” With Best Wishes J. M. SHROFF TRANSPORT Private Limited TRANSPORT CONTRACTORS For Bulk Liquids, Petrochemicals, Petroleum Products, Acetic Acid and other Chemicals all over India. Special Fleet of Stainless Steel “MINI-TANKERS” for loads upto 6.5 KL or 4.5 KL Sita Estate, “A” Wing, 1st Floor, Unit No 1, R. C. Marg, Chembur, Bombay 400074 Tel: 5555425, 5519359, 5567175 Fax: 5566907 Branch: BARODA: Tel No 792924, 791818 128 Parsiana July-August 1997OBSERVATION A jewel in the Chenoy crown Rather than accept judgeship, Nadirshah Chenoy preferred to continue his private practice and work for his community Mithi Dinshaw There are jewels in the Chenoy crown — a crown that shed its lustre on the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman of Secunderabad and Hyderabad during the 20th century and even earlier. Some of the Chenoys (also spelt Chinoy/Chenai) who had served the Nizams of Hyderabad achieved the posi ­ tion of nawabs because of their impec ­ cable standards in professional and per ­ sonal life. Others were accorded honor within and outside the community because of their humanitarian work. One such re ­ splendent jewel was the late Nadirshah Bapooji Chenoy. Born on June 21, 1882 into the Bapooji Edulji Chenoy family. Nadirshah was edu ­ cated at the exclusive Madrasa-e-Aliya. Besides being a scholar of Persian litera ­ ture and Zoroastrian history, he was a keen sportsman (an accomplished horseman, a good shot and cricketer), which in later years made him the first president of the Hyderabad State Cricket Board. He gradu- twice offered a judgeship of the High away, leaving behind sweet memories of a Court by the late Sir Akbar Hyderi. the ’ ” ' ‘ ...... ated in 1904 and after a law degree, joined Clienoy: a gentleman's gentleman M/s Nanu and Hormusjee, a flourishing firm of solicitors in Bombay and special ­ ized in company law which remained his forte. He returned to Hyderabad in 1906 and worked at his legal career for the next 50 years. “With his legal acumen and special ­ ization in company law. Nadirshah was among the early pioneers of Hyderabad ’s industrial development... and served with distinction on the boards of 18 major in­ dustrial enterprises of Hyderabad State (see Parsiana, September 1970).” Nadirshah was the co-founder of The Hyderabad Industrial Trust Fund together grandfather wa.s the main religious institu- “great gentleman ” who lived graciously and had won the lasting affection and respect of all colleagues and associates. At an emergency meeting of the Bar Associa ­ tion of Secunderabad, the members ob­ served two minutes silence in memory of the departed soul and court work was suspended for an hour, an exceptional mark of respect. But the best words of tribute came from Nawab Ali Yavar Jung, the then Ambassador to Washington: “Be ­ sides being one of the leading luminaries in the legal world, he was a man of wide culture, knowledge and understanding. His kind are not found everywhere or in plenty. ” Nadirshah ’s five decades of dedicated service to the community was steered by his vision to integrate the 1,200 Zoroastri ­ ans in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad against outside forces. This is evident in the solemnity and dedication that governed his drafting of the trust deed of the Anjuman. Today the community and the generations that follow owe their collective security to the community ’s founding father. Nadirshah Bapooji Che ­ noy. FEDERATION AID TO JABALPUR with Mir Liak Ali, and the then finance minister, Gulam Mohammed, who later became the President of Pakistan. He was also associated with the advisory board of the Central Bank of India, Secunderabad and the State Bank of Hyderabad, and was the life president and trustee of the Bansilal Charity Trust in Secunderabad. He was then Prime Minister of Hyderabad. But Nadirshah preferred to continue his pri­ vate practice and work for the welfare of the local Zoroaslrian community. For almost 50 years. Nadirshah served the local Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman of ^ntinued from page 68^ Secunderabad and Hyderabad as its trustee and legal adviser. He re-drafted the trust deed to make it viable with the rules of the Indian government, under the Constitu ­ tion of India. The Seth Khanbahadur Edulji Sohrabji Chenoy Anjuman Dar-e-Mcher , jn • which was endowed in memory of his JehangirMadwiwala,Dinshi Patel and Homi laiiuiaiHvi V.U1 ____ Palsetia from Saronda; Jehangir Bisney and do7onhi7trLst de^d?Nadi7shah^ Lt Col (retd) Gev Edulji from Secunderabad; Baman Cama, Shefali Wykes, Hutoxi Ankleshwaria and Kaizad Engineer from Firdous Kayani, Kersi Daruwala, Sarosh and Nawaz Palkhiwala, Vaheesta Vankadia, Hormuz Sukhia, Prof Hoshang Mugat, Nilufer Wadia, Nazneen Aibara, Jamshed Frenchman, Darius Boocha, Kashmira Udachia and Neville Batliwalla from Poona; Palsetia from Saronda; Jehangir Bisney and the true teachings of Zoroaster, ” by con ­ firming it as a religious trust which could 1 r not be disturbed in the changing world of yad(^ara and Homi^ndHomai Mehta from politics. Nadirshah wa.s also the chairman and trustee of various Chenoy trusts which he served diligently. Zai Bordi. Homi Taleyarkhan, Marzban Patrawala and Bazun Dittia were the special invitees. The Press was represented by In- On June 19, 1969, Nadirshah passed dian express and Parsiana. 130 ParssnaJufy-Augus! 1997OBSERVATION In pursuit of peddlers His attempts to control cocaine and opium smuggling in Bombay were not always successful F. N. Cama My father Khan noticed that every time he stepped Father jumped in and held the brielcase SahebNasserwanii out of the house for his rounds, he above water until a rope was thrown down Khursethji Cama heard a series of whistles. Realizing to him. The briefcase, lull ol cocaine, was almost became a ,, ... that this was indeed a waining sys- doctor. He was a tern he told his orderlies to quietly medical student in trace its source in the next few days, his last year at the Grant Medical College He soon learnt that the whistles led to the Cciiiui: "iiiKiyiiiative and honest in his work” above water until a rope was thrown down offered in evidence. Another case involved the H. M. S. Benaras, a British merchant ship whose captain was a suspected cocaine smuggler. Ills laSl yccll ill lllC UldlH nivuteai ....................................... ... ........................ * . • f fl U 1 in Bombay when the plague broke out. His suspected house in Kamatipura, the ground On arrival at Bombay port my father had class was asked to join the Plague Opera ­ tion, at considerable personal risk, with the assurance that after the Operation those who served (there was a great dearth of medically trained personnel) could gradu­ ate with the class without giving the final guard was surprised and arrested. With the exams. However, when the time came to get the final certificate the dean of the College broke his word. He insisted on the final exam for father who had volunteered for the Plague Operation. My father re ­ signed and for some years worked for a small steamship company till he joined the Bombay Excise Department as an excise inspector. He was assigned to control the cocaine and opium smuggling rampant in certain parts of Bombay in which many respect ­ able businessmen were involved. The name ofoneofthem was familiar to many Parsis .................... ---------------------------- . r u ¦ since he made the makhmal topis they nese fellow ’s hand which held an Edipolo ously. Father called the chief mechanical wore. Few were aware that he also dealt in drugs and that he was finally jailed through the efforts of my father. Here are some interesting cases from father ’s career which I learned from him firsthand while I lived with him in Bombay. Once my father was informed that the upper floor of a house in Kamatipura was a center of the cocaine trade. The man responsible for the trade was a sharp fellow who on learning that father was out to trap ... him, set up a system to warn himself of my In one case my father had just boarded a father ’s approach. At that time we did not live very far from Kamatipura and father floor of which was guarded by a huge the ship cordoned off and he and his nien boarded it. A thorough search of the ship ’s cabins, offices and the hold revealed noth ­ ing. Then father and another inspector along with the captain went down to the boiler room. While the two excise officers searched the room the captain and the fireman escaped and shut the steel doors on father and his co-worker. In the intense heat and darkness they could have died of suffocation, but fortunately their banging and shouts alerted their orderlies who freed them. This incident convinced father that the captain had something to hide. Recall- ' 1 informant had once told him that a likely place for hiding contraband Chinese fellow who blew the last whistle. Father then planned the raid. The whistler outside our home was nabbed before father stepped out of the house and the Chinese warning system decommissioned it was easy for father and his men to rush up the stairs. They caught the dealer red-handed before he had time to destroy the cocaine which was usually done by dumping it in water, wherein it would instantly dissolve. The gang of whistlers and the dealer were hauled betore Magistrate Kharaj and after a proper trial sentenced to various jail ing that an terms. The Chinese guard promised to kill I' . father on his release from jail. Sure enough could be under the winches bolted to the moved. The captain refused, saying the ship would lose its balance and list danger- terms. The Chinese guard promised to kill a few years later as my father was making deck, he asked that the winches be re- his rounds alone, he was attacked from the rear. Turning around he grabbed the Chi ­ __ _ _______ , ______ - engineer of the port to get the job done, would have lost had he not been helped by Over the objections of the captain, the the local pahwalla who joined in the fray. In spite of being hit on the head by the stick the panwalla helped father hold the assail ­ ant down until more people came and subdued him. The Chinese was thrown back into jail and deported out of India at the end of his prison term. Cocaine was smuggled into Bombay in those days by ship crews entering the port. Stiek. A struggle ensued, which my father ship when a man came running up to the deck and threw a briefcase into the sea. winches were unbolted and under one of them were the bags of cocaine. With this evidence the captain of H. M. S. Benaras was convicted and jailed. This case made its way to the papers and father ’s intelli ­ gent hard work at the risk of his life was applauded by the city. Not so successful was another case in­ volving a Chinese dealer in the Kamatipura area. A raid on his house netted a rice bag full of opium but the man escaped. An all- night search through the area resulted in 132 Parsiana July-August 1997disgruntled prostitutes and embarrassed clients, but no Chinese drug dealer. The next day father was informed that the man had joined the work force of the G.I.P. Railway Wagon-Works at Parel. The su ­ perintendent of excise told the story to the superintendent of the Wagon-Works who lined up his Chinese work force in front of father, but the drug dealer was not one of them... Two days later news came that the man was making his getaway by the Calcutta Mail to Calcutta, dressed in a burkha. A raid of the railway station, the waiting rooms and the Mail train netted a few indignant ladies in burkha but no drug .'WifcTnaVYer was finafly dropped and father went on to more interesting cases. Once a Gurkha officer in full uniform and medals was caught in a raid in the Kamatipura area eating pan laced with cocaine, the usual offering by prostitutes to their clients. He was brought before lather and pleaded to be forgiven and let off. Father told him that even if he were his own son, he would have to be brought before the magistrate. The next day when he was due to appear in court, father ex ­ plained the matter to the judge and recom ­ mended letting the officer go with a verbal warning. Father also managed to keep out the Press, so the officer could go back to Though authorized to carrg a handgun he neuer did so that he ujas neuer tempted to shoot themselves. These are some of the cases that my father was involved in while I was in Bombay. One can probably get his record from the files of the Excise Department and The Times of India in Bombay. He was imaginative and honest in his work. He often risked his life and spent his own money on informers. He was against tak­ ing help from the police. Though autho ­ rized to carry a handgun he never did so that he was never tempted to shoot in anger and also to give no occasion to the police to accuse him of unnecessary use of force. his regiment without his name being tar­ nished. One day I accompanied father on his lounds to a place where Chinese workers _______ ...... „„„vvvdmu uov ui i i were living in sq^ualor, manx v'.Kvv vq a, room. On that night the raid netted no chemistry from his days in medical college cocaine or opium Then he took me to a to good use in his work. He was granted the licensed opium den. In a small narrow title of Khan Saheb bv the. on a room, wooden bunkers were set up in two tiers, with the opium smokers sleeping on their sides sucking from al almost an inch in diameter at the end of hich was a three-inch round pot, on which drug problem that a team from the League rested a small spirit lamp. The authorized ¦' - - amount of opium was placed on a small hole in the lid of the pot by the manager of the opium den. When the opium started to melt the smokers would inhale the '/-p: This was allowed by the government it was recognized that the addicts would get their opium at all cost and risk to title of Khan Saheb by the government and for his outstanding work, three years of extension on the force before he retired, bamboo tube During his career the Bombay Excise De ­ partment was so successful in fighting the of Nations came to study their methods. Towards the end of his career he in­ quired why he had never been promoted to superintendent. The answer was that he had seemed to enjoy the fieldwork so much that the thought had never occurred to his superiors that he would even con ­ sider an office job! vapors, t as operators PRUDENTIAL SHIPPING AGENCIES PRIVATE LIMITED Shipping agents, cargo brokers and container 55A/63A, Walchand Hirachand Marg, Opp G.P.O., Mumbai 400001, India Tel: 2692787 (10 Lines), Fax: 2652841, Tlx: 11 82307 PS AB :=in IN Email; g-prudential / s=bom / p=gems / a=vsnl / c=i Internet: prudential. bom@gems.vsnl .net. in Registered Office: 77, Mint Road, Fort, Mumbai 400001, India Tel: 2694203, 2659055, 2658396 Branches Bombay - Nhava Sheva - Kandla - New Delhi - Ludhiana - Ahmedabad I 135 Parsiana July-August 19972 ¦\35PaisianaMy^kigusl1997 Clockwise from top left: Delna Bhumgara, Rehan Poncha, Riyad Palia, Zeba Wadia (in pool and at center with trophy), Aresh and Shazneen Daruwalla and Ruksheen Paliak SPORTS Splashing success Young Zoroastrian swimmers win medals at state, national and international meets The eldest is 14, the youngest seven. Bombay ’s promising young swimmers, Delna Bhumgara, Zeba Wadia, Rehan Hilla P. Guzder penses for the trip but the family is hoping for more sponsors as expenses for competi- Poncha, RiyadandRuksheenPaliaandAresh the Talkatora swimming pool in Delhi pre- and Shazneen Daruwalla, have been ................. making waves at club, state and national level swimming meets. On many a morning, when bleary-eyed Bombayites pick up their morning milk around 5 a.m., these children are already in the pool turning their arms forapractice session. School follows straight thereafter with a second training session in the evening. Life is a dedicated regimen of swimming, studies and sleep, yet they all enjoy it, they say, and wouldn’t trade it for anything else. The only one to have won an interna ­ tional medal so far is 11 -year-old Rehan Poncha. His latest proud possessions are two bronze medals won in August ’97 at the 11th Asia Pacific Age Group Swim ­ ming and Diving Championships orga­ nized by the Asian Amateur Swimming Federation at Kaohsiung in Chinese Taipei. Part of the approximately 40-member In­ dian squad (who won 16 medals, seven for swimming and nine for diving). Rehan says he “feels like a changed man after this Swimming Competition organized by the meet. ” Adds his father Jehangir, “This was ‘ ’ his first international exposure and he has suddenly ‘grown-up!’” After a 22-hour journey, made unex ­ pectedly longer due to a delayed flight. Rehan had barely a day to recover before plunging into competition. “The tempera ­ ture-controlled covered pool had a fully air-conditioned seating area, ” enlightens Jehangir, “and the competition was very stiff with 14 countries participating. ” Rehan bagged the bronze in the 2(X) m individual (GMAAA) meet in May ’97. At the medley (boys under- 11) with a timing of 2 Maharashtra State Junior and Sub-Junior min 43.73 sec and in the 50 m backstroke Aquatic Championship at Kalwa (Thane) (35.50 sec) and was the only individual ’ ’ medallist from Maharashtra, says Jehangir. ____ A donation of Rs 50,0(X) from the World backstroke (35.21 sec), winning three more been in July thi.s year at the sports city, Balewadi swimming pool complex near Pune, his tions are heavy. The 19-day training camp at spirited challenge in the 50 m butterfly (32.75 sec) for boys under-1 1 pushed his Maharashtra teammate Parikshit Shetty, who had returned the fastest time earlier, to second place. Rchan ’s second gold at the nationals was in the 50 ni backstroke ceding thi.s trip was excellent, though very rigorous, observe.s Jehangir. “Training was from 5.30 to 8.30 every morning and 3 to 5.30 every afternoon and endurance work­ outs were tough, explains the father. Their (35 sec) and in the 200 m individual med ­ stay at the Mengusi Dharamshala was com ­ fortable, and Rehan ’s diet was strictly moni­ tored. “Rehan makes out a list of all his favorite foods which he can eat only after competitions — bhcl puri, Punjabi samosas, masala wafers, ice-cream, etc. He also loves long car ride three to four mornings every pizzas and tomato sauce, ” informs his mother Shirin. Rehan, born a premature baby in 1986, took to competitive swimming at the age of seven. So far he has won 43 gold medals, 79 silver and 39 bronze in competitions from inter-school and club to national level, in addition to the two international medals. In 1995, Rehan had represented Maha ­ rashtra at the nationals in Bhopal, winning a silver and two bronze medals in the gruelling 15-hour day. Homework has to under-nine category. At the fifth All Parsis ley (2 min 37.63 sec) he claimed the silver, bettering the existing record of 2 mins 42.56 sec. He annexed two more silvers in the 50 m and 100 m freestyle. For Rchan who lives at Gamdevi, it’s a week at 5 a.m. to the Otters Club at Bandra where he trains under Sandeep Divgikar, “a world class coach who has brought Rehan up in three years, ” states Jehangir. After a two-hour session, his parents drive him on schooldays to St Mary’s School (ICSC) at Mazgaon where he is a sixth standard student. Straight from school he returns to Bandra for a two-hour training session, reaching home at 8.30 p.m. after a be tackled in the car. St Mary’s School awarded him the Best Sportsman Scholar- Federation of Zoroastrian Associations for ship (under-12 category) for 1996 and a Welfare and Culture (FOZAWAC), though scholarship for excellence in studies and he was only nine he swam 12 events in all the age-groups, winning six golds, five silvers and one bronze and was adjudged the overall men ’s champion at the meet. At days he can ’t go to the pool, he piles up the Jaipur nationals in ’96, he secured a silver in the 50 m backstroke and a bronze in the 200 m individual medley. He won six medals at the Greater Mumbai Amateur Aquatic Association extra-curricular activities in Std V. “Swimming is superb, ” gushes Rehan. He hates to miss practice and on the-rare in June ’97, he set up two new meet records in the 50 m butterlly (32.97 sec) and 50 m Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO) through silvers and one bronze. At the 14th Sub­ Junior National Aquatic Championships Dinshaw Tamboly helped ease the ex- pillows on his bed, lies on them on his stomach and practices suspended over the bed, chuckles his mother. Rehan has set his sights high. His aunt from London brought him what he feels will be his lucky pen. “When I win my first Olympic medal. I’ll sign my autograph with this pen, ” he as ­ pires. Fourteen-year-old Delna Bhumgara is the other swimmer who has participated in an international meet. Her first exposure to outside competition was at the Asia-Pa ­ cific swimming meet held in Pusan, Korea 137 Parsiana Ju/y-August 1997ing 1 min 14.41 sec and swimming in the women ’s group with competitors older than herself. The Maharashtra team, with Delnaz and Zeba Wadia as two of the four ____ ____ ... ____ . swimmers, secured silver in the 4x100 m Rs 75,000 for the trip,” says her father medley relay, with Delna doing the back- In her very first swimming nationals in astically was indeed a proud moment. ” Delna had secured a first place in the 50 m time-trial for the Asia-Pacific meet and earned for herself a berth in the Indian in August last year. “It was a wonderful, never erasable experience, ” she enthuses. Attended by 752 swimmers from 22 coun ­ tries including China, Japan, Kazakhstan and Australia, Delna secured a sixth place squad. “We were however asked to pay among the 36 competitors in her age group. The Indian contingent failed to bag a single gold or silver, securing just two bronze medals in the men ’s group, states Delna. “No fault of the Indian partici- Association) pool at Proctor Road (Bombay pants, ” she feels as the conditions at the training camp in Delhi preceding the meet Central) every day. Competitions some- _ times follow each other in quick succes- were “ appalhngly filthy ” and many caught sion and raising the required finance can a virus fever. The food was bad, she opines, be difficult, he adds. On recommendation and to make things worse their personal from FOZAWAC, Delna al^^rcceived a coaches were not allowed to train the swimmers. In contrast, the food served at the Pusan Tourist Hotel (where all the participants were lodged) was excellent, she says, and included Korean delicacies like octopus legs, jelly fish, crabs, prawns, etc. The stadium decorated with flowers and lights, “looked like a fairyland” and the “huge that the meet was breathtaking swimming pool” with its E---------------- -- - the timing of the swimmer to the accurate competitions were very well organized fraction of a second. Marching in the open- and that the opening ceremony was ‘‘fail­ ing ceremony wearing the country ’s jacket tastic. ” Though she did not win an indi- X\.5> lui UIV Uip, oujo iivi itAvixxz* ---------J, ------------ Noshir who takes her for her coaching stroke and Zeba the breast stroke. classes from their Sleater Road residence In her very first swimming nationals in to the YMCA (Young Men ’s Christian Jaipur in’96, Delna had emerged the win­ ner in the 100 m backstroke in her group and the Maharashtra team struck gold in the 4x50 m medley relay. In February ’96, she entered her first 5 km sea race from Sunk Rock to Gateway of India, standing 10th in the girls group with a timing of 41 min 52 sec, having had no prior practice of sea swimming at all. In May ’96, she snuffed out competitors ’ challenge by sum of Rs 50,000 from the WZO, and other small amounts which helped to cover part of the expenses. Ten months after the Pusan meet, Delna claiming gold in the 100 m backstroke, was again marching behind the Indian clockmg 1 min ^8.18 sec in flag, this time at the 4th National Games " ' ’ ,.r. held from May 31 to June 11, ’97 in Ban­ galore. Contradicting reports in the Press dial I'uv ...vvt was a badly organized one, • u Delna ’s mother Farida, who accompanied pionships in her group, and a gold in the Omega touch pads displayed immediately her daughter, observed that the swimming and that the opening ceremony was “fan- and with the Indian flag Hying in Iront and “so many spectators cheering us enthusi- vidual medal, Delna stood fourth in the 100 m backstroke, her favorite event, clock ­ THE Of Sub-Junior Championship and setting up a new meet record. The same month she won silver with an improved timing of 1 min 17.58 sec at the Maharashtra State Cham- 4x50 m medley relay. At this year ’s GMAAA meet, she once again rewrote the record books in the 100 m and 200 m backstroke, while at the state level she stood first in the 100 m but took silver in the 200 m. Her pile ol golds QVALITY PACKAGING MOST OFTEN DECIDES if uarnneRs In the MARKETPLACE. Good packaging can do wonders for your product. Especi ­ ally when the packaging is from Ecoplast. With Ecoplast, the product ascends to the status of a well-known brand, cutting through a clutter of a host of me-too ’s. In the area of flexible packaging, Ecoplast ’s forte lies in the production of multilayer films made by the blown- film co-extrusion process. At Ecoplast, the accent is on unparalleled quality. Ask some leading manufacturers of salt, wheat flour, tea, coffee, noodles, biscuits, edible oils, milk powder, semi-processed ioods, shampoos, detergents, toothpaste, creams and lotions. 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Delna entered competitive swimming by chance. “I was into athletics first, ” she explains, “and even participated in cross ­ country running, winning a state level cross country one km lun at Goregaon when I was nine. I used to swim only lor lun, but one day at the YMCA pool, coach Rakesh Tiwari spotted me and saw some potential. ” From then on, it’s been steady progress in a relatively short period of time. A new interest for the ninth standard student of Girton High School is basketball at the newly provided court in school. “Delna is a bubbly, energetic person who loves going out with her Iriends or chit-chatting endlessly on the phone with them, ” says her mother. “Maths and Marathi are standing higher on the list! She also loves to attend the religion c ____ - - Studies at the Girton School every Tuesday morning. ” CT COUIILIJ lUIlllill^, WIIIIIII15 ovKLx./ -- ---------------------------------J at Goregaon when I was nine. I used to swim only lor lun, but one potential. ” From then on, it’s been steady progress in a standard student of Girton High School is basketball at the newly 1 who loves going out with her Iriends or chit-chatting endlessly on the phone with them, ” says her mother. “Maths and Marathi are her least favored subjects, with history, geography and English standing higher on the list! She also loves to attend the religion classes conducted by Firoza Punthakey-Mistree ol Zoroastrian Studies at the Girton School every Tuesday morning. ” “I intend putting in my very best effort to improve my swimming performance to take part in lorthcoming international swimming competitions, or God willing, even the Olympics in the year 2000 at Sydney, ” hopes Delna. “Till then it’s studies, studies and studies which is more important in life than even sports. ” Another promising swimmer who participated in the National Games at Bangalore this year as part of the Maharashtra squad is 13-year-old Zeba ’Wadia. She was one of only two swimmers ..... , ---- women ’s group with older and more experienced competitors. from Maharashtra to win an individual medal, swimming With Best Compliments Of HOSHANG J. BUCHIA & CO ENGINEERS & CONSTRUCTORS 4/24, Tata Mills Co-op Housing Society Ltd Elphinstone Road, Bombay 400012 Tel: 4112539 140 Parsiana Ju/y-August 1997N DAVAR & Company Painting Contractors interior Decorators 2, Commerce Centre Tardeo, Bombay 400034 Tel: 4944856, 4943210 Zeba bagged the bronze in the 200 m breast stroke with a time of 2 mins 56.62 sec and a silver in the 4x100 m medley relay as part of the state team. “The Bangalore Games were very well- organized and gave Zeba good exposure to the pressures of competition. The pool was fantastic and other facilities were good, though we did not stay in the village itself but at the Entee Dharamshala, ” remarks her mother Bakhtawar. It was in February ’95 that Zeba pluckily entered the Charni Road Chowpatty to Governor ’s bungalow and back sea race, winning a third place in the girls under- 13 group, swimming for 1 hr 15 min 59 sec. She picked up gold in the sub-junior nationals at Jaipur in ’96 in the 4x50 medley relay and lifted the Mayor’s Trophy as individual champion (girls under- 13) in December ’96, also being runner-up individual champion in the women ’s group. On the same day at the sixth All-Parsis swimming meet organized by FOZAWAC, she was declared the best female swimmer with a total of 30 points. This year has been a fruitful one for Zeba who trains at the Andheri Sports Complex pool under coach Prem Gajinkar. At the 12th IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Open State Level Swimming Gala 1997 she ruled the pool in the 100 m breast stroke in the women ’s group with a new meet record of 1 min 23.53 seconds. At the GMAAA championships in May, she was runner- - up individual champion (girls group II) totalling 54 points, with three gold, five silver and three bronze medals, bettering the meet records in the 50 m and 200 m freestyle and 200 m individual medley. At the Maharashtra state championship at Kalwa, she swam strongly to win two gold (team relays), three silver and five bronze medals, bettering the meet record in three events. The Balewadi nationals saw her on the victory stand with a silver in With best wishes from the Livewel Group of Companies 9, Narayan Udyog Bhavan, Lalbaug Industrial Estate Dr Ambedkar Road, Lalbaug, Bombay 400012 Tel Nos: 4151139, 4131396 Fax: 4151125 140b Parsiana Ju/y-August 1997the 100 m breast stroke (1 min 25.53 sec) and a bronze in the 200 m breast stroke (3 min 5.15 sec), both of which are her favor­ ite events. “In the beginning I used to get very nervous but now I enjoy competi ­ tions, ” notes Zeba. “Crying won’t get you anywhere if you lose a race, you have to try harder next time, ” is her philosophy to winning. “Zeba hates to be hassled at the start of an event by goading from anyone to give off her best. It just makes her lose her cool, ” laughs Bakhtawar. A resident of Panthaky Baug in Andheri, Zeba comes from a sports minded family. Her father Homi was into body building and fitness, brother Zubin has played vol­ leyball at the state level, representing Bombay city. A ninth standard student of St Joseph ’s Convent, Vile Parle, Wadia is fortunate that school gets over at 1.30 p.m. leaving her sufficient time for homework and snatches of cartoon-watching on TV. Piano lessons are scheduled for Monday evenings when the pool is closed. She hopes to appear for her Grade II pianoforte exams of the Trinity College of Music this year. Zeba remarks that she is proud to be a Zoroastrian and wants to get to know more about her religion. Swimming to success over the past couple of years are the brother-sister duo of Riyad and Ruksheen Palia. Riyad, aged 13, is cool and collected, his pulse rate is calm even on the starting blocks, observes his father Farhad, while Ruksheen, 10 years old, is a little mischievous but ex ­ tremely confident and hard working! In October ’97 Riyad heads for the USA for a three-month training stint. “With their Olympic coaches and advanced techniques, Riyad can learn within three months in Los Angeles what might take him six months here, ” explains Farhad. Riyad and Ruk­ sheen train every morning at the Otters Club pool, not far from their Bandra residence, returning after school for a two-hour evening session under coach Sandeep Divgikar, who also trains Rehan. Riyad’s tally of medals for the current year are 34 gold, 31 silver and eight bronze and he has set up 15 new meet records. At the GMAAA meet in May ’97, he sunk a ninc-ycar-old record in the 200 m indi­ vidual medley with his timing of 2 min 32.21 sec and set up two new records in the 100 m breast stroke (1 min 21.08 sec) and 50 m breast stroke (37.43 sec). Winning a total of 56 points, Riyad lifted the indi­ vidual championship for boys under- 13. He was runner-up champion at the 12th IIT Gala 1997. The GMAAA made him cap ­ tain of their boys sub-junior (groups III, IV and V) team for the Maharashtra State Championship at Kalwa and in his group. Riyad rewrote the record books in the 200 m individual medley (2 min 31.90 sec) and the 50 m breast stroke, claiming the overall distinction of being the runner-up cham ­ pion in his group. At the Balewadi nationals in July ’97, Riyad found his moment of glory as part of the Maharashtra team who emerged over ­ all champions with an impressive tally of 339 points against second-placed Karna­ taka’s 186 points. Riyad was part of the foursome winning gold in the 4x50 m freestyle relay and silver in the 4x50 m medley relay. He also swam to silver in the 50 m and 100 m backstroke and 200 m individual medley, losing narrowly to Bengal ’s star swimmer Sudip Chatterjee. One more silver came his way in the 50 m breast stroke as the second-placed boy was later disqualified on grounds of overage after random testing. With just one more year in school (St Andrews High School) before matricula ­ tion, Riyad believes in concentrating on studies as well for he hopes to go in for computer science. “He ’s a wizard on the computer, a complete computer freak, ” jokes his mother Niloufer. Relaxation in­ volves surfing the Internet and taking gui­ tar lessons on Sundays. “Riyad is pretty mature for his age, ” comments Farhad. “He controls his own diet and avoids oily A mission to supply reliable power at economic prices Begun in 1915 Tata Electric Companies comprising of The Tata Power Company Limited, The Andhra Valley Power Supply Company Limited and The Tata-Hydro Electric Power Supply Company Limked have not only lit up the homes and streets of Mumbai but also powered Indian industry, all the while setting new records in pioneering generation and distribution of electricity with state-of-the-art equipment and systems. Mumbai is one of the few cities having high quality uninterrupted power. Tata Electric Companies have also led the way in environment protection, enrichment and afforestation programmes, planting 4 lakh saplings annually in their lake catchment areas. Through the years, Tata Electric Companies have grown to become a world-class power utility. They are professionally managed with a mission statement to continuously upgrade their facilities using the best available technology to maintain their premier position as suppliers of reliable power at economic prices. Tata Electric Companies have improved the quality of life in Mumbai. For 8 decades, for the present and the future. A consumer focussed corporate vision. TATA ELECTRIC COMPANIES Bombay House, Homi Mody Street, Mumbai 400001 140d Parsiana July-August 1997foods, steaks are his favorite though he does not eat chicken or fish! He also takes defeat in his stride and does not get un­ nerved by it. It’s a fantastic feeling for him to defeat boys who used to defeat him not so long ago.” Adds Riyad, “Nothing is impossible if the mind wills it.” A fifth standard student of St Joseph ’s Convent, Bandra, Ruksheen started swim ­ ming at the age of five at Otters Club with Sandeep Divgikar and was the youngest Zoroastrian swimmer to represent her city at the age of five at a state meet, states her bio data. In her first year of competitive swim ­ ming, she won 19 gold, 11 silver and tour bronze medals and was awarded the Mehernosh N. Cama Memorial Award for 1993 by the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India in the sphere of sports. She annexed the individual championship at the IIT Swimming Gala 1993 (girls under ­ seven) and at the Cricket Club ot India’s bcvciij aiiu ai uiv viivAvi - ------------- ---- 55th Annual Swimming Gala 1995 (girls three children have taken to conapetitive swimming. Eleven-year-old Aresh started training at the age of six while seven-year- old Shazneen ha.s already won three run­ ner-up individual championships. Wait­ ing in the wing.s is two-and-a-half-year- old Spenta who loves to watch her siblings under-nine) and was runner-up at the Na­ tional Sports Club of India Open Swim Gala 1996 in the same category. In December ot that year, she won all the three events in the girls under-10 group at the sixth All-Parsis ns ’ vtTTklly includes 10 -olds, 15 ""ihTpod.Ziwns India in February ’96, enrerging from rhe silvers and 10 bronzes, and the runner-up “My father Framroze Pavri in his younger water with a timing of minutes individual championship (girls group IV) at theGMAAAmeet inMay. Unlike her brother who is shy and reserved by temperament, Ruksheen is very lorthright. “If you do not fight, you cannot expect to win,” she says. She is a good mixer who has lots of friends, observe.s her father, adding that brother and sister get along famously with each other. “Ruksheen works hard at swimming and studies, is very good at maths, though Hindi >g blUUlVd, lo vvi J ----- y, p and Marathi do tend to become bugbears During school vacations and be^tore sometimes! She loves watching cartoons and Hindi movies on TV and is learning to play the guitar loo like her brother. She Vvaiii:> IV/L/v till t*ii i . .................... — been with Air-India for 23 years. ” Though learning to take not religiously inclined, the children visit the agiary before competitions and on festi ­ val days. They have “a strong sense of community ” and are proud to be Zoroastri ­ ans, asserts Farhad. Two of Pervin and Firdosh Daruwalla’s wants to be an air-hostess like mum who has ing in the wings is two-and-a-half-year- days used to teach children to swim at Golvala Bath, When Aresh was small, he would accompany his grandfather to swimming meets as a spectator and soon took to competitive swimming himself. ” Aresh and Shazneen travel from their Dhobi Talao residence to the YMCA pool where they train with Rakesh Tiwari, who is also Delna ’s coach. “Practice is from six to eight every evening, except Sundays. competitions, morning sessions are re ­ quired, ” maintains Pervin. “Aresh is in a very tough group. He was very sensitive about defeat in the beginning but is now his stride. Shazneen is very determined and says ‘I am going to come first. ’” Aresh ’s tally of trophies include run­ ner-up individual champion at the Bombay School Sports Association ’s Inter-School aquatic meet in January 1995 in the under- nine category and runner-up in March of the same year at the Mayor’s Cup, which is a state-level competition, says Pervin. Aresh represented Bombay in the Maharashtra State meet at Pune in ’95 standing fourth. He swam in the 5 km open sea race from Sunk Rock to Gateway of With CPEC LIMITED 1, Industrial Estate, Lalbaug, Bombay - 400 012. Tel. : 413 7353, 7431, 0349,412 8387,1591 Fax . 0091-22-4130937 Compliflients of Pioneer in the field ol manufacture ol Mechanical power transmission systems • Helical and BevelZHelical Gear Boxes ‘ Worm Reduction Gears Inline Helical Gears &' Geared Motors • Automatic Control Variable Speed Pulleys & Dnves • Non-Standard & Custom Built Gear Boxes * Flexible Couplings etc. 142 Parsiana July-August 1997runner-up championship in girls group VI, bettering the meet record.s with three sil ­ vers in the 25 m breast stroke, freestyle and butterfly, and bronze in the 25 m back- stroke. ‘Recreation ’ from the tension of competition and lhe monotony of training may consist of a couple of jumps from the diving board or iclay races for fun in the pool, laughs Pervin who handles her children ’s schooling, studies and swim ­ ming during husband Firdosh ’s long ab­ sences at sea as a ship ’s captain. “When he is in town, however, he more than makes up for it by taking charge of everything. This year, he prolonged his slay in Bombay from six months to eight months so that he could be with the children for the GMAAA meet and the Maharashtra state meet, ” relates Pervin. Besides swimming, Aresh ’s interests include scouting as part of the 16th East Bombay Zoroaslrian Scout Group which has its meetings on Sunday mornings. He the stipulated time of 75 minutes. This year Aresh won bronzes in the 50 m backstroke at the Otters Club meet in March for boys under- 11 and in the butter ­ fly at the Juhu Vile Parle Gymkhana Club meet. At the GMAAA meet in May, he stood third in the 50 m backstroke and qualified to represent Bombay in five events. He won the 50 m backstroke bronze in his group with a timing of 38.32 sec at the Maharashtra state meet. “He came within the qualifying time for the nation­ als, ” explains Pervin, “but only the first two are selected to represent the state at the nationals in each event. ” A sixth standard student of Campion School, Aresh had claimed the champion ­ ship trophy at his school meet in 1993 with three golds and two silvers, in 1994 with seven golds and in 1996 with seven golds and one bronze in an open event. Shazneen studies in the second stan ­ dard at the Convent of Jesus and Mary, Fort. She won the runner-up championship secured gold in the Roman rings at his at the Otters Club meet this year with a gold in the 25 m breast stroke, silver in the butterfly and bronze in the backstroke. She was also runner-up champion at the Juhu Vile Parle Gymkhana Club gala. In the GMAAA selection for the state meet, Shazneen claimed 19 points, winning the school gymnastics competition when he was in the fifth standard, enlightens Pervin, and wins at least one prize every year on the school annual day. Shazneen is a Bul­ bul with the 71 st Last Bombay Zoroastrian Guide Company which holds its meetings on Saturday afternoons. She also loves to dance on stage during school entertainment programs, says mum, adding that both chil ­ dren are regular with theirmorning kusti and evening prayers with Sarosh Baj, etc, and Shazneen stresses on visits to the agiary particularly before a competition. Aresh ’s approach towards his swim ­ ming is “leave behind the rest and think for the best. ” When asked by her parents what she would like to become in future, Shazneen is sure of herself. “It begins with an ‘s ’ and ends with an ‘r,’” she replies. A singer? “No, a swimmer, ” she rejoins. For all the children through their years of swimming, hidden behind the glory and glitter of medals and trophies, lie the ten ­ sions and frustrations of competition — the pulled muscles, the exhaustion, the rivalries and jealousies of competitors, the often poor facilities and whimsical atti­ tudes of sports administrators. While re ­ fusing to be drawn into details, the child ­ ren ’s parents admit that sports meets in the country are often mired in controversy, with competitors becoming the pawns in the games officials play. The youngsters however continue to practice, keeping their heads above water, striving to narrow the gap between prom­ ise and performance, happy in the pride of their own hard-earned achievement. 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Those were the days hanging the pot in the gaiden, place it in Pour half the milk in cold bowl and churn or beat till foam rises to the top. Spoon foam into chilled glasses up to the top. Fill glasses till the froth is a little over the lip of the glasses. Sprinkle with nut­ meg and serve immediately. In the slow moving idyllic days gone by, most Parsis used to have doodh na puffs or kharia ni jelly (trotter jelly) for breakfast in winter. water and mix well. If you have no garden, do not despair, the refrigerator, one of the best of modern inventions, comes to your aid. Instead of when every city home had a garden, unlike the refrigerator, the concrete jungles of today. And those were also pre-refrigerator days. But now even if you are living in a flat without a garden, you can make this ambrosia in the refrigerator. Full cream milk (2 ltrs) Sugar (250 g, or more if desired) Rose water (to taste) Nutmeg (grated, for garnish) Mix milk with sugar in a pan, place on low heat and stir till sugar has dissolved. Bring kharia ni jelly was put in the breakfast to boil three-four times. Cool, stirring all the time. If you have a garden, pour the milk into na puffs and kharia ni jelly were synony ­ mous with breakfast in winter, when the milk was chilled all night (in the pre-refrig- erator days) as was the trotter jelly. Trotters are rather heaty and should be eaten in winter. The jelly is made the pre ­ vious night and kept in a cool place to set overnight. It is always served in small juice glasses for breakfast, or at the most at eleven o’clock in the morning, but never as a dessert. Use trotters of the same size. Do not mix lamb ’s trotters with goat’s trotters, as the cooling varies. If using lamb ’s trot­ ters, use 12 instead of six. Trotters of the front legs with skin (6 - cut into 2” pieces) Rice flour (as required) Limes (3 - cut in half) Egg whites (3 - lightly beaten) Egg shells (3 eggs - washed) Cinnamon (2” piece) Cloves (5) Tea leaves (1-2 tsp) Water (4 ltrs) Sugar (to taste) Brandy and lime juice (to taste) Wash trotters well. Rub with rice flour and two limes to remove any smell. Wash again. Place trotters in a pan with four litres water and whole spices. Bring to boil. Lower heat, cover pan and simmer for 1-2 hours till trotters are soft and the bones separate from the flesh. Strain stock into a pan. Slowly add egg whites, shells, one lime and sugar to taste. Simmer and allow to clear. Strain through two layers of muslin. Add tea leaves for color, brandy and lime juice to taste. Mix well and leave for a few minutes. Strain out tea leaves and pour into small glasses. Leave overnight to set. Serve for breakfast the next morning. AKOORI This Parsi egg dish was made famous KHARIA NI JELLY (serves 6) throughout the Indian Air Force messes by In one of the reviews of my book Parsi Air Marshal Dhatighara where it is still Food and Customs, a critic wondered why known as Dhatighara Bhoojia. Every Parsi has his method of making akoori and thinks it the best way. And quite rightly so, as it all depends on one ’s taste. Incidentally, may I know what this thing section. This i.s because, as I had men ­ tioned in the paragraph just before the recipes section on breakfast, both the doodh 146 Parsiana July-August 1997Almonds (blanched and sliced), cashew Chilli powder (1 tsp) called ‘scramblers ’ is that I read of in a ‘healthy heart ’ cookbook? Use 100 g ‘scramblers ’ with *4 cup water... Is this a together) substitute for eggs? If so, please do not try C..... ------------ - -rz . ,0 make akoori wi.h ‘scramblers.' In fact, Ghee or butter (2 tbsp extra for frymg nuts) Tomatoes CT those ofvou with food fads such as fatless, Salt (to taste) . fl thcn'i saltless, sugarless low calorie diets, don’t Fry nuts and dram well. They N^e^Vay also add 6 cloves, 2 one-inch bother to read the following recipe. greasy. Mix lemai g ‘ . . ¦ nieces cinnamon and 4 black cardamoms. Heatfatinapanandfryomonstiimght person continues witn a raiiess, saiocbs, sugarless diet, the human race may well develop a disease which none will be able to diagnose or cure! Our bodies need fat, India, it is known from times immemorial, that before stepping out on a hot summer ’s day if one drank fresh lime juice with a little sugar and salt, the strong sun would ------ . , not affect one. The secret is, as my father household as my husband says he had who was a doctor always said, eat every ­ thing but within reason. And always get up from the table feeling that you could eat a little more. nuts and cheronji (charoli) (50 g - mixed Cumin powder (2 tsp) Ghee or butter (7 tbsp) Salt (to taste) Chop Salt (to taste) Fry nuts and drain well. They must not be Coriander leaves (1 tbsp) pieces cinnamon and 4 black cardamoms. brown. If using cloves, etc add now with greasy. Mix remaining fat, eggs and salt and scramble. When half done, add sulta ­ nas and when just done add nuts. Serve immediately with hot rotlis. Note; You may ; . leaves, 1-2 green Seeded chillies, 1-2 chop ­ add chopped coriander the onions. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric. to diasnose or curei vuur uouicj * ntvu lai, ------- salt and sugar, all within limits. Here in ped spring onions with a little of the green. KHARU DODHl (savory bottle marrow - serves 6 to 8) This vegetable is usually not made in our ..................................... 1 enough of it for nine years in his boarding school. But once when his cousin was our guest for dinner, he requested me to cook school. But once when his cousin was our it for him as the hotel where he was staying belonged to a 1 ---- - MEVANI AKOORI (serves 8 to 10) vi _ This recipe was given to me by Ms Gama niy of Bharuch, where we had fresh fried ?--- prawns, mevani akoori, hot ghau ni rotli pieces) and fruit — for a memorable breakfast! Cr.-z'"" , Fees (15 of free run chicken variety, well Ginger paste (1 tbsp) oo nuciA It ihvnA beaten) Sultanas (25 g, washed and dried) and fruit — for a memorable breakfast! A 148 chilli and cumin and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook till slightly brown. Cover and cook on low heat. Add water in pan and on inverted lid and simmer till marrow is practically mashed. Serve with any meat dish or frill cutlets. DAHl MA BHEEDA (okras cooked with curds - serves 6 to 8) Okras (1 kg — young, small, tender) I Parsi who seldom served Ginger paste (2 tbsp) egetables. So I had to make it and even husband had a little of it. Marrow (1 k; a ‘O peeled and cubed in 1” Onions (3 large — finely sliced) Garlic paste (1 tbsp) Turmeric powder (Vi tsp) Garlic paste (2 tbsp) Turmeric powder (1 tsp) Chilli powder (2 tsp) Curds (350 g - thick, beaten till smooth) Salt (to taste) Oil (4-6 tbsp) Wash and dry okras completely. Remove heads, cut in half inch slices and sprinkle Gompfimenh ¦f'o/n The Anti-Virus Specialist Systems and Software Head Office: #105 OM Chambers, 123 A. K. Marg, Kemps Corner, Mumbai - 400 036 Tel : 022 368 0512/ 17/ 18 368 0513 Email : redalert(#giasmd01. vsnl.net. in Visit us at : http://www.nandn.com Fax : 022 - Neville B u I s a r a and Nadir Karanjia V e n t u r e 1 ta July-August 1997with salt. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry till reduced by a quarter Cool. Beat 5 eggs and Garlic (6^8 clove^) crisn but sreen Drain add to milk with salt and half the ground Goa red ch Hies (P 8 dry) SSs;:: needed. Add curds and mix well. Lower heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add salt and fried okras. Simmer further for 2-3 minutes. Serve with rotlis or khichdi. add to milk with salt and half the ground Goa red chillies (6-8 dry) CUSTER NA CUTLETS (serves 8) This is a prize winning recipe given to me by Parviz P. Dhanbura. Actually I was asked to be a judge at a cookery competi ­ tion years ago in Bangalore. The other two judges and I all came to the conclusion that this was one of the best recipes in that particular section — unaware that it was by my friend Parviz who is one of the kindest persons I know. Milk (600 ml full cream) Eggs (10, lean feel all the ‘scrambler ’ fans squirm!) Breadcrumbs Ghee or oil (for deep frying) Grind together Green chillies (6 — seeded) Coriander leaves (3 tbsp) Ginger (1” piece) Garlic (6 cloves, small) Cumin seeds (2 tsp) Cook milk on low heat until quantity is ; or rectangular baking dish so that it comes to a height of one inch. Steam for 15-20 minutes by putting the dish in an idli steamer, or place in a dish with water reaching about 2” below cus ­ tard dish and bake in a medium oven for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely and cut into one and half inch squares. Carefully coat each piece with remaining ground spices, c r beaten eggs. Deep fry till pale gold. Dram dip in breadcrumbs and then in remaining beaten eggs. Deep fry till pale gold. Drain and serve. And sit back and receive the applause from your guests! MAJA’S PRAWN OR FISH PATIA (serves 4 to 6) This recipe was given to me by my niece Maia Daruwalla, an excellent cook. Prawns (V kg — shelled cleaned and Garlic (1 pod - ground) rrawiis v i T miwt remind you that if living in Europe or America, the garlic is much deveined, or any other tish) Onions (8 medium sized — grated) Tomato ketchup (2-3 tbsp) Lime (juice ol one) Vinegar (1 tbsp) Sugar (to taste) Salt (to taste) Sesame seed oil or ghee (4 tbsp) Grind togethnr in a little Valsad vinegar for half an hour. Heat oil in a pan and fry onions till brown. Add ground spices and fry well. Add prawns and saute till done. Add a little vinegar, salt, sugar and tomato ketchup. Serve hot with boiled rice and plain dal. Note: I know it is unusual to use tomato ketchup in a patia but this is one of the best patias I have tasted. DOODH MA GOSHT ATHVA MURGHI (serves 4 to 6) Lamb (1 kg - cubed with bone) or chicken (1‘A kg-jointed) Onions (4 medium-sized - finely sliced) Green chillies (4-5 - seeded and sliced or slit) Ginger (2!/2” piece - ground) ___ ______ ; . ¦) .... (Here I must remind you that if living in Europe or America, the garlic is much larger than the Indian variety so use hall a pod.) Turmeric (1 tsp) Cumin powder (2-3 tsp) Cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms (1 tbsp — mixed whole) Salt (to taste) Customer is. —always Light When he entrusts his Household Packing, Shipping, Removal, Storage.... ail his problems to B.C. Buhariwala & Sons. Make the right Move, Call: R Rfianufa/a Sens 5 J. N. Heredia Marg, Ballard Estate, Bombay-400 038. TeL: 2615451/3, 2613137 Tlx.: 011-75139 BCB IN. Fax: 22-2620785 BRANCH OFFICE: 1310, Pragati Towers, Rajendra Place, Hew Delhi-llO 008. Tel. Hos.: 5711876, 5713540. Tlx.: 031-61928 BCB IN Represented throughout the World by more than 600 offices Door to door Service 150 PjrsiaiM July-August 1997Ghee or oil (4 tbsp) Milk (500 ml full cream) Almonds (50 g — blanched and sliced) Heat fat or oil in a pan and fry onions till brown, with whole spices. Add V2 cup water and simmer till onions are mushy and water evaporated. Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric, cumin powder and salt and saute for 1 -2 minutes. Add meat or chicken and chillies, saute till meat is brown. Lower heat and add 1 cup water. Cover pan with an inverted lid, put some water on lid and simmer till meat or chicken is tender, and the gravy thick. Keep stirring occasionally, adding water to pan or on lid as required. This prevents meat from sticking to the base of the pan. This is the basic kharu gosht. Add 1/2 litre full cream milk and cook till reduced to >4. Add 50 g blanched and sliced almonds to meat or chicken. Mix well and serve with rotlis. MUG Nl DAR (serves 6 to 8) Green beans or moong (114 cups, husked) Turmeric powder (1 tsp) Salt (to taste) Chop for dal mixture Tomatoes (2) Green chillies (4 — seeded) Coriander leaves (1 tbsp) Vaghar (seasoning) Cumin seeds (2 tbsp) Garlic (1 pod — chopped) Ghee or clarified butter (2 tbsp) Wash dal and place in pan with water to cover by 1’. Add chillies and turmeric and bring to boil. Skim and simmer till done. Mash or puree dal. Add remaining ingredi ­ ents except seasoning and simmer for 10 minutes. Heat ghee in a small frying pan and add seasoning ingredients. Fry and pour over dal just before serving. Serve with roti is or boiled rice. POCHI OR MALIDAR KHICHDI (soft khichdi - serves 6 to 8) Rice (2 cups) Green beans or moong (husked), Egyptian lentils (masoor) or pigeon peas, arhar or toover (V^ cup) Onions (2 - sliced) Turmeric powder (1 tsp) Cinnamon (2” piece) Cloves (6-8) Cardamoms (6-8) Salt (to taste) Butter or ghee (3-4 tbsp) Coconut milk (1 cup, extracted coconut) or full cream milk Wash rice and dal. If pigeon peas are used, soak for half an hour or half boil. Place all ingredients except butterand milk in a pan. from Vi Add water to come up to 1” above level of rice and dal. When half cooked, add coconut milk or milk. Add butter and cook till done. This khichdi should be very soft. Deli ­ cious by itself, or may be served with a lime or mango pickle. Or with a patia if desired. KARVAI (banana fritters - makes 5 to 6) Banana pulp (2*/2 cups, ripe) Cornflour (2 tbsp) Almonds (5 tbsp - blanched and sliced) Cashew nuts (3 tbsp - chopped) Sultanas (6 tbsp) Cardamom and nutmeg (Vi tsp - pow­ dered) Castor sugar (to taste) Poppy seeds (as needed) Pinch of salt Oil for deep frying Mix cornflour, spices and banana pulp. Fry nuts lightly, drain and add to pulp. Add sultanas, salt and sugar to taste. Take a spoonful of mixture and form into a ball. Roll in poppy seeds to coat and deep fry. Fry one fritter first. If it breaks add a little more cornflour in the mixture. For easier frying, shape into flat round discs and shallow fry. Serve hot. GOSHT NU ACHAR (lamb pickle) Lamb or game (2 kg - washed, dried. Makers of fine jewelleiy since 1936 Introducing exquisite handcrafted readymade Co. 296. Raja Rammohan Roy Rd. Bombay 400004 Tel; 3611121 / 3677844 FAX: 91 22 8366384 153 Parsiana Ju!y-August 1997 jewelleryWith Best Compliments From PERKS ENGINEERING Pioneer and leading manufacturers of shrink and stretch wrapping machinery and systems in India thick to a deboned and cut into 2” pieces removed) Navsari vinegar C/\ hr) Cinnamon (3 one-inch pieces) Cloves (2 tbsp) Cardamoms (10-12) Sugar (to taste) Salt (to taste) Oil (400 ml) Grind with a little vinegar paste Ginger (2*/2” piece) Garlic (3 large pods) Cumin seeds (1 tbsp) Coriander seeds (*/2 cup) Black peppercorns (10) Chillies (10, dried) Rub some salt into meat pieces, and fry in oil with whole spices till well browned and cooked. Add ground spice.s with a little sugar and salt. Fry for a minute or two, add vinegar and simmer gently till spices and meat are well amalgamated and cooked through. Cool and bottle, keeping pickle cov ­ ered with oil. Keep in a cool place. Allow to mature for about 15 days. It will keep for 6-12 months in a cool place. BADAM PAKH Milk (I Itr) We never take our guests and breath-taking views for granted with fat Cream (125 g) Almonds (1 kg - blanched) Butter (350 g) Rose water (*/2 Itr) Nutmeg and cardamoms (2 tsp — crushed) Sugar (4 cups) Salt (a pinch) Cook milk on low heat till reduced by half. Cool and add cream. Fry almonds lightly in butter till golden. Cool and mince coarsely with a little chilled rosewater. (This pre ­ vents oil from oozing out of almonds.) Make a syrup with remaining rose wa­ ter and sugar. Boil to a thread. Remove from fire, add almonds, milk and butter in which the almonds were fried. Mix well and cook on low heat till mixture reaches consistency of a thick batter. Add spices, mix well and pour into a serving dish, or store in a glass jar. Note: This is a semi solid dish and can be kept for weeks in a refrigerator. It is given to women after childbirth to strengthen the back. But it can be eaten and enjoyed by all. Bon Appetit ! Bhicoo J. Manekshaw, a graduate of the prestigi ­ ous Cordon Bleu School of Cookery, London and author of Traditional Recipes of India and Parsi Food and Customs, has been associated with many haute cuisine organizations in the country. X Address: Perks Engineering B-24, New Empire Industrial Estate Shri Ramakrishna Mandir Road Andheri (E), Bombay 400059 Tel: 8326349/8347745 Fax: 8384001 Lord’s Central Hotel Matheran 410102 Matheran Telephone 021483-0228 Fax 021483-0595 Bombay telephone 3867776 154 Parsiana July-August 1997BOOKS A measure of mysticism Faribourz Nariman Mysticism and Mystic Sects Among the Jews, the Mohmedans, and the Zoroastrians—a Compara­ tive Studyby Ervad Ratanshah R. Motafram. Pub ­ lished in 1996 by The K. R. CamaOriental Institute, 136, Bombay Samachar Marg, Fort, Bombay 400023. Pp: 157 + xviii. Price: Not mentioned. “What is Love? Thou shaft know when thou becomest Me ” — Rumi. “Pear seed grows up into pear tree, nut seed grows up into nut tree: God seed into God, to God” — Eckhart. , Mysticism, ’ mystic ’ and mystical ’ VV3.S 001, Why 030001 are highly charged words in Parsi society. The heterodox bandy these words to create an impression of being God-fearing; and mendacious mystagogues use the same either to set up an aura of piety or to belittle scholars in general and philologists in par­ ticular. Therefore, one has to keep a wary eye whenever one comes across one or more of these words. - - Briefly stated, mysticism is a way by drugs considered in this context were ai co- which one can obtain freedom from the self for the Self. Etymologically, ‘mystic ’ - . . can be traced to the times ofthe schoolmen tioned drug are well-known though not (medieval European theologians) for whom many people arc aware that Zaehner vol- ‘mystica was an adjective qualifying the substantive ‘theologia. ’ Thus, ‘mystica theologia, ’ as distinguished from mere ‘theologia, ’ was something which revealed deeper mystery and divulged certain se ­ crets which were otherwise unknown. Much later, ‘mystic ’ was used as a synonym, so to SUCttR., Ul mt- jaiiDiuii ----------- - imnlication ‘unio mystica ’ or mystical dedicated worker m the field of Iianian studies, has kept this in mind while making Semitic religions in to speak, of the Sanskrit yoga ‘union,’ by union. At different times, advanced souls in various countries gave expression to such a ‘union.’ There are records of christocentric experiences of Christian mystics. Also, cer ­ tain Sufis speak about their union with the Beloved. Some mystics had to undergo tri­ als and tribulations for giving expression to their experiences: Mansur al-Hallaj had to sacrifice his life and Meister Eckhart was excommunicated after death, though re ­ claimed by the church after some time. It . . is interesting to note that the Inquisition glimpses of comparative viewpoints in punished Eckhart for committing one hun- i ¦ ¦ ¦ I- eluding those from the Greek and the Chris- dred ‘errors ’ — one of these is quoted tian tiaditions. Since bibliophiles from among Par- Mysticism is a complex subject and serious students ot any religion can ill afford to overlook mystical aspects of the latter. However, the dilettantes, ever eager to foist their whims under cover of ‘mysti ­ cal interpretations, ’ cannot be permitted to exploit this fact. Equally deplorable are t___ . . experiences by some psychoanalysts. Cu- the attempts at demystification of mystical Greek philosophers, historical background, TT____Ol fTMif i/-»nnr'r» nt tlVP, “If 1 made that which I make again that which was? ” riously enough, some noted personalities, in the beginning of the present century, started working on the potentiality and range of drug-induced mysticism. The . ' > hoC Indian hemp and Mescalin. Aldous Huxley ’s experiments with the last men- t J aware that Zaehner vol­ unteered to subject himself to an experi ­ ment with Mescalin in 1955 in order to refute Huxley ’s contentions. The doctrine of the two selves is enun ­ ciated by various traditions in different ways, though the end — subjugation of the lower by the higher — remains the same. And Ervad Ratanshah Motafram, a silent. clear some ol the contours of mysticism and mystics in three traditions in the book­ let under review. The work is divided into 10 chapters. The first one (of 11 pages) deals with Judaic mysticism. The next five (running into 60 pages) are devoted to the Islamic tradition (including the Sufic), and the last four (containing 60 pages) deal with the Zoroastrian tradition. Of course, at differ ­ ent places, the author has given some siana readers may be specially interested to know the topics covered by the author as far as Zoroastrianism is concerned, a gist of the same is given. The seventh chapter deals with esoteric elements in Zoroastri ­ anism. Here we find short notes on the influence of Zarathushtra ’s teachings on Hegel ’s views, mystic significance of five gahs, etc. The next chapter tells us about other elements of mysticism in Zoroastri ­ anism with brief discussions on water, vegetation, the ‘tree of all seeds, Gaokerena tree, Mt Alburz, the ‘three legged ass, ’ khvarnah (glory), animal sac ­ rifice, esoteric elements in Zoroastrian rituals, etc. The author has attempted to unravel certain mystic formularies encoun ­ tered in the scriptures. In the ninth chapter we find the Prophet portrayed as a mystic and this is followed by a discussion on spiritually advanced souls after him. Chap ­ ter 10 is devoted to Azar Kaiwan and his disciples like Farzaneh Behram, Mobeds Hoshyar and Sarosh, Khuda Jui, etc fol­ lowed by a discussion on miraculous pow­ ers attributed to the saint and the literature produced by his school. Generally speaking, throughout the work the author has steered a skillful course but, at times, one comes across the use of certain words and statements which can be seriously contested. For example, the author ’s use of ‘orthodox ’ in a pejorative sense (pg 40) and the way in which he makes a distinction between Aryan and ¦ 1 connection with creatio ex nihilo. (creation out of nothing, pp 40-41), obliquely giving the reader to understand that this is not a Zoroastrian postulate. Now, in Greater Bundahishn 34.4-6, we come across a dialogue be ­ tween Ahura Mazda and Zarathushtra, the subject matter being ristakhiz (resurrec ­ tion of the dead). There the Prophet enquires as to how will a man ’s body, which has been blown away by the wind or dragged down by water, be resurrected. In reply, Ahura Mazda, after enumerating His creations like the terrestrial sky, earth, sun, moon and stars, corn, various kinds of plants and 156 Parsiana July-August 1997I <s P44l BRAND LEADER MADE IN INDIA With Best Compliments From M/s PATEL PLASTIC CORPORATION 4/5, New Nandu Industrial Estate Mahakali Caves Road Andheri (East) Bombay 400093 Tel No. 8323754/8300986 158 Parsiana July-August 1997 man, points out that “each one of these was more difficult for Me than the raising of the dead; behold, if I made that which was not, why cannot I make again that which was? ” The rhetorical question clearly shows that the postulate in question is Zoroastrian. The author declares (pp 22-23), “the orthodox teaching of predestination, pro­ pounded by Islam, represented God as a merciless tyrant...” Surely this is not the orthodox Islamic position. True, some occidental scholars have been inclined to translate qisinah ‘predestination, ’ but ap­ portionment ’ would be a better rendering. The question of nuances apart, the Islamic tradition speaks, time and again, of Allah as Ar-Rahman (the clement) andAr-Rahiin (the merciful), although He has the quality of Al-Muntaquim (the avenger). He is also one who is Al-Gaffar (full of pardon). According to Sa’id ibn Mansur, the first thing that the Pen wrote was:/«na Rahmati sabaqat Ghadahi (My mercy precedeth My wrath). ” Instead of using dhikr and rendering it ‘recollection ’ (as on pp 32-33), the use of dhikr ’Llah (remembrance of God) would be better suited in terms of context as well as exposition. Attention may be called to some oddi­ ties which just do not bear up, and blunt the overall effect; •The inclusion of historical details of the Arabs of the seventh and ninth centuries (pg xv) in a booklet of this size. •Spellings like Rumy and Mythraic in­ stead of the conventional and apposite Rumi and Mithraic. •The lack of diacritical marks, especially in the transcription of Arabic, Avesta, Pahlavi, Persian and Sanskrit words and mystical formularies. •Havana, a vessel (formerly of stone, but today metallic ones are used) in which haoma is pounded, is rendered chalice instead of the usual ‘mortar ’ which suits the purpose. All in all, the work is more of a primer, meant to assist those unfamiliar with some recondite areas of theology. It is not a detailed exposition or an exhaustive ac ­ count of mysticism or mystics in the three traditions. At some places the author has taken pains to delineate the movement of certain ideas — this serves the instructional pur­ pose fairly well. The K. R. Cama Oriental Institute may be congratulated for publish ­ ing this work as a token of appreciation of one who has a long-standing reputation as a scholar and a teacher in the M. F. Cama Athornan Institute, Andheri. used) in which haomci is pounded, is rendered chalice <Sr With best compliments from NARIMAN NALLASETH Private Limited PLUMBING ENGINEERS CONSULTANTS 27, Tamarind Lane 1st Floor, Block No 11 Rajabahadur Compound Opp Allahabad Bank Apollo Street, Fort Mumbai 400023 Phones; 2650066 & 265298,6 Fax; 091-022-2655834 <SrInsights into Iran Reshad Forbes Iran - The Spiritual Motherland ofZoroastrians by Noshir H. Dadrawala. Published in 1997byJam- e-Jamshed, 7, Kumpta Street, Fort, Bombay 400038. Pp: iii + 102. Price; Not mentioned. invaded Iran in 331 BC. Dadrawala cap ­ tures well how the vast palaces and halls of Persepolis appeared over 2,500 years ago, with their enormous ornamental gates, pil­ lars and carvings representing one of the richest, most handsome eras of Zoroas ­ trian history. We are guided through Firuzabad, where the palace of Ardeshir I was built in ap- Fa- author as a gentle yet somewhat humorless teacher, at time.s taking himself all too _ _________________ ,,,, seriously as he guides us through a ritual of proximately the third century AD. The travel rather than a journey illuminated by ........................... varied experiences. That said, there i.s some interesting in­ tertwining of Persian history and legend — _______ __ ________ a device which works well and is also flowing nearby, the sun overhead, almost romantic description is compelling: “In the afternoon, before lunch, some of us did our padyab-kusti and offered more prayers by the river Buraza... The gurgling river informative in the otherwise rather pallid bathing us with its purifying rays, the mountains providing the backdrop and Ardeshir ’s palace standing majestically as a witness... Indeed this is how our ances ­ tors must have looked up, through nature to nature ’s God...” On to Bishapur, where the famed exca ­ vated temple of Anahita lies, discovered during the present century. Again: “Walk­ ing through the... impressive temple was like walking through the passage of his ­ tory... there is so much to see, so much to know...” We come to Yazd. A Zoroastrian strong ­ hold, home to Yazdagird III, the last Sasa ­ nian monarch defeated by the Arab invad­ ers in 652 AD. (This victory by the Arab armies eventually led to the ascendancy of Islam over Zoroastrianism.) Legend has it that the monarch ’s wife, daughters and their attendants were forced to flee in different directions into the wilderness, pursued by the unflagging Muslims. As luck would have it, before each was cap ­ tured, the mountains and rocks ‘opened ’ and swallowed up the hapless women. The spots where each was saved have become Zoroastrian shrines, and symbols of good Accuised, a.s he i.s known in Iran), who triumphing over evil. A large number of and repetitive detail ol encountering holy places. With Parsis joie de vivre and piety are not mutually exclusive. The author gives us Tehran, an “im ­ pressive picture postcard ” with its back ­ ground of snow-capped mountains; and Shiraz, “the poetical capital of the coun ­ try,” 80 km from which is the oldest his ­ torical site of the Achaemenid period, Pasargadae, or “land or home of Persians. ” About to be immersed in Zoroastrian his ­ tory, we arc informed of Cyru.s the Great, founder, over 2,500 ycars ago, of the Achaemenian dynasty. His empire i.s be ­ lieved to have been so vast that “it took two years to travel from one end of his king­ dom to another on horseback. ” The greatest Iranian monument, Perse- ; in ru­ ins), is scrupulously described. Built by Darius the Great whose empire, we are told, stretched from the River Danube to Sind, from the present-day Frontier Province and a part of the Punjab to Central Asia and the north-eastern territorie.s of Africa, this im­ posing monument was later mercilessly de- alivc stroyed by Alexander the Great (or ‘the The author ’s introduction is robust and alive with a sense of adventure. He por­ trays himself as a fun-loving traveller in­ fused with a child-like spirit — his experi ­ ences in Iran make one think of what Enid Blyton’s inous Five may have felt on dis ­ covering a trea ­ sure inside a grotto by a spar ­ kling, moon-lit sea. He is both awed and in­ spired by the journey.s he makes into “a land which cradled the world’s first revealed religion (Zoroastri ­ anism), reared benevolent kings who up­ held and championed human rights before the term was coined and which threw up men of learning who were to influence the ____ , thought-process of thinking men all over polis (which today tragically stands the then-known world.” Then again there are startling descrip ­ tions of the landscape: “There is something magical about the whole country — the majestic mountains, the serene and mysti ­ cal desert... not to mention the enchanting Caspian sea. ” Noshir Dadrawala attempts, often with some success, to bring what his eyes perceive. The writing makes icadin though it fre ­ quently verges on the pedantic. 1 could not help thinking of the Author Dadrawala (above) and Ardashir Papakan ’s palace in Firuzahad (alongside) & easy al- 161 Parsiana July-A ugust 1997 S’-- t' ims pilgrims visit these places annually, even today. The reader is entertained by many such absorbing accounts: myths which are more than merely interesting — they are the basis of, and the route to, so much of Zoroastrian history. Dadrawala charmingly encourages fel ­ low Zoroastrians to visit the holy land of Iran. His preoccupation with food and eating is amusing, while his narrative on Persia ’s greatest emperors, their achieve- ' - ¦ ' ¦ merits and conquests, is a part of the Zoro­ astrian heritage of which we cannot afford to be ignorant. Iran — The Spiritual Motherland of Zoroastrians has been divided into two sections, having originally appeared in the 7 J 1PERCY AND KAIZAD ROADLINES Private Limited Transport Contractors & Fleet Owners Jam-e-Jamshetl in a serialized form (June —July 1995, and December 1995— January 1996), covering two journeys the author made to Iran. Portions of the book which may have appeared to better effect in the weekly paper are unnecessarily repetitious in the book: part of the narra­ tive surrounding Yazdagird III and his family ’s flight from the Arabs is retold as if the reader has not been made ac ­ quainted with the story earlier on! I do wish, therefore, that Dadrawala had spent a little more time on Iranian culture. This would have added a huge dimension to the writing: one which, though not entirely absent, is disappointingly fragile in this work. The book certainly represents Iran, its landscape.s and terrain as being re ­ markably beautiful. The author has tho ­ ughtfully added several interesting pho ­ tographs and in that respect it absolutely makes one want to visit the various places described. In the balance, then, Dadrawala’s heartfelt attempt to draw the reader closer to Iran may not be seen to win the jack ­ pot, but may prove to be a near-winner nonetheless. With best wishes from Contractors to Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co Ltd Godrej-GE Appliances Ltd Krupp Industries (India) Ltd Daily and direct services to: Maharashtra, MP, UP, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh and Punjab Regd Office: 111, Trapinex House 1st Floor, Sholapur Street, Mumbai 400009 Resi: 2185674, 2182885 Office: 3718679, 3727831, 3760913, 3767531 yVith Best Compliments From YEZDAN AIR CARGO & COURIER Air Cargo Booking & Forwarding Agent Head Office: A/2, 283 Shah and Nahar Industrial Estate, Lower Parel, Bombay 400013 Tel Nos: 4954641-2-3 Fax: 4954411 Andheri Office: Swarup Nagar, Pipeline Road, Andheri (East), Bombay 400099 Tel Nos: 8381238-9 Fax: 8381239 Farah & Tanya 162 Parsiana July-August 1997GLOBE THEATRES Pvt Ltd Established April 3, 1915 Pioneers of Show Business in India for the last 82 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 CAPITOL BOMBAY GLOBE CALCUTTA All the above Cinemas have now been equipped with nniootBysTCTKn Sound System 164 Parsiana July-August 1997 Marshall’s ministration Freny — Mari Ardhangini by Dr Ratan Marshall. Published in 1997 by the author, Sarosh Yazad Apartments, Bhavnagri Street, Vanki bordi, Surat, 395003. Pp: 79. Price: Not mentioned. A young lady gynecologist arrived in Surat one fine morning in 1950 and took over as the chief medical officer and superintendent of the Parsi General Hospital. Her first reaction to the city had been negative. Driving through the streets from lhe station, she could not help asking herself. “What am I doing in Sural ’ Such a backward city compared to Bombay. What kind of lu- ture do 1 hope for here ?” Dr Freny Hormusji Billi­ moria was a Bombayite with Maislicill: fond considerable experience at the nieniories city ’s hospitals: the K.E.M., the Wadia, the Cama and Albless. She was a doctor of medicine (MD), Irom the Univer ­ sity of Bombay, and assistant to the well Hormazdyar S. Dalal sonified, she invariably considered the fi­ nancial status of her patients and even gave them monetary help for medicine, milk, etc for which she received their blessings. Freny Billimoria might not have taken to Surat immediately, but it was here that she found a suitable life partner, Dr Ratan Marshall. April 26, 1957 was a very auspi ­ cious day in the life ol Ratan Marshall, 40, and Freny Billimoria, 35. Unexpected cir ­ cumstances had brought them together, and the marriage proved to be a very happy one. In this sensitive word picture of his wife, Marshall has re ­ called an incident worth repeat­ ing here. On her wedding day an urgentmaternity case demanded her attention and Dr Billimoria arrived from the hospital just in time for the ashirvad ceremony. Her patient.s came first with her. She always spared the time to serve her community in a number of ways. She helped out with complicated socio- domcstic problems which saved the lives of some misguided young girls. She came to be known and loved not only as the superinten ­ dent of the Hospital, but as ‘Freny Aunty’ and ‘Frenymai. ’ She helped everyone who sought her advice and her wise counsel brought sunshine into their otherwise dark established gynecologist Dr K. M. Masani. The Parsi General Hospital ot Surat had been functioning well under the able guid­ ance of Dr Nusservanji Hormusji Dastur since its inception. But alter three decades of dedicated service, Dr Dastur decided to retire. Times had changed and it was now necessary to have an experienced lady doc- tui III viiai . tor in charge of the Hospital. Dr (Ms) Freny days. The Panchayat institutions looked af- Billimoria seemed to be the right choice. Apart from her initial personal reserva ­ tions, Dr Billinioria had to face stiff opposi ­ tion to her appointment from a small section of the community. But with her positive approach to her job, she took this in her ter by her also nourished. But, sadly, the medical career of such a ministering angel ended unexpectedly. The author has preferred to remain silent about his wife ’s illness. It will not be fair, there ­ fore, to attempt to go deeper into it here. Dr stride. She was competent to handle the job Freny Marshall spent the last part of her and committed to it. She was humane, too, and dealt with her patients sympathetically and without discrimination. It was not long before the residents of Surat recognized her worth. Her compas ­ sionate approach to the needy made her popular not only with her Parsi patients, but also with women of other communities. Her generosity made her take on additional re ­ sponsibilities, and she willingly gave her life convalescing in Ahmedabad with her son Rustom, daughter-in-law and grand­ children. But Surat missed her a great deal. “When will our Frenymai return home? ” was the question always who missed her human touch. After a prolonged illness, she passed away in Ahmedabad on March 23, 1996. Surely her memory will live for years to come in the minds of scores ol young and old honorary services to other institutions under people, the Surat Parsi Panchayat —like the Nariman Home and Infirmary. Other non-Parsi hos ­ pitals also considered it essential to avail of her services, which she gave freely. For Dr Billimoria work always took pre ­ cedence over monetary gains. Kindness per ­ on the lips of all As the author has rightly said of his book, “It i.s not a biography of Freny. ” It can be described a.s a picture of Freny done in pastel by a sensitive husband who had the good fortune of spending nearly four decades with her.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 newtwo-storeyed dormitory with attached bathrooms, study and lounge rooms has just been completed to house 180 boys. All Academic Subjects -- Technical Subjects: Work ­ 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 and even freeship to Deserving Students. Children of priests-freeship. Navar Martab facility. Also arrangement to send such boys at Trust expense to their vari ­ ous destinations, so that they are in touch with performing religious rituals. Also further studies after SSC can be ar ­ ranged if desired. Apply to THE MANAGING TRUSTEE P. N. MEHTA EDUCATION TRUST Cooks Building, 3rd Floor 324, Dr D. N. Road Bombay 400001 Pochkhanawala gets prolific Homi J. Rogers MehtaandSitara{Pp-. 131. Price: Rs 90); Sounds (yes, Pochkhanawala does provide a family of Thoughts (Pp: 66. Price: Rs 80); Six Short tree to help the confused reader) who, through Stories (Pp: 59. Price: Rs 80); The Indian Food Processing Industry (Pp: x + 77. Price: Rs 80); Reflections on Globalisation and to Becoming a Developed Country{Pp'. 81. Price: Rs 80). Authored by Noshir Sorabji Pochkhanawala and published in 1996 by Enespee Publications, Aban House, Ropewalk Lane, Kala Ghoda, Bombay 400023. a process of intercommunal marriages are both Parsis (can they be so called?). Both the stories in this 131-page book provide ample food for thought, and though ponderous in style, contain some fine nuggets of wisdom. Slimmer in size, though equally thought ­ provoking is Pochkhanawala ’s anthology. Sounds of Thoughts which questions through its tales a couple of taken-for-granted ‘1 ‘au­ to futuography ’ and the short story Good Heavens prods the reader to think about reincarna ­ tion, debate on whether there is a 7* r ?•' power called des- tiny, and enquire if the mind is of any use ‘Autofutuogra- phy, ’ inciden- Pochkhanawala: tally, is a word questions values coined by Poch ­ khanawala for a tale told by a person envis ­ aging his future. “This is the first auto- futuography to be written, ” exclaims Noshir Sorabji Pochkhanawala, an indus ­ trial consultant who wrote and published concepts. The book, through an Zuzu and Others (“Lessons from grandpa,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, Janu­ ary 1997) has now added five more arrows to his quiver, all shot by him from his eponymously-named publishing company, Enespee Publications, within the space of barely three months. The titles include two works of non-fiction, two stories dealing with interracial and intercommunal mar ­ riages, an anthology of six short stories, a compilation of two fantasies, over a dozen poems and a sprinkling of 72 ‘original’ quotations (though a few are borrowed). The books are acrystallization of thoughts and experiences of Pochkhanawala, now 78, during his long and active life, and include some of his earlier outpourings. For ex- _ . , ample, the poems in Sounds of Thoughts Pochkhanawala in his introduction, revel- have been written by him over the years, and include one penned when he was only 18. However, though it would have helped, Pochkhanawala has not dated his literary and alternate within a narrow choice of works in this set of books published by him in late 1996. Of the three works of fiction, Mehta or They Dare lo i___ , ,,---------- shorter novella, Sitara, may be of greater another ’s woe. Yet, like in the stories, interest to Parsi readers than the other two Pochkhanawala springs an occasional sur- titles. The story covers three generations prise with couplets that stay with the reader of an Indian family sent abroad for studies long after he has completed the book, and relates, through a chain of letters flit­ ting back and forth in time to the confusion of the alert (and not-so-alert) reader, the heartbreaks caused by the marriages or unrequited romances of the protagonists. Sitara (Destiny of Stars) follows in the same strand, with an added generation. It tells of the desire for union of two Parsi families in the first generation which does not materialize. The tale then traverses through communal unions between their descendants involving Christian, Hindu and Muslim partners, culminating — pre ­ dictably — in the union of the third genera ­ tion descendants of the original couple ling in a new style of narration. The 19 poems appended at the end of the two stories are rather uneven in quality. theme: love and death. One can sense that the poems are born of personal experience, ______ _____________ and as Pochkhanawala himself writes. Love, published with the “How can they ever know/The sadness of The third title. Six Short Stories is dis ­ appointing. There is an art to writing a short story, and Pochkhanawala clearly has to learn it. The tales, mostly concerned with interpretations of the law, are straight narrations in a style that scarcely merits a mention. Pochkhanawala ’s two non-fiction works find him on stronger ground, though the books are of limited appeal. The two titles are mainly a compilation of Pochkha ­ nawala’s writings over the past 40 years, and conclude that India has not achieved much either in the food processing industry or in its endeavor to become a developed 166 Parsiana July-August 1997Chindhy INDUSTRIALS. DECORATIVE PAINTERS 4, East Street, Camp Pune 41 1 OO1 Phone: BB2S'74 Res: B3BO2T’ Fax; BBCO1 2 VARIAVAS Wholesale dealers of Godrej storwels, filing cabinets, coffers, cash-boxes Retailers of: Refrigerators, typewriters and office furniture Prop: Mr M A Variava 269 Nariman House, Dr Cawasji Hormusji Street, Marine Lines, Mumbai 400002 (0) 2091974 (R) 2019119 168 Parsiana July-August 1997 country. Pochkhanawala should know; he was the co-founder with (the late) Dinshaw C. Dastur of the erstwhile D & P Products Limited, the pioneering food-processing company in the country, which manufac ­ tured a line of products (including Parsi murambo) under the brand of ‘Dipy’s Foods. ’ The Indian Food Processing In­ dustry is a reproduction of articles in pa­ pers, journals and lectures delivered by Pochkhanawala from 1956 onwards, and The books are a crystallization of Pochkhanawala ’s thoughts and experiences invite the interested reader to judge from the facts put forth by him at the time of writing whether there has been any signifi ­ cant change in the industry. Reflections on Globalisation and to Becoming a De­ veloped Country is in a similar mold a compilation of articles authored by Pochkhanawala down the years on scien ­ tific management, leadership, exports, in­ tegrated marketing, suggestions on some Union Budgets, and ways of becoming a developed country through privatization, globalization, curbing black money, etc. Both these titles provide an interesting glimpse of the economic history of the country, irrespective of whether one agrees with Pochkhanawala ’s interpretations or not. Though all the five books are neatly produced, they suffer from extremely poor proof-reading. Examples abound, and a few lead to unconscious humor as well. A quotation by Pochkhanawala says: “Every one needs a confident. At least one. ” Surely, the author meant confidant. Again, in another title, a tale ends with the expression “hopping for.” It leaves the reader hoping for greater attention. The books could have also done with the serv ­ ices of an editor, whose blue pencil would, have made the texts crisper and more read ­ able. But though Pochkhanawala wields a pedantic and prosaic pen, breaking no fresh ground in style and syntax, his work deserves to be read for his sincerity in questioning societal values. For old garas, borders and exclusive zardozi (Parsi style) zari borders Contact: Rayomand F. Workingboxwalla 6, R C. Shroff Building Gamadia Colony (Ground Floor) Tardeo, Mumbai 400007 Telephone: 4966679 Sawn Timber * * ? ? * Doors & Windows Kiln Seasoning Chemical Preservative Treatment Packing Cases & Pallets Furniture Components B. F. Wadia & Sons 142, Reay Road Bombay 400010 Tel: 3721934, 3720235 Fax: 3739373 Tlx: 11-74571 BFW INMILESTONES This issue oiParsiana presents data for the months of July and August 1997. Also included here are inter ­ community marriages registered both at the Old Customs House and at the MHADA office in Bandra (East) for the nine-month period of August 1996 to April 1997. Civil marriages between Zoroastrians have also been listed. However, names that could not be confirmed as Zoroastrian have been omitted from the list. There were 44 intercommunity marriages plus eight civil marriages between Zoroastrians registered at the Old Customs House and 28 and one, respectively, at the MHADA office. A scanning of the Chandanwadi crematorium registers revealed the names of 12 Zoroastrians cremated between July 1996 to August 1997. The age of Zoroastrian brides — as listed in this issue —ranged between 19 and 39 years, the arith ­ metic mean (the total number of individual ages divided by the total number of brides) being 29 years. The corresponding figures for the grooms were 29 and 42 years, ave ­ raging at 33 years. Compared to 30 babies bom in Bombay in July and August, there BANGALORE DIED Noshir Navroji Dastur (85) on June 12, 1997 BOMBAY BORN A girl to Naznin and Mehernosh Daruwalla', April 6 A boy to Firozi and Gev Italia', July 1 A girl, Binaifer, to Zarin and Yazdi Chinoy, sister to Meher; July 2 A boy to Senaz and Beree Damkewala', July 6 A boy to Farida and Mehernosh Billimoria', July 7 A girl, Vahishta, to Shiraz and Vispy Kapadia, sister to Fareena and Sanaya; July 7 A girl to Mahzarin and Rohinton Wadia', July 21 A boy to Hufrish and Behram Nagporwala', July 26 A girl, Aleeza, to Kerban and Mahernosh Humranwala', July 28 A girl to Dinaz and Merzy Patel', were 171 deaths. Heart disease remains the major killer, claiming 57 lives of whom 35 were 80 years and above. Twenty-one Zoroas ­ trians succumbed to pneumonia and lung related diseases, while 18 fell prey to the killer disease, cancer. Hypertension and brain disease took a toll of eight lives each, old age and general debility, seven and liver disease, six. The other killers were septicemia and anemia (five each), asthma (four), bronchitis, head injury, kidney failure, diabetes and hepatic encephalopathy (three each) and haematemesis (vomiting of blood) and Parkinson ’s disease (two each). The 12 isolated cases registered for the two-month period were; respiratory infection, tuber ­ culosis, dementia (being out of one ’s mind), asphyxia (suffocation) due to drowning, hypertrophy (increase in the size of tissues), hyperpyrexia (where the body temperature is above 105° F), ulcer, hydrocepha ­ lus (an excess of cerebrospinal fluid Inside the skull), dehydration, gastro-intestinal bleeding, hemi ­ plegia (paralysis of one side of the body) and arteriosclerosis (degene ­ rative arterial change associated with advancing age). In the case of one death the coroner ’s report was still pending. The age range '(.V July 28 A girl to Mahtab and Darayr Chhapkhanawala', August 1 A girl to Prochie and Adil Dorabjee', August 6 A boy, Merzaan, to Shiraaz and Yasdaan Fulwadiwala', August 6 A girl to Binaifar and Hoshaiig Nazir', August 6 A girl to Naheed and Rushed Divecha', August 8 A girl to Aban and Mehernosh Dhamodiwala', August 11 A boy to Persis and Surendra Sharma', August 14 A girl, Freea, to Ferozi and Kersi Bhikhaji', August 15 A girl to Simen and Cyrus Oshidar, August 15 A girl to Firuzi and Nawzar Satarawala', August 15 A girl to Perizad and Phiroze Dalal', August 16 A girl to Goolshan and Kersi Makhania', August 16 A boy to Kerman and Sandeep Sen', August 18 A boy to Zinobia and Maneck Mody, August 21 fluctuated between 36 and 99 years. The Zoroastrian life ex­ pectancy at birth, in Bombay for the two-month period, 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. This information is not always com ­ plete or consistent; we are unable to carry data from areas where the anjumans do not furnish the par ­ ticulars; the birth figures for Bom ­ bay are supplied by four hospitals — births in suburban 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 inadvertent repetition of names in the marriage list when a civil marriage precedes a religious cere ­ mony. In the breakup of deaths according to illnesses, especially Shirin Hormusji Wadia and of the elderly, death is often due " to a combination of several dis ­ eases. If readers have any births/mar- riages/deaths they would like published, 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 Binaifer and Sluirukh Mandroina', August 23 A boy to Pervin and Keki Surti', August 24 A girl to Meher and Mehernosh Contractor, August 25 A boy to Zarin and Burzin Irani', August 25 A boy to Hufrish and Karl Dadrevala', August 27 A boy to Farida and Bomi Gandhi', August 28 A boy to Maneck and Hemanshu Thakkar, August 29 MARRIED Arnavaz Burjorji Tantra and Noshir Framroz Charna', August 2, 1996 Vinita Inderjit Anand and Jal Farrokh Bhagwagar, August 5 Benni D’Souza and Vispy Homi Bamboat', August 17 Binaifer Wadia and Shridhar Sethuram', September 15 Tanaz Minoo Master and Salim Shahbuddin Bhimani', September 24 Piroja S. Keshwala and Bhaskar Chatterjee; October 3 Monica Kothawala and Cyrus Chinoy, October 18 Swati Patankar and Sorab Nariman Dalal', October 18 Diana Burjor Minbatiwala and Neville Nani Desai', October 22 Nila Dave and Zarir Langrana', October 22 Bindu Ram Sippy and Sharookh Rohinton Irani', October 25 Rukshana Dinshaw Bacha and Anil Rambhai Patel', November 4 Arwa Zain Karachiwala and Cyrus Keki Jasavala', November 16 Dhun T. Khareghat and Aditya Nath Wanchoo', November 18 Shirin R. Sasani and Manish M. Chaturvedi; November 21 Kavita Tarun Guha and Kaikhushroo Firoze Colaabavala', November 21 Sanjay Ramkrishna Inamdat", November 21 Jenobia Adi Doctor and Vivek Haridev Bhargava', November 22 Anita Pinto and Neville Kaikhusroo Mistry', November 22 Kashmira Naval Patel and Hatim Hamza Mithibarwala', November 22 Gulnar Adil Bodhanwala and Satish Parshuram Desai', November 23 Rubina Rehman and Farrokh Dadi Mistry', November 25 Preeti R. Menon and Homiyar F. Mistry, November 25 Tushna Masani and Naresh Srinivasan', November 25 Anahita Marazban Shapoorjee and Rajesh Arvind Varma', November 25 Evan Albert Menezes and Dinyar Savak Mistry, November 28 Sheetal Gangadhar Phaterpekar and Viraf Rustom Daruwalla', November 30 Dilshad M. Vachha and Rukhshad Tehmton Shroff, December 1 Deepa Pratap Parekh and Rohintan Jehangir Variava', December 4 Preeti Bhatia and Jal S. Irani', December 6 Neelambika D. Kulkarni and Kerman K. Kasad', December 6 Zeba Aftab Merchant and Farhad Daresh Nanavaty, December 14 170 Parsiana July-August 1997Diana Bomi Mehta and Raj Ramdeo Tyagi; December 20 Priya Malhotra and Urvaksh Xerxes A.ga', December 21 Dina Nanalal Dalwadi and Dinyar D. Patel', December 24 Arnawaz Batiwala and Vinod Iddya', December 31 Amy Dushyant Shah and Farzad Sorabji Billimoria', January 2, 1997 Bakhtavar Khushru Chhayela and Husheder Phiroze Daruwalla', January 2 Neela Suresh Potkar and Firoze Minoo Engineer, January 2 Tannaz Faredoon Zandbuf and Murtaza Kasim Merchant', January 3 Simone Tony Martin and Rohinton Zarir Musa', January 3 Fiona Anslem D’Silva and Pervez Tehmuras Andhyarujina', January 4 Villo Adi Karanjia and Dilawar Hasan Dalwani', January 4 Jeroo Shapur Dalal and Pierre Ervell Menezes', January 5 Shaheen M. Mistri and Santosh R. Kumar, January 11 Siminda Madhukar Keni and Firdosh Soli Bhesania', January 13 Mani Ardeshir Vesuna and Farrokh Keki Siganporia', January 16 Shireen Hoshang Desai and Saikat Chakravarty, January 17 Tanya Adi Godrej and Arvind Darab Dubash', January 19 Villoo Dara Buchia and Amar Sinhji', January 23 Angelina Yvonne Correia and Ardeshir Framroze Billimoria', January 24 Pearl Mehernosh Hodiwala and Anand Shrilaxman Mehta', January 25 Fahmida Saifulla and Harshan Faramroze Wadia', January 29 Rashna Cawas Marfatia and Tushar Prakash Mangaloreleclr, February 1 Kristyl Pais and Adil Bhesania', February 1 Shiraz Minoo Chemi and Glen Trevor D’Mello', February 4 Sheena Homi Dastur and Pavan Buragohain', February 6 Niloufer Dinyar Mehta and Rahul Subhash Joshi', February 6 Priscilla Rosario Barco and Homyar Farrokh Contractor, February 11 Sherene Viccajee and Ashwin Pavan', February 11 Preeti Kumar and Hoshang Mehta', February 13 Kainaz Hosi Bharucha and Rajat A. Cowasjee', February 14 Sharmistha Ashok Banarjee and Bakhtiar Behram Irani', February 14 Kamal Vijay Aggarwal and Ashish Adi Ragdiwala', February 14 Tulika J. Chanana and Vistaspa D. Patel', February 20 Kashmira Baji Khambata and Joji Mathew, February 25 Tanaz Eruch Marshall and Ashok V. Vemuri', February 28 Yasmin I. Chichkar and Narayan G. S.', March 14 Kaiiummy Rohinton Khadiwala and Francis Kersi Mistry, March 17 Karion Jinhof and Neveille Bhamgara', March 21 Monica Chandrahas Bhagat and Karl Jehangir Patel', March 27 Nooshin Azadi and Ros tarn Sabeti', March 27 Anuradha A. Paranjpe and Dinshaw Todywala', March 31 Nelly Dara Daver and Rafiq Yusuf Mohamad', April 3 Kashmira Batiwala and Robert Lobo', April 7 Nisha Ravindran and Yezdi S. Vesuna', April 10 Charmaine Saldhana and Rohinton S. Pochkhanavala', April 18 Chetna Navinchandra Parekh and Mehli Pheroze Mehta', April 19 Farida Bashir Mulani and Ruzbe Rusi Mistry, April 21 Dina Hajarilal Cachera and Cyrus Gustad Irani', April 25 Delnaz Sam Toddywalla and Abdul Aziz Shaikh', April 30 Pearl Jimmy Adajania and Darayas Dhanjishaw Mistry of Deolali; June 1 Varnan Kersi Palkhiwalla and Nauzer Jehangir Balsara', August 22 Seema Shahbehram Amooyan and Firdaus Jamshed Namirani of Australia; August 26 DIED Sorab (Bobby) Kaikhushroo Kooka (83), residing at Southlands, 177, Colaba Rd, 400005; July 3, 1996 (cremated) Minocher Pestanji (86), Char Bldg, Grant Rd, 400007; August 2 (cremated) Roda Keki Cooper (80), 16, With Best Compliments From DINSHAW SHAPOORJI & COMPANY 414/3, Kasarwadi, Bombay-Poona Road Pimpri, Pune 411034 Pimpri Phones 794373,794055 Fax (212)794656 Telex 0146 204 DIN IN Poona Phone 662052 Poona Grams “Truck ” Branch Office; 92C Mohamedali Road Mumbai 400003 Phone 3432497, 3423977, 3435392 Telex 011 76597 DS A IN Bombay Grams “Motor Truck ” TRANSPORT CONTRACTORS LUXURY COACH & STAFF BUS OPERATORS I 172 Parsiana July-August 1997Sagar Darshan, B. Desai Rd, 400026; September 11 (cremated) Pilla Noshir Masani (55), 23, Gulmanor, 8, Strand Rd, Colaba, 400005; December 22 (cremated) Noshir Dorab Forbes (JS), 201, Shivala Khatau Rd, Off Cuffe Parade, 400005; February 15, 1997 (cremated) Piloo Bahmansha Poonegar (80), High Peak Apts, S. V. Rd, Bandra (W), 400050; March 14 (cremated) Dolat Tehmuras Elavia (82), 51, Panday Sanatorium, Wodehouse Rd, Colaba, 400005; March 22 (cremated) Pheroza Nusserwanji Seervai (88), 3, Cozy Bldg, Gowalia Tank Rd, 400036; March 28 (cremated) Adi Phiroze PestonJamas (41), 112, El Cid, Malabar Hill, 400006; June 1 (cremated) Jainshyd Savaksha Khergumvala (79), 103, Atur Ter, Cuffe Parade, 400005; June 27 (cremated) Amy Sheryar Ookerjee (76), 121, Pushpak Apts, 31, Altamount Rd, 400026; June 27 (cremated) Sorabji Jamasji Gandevia (92), 695, Dr Dinshaw Master Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; July 1 Viloo Hoini Dastur (84), 10, Nagin Mhl, Veer Nariman Rd, 400020; July 2 Piroja Ardeshir Ghadiali (86), E/20, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, Byculla, 400027; July 2 Khorshed Ralanshaw Mody (87), Petit Bldg no 2, Balaram St, Grant Rd, 400007; July 2 Gool Jainshedji Tata (65), 3/3, A. H. Wadia Baug, Parel Tank Rd, 400033; July 2 Gool Rustom Aga (87), 81, Dev Chaaya, Haji Ali, 400034; July 3 Piloo Rustom Antia (73), Sethna Bhabha Bldg, Banaji Atash Behram Compd, Charni Rd, 400004; July 3 Ratty Jehangir Jalnawalla (88), 583, Vipin Villa, Jame Jamshed Rd, Matunga, 400019; July 3 Jhangir Jamshedji Engineer (96), Jyoti Mhl, Naushir Bharucha Marg, 400007; July 4 Rustom Hormuz Irani (62), Ambawadi Bglw, Matarpakadi Cross Lane, Mazgaon, 400010; July 4 Pilloo Cawas Lord (84), All Saints Home (Hostel), Dockyard Rd, Mazgaon, 400010; July 4 Shera Phiroze Rana (91), D-1, Palm Springs, 104, Cuffe Parade, 400005; July 4 Sheru Phiroz Vakharia (J?)), Sheru Hse, Gunbow St, 400001; July 4 Deena Ahmadullah (89), 12, Pankaj Mhl, Churchgate Reel, 400020; July 5 (cremated) Behram Darasha Goregamwalla (67), Minerva Mans, Near Super Cinema, Grant Rd, 400007; July 5 Hormusji Jehangirji Randelia (87), Toddywalla Chawl, Lower Parel, 400013; July 5 Jemi Dinshaw Adenwalla (82), Padamji Bldg, Stn Rd, Mahim, 400016; July 6 Kamalrukh Kaikhusru Batliboi (55), Pleasant Park, 48, Ridge Rd, Malabar Hill, 400006; July 6 Dhunmai Hormusji Jijina (84), 4, 162, Mody St, Fort, 400001; July 6 Banoo Jamshed Khasimai (79), D/9, Jer Baug, Dr Ambedkar Rd, Byculla, 400027; July 6 Dhun Nadirsha Wadia (74), H/21, Sector 6. R.H. 4, Vashi, New Bombay, 400703; July 6 Jehanbux Darasha Coyaji (90), 67/G, Gilder Hse, B. Desai Rd, 400026; July 7 Nariman Jehangir Katgara (70), Katgara Hse, 15, L. Jagmohan- das Marg, 400006; July 7 Rati Minoo Katrak (89), Cozy Bldg, 72/B, A. Kranti Marg, 400036; July 7 Naval Ardeshir Khandhadia (78), Room no 21, Momin Manzil, Agripada Chawl St, 400011; July 7 Aloo Dhunjisha Bharucha (82), B/12-A, Shapur Baug, V. P. Rd, 400004; July 8 Noshir Sorabji Colabewala (80), Room no 1, Panday Sanatorium, Colaba, 400005; July 8 Tehmina Jehangir Kermani (80), H/21, Nowroz Baug, Lalbaug, 400012; July 8 Jer Viraf Maloo (55), D-1/35, S. B. Bharucha Baug, S. V. Rd, Andheri (W), 400058; July 8 Maneckshaw Jehangirji Rustomkhan (76), 784, Readymoney Bldg, M. Joshi Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; July 8 Katy Burjor Unwalla (68), A-2, Konark II, Viman Ngr, Pune, I Burjor Framji & Company Licensed Plumbers Sanitary & Drainage Contractors Marine Mansion, 1st Marine Street, Bombay 400002 Tel: 2083207 174 Parsiana Ju/y-August 1997411014; July 8 Jamshed Sheriar Kermani (Irani) (79), Dina Bldg, Balaram St, Grant Rd, 400007; July 9 Sapal Framroz Printer (91), Maudstan, 194, D’Monte Park Rd, Bandra, 400050; July 9 Aspandiar Boman Irani (75), 11, Anil Bhavan, Parel T.T., 400012; July 10 Virbai (Vabiz) Kaikhushroo Irani (Kalamtari) (92), Ibrahim Mans, Jamshedji Petit St, 400007; July 10 Khorshed Pestonji Javat (70), 1, Battery Hse, B. Desai Rd, 400026; July 10 Piroja Minocher Karkaria (82), 764-D, Meherbai Wadia Bldg, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 4(X)014; July 10 Adi Ratanji Bavan (85), Dadiseth Atash Behram Compd, Dadiseth Agiary Lane, 400002; July 11 Bahadur Jehangir Bilimoria (65), Room no 13, Batata Chawl, Pathe Bapurao Marg, 400008; July 11 Khushroo Rustam Joshi (65), 762, Ahura, M. Joshi Rd, Parsi Clny, 400014; July 11 Pali Ardeshir Burjorji (65), 8/8, Jorawar Bhawan, 93, Queens Rd, 400020; July 12 Nargesh Jamshed Ghandhi (88), 43, Sneh Sadan, Opp Colaba P.O., 400005; July 12 Marzban Hirjibhoy Gorimar (77), Marine Mans, 1st Marine St, Marine Lines, 400002; July 12 Jal Ardeshir Patel (82), 44/A, Batliwalla Villa, Sleater Rd, 400007; July 12 Feroz Kaikhushroo Sethna (90), 2B/37, Tata Mills Co-op Hsg Soc, Elphinstone Rd, Parel, 400012; July 12 Dhun Minoo Talati (86), 11/9, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, Byculla, 400027; July 12 Tehmi Rustamji Wadia (68), Room no 11/A, 816, Mistry Bldg (Widows ’ Chawl), Jame Jamshed Rd, Parsi Clny Dadar, 400014; July 13 Limji Cooverji Bilimoria (94), 725, Khurshed Mhl, Dr D. Master Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; July 14 Sehroo Phiroze Billimoria (79), Sorab Manor, 6, Walton Rd, Apollo Reel, 400039; July 14 Pirojbai Rustumji Mulla (95), Nariman Bldg, M. Karve Rd, 400020; July 14 Katy Nari Tantra (70), 302, Jane ’s Lodge, 39, Caesar Rd, Amboli, Andheri (W), 400058; July I4 Shahpoor Aspandiar Irani (63), 61/B, Heera Panna, Haji Ali, 400026; July 15 Mehera Sorabji Pavri (88), Heera Meher, 12/A, Wodehouse Rd, Colaba, 400005; July 15 Tehmina Bhikhaji Billimoria (86), B, Satyabhama Nivas, Kashinath St, Tardeo, 400034; July 16 Zaver Dinshaw Oomrigar (86), Bharucha Bldg, 228, Nanubhai Desai Rd, Khetwadi 12th Lane, 400004; July 16 Khorshed Minocher Sethna (81), 3/22, A. H. Wadia Baug, Parel Tank Rd, 400033; July 16 Rutty Jal Daji (80), 601, Chandan Co-op Hsg Soc Ltd, Dadabhai Cross Rd no 3, Vile Parle (W), 400056; July 17 Shera Rustom Vasavevala (87), Gustad Mans, 224, J. Dadajee Rd, 400007; July 17 Dadi Pallonji Ichhaporia (16), 14, Khareghat Clny, Hughes Rd, 400007; July 18 Feroze Rustomji Khambatta (72), F. S. Parukh Dharamshalla, Hughes Rd, 400007;July 19 Manijeh Eruchsha Bharucha (91), l-A/30, Tata Mills Co-op Hsg Soc, Elphinstone Rd, Parel, 400012; July 20 Khorshed Minoo Bulsara (69), 607/B, Sohrab Hse, Khareghat Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; July 20 Burjor Bomanji Ichaporia (87), Shroff Hse, 42, Sleater Rd, 400007; July 20 Dhun Keki Jabbar (76), 33, Noor Mhl, Sir Ratan Tata Rd, Tardeo, 400034; July 20 Meheroo Rustomji Mobedjina (87), F. S. Parukh Dharamshalla, Hughes Rd, 400007; July 22 Pessy Burjorji Asha (81), Room no 11, Jassawalla Wadi, Opp Firoz Khan ’s Bglw, Juhu, 400049; July 23 Homi Sorabji Bharucha (83), Room no 2, Pandit Mans, Balaram St, Grant Rd, 400(X)7; July 23 Jerbai Ratanshaw Dubash (91), 4/3, Sir Ratan Tata Bldg, S. V. Rd, Bandra, 4(XX)50; July 23 Jimmy Cawasji Patel (59), G/8, Nowroz Baug, Lalbaug, 400012; July 23 Sarah Navroji Cooper (94), 16, Banaji St, Fort, 400001; July 24 Jamshed Sorabji Dick ('ll), 618, Jami Lodge, Jame Jamshed Rd, The Good Earth. It won't get any better tomorrow, unless we act today... The ills ol industrialisation are making their presence felt. Result ? A mass exodus from the villages to the cities in search of a belter living. To accommodate the teeming population, evergreen forests are giving way to ugly concrete structures. The time is ripe to give back to Mother Earth what we have taken from her. Which has been an ongoing practice with us at Tatas for decades. By planting more trees. Turning wastelands into greenbelts. Conserving the soil. Installing cleansing devices. And even going to the extent of planting woods in city centres. Because we believe that what comes from Nature must go back to Nature many „ times over. 7 176 Parsiana My-August 1997 oParsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; July 24 Freiiy Dara Paiithaki (60), 595, J.S.S. Rd, 400002; July 24 Khurshed Dinshawji Bahadurji (72), 32-B, Sterling Apts, 38, Redder Rd, 400026; July 25 Phiroze Rustomji Billiinoria (85), Sorab Manor, 6, Walton Rd, Apollo Reel, 400039; July 25 Sawak Jehangir Hataria (69), C/o Rati S. Batliboi, Hardinge Hse, Gowalia Tank, 400036; July 25 Adi Frainroze Mistry (50), Virar (W), Dist Thana, 401303; July 25 Dhunjishaw Dossabhai Patel (88), 8/4, Shroff Bldg, Gamadia Clny, Tardeo, 400007; July 25 Gulbanu Jehangir Sukhia (97), Rambha, 66, Nepean Sea Rd, 400006; July 25 Dossan Ardeshir Wadia (73), A/603, Nirman Palace, Pump Hse, Andheri (E), 400093; July 25 Nergesh Khurshed Dady (80), Monte Rosa, 141, E. Dadyseth Hill, A. K. Marg, 400036; July 26 Nariman Sorabji Dalal (61), 3, Jamasp Tata Block, 38th Rd, Bandra (W), 400050; July 26 Erach Framroz. Fonzdar (69), 7, Albless Bldg, Banaji Atash Behram Compd, 400002; July 26 Alaiiiai Keki Gotla (75), C/o 650, Karani Bldg, Firdausi Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; July 26 A loo Dorabji Poonjiaji (72), Master Chmbs, Cinema Rd, 400020; July 26 Coomi Kaikhnshroo Hodiwalla (82), F. S. Parukh Dharamshalla, 34, Hughes Rd, 400007; July 27 Motibai Aspandiar Irani (75), D-2/52, S. B. Bharucha Baug, S. V. Rd, Andheri (W), 400058; July 27 Hoini Jehangirji Darnwalla (48), Room no 11, 347-U, United Chmbs, Charni Rd Jn, Grant Rd, 400007; July 28 Daulat Pirojshaw Irani (75), 205, Petit Widows ’ Chawl, Thakurdwar, 400004; July 29 Tehniina Nadirshaw Panthaki (11), 5n, Old Khareghat Clny, Hughes Rd, 400007; July 29 Jerbui Minocher Zaveri (83), 22, Wadia St, Tardeo, 400034; July 30 Noshir Jalejar Darnwalla (66), Room no 15, Hormuz Baug Bldg, Kashinath Rd, Tardeo, 400034; July 31 Minor) Buijoiji Mukadam (84), 695, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; July 31 Rustoinji Cawas Antia (88), 4/A, Attar Apts, Manvel Pada Rd, Virar (E), 401303; August 1 Band Pali Biliinoria (80), J-10, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; August 1 Dhan/ishaw Honnusji Chothia {12), 586, Pocbec Hse, Chira Bazar, Kalbadcvi, 400002; August 3 Jer Jamshed Descd (95), 33, Marzban Rd, 400001; August 3 Goolhai Bcdnamji Irani (90), 59-C, Bazar Rd, Bandra (W), 400050; August 3 Nuju Rustoinji Mehta (JI), 51, Manish Ngr, Andheri (W), 400058; August 3 Khorshed Rniton Bharucha (15), A/19, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, Byculla, 400027; August 4 Pervez Navroji Bhathena (46), X-106/5, Godrej Clny, Vikhroli (E), 400079; August 4 Gooloo Bapuji Biliinoria (88), Rati Villa, Motibai St, Tardeo, 400007; August 4 Shirinhai Manekshaw Kharas (90), C/o Yazdi N. Kharas, A-2, Parag Co-op Hsg Soc, Rajaram 1 Tawade Marg, Dahisar (W), 400068; August 4 Banoo Behramji Makihatana (83), 5-11, A. H, Wadia Baug, Parel Tank Rd, 400033; August 4 Khorshed Minocher Damania (75), 22-C, Sea Breeze Apts, Bullock Rd, Bandra, 400050; August 5 Jainshed Dorahji Engineer (92), 12, Moonlight, 158, M. Karve Rd, 400020; August 5 Kekobad Sorabji Magra (75), 11/31, Sion Mans, Sion (W), 400022; August 5 Alamai Munchershaw Gama (92), 1/9, Patel Bldg, Gamadia Clny, Tardeo, 400007; August 6 Rohinton Ardeshir Caina (71), Hemdev Hse, 50, N. S, Patkar Marg, 400007; August 8 Ardeshir Kaikobad Dastoor (72), Dastoor St, Iranshah Rd, Udvada, Dist Valsad, Gujarat, 396180; August 8 Peshotan Mnnehersha Olpadwalia (60), 4, Menuna Villa, Matarpakhady Lane, Mazgaon, 400010; August 8 Shirin Sorabji Daroowala (81), 103, Zarina Co-op Service Soc Ltd, S. V. Rd, Bandra, 400050; August 9 4 With best compliments from TIME WATCH MAKERS MARCKS AND CO Empress Mahal, Block-A Khodadad Circle Dadar TT Bombay 400014 97/103 Shetty House Opp Bombay University M. G. Road Bombay 400023 Tel: 4143898/4141610 Tel: 2670999/2676412 178 Parsiana July-August 1997Meherji Hormusji Pagdiwalla (93), G-1, S. B. Bharucha Baug, S. V. Rd, Andheri (W), 400058; August 9 Gool Savak Oonvala (80), 12, Soonaiji Mans, Gowalia Tank, 400036; August 10 Kersi Keki Bhathena (45), D-1/53, S. B. Bharucha Baug, S. V. Rd, Andheri (W), 400058; August 11 Nergish Homi Billimoria (81), 635, Munsif Bldg, M. Joshi Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; August 11 Faredoon Darabshah Mehta (78), 38, Dubash Hse, Walchand Hirachand Marg, Fort, 400001; August 11 Rutton Kaikobad Kotwal (81), 522-C, Edenwala Rd, Matunga, 400019; August 12 Sheroo Sorabji Daruwala (76), 22/C, United Chmbs, M. Shau- katali Rd, 400007; August 13 Soli Ardeshir Bhagwagar (63), F/2, Mody Bldg, Captain Clny, Haji Ali, Tardeo, 400034; August 14 Khurshed Hormusji Kapadia (78), Parkar Nivas, Ramshan J. Shalgaonkar Rd, 400005; August 14 Jal Jehangir Unwalla (96), Roda Bldg, Nana Chowk, 400007; August 15 Maneck Edi Wadia (52), Mohamadbhai Mans, 7, N. S. Patkar Marg, 400036; August 15 Dhun Furrokh Doctor (92), 803-C, Dr B. Ambedkar Rd. Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; August 16 Pesi Dadabhai Hodiwalla (85), 2/A, Yusuf Mans, Khetwadi Back Rd, 400004; August 16 Kaiyos Tehmurasp Marfatia (62), 10/33, Shiv Sagar, Worli Hill Rd, 400018; August 16 Amy Rustomji Pardiwalla (67), 5/11, Tata Blocks, Tardeo, 400034; August 16 Merwan Sheriar Shellangi (59), Thorat Bldg, Katrap Rd, Badlapur (E), Dist Kulgaon, Thane, 421503; August 16 Dinshaw Fakirjee Bhagat (69), 14/10, Panthaki Baug, Sir M. V. Road, Andheri (E), 400069; August 17 Roshan Dorahji Dadademeiy (80), 5/13, Khan Est, M. M. C. Rd, Mahiin, 400016; August 17 Dinshaw Eruchshaw Driver (84), 146-B, Patel Bldg, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, 400013; August 17 18 Dosabhai Pirojshaw Mirza (76), H/9, Nowroz Baug, Lalbaug, 400012; August 17 Bukhtawcr Barjor Bhathena (82), B-41, Bina Apts, Sir M. V. Rd, Andheri (E), 400069; August 18 Cooverbai Navroji Bilikaka (Bharda) (89), C/o 21, Doctor Bldg, S. B. Bharucha Baug, Andheri (W), 400058; August I Shirinhai Khurshedji Doongaji (99), 72, Mistry Park, 77, Bhulabhai Desai Rd, 400036; August 18 Soly Darasha Sethna (78), 6/79, Jehangir Mans, Hughes Rd, 400007; August 18 Homi Jehangir Unwalla (61), 640/A, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; August 18 Firdosh Hoshang Irani (36), C/o Room no 15, Petit Widows ’ Chawl, 133, Mody St, Fort, 400001; August 19 Behram Ruslom Ratestari (94), 17/51, Contractor Bldg, Byculla, 400027; August 19 Freny Padam Aga (92), 607-B, Sohrab Hse, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; August 20 Dhanjisha Nawroji Bhathena (70), 6, Chaitanya, B. D. Rd, Wadala (E), 400037; August 20 Peshotan Manchersha Desai (92), Mino Meher, 22, Union Park, Khar (W), 400052; August 20 Freny Kaikee Kharas (70), B/3, Gowalia Tank Bldg, A. K. Marg, 400036; August 20 Nergesh Minocher Bhandari (75), 14, Bhandari Bldg, Wadia St, Tardeo, 400034; August 21 Homi M. Driver (75), 5/B, Bhabha Sanatorium, Bandstand, Bandra, 400050; August 22 Marzban Jamasp Gandhi (51), D/42, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; August 22 Dara Rustomji Mistry (70), 406, Om Mangal Murthy, Sector 6, Airoli, New Bombay, 400708; August 22 Mehroo Manek Patel (73), Fakhri Manzil, Shankerseth Rd, Grant Rd (W), 400007; August 22 Hormasji Rustomji Katila (83), 1/J, M. K. Tarachand Bldg, Captain Clny, Tardeo, 400034; August 23 Aimy N. Pandole (81), Silverene, 63, Worli Parade, Worli, 400018; August 23 Pestonji Ramjibhai Ravtewala (84), 760, Soban Bhavan, Jehangir Vimadalal Rd, Parsi STARLITE ELECTRICAL WORKS With best compliments of Starlite Electrical Works ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS & CONTRACTORS 104, Shree Hanuman Industrial Estate 42 B, G. D. Ambekar Marg, Wadala, Bombay 400031 180 Parsiana July-August 1997 4Clny, Dadar, 400014; August 23 Noshirwan (Noshir) Bejonji Kasad (63), 63, K Bldg, Walchand Hirachand Marg, 400001; August 24 Ardeshir Manekji Nazir (86), 5, Raza Complex, Custom Rd, Trombay, 400058; August 24 Koovar Cowasji Vajifdar (Ti), 49, Valentina, Naoroji Gamadia Rd, 400026; August 24 Tehmina Kekobad Vakil (90), Albless Dispensary Bldg, Marzban Clny, Gilder Lane, Lamington Rd, 400008; August 24 Firoz Horinasji Cooper (80), A, Empire Ter, Lamington Cross Rd, 400007; August 25 Sheroo Eruch Guard (81), Gangadevi Bhavan, Uranwalla St, Grant Rd, 400007; August 25 Soona Sheriyar Tadwalla (79), Golwalla Bldg, 8th Khetwadi Lane, 400004; August 25 Gool Sorab Ardeshir (78), 7, Colaba Chmbs, 117, Wodehouse Rd, 400005; August 26 Bapai Faridoon Bharucha (87), Homestad, 6, Kashibai Navrange Marg, 400007; August 26 Coomi Rattanshaw Chavda (Ti), Room no 9, Hongkong walla Cooper Chawl, 9th lane. Back Rd, Khetwadi, 400004; August 27 Nadirsha Nusserwanji Engineer (92), 10, Florencia, 299, Off Turner Rd, Bandra (W), 400050; August 27 Minoo Jamshedji Rabadi (80), 16/6, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, Byculla, 400027; August 27 Mehroo Tehmurasp Irani (78), 668, Desai Bldg, Katrak Rd, Wadala, 400031; August 28 Gool Noshir Madan (72), 46, Jamasji Apt, 32, Sleater Rd, 400007; August 28 Faramroze Ratanji Patel (74), Room no 5, Najoo Mans, Nawab Tank Rd, 400010; August 28 Minu Cawasji Avari (78), 4/11, Tata Clny, Tardeo, 400034; August 29 Fram Dhunjishaw Gazdar (92), Gazdar Hse, 45, Bhulabhai Desai Rd, 400026; August 29 Jal Cawashaw Paymaster (89), 121, Brijkutir, Rungta Lane, Nepean Sea Rd, 400006; August 29 Perin Maneckshaw Dhanbhoora (83), Room no 44, 66/K, Soonaiji Mans, Gowalia Tank Rd, 400036; August 30 Deena Ardeshir Kaka (90), 54, Venus Apt, 40, Cuffe Parade, 400005; August 30 Minocher Jainshedji Patel (85), Room no 14, 17/B, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, Byculla, 400027; August 30 Goal Pesi Karkaria (74), 61, Amit, Murari Ghag Marg, Prabhadevi, 400025; August 31 CALCUTTA DIED Dara Framroze Modi, father ot Khorshed Phiroze Modi; July 5 Sakar Munchershaw Bhesania, mother of Phiroze, Khorshed Boman Bhathena and Perin Pheroze Contractor; July 13 Jer Victor Viccajee, mother of Roshan Gazdar and Shernavaz Bhesania; August 15 Khorshed Homi Hiramanek, mother of Shahrukh, Armaiti, Minoo, Khushrau, Meher and late Mani; August 28 DELHI BORN A girl, Kashmira, to Veera and Cyrus Patel', February 16 POONA DIED Ratair Pestonji Mody (76), 5, Dr Coyaji Rd, 411001; June 30 Bhikhamai Maneckshaw Karkaria (86), 34, Universal Apts, East St, 411001; July 13 Noz.ar Hormazji Hoinji (85), 8, Mangaldas Rd, 411001; July 18 Faramroze Burjorji Damania (97), 4, Bhatnagar Gardens, 60/61, Sahyadri Park, Salunke Vihar, 411048; July 25 SURAT DIED Nariman Barjorji Dustur (71), Lal Gate, 395003; July 10 Jarbanoo Jamshedji Katpitia (82), Machlipith, 395003; July 13 Bakhtawar Kawasji Mehta (48), Nanpura, 395001; July 16 Firoshjsha Kharshadji Mehta (93), Parsiwad, Rander, Dist Surat, 395005; July 17 Dinamai Kawasji Laskari (75), Nanpura, 395001; July 30 Barjorji Bajanji Patalwala (69), Parsiwad, Siganpore; August 1 Dinamai Nasarwanji Ghadiyali (82), Rustompura, 395002; August 5 Barjor Manackshaw Ankleshvaria (62), Nariman Home and Infirmary, Shahpore, 395003; August 7 Dinshaji Kawasji Bhathna (65), GOOD NEWS!!! GOOD NEWS!!! CORRECTION In “Two Zoroastrian sites ” (Events and Personalities, Parsiana, April 1997), we have erred on the website address for Parsi Favorite Recipes. The correct address is: http; //www.ultranet.com/~kapadia/ cooking.htm The error is regretted. MATRIMONIAL Matrimonial alliance invited from qualified, well settled gentlemen, age between 50 and 55 for an educated, smart, good natured lady. Please respond with full details and latest photograph to: The Advertiser Parsiana, Matrimonial (July-Aug/25-97)* GPO Box 892, Bombay 400001 ‘Please make sure the reply envelope bears the reference number cited here. GOOD NEWS!!! GOOD NEWS FOR ZOROASTRIANS Well known for tasty Parsi food, PAHVIN ENGINEER has started a food supply service and undertakes party orders, tiffins and counter sales service at: FARHAI COLD DRINKS HOUSE Dinaz Mansion, Opposite Cama Baug, Mota Otla, New Charni Road, Mumbai 400004. Tel: 3823322, after 8 pm 3859834 Following items are readily available: • Cutlets • Kababs • Pattice • Chicken Cutlets • Farcha • Sall Boti • Khima Yazdani Restaurant Cama Baug Mota Otia Dreamland Cinema FARHAI COLD DRINK HOUSE Haji Ahmad 9 182 Parsiana July-August 1997Zoroastrian Soc, Near Umra Police Stn, 395003; August 8 Hormasji Dhanjisha Patvi (88), Wanki Bordi, Sayedpura, 395003; August 13 Kaikhushroo Edalji Elavia CIS'), Aganovad, Sayedpura, 395003; August 18 Shavaksha Hormasji Siganporia (75), Nanpura, 395001; August 24 Dhanjisha Sorabji Baria (72), Nanpura, 395001; August 26 *** AUSTRALIA Adelaide BORN A boy, Rushad, to Taina and Timmy Pavri, brother to Priya and Darien; July 14 CANADA Ontario BORN A boy, Jonathan, to Lilly and Terry Creamer, brother to Crystal; August 14 MARRIED Riah Wadia, daughter of Roshen and Nani, and Shahroukh Sidhwa, son of Dinoo and Bejan; August 3 Montreal MARRIED Aurelio Useche and Leena Lakdawala, son of Roshan and Ness; June 28 Richmond, British Columbia MARRIED Vera Pfirsching, daughter of Ruth and Hans, and Cyrus Billimoria, son of Franey and Dhun; August 16 Toronto DIED Ebrahim Dadabhai, husband ot Aloo and father of Ferhana and Farhad; May 3 Amy Jal Dotiwalla, mother of Rumi, Pheroze and Zubin; July 17 OMAN Muscat BORN A boy, VaiM/i, to Deenaz. and Gautam Ahuja; March 2 PAKISTAN Karachi BORN A girl, Faranaz, to Meher and Maneck Solen; July 18 USA Champaign, Illinois BORN A boy, Rayomand, to Mr and Mrs Kaizad Irani; May 1 Chicago BORN A boy, Danny, to Parveen and Marzban Ogra; October 1, 1996 A girl, Shireen, to Homa and Bahman Ahesteh; May 5, 1997 A boy, Sherzad, to Bakhtawar and Cyrus Press, brother to Carmin; May 28 Clinton, Iowa BORN Twins (boy and girl), Cyrus Xerxes and Avan Navaz, to Judith and Xerxes Colah; May 6 Dallas BORN A boy, Farsos, to Ruby and Yazdi Bulsara; December 12, 1996 Florida MARRIED Jasmine Unwalla of Boca Raton, Florida, daughter of Nelly and Dorab, and Rustom Dehoo of Michigan; May 26, 1997 DIED Manijeh Hoshang Nusserwanji (84), mother of Arnavaz and Nariman; May 20 Hainesville, Illinois BORN A girl, Yazmin, to Delnaz and Eric Rustomji; January 30 Houston BORN A boy, Zarir, to Zarin and Vispi Dumasia; May 31 A boy, Kyle Mehernosh, to Vanessa and David Jensen; August 24 MARRIED Sharmeen Baria and Percy Master of Wichita; April 19 DIED Jehangir S. Cama, husband of Roshan and father of Cyrus, Karl, Sharoan and Parish; May 16 Minoo Kaikhushroo Sethna, husband of Silloo and lather of Pervez; July 12 JI For Pure Diamonds JEWELLERS 324, Grant Road, Bombay 400007. Telephone 3099648 Fax 3073483 APPOINTED VALUERS BY THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA 184 Parsiana July-August 1997 oKing of Prussia, Philadelphia DIED Darius Minocher Dadachanji (54), husband of Diana and father of Minocher; May 3 Los Angeles DIED Soltan Shah Bahram Sorooshyari, mother of Kiomarz; March 29 Mountain View, California BORN A girl, Amy Serena, to Persis and Sorab Vatcha', June 9 New York BORN A girl, Farah, to Nazneed and Shahvir Vimadalal; December 9, 1996 FIGURES AT A GLANCE * Bombay This issue 1996 1997* This issue India 1996 1997 World This issue 1996 1997 BIRTHS Boys Girls 13 18 98 118 64 68 13 8 36 40 16 18 MARRIAGES Parsi INTERCOMMUNAL Males married out Females married out 197 163 19 39 33 43 34 21 19 DEATHS CONSIGNED Males Females CREMATED Males Females 84 87 457 502 290 327 14 8 98 89 71 62 69 50 23 22 8 5 7 2 2 3 5 1 9 4 6 4 6 2 4 8 3 2 1 1 2 5 6 2 7 4 1 MARRIED Behnaz Dholoo and Sohrab Mistry of New Jersey; January 11, 1997 DIED Shirin Godrej Irani (85), sister of Peroja Kaikhosrov Irani; November 20, 1996 Carnal Nentin, wife of Firoz and mother of Gev, Mahrukh and Armin; June 4, 1997 San Diego DIED Perin Jal Kapadia, mother of Freny Romer, Zenobia Irani and Rohinton; December 2, 1996 San Francisco BORN A girl, Ariana Cheri, to Helga and Hooman Sotoodeh; November 5 A boy to Parinaz and Mehrdad Khosraviani, brother to Afsheen; February 14, 1997 DIED Keki Captain, husband of Goolcher and father of Darius; May 9 Somerset, New Jersey BORN A boy, Jamshed, to Ruzbeh and Keku Mistry, brother to Sohrab; June 5 Walled Lake, Michigan BORN Twins (boy and girl), Zal and Parana, to Parizad and Darius Joshi; June 6 •Running totals for 1997 (January-July/August issues) Overseas deaths are listed in the consigned column as Parsiana does not have a breakup of those cremated. ‘These figures pertain to information provided to or collected by Parsiana. They do not represent the total number of births, marriages and deaths in the Zoroastrian community in India and abroad. Bombay: The Telling Figures over the 1995 count of 941. Just as the number of births were higher among females, the number of deaths too were higher, births increasing by nine, deaths by 39. Among the males, the births re ­ gistered a decrease of 14, and the deaths, a decline of 17. Of the total deaths, females accounted for 504 and males for 459. With the exception of four (two males and two females) who chose to be cremated, the rest were all con ­ signed at the Towers of Silence. The Bombay Parsi Punchayet con ­ tinues to send us data on those mainly restricted to four hospitals consigned at Doongerwadi but _ ____ ___ _____ ___ in south Bombay, we presume that ' -i- shows 28 percent (from 25 in 1995) Parsiana accounts for around 50 if calculated as a ratio of inter ­ community marriage,s to the total number of marriages (77:274) and 39 percent (from 33 in 1995) it calculated as a ration ol inter ­ community marriages to commu ­ nity marriages (77:197). The first timeParsianahad computed inter ­ community marriage figures (for the period of October 1987 to September 1988) the percentages were 12 and 14 respectively. The 43 males who chose non-Parsi spouses accounted for 56 percent Only the number of males manied out of the community, 43, remains the same in 1996. Barring that, the scenario alters radically when com ­ paring the marriage statistics for 1995 and 1996 compiled by Parsiana. As against a total of 378 marri ­ ages (including intercommunal) in 1995, there were 274 nuptials in 1996, a decline of 104. Community marriages reduced by 87 from 284 in ’95 to 197 in the following year. Marriages to a non-Zoroastrian spouse also declined from 94 to 77 (a reduction of 17). Percentage wise however, in ­ tercommunity marriages regis ­ tered an increase once again. It of all intercommunity marriages with the 34 females who married out of the community constituting the balance 44 percent. In 1995 there had been more females (54 percent) as versus men (46 percent) who had contracted intercommu ­ nity marriages. Births too registered a marginal decline of five over the 1995 count of 221. However, of the total 216 babies known to have been born in 1996, there were 118 girls (an in ­ crease of nine over last year ’s tally) and 98 boys (a decrease of 14). With our source of information percent of the births in the com ­ munity in Bombay. Even then, it clearly indicates that the birth rate in the community is less than half the death rate. For the year 1996, the highest Life Expectancy at Birth (LEB) was in the month of October and the lowest in the months of January and April, the mean LEB working out to 75, bearing testimony to an aging, dwindling community. At 963, the number of deaths in the community increased by 22 since we are able to access records only at the Chandanwadi crema ­ torium, our listing of those crema ­ ted would not be exhaustive. Listed below are the 1996 fig ­ ures, pertaining to the community in Bombay, as collected by Par­ siana; Born; 216 Boys 98, Girls 118 Marriages: 274 Parsi 197, Intercommunal 77 Died; 963, Consigned: 959 Males 457, Females 502 Cremated: 4 Males 2, Females 2 Compiled by Roxana A. Driver 186 Parsiana July-August 1997IN MEMORIAM Patel: Pakistan’s Pride Homi J. Rogers Ahmed, was after experiencing in the UK “the color bar in a conservative legal pro­ fession. ” “One of the first cases he handled was that of our shipping company, ” writes Ardeshir Cowasjee in Dawn, (March 23, Just a year later in 1977 came the his ­ toric judgement that was to catapult Patel into the international arena, with recogni ­ tion for his steadfastness and incorruptibil ­ ity. In the momentous trial that led to the hanging of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (inciden ­ tally, his colleague at the Bar), Patel deliv ­ ered the minority judgement that the hang ­ ing of Bhutto was wrong, although he was personally opposed to Bhutto ’s style of governance. Because of Patel ’s dissenting judgement, the Chief Justice was forced to uphold the capital punishment meted out to Bhutto with his casting vote. “He was without any doubt a great jurist and a man of integrity, ” observed Bhutto ’s daughter Benazir, while expressing grief at Patel ’s demise, as quoted in Dawn. Interestingly, the paths of Patel and Zulfikar had crossed many years earlier too when, as recalled by Ahmed, the two had almost become partners at the instance of Shahnawaz, Zulfikar’s father, who “wanted Dorab to set up shop together with his son. ” The arrangement, though, didn’t materialize. Ahmed mentions that Patel referred to this period as: “We weren ’t partners; we simply shared the premises. ” A greater trial by fire, however, lay in store for the upright Patel in 1981 when General Zia promulgated the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) which subor- Died: Justice Dorab Framroze Patel, 72, an outspoken and fearless human rights activ ­ ist, on March 15, 1997, in Karachi. He had been suffering from leukemia for the past year or so. Justice Patel was an eminent jurist who could have become the Chief Justice of the Pakistan Supreme Court had he compro ­ mised his integrity by taking the oath ol allegiance to the military regime of Gen ­ eral Zia-ul-Haq. At that time, he was the Acting Chief Justice of the Pakistan Su­ preme Court. “Such men of integrity are disappear ­ ing fast from our part of the world,” wrote R. M. Pal, editor of the PUCL (People ’s Union for Civil Liberties) Bulletin in the issue of June 1997. This sentiment was also expressed by Aziz A. Munshi, a former attorney general of Pakistan, who in his condolence message had stated: “Such men are rare in any country, any age of history. ” Munshi, along with a number of notables, was present at Justice Patel ’ s funeral which was performed in Karachi according to Zoroastrian rites. Patel was born in Quetta in 1924 into a distinguished family, says his brother-in- law Roeinton Khambatta (his sister Rhodabe ’s husband). His paternal grand­ father was Burjorji D. Patel, one of the founders of Quetta and a legend in his own mo niLm,.,-., ----- ------ ..... . lifetime. HisfatherFramroze was a wealthy recognized as an authority in shipping dinat^ed the judiciarj ' businessman who owned coal mines, flour law.” Further the PCO required mills and urban property, while his mother At that stage of his life, Patel could have new oath, with the addit^*^1 cond t was from the equally famous and educated put civil law behind him and moved on to that if a judge refused to take the oath to Khandalawala family, states Khambatta. greener pastures, particularly as his men- uphold the abolition of the Co«stnut o Since she died at his birth, Dorab was tor. the resoected lawyer Wahiduddin, was he would cease to be a judge. Patel brought up by his grandfather and aunt in Bombay, who saw him through his school ­ ing (from St Xavier ’s), MA (from Wilson College) and LLB (from Bombay’s Law College), narrates Khaled Ahmed in his tribute in the Friday Times (March 21-27, 1997). Later, he proceeded to the London School of Economics where the legendary who had worked with Patel. In 1966-67^ Harold Laski was amongst his gurus. He was then called to the Bar at the Inner Temple, and practised in London thereaf ­ ter for two years, before settling down in Karachi in the early ’50s to the practice of law. His return to Pakistan, according to Patel: "a man oj iiitef’i ity" 1997). Cowasjee ’s association with Patel spanned over 50 years. More shipping cases followed, reminisces Cowasjee in his tribute, “until he soon came to be law.” At that stage of his life, Patel could have put civil law behind him and moved on to greener pastures, particularly as his men ­ tor, the respected lawyer Wahiduddin, was . inductedintothejudiciary as Chief Justice amongst the 16 High Court judges who by the West Pakistan High Court. But he " “confined himself to a modest legal prac ­ tice, mainly on the civil side in the High ing the apex court^for a seven-year Court,” because he “never felt the need or desire to earn much, ” states Sabihuddin Ahmed, a judge of the Sindh High Court Patel, then 42, was elevated to the bench of silent are guilty, the then West Pakistan High Court, and appointed judge of the Sindh-Balochistan High Court. Ten years later in January editor of The Tinies of India of April 21, 1Q7A hf- u/;iQ finnninie.d to the Suoreme 1997, Patel even turned down General continued on page 192 refused to toe the line. By doing so, he willingly renounced his prospect of head- • term. He thereby amply put into practice what he often said: “There is no choice between good and evil, right and wrong. When it is your duty to protest, those who remain In later years, according to a letter addressed by Mukund B. Kunte to the 1976, he was appointed to the Supreme 1997, Patel Court. 188 Parsiana My-August 1997Peer’s principles Parinaz M. Gandhi formed for the industrial doyen J. R. D. Tata, the son of a Zoroastrian father and non-Parsi mother. “I am proud to be sus- also had keen interest in theosophy and was a respected co-freemason who could explain “the teachings with esoteric mean ­ ings, ” as noted a condolence letter from his masonic lodge. Describing him as “a priest par excel ­ lence who knew what he was praying,” Ervad Rustom Turel mentioned al the con ­ dolence meeting that many other priests did not want to sit with him in prayers because he would take too long with the ceremonies, not permitting any gapchas (omission of stanzas). “He has not been given his due by the community, ” he added. In the audio cassettes brought out by the BPP, it was Peer ’s sonorous voice which was chosen for the recording of prayers, stated Marzban Giara. Therein one can “feel the mood...the divine power ” of his recitations, he recalled. Always dressed in his priest ’s attire, his bushy white beard and slight limp distin ­ guishing him in a crowd. Peer may never have taken up mobedi for a profession. Although made to give up his studies when he was barely 14 (he had studied at Bom- Died: Ervad (Dr) Peshotan Faramarz Peer, 72, a scholar priest known for his mastery of the C, al has and the Shah Nameh, on February 13, 1997 atBombay ’sB.D. Petit pended on my principles, ” his statement Parsee General Hospital following car- •• • • diac arrest. “Peshotan was a familiar figure at our Institute and we shall greatly miss his pres ­ ence, his advice and above all his expertise on the Shah Nameh," wrote Homai Modi, trustee and joint honor ­ ary secretary of the K. R. Cama Oriental Insti ­ tute (KRCOI), in her condolence letter to the family. Echoing these sentiments, the presi ­ dent of the Bombay Peer: schalar priest Parsi Punchayet (BPP), S. N. Elavia, secietary Jamshed Guzder, noted, “The Parsi com- and treasurer of the Iranian Zoroastrian munity has lost one of its very valuable Anjuman which had honored him with a and knowledgeable ” authorities on I Farsi language and the Shah Nameh. In fact at the Sixth World Zoroastrian . Congress in Iran in 1996, Peer was the only who was in college with Peer. Every Thurs- delegate from India who was invited to ' ’ ' present a paper in Persian. The impact that he made on his coreligionists in Iran can be . inferred from the letter on the Internet by the Gathas into English, a work which will soon be published. Additionally he also used to conduct classes in Persian and had been giving a series of lectures on theS/m/i Peer ’s thirst for higher knowledge re- Nameh since 1981 under the auspices of mained with him. He resumed his formal the Rahnumae Mazdayasnan Sabha. education which had been interrupted by His understanding of religion was in- completing his SSC (Secondary School fluenced by the late Dastur Khurshed Dabu Certificate) examination when he was 32 _____ ____ __ _____ chose to study for his BA and MA in Peer ’s wife Rati. And although he had Avesta Pahlavi from Bombay University, inclinations to be a vegetarian from a young age, it was only his marriage in 1950 to Rati Kanga, his cousin, who was already a vegetarian that made it possible late Maneck Kanga and Dastur (Dr) leave him or her alone! Do not cause mentions. He also believed in reincarna- knowledge of Arabic languages, Urdu, hatred and anger! Never cause anger! ”’ tion and when Parsiana undertook a sur- Persian, Sanskrit, Hebrew, French and His firm adherence to his beliefs made vey in 1988, he was one ol only four German. him relinquish the panthakyship of the Zoroastrian scholars from amongst the 29 “As much as he loved learning, he also Tata Agiary at Bandra after serving there who were sent a questionnaire, who de- enjoyed imparting that knowledge to oth- for 18 years. Peer believed that after-death dared that there is mention of reincarna- ers, ” states the resolution. He shared his Zoroastrian ceremonies should not be per- Jamshed Guzder, noted, “The Parsi coni- was recalled by Ervad (Dr) Ramiyar Karanjia, principal ofthe Dadar Athornan Madressa al the condolence meeting con ­ vened in Peer ’s memory by the Rahnumae Mazdayasnan Sabha on March 5, 1997 at the KRCOI Library Hall when many of his friends, admirers and students paid their trib­ utes. “His death has re ­ moved from Zoroas- Irian society a religious hay ’s Bharda and St Xavier ’s Schools, and and fearless scholar of repute, ” acknowledged tinue his deceased father ’s profession. Peer ’s future was uncertain. A fall from a bicycle when he was 14 years old had severely injured his knee, making it im­ possible for him to sit cross legged for prayers. However the insistence of one behdin to see Peer perform his child ’s navjote, even arranging for a folding stool for the priest, spurred Peer on to continue Gathas. Shortly before his demise Peer with the priestly calling, accompanied by had accomplished the task of translating the plaque only last year. “He was an orator par excellence, a prolific writer... ’’ wrote Prof Merwan Pavri day, he used to deliver lectures on the Panchgani ’s Billimoria School) lo con- the stool whenever he went for prayers, reveals his wife. Thereafter he must have performed countless navjotes, sometimes for three generations of a family. Peer ’s thirst for higher knowledge Dr Bahman Noruziaan that was acciden ­ tally accessed by Dr Kersey Antia of USA barely 12 days before Peer ’s death. States Noruziaan, “There was so much tranquil­ ity in his voice and attitude that you were...attracted to him!...You could feel the dedication that he has towards his faith...Many of his opinions and beliefs may seem strange to many of us. His mystic views towards our sacred litera ­ ture, his strict anti-acceptance of others, not accepting mixed marriage... One of his advices to us, ‘If you feel you cannot convince somebody, and if you feel he or ------ ---- —--------- . - she is doing wrong not listening to you, for him to follow the diet of his choice, she Hormazdyar Mirza. He additionally had ® ® _ .• TT 1 _ ______ 1 • __ ¦ 1—-----Arokio lonfTllOnPC I rrlii whom he considered his guru, having been in his contact for almost 50 years, recalls mentions. He also believed in reincarna ­ tion and when Parsiana undertook a sur- 190 Parsiana July-August 1997 I <¦ education which had been interrupted by completing his SSC (Secondary School years of age. After a gap of eight years he He completed his PhD in 1977, notes the Rahnumae Sabha condolence resolution. Peer studied Avesta and Pahlavi under the Zoroastrian scholars from amongst the 29 who were sent a questionnaire, who de ­ clared that there is mention of reincarna- ----------- tion in Zoroastrianism. Like his guru, he religious knowledge with students of eightZoroastrian founded schools, says his wife. He was also invited to Bangalore, Pune, Navsari and Surat to give lectures. Besides serving as trustee of the Jashan Committee, Peer was president of the Parsi Vegetarian and Temperance Society for 25 years. Among the other institutions with which he was connected were the Youths ’ Own Union, the Jeejeebhoy upon the altar of God, eternal hostihty to any Ironically, the Zoroastrian community (or at least the voting constituent of the community) rejected Patel when he of­ fered himself for service as a trustee of the Anjuman. “But,” reminisces Khambatta in the above article, “he (Patel) did not sulk, nor did he feel vindictive. Through the various Nusserwanjee Trusts, he contin- man Rights at Geneva. In a manner, this years, another attempt at matchmaking distinguished phase of Patel ’s life was a failed, when despite providing Patel with natural culmination for one who, as brother- the residence and office numbers of a in-law Khambatta recalls in Parsi Sansar suitable girl in London, Patel during his ane Lok Sevak of March 22, 1997, consid ­ ered it a “supreme moment ” in his life to , read the words inscribed at the Jefferson “Obviously, his subconscious had been at Memorial in Boston — “For I have sworn ; was a natural culmination for one who, as brother ­ visit to the city kept ringing her residence in the daytime, and her office at night. work, resisting all attempts to transform his life, ” quips Cowasjee. It is unfortunate that this wry-humored, exceedingly polite champion of human causes, was a marginalized citizen in his last days. Probably, the best tribute to Patel comes from Prof Anita Ghulam Ali who writes in Dawn of “his daily visits to people, some in pain, some lonely, some needing monetary help, (which) were rou­ tine. The left hand knew not where the ued to work not only for the Parsis, but for right hand gave. all the people of Pakistan. ” In recognition of his services, the Government of Paki­ stan conferred the Hil-i-Imtiaz Award on wife Rati, son Dr Rooyintan and daughters Justice Patel in 1995. Hutoxshy, Tehmina, Havovi and Ketayun. Dadabhoy Agiary where he was panthaky form of tyranny over the minds of man. for eight years, and the Iran League. From " " “ " all his overseas trips, he most cherished his visits to Iran, being invited there on three occasions, and was even to lecture at a university there, discloses his wife. Whilst adhering to old customs and advocating the need to conform to time- tested practices. Peer believed, as stated in an earlier interview with Parsiana, “Reli ­ gion may go beyond reason, but it never should contradict reason. ” The scholar priest is survived by his Patel is survived by his brother Jahansoz and sister Rhodabe Khambatta. TOGETHER, TO THE 21ST CENTURY continued from page 114 i PATEL: PAKISTAN’S PRIDE continued from page 188 Zia’s gesture of appeasement offering to make him Pakistan ’s envoy to Paris. He could not possibly represent a govern ­ ment, Patel stated, with whose policies he had such fundamental differences. After so stepping down, Patel busied himself in the active promotion of the cause of human rights and social welfare. He became a member of the Asian Human Rights Commission in 1984, and of the International Commission of Jurists in 1987. In the same year, in cooperation with an equally upright activist-lawyer, Asma Jehangir, he established the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). This non-governmental organization he contin ­ ued to serve and nurture right until his death, when he was its chairman-emeritus, a post he had held since 1993, when he spurned the suggestion of an amendment allowing him a third term as its president, by Patel, between the HRCP and the Kid- The HRCP under his stewardship is cred- ney C-. .-, ' ' 2 * ited with being instrumental in abolishing beheaded. more private jails than had all Pakistan governments put together over a period of 50 years, according to Cowasjee in Dawn. The body also organized a string of semi ­ nars and international events, commenc ­ ing from the very first year of its existence, with a regional seminar of SAARC coun ­ tries on “Law and Development ” in Lahore. Patel was also invited to ‘observe ’ elec ­ tions in many countries, to speak at the walking in a rather ponderous and slow United Nations, and to lead the Pakistan delegation to the UN Committee on Hu­ “Thoroughly cosmopolitan in outlook,” . _ to quote Pal, Patel was equally committed training. A lot of footwork went into to bridging the gap between Pakistan and searching for an appropriate venue, ^ur^ India. He a--------- — ---- conventions of the Pakistan-India Peoples ’ Forum for Peace and Democracy held in Delhi and Lahore in 1994 and 1995 respec ­ tively, mentions Pal. Recalls Teesta Set- alvad, editor of Communalism Combat, a monthly from Bombay: “Patel had not only been an active member of this forum, - --------- -------- ---- but a visible and vociferous presence at families. Newsletter appeals and word ot each meet. ” His failing health, however, prevented him from attending the third convention in Calcutta in December 1996, and “his presence was sorely missed, ” confirms Setalvad. . .jk- A prolific writer. Justice Patel willingly dently. Both hosts and guests had their contributed to the PUCL Bulletin on a preferences and they had to be matched, number of occasions, recalls Pal. He had Most people hosted two youths, some only also authored a book, Testament of a Lib- _----- eral, which is now being published by the Then there Oxford University Press in Karachi. Its ‘ ‘ royalties will be equally divided, as willed re- attended the first and second prisingly the Sheraton Skyline provided the best financial terms as well as met the physical requirements, thanks to Master ’s influence with the hotel. “Part of the suc ­ cess was in holding the function with a bit of style, ” as noted Perses Sethna. Malcolm Printer, a pharmaceutical de ­ velopment scientist, dealt with 90-95 host mouth requests had netted a limited re ­ sponse initially. The aim was to find about 250 host family places. One aim was to find residences close to tube stations so that the youth could move about indepen- preferences and they had to be matched. one and a few accommodated 10 or more. ¦ ‘ were youths who had their relatives. And when they arrived, anxious parents had to be informed. Printer re ­ counted a few highlights of the logistics of Centre, whose board of management accommodating so many young visitors. At the end of the day, with the success of the Congress the team was on a justifi ­ able “high. ” According to Dinyar Cooper, ‘Mehran Sepheri has put it on the Internet Interestingly, Patel ’s steadfastness ex ­ tended to his personal life as well: he was a confirmed bachelor. On at least two occasions, as recalled by Cowasjee, his as the event of the decade. Jasavala was able to tell the assembled gathering with a measure of satisfaction, “You’ve all shown the true Zoroastrian spirit. You’ve worked friends tried to fix him up with a suitable girl, but failed. In 1954, recalls Cowasjee, Patel, “a young man who seldom spoke ” lost the “perfect Parsi girl, a green-eyed together and played together. When we beauty ” because “apart from speaking and started, we didn’t know how you would react. (Now) we feel we can move forward to the next millennium as one whole group manner, ” he took unduly long to muster up his courage to “pop the question. ” In later together. ” 192 ParsianaJuly-August 1997