Jun 1999

iUNE 1999 ^s 30 ¦ -X' .¦ 7r -’ I 'S ’• ‘cT® ^'’v '¦' ;$% £> .‘'¦«T' ‘s'/? ik .JS 3?^s ¦J :« All the above Cinemas have now been equipped with DOLBY STEREoTI Sound System 32 Parsiana June 1999 a crutch. “Be open to the thought of leaving a dying metropolis I ike Bombay. You will be better placed in other cities in India and abroad, ” he observed. “Since I’m the last man in, I’ll go fast in the slog overs, ” quipped guest of honor Homi Khusrokhan, managing di­ rector of Glaxo India Limited and Burroughs Wellcome India Limited. Categorizing students on the threshold of their careers as type A (who know exactly what they want), type B (who have no clue at all) and type C (who believe that it is all fated), Khusrokhan revealed that he had himself wanted to be a doctor, but did not have good enough marks, so he drifted into com ­ merce. “As a kid. I had to struggle with Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, Rustomjee Jee- certain subjects, so I would lock myself jeebhoy, Rustom N. B. Jeejeebhoy and in a room with blackboard and chalk and leach myself the subject, ” he dis ­ closed. “Once you acquire the ability to port to HPY as the program is con- teach, you will be a belter student... results arc not as important as the pro ­ cess of learning. ” The hallmarks of the Parsi commu ­ nity, believed Khusrokhan, were hon ­ esty, integrity and charily. Defining integrity as “the ability to enjoy the trust of others, ” Khusrokhan advised the boys and girls to develop values which are “personal and deep inside ” and it will be “your value system which will magically tell you what path to lake, it will become a reflex action. ” Spurred by the presence on stage of Zarthosty Brothers). BPP trustee Dadi Engineer (known for his ability to recount joke.s while ad ­ dressing audiences), Khusrokhan ended his speech by narrating the story of a little bird who lay on the snow in Sibe ­ ria with a broken wing, freezing to death. Moved by its plight, a passing horseman picked it up, made a hole in a Mistry, while runner-up Cyrus Dastur pile of dropping nearby and put the bird into it. Revived by the heat, the little creature started to sing. A wolf heard it pied for a month! Toranj Raimalvala, and ate it up! Moral of the story: it’s not ~ . necessarily your enemies that pul you into the fertilizer, it may be your friends a,s well, so while in the fertilizer, keep your mouth shut! The prize distribution saw a prepon ­ derance of girl winners. Terming co- organizers Bhujwala, (who ha,s been with HPY for the last six years), Fabian Panihaki, Vinifer Gandhi, Merzeen Aga and Shirzad Khory “the right and left option of continuing to stay in touch by hands of HPY,” Marfatia described becoming members of the BPP Youth Bhujwala as “this most excellent, lovely human being ” who was in the midst of her MA exams but still found time for HPY. “It is the easiest thing in the world to work with a person as inspiring and motivating as Diana, ” responded Bhuj ­ wala. Lauding literary organizer Pan- thaki, Marfatia stated that the literary section has “matured and diversified ” under Panthaki, a first year BSc student of St Xavier ’.s College. Among the recipients of flowers were BPP joint secretary Sheroo Master (“the solid backbone of HPY,” saidMarfatia), chief executive Behram Dastur, deputy chief executive Mehli Colah and BPP trustees Guzder, Shroff, Engineer, Dinshaw Tamboly, Silloo Kavarana, Rustom Tirandaz and Dinshaw Mehta. The trustees of theByramjee Jeejeebhoy Parsce Charitable Institution — Sir Khorshed Dabu —and principal Roshen Driver were commended for their sup- ducted in its premises, “Its spacious rooms, its arches and its lovely ambi ­ ence are reminiscent of what our city once was, our community once was, ” remarked Shroff wistfully. Thanking all the guest speakers, resource persons and judges, Sharma made particular mention of Homai Modi and Capt Hormazdiar Desai, trustees and joint honorary secretaries of the K. R. Caina Oriental Institute forjudging over 150 essays (with the winners pocketing over Rs 4,000 in prizes donated by the Greeted with cheers and whistles were this year ’s Ms HPY, Zenia Irani, and Mr HPY Afshad Mistry who were crowned by celebrity singer/VJ/actress Raageshwari and TV/film personality Shahrukh Bharucha. “HPY helped me settle my choice of career, ” stated quipped that his “phone bills wentdown ” as HPY kept him productively occu- Delna Dordi, Dastur and Dilber De Vitre emerged triumphant winners in their respective groups. “The competi ­ tion is tough, but healthy. We are taught to take defeat in good spirit, ” remarked De Vitre to Parsiana. “There is so much interaction and teamwork. Making friends is the best part, ” commented participant Behnaz Mistry. With the BPP providing HPYites the Club (which meets once a month), Marfatia hoped “the youth would give back to the community and country what they have taken from it.”MEDICINE COVER STORY What the doctor ordered From a three-bed nursing home, Poona ’s Ruby Hall Clinic has grown to be amongst the largest private hospitals in the country Hilla P. Guzder ‘c a ’ The first impression is of spacious ­ ness. Wide green granite step.s lined with potted plants lead into a vast glass- fronted lobby. The various OPD (out ­ patient departments) are clearly marked in large, bright, colored letters — med­ ical, surgical, orthopedic, dental, etc. Doctors ’ consulting rooms arc dotted all around, thronged with patients ’ awaiting their turn. An atrium with its glass ceiling allows the light to come streaming in, giving the premises cheery look. The fully air-conditioned, recently opened new wing of Poona ’s Ruby Hall Clinic (RHC) at Sassoon Road near the Poona railway station encompass ­ es within its 2,00,000 sq ft a 46-bcd intensive care unit meant both for in ­ tensive coronory care and general in ­ tensive care, making it one of the larg- est in India. The Cardiac Centre on the second floor house.s four fully steel- lined operating theaters and a big re ­ covery room to provide special post ­ operative care. Six Hyundai elevators carry you swiftly to the upper floors of the six-storeyed structure. The 88 de­ luxe patients ’ rooms range in price from Rs 1,200 per day to Rs 2,000 per day for the suites. Well-appointed, with at- ' tached bathrooms and all modern amenitie.s including a TV and tele ­ phone, the rooms look out onto a ver ­ dant vista of treetops. Reported to be one of the largest •private hospitals in Maharashtra, the new wing when fully operational will raise RHC’s bed strength to 500, put ­ ting it in the league of the largest pri- - vatc hospitals in the country. “When I came here I had nothing. I was born in Madras. My father Bc- hram worked in the railways and I came to Poona with my family in 1922 when I wa.s two years old. We were a very middle-clas.s family and it wa.s my 33 Parsiana June 1999 Engineering and Locomotive Compa ­ ny Limited), Cummins India, Finolex, DrN. A, Kalyani, Rusy Shroff of Hong mother Freany who inculcated in me the spirit to survive the odds, ” states Dr Keki B. Grant, chairman and man ­ aging trustee of the hospital. Popularly Kong and many others have been gen- known in Poona as Hector Grant (a erous donors. But as interest rates con- nickname given to him in childhood in* tinue to mount. Grant is an anxious admiration of an old family friend). Grant founded RHC as a three-bedded nursing home in 1959. “I have an ob ­ sessive personality, ” he statc.s blandly, as his wife Tehmi gives a quiet chuck ­ le and adds: “Whatever he puts his hand.s to, he carrie.s to the limit. It was a trifle hard for me in the beginning, but now I’m used to it!” At a time when nnxst senior citizens retire into the comfort of their favorite armchair, 79-year-old Grant and his Tehmi Grant graciously acknowledg- tcam have set up a state of the art new wing designed by Bombay architect Kamal S. Malik in the hospital ’s ruby briskly issuing instructions and sorting (4()th) year. The foundation stone was laid in May ’95 and the past three years, they explain, have been a whirl of appointing architects, huilders, con ­ tractors and coordintiting the work of various agencies. An all-important and taxing task has been the raising of re ­ sources for the project, mainly in the form of loans from bank.s and financial institutions. Unexpected cost escala ­ tions have seen the final figure climb to Rs 42 crore from the originally esti ­ mated Rs 26 crore. “Our main difficul ­ ty at the moment i.s of course finance. We are still sorting out all the teething problems, coordinating the need.s of patients and doctors and conveying the same to the concerned agencies. This ha.s resulted in cost overruns, ” speci ­ fies Tehmi Grant. “It’s a real wonder we have managed to remain sane, ” laughs Bomi Bhote, the hospital ’.s chief executive officer (CEO), “in spite of the multiple prohlems created hy mul ­ tiple doctors ’ egos! ” The Kamalnayan Bajaj Trust, Poona-based I’ELCO (Tata surgeon ’s fees, hospital expenses, etc, man. All donations, large or small, will be gratefully accepted, states the RHC brochure. Being a public charitable trust, 50 percent of the donations are exempt from income-tax under sec ­ tion 80(G) of the Income Tax Act. Donations to the hospital ’s Poona Med­ ical Research Foundation enjoy 100 percent tax deduction. Taking Parsiana on an exhaustive (and exhausting!) tour of the new wing. es greetings from nursing, technical and subordinate staff, at the same time out complaints and grievances as we stride along brand new corridors. “There are about 400 consultants on our panel, of which 60-70 consulting doctors come on a regular basis, ’’ she says. The chief cardiologist at the RHC’s Cardiac Centre is Keki and Tehmi ’s son Purvez who returned to India after a lO-year stay in England. “It feels great to work in Ruby Hall, ” he de­ clares. “Our Cardiac Centre is number three in the whole of India in the total number of angiography and angioplas ­ ty cases. We have done more angiog ­ raphies and angioplasties than any other institution in Maharashtra, including Bombay. Almost five percent of cardi ­ ac cases are from Bombay, he details, and patients come from all over India and recently even from the Middle East “we are slightly cheaper and offer personal attention. ” A coronary bypass, states Bhote, can be done for less than one lakh rupees, which includes the as3 li IS L ¦ “We have done more angiographies and angioplasties than any other institution in Maharashtra including Bombay” Top and alongside: the hospital’s different departments Photos: Machhinra Pardesi Below: Entrance of new building Photos: Bharat Ramamutham ft 9^1 c. H* •* T I I isi J k"' U*- aii IIbl a M ¦? »»:r:;=Ks=K . rWil •¦JT" -J ?!• ¦siiM £ I: I. Top, alongside and bottom: the geometry of the new wing Photos: Bharat Ramamutham Center: Keki and Tehmi Grant /¦ i P iji.'" X7'i %the choice of surgeon being the pa ­ tient ’s. “We have six specialist cardiac surgeons and our 46-bed intensive care unit would be among the world ’s larg ­ est, ” he believes. In the last two years, 600 open heart surgeric.s have been performed on poor patients, with only the cost of material being charged for, according to hospital sources. “We do a lot of work for the poor and our general ward.s are al way.s full," informs Tehmi Grant. The large num ­ ber of mofussil patients including farm ­ ers have of course given rise to a large number of additional problems! “Peo ­ ple come from the village.s with their bags and bedding, bringing their own food, etc. For every one patient there are a dozen anxious relatives camping in the compound! One of our biggest headaches i.s handling these large crowds. We propose to set up a ‘yatri nivas ’ on the premise.s where the out- of-towners can leave their baggage as well as stay for a while. We have to tackle this problem in a humanitarian way, ” enunciates Bhote. Between April ’98 and February ’99, RHC expended almost Rs 55 lakhs treating over 1,300 free and concessional patients, accord ­ ing to hospital records. “Unfortunately, very few Parsi patients avail of the free or concession facilities. We would like to do more for the Parsis," points out Bhote. Described by Tehmi Grant as “our most efficient and dynamic CEO," Bhote heads a staff of 80 doctors and 1,000 class II, III and IV employees. “We have had some difficulty recruit ­ ing new nurses. ” observes Tehmi. “Many come here, learn the rope.s and then depart. The Parsis and Anglo-In ­ dians of old used to make very good nurses. ” Adds Bhote, “We are going to open a nursing school on the sixth floor of the new wing from August 1. ’99." Almost 100 nurses live in the staff quarters within RHC’s four-and-a-half- acre complex. Present Parsi staff includes Dr Rus ­ tam Wadia, neurophysician, who has been with the hospital for 35 years, and his wife Manek who run.s the blood bank, Jaloo Kanga, Grant ’s secretary for over 40 years, Dr Roshen Master and her son Dr Firdaus, both psychia ­ trists, Aloo Ichaporia, lab-in-charge, Gool Patel, advisor on general man ­ agement, Bapsy Gandevia of the can ­ cer center, consultant.s Dr Noshirwan Edul and Dr Roda Irani, Dr Russi Ma- 36 Parsiana June 1999 1 O'' H «• % Top: Dr Purvez Grant lights the lamp as (I to r) his father. Dr R. B. Gulati and Thermax’s Anu Aga look on rolia, anaesthetist and his son DrGayo, dentist. Brig Rusi Bajina, materials manager. Soli Bharucha, chief engi ­ neer, Kamal Palia, dietician, Shenaz Tarapore, in charge of the linen, Shirin Mehta of housekeeping, Mehernavaz Vakil, patient coordinator and others. “It is very satisfying that there are a number of young Parsis graduating as doctors in Poona, ” observes Tehmi. “Student.s today have to be really smart, hardworking and dedicated, else they ogy like color doppler echo-cardiogra- came B Ward. An intensive coronary care unit with just two beds and a can ­ cer center were among the first to be started in Poona in the early ’70s. RHC ha.s remained in the forefront of medi ­ cal diagnosis and treatment, with early introduction of state of the art technol- may not be able to make it because of phy, magnetic resonance imaging, the intense competition, ” adds Keki. Do they see a moral deterioration in our community? Both husband and wife shake their heads emphatically. “No, there is no moral deterioration. Only our numbers defeat us, ” com ­ ments Tehmi. It wa.s in 1960 that Keki Grant bought over the property of Ruby Hall (so named after Ruby, the wife of Sir David Sassoon, the bungalow ’s origi ­ nal owner) with a loan from the Bank of Maharashtra. The loan was fully ber that your doctor has a professional repaid by 1964 and two years later the Poona Medical Foundation was formed as a public charitable trust, with all asset.s acquired from 1959 being trans ­ ferred to the Foundation by Grant. Slowly, patient facilities were expand ­ ed. A side cottage became C Ward, the bunsialow itself was vacated and be- lithotripsy, microsurgery, laser surgery, etc. “Over 2,000 copies of our quarter ­ ly journal. Ruby Pulse, go out anion; the medical fraternity all over Maha ­ rashtra, ” informs Tehmi Grant. With Dr Wadia as editor, the journal chroni ­ cles RHC’s plans and progress, pre ­ sents erudite research papers and re ­ ports on medical conferences, and has its own brand of humor to leaven life: “Try to suffer from the disease for which you are being treated. Remem- ig reputation to uphold! ” “My only hobby is medicine, ” de­ clares Keki. “In 1954 I did a survey of 5,000 people in village Indapur (80 miles from Poona) for coronary dis ­ eases, only to find that the incidence of heart problems is almost the same in city and village people, brought tgy, cardiology, surgery, medicine, etc,” observes Tehmi. “Our aim is to make Ruby Hall run like a smooth, well- oiled machine, to provide the best health care in Poona. We want to make Jehangir Nursing Home, his indepen ­ dent spirit found its elixir in setting up RHC from scratch. Honors that have been bestowed on him include a fel- Below: A 1950s picture of newlyweds Keki and Tehmi (center) with family 37 Parsiana June 1999 Chest Physicians, founder fellow of the Indian College of Physicians and pro ­ In the last two years, 600 open heart surgeries have been performed on poor patients fessor emeritus in medicine and cardi ­ ology from the Sassoon General Hos- about mainly by smoking and tobac- Jehangir Nursing Home, his indepen- years of experience see her tactfully co. ” The doctor himself leads a disci- dent spirit found its elixir in setting up turning away an unqualified but per- plined life, walking the nine-kilometer RHC from scratch. Honors that have sistent job seeker, while signing distance from RHC to his home in been bestowed on him include a fel- cheques, pouring out tea or answering Kondhwa every evening, undeterred by lowship of the American College of queries from the PR (public relations) Poona ’s chaotic traffic and attendant pollution! His spartan diet includes boiled fish and vegetables at night, a cup or two of tea or coffee through the day. Old time movie.s on TNT or the soothing notes of Western classical music provide the prescription for re ­ laxation. Chary neither of challenges nor crit ­ icism, the doctor treads the path he thinks fit. After his medical studies at the Grant Medical College and the J. J. Hospital in Bombay, he chose to go to pitals. Boston, USA to learn the latest in the then relatively uncharted field of car ­ diology under Dr Paul White, consid ­ ered to be the father of modern cardi ­ ology. Back in Poona after three years, he set up the cardiology unit at the B. J. Medical College and Sassoon Gen ­ eral Hospitals. After a 10-year stint at department. Tehmi has been the presi ­ dent of the Poona Parsi Panchayat and is involved with various schools in Poona. She is the managing trustee of the National Council of Women and the University Women ’s Association. Her green fingers won her a gold medal from the Poona Rose Society as one of the pioneers of rose growing. She swims, laughingly terming herself “a fixture ” at the Poona Club swimming pool. Keki anticipates that new modali ­ ties of medicine will come in with the new millennium. “For the last 30 years we have been recognized by Poona “If Dr Grant does the digging, Teh ­ mi Grant hold,s the spade, ” quipped a Parsi patient to Parsiana. Nurturing University as a teaching institution for the matrimonial bond through 49 years postgraduate studies. We have interns (the couple will celebrate their golden in every field — neurology, gynecolo- wedding anniversary on January 8, 2000) and raising two children, Purvez and Zareen, Karachi-born Tehmi is a science graduate from Bombay Uni ­ versity. As coordinator of the new wing, her administrative acumen and RHC a renowned medical center. ”gift that one can Investing in our youth is akin to invest ­ ing in the future of our community. Our community has produced an outstanding cadre of doctors, in every Select stamps area of medicine. If this tradition is Your Readers ’ Forum is headed by a to continue it is imperative that those of panel depicting postage stamps por- our youth who arc interested in and qualify for medicine must be given the necessary support, to offset the disad ­ vantage that they face on account of the reservations policy pursued by the gov ­ ernment. The trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) have decided to take a lead in this matter, with a hope that other trusts will also follow suit, and extend substantial financial support to Zoroastrian students who arc interested in and qualify for the medical disci- give to the youth. Road, Fort, Bombay 400001. SHEROO D. MASTER Joint Secretary, Bombay Parsi Punchayet c 'S' READERS’ FORUM continued from page 6 around the world to come together and celebrate as we launch our odyssey into the next millennium. With this in mind Cyrus Mehta and Piroozi Cooper, musi ­ cians from New York and Connecticut, have developed the concept of a World Zarathushti Orchestra. We invite Zarathushti musicians from all over the world to be part of the Orchestra. Professionals as wel 1 a.s ama ­ teur musicians of all ages who have attained a certain level of proficiency to play in an orchestra arc invited to apply. The pieces will be selected based on the response and will be sent to the selected other trusts will also follow suit, and The Editor replies participants. extend substantial financial support to To our knowledge India has honored Rehearsals will take place two day.s Zoroastrian students who arc interested nine Zoroastrians on postage stamps before the event, on December 26 and in and qualify for the medical disci- with two stamps each on Dadabhai December 27, 2000. All participant.s pline. The BPP trustees have specially Naoroji, Jamsetji Tata and J. R. D. Tata are expected to have become proficient earmarked a very substantial amount and one each on Homi Bhabha, Jamset- with the music prior to the conference. If there i.s a concentration of musicians in a particular city or area, they will be encouraged to have their own group rehearsals in advance of the main re ­ hearsals in Houston. Please send in details of your name, address, phone and e-mail and the in ­ strument you play. Please also answer the following on your personal playing history: •How long have you played your instru ­ ment? •List at least three major pieces in your repertoire. •Have you played in an orchestra or other ensembles? •Are you currently playing with an en ­ semble or orchestra? •How often do you currently practice? •What pieces can you sight-read com ­ fortably? •Any additional information you would like to offer. Please send your application and querie.s to Piroozi Cooper, 25.3 Spring Water Lane, New Canaan, CT 06840- 6526, USA, Telephone: 203-966-3895. Applications can also be sent to Cy ru.s .Mehta (e-mail: cyrusmchta@aol.com ). Telephone: 212-686-1581 (Work) or 212-662-0932 (Home). Visit our website www.fczana.org/ WZC 2000 DOLLY DASTOOR and HOMI DAVILR WZC20(X) co-chairs. Houston. U.SA traying Parsis. Presumably, so far, In ­ dia has printed only five such stamps. Pakistan has issued one stamp honoring a great Parsi of Karachi, Jamshed Nusserwanjee. Would you consider printing this stamp in your panel? ARDESHIR COWASJEE Karachi. Pakistan PherozeshaMehta, Jal Cooper, Ardeshir and Pirojshah Godrej. We have de­ signed three different logos, each bear ­ ing di ffercnt stamps, for use in Parsiana. Jamshed Nusserwan jee’s stamp features in this issue. ‘g g' Help aspiring doctors It is a universally known fact that a sound education is the most valuable earmarked a very substantial amount for this purpose and arc capitalizing the jeeJejeebhoy, MadameBhikhaiji Cama, same. The interest would be used to achieve the objective. The scheme will operate in a very simple manner: •Zoroastrian students who arc inter ­ ested and qualify for the medical disci ­ pline should send their applications for financial support to the BPP. ¦Depending upon the number of appli ­ cations received, the fund.s available at the material time, and other relevant data taken into consideration, the BPP would consider extending financial support on an annual basis, for the duration of the course. Naturally, for the support to be renewed, it would be incumbent upon the beneficiaries to justify it by their fine academic perfor ­ mance. •JJie support would be by way of an interest-free loan, which the beneficia ­ ries would repay to the BPP, in instal ­ ments. once they begin their medical practice and arc settled in their careers. This would enable recycling of the funds, thereby allowing more of our youth to pursue the medical career. The BPP trustee.s hope that our youth will take advantage of the facility being offered, and that members of the com ­ munity will extend their cooperation to this scheme by contributin, towards the same. Applications seeking assistance may be forwarded to the JointSecretary (Wel ­ fare) and donors may send cheques or drafts, payable to “Parsi Punchayet like share certificates, bonds, etc in a Bombay ” at the following address: Bombay Parsi Punchayct, 209, D. N. Be safe and sound In April, a 77-year-old Parsi lady living alone, Mehroo Sanga, was brutally mur ­ dered and her Napean Sea Road apart ­ ment ransacked by robbers. This is the fourth murder of an elderly Parsi lady staying alone in Bombay in recent months! Could you please, through the col ­ umns of Parsiana, warn all Parsi fami ­ lies whose elders are staying alone in Bombay that old Parsis are particularly being targeted by robbers and killers? This may be due to the fact that Parsis are usually perceived as possessing pre ­ cious heirlooms in their homes. Rob ­ bers who target Parsi homes are no longer merely looking for radios and VCRs, but are after gold and diamond jewelry, antiques and cash. Elderly members of our small com ­ munity who are left all alone after a spouse passes away and/or heirs having emigrated are especially vulnerable. I ;cncrously offer the following suggestion.s to all elderly Parsis staying alone in Bombay and elsewhere in India: •Please deposit all your precious jew­ elry and cash and important documents bcink locker. Do not flaunt any jewelry when you go to weddings or navjotes. 39 Parsiana June 1999after J. R. D. Tata — Editor 'g fe' The initials ZTFE translate into Zoro ­ astrian Trust Funds of Europe. The rea ­ son for inclusion of Europe is not fully understood. Its justification seems illu ­ sory, unless of course it is a veiled pance. This association has hitherto demonstrated an almost total involve- ment/interfacing, etc primarily with the Zoroastrian diaspora in and around London, UK. There has been little or no evidence of any meaningful interest/ overtures towards Zoroastrians in main ­ land Europe. Hence, one may aptly question the validity of including Eu ­ rope in the apparently grandiose title which translates into a misnomer. At the Annual General Meetin the outgoing president pleaded for as ­ sistance in regard to affairs pertaining to Zoroastrians in Europe. This was To equip itself for rendering meaning ­ ful service the managing committee was requested by letter (dated Novem ­ ber 25, 1997) to furnish for proper study precise requirements, bereft of ambigu- ity/expediency, enveloping openness and candidness. As yet, the expected courtesy of any response has not ma ­ tured. This discourtesy evokes the fol- The days when one could wear these NeW name fOF airport On March 24, 1999, the Government of India decided to rename Sahar Interna- Scck reality tional Airport after Chhatrapati Shivaji. ~ Let me take readers of Parsiana back to the year 1990. In that year, there was a lively correspondence in the En ­ glish print media when readers of vari ­ ous newspapers had suggested the Sahar puffed-up title overdue for comeup- airporl at Bombay be named after Mr J. R. D. Tata, the father of civil aviation in India. This writer was one of the advo ­ cates. In fact, I had gone a step further. I had made a strong representation to Mr V. P. Singh, the then Prime Minister of India, to rename Sahar Airport after Mr J. R. D. Tata. Whilst forwarding a copy of the said representation to Mr Tata, on May 5, 1990, I had urged that Mr Tata should At the Annual General Meeting not feel diffident about the renaming of (AGM) of ZTFE on November 16,1997, Sahar Airport after him, whilst he was still alive. In support, I had quoted how Victoria Dock.s in Bombay was renamed Indira Docks, when Indira Gandhi too readily offered with evident sincerity, was alive. Unlike the Government of India which did not care to reply to my repre ­ sentation, Mr ,1. R. D. Tata promptly replied to my letter on May 24, 1990. 1 quote below a few extracts from his letter which will show how modest and humble Mr Tata was: “While I am grateful for your ges ­ ture in appreciation of my services to lowing queries to the managing com- Indian aviation, I must express my in ­ ability to accept the proposal for a num ­ ber of reason.s including the other pro ­ posals already publicly propagated in favor of naming lhe airport after Shivaji Maharaj, Dr Ambedkar or Pandit Nehru and lhe fact that I have personally done nothing significant for the development matter under the carpet? ’ of the airport. “I shall, of course, always be avail ­ able to the Government of India to advise and help in connection with the expansion of the airport, if required, but there would be no possibility president Mr Dorab Mistry, when alerted of my agreeing to name it after me during my life. So I hope you will do nothing further to pursue your pro ­ posal. ’’ Nine years have passed since then, when Mr V. P. Singh i.s no more the Prime Minister of India and Mr J. R. D. Tata has passed away. BH1KHA.II M. ADENWALLA item.s and walk around with safety in Bombay are long gone. Do not even wear false jewelry; it is almost equally dangerous. If you have heirs, distribute lhe same amongst them now, rather than wait until after your death. Keep only that much cash at home as is needed to take care of immediate ex­ penses. Nowadays, in Bombay at least, cheques are accepted by wine mer ­ chants, pharmacists, doctors and gro ­ cers, so keeping a lot of cash at home i.s no longer necessary. •Instal a good peep-hole in your door. You should be able to scan the entire outside passage so that no person can hide in a corner and escape detection. In addition instal a very strong chain or safety lever so that the door cannot be forced open by an intruder. Also, if the landlord/society does not object, have a second (double) door fitted which opens outwards and which has a small win ­ dow with bars through which small articles and mail can be received with ­ out opening the door itself. •Instal a loud bell (like the onc.s used by cashiers in Irani restaurants) outside lhe apartment with a button inside lhe apart ­ ment. Inform lhe watchmen and neigh ­ bors that you will sound the bell in lhe event of an emergency. •Do not open the door to strangers un ­ der any circumstances. Asking for a glass of water is a common ruse. Other ruse.s include posing a.s a cable TV technician, gas cylinder delivery man, courier or salesman for novelty items. •After a spate of robberies in our building at Bandra (West) last year, lhe police mobile patrol regularly come.s and lakes a round of our building. They even keep a log book of their visits. Tenant.s can form a group and petition the nearest police station ’s inspector-in-charge to send a police detail to your neighborhood regularly. There i.s no charge for this service but contact and feedback must be maintained with the concerned law en ­ forcement officer regularly or else lhe patrolling may slacken after some time. •Ask close relatives to maintain a regu ­ lar check on the elderly through phone calls and visits. •If possible obtain a householder ’s in ­ surance policy, listing in detail all ar- ticles of value. Jewelry must be valued by an authorized valuer accepted by the insurance company before the policy i.s issued. ARDESHIR DAMANIA Davi.s. California. USA mittee of ZTFE: •Is this committee cognizant of the need for such action or averse to putting pen to paper? •Does it lack knowledge of its precise requirements in this context and by its ‘silent treatment ’ intends to ‘sweep the •Is this committee shy/diffident to en ­ gender openness of interfacing perhaps, as a matter of expediency/chicanery? ’ At a further AGM of ZTFE on No ­ vember 8, 1998 (almost a year later) the •) Allowing for the state of the airport it may be just as well it was not named to the aforementioned scenario, un ­ equivocally agreed to meaningfully clarify the matter ‘shortly. ’ The further ‘silent treatment ’ shown leads one to query if the ZTFE stands for; •Marginalizing the Zoroastrians of mainland Europe on the altar of expedi­ ency? •Shielding them from the rabble behav ­ ior of disruption often witnessed at Zoroastrian House? •Avoid exposing them to a gang of 40 Parsiana June 1999nonentities, specialized in delivering trivialities and statements void of con ­ tent? FURHOK K. TANGREE La Roche-sur-Foiiin. France United in Ahura Mazda and Asho Zarathushtra A.s was in the past and in all the upcoming millennia. DINAZ (SORAB) KUTAR ROGERS Albany. Oregon 41 Parsiana June 1999 •organizing trips to Diu where we first landed in India and to Bahrot and Vansda where the Pak Iranshah resided •free distribution of sudrehs and kustis to poor Parsis •the sending of lecturers all over the world •the distribution of books and religious articles through the Pundol Adaran •performance of religious ceremonies in memory of our beloved Minocher saheb. In living memory no Zarathushti has done as much as Minocher saheb to rejuvenate our sublime Zarathushti re ­ ligion. Only The Pundol Group is dedi­ cated towards the teaching of the true A special task In every aspect of mortal life Be it small or full of strife Our struggle between the forces of light and darkness Help us, only the good to harness. Given a free will to choose Each man for himself, win or lose. A special task to us is given Our lives, by these commands are driven. Good thoughts, good words and good deeds Much wisdom in these simple seeds. Grant us the courage to live up to those creed.s May it be for bigger or much smaller needs. And such is the central element of Zarathushtra ’.s message To help us, as before, to get through life ’s passage. Thi.s tenet, simple but profound Be with us till we’re heaven bound. For the cosmic battle of good and evil rejuvenation amongst India ’s Parsis that Within every Zarathoshti is driven. Glorious and blessed be the ties that bind us all Through life ’s winter, spring, summer and fall as imparted to us by The Pak Magav Sahebs of Koh-e-Demavand. Lastly but just as importantly only The Pundol Group has the vision, faith and courage to prepare all Zarathushtis for the arrival in the near future in India of our 100th Rainidar Saheb Behram CYRUS R. R. COOPER London, UK Spiritual awakening MinocherNusserwanji Pundol was born in India on September 23, 1908. Some 15 years prior to his demise on Novem ­ ber 19, 1975, the divine ruler of Koh-e- Demavand, Pak Saroshavarez Murzban Saheb communicated with Minocher. Prior to this divine contact Minocher had displayed no spiritual powers or taught aspects of Zarathushti religious jmd astrological knowledge. Thereafter his abilities shone through and he ex­ plained even the most profound of con ­ cepts in a simple manner that could be by Minocher saheb the present activi- understood by one and all. When our ties and achievements of The Pundol people took his advice and followed his Group are: teachings their lives changed immea ­ surably. Faithfully practice the tenets of our Zarathushti religion correctly and you will experience numerous bless ­ ings. Of these the most have been expe- rienced through constant daily recital of our ancient and very powerful manthra of Kshnaothra Ahurahe Maz- dao, which specifically means “Glory be thine Oh Dadar Ahura Mazda. ” Minocher saheb ’s aim was to: •Revive the faith of Zarathushtis in Dadar Ahura Mazda, Asho Zarathushtra and our consecrated atash. •Encourage all Zarathushtis to visit the Iranshah Atash Behram as often as pos ­ sible. •Wean Zarathushtis back from follow ­ ing other faiths, marrying non-Zara- thushtis, smoking and the daily obser ­ vance of non-Zarathushti practices like making a wish and then blowing out knowledge of our Zarathushti religion candles on birthdays. •Discourage belief in the false transla ­ tions of our holy Avesta manthra made by scholars and academics. •Uphold the custom of dokhmenashini and discourage Zarathushtis from hav ­ ing their bodie.s cremated or buried. •Consecrate an atash adarian near the Varjavand' Iranshah Atash Behram in Udvada. Going from door to door Minocher saheb succeeded in creating a spiritual Books available Several titles on Zoroastrianism and the subsequently reached out to all parts of history of the Parsis are available with the world. Minocher saheb began his religious endeavors with a handful of followers who by the time of his demise of the Aryan Race, 4111 Names for numbered several thousands. Even thereafter under the leadership of the very popular Udvada mobed Behram- shah Bharda, who consecrated our Dadaji Road, Tardeo, Bombay 400007, Pundol Atash Adaran on November 14, Tel 4968361. hoshang k. bulsara 1976, The Pundol Group continued to grow ever larger. After his demise three A negative reflection Udvada mobeds took charge of The We are writing to express our anger on Pundol Group. Finally during the early the release of the film Such A Long 1990s Godrej Minocher Pundol took Journey based on Rohinton Mistry ’s chargeofit. Until the adventofMinocher novel of the same name. Its content is saheb absolutely no one could explain nothing less than an insult to the intel- the true significance of our religious ligence and honor of the Zoroastrian ceremonies like hoi, who is and who is not a Zarathushti, why non-Zarathushtis should not attend our religious ceremo- nie.s or come before our consecrated atash, the effect of wearing sudreh- kusti, recital of Avesta manthra, and dokhmenashini, etc. Besides continuing the work begun indulge in utter corruption and debauch ­ ery. In short, it is a negative reflection of the Parsi community in India, and by extension, of all Parsis. If, in fact, the •maintaining the Pundol Adaran in behavior portrayed in SuchALongJour- Udvada •offering sandalwood to eight atash behrams and three adarians every day •encouraging trips to eight atash behrams 1 me. Among them are: Mazdayasni(Part I and II), Afrin! Zarathustra, The Saga Zoroastrian Boys and Girls and others. Those interested may contact me at Hoshie ’s Books, The Reward, 220, Javji Tel 4968361. c, descendants of ancient Persia. We recognize that the screenplay is based on a novel and is, therefore, fic­ tional. However, the Parsis portrayed in this film are shown to degrade the val ­ ues of the religious teachings of Asho Zarathushtra, practise pagan rituals and ney is based on events that the author recalls from his experience in India, it is a sorry reflection on Parsis and makes me question the value of the commu-nity ’.s survival. It is a pity that Parsi Zoroastrians participated as screenwriter and actors in this project. They have contributed to the shameful depiction of their own people. Would the non-Zoroastrian ac ­ tors have participated in a film that reflects so badly on their culture, reli ­ gion and community? Zoroastrians are in desperate need of a renaissance. They need to re-discover the nobility of Zoroaster ’s teachings and to renew their pride in their heri ­ tage. Instead, Such A Long Journey demonstrates to the world the commu ­ nity ’s lowest common denominators. It is a great pity that a Zoroastrian such as Rohinton Mistry, who ha.s the ability to show the world who and what we are, ha.s made such a mockery of a community that was in our youth able to hold its head high and celebrate it.s members ’ great achievements. To write a book, even one as celebrated as Such A Long Journey, limits the damage to our reputation to those who bother to read. Making a movie, in the hope of exposing an even wider audience to its message, exposes the Parsis to even wider ridicule. Perhaps in future efforts Mr Mistry will redeem himself by mak ­ ing an effort to inspire the community. .lEHANGIR M, PANTHAKY Burnaby. Canada SooniTaraporevala, screenwriter. Such A Long Journey, replies Even though viewing a film i.s a subjec ­ tive activity, it is as though Mr Panthaky has seen a completely different film from the one that is on the screen. Most audiences who have seen Such A Lonf( Journey have been moved to laughter and tears. Mr Panthaky was violently angry and deeply disgusted instead. I have been trying to figure out the rea ­ sons for his displeasure, since he does not care to be specific in his letter. What his letter doe,s do however, is make Such A Long Journey sound like it’s a combination of Kaniasutra and The Satanic Verses. And the fictional half of my brain imagines Mr Panthaky, in his house in Canada, issuing txfatwa. For those who haven ’t seen Such A elay Magazine, March 11-17, 1999 Lerng Journey, don ’t take Mr Panthaky ’ ,s word for it. You will be disappointed if you come looking for debauchery. Such A Long Journey is aboutordinary people, Parsis and non-Parsis, how they struggle and survive againstoverwhelmingodds, with their compassion, faith, and yes, 42 Parsiana June 1999 Roshan Seth anel Shazneen Daniania in Such A Long Journey even their sense of humor, intact. It i.s not a story about humorless saints and perfect people. If that i,s the story Mr Panthaky wishc.s to see, he should write it himself. Such A Long Journey was nomi ­ nated for 12 Genie awards (Canada ’.s equivalent of the Oscars), it won three. It ha.s been a box office success across the length and breadth of Canada. There was a special screening of the film in Ottawa for the Canadian Parliament. It has been reviewed in every Canadian newspaper with great affection. I quote from a random selection of Canadian reviews (it has yet to be released in. other countries) only to make this point: that these revie wer.s seem to have missed the debauchery, mockery, insults and ridicule that Mr Panthaky saw. “People can relate to a great film, regardless of the setting. Such A Long article on Dina Mehta. Also interesting. Journey is this kind of film. It is a warm especially the credit given to Jiten Mer- and rewarding film about the triumph chant, director of A Sister Like You, and of the spirit under adversity. ” The Gate­ way, March 4, 1999 “Thanks to the universality of its characters and humanistic underpin ­ nings, this is a tale that i.s by turns wry, tragic, violentand life-affirming. ” Mon- "Such A Lonf^ Journey is a wonder ­ ful. beautiful and emotionally moving film. The relationship.s were rich. The messages unfolded like a flower com ­ ing into bloom... This film is about universal ideas and values. Love. Loy ­ alty to a friend. Our hunger to believe in something. The possibility of sharing that grace with others. ” National Post, March 5, 1999 Etc, etc, etc — all in the same vein. In case there is any doubt about the truth of the above, I will enclose with this letter the package of reviews for Parsiana to verify. When I started writing the script six years ago, I asked Rohinton Mistry to tell me what the essence of his book was about. He replied: “It’s about how a little man survives everything that life throws at him, without losing his hu ­ manity. ” Gustad Noble, the main character, is not Noble in name only. In his life and deeds we see true Zoroastrianism at work. Rohinton Mistry has no need to redeem himself. It i.s Mr Panthaky ’s reaction that is the matter of shame. Past pupils The issue of January 1999 brought news of two of my pupils. Dr Yasmin Thanavala receiving an award for Ex­ cellence in Profession at the 11th North American Zoroastrian Congress at Rye, New York. What a pleasure to see Yas ­ min ’s intelligence, drive and hard work justly rewarded! Then on page 20 a familiar face peered out, our own ex­ student Homee Wadia! Never can the St Xavier ’s Boys ’ Academy forget him and his capers! It was wonderful read ­ ing about his views and realizing that that clever, practical boy is still as sen ­ sible as he ever was. It was a joy to have taught him. It is a greater joy to know what a right thinking, humane man he has grown into. Homee ’s spirit is one that I have always admired, even though he was dubbed “The Holy Terror ” of our school! The issue of December ’98 had an also an ex-student. He was one of our most outstanding thespians on the Acad ­ emy stage. A little disappointing was the letter: “For the affluent aged, ” (Read ­ ers ’ Forum, Parsiana, December 1998) on NRIs doing social work for the afflu ­ ent. Does no one think of the middle ­ middle class? What a pity that we don ’t study the organization of such homes in the Christian community and start some ­ thing on the lines of the Even-Tide Homes in Bangalore! amy bhal Edited by Parinaz M. GandhiRELIGION Once in Neemuch Barely a score of Zoroastrians remain in Neemuch to worship at the 101-year-old Dar-e-Mehr Parinaz M. Gandhi new rooms at the Government Civil “There was a time when 35 of us from the Jal family would be sitting down for a meal together. Today there may not even be two, ” states Pheeroze Jal to illustrate how the Parsi community in Neemuch has been gradu- ally dwindling, leavmgjust T 15-20 members from five families to participate in ; each others ’ joys and sor ­ rows. Not surprisingly, there were only around 35 Zo ­ roastrians in attendance at the centenary celebrations of their Seth Cawasji Jeevanji Mevawaia Dar ­ c-Mehr on January 17, 1999 to mark the 101st anniversary of the agiary in Ncemuch. Bomi Heer- jee, president of the neigh ­ boring Indore Anjuman, was the chief guest on the occasion. A jashan in the morning followed by an intercity meet of the anjumans of Madhya Pradesh (MP), with sightseeing in and around Neemuch in the afternoon and evening were the highlights of the day when guests from Indore, Udaipur, Mhow and Ratlam enjoyed the hospitality of their Neemuch coreligionists. Situated on the border of MP and Rajasthan, Neemuch enjoys a salubri- OUS and temperate climate throughout the year. It stands about 150 miles from Ajmer, between the military canton ­ ments of Nasirabad and Mhow and amidst the historic capitals of Gwalior, Chittor and Indore. The British knew it “Around 50 years ago nearly half of ¦il 1! ¦•st u one crore rupees per day, it is important from the commercial point of view too. Hospital, the details are enumerated in their sou ­ venir brought out on the occasion of the Neemuch belonged to Parsis, ” states Jal. Dar-e-Mehr ’s centenary. Among the first members of the com ­ munity to reach Neemuch was Cawasji Jeevanji Mevawaia, a civil contrac- . tor. The Victoria Barracks ‘ that he built are known to have housed the British troops in 1936 and thereaf ­ ter served as the training center for the Crown Rep­ resentative Police (subse ­ quently renamed Central . Reserve Police Force). The L Parsi Bawdi (well), Cawasji , Mansion and many other T buildings were also erected fl by Mevawaia who opted to I** change his surname to Con ­ Neemuch Dar-e- Mehr named after (left) Cayvasji Mevawaia. Right: Pheerozeshaw Jal tractor. Realizing the need for a fire-temple in the area to sustain the religiou.s fervor of the growing Zoroastrian population (there were 150- 200 of them nearly 100 years ago), he instructed his three sons Cooverji, Pheerozeshaw and Framji to build an agiary in his name and hand it over to the Neemuch Parsi Anju- man. Contractor died in 1889 and as per his will his sons built the Dar-e-Mehr which was consecrated on mah Amardad, roz Spandarmad YZ 1267 corresponding to January 17, 1898. The '5 b--. 1 ¦ as Nimach (an acronym for the North • y. Those not familiarwith the area may be surprised to learn that Pheerozeshaw Road, one of the main streets of Ncemuch was built by Parsis, Indian Mounted Artillery and Cavalry that waler for the Fawara Chowk in the architecture and layout of the fire-temple Headquarters) Cantonment established middle ol the city is supplied by the was entrusted to Bhikaji Nariman by theBritishresidentMajGenSirDavid Ochterlony. The largest opium growing area in the country, having 85 percent morphine content, is located in Nee- much. The Government Opium Factory and the recently built alkaloid factory are the other landmarks. As the Neemuch Grain Mandi claims a turnover of about middle of the city is supplied by the well dug by Parsis, that the Government Marfitia. Middle School was built by members of the Mevawaia family, that Jamshedji Park opposite the fire-temple is named after a community stalwart, that Zoro ­ astrians financed the construction of three new class rooms at the Govern ­ ment HigherSecondary School and three formed by Jamaspasa with the first The requisite ijashne and vendidad ceremonies prior to enthroning the fire were conducted under the instructions of Dastur Khurshedji Jamshedji Jamas- pasa who had come from Mhow for the purpose. The first jashan too was per- 43 Parsiana June 1999 IT’lBn ¦ ! •*/* 1 J 1 JI Above: Khursheed Contractor who was felicitated by the Anjuinan Right: Participants at the centenary celebrations posing for a group photo (above) anel partaking q/'chasni at the agiary ini»<Hi)iiM ..COME ;o THE CENTENAW CELEBWWNS OF THE lEVflWALA WRt WO iS'W ! i f id' (T- 'c' panthaky of the agiary Ervad Rustomji Dadabhoy Dordi officiating in all the ceremonies. Thereafter at the commu ­ nity gathering of the Neemuch Parsis, Pheerozeshaw Pestonji Jal, who h^td donated the land on which stand.s the by Cawasji Contractor ’s brother-in-law Dar-e-Mehr, was elected the first presi ­ dent of the Anjuman, the historical nug ­ gets are provided in the souvenir. Even prior to the agiary in their midst, there was built by Aderjee Bhikaji Erawa in Neemuch a Tower of Silence along with a bungli in 1877. Near the Tower is an aramgah where still exists the tomb ­ stone of Sohrabji Rustomji Mirza, dated YZ 1241, corresponding to 1871 AD. Erawa was head clerk in the Mewar political agency and there were “many other well decorated Parsis who were in government service in and around Nee­ much, ’’ mention,s Jal. From the Contractor family, Cawas- ji’s great-granddaughter Khursheed Contractor in whose name the cinema house Khursheed Talkies was built by her father Jehangir, i.s the lone surviv ­ ing member in Neemuch. The firm Pheerozeshaw and Company, founded Pestonji Jal (he was the father of Ncemuch Anjuman ’s first president Phcerozeshaw Jal) in 1834, remains with the family who operate their busi ­ ness as general merchants and dealers of Bharat Petroleum Limited and Anjuman. Yamaha from their premises on Pheerozeshaw Road. Pheerozeshaw ’s brother Bapuji was a member for 50 years of the Nccmuch Cantonment Board which subsequently became the Municipal Council, mentions Pheeroze Jal. Bapuji had also been made Khan Bahadur and his enterprising nature earned him the Kaiser-E-Hind medal. Descendants of the Jal family con ­ tinue to serve the Anjuman to this day with Phecrozc Jal ’s mother Mani being Mehr fire has been reduced from an the president and his brother Noshir the treasurer. Jer Mody is the secretary of the Neemuch Parsi Anjuman. In addi ­ tion to the Dar-e-Mehr and Tower of change offivega/z5. Lest the Anjuman ’s 44 Parsiana June 1999 Silence, the Anjuman also owns the buildings in the agiary compound which are rented out as residential cum com ­ mercial premises, plus some farmlands, all of which have to bejudiciously man ­ aged to ensure maximum returns for the Considering that the eldest in their midst is 94 years old, and the youngest nine years, with the majority being over 50 years, the Neemuch Anjuman is deliberating on the proposal put forth at the celebrations to constitute an associa ­ tion of anjumans in MP. Presently they have Ervad Rohinton Karanjia who ministers to the members ’ religious needs and tends the agiary fire but they also know that the status of their Dar-e- adarian to a dadgah because there was a spell when they could find no priest to offer the mandatory boi prayers at the.i. fortably on Rs 2,000 per month in Neemuch, ” claims Jal. Vegetables are available for two or four rupees per kilo, he discloses. * * II “Around 50 years ago nearly half of Neemuch belonged to the Parsis ” Buiifili near the dokhina needs extensive repairs asset.s valued at over two crore rupce.s suffer a similar fate for want of Zoroas ­ trians in the city, the proposed associa ­ tion of MP anjumans would ensure that community properties are not misap ­ propriated, it was pointed out. Among the other families who had settled in Neemuch, happily engaged in ¦ ; their business or profession or serviee, were lhe Marfatias, Tavadias, Post- wallas and Commissariats. Some like the Tavadias are no more. This family had seven son.s of whom only two mar ­ ried, when they were well past 50 years of age! Over the years, many started to migrate to the cities, rue.s Pheeroze Jal who recommends that Zoroastrians suf ­ fering in Bombay should think of relo ­ cating to Neemuch. “You can stay com ­ Not his father ’s generation, but the one before that should get credit for building up Neemuch, for succeeding in their enterprises, for earning good money, believes Pheeroze Jal. They were the ones who slogged: “Patharphodi ne paani kaariu (cracked stones to draw water). ” Regrettably, the subsequent genera ­ tions were not able to maintain their status and hold which proved disastrous for the small, isolated pocket of Zoroas ­ trians. As Jal further points out, “It is unfortunate that the discipline, the val ­ ues, the sanskaras, the heritage of which Zoroastrians were once so proud is now getting lost. ” With Best Wishes From Mr Rusy M. Shroff, M.B.E. 46 Parsiana June 1999 and Mrs Purviz R. ShroffINSTITUTIONS WZO’s new office The parent body of the World Zoroastrian Organisation establishes its own office in Bonnbay Arnavaz S. Mama Two efficiently equipped rooms com ­ prise the new Bombay office of the World Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO), UK. Situated atop the building Shanti, in line with the Banaji Limji Agiary, the office comprises two work areas, a waiting room and a director ’s cabin. There is even a little pantry tucked away — all laid out by architect Rustom Hathi who, since he designed their Senior Citizens ’ Centre in Navsari, ha.s become the WZO’s in-house designer. He is overseeing their new constructions in Navsari and, presumably in Sanjan, when they start the work in con ­ verting the Davierwala Bun ­ galow there into a holiday center for the undeiprivileged of the community as per WZO. UK vice president and Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustee Dinshaw Tamboly who also manage.s the three WZO trusts in In ­ dia. The cost of setting up the WZO’s Shanti office ha.s been financed by former WZO chairperson Dr Shirin- banoo Kutar in memory of her husband Dastur (Dr) Sohrab Kutar. (The office of the WZO’s India chapter continues care of Union Press.) Technically these premise.s beloii to the Seven Sea.s Securities Private office. (Below) Keki Palia helping Limited (SSS) formed by Tamboly and his wife Bachi. After acquiring permis ­ sion for international fund.s to deal in real estate the Tambolys invited WZO, UK to buy SSS shares. Now, only one share each belong,s to Tamboly and Bachi, jhe balance of 60,000 having By March 31, 1999 they had received been acquired by the WZO. WZO chair ­ man Shahpur Captain and WZO presi ­ dent Rumy Sethna are now directors of SSS. If after three years this office shuts 48 Parsiana June 1999 down, they will be permitted to repatri ­ ate the funds, informs Tamboly. The rural welfare project i,s proceed ­ ing apace from its base in Navsari with Firoze Panthaky and Farokh Cassad hitherto this facility has been restricted working together with Bachi. The entre ­ preneurship project, fully financed by mn, : IMSli r » (Top) Toiiiholy in the directoi ’s with the administration the Mancckbai Jejeebhoy Trust contin ­ ues to give interest-free loans to entre ­ preneurial candidates who are required to repay the loan in 40equal instalments. over Rs 50.35.000 in repayments, in ­ formed Tamboly. So far they have en ­ countered only five to six “bad cases ” who are basically lazy, and three autorickshaws and one taxi were recov ­ ered and given to others to run, he adds. The Senior Citizens ’ Centre ’s 20 in ­ mates (as against a capacity for 44 — Funds to the underprivileged of the commu ­ nity) enjoy indoor games like carrom and become quite competi ­ tive. December 31/January 1 was party time with noted Bombay solicitor Burjor Antia as guest of honor. (Antia is now a trustee of all the three WZO India trusts, viz The World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust, The WZO Trust for Women and Children, and The WZO Trust Funds informs Tamboly.) Over Jamshedi Navroz the whole lot of them were sent for a four-day out ­ ing to Udvada ’s Noshirwan Hotel. A residential building of ground plus three storie.s with ample parking space has been constructed at Navsari on a property gifted to the WZO by the Chichgar fam ­ ily in memory of their grand ­ parents. The family has settled abroad. Development funds were provided by the Maneckbai Jejeebhoy Trust. They have already received applications for allotment of which only one or two are from Bombay, the rest being mainly from rural areas around Navsari, but allotments are yet to be made, says Tamboly. Another plot has been acquired opposite Sohrab Bang near the Atash Behram where they are planning 25 to 30 flats in a four-sto ­ reyed structure. Twenty-four mobeds get monthly support from the Athornan Mandal- WZO scheme for mobeds thereby en ­ suring that they remain full-time mobeds, informs Tamboly . The WZO youth wingimplement because over the years we have collected substantial assets. We’ve built a solid base of individual mem ­ bers. We can ’t just wish them away! ” “If FEZANA and the Indian Federa ­ tion join together to form another body, so be it! The WZO will continue to do — of which Sarosh Bana is president, Mancher Karbhari, vice president and Mehcrnosh Daruwalla, treasurer — raised four lakh rupees through their Jamshedi Navroz function. Tamboly Tamboly is emphatic, look.s upon them a.s the next line ol workers in community service: “com ­ mitted. dedicated... hopefully a nucleus for the future. ” Prospects are not quite as rosy on the world body front. “It looks like we may be back to square one. ” notes Tamboly on to their original positions, ruefully. Sethna and FEZANA (Federa ­ tion of Zoroastrian Association.s of North America) ’s Rohinton Rivetna had held prolonged negotiations for a world body what it can. We re not going to pack up constitution for WZO which had been accepted by WZO’s managing commit ­ tee and was due to be put before a special general meeting, says Tamboly. According to him Keki Gandhi, honor ­ ary secretary of the Federation ol Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India is insist ­ ing on a 75 percent representation for anjumans on the world body. “We will go only up to 50/50 (otherwise it) would mean that the individuals ’ say would be completely diluted and very difficult to of it. “Whenever there ’s adversity there ’s opportunity. But it must be seen and grasped, ” Tamboly spelt out his credo. He is concerned that the BPP was mentally written off by people although “the board is now very cohe ­ sive and the basic thrust is shifting care. “A fund of over a crore of rupees is being earmarked whose annual inter- in basic management for the staff since the past two to three months with a program administered by Dr H. Atthreya. The bone of contention between the Indian Federation and the WZO has been the equal voting rights enjoyed by Irom housing to education and medi an individual and an association/anju- man in the WZO constitution, so it does seem a.s though both sides are holding est will be used to help defray the high cost of medical education that indi ­ viduals are becoming increasingly un ­ able to afford. Help to entrepreneurs is also underway with a dentist and a garments manufacturer being the first two beneficiaries. Tamboly has a lot of hope for the newly launched The BPP Review, the BPP’s newsletter, with it.s and go away! In the new scheme of things will the BPP continue to enjoy veto power? Without veto power will theBPPgointoit?(BPPlrustccs)Rustom nine-member editorial team. Also there Tirandaz and Dinshaw Mehta keep talk ­ ing of (the BPP as) the apex body of the world. ” Tamboly informed Parsiana that to ’ is “no longer the master-employee mentality ” between the BPP trustees and the administration, he says, crediting the BPP chief executive Behram Dastur as philanthropist Naryman Dubash had having started on-the-job training courses suggested the formation of a council of dasturs but despite lhe efforts of Ervads Pervez Bajan and Antia, nothing came to MATCH YOUR AMBITION TO A CAREER Executive Secretarial Course Private Secretarial Course <0 Personal Assistants ’ Programme (Working Stenographers) Office Assistants ’ Course Computer Packages Shorthand Typewriting: English, Hindi, Marathi < Telephone Operating-cum-Receptionist Techniques <0 English Conversation & Writing Skills Interview Techniques <0 Personality Development Business Etiquette Diploma Course in Business Management (Postal) (IMC) Contact us for: Job Placement & In-Company Training Programmes 'Ce''h% Sir J. J. College of Commerce ?zn 14, Nanabhoy Lane, Hutatma Chowk, Mumbai 400001 Tel: 2X71058/2844329, Fax: 2871185, E-mail: jjcc@bom5.vsnl.net.in Web address; http://IMCnet.org/associations/jjcollege YEARS 50 Parsiana June 1999BUSINESS Jimmy Talati: The time merchant For a small fee Farnaz Couriers offers you a unique, personalized courier service 'Fcilctti: ojjerinf' a unique service 9821043157. 9820143157. Call these two magic numbers and almost any errand you want within Bombay will be attended to. A McDonalds ’ hamburger delivered to your office at Nariman Point. A blood test report to be picked up from the pathological laboratory in Cohiba and delivered to your doctor ’.s clinic in Dadar. A balcony ticket for the 6.30 p.m. show at Regal cinema, to be deliv ­ ered to your home at Andheri . The phone bill to be col- fi lected from your residence, d paid and returned. No matter ¦ how absurd the task may *! seem, be it business or per- sonal, Jimmy Tahiti, an en ­ ergetic man of 58, will get it done. It is his business to do Photo: Gustasp Irani so and he runs it under the name of Farnaz Couriers. “Farnaz Couriers is more than just another courier company. We do far more than just collect and deliver pack ­ ets and parcels. I don ’t know of anyone else who provides the kind of personal ­ ized service we do, ” says Tahiti. Per ­ sonalized to the extent that he will inform you if the air conditioner in a movie house for which you want tickets i.s not working. Or if a parcel cannot be collected, rather than return empty- handed, he will immediately call back explaining the circumstances so that you know exactly what the problem is and take steps to solve it. Noted columnist Anil Dharker mar- .vels at the brilliance and simplicity of Tahiti ’s efforts. Writing in The Times of Indio, he observes that it is only after someone has the ingenuity to make it happen that one starts to appreciate the opened his oil ice by switching on his convenience of the personalized cou ­ rier service that Tahiti provides. Being a pioneer Tahiti admits has it.s special problems, especially when it come.s to explaining what exactly is the nature of his work. A Brand Equity report in The Economic Times credit.s 51 Parsiana June 1999 Gustasp Irani Talati with refining the concept of a service provider of everyday “conve ­ niences. ” It goes on to state: “such services can be termed FMCS.s or fast moving consumer services. ” Talat* however sees things a little differently: “I suppose you can call u.s time merchants. ” Elaborating on the concept he adds: “What we are do- PSTMH ing is selling time to people stance the charge for paying a tele- who value it. The time we save them by doing neces- JbF sary tasks, like paying their electricity bill for instance, can be invested more pro- ductively. ” Another way of looking at Farnaz Couriers, accord ­ ing to Talati, i.s that it pro- vide.s a temporary peon to individuals, small busi ­ nesses, the self-employed or anyone who cannot afford to employ one on a full-time basis. “Even businesses with their own peons find il more convenient to gel certain tasks done through u.s. This way they can use their staff more efficiently in the office rather than have them wasting lime standing in a queue or waiting for a bus." In justafewycars the business which started as a home based operation ha.s grown large enough to move into a separate office of its own near Metro cinema. Most of his new business comes through advertisements placed in the lociil papers and by word of mouth: happy clients pass on hi.s telephone numbers to others who could use his services. It was around 9.30 in the morning when we visited the premises and Talati two mobile phones. Almost immedi ­ ately one of them started to ring. The person at the other end of the line had an urgent job. Certain car components had to be picked up before 12 noon from a friend's home in Wadala and delivered before 3 p.m. to a garage at Lalbaug. Tahiti scribbled down the details in a logbook and assured the caller the job would be done. No, Tahiti did not know the caller; this was the first time the person had got in touch with his office. “My business survives on credit as I collect only when the task is completed. ” Charges are nominal and depend on the nature of the work and the time involved. For in ­ phone or electricity bill (that includes collecting and returning it from your home/office) is around Rs 25 per bill. Likewise home delivery of movie tick ­ ets costs Rs 25 per ticket in addition to the ticket price. (“Not only am 1 saving you time, but I also save you two trips to the movie house: the up and down to buy the ticket at the advance booking counter. Now if you live in Borivli or Andheri, you will appreciate the ser ­ vice I am providing. ”) Urgent jobs, especially when they involve taking taxis, naturally cost more. The risk of people not paying i.s very real but Talati is willing to take the chance. He believes that in addition to hard work, trust (“faith in humanity, ” as he terms it) is an equally important investment in his business. Yes, there are a few occasions when people have not paid for his services but such in ­ stances are rare and Talati treats them a.s occupational risks. “For each one person who dupe.s me there are hun ­ dreds who bless me, ” says Talati. And their blessings are his bank of goodwill. “Il is a satisfying feeling knowing that I am able to earn a living serving people, ” says Talati. Those who know Talati realize that this is not an empty platitude. His ser ­ vices are free for charitable institutes and senior Parsi citizens (above the age of 65 and living alone). The only re ­ quest that Talati makes in such case.s is that they do not insist on urgency and allow him to fit their work into his schedule. Also don ’t be surprised if you find that the deliveryman attending totfZ your call is handicapped. Talati be ­ lieves that their lives are difficult enough and they deserve whatever breaks they can get. And Talati pays them the same salary a.s his able-bodied staff mem ­ bers. Currently there are 12 members on his payroll. But Farnaz Couriers i.s a family run busines.s in the true sense of the word. Talati ’.s wife Khorshed and his two college-going children Homi and Farnaz help out in whatever way and capacity they can. In fact they lormed the backbone and support sys ­ tem when he started out on thi.s new venture. And it all started withJerry Maguire. Cadbury Schweppes had used the movie to launch their new soft drink in India, Canada Dry. A.s part of the promotional drive they offered home delivery of movie tickets on condition that the re ­ cipient buy one six-pack case of the drink at a special introductory price. Talati was appointed to execute the operational side of the campaign. Once the job was over, people kept ringing him up and requesting him to buy them ticket.s for other movies, at a service charge naturally. Talati realized that if people willing to pay for making home deliv ­ ery of movie tickets, they would also be willing to pay someone to perform their errand.s and odd jobs. It was a niche that had been long ignored and Talati de­ cided to fill it, and with much succes.s \Ve might add. The fact that he was past 50 and pioneering a new trade did not faze him unduly for the truth was that he was on a familiar wicket — movies, which had been his passion and line of work ever since he could remember. After com ­ pleting his Inter Science at National Col lege, Bandra (he passed out of school from St Xavier ’s near Metro in 1954) he were cr 53 Parsiana June 1999 R Witli wife Khorshed and children Hoini and Farnaz Photo: Gustasp Irani ventured into the real world of cinema. Over the years he exhibited movies in theaters in Nasik and Ahmednagar as well as at matinee and week ­ end morning shows in Bombay. He developed a particular skill for writing catch phrases and slogans that would lure the public into the halls. (There was a time when his Hindi trans- lation.s of English titles at Alexandra cinema made regular news in the city ’s evening papers.) Other movie distribu ­ tors and cinema halls soon recognized his talent and drafted him into writing advertisement copy for them. This led to the establishment of Farnaz Adver ­ tising that was later the platform from which he launched his new avatar a.s a time merchant. But time, according to Talati, is run ­ ning out for the Parsi community. The numbers arc dwindling and there seems to be very little anyone can do about it. It is a matter of pure mathematics: l-i-l = 1 when you are looking at reproduc ­ tion equations. And since Parsi couples are unwilling to put the formula into el feet more than twice in their lifetime, it will never balance. “Look around you. Most Parsi families have one or at maximum two children. We are not even replacing ourselves. We are doomed to extinction, ” he laments and he cannot sec where the solution lies. What the community can do while it is still around i.s be true to it.s religion, Zoroastrianism. According to Talati, one find.s Parsis in almost every other house of worship, be it a mosque, temple or church. Yet in fire-temples entry is restricted to Parsis only. If Zoroastrian ­ ism does not allow conversion, then the least the community that professes the religion can do is be “loyal ” to it. “You have to be loyal to the family you are born into, ” says Talati. Of course, Talati ha.s a very healthy respect tor other religions though he may not worship at their altars. In fact his bu.sines.s is built on the foundation of trust in all humanity regardless of their faith. According to him, without this there was no way he could have tured into uncharted territory and ccedcd as a “time merchant. ” ven- suc- With best wishes from Farah & TanyaBOOKS Rave about the brave Hormazdyar S. Dalal Pa rag: Parsi Samajni Gatha by Bapsy Engi­ neer. Published in 1998 by Navkalp Publica­ tion, C-502, Kausambi Flat. Near Four Roads, Mahalaxmi, Paldi, Ahmedabad 380007. Pp: 107. Price: Rs 75. There were others too. Putlibai, a cropped up between Vansda and Dha- rampur, two small states in Gujarat, creative writer of repute, daughter-in- Palan led the small Dharampur army law of Kaikhushru Kabraji, wrote for and won the battle. And when the .SVrccand other well-knowti maga- Navsari ruler deprived him of his favor ­ ite horse, he decided to regain the mare at the cost of his life. He was a trained warrior with a heart of steel. In those ancient day.s when dacoity member of the Bombay Presidency Women ’s Council and National Coun ­ cil of Women, Meherben Contractor was a world- famous puppeteer who won zines of the time and edited Chambers ’ Short Stories in the last century. And if Meherbai, the wife of Dorab Tata was an outstanding social worker, founder was common, Palan was a terror. His name was enough to send shivers in the bandits ’ hearts. He always stood by an award from the SangeetNatyti Acad- the poor and the weak to protect their live.s and prop ­ erty against the heartless exploiters. Another such fearless soul wa.s Pesi Wadia of Billimora, a brave swords ­ man. Engineer describe.s him successfully in her in ­ imitable prose. Of the seven more such episodes, the one that strik ­ ingly appealed to this reviewer narrates the prowess of Darabshah Mody, his wife Rattanbai and old mother Maneck ­ bai. Skillful hunters, all three were brave and ready to face the dangers of life. “Three Shikaris" is a story to remem ­ ber. Other heroic figures dealt with in this section are ‘Manchi Pahelvan, ’ ‘Rustom Ekdast,' ‘ShahpurSandh, ’ ‘VeerBurjor ’ and ‘Bejon Gando. ’ All of them are true characters who lived a hundred years ago. But if the men of yesteryear were a Bapsy Engineer is one of the very few Parsi authors, not more than five or six, writing in chaste Gujarati. Not much known a.s a Gujarati writer to Bombay Parsis, she is fairly popular with readers in Gujarat for her short stories for chil ­ dren. She has also won a the poor and the weak to emy in 1984. couple of prize.s from the protect their lives and prop- In the second part of the book Engi- Gujarat Sahitya Sabha. ci ty against the heartless neer has also included men who were Parag is a major collec- exploiters. excellent in their chosen fields of work tion written for adults by En- Another such fearless and had gained fame. They are Dastur ineer. It is outstanding for soul was Pesi Wadia of Meherji Rana and Rustomji Ghorkhodu the author ’s command over Billimora, a brave swords- or ‘Parsi Rustomji ’ as described by the Gujarati language as spo- man. Engineer describes Gandhiji in his biography, who was ken in Gujarat; and for her him successfully in her in- once instrumental in saving Gandhiji ’s selection of 28 episodes of Engineer: simple, imitable prose. lifeinSouth Africa when he was mobbed valor involving Parsi men poetic prose Of the seven more such by a huge crowd. Khurshedji Banaji, a and women mainly of the episodes, the one that strik- fearless Parsi had the courage to face last century. ingly appealed to this reviewer narrates his white superiors for his rights, and The 28 episodes not only evoke the the prowess of Darabshah Mody, his others like Prof Feroze Davar, whose past history of the community, but also wife Rattanbai and old mother Maneck- names will figure for ages in Parsi his- throw light on the bold, brave and gen- bai. Skillful hunters, all three were brave tory. erous lifestyle of its members. The Ian- and ready to face the dangers of life. But perhaps the most attractive piece guage alway.s fits the subject; the char- “Three Shikaris" is a story to remem- of the collection is “Tapine Smarane. ’’ acters are life-like, appearing in flesh ber. In this prose poem Engineer has de- and blood before the readers ’ eyes. Other heroic figures dealt with in this scribed the fury, as also the beauty of Engineer ’s prose i,s simple, poetic, her section are ‘Manchi Pahelvan, ’ ‘Rustom the river Tapi. In powerful images she imagery strong and flowing. Ekdast,' ‘Shahpur Sandh, ’ ‘VeerBurjor ’ has captured all the moods of the Tapi The book is in two parts. Part one ha.s and ‘Bejon Gando. ’ All of them are true she has experienced. As a daughter of nine episodes dealing with Parsi wres- characters who lived a hundred years Surat, she has done full justice to this tiers, expert shikaris and professional ago. famous river of Gujarat. gunmen of an age gone by. The collec- But if the men of yesteryear were OtherwriterslikethelateDhunsukh- tion opens with a beautiful pen-picture fearless and trained wrestlers, Parsi lai Mehta and Jyotindra Dave have sung of ’’Mahran Mamavaji-Mamaijina Ja- manaman (in the day.s of my grandfa ­ ther and grandmother). ’’ It evoke.s they were also religious and given to memories ofan era that has disappeared; works of charity. In fact, religion was rigid in some ways, it was yet simple, their strength. ‘Punya-Swarup Koover- happy and prosperous. Again, the Ian- bai Darasha Contractor ’ was one such guage used by Engineer in re-creating lady, a widow who decided to save such an alluring domestic picture is simple yet forceful. Parakrami Palan is the first episode in partone, under the general title “Parsi lady was ‘Paropkari Dhanbai ’ who Pahelvano. ” Engineer has graphically pulled down the roof of her house to narrated the heroics of Palan. a brave save men, women and children from the and bold spirit. Once, when friction fury of the Tapi. women were in no way inferior to them, the glory of Surat, but they left out Tapi. Not only did they possess brave hearts, Perhaps they did not like her ferocious temper. But Tapi is mother personified for all the Surtis. She is furious as well as kind. Engineer has seen both sides of this mother, and her word-picture of Tapi will live in Gujarati literature for a long time to come. Another attractive feature of Parag is the short piece written by way of an introduction, “Dhanyavad, ” by the noted writer Shri Raman Soni. Surely Parag will be welcomed by all lovers of Gu ­ jarati language and literature. hundreds of human lives and animals facing death due to successive droughts in Gujarat. Another such large-hearted 54 Parsiana June 1999MILESTONES The age of Zoroastrian brides (as listed in this issue) ranged between 23 and 33 years, the arithmetic mean (the total num­ ber of individual ages divided by the total number of brides) being 26 years. The correspond ­ ing figures for the grooms were 25 and 39 years, averaging at 30 years. As compared to nine births in Bombay in April there were 96 deaths. Heart disease, the major killer, accounted for 41 deaths of whom 23 were in the 80 + age group. Pneumonia/lung disease claimed 13 lives, old age/general debility, seven, can­ cer, six and kidney failure, four. Three victims each fell prey to disease.s of the brain and liver, and hypertension. Diabetes, asthma, anemia, bronchitis and cerebral malaria felled two pa ­ tients each. Among the nine iso­ lated case.s were atherosclerosi.s (the deposition of fatty sub­ stances in the arteries), Alzhei ­ mer ’s disease, "haemorrhage and shock due to cut throat in­ jury," death due to hanging, in­ testinal obstruction, multiple traumatic fracture of the skull and ribs, arthritis, septicemia and tuberculosis, A stillborn baby girl and five youths, aged 16, 24, 30, 34 and 39, were also lost to the community. The coroner ’s report was still pend- AHMEDABAD DIED Hilla Kersy Lalkaka IJ2). mother of Eruch and Dinaz Hosi Wadia on April 9, 1999 BOMBAY BORN' A girl to Tanaz and Neville Buhariwalla; April 1 A girl to Hutoxi and Khurshed Anklesaria; April 14 A girl to Khushi and Cyrus Vevaina; April 15 A girl to Gulshan and Dinsliow Rasaldar; April 19 A girl to Parveen and Rajeev Gupta; April 20 A girl to Khursheed and Cyrus Marfatia; April 22 A girl to Jernaz and Mehernosh Mehta; April 23 A girl to Jasmin and Hoshang Kuka; April 28 A boy to Natasha and Rishad Lalla; April 30 56 Parsiana June 1999 ing in the case of one death. The April 11 eldest to breathe her last was a 94-year-old lady. The Zoroas ­ trian life expectancy at birth for April, in Bombay, was 74 years. The data on births, marriagc.s and deaths ha.s been compiled from information supplied by variou-s newsletters and anju­ mans in India and abroad, courts and hospitals. This information is not alway.s complete or con­ sistent; wc are unable to carry data from areas where lhe anjumans do not furnish the par ­ ticulars; the birth figure.s for Bombay arc supplied by four hospilaks — births in suburban hospitals and private nursing homes are not included unlcs.s individuals send us information together with a copy of lhe birih certificate. There may be an in­ advertent l epelition of names in the marriage list when a civil marriage precede.s a religious ceremony. In lhe breakup of deaths according to illnesses, especially of the elderly, death i.s often due to a combination of several diseases. If readers have any births/ marriages/deaths they would like published, some proof to ensure the veracity of lhe report would be required. We arc sure our readers would appreciate this requirement and cooperate with us. MARRIED Mcihrukh Daily Lum and Sarah Minna Panday; January 6 Paiizad Rahinton Kasad and Zubin Parvez. Zaithashti- maneslr, March 1 I Meher Minao Patel and Freddy Farainraj Bliesania oF Bhesan; March 28 NilaitJ'er Pliiroze Sirvala of Poona and Rayainand Jal Salui; March 28 Jennifer Raliinlan Sliraff imii Piruz Navraz.e Taraparevalir April 2 Meker Hanii Bhatkena and Tekeintan Behrain Dainania; Apfil 4 Hutokshi Jani sited Kadkkadai and Rayantand Hanti Giini; April 4 Nuzneen Hami Mudan and Janisheed Naval Patel; April 8 Monaz Adi Colahawalla and Nazer Barjorji MeJientv; Kainaz Jimmy Khan and Farzan Bonn Void; April 19 Dilnavaaz Noshir Mistry and Cyrus Minoo Contractor; April 22 Kashinira Soli Patrawala and Adil Kohad Limhuwalla; April 24 Benaifer Rusi Canteenwalla and Huskidar Eruch Bkatkena; April 25 Hutoxi Minoo Mis try of Thane and Jehaiigir Noshir Sagar; April 30 Jennifer Dali Wadia and Shahrukh Dali Sukheswalla; April 30 DIED Zarir Keki Engineer (49), residing at Room no 4/2, Petit Sanatorium, A. K. Marg, 400036; April 1 Mani Pochaji Munsijf (70), 280, Bhivandiwalla Hse, Dhobitalao, 400002; April 1 Meherji Dadabhoy Wadia (83), 6, Taher Bldg, 11, Jalbhoy St, Girgaum, 400004; April 1 Perviz. Beji Manjra (24), Room no C-18, Seksaria Bldg no 2, Seksaria Compd, S. L. Marg, Parcl, 400012; April 2 Pesi Pherozesha Bhariicha ClVi}, Meher Mans, Below Tardeo Bridge, 400008; April 3 Behram Noshir Machliwala (43), 600, Bacha Manor, Jame Jamshed Rd, Matunga, 400019; April 3 Sheriyar Diniyar Poonawalla (56), Room no 6, Toddiwalla Chawl, Sunmill Rd, Lower Parel, 400013; April 3 Naushir Fakirji Kerawalla (80), Dr Doshibai Home, Byculla, 400027; April 4 Nerges Maneckshaw Katrak (89), 668, Desai Bldg, Katrak Rd, Wadala, 400031; April 5 Keki Jal Chinoy (62), 149 NITI, Transval Ter, Corner of Grant Rd, 400008; April 6 Shapurji Horinasji Colah (87), 3/36, Tata Mills Co-op Hsg Soc, Elphinstone Rd, Parel, 400012; April 6 Jahangir Ratanshah Damania (91), 10, Batliwalla Bldg, Khan Est, Chhotani Rd, Mahim, 400016; April 7 Dhunji Eruchshaw Jeejeebhoy (64), 14, Mehta Bldg, Panthaki Baug, Andheri (E), 400069; April 7 Freny Porus Mehta (88), 11J- A, Dariya Mhl, 80, Napean Sea Rd, 400006; April 7 Pesi Kaikhusroo Sanga (82), 31, Jaiphal Ter, Forjett St, 400026; April 7 Mehroo Kaikhushroo (Kaikohad) Ichhaporia (92), Room no 62, 64-66, Kashinath Bldg, Cadell Rd, Mahim, 400016; April 8 Kaikhushru Bejonji Ashavaid (82), Indian Surveyor Hse, 315, S. B. Rd, Fort, 400001; April 9 Jamshed Eruch Dinshaw (47), 603-B, Seagull, Sherly Rajan Rd, Bandra (W), 400050; April 9 Dadiha Pestonji Mandvewala (80), P-14, Shapurji Bharucha Baug, S. V. Rd, Andheri, 400058; April 9 Nariman Pestonji Udwadia (75), Motlibai Wadia Bldg, Chikalwadi, Grant Rd, 400007; April 9 Rustom Kaikhushroo Banker (88), Nariman Bldg, Opp Cooperage Bandstand, M. K. Rd, 400021; April 10 Khorshed Eruchshaw Lintki (87), 789, Kerawalla Bldg, Jame Jamshed Rd, Parsi Clny, 400014; April 10 Parin Burjor Chhapgar (80), 8/10, Tata Clny, Tardeo, 400034; April 11 Piroja Rustomji Daruwalla (79), M-11, Nowroz Baug, Lalbaug, 400012; April 11 Cool Naswanji Kharas (75), 15/6, Sir Ratan Tata Clny, Tardeo, 400034; April 12 Mehroo Dossoo Sanga (75), 101-B, Diamond Court, Napean Sea Rd, 400006; April 12 Naval Hormusji Bativala (81), 5/C-1, Petit Bldg, Balaram St, Grant Rd, 400007; April 13 Firoze Jamshedji Dainania (55), Dubash Bldg, Kashinath Rd, Tardeo, 400034; April 13 Piloomai Manekshaw Gandevia (84), 677, Society Bldg, Katrak Rd, Wadala, 400031; April 13 Meher Adi Mistry (68). B, Banoo Mans, Cumballa Hill, 400036; April 13 Perin Sorabji Nadodwalla (76), 24, Station Ter, Sleater Rd, 400007; April 13Khorshed Homi Sagar (78), lA/18, Tata Mills Co-op Hsg Soc, Elphinstone Rd, Parel, 400012; April 14 Parvin Jawahar Havewalla (50), Room no 11,5, Jeejeebhoy Dadabhoy Lane, Fort, 400001; April 15 Hira Sam Mistry (89), 22, Wadia Bldg, Marzban Clny, Dr Nair Rd, 400011; April 15 Homai Homi Nanji (80), 6, Unncetha, R. A. Kidwai Rd, Wadala, 400038; April 15 Homi Muncherji Nanji (87), 6, Unneetha, R. A. Kidwai Rd, Wadala, 400038; April 15 Mehra Cavas Bode (82), 87, Shirin Manzil, Chandanwadi, Dhobitalao, 400002; April 16 Erdz.ad Hormaz Khandhadia (16), Readymoney Bldg no 1, Sir Ratan Tata Rd, Tardeo, 400034; April 16 Goal Rustom Kuka (78), 12-A, Lalit, Wodehouse Rd, 400005; April 16 Cyrus Adi Bomanhehram (39), F-7, Captain Clny, Tardeo Rd, 400034; April 17 Vila Pessi Gandevia (78), 22-23, Adhish Bldg, 12-14, Sorabji Santok Lane, Dhobitalao, 400002; April 17 Byram Gustadji Kavarana (74), Sai Ashish, Opp Peter Dias Rd, Hill Rd, Bandra, 400050; April 17 Freny Dinshaw Koiwal (88), Nowroz Bldg, Hughes Rd, 400007; April 17 " Rustomji Hormusji Marolia (82), Damania Bldg, Zoroas ­ trian Clny, Chikalwadi, Tardeo Rd, 400007; April 17 Hira Kaikee Mody (83). F-34, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd. 400039; April 17 Keki Behramji Satarawalla (81). N. M. Wadia Bldg no 16, Malcolm Baug, Jogeshwari (W), 400102; April 17 Nargis Dali Daruwatla (74), B-3()4, Dinshaw Apts, Luncique, Navsari, 396445; April 19 Ralanhai Maneksha iv Muiidroina (83), A-10, Sai-Darshan, 70, S. V. Rd, Andheri (W), 400058; April 19 Tehmina Rattanji Nasirahadwala (80), G-20, Godrej Baug, Off Napean Sea Rd, 400036; April 19 Cawas Pallanji Damania (87), 58 Parsiana June 1999 Zaveri Bldg, M, S. Ali Rd, 4()0()()7; April 20 Freny Framji Dollicooca (77), K-2, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; April 20 Shera Burjorji Mislry (87), R-36, Nowroz Baug, Lalbaug, 400012; April 20 Russi Bhikaji Anklesaria (75), Empire Est, 44A, Cumballa Hill, 400026; April 21 Dina Shavakshaw Cooper (81), 194, Talaty Bldg, Khetwadi Back Rd, 400004; April 21 Rustamji Nadirsha Kias (88), 52, Tata Clny, Parel Tank Rd, Parel, 400012; April 21 Dhunmai Bomanshaw Mehta (95), C/o D. R. Madon, 7, Pali Hill, Bandra (W), 400050; April 21 Phiroze Sorabji Daruwatla (86), 80, Irani Hse, Janmabhoomi Marg, Fort, 400001; April 22 MurzJtan Ardeshir Choksi (85), Gool Mill, Sleater Rd, 400007; April 22 Chandan Jamshed Jijina (59), F, Bhiwandiwalla Ter, Dhobitalao, 400002; April 22 Gtislasp Kekobad Nadirshah (82), Gool Mans, Dinbai Petit St, Balarain St, 400007; April 22 Maneek Sorahji Wadia (82), Jer Mans, Gowalia Tank Rd, 4()()()36; April 22 Nusserwanji Khursetji Driver (90), F. S. Parukh Dharamshalla, Hughe.s Rd, 400007; April 23 " Goolhai Jamshed Irani (90), Room no 29, Hirabai Petit Bldg, Opp Grant Rd Stn, 400007; April 23 Nadir Ruslomji Merchant (66), 4, Cyrcs Bldg, Gauthan Lane, Andheri (W), 400058; April 23 Jaloo Pestonji Bhadha (67), 21/3, Multani Bldg, Khambatta Lane, Khetwadi, 4()0()()4; April 24 Katy Ralanshaw Daruwalla (74), 2nd Agiary Bldg, Dr S. S. Rao Rd. Lalbaug, 400012; April 24 Najamai Nariman Morena (94), C-14, Captain Clny, Tardeo Rd, 400034; April 24 Mehroo Rohinton (65), Bhedwar Bldg, Khan Est, Mahim, 4()0o56; April 24 Russi Kharshedji Shapurji (83), Keshav Bhavan, Khetwadi, 7th Lane, 400004; April 24 Hormuzdji Dorabji Todiwalla (84), Danawalla Bldg, Opp Nowroz Baug, Lalbaug, 400012; April 24 Cavas Nadirshah Bhaisa (63), 4, Sir Dorab Tata Bldg No 3, Tata Blocks, S. V. Rd, Bandra (W), 400050; April 25 Rustom Dhunjisha Balsara (30), I, Baria Bldg, Gamadia Clny, Tardeo, 400007; April 25 Dolly Baman Desai (77), A-468, 1. C. Clny, Vaibhav, Mukunda Ngr, Holy Cross Rd, Borivli (W), 400103; April 25 Gool Savak Dubash (77), Marble Arch, 52, Peddar Rd, 400026; April 25 Nari Minoo Karaka (69), Shiv Shanti Bhuvan, 146, M. Karve Rd, 400020; April 25 Homai Ratan Patel (83), 1/3, Fiona Apts, 17, Juhu Tara Rd, 400049; April 25 Jerhanoo Jalejar Patel (88), 19/3, Malcolm Baug, Jogeshwari (W), 400102; April 25 Perinbanoo Ruslomji Void (79), Parsipada Village, Surangi, Dadra and Nagar Havcli; April 25 Jimmy Sorahji Dadachanji (78), 291, Bawla Bldg, Nana Chowk, 400007; April 26 Pilloo Dhanjisha Damania (82), Room no 14, 173/175, Banaji Bldg, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, 400013; April 26 Noshirwan Bomanji Dhabhar (90), Seervai Bldg, 20, Sleater Rd, 400007; April 26 Baby girl of Firuzee Jehangir Kalvachvala (stillborn), N-4, Shapurji Bharucha Baug, S. V. Rd, Andheri (W), 400058; April 26 Shapur Manekji Mistry (94), F, S. Parukh Dharamshalla, Hughes Rd, 400007; April 26 Dinamai Murzhan Vevaina (78), (iC'i'Nl, Katrak Rd, Wadala, 400031; April 26 Naval Jehangir Wadia (82), Nadirshah Dinshaw Bldg, 2, Babulnath Rd, 400007; April 26 Jeejeehhoy Nasserwanji Duhash (79), 26, Hughes Rd, 400007; April 27 Dara Hoshang Pochkhanawala (65), 10, Albless Bldg, Thakurdwar, 400002; April 27 Rustoinji Sorabji Kotwal (65), J/8, Shapurji Bharucha Baug, S. V. Rd, Andheri (W). 400058; April 28 Keki Faranimzc Nallaseth (78), E/6, Jer Baug, Dr Ambedkar Rd, Byculla, 400027; April 28 Dhan Dara Patrawala (69), 9, Albless Bldg, Zoroastrian Clny, Grant Rd, 400007; April 28 Aloo Fardunji Desai (84), Rock View, Raghavji Rd, Cumballa Hill, 400036; April 29 Freny Boman Irani (58), Room no 215/216, 260/B, Kuka Sadan, Dr B. A. Rd, Parel, 400012; April 29 Sorabji Burjorji Jithra (93), Banaji Bldg, Forjett St, Gowalia Tank, 400034; April 29 Jamshed Jehangirji Vajifdar (82), 1-1, Cuffe Castle,' ' Cuffe Parade, 400005; April 29 Minoo Dadabhoy Gandhi (11), 4, Ness Baug Annexe 2, Nana Chowk, 400007; April 30 Rustomji Dinshawji Gandhy (92), 27, Godrej Bldg, Navazbai Contractor Baug, Mori Rd, Mahim, 400016; April 30 Noshir Rustom Irani (78), 811/14, Jame Jamshed Bldg, Jame Jamshed Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; April 30 Vispi Minoo Irani (34). Halima Manzil, Forjett St, 400036; April 30 Mani Jamshedji Kapadia (72), Ali Bldg, Wadia St, Tardeo, 400034; April 30 Banoobai Peshotan Katki (87), 7-3/U, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Road, 400039; April 30 Fall Burjorji Mehta (82), Sakina Palace, Raghavji Rd, Gowalia Tank, 400036; April 30 CALCUTTA BORN A boy, Urvaksh, to Fernza and Faroukh Mogrelia; April 18 DIED Mani Pesi Ghiara, mother of Rohinton, Jal and late Noshir; April 4 Nergis Jila, mother of Nilufer Godia and sister of Perin N. Guzder and Khorshed A. Wadia; April 4DELHI BORN A boy, Armaan, to Prithy and Zubin Gandevia, brother to Tania; April 26 FIGURES AT A GLANCE Bombay This issue 1998* o 1999 India This issue 1998* 1999 World Q This issue 1998* 1999 SURAT DIED Rattanshaw Bomanji Karanjia (84), Nariman Home and Infirmary, Shahpore, 395003; April 22 Tehmina Jalejer Cooper (85), Sneh Sagar Apt, Vanki Bordi, 395003; April 26 BIRTHS Boys Girls MARRIAGES Parsi INTERCOMMUNAL Males married out Females married out 1 8 15 116 92 262 63 56 26 29 114 9 14 2 3 5 5 2 6 5 51 35 6 5 15 4 2 19 2 1 1 2 9 1 CANADA Ontario BORN A boy, Shawhin, to Farahnaz and Ramin Dehinoubed; March 19 DEATHS CONSIGNED Males Females 47 49 481 513 165 170 1 3 125 114 39 26 8 10 55 47 12 13 CREMATED Males Females 11 7 2 1 PAKISTAN Karachi BORN A boy, Zarwan, to Yasmin and Aspi Sethna; March 6 DIED Kaikhusroo N. Irani (74); January 26 Hilla Hoshedar Kolwal (65); February 14 Rustom E. Master February 15 Shirin Godrej Kandawalla (93); February 24 Jerbai Nariman Vatcha (85); February 28 Shera Sorabji Hirjikaka (83); March 15 UK BORN A boy, Darayus, to Caroline and Zarthustra Amrolia; November 8, 1998 Berkshire DIED Sam Phiroze Mistry {66), Kwetu, Hart.s Lane, Burghclere, Near Newbury, RG20 9HF; January 9, 1999 'Essex DIED Dina Faiainroze Kapadia (81), 33, Church Hollow, Purfleet, RM 19 IQJ; February 9 Hertfordshire BORN A boy, Xer.xe.^, to Analiiia and Rohinton Adeiianwalla of 59 Parsiana June 1999 ?Running totals for 1998 (January 1998--June 1999 issues) oRunning totals for 1999 (January 1999--June 1999 issues) Overseas deaths are listed in the consigned column as Pafsiana6o&5 not have a break-up 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. Barnet, brother to Xarius; January 27 DIED Boman Giistad Mama (67), 10, Kirkdiile Rd, Harpenden, AL5 2PT; October 25, 1998 Leicestershire DIED Bamanshaw J. Kasad (71), 122, Wand St, LE4 5BU; March 6, 1999 London BORN A girl, Dither, to Arnavaz and Jashi Mo^al, sister to Tishtar; September 16, 1998 A boy, Yazad, to Spenta and Cyrn.v Unwalla', April 6, 1999 DIED Homai Keki Madon (81), 3, Morven Rd, Tooting Beck, SWI7 7NA; February 17 Mani Dominic Dia.s (81), 72, Willmore End, SWI9 3DF; May 14 Middlesex BORN A girl, Natasha, to Rosanna and Zubin Khamballa in Hounslow, sister to Ross; March 10 DIED Homai Minoo Wadia (62), 30, Shenley Rd, Heston, TW5 OAD; January 15 Nos hit- D. Patel (77), 63, Convent Way, Hayes, UB2 5 LIE; February 18 Bhikhaji K. MuUan (77), 23, Cameron Lodge, 81, Stanley Rd, Hounslow, TX3 lYX; March 18 Illinois BORN A girl, Trishtrya, to Farzeen and Xerxes Cama, sister to Stivant at Chicago; April 24, 1999 A girl, Shanaya, to Binaifer and Bruce Bedford in Chicago; April 28 Suffolk BORN A girl, Delshad, to Armita and Kaikobad Forouhar of Ipswich, sister to Kaizad; April 24 Warwickshire DIED Khorshed Phiroz Avari (68), 7, Hollypece Hse, 53, Piinberly Rd, Acocks Green, Birmingham, B27 7TA; November 4, 1998 USA Georgia MARRIED Fariina Esphandiar and Daiiush Khosravi, son of Parvin and Shahrokh in Atlanta; November 8 DIED Arvin Rao (16), son of Mani and Murli, brother of Anita in Chicago; April 12 Massachusetts BORN A boy, Dalian, to Jasmin and Firdaus Bhathena in Boston; August 25, 1998 Pennsylvania DIED Dinamai Parabia, mother of Sam, Perin, Minoo and Ratan in Scranton; March 24, 1999 Texas MARRIED Diana Medhora of Karachi, Pakistan, daughter of Coo verbal and Keki, and Adil Balsara, son of Zarin and Pali in Houston; January 1 Compiled by Roxana A. DriverIN MEMORIAM Venerable Vajifdar Parinaz M. Gandhi Born in Karachi, Vajifdarhadmatricu- lated from the Bai Virbaiji Sopariwala Boys School there before proceeding to Bombay for his college education. He was for two years at St Xavier ’s College and later at the Scottish Church College from where he graduated in economics with an overall fourth ranking. Whilst at Xavier ’s, he had earned the tennis doubles years ofcompanionship) too were spent title for the College and cricket too he on the hill station where his widowed playedthroughouthiscollegedays.When mother-in-law Mary Cama had taken up residence. Vajifdar had started his career at the Imperial Bank (now known after his retirement in 1970. His holi- he was playing the game for the Calcutta Parsi Club, at one time both his father and he were on the same team, it is noted. In a.s the State Bank of India) later life, he made time for golf, in the despatch department at Rajahmundry and over the next three decades he Davar ’sCollegeofCommerce,Bombay gained varied experience at different branches in differ ­ ent departments until he re ­ signed as secretary and trea ­ surer of the Bank when the managing director ’s post the highest marks in the subject of was denied to him in favor of a man six years his junior, it was mentioned in his writ ­ ten memoirs. Over the ycar.s he was transferred about 25 times whereby he covered the length and breadth of India, Pakistan and Rangoon in Burma. Since he had no children, he was usually considered the (his maternal grandfather Khan Bahadur most apt candidate to assume new re ­ sponsibilities, he explained the ratio ­ nale. During his career he clearly re ­ called the advice of the agent at his first posting who told him that banking was a tricky busines.s and he should believe only half of what he saw and nothing of what he heard. The intermittent years brought him in contact with memorable personalities. It was at his last posting been given to him by the then Rotary Following his graduation he did a postal course in accountancy from the and passed his Government Diploma in Accountancy. Later he cleared the ex­ ams of the Indian Institute of Bankers, securing the first place in India for the part II course, winning a gold medal for banking. “In a fit of nationalism, I of ­ fered the medal to the government for Morarji Desai ’s gold bond scheme and have felt sorry for it ever since, ” he confessed. Many other interesting nuggets are conveyed in his 21-page autobiography replete with information on his family Died; Noshir Hormusji Vajifdar, 88, former president of the Nilgiri Zarthosti days with hi.s wife Freany (she had Anjuman and author of three books on predeceased him in 1988 after nearly 50 Zoroastrian prayers, on January 14,1999 in Ooty following cardiac arrest. “A man of knowledge and wis ­ dom...Vajifdar led from the front. His was a leadership to emulate and admire. One by example! ” noted Sripathi Rao, a charter member of the Rotary Club of Ootacamund, in his trib ­ ute to Vajifdar. “Always so generous and willing to donate...he was the epitome of humility, ” recalls his col ­ league. He bequeathed lakhs of rupees to charity and among the institutions which ben- Vajifdar: .service efitted from his largesse are before self the Nilgiri Zarthosti Anju ­ man, the Lady Willingdon Home for the Elderly, the Pope Paul Mercy Home, the Blisy Eye Hospital, the Indian Red Cross Nursery School, mentions Sam Choksey who is the executor of Vajif- dar ’s will. Although he was not ordained as a priest, invariably it fell to Vajildar ’.s lot to recite prayers for the community at Ooty. Every year he would lead the community at the Adar mah Adar roz and Fravardigan prayers. The author of three books, Let U.s Pray, Teach Me to Pray and Prayers for Parsi Children, Vajifdar felt it necessary to teach chil ­ dren to recite prayers in a language they in Madras that he remembered being president Sripathi Rao who describes it understood. Children should be initi- received at the station by nearly 100 as being “a very precious reference ated into thefaith and ordained as priests staff members each with a garland in book. ” As charter president of the Ro- at a later age when they are able to hand. And while his first vehicle, a tary Club of Ootacamund Vajifdar was understand the significance of the cer ­ emony, he had advocated in an inter ­ view with Parsiana (see “The Well Placed Anjuman, ” April 1990). All dis ­ tinctions between behdins and athornans should be abolished, he had advised. “We have no dokhmas and thank God for it. Thank God for other things we don ’t have, ” Vajifdar had candidly instrument, having obtained his licen- stated. “We have no dastur, no agiary and no holy fire. We manage very well and are free from dogmatic pressures. ” Vajifdar had chosen to settle in Ooty Kavasji Hormusji Katrak was respon ­ sible for acquiring land for Karachi ’s Katrak Parsi Colony and had been knigh ­ ted when he was nearing 90 years) and business associates. There is no reference though to the road in Ooty which is named after him nor to the Ooty Almanac, the credit for the publication of which in 1979-80 has received at the station by nearly 100 staff members each with a garland in hand. And while his first vehicle, a Hcrculc.s bicycle, was bought at the also instrumental in framing the Rotary first posting for Rs 50, his first car, a second-hand Morris Minor was bought for Rs 15,000 during his stay in Karachi. A piano, though, was a must-buy for Vajifdar at every destination except Jullundur where none was available, wrote Vajifdar who enjoyed playing the tiate from the Trinity College of Mu ­ sic, London. He had also served on the committee of the Delhi Music Soci ­ ety. invocation which is now used in many other clubs besides theirs. For 24 years he was editor of their Rotary bulletin. Panorama. As Vajifdar had written in his mem ­ oirs, “Change is a fact and necessity of life, and Ooty itself is changing fast. ” At the age of 84 he noted, “What my final tally will be in God ’s kingdom I cannot say but I hope to continue being useful till the end. ” Service above self was his message for all. 60 Parsiana June 1999