Nov 1999

NOVEMBER 1999 Rs 30 Sensitive to the straysEDITOR Jehangir R. Patel MANAGING EDITOR Arnavaz S. Mama EXECUTIVE EDITOR Parinaz M. Gandhi SENIOR EDITORS Dina K. Mehta, Hilla P. Guzder ASSOCIATE EDITOR Roxana A. Driver DESIGN Kranti M. Shilotri, Nivedita S. Dhotre MARKETING DIRECTOR Veera J. Patel ADVERTISING MANAGER Jasmine D. Driver ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE Susan Hadvaid FINANCE B. L. Arora DTP Bakhtavar R. Batliwalia, K. P. Ravi SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER Khurshid Panthaki ASSISTANT SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER Swarupa Bhagwat ACCOUNTANT Anagha Korde ASSISTANT ACCOUNTANT Sampada S. Patwardhan ACCOUNTS ASSISTANTS Indu Pillai, Sreevidya P. Unni OFFICE ASSISTANTS Umesh Poojary, Selvan Mark, Sunil Sakhare, Govind Salgaonkar, Mahipat Jadhav 2 Readers’ Forum 10 Events and Personalities November 1999 Volume 22 Number 4 20 “Love among the viruses” by Arnavaz Mama 24 Zoroastrians Abroad 28 Presiding over PALS by Parinaz Gandhi 32 Zinia Lawyer: The lady and the lager by Hilla Guzder 38 Neville Wadia: Confessions of a convert by Shernaaz Engineer 40 Sri Lanka Parsis: Treasured on the Island - 4 43 ‘My face is my mistake, Sir,’ by Kersi Meher-Homji 44 Doongerwadi’s deadly deficit by Rustom Gae 46 Jehangir Ghandy: An Olympian attitude 58 Milestones Cover: Photographs from the 1999 PALS calendar Photos; Sunil Nasta Parsiana is edited and published by Jehangir R. Patel for Parsiana Publications Pvt Ltd at 300 Perin Nariman Street, Bombay 400001 and printed by him at Kaiser-E-Hind Pvt Ltd, A-191, Road No 16A, MIDC, Wagle Industrial Estate, Thane (W), 400604. Processing Comart Lithographers and Scana Color (India) Ltd. All rights reserved. ISSN: 0971-3786. Phone: 2078730, 2072624. Fax: 2074541. For editorial enquiries: 2078183. E-mail: parvo@giasbm01 .vsni.net.in Parsiana@yahoo.com For subscription enquiries and payments: C/o Kaiser-E-Hind Pvt Ltd, 300 Perin Nariman Street (Behind Reserve Bank of India), Bombay 400001. Phone: 2658619, 2665661. Fax: 2654585. Annual inland subscription for one year (11 issues) Rs 325; for two years (22 issues) Rs 625; for three years (33 issues) Rs 925. Foreign subscription rates: Seamail for one year Rs 575/ US $ 15/UK £ 9/Euro 14; for two years Rs 1,100/US $ 27/UK £ 17/Euro 26; for three years Rs 1,595/US $ 38/UK £ 23/Euro 36 (please allow six months or more for seamail delivery from the time of publication). Airmail for one year Rs 850/US $ 23/ UK £ 15/ Euro 22 (for Pakistan, Indian Rs 650); for two years, Rs 1,600/US $ 43/UK £ 27/Euro 41 (for Pakistan, Indian Rs 1,225); for three years Rs 2,400/US $ 60/UK £ 37/Euro 57 (for Pakistan, Indian Rs 1,825). For Indian upcountry cheques add Rs 20 for bank charges; for US cheques add $ 5; for UK cheques add £ 3; for Euro cheques add Euro 5. Cheques and drafts are to be drawn in favor of Parsiana.READERS’ FORUM it was flown to India can only be an act “The three Parsi myths” With reference to the letters by Dr P. D. Sunavala, Dali Gundevia and Dr D. M. Disawalla (“The three Parsi myths, ” Readers ’ Forum, Parsiana, July-Au- of Ahura Mazda ’s intervention, in that it allowed the fire ’s sanctity to be main ­ tained — a most righteous cause. An old sage said that ‘where there ’s a will, there ’s a way ’ but an even older gust 1999), I wish to inform the above sage said that ‘Happiness is unto him who is righteous for the sake of the best righteousness. ’ farhad cooper London, UK Readers’ views are welcome on any subject of Interest to the community and should be sent to the Editor, Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, G.P.O. Box 892, Bombay 400001. Letters are subject to editing for reasons of space and clarity. Unsigned letters or those without an address will not be published. three gentlemen that without our very revered and time-tested rituals there can be no Zoroastrianism. They are trying to mock at the very foundations of the Zoroastrian religion without hav ­ ing any knowledge of the same. The least they can do is to strive to receive some knowledge about them. How can they suggest things which are totally reasons. Even the Zoroastrian religion has no place for believers who see the religion with all sorts of doubts. If your why can ’t you? If you can ’t, first purify your mind and soul and to do that you will need bull ’s urine (taro) for a na/m “Resurrection of Parsis” Unfortunately it ’s because of people like K. Colabewalla (“Resurrection of Parsis, ” Readers ’ Forum, Parsiana, July-August 1999) that this superb race unacceptable to the continuance of our may some day (God forbid!) be a ‘has religion in the true sense? been. ’ All I am asking for is equality between Parsi males and females. Once again I reiterate that if Parsi men can marry outside our community and their children be wholeheartedly accepted vine, we ask for scientific proofs and by all and sundry, i.e. priests, pun- chayets, and the law (thank you, Parsiana Editor, for inserting the High Court judgement), then why not the own fathers and forefathers believed, Parsi ladies who marry non-Parsis? Wake up and look at what is happen ­ ing in our community elsewhere in the country. The trend has already begun (bath). Believe me, do this with faith where navjotes are being performed for and you shall find solace in all the children of non-Parsi fathers. Once the practices of your religion of birth. Go to navjote is performed is it possible to try our religious scholars like K. N. Dastoor and stop them from being Zoroastrians? or Adi Doctor or Curset Patel (to name This is as of today. What about the mass a few), they will surely enlighten you navjotes in Gujarat by Dasturji Bode done years back? I am not advocating conversion or simplified and understood by any sci- any blasphemous change but only point- ence of this world. It needs something else to unlock all the secrets of our scriptures and rituals. If religions were sand and believe all ’s well with their structured on worldly sciences then there would be no need for the prophets who Do they know that there is an eso ­ teric part to all these rituals, without which there will be no religion, only science. Instead of believing in the di- “Lonavla’s legacy” Thank you for making the article about Lonavla ’s Daremeher your center spread (“Lonavla ’s legacy, ” Parsiana, July- August 1999). The story of this ‘House ing out facts. It ’s this ostrich-like atti- of Light ’ is an outstanding account of tude of folks who hide their heads in the philanthropy and miracles. My grandfather, RustomjiDaruwalla world that is responsible for the dwin- was the priest in Aden until the protec ­ torate gained independence. As a re ­ sult, I have been told many times of how the fire was brought to India, when all the odds seemed to be against it. In this highly intelligent era that we live, it seems that Zoroastrians have less .i. , faith in the power of Ahura Mazda. The larger interest of the practical stance that many of us adopt i may well lead us to success, however his- < tory shows that the greatest feats have munity. roda d. hakim been achieved in the face of adversity, with no practical or scientific explanation. For example, I believe that the death of the government inspector who had insisted on seeing the Aden fire before on our religion. Seek and you shall find. The Zoroastrian religion cannot be dling numbers of our race. Check Parsiana for the births, deaths and marriages and you will get some idea where we are heading. After all, my views are in the < K V -jjJinOT-.! race and the continuity *, ofthis exceptional com- ___ Ix,. ___ _ „ .......... Baroda (. * hbL Lonavla’s Adenwalla t agiary Photo: Homyar Mistry (Homz Prints) 2 Parsiana November 1999 *•« i® sS' .¦sinitiated the great religions of the world, beyond the scope of their natural per- What the scientists are doing is simply ception. This is their inner knowledge, to unravel the mysteries of this world, grasped and understood by their spiri- which God Almighty has already packed tual perception. Often it is the natural in it millenniums before the birth of this material universe. We give Nobel Prizes to these scientists, but what can we give God who is waiting for us since millen ­ niums? Nothing but an unquestioned, straightforward faith in him and his prophets and the religion of your birth, which is called niji-Farshogard in Zoro ­ astrianism. Let us not be enemies of our own faith. v.h.thanawalla Poona word “worship ” is different. To me it means to adore, to pay homage to a 1998): “I find it a bit difficult to equate all these energies and spiritual ecstasy he experiences with his profession that fire is the object of his worship. ” It is world which directs our inner selves to possible that the connotation of the God. Therefore, I do not mock Dadrawala, but if he senses “sarcasm ” in my letter spiritual being — to the supreme spiri- it is not due to his experiences he writes of so fulsomely but because, having experienced all these energies in such abundance, his final analysis and ulti ­ mate conclusion is, “Yes, indeed, with this intellectual awareness, ethical un ­ derstanding and spiritual consciousness, I repeat, T am not ashamed to say that I worship fire. ’” This rather blunt statement dismisses the infinity of the one and only God and His spiritual attributes, it also dismisses His loving and compassionate relation ­ ship with His worshipper. His co ­ worker. To me, the reader, his state ­ ment presents the natural fire as tual being and as I understand the act of worship, there is only one worthy of it. To my question: “What does he mean by things spiritual? ” Dadrawala quotes from the Concise Oxford Dictionary, which defines spiritual as “of or con ­ cerning the spirit as opposed to matter. Concerned with the soul or spirit, etc, “Reach the inner fire” I worship fire. ’” not with external reality. ” In reply to Noshir Dadrawala ’s letters This rather blunt statement dismisses Again, to my question: “Who is the (“Reach the inner fire, ” Readers ’ Fo- the infinity of the one and only God and creator of things spiritual? ” the answer rum, Parsiana, July-August 1998 and His spiritual attributes, it also dismisses he gave was “Ahura Mazda. ” May 1999), I may state that all inner His loving and compassionate relation- If we acknowledge that Ahura Mazda experiences are very personal, espe- ship with His worshipper. His co- alone is the creator of both the spiritual cially mystical/spiritual experiences, worker. To me, the reader, his state- and the natural worlds — as the Gczz/zcza' These come to people ofall religions, of ment presents the natural fire as tell us — then He is the creator of the all walksof life, andof all ages. Most do Dadrawala ’s “god; ” even though at one spiritual fire and spiritual light, as well not express these profound moments in point he mentions “the spirit of the as the natural fire and natural light; and terms ofmental or physical, intellectual fire. ” Ahura Mazda is the essence of all if we acknowledge that His spiritual or spiritual energies. They only know their reality, they only know that they fire would not satisfy me. have experienced something which lies For Navjote & Wedding Receptions Children’s Parties Ladies Lunches Social Gatherings Celebrate at Caravan A Parsiana November 1999 Contact A very central, convenient location point he mentions “the spirit of the fire. ” Ahura Mazda is the essence of all He has created, so the worship of the light enlightens our hearts, our minds, our souls, then He Himself is the spiri- Hence my key comment (December tual light — in His attributes Vohu Mana, Vahista Mana, and Spenta Mainyu. Therefore He is the only Fire worthy of our worship and adoration. It is such reasoning and pronounce ­ ments as come from Dadrawala that lay our community open to ridicule, and attach to us the label of “fire-worship ­ pers, ” and make our religion into a “fire-cult. ” All that Ahura Mazda has created is worthy of our deepest respect and rev ­ erence. It is through His natural cre ­ ation that we may come to know Him. We may meditate upon His creation without it becoming a barrier to His spirit, to His mind; for though the physi ­ cal contains His essence, it cannot con ­ tain Him. His power. His dominion. His divine laws of governance exist and function far beyond it — into infinity. So how can my worship stop with the physical fire? How can I base my reli ­ gion and my worship on the Atash Nyaisli, instead of listening to the voice that speaks through the words of the Gathas'i The voice of Asho Zara- thushtra. The natural fire is finite, but the spiritual fire of Ahura Mazda is infinite. The natural fire certainly purifies all natural impurities, pollution and con ­ taminations, but only the spiritual fire COTA Ti D A RESTAURANT at 65, Murzban Road, Fort, Mumbai-400001. Tel; 2072492-2077513 Fax: (91 22) 2076310Jewish diaspora. The only journey in the movie was a flying visit by rail to Delhi purely to meet a dying friend and record some secret Gandhi, the widow of a Parsi parliamen ­ tarian. I was angered .1 very lucrative professional career to fight for the freedom of India and to serve independent India. What ’s more, purifies the heart, mind and soul of tion, whereas every- ¦ individuals. The physical light, in all its body has heard of the 3^ forms, chases away natural darkness. Only spiritual light can eradicate the darkness in an individual ’s mind and soul. It is very true that Ahura Mazda ’s natural and spiritual worlds are inti ­ mately bound together, and are interde ­ pendent; but if we cannot ultimately alleged financial im- distinguish between them, and we con- propriety by Indira fine our worship to the physical, we limit our own spiritual growth, and the spiritual growth of the community. If we fail to allow our minds to rise by the attempt to posthumously be- Roshan Seth (left) and Ranjit above what our physical eyes observe, smirch the financial integrity of a dedi- Chowdhry in a scene from Such A or what our physical senses are aware cated lady reared in the shadow of Ma- Long Journey Photo. Sharon stephens of, such as the energies of fire, water, air, etc, then our souls, our minds re ­ main fettered to nature alone. The natu ­ ral world, however wonderful, beauti ­ ful and complex, is but a gateway which tral home to the nation and sacrificed a leads into another dimension — the spiritual dimension — a limitless, time ­ less dimension. The natural elements weren ’t meant to be the final objects of this lady sacrificed her very childhood, our worship, of our prayers; nor this world the final destination for our souls. But our souls were meant to grow, to mature, having been nourished by the experiences of body and soul. Even such a powerful element as the fire has limitations, and must depend on other substances for its existence, whereas Ahura Mazda has none, for He is the spiritual fire. He has no form, yet He is seen in all He has created. He has no describable substance, except that of Parsiana, June 1999), I too found it light — spiritual light — which is mani ­ fested in all other forms of light. He is the essence of all things within the universe and beyond it. He is life, wis ­ dom, truth, justice and love; He is per ­ fection. He has no beginning and no end — He is immortal; He is all-knowing, all-seeing. Surely, Mr Dadrawala can under ­ stand why I say that he and I can never see eye-to-eye where our religion is concerned. perin divecha Tunbridge Wells, Canada ‘4!i smirch the financial integrity of a dedi ­ cated lady reared in the shadow of Ma ­ hatma Gandhi and one who was the granddaughter of the princely rich remember the stunning impact Rich- Motilal Nehru and the daughter of ard Attenborough ’s blockbuster Gan- Jawaharlal Nehru who gifted the ances- dhi had on the North American popu ­ lace. And Gandhi became an almost instant household word in daily us ­ age. There is lesson here for us. Both ‘Zoroastrian ’ and ‘Parsi ’ are languish ­ ing for lack of global recognition... her marriage and even her life in the service of the nation. She was the very though they have such magnificent sto- antithesis of the often amoral politico ries to tell of a millennium-long jour- on-the-take, rather a freedom-fighter ney of undying devotion, come what gladly prepared to suffer for a noble may, to a noble religion of the Good cause. To gratuitously traduce the Life. Some day this too will come to memory of such a sterling lady left a pass. Soon, I hope, through an exotic foul taste in the mouth as I emerged blockbuster of biblical proportions. from the movie theater. homim . gilan Like Jehangir Panthaky (“A nega- Vancouver, Canada tive reflection, ” Readers ’ Forum, “Help trace her roots” A pleasant surprise and delight was difficult to stomach such a poor repre ­ sentation of the Parsi lifestyle in what ignited when I read “Help trace her was, to many of us, equivalent to a sort roots ” by DilnawazLakdawala-Mahanti of Parsi premiere with a title suggestive (Readers ’ Forum, Parsiana, February- of our long journey as refugees from March 1999). religious persecution. Our minuscule community — we average about one by Rose Koch of Bremen, Germany, Parsi per 10,000 Indians — played a directly concerns us, as we had lost major role in the broad advance from track ofmy husband Firoze ’s late uncle largely rural to modern India. Naturally Dhunjishaw Painter ’s family in China, the Parsis prospered and attained a This news item has been a godsend to lifestyle a notch or two above that of us and we thank you for publish- other huge communities. This telling ing this “search ” article and especially fact of life was nowhere reflected in the Dilnawaz Lakdawala-Mahanti for be- very first major Parsi-based vehicle of ing instrumental in reuniting a fami- mass popular public communication at ly that probably would never have Coincidentally the root searched As everybody knows our tiny com- “A negative reflection” I so looked forward to seeing Such A Long Journey involving Parsi celebri- home and abroad. met. ties like author Rohinton Mistry and As everybody knows our tiny com- We are happy to inform you that we screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala. My munity is gradually disintegrating in have already communicated with Rose disappointment was great when I found the inexorable corrosive melting pot Koch and her father Homi (Firoze ’s that the story had nothing whatever to do in this fast changing world. This makes cousin). with the unsung saga of the heroic long it even more critical that we miss no journey over the centuries of staunch opportunity to put our best food for- Zoroastrians fleeing religious persecu- ward while there is still time. I well Please do publish more of such “root searching ” articles as I am sure there may be many Parsi families who have 6 Parsiana November 1999lost touch and may want to get together again. homai f. mistry i I Bhathena: keen to serve Trusteeship candidate At the insistence of my numerous friends and well-wishers, I propose to stand for the office of the trustee of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), upon the expiry of the term of Silloo K. Kavarana in March 2000. Having been in ­ volved in the affairs of the Parsi community for the past many years, I do think I will be able to bring my rich experience to bear on the affairs of the apex body of the community. By qualification and profession I am a practising chartered accountant and financial consultant. I am also a trustee of various charity trusts, notable among them being The B. D. Petit Parsee Gen ­ eral Hospital, where I currently hold the office of the joint honorary secretary. I have a long and untarnished record of community service and I would now like to consider serving the community even more effectively as a BPP trustee. ' OVER Sir J. J. College of Commerce On-going Workshops (Commencing every month) Ef Presentation Skills. How to Sell your Ideas. How to plan, deliver and sell your ideas. Through expert guidance and seeing yourself on video, you learn to be much more effective. Four sessions: 2.00 to 5.00 p.m. El Marketing. How the Leaders develop Winning Brand Strategies. 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Twelve sessions: 6.00 to 8.00 p.m.; Mondays and Thursdays El Weh Site and Interactive Media Strategy and Designing YEARS V 5/ 0 Secretarial Courses for various cadres 0 Personality Development programme Job-Oriented Courses 0 Computer Application courses 0 Diploma in Business Management (IMC) Enrol at: 14, Nanabhoy Lane, Hutatma Chowk, Mumbai 400001 Tel: 2871058, 2844329 Fax: 2871185 E-mail; jjcc@vsnl.com Also contact us for In-house Training Programmes and Placements 8 Parsiana November 1999 I am sure I will enjoy the support of a large number of Parsis who feel the BPP is in need of a young, qualified, experienced and dedicated person. ZARIRM. bhathena Sanjan Day on Sunday Greetings from Sanjan to remind you of your date with destiny — the celebra ­ tion of the last Sanjan Day of this mil ­ lennium on roi. Bahman, mah Tir, AY 1369, corresponding to Sunday, No­ vember 21, 1999. We celebrate Sanjan Day every year to commemorate the historic landing of our forefathers on the sacred soil of Sanjan. As usual, we will start with a jashan ceremony and end with a free community lunch. As we will be celebrating Sanjan Day after seven years on a Sunday, we will have to prepare ourselves for a big congregation of around 2,000-3,000 de ­ vout pilgrims at an estimated cost of two lakh rupees. We have also em ­ barked on an ambitious project of beau ­ tification of the Memorial Column by planting lawns, flowers and ornamental plants and also erecting a decorative fence and providing a new source of water supply. We intend to complete the first phase of beautification before Sanjan Day at an estimated cost of one lakh rupees. Your invaluable contribution sent in favor of “Sanjan Memorial Column Local Committee ” to the undersigned at Khan Bahadur ’s Bungalow, Sanjan (WR) 396150, Tel: (02638) 66229/ 66459 will be gratefully accepted and acknowledged, rohintan m. daviervala President, Sanjan Memorial Column Local Committee Delhi Anjuman is 75 The Delhi Parsi Anjuman (DPA) will be celebrating the 75th year of its ori ­ gin. On this occasion, we are bringing out a special issue of Dipanjali, the house journal of the DPA. The theme as given by the president of the Anjuman, Lt Gen Adi Sethna, is “Delhi Parsi Anjuman inZoroastrian studies towards next millennium. ” This subject is in ­ deed very vast. The Dipanjali issue should contain information not known to the present generation regarding the activities of the DPA, the development of the Dharamshala, Bhiwandiwalla Hall, fire-temple and aramgah, besides continuing education on Zoroastrian ­ ism, the establishment of the Farohar continued on page 49Events and Personalities Review which was revived in 1999. Yet another press release issued by states the release highlighting the events. In addition to Tamboly, BPP trust ­ ees Silloo Kavarana, Dinshaw Mehta BPP chairman Jamshed Guzder dwells and Rustom Tirandaz also attended the •5. It on the “three-year perspective plan which it is determined to pursue ener- I getically to alleviate the acute I housing shortage facing the com- I munity... ” The plan envisages I the building of 330 flats includ- I ing 30 for transit accommoda- . tion, plus an additional 60 flats if statutory hurdles are overcome. The maximum, 110 flats, will be developed at Panthaky Baug where there is scope for con- ' structing an additional 60, 100 flats are expected from the de- I velopment of a new colony (ac- I quiring an existing residential * complex for revamping and building new flats); 50 through the pur ­ chase of flats in a cluster of two or more buildings; 40 from flats constructed at Dhunbai Villa, Vile Parle on donated land; and 30 flats as transit accommoda ­ tion at Dadar Parsi Colony. The total funds required for execut ­ ing this plan would be over Rs 35 crores, with an additional four crores for an ? 'I' « 't* * - I '^¦1 Roslian Palia and Bamboat Photo: C. C. Gandevia ferent schools who are on the BPP’s education committee; Khorshed Bharu- Entrusting their riches “How to cope with stress, ” “Effective time management ” and “How to be a winner ” were the topics dealt with at the full day seminar organized and financed proceedings as did principals from dif- by the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) at Allbless Baug on Sep ­ tember 19, 1999. Two hundred and twenty-seven Zoroastrian students from standards IX and X registered for the seminar were able to benefit from the expertise of Dr Mehroo Benga ­ lee, former BPP trustee and vice chancellor of the Bombay Uni ­ versity, management consult ­ ant Sarosh Dastur, and counsel ­ lor Shailejha Mulay, notes a press release issued by BPP trustee and chairperson of the BPP education committee Dinshaw From left: Tamboly, Lakdawalla, Tamboly. Chief guestBengalee ’s tips on proper methods to achieve excellence, attain higher goals and pursue a crisp master plan with specific techniques for self ­ study earned her a standing ovation. “A cha, Navaz Sanjana, Dolly Edulbehram, highly motivated and responsive youth ” ~ were then absorbed in the sessions con ­ ducted by Dastur and Mulay, the semi ­ nar ending with a summing up by Rati Wadia, principal of Queen Mary School and a vote of thanks by the head girl of the BPP’s education committee has her School Percis Ahresthani. Farzeena Lakdawalla of Queen Mary better performance from students in the Maneckji Sett Trust, and Rs 1.6 crores School who secured 93 percent at the 1999 ICSE (Indian Certificate of Sec ­ ondary Education) exam ination was pre ­ sented theLatePirojaFali Forbes Award ditional coaching support in all subjects has already helped raise nine crores as constituting a grant of Rs 5,000 and a silver plate, instituted by SherieAshbur- the fees borne by the BPP. “This year ner of London. Farsheed Bamboat of St Mary ’s School who secured 92 percent at the same examination was rewarded with a grant of Rs 1,000 by Ashburner and a further Rs 1,500 by the BPP, Bapsy Chubb, Diana Marfatia and Wadia. The efficient BPP administra ­ tion team under the able leadership of extra building at Panthaky Bang. “After Sheroo Master was present too. As explained in the BPP handout. a long while the BPP has been able to attract generous donations of Rs 7.6 crores from two trusts, six crores al- launched multiple initiatives to induce ready received from the executors of the final year of their school to facilitate expected shortly from the Hilla and their admission to good colleges. The Pesi Bharucha Trust. The transfer of Spenta Coaching Classes provides ad- development rights at one of our baugs throughout the year with 67 percent of part payment. The balance of Rs 17 crores will be raised by way of interest free deposits and sale of some flats on ownership basis. The trustees are en ­ deavoring to have a judicious mix be ­ tween giving flats on lease at concessional rates to the needy and the BPP has sponsored 49 Zoroastrian SSC students with Rs 10,000 each for coaching in the Spenta Classes to be ­ come rankers in the final exams, ” notes the 1999 Monsoon edition of The BPP 10 Parsiana November 1999 child scheme of the BPP; from Rs opinion of the trustees who are in favor 87,75,000 to provide support towards of and against amending the present electoral scheme. A further two and a half pages are devoted to listing the selling flats, to those who can afford to pay, on ownership basis on terms some ­ what more favorable than the ruling medical relief of needy Zoroastrians; market prices. A minimum of 50 per ­ cent from the total will be given on licence basis to the needy at concessional cation; from Rs 87,75,000 towards fi- rates, ” details the release. nancial support and alleviating the hous- from Rs 87,75,000 towards encourag ­ ing Zoroastrians in their pursuit of edu- donors to the BPP’s appeal for the armed forces casualties, the sums totalling Rs 13,24,572, not counting the Rs 5,00,000 ing problems of Zoroastrians intending pledged by the BPP. The color page in to get married. Once the interest on these this issue of the Review is devoted to the investments commences, members of BPP’s 13th Holiday Programme for also assist the trust immensely is public the community will be able to avail of our colonies at licence sending applications for these purposes KellGl and respite to the Zartoshty brothers. Parsis are the most peace loving, law- The Monsoon edition of The BPP abiding, dedicated people who believe Review also refers to the Venture Capi ­ tal Fund being registered as a company and awaiting funds from various partici- Soliciting suggestions from the com ­ munity on other viable sources of rais ­ ing finance, Guzder writes, “What will .. . . also assist the trust immensely is public the community will be able to avail of Youth, giving a pictorial summary of opinion in the community prevailing these funds, specifies the press release the proceedings, upon those who have been privileged to requesting Zoroastrians to discontinue occupy flats in c ______ fees/rents which are a pittance by today ’ s standards, to voluntarily come forward to do their bit for those who are less fortunate and have been waiting in queue for years. ” He was critical of such ben ­ eficiaries who instead of assisting the BPP even refuse to pay the service and security charges and a reasonable share of the repair costs. The BPP press note dated September Assistance. The newsletter refers to the 6, 1999 refers to the munificent dona ­ tion of Rs 35,100,000 from Faridoon and Mehraban Zartoshty of Canada, “philanthropists beyond compare, ” who have specified that their monies be capi- that work is worship. The contribution of Parsis to Bombay and India cannot be forgotten. These words by Raj K. Purohit, pants. Meanwhile, a few young dynamic minister for housing, labor, parliamen- entrepreneurs have already received in- tary affairs and employment, warmed terest free loans from the Punchayet the hearts of the audience assembled to under the head of Self Employment celebrate the Shahenshahi New Year at Bombay ’s Kamaniwadi on August 20, 1999, noted a press release issued by monies sanctioned to a dentist to start his clinic, to a jeans manufacturer, and Dini Travels, the organizers of the func- to a lady to set up her beauty parlor. Eight of the 16 pages of the Review tion. The program commenced with a trib- _ ____ ___________r “sent to each and every member of the ute to the late Capt Freddy Merchant talized and the interest; from Rs Samast Anjuman ” dwell on the subject who died in a battle accident in the 87,75,000 be used towards the third of universal adult franchise, citing the recent Indo-Pakistan conflict. The gal- of universal adult franchise, citing the I 1. Moving Moving ahead Moving forward Moving nnore and more Movers on the move... Buhariwalas SHIPPING, CLEARING & PACKING AGENTS For a tension-free and cost-effective alternative choose one name that offers a host of services under one roof B. C. BUHARIWALA & SONS Corporate office: 5, J. N. Heredia Marg, Ballard Estate, Mumbai 400001 Tel; 2613137, 2615451/3 Fax: 91-22-2620785, 2693144 E-mail: buhariwalas@hotmail.com ness.buhariwl@gems.vsnl.net.in Branch Office: 1310 Pragati Towers, Rajindra Place, New Delhi 110008 Tel: 5713540/573 0795 Fax: 91-11-572 0399 12 Parsiana November 1999'A/'SHKS SAAL MUBARAK' Sil 1 1 From left: Deboo, Master-Moos, Purohit and Diniar Mehta While on mi- was employed with the Indian Railways, litary duty with His mother tried to dissuade him from the “Operation Vi­ jay, ” 29-year- old Merchant died in a battle accident at the Rann of Kutch dedication, loyalty border with Pa- and yet humane and kistanonJuly 22 approachable na- following eight ture. Freddy years and 11 months of ser ­ vice in the Army. His formation had been deployed men loved, ” notes a to the Army there since May 1999 and after two press release. Re ­ days he was to proceed to Kargil. Prior portedly, just two days prior to his to that he had been posted as staff demise he was counting his blessings captain at Headquarters 75 (Indepen- for being able to serve the Army, mar- dent) Infantry Brigade Group at Bhuj in rying a lovely lady and fathering two ongoing joining the services, but his resolve was firm, she recalls. “With his men he was very popular be ­ cause of his profes ­ sional competence. J was very fond of play ­ ing the guitar and Merchant: singing which his committed lant soldier ’s mother Dolly and wife Mina were honored with shawls and flowers. (Diniar Mehta of Dini Travels _ _ „ and the World Zoroastrian Organisation Gujarat, the details were provided by adorable daughters, Anahita, aged two r X. V his mother Dolly. years, and Riya, aged four months, for the Merchants two little daughters, as a contribution towards their educa ­ tion expenses.) Entertainment during Merchant was selected for training at the evening was provided by Marzban • ---- - Mehta and his troupe who regaled the audience with old Parsi songs and garbas. __ „ Among the invitees present on the of the Assam Regiment as second lieu- occasion were Jam-e-Jamshed director Khorshed Deboo, Zoroastrian College president Meher Master-Moos, Salsette Parsis Association trustee Eruch Hodi- walla. Marine Drive Citizens Associa ­ tion secretary Minoo Dalal, Col Sukhin- der Singh and Col P. K. Khanna of the Army Headquarters, Bombay and Mem- border, was appointed adjutant for three ber of Parliament Jaywantiben Mehta who joined in the garba, the finale of the evening, states the release. Commending the efforts of Diniar and Shiraz Mehta of Dini Travels who had earlier organized the Parsi Fiesta and Navroze Dhamaka, Ervad Yezdi Panthaki, president of the Godrej Bang Residents ’ Association, said that “Bom ­ bay had not witnessed such a program which brought the community together ” join the armed forces since his school days at StMark ’sHigh School, Jhansi from where he passed his ICSE (Indian Certificate of Second ­ ary Education) exami ­ nation. Two years prior to his graduation, he lost his father Hosang who his mother Dolly. After his graduation in commerce from Vartak College, Vasai in 1989, Entrusted tO the police ’¦„t “This is the single largest contribution the Officers ’ Training Academy (OTA) made to the state police in its 138-year in Madras. The following year he was history, ” commented director-general of commissioned into the Fourth Ballalion police Arvind Inamdar referring to the ¦ Rs 25 lakh donation made by philan- tenant while the battalion was posted at thropist Naryman Dubash to the Police Secunderabad. It was here that he got married to Col S ukhinder S ingh ’ s daugh ­ ter Mandeep Kaur (Mina). While serving with the 4 Assam Regi ­ ment, he also saw service in Sikkim/ Manipur, and the Uttar Pradesh-Tibet Research Centre for setting up an ultra modern police museum at Aundh in Poona, according to a report in The Times of India of September 29, 1999. “During my lifetime I have helped in my own modest way towards social activities, but none has given me more years, and graduated with excellence in happiness than the chance to give the young officers, commandos, regi ­ mental signal officers, anti tank offic ­ ers and junior command courses of the Army, according to his curriculum vi ­ tae. He had moved to Bhuj as staff captain last year. Born in Jhansi, Mer ­ chant had been keen to a donation for erecting a befitting mu ­ seum, a grand police memorial, ” 72- year-old Dubash, an automobile engi ­ neer by training, who has donated mu- on this auspicious occasion, according to the report. Served his motherland His comrade>'from the Military Head ­ quarters, Bombay sub-area, were there the final salute at Bombay ’s Doonger- wadi. The juniors saluted the coffin, the seniors placed wreaths, and after the bugles were sounded, the highest of ­ ficer lifted the Indian flag off the body and handed it over to the martyr ’ s widow. % 14 Parsiana November 1999 Dabash (left) receiving memento from Munde Photo: Studio Suder 1iHis son Jamshed, chair ­ man of the Bombay founder president of AFL, joined the Rotary Club of Bombay, Main (one of the oldest and % . Farokh have put in 26 years and 18 years re- A Club. “The world presi ­ dent of Rotary had termed this achieve ­ ment unique as there must be very few fami ­ lies who have such a '7 -L j Herrera (center) flanked by Karkaria (left) and De in New York in New York, ” related Karkaria, after which they got an opportunity to inter- Rotarian. This year Guzder received a trophy for the “best senior citizen ” and another award in July 1999 from district nificent sums towards the Zoroastrian priests, the Wadia Hospital and Mater ­ nity Home, the Marathi Patrakar San- Parsi Punchayet and ghatana besides many other causes, was quoted in The Express Newsline of Sep ­ tember 29. “Every time during festivals and emergencies, my heart goes out to the policemen who are the keepers of largest clubs in India) the law in Maharashtra...Because of in 1947, while his theireffectivehelp,wearesafe... ”added grandsons Cyrus and Dubash. The museum which is planned along the lines of the Black Museum of the spectively with the Scotland Yard in London is estimated to cost three crore rupees of which Rs 1.5 crore was to be raised by the entire police force of the state by contributing a day ’s salary, it was mentioned in The Times. Work on the Memorial which has been designed by noted architect long service in Rotary, ” states Jamshed Hafeez Contractor is expected to be completed within a year. On the seven ­ acre plot, assigned by the State Govern ­ ment, the Memorial will accommodate several granite slabs with flamed fin ­ ishing on which the names of the 1,100 Jamshed a Distinguished Service Award state police personnel who laid down their lives in the course of their duties since Independence will be engraved, him a silver lapel pin, unique in Rotary, Between the slabs will be planted for completing over 50 years as a champa trees so that the flowers may F ' " constantly fall on the engraved names. 1 A fountain with a 20-foot-tall red col- another award in July 1999 from district Known to exude “wicked charm, ored waterjet will also be installed at the 3140 “in recognition of the stupendous Herrera at 50-plus, continues to turn site of the Memorial, according to the work ” done by him through the years. heads with her trim figure and energy news report. At a function held at the office of the director-general of police, the deputy way oflife, a code of behavior similar to chief minister of Maharashtra, Gopinath the ‘good thoughts, good words, good ago...Herrera has been eyeing the sub- Munde presented Dubash a certificate deeds ’ we have in Zoroastrianism. ” and a memento, states a press release. Hiiia p. Guzder Dubash ’s donation “is a real recognition for the police, particularly at a juncture IndiHIl invitCCS when there is large-scale criticism of the The only two Indians hosted in New entire department, ” Munde ’s remark was quoted in The Express Newsline. There was also mention of Dubash contribut ­ ing to the Bombay High Court by donat ­ ing towards the installation of three com ­ puters. who has served as vice president, presi ­ dent and district secretary and who refused the district governorship due to lack of time. The Club had earlier presented act with Herrera whom De described as “a woman of astonishing beauty, ” in in the form of a silver salver while in \h& Afternoon Despatch and Courier oi May 1998 the district governor gave September 23, 1999. The evening of September 13 saw the opening of Herrera ’s first salon at New York where she presented her eau de cologne, ‘212 for men. ’ work ” done by him through the years. “Ifeel very strongly about the Rotary packed manner, ” stated the Afternoon. movement, ” remarks Jamshed. “It is a “After launching her best-selling fra ­ grance ‘212’ (in Bombay) a few months continent as a potential market, ” noted the report. The guiding spirit “Her genuine interest...to spread the guiding light amongst as many young girls as possible saw her emerge as a high-profile columnists Bachi leader, both loved and respected by every guide whose life she touched, ” York by Carolina Herrera for a viewing of her Spring-Summer 2000 collection were Karkaria and Shobha De. They were among the select international audience, noted a condolence resolution passed which included media representatives by The East Bombay Bharat Scouts and ofnot only the fashion and glamor maga- Guides District Association in honor of Family feat zines but also some very staid publica- Three generations of the Guzder family tions, in attendance at the Bryant Park in have created history by together clock ­ ing a total of 130 years in the service of the Rotary Club, states Channel A, the in-house publication of AFL Limited (formerly Airfreight Limited). The father, Nusserwanji Guzder, joined the Rotary movement in 1933 and died at the age of 98, recording 100 percent attendance right up to the end! Guider Aloo Kanga who died on May 28, 1999 at the age of 72. “Guider Manhattan on September 13, 1999. Kanga was consulted on matters of pro- “It was a cut and dried, professional tocol, training, guiding events, appoint- trade show, ” remarked Karkaria, with ments, guide programs and activities by Herrera ’s Monday morning slot being every office bearer of the guide section followed in quick succession by other and she answered, always keeping the designers who were a part of the Fash ­ ion Week. The invitees were then taken to lunch at Restaurant Orienta, “which is presently considered the hottest place best interests of the movement in mind, ” added the resolution referring to her dedication to the 123rd Guide Com- continued on page 60 16 Parsiana November 1999Courtesy Mr Jamshed Guzder Under the auspices of the MAZDAYASNIE MONASTERIE and the ALL INDIA SHAH BEHRAM BAUG SOCIETY (for Scientific and Educational Research) e-mail: mazocol@hotmail.com in the world The one and only ZOROASTRIAN COLLEGE Correspondence address: Mustafa Building, (2nd floor), Sir Pherozeshah Mehta Road, Bombay 400001. India, Tel: 2660214,2662950 after hours; 3644737 Fax; Bombay India 022-2662735-A/c 121 and 3634274 A/c 141 website: www.indiayellowpages.com/zoroastrian/ KEYNOTE - WATER - THE UNIQUE VISIT OF PROF. DR. VICTOR INYUSHIN OF KHAZAKHSTAN TO ZOROASTRIAN COLLEGE SANJAN - REPORT. In March-April 1999 marked a Defence Ministry Scientists and MEHER MASTER-MOOS and Scientific Research turning point Companies technologists in the Khazakh State Al Farabi Univer- for India. The World Renowned latest WATER PURIFICATION sity Head of Bio-Physics Dept. Khazakh Scientist who deserves TECHNOLOGY Methodology. PROF. VICTOR INYUSHIN on the Nobel Prize, visited India spon- Thevisitculminatedfrom 18 years Bio-Energetics Aura Research, sored by Shapoorji Pallonji Com- collaboration between Zoroastrian Since World War II the global sored by Shapoorji Pallonji Com- collaboration between Zoroastrian Since World War II the global pany and others globally, to train College President Dame Dr Prof waters environmentally are pol- ' luted by underground and under- water nuclear tests. The resultant pathogeneous water is death force water with the spiral of life energy reversed in every molecule. Dis- eases such as Cancers, Aids and R Genetic mutation have resulted ¦ from these pathogeneous waters spoiling the soil and crops growing on such polluted soils; and even the rain polluted clouds. Scientists in Europe, North America and Japan and ex-USSR were SC/i «fa desperately researching I •^5^ r Upper: Dame Dr. Prof. Meher Master-Moos welcoming Prof. Dr. Victor Inyushin and Dr. Mrs. Nadia Nadezhda to India. Lower: Seminar at Zoroastrian College Sanjan in March 99 with Ministry of Defence Scientists including Dr. Ram Gopal of Defence Water Laboratory Jodhpur, Scientists from DIPAS Delhi, TIFR Bombay, and technologists from Ion Exchange and Shapoorji Pallonji’s SIV Factory with Prof. Victor Inyushin, Dr. Nadezhda, Dr. Meher Master- Moos, Mrs. Bapsy Davienwalla, Ervad Yezdi Karanjia and others. 4 .4 t ; ‘-I .i'.‘ i?'- ’Ji ill h t h V ^I1 1.I Advertisement CHANGE THE METHODOLOGY AND care because they will not suffer using current from trees ;—Atash MENT PROBLEMS CAN MAKE USE OF INYUHSIN’S PURIFICATION TEHCNOLOGY. COMPANIES CAPABLE force - Prana energy. Unlike the OF MANUFACTURING AND The superiority of this technol- W ATER methods to reverse this BUILDINGS; 8. SEWAGE WA- luted with heavy lignin colouring pathogeneous water spiral. Only TER PURIFICATION FOR CIT- and chemicals; and the C.O.D. one Scientist succeeded, - The lES; 9. MOST IMPORTANT IS was successful lowered from over Khazakh Prof. Victor Inyushin THE CHANGE OF 12,000 to less than 500. thanks to the MAZDA YASNIE PATHOGENEOUS NUCLEAR Inyushin ’s methodology is very MONA-STERIE collaboration RADIO ACTIVITY POLLUTED successfully in rendering the well of Ancient Cosmic Wisdom-ILM WATERS INTO SAFE DRINK- water safe for drinking even dur- E KHSHNOOM. His grand- ING WATER FULL OF LIFE ing the monsoon. The village mother came from the Iranian FORCE. people can have preventive health ancestral stock of the Caucassian people. He inherited the knowl- EQUIPMENT includes a combi- from waterborne diseases; and so edge of the Maghavs and put it nation of entirely natural modes villagers in India and other coun- into practice for the Universal of treatment.: (a) natural electric- tries will surely benefit if this sys- Benefit of the modern times ity from trees; (b) generators for tem is installed in village wells, people of the Earth. using current from trees; —Atash Also FACTORIES HAVING PROF. INYUSHIN’S tech- e Urvajist — (c) sunlight — CHEMICAL POLLUTED BAD nology equipment is put for chromo therapy; (d) lazer purifi- WATER EFFLUENT TREAT- demonstration in the College cation equipment. There are no grounds so that people from all chemicals used at all . countries can come to India and easily see it, functioning, and ogy is that it provides safe drink- thus decide to make use of it, ing water full of sparkling life worldwide. The equipment is placed in the out moded methods of ultra violet MARKETING THIS EQUIP- well, the building overhead tank, radiation which kills the bacteria MENT ARE REQUESTED TO attachment to taps for drinking including the useful ones. Prof. CONTACT ZOROASTRIAN pure life force full water and the Inyushin ’s technology does not COLLEGE PRESIDENT. On septic sewage tank for recycling kill the anaerobic bacteria but ren- 10th January 2000 there is a spe- water. ders them unconscious; thus even cial one day Seminar at Sanjan to THE EQUIPMENT IS USE- Jains can drink this water. see this equipment functioning, FUL FOR PURIFICATION OF: Bhabha Atomic Research Cen- after the Medicina Altemativa 1. VILLAGE WELLS; 2. RIV- tre gave the test reports of the World Congress - 7th-9th Janu- ERS; 3. LAKES; 4. WATER C.O.D. of the well water and re- ary in Bombay at the Russian TANKS 5. BUILDINGS - RESI- ported it had dramatically come Culture Centre Redder Road, DENTIAL - OVERHEAD WA- down from 25 to 8. The same Cumbala Hill. Interested persons TER TANK; 6. FACTORIES technology was used at the SIV can register for the World Con- EFFLUENT WASTE WATER; factory near Coimbatore to treat gress and the one day Seminar on 7. DRINKING WATER FOR factory effluent waste water pol- Water Purification. 21st CENTURY ENERGY MEDICINE - MILLENIUM WORLD CONGRESS OF MEDICINA ALTERNATIVA - HOLISTIC HEALTH SCIENCES on 7-9th JANUARY 2000 at RUSSIAN CULTURAL CENTRE, PEDDER RD, MUMBAI For latest vibrationary frequencies Aquarian Age methods including Russian, German, British, Italian, Kirlian Aura Photography Diagnostic Equipment and new methods of Healing and Treatment for AIDS, Cancer and other serious diseases using latest Khazakhstan Water Purification Technology — Come to this International Event. Congress Topics cover Distance Healing, Radionics, Radiesthesia, Occult Sciences, Karma Past life ’s regression. Spiritual Healing several methods. Spectro chrometry, Clinical Ecology, Music Mantras, Chakras, Aura, Pyramid, Magnet, Aroma Therapies, Yoga, Homeopathy, Unani, Ayurveda, Siddha, Nature Cure, Acupuncture, Acupressure, Fengshui, Vastu Shastra and many other methods of diagnosis and treatment. Contact tel 2660214/2662950/3644737 for Registration/information before 31-12-99ZOROASTRIANS ABROAD Love among the viruses Virologist Kersi Meher-Homji chronicles cricketing events and those of Zoroastrians in Sydney Arnavaz S. Mama “I always do things I like to do, ” asserts Kersi Meher-Homji who is into his 11th term as the editor of Manashni, the detects the power of a chemical to newsletter of the Australian Zoroas ­ trian Association (AZA) of New South Wales, which has “a print run of 250 but virology department screening blood - - I donations for HIV and Hepa- as vice president, Yasmin Toddy walla, I titis B and C viruses. The secretary and Farokh Batliwala, trea- r coded samples evolved at surer. The three members at large are I Sydney University are now I used in blood testing labora- I tories in Malaysia, New r Zealand and all over Austra ­ lia, notes Meher-Homji mat ­ ter-of-factly. In the mean ­ while Villie has been testing potential cancer-curing com ­ pounds on cancer cells, as ­ sessing the effectiveness of of office. In practice however it tran new drugs. The union has produced two non-science-minded boys: Jehangir, 29, who is mon toiletries. That work resulted in his (AGM) on August 15, 1999 voted in a team developing the Arne ’s test that cause mutants. Thereafter Meher-Homji has been a quality control officer in the of directors is led by AZA veteran Capt "'A . 1 Noshir Sachinwalla with Dinaz Mistry new management team as most of the older board members had served their two-year quota. The 1999-2000 board enjoys the readership of over 1,000 all over the Zoroastrian world. ” A cricket commentator with several publications and a best-selling author, apart from his long-term work as a virologist, Meher-Homji is a man of many parts who car ­ ries his achievements so lightly he could blend into the back ­ ground if you didn ’t take care, and the loss would be entirely yours! Meher-Homji: a Parsiana caught up with man of many parts Meher-Homji on September Photo: Arnavaz S. Mama 3,1999 when he was on a brief visit to Bombay after the cricket tests in working in an advocate ’s office with an MA in industrial history and a degree in industrial law under his belt. A brilliant debater, he has represented Sydney Uni ­ versity in inter-university and inter ­ school competitions and is currently toiling towards his LLB degree; the 21- year-old Zubin will graduate in eco ­ nomics this year, as notes the boys ’ father. The AZA which developed its Darbe memorial rose garden, surrounded by a walk-around and shrouded by tall sen- ---------------- tinelevergreens, where the ashes of cre- worked at Bombay ’s Haffkine Institute by its neighbors, has to ensure that there mated Zoroastrians could be sprinkled, researching the polio virus. That ’s where r ’ '--------------------------------------“ he met his wife Villie as she worked towards her MSc under Meher-Homji ’s guidance and love (bloomed) among Homji. Its thriving Sunday school needs the project. However, there had been the viruses, ” he grins. ' Once in Australia both husband and wife became affiliated to Sydney Uni ­ versity where he has left behind the conquered smallpox virus on which he adequate for the purpose and fund gath ­ ering is the community ’s current preoc ­ cupation, informs Meher-Homji. The last annual general meeting » ft.. • A .* surer. The three members at large Mehravan (Naazi) Marzbani, Virstine Yazdanparast and Anahita Engineer, informs Meher-Homji. The ’99 AGM rescinded an article in the AZA constitution that limited man ­ agement committee office bearers to a two-year term. The article had been instituted in 1991 with the obvious in ­ tention of preventing monopolization Sri Lanka which he had covered for the 3m Herald newspaper and The Indian Down Under. Having migrated to Australia with a pregnant wife and no job in 1970, Meher- Homji notes cheerily that it was Aus ­ tralia ’s national game — cricket — that lured him there in preference to other beckoning areas like Canada and the US. He used to write about cricket for the Kaiser-E-Hind, The Tinies of India, Himmat and Sportsweek while he long and acrimonious lawsuit initiated Meher six years ago after winning a worked in the initial years to metamor ­ phose into a genetic toxicologist trek ­ king genetic mutations caused by com- 20 Parsiana November 1999 spired that too few people desired to offer themselves for community ser ­ vice, explained Meher-Homji and the impugned article prevented those de ­ voted to the community from continu ­ ing in office. The resolution to delete the said article was proposed by AZA’s long-term resident priest Ervad Peshotan Katrak and seconded by former presi ­ dent Purviz Kolsawalla. The ’99 AGM also made a volte face on the AZA’s rose garden project which had been approved at the 1998 AGM, as per Manashni. The idea was to create a are adequate fire alarms and smoke The idea had been associated with detectors and that the sound decibels Katrak who with his wife Shernaz had are kept very low, informs Meher- accepted the responsibility of financing , ____ _______1 3. lot of rethinking on the project — the nay-sayers believed it would devalue the AZA property apart from being out more space and on the agenda is a new wing whose construction cost is esti ­ mated at A $ 250,000-300,000. The AZA’s four-acre property is more than of sync with usual Zoroastrian practice. Instead of the envisioned little plaques on the stones in the garden to com ­ memorate the dead, Marzbani suggested in a letter to the then AZA presidentintention by Nine to describe Zoroastri ­ anism as akin to witchcraft. Nine did not intend to portray Zoroastrianism in a negative light at all. Nine regrets any hurt that might have been caused to the Zoroastrian community by any misin- ig and Khushrou Bilimoria performed at the Mukesh Night presented by maestro Avijit Sarkar. Their renditions of the Nauzer Bana that the purpose would be better served if the families so inclined remembered their dear ones by the pro ­ vision of scholarships or other dona ­ tions in kind. Eventually, despite Katrak offerin; to scrap the provision for scattering terpretation of the program, ” wrote its ashes in the rose garden, the mandate of corporate counsel Ben Reichel. 38 voting against the proposition versus 14 for it (there were 10 abstentions) led Community Centre on July 24, Zubin to the scrapping of the proposal with due acknowledgement to the Katraks ’ generosity. Incoming president Sachinwalla has melodies associated with Raj Kapoor suggested that the AZA buy a plot of hits like Andaaz, Mera Naam Joker and decimated before YIK (year one thou- land within the cosmopolitan cemetery others revived the memories of an ap- for the exclusive use of Zoroastrians, says Meher-Homji. Before president Bana relinquished Indian Down Under. office, he had the satisfaction of receiv ­ ing an official apology from Channel couple of lectures by Prof Kaikhosrov Nine ’s Today show wherein Zoroastri- Irani who has been appointed visiting anism had been dwelt upon on par with professor in philosophy at the Uni ver ­ witchcraft and other pagan beliefs on sity of Sydney, informs Manashni. He September 12, 1997. “As you know, spoke on “The Enlightenment Teach- Nine has accepted the decision of ings of our Holy Prophet Zarathushtra ” the Australian Broadcasting Authority and on “The Prospect for a Perfecting asia) which would also include New (ABA) that Zoroastrianism was not Humanity ” and addressed a special 2*/2 Zealand, Singapore and Hongkong, on adequately distinguished from witch- hour session for the youth explaining which Dr Sam Kerr, Sachinwalla and craft, although there was certainly no their places of worship? ” Reasoned Meher-Homji in an edito ­ rial, “The reason why we, a micro ­ scopic community, have survived for so many centuries — maintaining our religion and culture — is our adaptabil ­ ity. Over hundreds of years we have celebrated different festivals in our At a special night at the Hurstville adopted country, viz Diwali, Christ ­ mas, Holi, Id, Sankrant, Easter, Ganpati ... as social events without compromis ­ ing the tenets of our own glorious reli ­ gion. But for this adaptability and shar ­ ing of festivities we could have been sand) let alone Y2K! We should follow preciative audience which clamored for our faith (Zoroastrianism) but partake encores, as notes Meher-Homji in The in the festivities of a country where we reside as social get-togethers. ” The PCLK counts about 600 Zoroas ­ trians among its members (200 fami ­ lies) from a total Zoroastrian popula ­ tion in New South Wales of approxi ­ mately 1,000, says Meher-Homji. On the anvil is the formation of FEZAAS (Federation of Zoroastrians in Austral- Other outstanding events were a MATRIMONIAL Alliance invited for a 34-year-old girl (non-Mangal) settled abroad, arriving in Mumbai between January 7-February 2. Parsi boys settled abroad, between 40-43 years of age may please send detailed information with photograph (returnable) to: The Advertiser Parsiana, Matrimonial (Nov/26-99)* GPO Box 892, Bombay 400001 ‘Please make sure the reply envelope bears the reference number cited here. ACCOMMODATION AVAILABLE Paying guest accommodation available in Colaba for Parsis — couples or individual (bedroom and bath). Terms negotiable. Apply with full particulars to: Zoroastrian philosophy. At the time of Kolsawalla are working. Manpower is the Meher-Homji interview, the AZA the stumbling block. “People say time had been preparing for an intensive nathi. (In my opinion it would be) a two-day session on various aspects of herculean job to get it off the ground, ” Zoroastrian theology by Zoroastrian says Meher-Homji. Studies founder Khojeste Mistree. The four-day lecture series together with a five writer — 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., ” he jests, slide show on Iran was a great success, as notes a report by Bana in Manashni. An interesting topic highlighted by a letter from Mr Sethna in the May-June edition of Manashni examines the ap ­ propriateness of holding Xmas celebra ­ tions within the Darbe Meher. Sethna ’s letter noted, “We Zarathushtis are law- abiding, peace loving and adaptable —most often the English — see in him people, as our history of thousands of years bears witness. The word adapt ­ able does not at all mean subordinating enough to provoke a tongue-in-cheek our traditions, culture and above all our religion. The staging of a Christmas party (a non-Zarathushti custom) right inside the very heart ofour DarbeMeher Homji believes “intermarriage is fine if is in itself an act of subordinating our traditions and culture. Would any mem ­ ber of the management committee (past Helga, generally attired in a white sari or present) lead me: who was navjoted in Iran and who has •To a Christian church where birthday(s) taught the children their navjote prayers, of Lord Buddha, Lord Krishna or Haza- rat Mohammed is celebrated? •Any Hindu or Buddhist temple, Sikh gurudwara or Muslim mosque where a Christmas party is staged right inside despite being a staunch Catholic. Meher-Homji himself is a “nine to He ’s currently working on an update of Cricket’s Great Families, a 1980 publi ­ cation. Also from the Meher-Homji stable is Famous Debuts and Swansongs in Cricket. “Cricket is in my family; my uncle had played in a test for India, ” he exults. A source of amusement is how people a resemblance to Australian Prime Min ­ ister John Howard. The incidents were article (see ‘“My face is my mistake. Sir, ’ I say, ” page 43). Pragmatic, unterstated, Meher- you get a good partner, ” quoting the instances of Sachinwalla ’s German wife The Advertiser (Accommodation Avaiiabie) GPO Box 892 Bombay 400001 etc, Shirley Mahableshwarwalla who was a long time editor of Manashni before he took over and Katrak ’s wife Shernaz who “encourages her husband in every way ” 22 Parsiana November 1999ZOROASTRIANS ABROAD for the event. “The icing on the cake, ” according to the report, was the largely attended boundary between tolerance and intol- “The significance of the muktad cer- correspondent S. Azam Ali during an emonies ” at Avari Hotel which gave the interview in Quetta ’s Balochistan Li- audience the opportunity to link theory brary. In the piece published under the title “A Parsi girl scholar of Islam ” in Dawn (August 1, 1999) Ali describes her as American Presidential Scholar in His ­ tory at Columbia University. Earlier “This ceremony has brought a special she had held the Hofstadter Fellowship wadewala. For Roshni Pithawalla, “The bia. She is at present adjunct professor at Fordham University and teaching assistant at Columbia University. Proficient in Arabic, Persian, French and English, Rustomji graduated in his ­ tory and Middle Eastern studies from the University of Texas, going on to a double masters from Columbia in his- going to work was wonderful. ” lous record keeping, eye for detail, tact and persistence were recalled by WZO ety, ” Rustomji is working on her disser- Materials of Heaven and Hell in Medi ­ eval Islamic Culture, ” as notes the Dawn article forwarded to Parsiana by Noshir Mana of Karachi. The daughter of Purvez and Aban Muktad in Dubai to lack of space. ” Some Zoroastrian religious faith affects peoples ’ lives. “I have an inner strength and greater families from Muscat also drove down For my undergraduate thesis I studied sense of belonging towards the commu- for the event. notions of heresy in medieval Iran to try nity after having prayed for the muktads “The icing on the cake, ” according to understand how a society draws the for the first time, ” said 15-year-old Ervad Kairuz Navder, the youngest of a public lecture by Khojeste Mistree on erance, ” Nerina Rustomji told Dawn team of seven priests led by Ervad Daraius Dastur, who performed the stum, afringan and farokhshi prayers “faultlessly on time and with every and practice, especially for the youths, possible attention to ensure traditional “Working daily for the muktads at un ­ integrity and strict laws of purity, ” note earthly hours was an exciting, cleans- Jasmine Tavadia and Mahrukh Cooper ing and uplifting experience for me, ” in an e-mail report. The first ever muktad noted 16-year-old Neville Daruwalla. prayers in Dubai were synchronized with the baj ceremonies performed daily unity and spiritual harmony within the in History and Foreign Language and at the Boyce Agiary atTardeo, Bombay, community here, ” commented DaraRaj- Area Studies Fellowship also at Colum- While the seed of the idea had been germinating in the heart of long-term feeling of ‘muktad ne page pareene (af- stalwart Percy Tantra, the logistics were ter making obeisance to the muktad), ’ taken in hand by a core team beginning June 1999: Consulting Dastur (Dr) Firoze Kotwal for ritual correctness, A farewell to Bhumgara importing a large new afarganiu and When Mani Bhumgara retired as mem ­ stone from India (which passed through bership secretary of the World Zoroas- the customs without a hitch, note the trian Organisation (WZO), her meticu- tory and philosophy. Currently engaged authors) while Bobby Khambatta ere- lous record keeping, eye for detail, tact in doctoral studies in “Islamic Soci- ated a marble idhoro and tailor-made iron and marble-topped tables for the chairman Shahpur Captain. Having been tation “The Garden and the Fire: the vases. Fourteen muktad vases were con- a founder member of the WZO, Bhum- secrated at a fire-temple in Bombay and gara spoke about the organization wher- brought to Dubai “without them being touched by anyone, ” notes the report. No non-Zoroastrian was allowed into the Tantras ’ large dining room which was emptied by Percy and Zarine Tantra ings. and “converted into a serene and much ­ loved ‘dadgah ’ area ” three days before the ceremonies began. Throughout the Captain narrated how the “small... but social scientist and social worker. Her muktad days Mahrukh Khambatta and wiry and gritty ” lady had beavered away maternal grandfather T. N. Hodiwala, a Katy Madon led a tireless team of ladies through the cooking sessions beginning at 3 a.m. The event brought old and nearly three lakh rupees that had been building of Quetta after the earthquake young volunteers together washing and donated to the ZTFE when then president of 1935. Rustomji, who migrated to the cleaning vases and preparing them for Jehangirji Moos had sought funds for a US with her parents and brother ArisTi the day with fresh flowers. “It is rare to new Zoroastrian House. While Moos and witness or experience this sustained Captain had labored in vain for years, level of personal and individual com ­ mitment and community participation for such a ritual, ” emphasizes the re ­ port. Divas, prayer books, sandalwood and flowers were provided for the laity. Captain. catering to a weekday attendance of 20- 40, graduating to 80-100 on weekends. The jashan on the fourth Gatha saw a congregation of 120 “even though ev ­ eryone had been discreetly told to have only one member per family attend (Dubai being home to almost 400 Zoro- The Garden and the Fire astrian families, as per the report), due ever she went, converting her listeners to the cause, noted Captain who also referred to her forthright and outspoken comments at WZO committee meet- Rustomji, her paternal grandfather Shiavax was a pioneer journalist who edited the Quetta Tinies until his death. Though never involved with the Zo­ roastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE) Her paternal grandmother Gool is a at the problem of getting the Reserve renowned engineer, is remembered for Bank of India to permit the transfer of his immense contribution to the re- as a kindergarten child, often comes to Quetta to meet Hodiwala who she says Bhumgara produced results through her has had a great influence on her aca- numerous contacts in Bombay and fi ­ nally a sum of about £ 3,000 was remitted to the ZTFE by the bank in India, attested demic career. There was a time when foreign policy issues had engaged Rustomji. Not any more. After her PhD she plans a life devoted to education and academics. Bhumgara ’s retirement on health grounds earned her a special resolution increasing repect for human dignity, at the WZO annual general meeting and indulging her hobbies: reading, lis- appreciating her services and wishing tening to music, traveling... her well in the years ahead. Dessai’s gold “You represent what girl scouting is all “I have always been interested in how about, ” noted Robert L. Pete, president 24 Parsiana November 1999. i • • Si jj. “consistent and superior scholarship and service ” and from Peggy Soberanis, executive director, Girl Scouts. Writ ­ ing on behalf of the Girl Scouts of distinction. ” Behram Rustomji of Karachi who provided the relevant material to Guide movement in India with great distinction. a Dessai, flanked by the county supervi- Engineer (center) with Ricoh sor, displays her award award of the Board of Directors as he awarded Scholarship Federation awarding her the Gold Award from the Girl Scout life membership and registering her Council to Freny Dessai. The resolution of the Board of Su ­ pervisors of the County of Sonoma, State of California, honoring Dessai lists her achievements. A member of Konocti Council Soberanis notes, “This Troop 64, Dessai has served as troop is the highest honor a young woman of patrol leader, program aide and com- your age can achieve. It requires a great munity service aide clocking over 200 deal of commitment, enthusiasm, lead- hours of service. In the process she ership and skill to attain this level of aided a visually-impaired woman study ­ ing at Santa Rosa Junior College by entering her assignments on computer. She also developed a web page for her Parsiana notes that Dessai is the daugh- Konocti Girl Scout Council to facilitate ter of SoonamaiandJamsheed,exDadar and enhance communication between Parsi Colony, Bombay who have now the Council, its girls, leaders and the settled in Santa Rosa, California. Ac- community. The resolution, co-signed cording to him Dessai is the grand- by four supervisors and the chairman, niece of the late Sherene B. H. J. “anticipates that Freny Dessai will have Rustomjee who had served the Girl a heart and spirit of gold throughout her adult life. ” Subsequently Dessai received a . Certificate of Special Congressional Engineer S RlCOn award Recognition and a letter of congratula- Beating 17 other contestants from the tions from Mike Thompson, member of region Percy Engineer claimed the Congress from the First District of Best Sales Person award for 1998 California. Recognizing Dessai ’s hard from Ricoh Europe B. V., notes a work and dedication, Thompson states, press release. Sharjah-based Engineer “It ’s not easy to devote yourself to a task and to do all the things that are necessary to be successful. I’m sure it vidual trophy for having sold the meant a lot of sacrifices for you person ­ ally and for your family... ” In a similar letter of congratulation Dianne Feinstein, US Senator for Cali ­ fornia notes, “At a time in our society trips, this year the destination being when so much needs to be done, it is comforting to know that tomorrow ’s leaders are comprised of young women like you. ” And California Governor the write-up. On earlier occasions En- Gray Davis commended her “on behalf gineer had been to Japan, Barcelona, of the people of the State of California. ” Bangkok and Mexico. Other commendations and certifica- ------------------------------------------------- tions have come from the California Compiled by Amavaz s. Mama With best wishes from Farah Tanya & is the assistant sales manager from Jumbo Electronics who won the indi- maximum Ricoh copiers and plain fax paper machines. Ricoh annually rewards its outstand ­ ing sales staff with incentive holiday Bali, Indonesia. It was the fifth trip for Engineer in the course of his 11-year career with Jumbo Electronics, informs 27 Parsiana November 1999WELFARE COVER STORY Presiding over Valuing all life, Dr Silloo Bhagwager is endeavoring to protect it through the Plants and Animal Lovers Society Parinaz m. Gandhi from here and looks after the stray and abandoned creatures brought to her in the course of her duties as president of PALS (Plants and Animal Lovers Soci- months, they will be sterilized and then released. Puppies have to be three or four months of age before they can be sterilized, Bhagwager points out. To make known that these animals have been sterilized by PALS, they are also tattooed with the letter ‘P’ while they are still under the effects of anesthesia, tattooing being less painful than brand ­ ing. Since the cost of sterilization of one animal works out to Rs 500, PALS welcomes contributions from those who can afford to give. Of course, for ani ­ mals without owners, the cost is often borne by PALS. In the case of larger dogs, PALS sterilizes them and sends them to shelters for postoperative care run by the WSD (Welfare of Stray Dogs which has shelters at Mahalaxmi and Vashi with Daisy Sidhwa officiating as the contact person) or IDA (In Defense of Animals where Sudnya Patkar is one of the contacts). “People generally are kind, ” observes Bhagwager, “but you have to draw their attention that animals require care. It is “Sterilization of stray cats and dogs, only when they see you caring for the medical treatment for the street dogs mag ­ gots and vaccination against rabies ” is the prime concern of PALS, explains the soft-spoken Bhagwager as she takes us on a tour of her clinic. Perched on a refrigerator was one cat, another was Mr Chaiwala, the canine, happily wags his tail, jumps around in circles despite his bandaged paw, unable to contain his joy at seeing Dr Silloo Bhagwager at the clinic at the unexpected afternoon ety). hour. Refusing to leave her side, one of the assistant veterinarians had to liter ­ ally carry him away. Another dog though who are frequently infested with was content to continue his afternoon siesta on the wooden settee beside us unmindful of the interview being con ­ ducted within earshot. They are but two of the many quad ­ rupeds who have found a haven at being readied for the sterilization opera- Bhagwager ’s clinic at Ferena, opposite the Fariyas Hotel at Colaba in Bombay. There is Ice-Cream, the oldest resident who throws a tantrum with every new arrival; Vodka, the black cat, whom nobody wanted to adopt because of her bathroom were stacked trays, laden with color; Lizzie with her twisted, stunted kittens. After they complete two or three legs who plays surrogate mother to the orphaned pups ‘" and kittens staying with her... And the mainstay of this miniland of domestic animals is Bhagwager who casually at ­ tired in a shirt and pants with a mop of curly hair framing her face seems to be more preoc ­ cupied in tending to their needs . Her clinic serves a dual pur ­ pose — she conducts her pri ­ vate practice as a veterinarian little animal that you can expect them to show the same consideration. ” If resi ­ dents could look after the strays in their localities and approach PALS for help, when necessary, the situation would be under control, she feels. She recounted the inhumane condi ­ tion in which street dogs were earlier tion, being brought there by a thoughtful hounded by municipal vans, housed in lady who had seen it wandering down cramped pens for three days and then the streets. Lying on the surgical table put to sleep. The mother dogs crying out was Chaiwala whose paw was being treated with laser acupuncture. In the Bhagwager bandaging a canine at her clinic Photo: Chetan Mistry 28 Parsiana November 1999 for the puppies would be electrocuted, the little puppies would be gassed... “It was sickening, ” she mentally relives the horror chambers. So under the initiative JI of N. Alimchandani, a group of animal lovers collected funds from wealthy Jains, Parsis and others to start a sterilization program in the early ’90s. PALS took shape towards the end of 1993 and was regis ­ tered as a voluntary organiza ­ tion focussing on the welfare of stray animals and birds and also on the care of plant life in the city of Bombay. Framing the constitution and getting the nec ­ essary sanctions was the effort of vice president Capt Hormaz- diar Desai. Bhagwager gives him credit for “doing the totalPALS volunteers in action: planting saplings; feeding strays; offering a haven to the injured; and bringing warmth to the inmates at The Shepherds Home for Aged Women IJ groundwork. ” An unexpected impetus for their work came from the late Khorshed B. Umrigar, Bhagwager ’s aunt, whose will had provided funds for the cause of animals. “She would tell me, ‘When you need the money, you will get it, ’” Bhagwager remembers her words. As their work expanded, so did their corpus or trust funds which pres ­ ently approximates Rs 15 lakhs, ac ­ cording to Desai. Membership to this organization is open to those aged 18 years and above, on payment of Rs 500 as life member ­ ship. They are required to fill out a form stating they are “interested in promot- ing the care and welfare of plants, ani ­ mals and birds, to prevent cruelty to them, prevent their maltreatment and to work for inculcating a positive, kind and humane approach towards them... ” There are presently some 200 plus mem ­ bers on their register. Anti-rabies vaccination cum aware ­ ness drives were held on weekends in and around the slums of Cuffe Parade available to them. An ongoing feature and the Colaba market area by PALS in conjunction with WSD last year. On Sundays, volunteers from WSD come to PALS to replenish their stock of medication. In the coming year PALS has been entrusted with the responsibil ­ ity of sterilizing all the dogs in Navy her presence, Bhagwager does not un- Nagar for which a barrack will be made TAKI III 30 Parsiana November 1999 has her team of veterinarians, Dr Vidya Shankernarayanan, Dr Rewathi Mukha- villi. Dr Priya Dahanukar and Dr Priya Mundkur who share her responsibili ­ ties, ably assisted by anchor persons ,'L.r~ 1 Kurush Mistry and Veena Pinto and if other staff members of the clinic who respect her like an elder sister. One of their popular projects is Pet PALS, where the lonely women at The Shepherds Home for Aged Women and the blind children at the Happy Home and School for the Blind are treated to the company of special pet dogs, thanks to the initiative taken by Dr Sangeeta is the mini camps they hold in places Vengsarkar-Shah, with assistance from like Vashi, Arnala and Karjat for the vaccination and sterilization of animals in these areas. Their next camp was to be held at Panchgani. Since all the animals under her care at the clinic need animals, particularly for orphans, pris ­ oners, the aged and the mentally ill... dertake these out-of-Bombay trips. She Besides, studies have also indicated that r r r Gauri Apte. As mentioned in their lit ­ erature, “Research and studies have revealed that immense psychological benefits accrue from interaction with11 .1 .. <\V- additionally does free electrocardio ­ grams for the animals treated at the pets reduce stress and help rapid recov- They may not have the funds and re- ery after heart attacks. ” Vengsarkar-Shah sources to fight legal battles like other ........................... ¦ ’¦ animal welfare organizations, promi ­ nent among them being Ahimsa and PALS clinic, gratefully acknowledges IDA,butthey do rejoice when victory is Bhagwager. Dr Padam of the Om Clinic and Dr Hingorani ’s X-ray laboratories where they can avail of free services are also a boon to PALS. “Maneka Gandhi from the beaches in Bombay, (former union minister for environment) is a godsend, ” notes Bhagwager. “She is a marvellous human being. Because of her we get good support. ” While Bhagwager names a few Zo­ roastrians in Bombay like Diana Mehta, PALS office bearers (from left) Bhag- wager, Perin and Honnazdiar Desai their lives, as also information on the Soonu Mehta and Mehroo Mistry who organization and other bodies which are volunteer for animal welfare work, there are “more non-Parsis who take the ini- Bombay, tiative to help animals and fight for their rights, ” she feels. Members of the science at the Sophia College and St Xavier ’s, graduating in microbiology, won on behalf of "victimized animals: and then completing her postgraduation when the blind lioness was rescued in veterinary studies atBombay in 1966. from a circus, when camels were banned Having come in contact with a lady vet ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ " when she was yet a child had strength- Do not patronize pet shops. Caged ened her resolve to pursue the same birds are sad. Letthem fly free, reminds calling, she recalls. Whilst in Canada the 1999 desk calendar brought out by she was employed in a veterinary facil- PALS which carries true life stories and ity, doing studies cum work before she photos ofthe animals who have touched returned to Bombay to resume her prac ­ tice here. “Zoroastrianism is a happy, liberal religion. That ’s what I like about it, ” says Bhagwager who is very glad to be engaged in similar welfare work in AtPALS, the members are concerned associated with it. “Religion is of the too about saving the wetlands and for- Zoroastrian community “are distancing ests. “The tiniest of creatures is vital in themselves from nature ’s creation. As the ecosystem of our planet, ” they be- heart. It ’s a very personal thing for me. You don ’t have to demonstrate it; to put photos all over the walls. ” Believing in they become more progressive and pros- lieve. They are working towards revital- the efficacy of prayers, the spinster perous, they are becoming more .......................... intolerant...! don ’t know what ’s hap ­ pening to the Parsis. ” She elaborates on their aversion for stray dogs and refers to the brutality meted out to ownerless the ecosystem of our planet, ” they be- g notes, “Community prayers are a good pockets of greenery in that locality and idea. ” She is keen though that like men, women who have married out of the community be permitted to initiate their children as Zoroastrians. “The world is changing. We can ’t live in an ivory tower. Every human being is a human izing the Malabar Hill area by saving recently received, mentions Desai, re ­ ferring to the path breaking efforts of being first. ” their plant committee under the chair- I * I I initiating plant activity before it is en ­ croached by slums. Clearance for an aromatic garden at the Victoria Memo ­ dogs who were ruthlessly beaten up by rial School for the Blind at Tardeo was residents of a Parsi colony. “Just as all recently received, mentions Desai, re ­ humans are not friendly, all dogs are not 1-------„ .. _ friendly, ” concedes the veterinarian their plant committee under the chair- It is intelligence that places a human while making out a case on behalf of the manship of Dr Vispi Meher-Homji. being at the top ofthe food chain, points - ------- ¦' .. out Bhag wager, even though the sense of smell of animals is remarkable, per ­ mitting them to detect cancer before a timid variety who usually have to bear PALS has actively supported the cam- the brunt of the ill feelings generated by paign against the use of plastic bags and advocated the use of cloth carry bags. The dokhmenashini mode of disposal doctor can confirm it, to predict the of the dead is favored by Bhagwager for onset of convulsions before a patient she believes it “has a scientific tone to it. ” According to topographic require- the aggressive members of their breed. Members of PALS feel strongly as do those involved with Beauty Without Cruelty when animals are treated cru ­ elly in a circus, or used in films, or as guinea pigs for experiments, or their products used for garments and acces ­ sories, or slaughtered for food, or teth ­ ered to chains in a zoo, or used as joy rides at the cost of the animal ’s life. cause of our intelligence, ” says the vet ­ erinarian as she stresses on the interde- knows it, to rescue those trapped. “They can experience sadness, pain, just as we ments and convenience the body should humans. We can bully them only be- be disposed, says Bhagwager who has spent eight years of her life in Canada. After her schooling at the Convent of pendenceof all creation where mankind Jesus and Mary, Byculla she studied is but “a part of the global whole. ” is but “a part of the global whole. ” 31 Parsiana November 1999BUSINESS The lady and the lager All India Brewers’ Association’s first woman president Zinia Lawyer wants a country-wide policy for breweries Hilla P. Guzder “In Germany, beer is called ‘liquid bread. ’ It is the common man ’s drink in the western world. In China there were almost 800 breweries, now consolidated into 500, and beer.is sold like a soft drink competitively priced. Breweries, she both, ” she replies, adding as an after- t' ::; 2 ?.... :..2._ 1--------a elaborates, work on volumes and are thought that in the balance it may have been more advantage than disadvan ­ tage! “Some mindsets however do need to change, ” she remarks. Lawyer was awarded the IIM-Cinni Fan Bronze Tro- small pegs) of medium range whisky says, whereas “I like to watch other costs Rs 30 while a bottle of beer costs people drink beer! ” Has being a woman around Rs 40, Lawyer believes a bottle been a deterrent or an advantage in the should cost about Rs 20 for it to be business world? “A combination of o 1985, the Vijay Ratna for marketing there. But in India beer is considered a eiaoorates, work on volumes and are luxury item! The state governments use extremely capital intensive. While it the beer industry as a punch- may cost only five crore ru ­ ing bag. We have a long line pees to set up a distillery, it of 17 taxes that hit us in j| . costs Rs 30-40 crores to set making a bottle of beer! up a 200,000 hectoliter per phy for the best woman entrepreneur in states Zinia Lawyer, direc- 1 ** tor of Associated Breweries and Distilleries Limited I (ABD) who was in August iJ 1999 elected the first wo- ¦ man president of the All g India Brewers ’ Association I annum brewery, she esti ­ mates. Beer is produced from excellence, presented by the then Prime malted barley, states a hand- Minister Chandrashekhar in 1991, the out supplied by the company, Rajiv Gandhi Gold Medal of Merit for and barley is extensively Management in 1992 and numerous grown by farmers in Rajas ­ than, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The spent grains left after the produc ­ tion of beer are fully utilized other honors and shields. Lawyer became her father ’s “right ­ hand man ” straight after college in 1974. When ABD started brewing operations at its factory in Thana (now New Bom- as nutrient cattle feed. Hops add the bay). Lawyer was involved with the : mar- (AIBA). Lawyer: heading Poised, articulate and the beer industry comfortably in command. Lawyer delineates the tasks ahead: “The beer industry needs help. Duties and flavoring, she explains. A glass of beer planning of the inauguration, the contains more proteins than a glass of keting, advertising, etc. “Daddy passed away suddenly in London in 1985 and is buried in the Brookwood cemetery there, ” she relates. Mehroo and Bakh ­ tawar joined the company after his death. milk, she avers, with the added advan ­ tage of no fat or cholesterol, as well as low calories compared to, for example, a glass of apple juice or a cola. Noting with pride that ABD will be “We are all extremely attached to the celebrating its 25th anniversary in Feb- company, ” states Lawyer who is di ­ vorced. Mehroo Irani sees to monetary the best of their knowledge the only and other aspects and visits their old three women, with Lawyer ’s mother Mehroo Irani being the chairperson and offices of Bakhtawar Construction Com- younger sister Bakhtawar Chenoy and herself the directors of the company. taxes account for a whopping 40 per ­ cent of the cost whereas all over the world it is 20 percent. ” Beer making, says Lawyer, is an agro-based food industry and beer should be delinked from hard liquor. “You don ’t drink beer to get a kick. Our main aim is to per ­ suade policy makers to redefine IMFL ruary 2000, Lawyer states that ABD is to (Indian made foreign liquor) as “not I' including beer. ” Noting that it is easier brewery in the world owned and run by office at Cowasji Patel Street at Fort to export the amber brew than it is to three women, with Lawyer ’s mother where the accounts department and the • transport and market it in the different ’' ' ............................... states of India, the AIBA president as- younger sister Bakhtawar Chenoy and pany are located. “I still attend office serts that the industry seeks New Delhi s herself the directors of the company, every day, ” notes the septuagenarian guidance to formulate an all-India Thebrewery was started in 1975 by their chairperson with pride. Bakhtawar deals policy. “We want beer to be brought father Noshir Muluk Irani, a builder of with the promotions, marketing and under the food processing ministry, out repute whose Bakhtawar Construction publicity, says Lawyer, “and I do all the rest — look after production, joint ven ­ ture proposals, coordination, etc. ” A recent entrant is Lawyer ’s daughter of the purview of the different states Company has to its credit several well- with their chopping and changing poli ­ cies. Fortunately, Delhi seems to have woken up. ” AIBA has its headquarters Khareghat Colony and Bakhtawar at Farah who has just cornpleted college. “Now she sits on my right hand, learn ­ ing the ins and outs of business. It is only by taking part in all the aspects of the company that you eventually find known buildings in Bombay like El- Cid, Meher Apartments, Aderbad at in Bangalore and a membership figure Nariman Point where ABD’s offices of 50 breweries (out of the approxi- are situated. “It was Daddy ’s love for mately 53 existing breweries) from all beer that took him into the beer indus- over India, states Lawyer. Noting that a nip (180 ml or three try, ” smiles Lawyer. Bakhtawar too loves to quaff the golden brew, she your niche, ” declares Lawyer. Son 32 Parsiana November 1999L- 4 I i r '¦ I 13 1 5 SP ¦1 L pine-based San Miguel Corporation to brew and market San Miguel beer. Re ­ puted to be among the world ’s top 20 largest selling beers, San Miguel ’s single brewery, San Fernando Brewery in the Philippines, brews six million hectoli ­ ters of beer a year which is more than the entire production of all the breweries in India put together. Lawyer had informed the gathering at the product ’s frothy launch at the Taj Ballroom on April 27, 1998. “The quality of San Miguel beer is monitored on a daily basis. Their brewers come here and samples go across to Manila for testing. They are very strict about quality, ” specifies Lawyer. With a state of the art bottling and Krones canning line, states their bro ­ chure, ABD produces a range of mild and strong beers, with alcoholic strengths ranging from five percent V/V (volume by volume) to 13 percent VZV. The company ’s flagship brand, London Pilsner, has won awards at the World Selection of Beers for five consecutive years. “We launched India ’s first low calorie beer, London Diet, ” informs Mehroo and ABD pioneered > f F M a ¦ j ¦*s L Mil *' • ••„. I * I I Clockwise from top: The ABD triumvirate, Chenoy, Lawyer and Mehroo; the flagship brand London Pilsner; ABD plant at New Bombay and the late Noshir Irani ’ Rustom is still studying, as are Darius and Na/ak, Bakhtawar ’s two teenaged children. Lawyer terms “the personal touch ” one of ABD’s major strengths. “We can take quick decisions among the three of us. The management is transparent and people have easy access to us. And we do pride ourselves on the quality of our beer. ” Last year ABD entered into a licensing agreement with the Philip- ' |W ¦ ¦ Ss, « S' J t J I 3 I I &¦ 35 Parsiana November 1999 I » ‘in « » * *Li noon pij SNFR 1 -1 9- ili jlsj an At the launch of San Miguel beer in India “Mummy ’ s pet project, ” state Mehroo ’s daughters who add that their mother is still “fully involved with it. ” Situated within the Masina Hospital complex, the. Centre was conceptualized by Mehroo in memory of her husband who died of diabetes-related complications. “The Centre is doing very well, ” enun ­ ciates Mehroo. Dr H. B. Chandalia, who had been a friend of the late Noshir Irani, is “one of the leading diabetes specialists in India and he is doing very good honorary work at the Centre, ” Mehroo points out. Lectures are held for diabetics and their families and there are always plenty of outpatients, she says. “The Masina Hospital authorities are considering shifting their old opera ­ tion theater into the new theaters we comments Lawyer. “Our foreign guests had constructed here, ” informs Mehroo. often ask us ‘who are you ’ and are amazed when we inform them that there are only very few (about 90,000 plus the including the Red Cross Ball and com- Zoroastrians in Iran) of us left world- pany sponsorships for projects of the wide. ” Some adjustments have to be Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to made for survival, she believes, includ- Animals (“we all love dogs ”), associa- ing perhaps allowing the performance tions for the blind and physically handi- r I ¦ b’ •PtMlUMiXiSii'' ’' I** i 1 ABD has its standard, yearly chari ­ ties, enlighten Bakhtawar and Zinia, the concept of draught beer with Lon ­ don Draft. The Maharaja Premium La ­ ger is brewed especially for export and finds a good market in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the West Indies, with trade inquiries also coming in from the of the navjote of children of Parsi women capped, cancer patients, etc. ABD likes USA and Europe, states their company married outside the community, if the to help out for charitable functions, profile. ABD has also entered into a husband so agrees. Finding a spouse is state the sisters. London Pilsner has technical collaboration with H.Dasappa difficult, she comments, and couples been the official sponsor for over a Breweries Private Limited in Banga- seem to want at best two children. decade for Hash Houses Harriers, a lore to brew and bottle ABD’s brands “In fact, the one-child family seems group of effervescent expatriates who for sale in the southern states of Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. “The feasibility report ofour Goa project work-related problems, etc being in ­ is underway, ” declares Lawyer. Does she drive herself too hard? “Yes, I believe I do. I am particular Punchayet could set up about detail and do get annoyed if people more creches for the can ’tmeetmyexpectations, ”shelaughs. children of working She loves to walk, she says, particularly women, ” she suggests, near the sea as walking “clears the mind adding that the Parsis and rejuvenates you. ” Other relaxations are aroma therapy and yoga which she does at home. Scuba diving used to be a favorite recreation but “one needs to get away to Maldives or Lakshwadeep for that ” and right now, she says, all she can manage are short snatches in Goa. “One looks at religion in a different perspective later in life, ” opines Law ­ yer who calls the whole family “reason ­ ably agiary-going. ” She herself visits the fire-temple at least once a month, often just on the spur of the moment. The family patriarch. Noshir Irani, had been the president of the Iranian Zoro ­ astrian Anjuman and had served it in some capacity or other for 14 years, his obituary had noted (Parsiana, March Muluk Irani Medical Centre for diabe- is changed and beer is delinked from hard ’85). “Our community (Parsis and Iranis) tes control, inaugurated in February liquor, I foresee a tremendous future for is however basically disappearing, ” married outside the community, if the husband so agrees. Finding a spouse is seem to want at best two children. “In fact, the one-child family seems to be becoming the norm, ” remarks have formed an international club who Bakhtawar, with servant problems.‘run for fun ’ in Bombay every month. London Pilsner also sponsors car and strumental for declining Parsi popula- motorcycle rallies, billiards, snooker tion, particularly in Bombay. “The and golf tournaments, says their bro ­ chure. Golf enthusiast Mehroo is the secre ­ tary of the Bombay Presidency Golf Club at Chembur and was the captain of the la ­ dies ’ golf team for many years. “I still play golf every Satur ­ day and Sunday, ” she chuckles. ABD is currently in the midst of enhancing its production capacity. Laments Lawyer: “The beer market is not growing as much as the A glass of beer contains more proteins than a glass of milk, with the added advantage of no fat or cholesterol in Poona “seem to be better off. ” With hus ­ band Bezan a horse trainer, the Chenoys visit Poona often. The late Noshir Irani owned about 24 race horses, many of whom won prestigious racing events like the 1000 Guineas, Indian Derby and The Oaks. “We still own horses, ” conveys Lawyer, “and I industry wants it to. With international do involve myself in the Bombay sea- brands like Foster ’s coming in, the arena son, but find it difficult to find time for has become more competitive. More rea- the Poona races. ” In keeping with the community ’s tradition of charity, the family had two years ago built and equipped the Noshir bleak. If, however, the definition of IMFL is changed and beer is delinked from hard son why the central government should intervene and provide us an equal play ­ ing field. If they do nothing, the future is 1997 (Parsiana, June 1997). This was the beer industry. ” 36 Parsiana November 1999BUSINESS Confessions of a convert In his last interview the late Neville Wadia shared his reminiscences of his childhopd and family Shernaaz Engineer Met Neville Wadia as the lights were dimming on his last act; a little before the curtains were to close on him for ­ ever. He was well into his winter. Rather unwell, too. In constant touch with Dr Farokh Udwadia, although ap- H| parently unfazed by his health MB contingency. Amazingly, he didn ’t let his ailing physical condition unduly cloud his equanimity. Or his en- joymentofeverydaypleasuresand pursuits. Still went to the Wadia Cup races at Mahalaxmi (with ’ssfb Vae, & 'ixsi'g association since the days his uncle, Sir Cusrow Wadia, chairman and chief steward of the Royal West- em India Turf Club for 12 years, gave a four million rupee interest- free loan). Yes, Neville Wadia continued going to the races, en- livened by Bombay Dyeing fash- ion shows and Man-hunts, sitting beside grandsons Ness and Jeh in his Sunday best. He let Jehangir Nicholson photograph him look- ing natty in his smart suits, ties and pocket kerchiefs. Met friend R. V. Pandit on free evenings. Attended office at Bombay Dye- ing on most days of the week when he was in Bombay. |fl| It was here that I met him. Twice. At the stately Neville House at Ballard Estate, in his spacious and very elegant office on the fourth floor with portraits of his father. Sir Ness Wadia, on promi ­ nent display, five yellow roses in a crystal vase on his imposing antique oak desk. He was cheerful, friendly, and un ­ derstandably apprehensive about being wouldn ’t want to let it all slip by interviewed. His recent conversion to Zoroastrianism (a little over a year old then), was still causing consternation started speaking, eyes twinkling, pink So, early one morning in 1931, Neville and controversy among the Parsi com- cheeks flushing (six months of the year Wadia came to Bombay, not on a holi- munity ’s devout. He didn ’t want to stir spent living in Switzerland accomplished day, but to work. He reached his father ’s residence (Strachey House), and sat down to breakfast. Outside, a Rolls had smiled, alluding to his advancing of his life proved captivating, especially years, “Who would possibly be inter ­ ested in anything I had to say? ” I persisted. He ’d led an interesting hi fe li rs, Wadia: returning to his Zoroastrian roots since he seemed to enjoy the trek back in time himself. Spent his early life in England. “I have very pleasant memories of ¦ growing up in a lovely house in P I Liverpool. I was bom there in 1911 (August 22),” Neville Wadia began. He was educated at Malvern Worcestershire and Cambridge (“I was never studi ­ ous, but enjoyed myself im ­ mensely ”). The youngest of three, two older sisters preced- ¦mghjm,'liislaiPer chose iobhng them up abroad because the hu ­ mid Bombay weather proved in ­ clement for his mother. Lady Evelyn. He was happy with his life until 1931, when his father ’s indifferent health changed ev ­ erything. “I said to myself, all right now, let ’s get to work. ” So he sailed to Bombay along with his father on the liner Viceroy of India. This was not the first time he was making the journey by sea. “We used to undertake long and tedious journeys by boat regularly throughout our child ­ hood. In 1916, during World War I, our boat was torpedoed by a German submarine. Luckily, the, lot of us were saved. ” But, just about. They were brought down on the ship ’s ropes into a lifeboat bobbing s life. Scion of the famous Wadia clan, ^andson of the awesome and inspira- alongside^nly to be battered and soaked as the boat made its way through a storm in Malta. The young Neville contracted pneumonia. Sir Ratan and Lady Tata were also aboard. It is said that Lady Tata ’s precious jewels went down with the ship. Lady Evelyn was prudent to carry hers with her. tional Jerbai, marriage to Mohammed Ali Jinnah ’s daughter. His conversion was just one among the many fascinat ­ ing chapters in his life. Surely he un- chronicled. He relented. Reluctantly. But once he started speaking, eyes twinkling, pink _____ ______ cheeks flushing (six months of the year Wadia came to Bombay, not on a holi- another storm by speaking up. “Besides, that in spite of ill health), there was no I’m rather long in the tooth now, ” he holding back. My foray into flashbacks 38 Parsiana November 1999 k*s I Above: Aa a young man with father Sir Ness and (below) in Parsi attire Photo: Spectravision Labs of his legendary grandmother, disturbing. “I remember seeing her for the first time in 1921. I was about TO then, and had come down with both my sisters for the Christmas vacation. She I had asked to see us, because I we were her only grandchil- I dren. I remember her as a I very strong lady, very force- I ful in her views. ” I It is no secret that she was " very disturbed by her son Ness ’ conversion to Chris ­ tianity. His marriage outside the Zoroastrian fold must have been a great disappoint ­ ment to her. A devout Parsi , it [ is said she spent hours pray ­ ing each day and reading the Zend A vesta in a special room facing the sea. At this point, I had to ask Neville Wadia about his own conversion to the Zoroastrian faith at the ripe old age of 80-odd. What could he possibly have hoped to accomplish by it? Why did he nately, for the purpose of our interview do it? He explained: “I grew up a Chris- “However, all the while that my discontent with Christianity grew, I never believed it was possible to return to my Zoroastrian roots. Very late in my life did the high priests give me the go- ahead. And the first time I was actually able to step inside an agiary, I was “There were no special privileges because I was the boss’ son” Royce landaulet pulled up at the door. Sir Ness adored cars, and kept a fleet. The fourth car imported into India, a French de Dion Bouton, was bought by tian. My father converted to Christian- Sir Ness, who apparently enjoyed driv- ity shortly before his marriage to my delighted. ” He said this with great joy, although he did confess that agiary- going hadn ’t become a too-frequent ritual. “I do wear my kusti and say my prayers every morning, ” he added. “Just the basic prayers because at my age, I must admit, my memory isn ’t as good as it once was. ” That wasn ’t entirely true. And fortu- he could recall in vivid detail almost every incident associated with his life. Like how he met his wife, Dina. “I met ing it himself. Neville told his father that mother who was, of course, a Christian. Dina through her grandmother, Lady the landaulet had come. Yes, his father They were both very devout, and we Dinmai Petit, wife of the second Bar- replied, it has come to take you to the were brought up that way. As I grew onet, Neville Wadia recollected. I mills. older I grew more and more disillu- had become very fond of the grand- Barely had he finished his breakfast, sioned with Christianity, with the Pope ’s mother, a blind lady, who was very ¦ ¦ . - . uncanny about her perceptions of people. A lot of times she would catch hold of me and ask me uncomfortable many countries like Yugoslavia in the questions, and I would try and brush her name of Christianity. All this was very off, but most of the time her instincts They were both very devout, and we were brought up that way. As I grew older I grew more and more disillu ­ sioned with Christianity, with the Pope ’s than the young Wadia lad was whisked call against abortion and family plan- away to work. “I had to be there by seven ning in this age of AIDS. Besides, I was in the morning. There were no special seeing all the discord and war in so privileges because I was the boss ’ son. You don ’t learn anything if you don ’t start at the bottom and work your way up. Years later, I applied the same disci ­ pline to my son Nusli. I’d be there with a cold sponge to get him out of bed first thing in the morning. I don ’t think he liked it too much then, but he realizes the value of that today. He understands why I did it, and thanks me. ” Talking of the family tradition of discipline, it is said that Neville Wadia ’s paternal grandmother, Jerbai, was a for ­ midable person with an acute business sense and strong convictions. Each morn ­ ing, her sons, Ness and Cusrow, were expected to stop at her home, Bella Vista, on their way to work. There, over tea, they discussed the matters of the mills, of which Jerbai kept a close track. Sundays, they were to have lunch with Mother. If they failed to do so, Jerbai would pointedly have lunch sent to them to remind them of their lapse. Neville Wadia has a few memories Nr! 3 39 Parsiana November 1999 off, but most of the time her instincts would be right. ” And so from the grandmother to the granddaughter, Neville Wadia found him ­ self completely charmed. Alas! The trance of romance was soon broken. “When I wanted to marry Dina, her father, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, was furious. He said, here I am trying to create a separate Muslim state away from India and my daughter wants to marry an Indian! I 111 remember going and having a long talk b with him, but he was irreconciliable to I the idea. He said things would be all right I if I converted to Islam. I didn ’t want to. It was not a religion I knew too much about, and my father was a devout Christian. He would have been very upset. So Dina converted to Christianity, and we got married in a little church (All Saints) at Malabar Hill on November 15, 1938. Her father never came for the wed ­ ding. ” continued on page 48HISTORY Treasured on the Island - 4 Labor and law With their grasp of legalese and skill at negotiations, Zoroastrians held responsible positions in Ceylon After being shipwrecked in the turbu ­ lent waters of the Indian Ocean a hand ­ ful of Parsis landed in Ceylon in the early 17th century. In the 18th century, some adventurous Parsis had sought to establish themselves on this beautiful island as planters and shopkeepers. By the 19th century the community was so well respected that on the formation of Pestonjee Dinshawjee Khan.) To Fram- the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce in 1839, Hormusjee Espandiarjee and Shapoorjie Hirji were the only two non ­ English members invited thereon. At the turn of the 20th century Zoro ­ astrians in Ceylon numbered less than a Framjee House was the venue for all Kapadia ’s dream project, hundred, reaching their peak of over Parsi festivities and it was also custom- The Parasmani Hall which is in use 350 prior to World War II. Then fol ­ lowed the exodus and today around 60 Zoroastrians remain in Sri Lanka (see “The Zoroastrians of Serendip, ’’ Par­ siana, January 1999). Starting with the July-August issue, Parsiana is chronicling the achieve ­ ments of prominent Sri Lankan Zoroas ­ trians of the 19th and the 20th century. These are edited excerpts from Behram Homi Framroze Billimoria who enjoyed The academician Kaikhushroo Billimo- Kaikhushroo Billimoria ’s historical the distinction of serving as the first ria, who as principal of the Dharmaraja compilation. The Parsees in Ceylon, Ceylonese (the previous incumbents College was responsible for building up culled from the memoirs of Framroze being English) chief architect of the the center of learning into a reputed ” ' " institute, was always happy to host Parsi visitors to Kandy as theirs was the only served the King during World War I Zoroastrian family resident there, and returned with distinctions in war service. Some of the imposing struc ­ tures erected by Billimoria are the Inde- Cowasjee Eduljee Colombowalla followed Banajee to Ceylon to per ­ earned him substantial wealth and he suade him to return, Banajee ’s wife used a part of it to donate a burial ground for Parsis in Colombo, men ­ tioned the second instalment. (This old served to the Maharaja which she felt burial ground in Kottanchina was in use could endanger his life. The legal prior to the present one on Jawatte fraternity ’s claim to fame was Nariman Road, acquired for the community by Kaikhushroo Choksy who was ap ­ pointed King ’s Counsel and his son jee Bhikhajee and Company goes the Kairshasp who officiates as President ’s credit for making possible the influx of Counsel. The Prayer Hall and priest ’s many Parsis from India. The Khan Clock residence known as Navroz Bang were Tower and the Crippled Children ’s constructed by Meherbai who was keen Ward bear testimony to their largesse, to fulfil her husband PallonjeeNowrojee would not allow it for one of his duties was to taste the food before it was Parsi festivities and it was also custom ­ ary to have an “open house ” for all by the Parsi Sports Club was the com- Parsis every Sunday, it was recounted, bined effort of Framroze Rustomjee The rags to riches story of Rustomjee who donated the land and Ruttonshah Muncherjee who had assiduously toiled Rustomjee who bore the cost of con- to build up his business empire and invariably presided over every meeting of the community was related in the third instalment. Among the leading vited to a dinner at the Navroz Bang on professionals of the 20th century were a date close to his death anniversary. struction, it is explained in the fifth instalment. As per Ruttonshah ’s last will, every year the community is in- the distinction of serving as the first Ceylonese (the previous incumbents College was responsible for building up Rustomjee and K. D. Choksy. Written public works department of the govern- about nine years ago, factually there ment and Dr Rustom Pestonjee who had may be a change of circumstances for some of the individuals mentioned and returned with distinctions in war Many other outstanding Parsis have herein although we have imposed on Sri service. Some of the imposing struc- theirrootsinCeylon.Professional,busi- Lanka ’s respected legal light Kairshasp tures erected by Billimoria are the Inde- ness and/or family commitments may Choksy ’s time to check the episodes for pendence Hall, The Elphinstone and have persuaded them to settle in other accuracy. The first instalment detailed the suc ­ cess story of Dady Muncherji also known as Dady Parsi who was a merchant held Parsi community every Christmas when in high esteem by the locals as also the they gathered there to celebrate the Europeans who patronized his shops. Transport facilities too came within his purview in the early 19th century and there are references to his establish ­ ment running the palanquin facilities for the convenience of passengers. The coffee estate and exports of instalment. Even though the Maharaja joined the firm ofFramjeeBhikajee and Majestic Theatres and Navroz Bang, lands. But their accomplishments are As superintendent of the Leper Asylum fondly recalled in the final episode of in Hendala Pestonjee played host to the this treatise on Sri Lankan Zoroastri ­ ans. occasion with the patients. Another revered medical practitio ­ ner was Dr Dadabhoy PestonjeeBanajee 1863 he was educated there. He joined who had served the Maharaja of Morvi the firm of D. B. Khan and Company in before being appointed member of the Bombay in the year 1882 as a book- Colombo Municipality, states this fourth keeper, and then came to Ceylon. He In 1884 came to Ceylon Kaikhushroo Dadabhoy Choksy. Born in Surat in 40 Parsiana November 1999been of such value that it is continually the large exporters of garments to all in use. At the end of 1960 he retired Company as a bookkeeper. He became manager in 1895. Later on he was ap ­ pointed attorney of the proprietors of from practice and took to business. He the company and served them until his _ death in 1938. __ which his son Rointun Choksy was one of was a director. He con- Ceylon ’s leading Parsi tinned in this business residents. He was a com- till he passed away in mittee member of the 1973 aged 77 years. He Choksy and Raheem. Rustomjee Jamshedji -n was married to Khor- Jeejeebhoy Scholarship shed, the daughter of C. Fund at the Ceylon Medi- N. Lakdawalla and they had established was taken over by cal College; committee had three sons and three Nowrojee Pallonjee Kapadia who car ­ member of the Society daughters. Khorshed for the Prevention of Cru- 1976 aged 69. elty to Animals and vice Kairshasp (Kasi) lonjee and Company. In 1891 he in ­ president of the Friend- Nariman Choksy fol- in-Need Society; mem- lowed in his father ’s ber of the Indian Mer- footsteps and enrolled cantile Chamber and as an advocate of the president thereof in 1932. He was a Supreme Court in 1958 and soon be- trustee of the Ceylon Parsi Anjuman came well-known for his skill and parts of the world. In conjunction with his wife he is also actively interested in joined the firm of Hentley Garments of the establishment known as Gillo ’s which is renowned for its ice creams and fast foods. Pheroze, the third son, is an architect who now has his own firm known as When Cowasjee Eduljee Colombo- walla left for Bombay the business he ried on his business in Fourth Cross Street under the style of Nowrojee Pal- 1981 he was appointed President ’s Counsel and there is hardly a case of wheat flour, sugar, rice, ghee, dried importance in the civil courts — be it the district or appeal or Supreme Court — in which he does not appear for one or other of the litigants. Apart from this He bought many properties, the princi- he is director of many companies which pal among which was his shop at Fourth seek his knowledge by placing him on fruit and kerosene oil. He had a dairy in Bambalapitiya and turned to the manu ­ facture of soap in Kotahena, Colombo. vited his son Pallonjee to join him in his firm and changed the name of his busi ­ ness to P. N. Kapadia. He then handed it over to his son and left for Bombay. Pallonjee Kapadia carried on the business and amassed a considerable Trust Funds from 1923 and president of knowledge of the law. In September fortune until his death in Bombay in the board of trustees from 1929; presi- 1981 he was appointed President ’s 1923 at the age of 64 years. He imported dent of the Indian Club in 1931. K. D. Choksy was a learned gentleman well versed in the Zoroastrian scriptures and afforded religious instruction to the Parsis and took a very prominent part in the affairs of the Parsis till the date of . . _ his death. seek his knowledge by placing him on Cross Street, Colombo. He was secre- He was married to Dinbai (daughter their boards. He takes an equal interest tary of the Ceylon Parsi Anjuman Trust of Framjee Pestonjee Udhnavala) who in matters connected with the commu- Funds and a member of the committee died in Colombo in December 1904 aged 37 years. He had four daughters Anjuman Trust for the past many years, and one son. Three of his daughters He is also a past president of the Parsi married and settled down in India but Sports Club. He is married to Freny the Parsis and their affairs in Ceylon his son Nariman and his daughter Aimai Faramroze Cooper and they have three - remained with him in Ceylon. After a remarkable career at St Tho- Vishtasp. mas ’ College, Mount Lavinia, and at the Law College in Colombo, Nariman took his oath as a proctor of the Su ­ preme Court of Ceylon in 1917. Hethen teamed up with the well-known police is the chairman and court lawyer, Merrill Pereira and estab- managing director of . lished the firm of Merrill Pereira and Hentley Garments, | Choksy. He then joined the firm of F.J. which had the unique 1 and G.De Saram for a short time. In the distinction of being meantime he qualified as an advocate the first Ceylonese and in 1923 started practice in the origi- enterprise to ship gar- ’ nal courts as well as in the appeal courts and built up a very lucrative practice. His name and fame spread and in 1947 and they are among he was appointed King ’s Counsel. He was later accommodated on the Bench Navroz Baug bene- of the Supreme Court where he served factors Pallonjee from November 1951 to August 1952 (above) and Meher- after which he reverted to his practice at bai (framed photo, the Bar. In 1952 he was appointed to chair a committee of inquiry on local government in Ceylon. His report has shasp Choksy in matters connected with the commu ­ nity and is a trustee of the Ceylon Parsi of management of the Parsi Priest Main ­ tenance Fund started in 1912. He took considerable interest in the activities of ! and set apart a portion of his grounds in sons, viz Jamsheed, Khursheed and FifthLane,Colpetty, Colombo for con ­ structing a prayer hall for the Parsi s and a residence for the Parsi priest but died before his project was estab ­ lished. His widow, Meherbai, constructed this prayer hall and residence now known as Navroz Baug and handed over the prop ­ erty to the committee of management of the Colombo Parsi Priest Maintenance Fund. Jal, the fifth child of Pallonjee, put up his own palatial resi ­ dence in Colpetty where presently the Golden Topaz Casino functions. He was gen ­ erous to a fault and Rointun, the sec ­ ond son of Nariman, has taken to business in a very big way. He ments to Soviet Rus ­ sia many years ago '-I < & L' ¦•J alongside) with Freny and Kair- 41 Parsiana November 1999pervision over the labor, eight specially liant children named Pheroze and Alamai. Towards the close of the 19th cen ­ tury there came to Ceylon Ruttonjee there were many instances of his gener ­ osity, one of which was his donation of selected men having been engaged in a pavilion on March 11, 1939 for the Bombay and sent to Colombo. ” Notts Cricket and Athletic This brings to mind. Club in the Victoria Park. ThOT© IS inter alia, the names of Pestonjee. Twentieth Century Impres- This pavilion was declared , DorabjeeMehta, Eduljee sions of Ceylon has this to say about open before a large gath- liarQiy © CHS© D.Billimoria,PiroshaD. ering of Parsis and other Ceylonese friends by the . ... governor. Sir Andrew IH tn© CIVll Caldecott. This gesture COUTtS iPl was prompted by the fact . that the Notts Club had WhiCh M© ClO©S not app©ar him; “Mr Ruttonjee Pestonjee, a mem ­ ber of the Parsi community hailing from Billimoria, Nusserwan- Bombay, carries on business as general merchant and commission agent at 16, and unloading of cargo coming in and leaving Ceylon, attracted the attention which is the chief material used in the worn in the colony, in American car ­ riages, Japanese rickshaws, wines, spir- perintendents over the very large labor its, beer etc, while the principal articles of export are cocoa, cardamoms, tea, cern. desiccated coconut and fibers which Among the Parsis who joined the are sent to the United Kingdom and the Kaiser Bakery which also became renowned for its bread and cakes. After Th©r© is hardly a cas© Q-f imOOrtanC© Bilhmoria,RustomjeeD. MiiccprtvQn. jee Topalia, Pirosha Karanjia and Pirosha Keyzer Street, Pettah, Colombo and the Pallonjee Mistry. variety of goods he deals in is remark- The Ceylon Wharfage able. Commencing business in 1899, he come to an agreement with nnt snnPflr Company, the premier is now a large importer of Indian, Aus- the Parsi Sports Club to Cippco. cargo boat carriers with tralian and American flour, which is allow them the use of their their fleet of steamboats supplied to local merchants and bakers, grounds for cricket practice. This pavil- and string of other boats for the loading and of rice from India and Burma. He ion is still in existence but it has now and unloading of cargo coming in and also deals in American pepperil drill, been greatly enlarged and houses a gov ­ ernment office. Jal was keen on cricket of a number of Parsis who came over to manufacture of the clothing universally and for one year captained the Parsi Ceylon. Due to their strict honesty and Sports Club, of which he was also a past integrity they were promoted to be su ­ president. In 1898 arrived in Ceylon Dinshaw force of this extensive business con- Pirosha Billimoria. He was engaged in insurance business from the time he arrived in Ceylon. He was a prominent Ceylon Wharfage Company at the fag Germany. ” Parsi citizen and died in 1959 aged 78 end of the 19th century was young years. He was forensically inclined and Dorabjee Muncherjee Mehta (known to waged many battles of a forensic nature with the trustees of the Ceylon Parsi Anjuman Trust Funds. He was an agent of the Oriental Life Insurance Com ­ pany of Bombay. He was a member of Mr Mehta, who sympathized with them the then Ceylon Garrison Artillery and and saw that relief was granted to them World War I he renamed it the Brittania rose to the rank of lieutenant. He was a immediately. Unarmed and single- Bakery. Framjee was married to very popular figure among all the handed, Mr Mehta commanded the la- Meherbai who died in 1953 in Colom- Ceylonese of every race and creed and was received socially by all communi ­ ties. He was a keen sportsman and took command was the law. The Wharfage in 1956 aged 84. He was a flamboyant interest in all sporting activities. In Company held Mr Mehta in the highest character and was a well respected per- 1951 His Majesty conferred on him the esteem and never once faltered in carry- son in the Fort of Colombo. The Brittania honor of member of the Order of the ing out his requests for the laborers. The Bakery was started at the corner of York British Empire, and later in 1953 the laborers loved and cherished Mr Mehta Street and Chatham Street but later on Coronation Medal. who was a leading was shifted to Hos- We now come to the year 1899 in figure in the port Street, which there seems to have been a con- of Colombo. He PiroshaManekji siderable influx of Parsis. To quote was simple and NaglacametoCey- from Twentieth Century Impressions of humble; he moved W MM Ion from Bombay Ceylon edited by Arnold Wright in the about in a rickshaw withhiswifeCoo- year 1907; “The Ceylon Wharfage Com- from early morn- ^<r verbal and family pany Limited was formed in 1899 for ing to late in the of three daughters the purpose of taking over and extend- evening and was (Naja,Theminaand ing the old established business of the the last officer to Shirinbai) and two Wharf and Warehouse Company Lim- leave his post. He sons (Jehangir and ited, which came into being in 1875. married Pirojbai Homi) in the last They had a large labor force and it is and had two bril- decade of the 19th estimated that the company ’s check roll century. He set up average would show a daily staff of Well built by J as a broker in com- close on 5,000 men. One feature of the Pirosha Nagla at modities and later Company is the successful employment the Parsi Burial set himself up as a of Parsis for exercising immediate su- Ground general merchant Framjee Pestonjee Billimoria came to Ceylon at the close of the 19th cen- all in Colombo as Mr Mehta). He had tury and after a short service at the the ability to calm and control all types Ceylon Bakery under Limjeebhoy of laborers however obdurate they may Billimoria opened his own bakery called be. They always carried their woes to borers who were most obdurate and bo. He had two sons, Naval and Rustom, recalcitrant to resume work and his and six daughters. He died in Colombo command was the law. The Wharfage laborers loved and cherished Mr Mehta who was a leading of Colombo. He was simple and ing to late in the evening and was 4 leave his post. He married Pirojbai and had two bril ­ • I Ground 42 Parsiana November 1999 4 and commission agent in his shop in OBSERVATION Fourth Cross Street. In 1904 he requi ­ sitioned the services of his nephew, Dosabhoy Hormasjee Markar, who came over from Bombay to assist his uncle. Pirosha was of the priestly clan and had been ordained a navar in India. He did honorary service among the Parsis of Colombo when the service of a priest was needed on any occasion. He lived a singularly unostentatious My face is my mistake, Sir, ’ I say He had the ability to calm and control all types of laborers however obdurate they may be Along with his uncommon surname the writer worries that he has a very common face Kersi Meher-Homji face with a double in almost every port. It ’s a frightening thought. It must be my karma; my past haunting my present. My only claim to fame is that my Recently at the Wynyard station in Sydney I was approached by a man with a small moustache and a glazed look in his beady eyes. “You, ” he said, looking I’ll explain, in my direction. “You! ” he repeated. My only claim to fame is that my “You ’re the President. No, I mean the uncle Kharshed Meher-Homji played Prime Minister. You ’re John onecricketTestforIndiaagainst Howard, aren ’t you? ” England in Manchester, 1936. I was taken aback but dis- When bitten by the writing bug missed his remark as an illusion in my teens, I cleverly but hon- suffered by a man under the estly used K. Meher-Homji as my byline for the cricket stories I submitted for publication in The Times of India and other major publications in Bombay, nephew after an Australia-En- Meher-Homji: a It was done in the hope that an editor would mistake me for a former Test cricketer and print my amateurish efforts. Call it thought no more about it till... I was walking back from the life, first at New Moor Street and later at Rifle Street, Slave Island in Co­ lombo, referred to as “Parsi Mohallo. ” His sons attended schools in Colombo. Pirosha built a valuable well at the Parsi Burial Ground at Jawatte and donated it to the community on August influence of a beer binge and 31, 1891. This is in use to date by all Parsis. The memory of Pirosha will be long cherished by those who knew him Sydney cricket ground with my in the early part of the 20th century. He i / appears to have lost a son in February gland day-nighter a few months victim of mis- 1898 and he lies buried in Jawatte. ago when we were surrounded taken identity His wife Cooverbai, daughter of Hor- by a group of happy people musji Cowasjee Markar of Peshawar, near the Central station. They were name-dropping, but the ploy seemed to died in Colombo in 1908. Pirosha died fervent supporters of the English cricket work. When I migrated to Australia m in Colombo in 1923 at the age of 75 team and merrily chanting, “Barmy 1970 I wrote a weekly column From yggj-s Army, Barmy Army. ” Then they spot- Down Under for the Indian sports - ¦ ¦ ¦ '¦ ’ magazine Sportsweek and continued with the K. M-H byline. Now the shoe was on the other foot. My uncle would jokingly brag to one and all that it was he who wrote those shook me up. It also made my nephew columns from Australia. He must have shake with laughter and soon it became near the Central station. They were team Army, Barmy Army. ” Then they spot- In 1899 Dr Dadabhoy Pestonjee ted me and simultaneously shouted: •. “That ’s John Howard. Hi Johnny! ” Enough to make one sit and ponder. I wear non-trendy glasses and am balding. It Banajee and his wife Maneckbai (nee Davar) came to Colombo. He had qualified in India and worked for many True I have bushy eyebrows, I years under the Maharaja of Morvi. He settled down to practice in what was then known as Soysa Buildings in Slave Island opposite the Slave a party joke. Island railway station. The building 1,^, ----- fooled a few because when he died in 1982 aged 71, an obituary notice in India stated: “When he retired from first-class cricket, he settled in Sydney and continued writing cricket articles from Down Under. ” That makes me a genuine ghost ­ writer of this article, penning it 17 years after my reported ‘demise. ’ Or look at it the other way. You can forget Hasan Raza, Mushtaq Moham ­ mad or Sachin Tendulkar who played Island railway station. The building Not that I am a newcomer to MIS is still in existence and the portion (mistaken identity syndrome). Theother occupied by Dr Banajee is at present day at a garage sale I was greeted by a (in 1988) the Castle Hotel. When Dr lady saying, “Good morning, again. ” Banajee came to Ceylon the Maha- The “again ” bit intrigued me. Soon she ’ raja followed him here to persuade returned with a used video camera and him to go back but Maneckbai was against this. The reason was that Dr Banajee ’s job was to taste the food before the Maharaja partook of it and Maneckbai felt her husband ’s life was in danger. Dr Banajee continued to a price tag. “I’ve reserved this for you after your request and did not sell it to anyone else. ” Once I was at a restaurant with my wife when a young, attractive girl smiled their first Test match aged 14, 15 and at me and said, “Hi Harry, haven ’t seen build up a good practice till he passed you in ages! ” It took me a long time to away vtv 1916. He served as a member convince my wife about my innocence, of the Colombo Municipality from 191110 1916. 16. That obituary note makes me not only the youngest Test cricketer but also the only one to play a Test before I was born. Before I was even con ­ ceived! Although I have an uncommon sur- To be continued name, I must be having a very common 43 Parsiana November 1999COMMENT Deadly deficit The bunglis at the Doongerwadi should be notified as places of public worship to earn rebate for Zoroastrian donors, recommends the author Rjstom S. Gae columns of Parsi media. Moneys so re- The encroachment by non-Parsis on the columns of Parsi media. Moneys so re- lows the deduction of 50 percent of any Doongerwadi complex requires urgent ceived may bejudiciously utilized for the sum paid by an assessee as donation for and appropriate action by the trustees. maintenance of the complex. the renovation or repair of a place of The recurring deficit in the mainte- " .._ nance of the Doongerwadi complex is a cause for real anxiety to the trustees. Though the deficit for the year 1998-99, Rs 18,61,101, is less than that of Rs 22,28,896 for the preceding year, the statement by a trustee that “the accumu ­ lated deficits have now grown so enor ­ mous that it is not possible for the BPP (Bombay Parsi Punchayet) to continue absorbing them ” is worrisome indeed, by them by way of consultation fees for maintenance of the complex. f ' ' Scarcity of vultures in the Doonger- public worship of renown throughout any state or states notified by the central government in the official gazette. Pub ­ lic worship as against private worship connotes worship by the public or a section of the public, e.g. members of the Parsi community, and not worship by a advice of a foreign expert on the subject and I trust the heavy expenses incurred recurring deficits? Donations received justifiable and lead to an increase in these It is significant to note that many Parsis who use the Doongerwadi facili ­ ties prefer booking the lower bunglis son may attend and witness the ceremo- where only the geh sama is performed, while the other rites are performed in an agiary or atash behram. This reduces the observe silent meditation to bid occupancy of the upper bunglis where wadi complex is another matter of con ­ cern to the community. Care must be taken to ensure the dokhmas do not offend the sensibilities of residents in the neighborhood and ultimately give rise to a health problem in the area. The trustees recently sought the particular individual or individuals only. These bunglis are institutions estab ­ lished for religious purposes where sol­ emn prayers are recited and ceremonies How long can the BPP bear the burden of vulture breeding (Rs 1,70,217), prove performed by priests in a quiet, dignified recurring deficits? Donations received justifiable and lead to an increase in these manner for four days for the soul of the from the members of the community are birds of prey. deceased. They are considered sacred the primary source of income for the It is significant to note that many and consecrated places of worship, or complex. It is gratifying to note that Parsis who use the Doongerwadi facili- sanctums, by the community. Any per- handsome donations amounting to Rs ties prefer booking the lower bunglis son may attend and witness the ceremo- 31,37,444 (64.27 percent of the income) were received during the last financial year. I trust the same zest will be shown in the future. To arrest the recurring deficits here four days ’ceremonies are performed and are a few suggestions for the consider ­ ation of the trustees: The old practice of voluntary contri ­ butions at the uthamna ceremony in memory of the deceased, recently re- _ vived, shc^ld be encouraged and imple- bungliswereusedfor381rawans, whereas (2)(b). This is a fit and proper case where - - -• the government may be requested to notify the bunglis accordingly under the said section. Thereupon potential donors may be motivated to make handsome. nies conducted here. Several of the mourn­ ers present offer prayers, while others a grave and sincere farewell to the deceased. These bunglis are thus treated as places consequently there is a fall in the sub- of public worship from the point of view scriptions collected from them. of the Zoroastrian religion. And as such During the last financial year, 1,004 they are “places of public worship of deaths were reported from the Doonger- renown throughout the State of Maha- wadi complex in Bombay. The two lower rashtra ” as contemplated by section 80G mented. The collection of a modest amount, just over two lakh rupees, is not really encouraging. Being a resident of lections at the uthamna ceremony, and affects the rawan subscriptions too. Maintenance of the upper bunglis for donations to the Doongerwadi fund for the five upper bunglis were used for 623 corpses. This accounts for moderate col- New Delhi, I am not aware of the modal ­ ity adopted for the purpose in Bombay but no doubt the relatives and friends of four days at a stretch is naturally more the deceased will readily make some costly than the upkeep of lower bunglis contributions in his naiyat or memory and thereby commemorate his name. Collection boxes, placed on the veranda of the bunglis and the adjacent pavilions the maintenance of bunglis (e.g. the num ­ ber of bunglis in use, the staff employed for the purpose, etc). Also ways and means need to be explored to encourage the use of upper bunglis. If this object can the renovation or repair of the bunglis, and consequently the deficit of the com- which provide just the bare necessities plex may be gradually reduced. This for a day or a part thereof. The trustees important suggestion, if duly imple- must consider reducing expenditure for mented and processed, will prove really 1- efficacious. will also prove useful for the purpose. By way of transparency, the contribu ­ tions so received (except those received anonymously) may be announced at the end of the uthamna ceremony and the list be achieved, the complex deficit can well displayed at a prominent place in the complex or in the office of its manager. ___. Every contribution exceeding a specified deficit relates to section 80G (2)(b) of the amount may be acknowledged in the Income-tax Act, 1961. This section al- Rustom S. Gae, a former law secretary to the Government of India, is pres­ ently a senior advocate prac­ tising in the Supreme Court of India. He is known for his expertise on subjects relat­ ing to fiscal laws, company law and constitutional law. be reduced. My final suggestion for reducing the 44 Parsiana November 1999SPORTS An Olympian attitude Competing in the Special Olympics in the USA Jehangir Ghandy wins three medals in cycling Hilla P. Guzder He came home from the Special Olym ­ pics held in North Carolina, USA with a gold medal, a silver and a bronze. Practicing on a Hero racing model cycle with a special raised seat to accommo ­ date his six-foot-four-inch height, Jehangir Ghandy, a student of the S. P. J. Sadhana School for the developmen ­ tally handicapped, fought against odds to achieve the honor. “There are hardly any facilities for a cyclist to train in Bombay, so we sent Jehangir for two months to Jamshedpur, ” explains his mother Silla. “He built up speed and stamina on the roller (station ­ ary cycle) and practised on the quiet roads of the TISCO (Tata Iron and Steel Company Limited) residential complex and the undulating test track there un ­ der the care of Krishna Krishnaswamy and Aftar Singh (former Indian national cycling champion) who coached him. ” But the road to the USA as part of the Indian Special Olympics contingent was long and hard and 20-year-old Ghandy had first to qualify at the state level. “He had tried four years ago also, but had failed to qualify, ” explains his father Sarosh who has been with the Tatas for 40 years and was till a few months ago executive director in TELCO (Tata Engineering and Loco ­ motive Company Limited). Sarosh is presently the manag ­ ing director of TELCON, a company created by spinning off TELCO’S construction equipment division. This time, however, Jehangir was short ­ listed with athletes in other dis ­ ciplines for a training camp in Hyderabad. It was in March ’99 that competitors with the best timings were finally selected at the Ghaiidy (top) in the USA and (center) training camp in Bangalore. “Condi- with his medals; at the felicitation tions at the training camps were pretty (below) from left: Khanna, Ghandy, bad and Jehangir lost weight due to the Michael Ferreira, Bhatia, P. V. Joshi long training and poor food, ” bemoans and Sister Gaitonde Silla. The bureaucratic demands of the government made things harder. “They the competitors and their parents. ” The can be so cruel and insensitive some- games were held from June 25-July 4, I S.P.J.SADHANA SCHOOL I FELICITATION CEREMONV TO HOiOW SPECIAL OLYMMIWS ' dEHANeij 46 Parsiana November 1999 times, ” she says. ’99 and at the opening ceremony it was In the US, however, the athletes were announced that the names of all the “beautifully looked after. ” Lodging in the university campus at Raleigh and all meals were free, with fruit, snacks, etc being generously provided. “There the space station! was a lovely playing field, with music and programs every evening both for IfiQQ participants from 150 countries would be put on a compact disc and carried into space to be kept on MIR, ’} “Jehangir started cycling eight years ago. He had practiced so hard he was sure he would win, ” smiles Silla. Adds Sarosh, “I was very happy he could go but a little apprehensive as to how he would feel if he did not win! ” But win he did — a gold for the 10 km race, a silver for the 5 km and a bronze for the open road race. “We had sent him with a non-geared cycle, but since other com ­ petitors were riding a geared cycle, Silla managed to procure one for him too. Fortunately he had ridden a geared cycle earlier so he was familiar with it, ” explains Sarosh. y tin ¦i |ND¥ &RA()H1KM BHATIA thdUL School. Ir “Not only Jehangir but his parents have worked equally hard for him, ” remarks Radhike Khanna, vice principal and art teacher at the Sadhana “Jehangir ’s functional abilities have improved after he came to us but he still has a speech problem. His mother and fa ­ ther have been very support ­ ive, very cooperative. They tried very hard to secure dona ­ tions for the other students to meet their expenses. Not all parents are like that. ” Of the 11 students of Sadhana School selected for the national meet held in Chandigarh in Sep ­ tember ’98, Radhika Bhatia, who won a gold and a bronze in swim ­ ming, and Ghandy were the only two to make it to the USA as part of the 17 Special Olympians of the Maharashtra squad which returned with 17 medals —four gold, seven silver and six bronze ! “Jehangir can live close to a normal life, ” explains Khanna. “Some disabil-CONFESSIONS OF A CONVERT The next four decades of Neville year. “They don ’t have any concept of servants in Switzerland, ” he smiled, “but they permit me to have one. ” As he spoke, he handed me several transcripts of old speeches he had given at the various Cusrow Baug Navroz functions he had presided over down the years. He was involved with most of over as chairman. He oversaw consid ­ erable modernization in the mills. He also gave vent to his latent creativity by the Wadia Trust properties in one way or another, and proud of them. He spoke of the various bangs: Cusrow Baug, Rus- “When I wanted to marry Dina, her buildings of the mills himself. He imported the latest machinery and Ness Baug (which he himself leased from Fall and Dinshaw Petit and added annexes to). up several fold. When he cel ­ ebrated 25 years as a director, a reception was held in his Ali Jinnah, was furious” asked, “Why just me? Why not every- Maternity Hospital andBai Jerbai Wadia body who has completed 25 years with Hospital for Children. And the Wadia College in Poona, to which a manage ­ quarter century ’s service with Bombay after him. Neville Wadia had enough to Dyeing is felicitated with a reception keep him occupied till his last days. He had another thing going for him, Wadia himself. which I discovered later when going In 1977, at the age of 66 and with 48 through his old speeches: a great zest years at Bombay Dyeing behind him, Neville Wadia decided to retire. “I for life. He saw this as a typically Parsi attribute. “We are really international in our outlook, ” he ’d said in a speech in 1974. “You will always find a Parsi in the remotest part of the world. Another thing which helps us is wherever we go ity will remain, but which of us does not have some disability or other! At continued from page 39 Sadhana School we teach the children to carry themselves, present themselves. Wadia ’s life were devoted almost en- Jehangir is well-groomed and hand- tirely to his professional commitments, some, in fact he is good-looking enough After his father died in 1958, he took to be a model! He is an affectionate, caring boy. ” Declares Sarosh: “In the four years since he joined Sadhana School, Jehangir has become much more designing the new confident. They have a five-year gradu ­ ation program for the children and Jehangir will probably graduate not next year but the year after that as he has from abroad, and fsthOT MohairUTIGCl Baug, Jer Baug missed quite a lot of schooling because pushed the turnover —’ °u of his cycling. ” Currently he is doing i the vocational course in handicrafts — drawing, stencil-painting, block-paint- < ing, etc, narrates the father as his son director, a reception was held in his Other than the bangs, there were the proudly displays one of his spray-painted honor. But, with touching modesty, he two family hospitals, Nowrosjee Wadia works of art. He has many friends in School, says Jehangir, and he most em ­ phatically likes Bombay better than the company as well? ” Since that year, Jamshedpur (where he spent the earlier every employee who has completed a ment wing was being added to be named part of his life till the family moved to Bombay four years ago). Food favorites include McDonald ’s burgers, pizzas and and a silver medal, designed by Neville bhelpuri! “Life is full of important choices, ” states his trendy T-shirt emblazoned with colorful pictures of cars which are his passion. “Show him any car and he passed on the company to my son, ” he will tell you its make, ” laughs Silla. said. “A lot of my friends were sur- “He has a collection of car pictures and prised. It put them in an awkward posi- he loves magazines like Overdrive and Auto India.” Recreation includes swim ­ ming in summer and playing golf at the companies, and thought I was setting a palate not only do we relish our own United Services Club. “Jehangir has wrong precedent. But my logic was patia and dhansak, but all cuisines be very good hand-eye coordination and simple: why block the growth of younger they French, Chinese, or from any other has learnt to play golf practically on his people? ” part of India. And, what is more, we are own, ” says his father. Neville Wadia continued: “Once I not only fond of good wines and liquor to go with it, but we are connoisseurs. ” That pretty much summed up how pany, although Nusli continues to ask Neville Wadia had lived his own life. It for my advice and suggestions. He ’s was a good life, enhanced in consider- always been a respectful boy, ” Neville able measure by his own genteel grace Wadia revealed of his son. “There used that took everything in its stride. TUI to be the impression that he was rude the very end, he had a sharp mind and an and bossy, but he isn ’t like that. I’m inherent composure and charm that happy with the way he ’s handling made an interesting combination. Per ­ tion because they still wanted to con ­ tinue as chairman of their respective we enjoy ourselves. Blessed with a good companies, and thought I was setting a wrong precedent. But my logic was Neville Wadia continued: “Once I The youngest of five children, of passed the reins over, I stopped inter- Jehangir ’s four sisters the eldest Zia fering with the running of the com- Kairus Tarapore lives in Delhi, Sonia Viraf Mehta runs a special education school and vocational training center in Jamshedpur, Tushna Hormazd Antia divides her time between Bombay and Poona and Thea works at the Zodiac Grill at the Taj in Bombay. Paternal grandfather Sir Jehangir ‘Joe ’ Ghandy things. I am also delighted that both my haps, if the circumstances of his life had was the managing director of TISCO in the late ’40s and ’50s, maternal grand ­ father Shavak Nanavaty was also grandfather, they ’ve started from TISCO’s managing director! Jamshed ­ pur has been home for decades for both branches of the family. Does Jehangir aim to participate in the next Special Olympics four years hence? Yes, he replies. It is after all, as the ribbons on his three medals state, all about attitude. grandsons, Ness and Jeh, have joined been different, he could well have played the business. And like their father and a more prominent role in the affairs of the Parsi community. Shortly after our interview, Neville Wadia passed away. It seemed point ­ less then to sit and write out his story. scratch at the mills. ” There was a sense of fulfillment as Neville Wadia spoke about his life. As though he had made his peace with But I had promised him his life would everything and everybody. He spoke of not slip by unchronicled. He would be his home in Switzerland (a village called embarrassed by the idea of a tribute, but Morcote near Lugano) where he lived a toast in his memory would make him with a servant for six months every happy. Raise one, if you will. 48 Parsiana November 1999Follow his footprints be one standardized calendar for all I am researching the medical history of Parsis. Bombay in the late 19th century and would like to get in touch with descen ­ dants of Sir Nasarvanji Hormusji Chok ­ sey (died 1939), who was a prominent medical man of the city in the years 1890-1920. He was the first medical officer at the homeless leper asylum at having three New Years at different Wadala, worked later during the plague times of the year sounds ridiculous. But epidemic at the Arthur Road Infectious Diseases Hospital and was active in the medical politics of the period. I think thushtis cannot really get together and one of his sons became a health officer celebrate their festivals or participate in Presently the Parsis have three cal ­ endars, according to which the Kadmis have their Navroz in July, the Shahen- shahis a month later in August, and the Faslis on March 21. The smallest of small communities what is worse, it saddens one ’s heart to know that because of this, all Zara- Dr N. H. Choksey lived on Napean Sea Road. I would appreciate receiving any information, old letters or photo ­ graphs of Sir Nasarvanji or his descen- me at Flat 11, Sth Floor, Shanti Kutir, Marine Drive (Netaji Subhas Road), READERS’ FORUM continued from page 8 Club for children of navjote age, etc. We have attended a number of inter ­ faith seminars held in Delhi, addressed by Gen Sethna and other representa ­ tives. In view of our interaction with personalities of inter religious faiths, we are also seeking someone who can send us an article with regard to “Zoro ­ astrian studies towards next millen ­ nium ” or “Zoroastrianism in the next millennium. ” Apart from the above, we would welcome articles of general interest, of the Bombay Municipality. religious occasions, otherthanJamshedi poems, reminiscences of the old resi- Dr N. H. Choksey lived on Napean Navroz on March 21 at the time of the dents of Delhi (Old Delhi and New Sea Road. I would appreciate receiving vernal equinox. Delhi) if possible with bits of fun and any information, old letters or photo- Because of the calendar confusion, humor and photographs so that the con- graphs of Sir Nasarvanji or his descen- hundreds of Parsi Zarathushti families tents are palatable to youths, adults and dants. Those in the know may contact outsideBombay are drifting away. They the aged. Please write to Brig Adi K. Sahukar at JK Corp Limited, Link House,4thFloor,3,BahadurShahZafar Bombay 400020, e-mail: shubha@ Marg, New Delhi 110002, Phone (Off): 3353670, 3311112, (Res): 6437450, Fax: 3712680/3716607. The original will be returned to the Unify calendar persons concerned after publication at our cost. Brig ADI K. SAHUKAR New Delhi are clueless about the day on which their Pateti, Navroz or Khordal Sal falls. It hurts me to point this out, but I know of families who have not seen or re ­ ferred to a Zoroastrian calendar in many years. Most do not want to. Some be ­ cause both the spouses, though Zara- I am addressing this to my Parsi friends thushtis, are not of the same sect. In for their cooperation in expressing their such cases what happens to the chil ­ opinion on whether or not there should dren, the future of our community, can pandya.ilbom.ernet.in SHUBHADA S. PANDYA Ingersoll-Rand (India) Limited, Rhdne-Poulenc House, S. K. Ahire Marg, P. O. Box 9138, Mumbai - 400 025. Tfel : 022-493 6765, Fax : 022-495 0516. 49 Parsiana November 1999of the community, the Congress may be Arnie, Shirin became Siloo, Jamshed persuaded to include the issue of a became Jimmy, Tehmton became Tim, unified calendar on their agenda. If the Faramroze became Fall, Burjor became calendar reform is found acceptable at Baji. It would certainly be understandable if the community were to give up some lennium we can all get together to cel ­ ebrate the first ever FIKS (Fasli/Irani very funny sounding surnames which have no relevance to the person ’s pro ­ Please let me know at 610, Craig fession nor where he comes from, e.g. 4083793301, Fax: 4083794296, e-mail: rusi@sorabji.org whether you feel cal ­ endar reform is necessary or undesir ­ able and whether you and your family Olpadwala, Vania, etc. follow theFasli, Kadmi or Shahenshahi calendar. rusi sorabji California, USA well be imagined. To those who live in remote places, or ivory towers, it prob ­ ably does not matter. If the Kadmis and the Shahenshahis believe that their calendars are correct (I the WZC 2000, maybe in the new mil- too was born a Kadmi), then what are they celebrating on March 21? Isn ’t March 2.1 a very important religious Kadmi/Shahenshahi) Navroz. festival for all Zarathushtis? Isn ’t it the beginning of spring and the start of the Ave, Campbell, Ca 95008, USA, Tel: Sodawaterbottleopenerwala, Working ­ geophysical year? 4083793301, Fax: 4083794296, e-mail: boxwala, Hodiwala, Cabinetmaker, Could it be that the Kadmis and rusi@sorabji.org whether you feel cal- Ghaswala, Palkhiwala, Batliwala, Shahen-shahis have long since been endar reform is necessary or undesir- Screwwala, Daruwala, Darukhanawala, reconciled to the fact that Jamshedi Navroz is the correct New Year, but for follow theFasli, Kadmi or Shahenshahi I for one believe that if the Parsi reasons best known to themselves are calendar. rusi sorabji community is to retain its roots and hesitant in acknowledging it? California, usa identity for posterity, then we should It behoves us to admit the error in our , , revert to using good old Parsi names in calendars as early as possible and re- Rctsill Parsi names their original form, thereby ensuring align it, as in our glorious past, to start Over the years, I have observed to my the continuity of our culture into the at the vernal equinox to synchronize it great regret that newborns in the com- next millennium. Whereas most people with the seasons. There already exists munity are given either unheard of ofother faiths who have emigrated from such a calendar, we Zarathushtis refer names or anglicized, westernized or their homelands go to great lengths to to it as the Fasli calendar. All we have Christian, Muslim, French, Russian find the roots and culture their ances- to do is to agree to adopt it as “The sounding names whilst ignoring names tors might have belonged to, the dwin- Calendar. ” The World Zoroastrian Congress (WZC) 2000 is scheduled to meet next year. If a large number of Zarathushtis think a unified calendar is in the interest Over the years, I have observed to my great regret that newborns in the com- names or anglicized, westernized or Christian, Muslim, French, Russian sounding names whilst ignoring names usedbyourforefathers. Asitis, mostof dling Parsi community seems to be the names used by the previous genera ­ tions tended to be in abbreviated form, such as: Hormuz became Homi, Ar- deshir became Adi, Arnavaz became moving in quite the opposite direction! As it is the Parsis are wonied about becoming a lost tribe in the next 50 years. Naming our newborns with any ...because we care for your family too. Your eyes need looking after. You and your family need eye check ups. Spectacles Sunglasses Contact Lenses If you need any of these Our professional expertise will look after your problem. _A 5 Baliwedla & Homi Private Limited Flora Fountain; 365, Dr.D.N.Road, Tel: 287 4916 / 1762. Dhobi Talao: 614,J.S.Seth Marg,Tel: 201 4906 / 4923 Parel: J.Merwanji Street, Tel: 412 6051 50 Parsiana November 1999GLOBE THEATRES Pvt Ltd Established April 3, 1915 Pioneers of Show Business in India for the last 84 years We rededicate ourselves to the ideals we have cherished and practised all along -- namely to show NOTHING BUT THE BEST to our ever increasing number of Patrons Controlling: REGAL BOMBAY CAPITOL BOMBAY * GLOBE CALCUTTA All the above Cinemas have now been equipped with nniD«XBYSTEH60| Sound System 52 Parsiana November 1999 other but Parsi names is not going to help. It is encouraging that at least some Parsi families living abroad try to retain the Parsi culture, not only by naming their children traditionally but also by taking great pains to create an aware ­ ness in their children and to practice the Zoroastrian faith the best they can in a foreign environment. Under the circumstances, someone should publish a list of original Parsi names as used by our forefathers, from which parents of newborns in India and abroad can have a choice of selection. BURJOR POONAWALA i tective encirclement of a Zarathushti ravaan ’s environment. Yet interestingly Kas-e-Demavand considered through ­ out the ages as a hidden Zarathushti One should never wear a broken kusti or torn sudreh, because just like their removal, by not wearing them, one ’s divine link with the above men ­ tioned beings is removed after nine minutes. It is through fire that we advance manceof/n^e me avanghemazda whilst placement of the index finger of one ’s The sacred sudreh-kusti A sudreh is regarded as the dar-e-meher of the fires possessed by a Zarathushti Kusti: a divine link with God ravaan. In other words by wearing a sudreh the ravaan of that Zarathushti is spiritual terminology to denote the pro ­ protected by Meher Yazad. The sudreh should be made of cotton cloth (muslin) only because white is a symbol of purity enough we also have Demavand-e-Koh/ and cotton cloth offers strength to re ­ cited prayers. The sudreh should also have nine joints (nine being the number realm upon Mount Demavand. of our religion) and a gireban, i.e. a pocket to hold one ’s good deeds. Lastly but not the least, there should be a tiri/ triangle to ward off the attack of evil from the left and back side of the body — three being the number that repre ­ sents our community is most often sym ­ bolized to mean holy trinities. This is spiritually, hence the constant admoni- why 'Nhcnrcciimg,AhuraMazdaKhodai tion to come before our consecrated we denounce the forces of darkness by atash. Such however is the justice of gently moving the ends of the kusti over Dadar Ahura Mazda that the perfor- and towards the back of our left shoul ­ der. The kusti must be made from sheep ’s right hand onto knots made at the front wool because sheep are regarded as innocent and their wool possesses mag ­ netic powers which attract the prayers recited by a Zarathushti. The kusti is actually made from 72 strands of cotton called tars, which relate directly to the 72 Haas of the Yazashne, i.e. its chap ­ ters and the 72 Pak Magav Sahebs of Respecting religion Koh-e-Demavand. The six laris/tassels on the ends are linked to the six Pak Magav Banus of Koh-e-Demavand. To many people the mention of di- daily the present practices among the vine beings and our holy mountain of Parsi Zoroastrian community, as out- Demavand is just that — a mention of dated. them. However to those of us who know the true nature of our sublime religion, behind these few words of Koh-e-Dema- vand lies our complete faith... the Zara ­ thushti religion. For instance the word elders through experience. If they find kas, which means circle/hidden, is of ­ ten associated with kas-e-aipi being the into the navel will result in the brighten ­ ing of one ’s ravaan. Consequently the significance of sudreh and kusti should never be underestimated. CYRUS R. R. COOPER London, UK I read the Parsiana regularly but in many of the articles the contributors denigrate the religious practices, espe- I would ask such contributors to show a little bit of tolerance towards some of the old practices and customs which have been handed down by the them to be outdated, they should accept them with humility rather than rebeland show disrespect towards religious form a jashan ceremony. The dates of books and piling them up, picking up practices which embody hidden tenets, the jashan ceremony were written on sandalwood from the khumcha and All traditions and customs of the Zoroastrian religion are valid provided the bottles buried under the land. Dur- they do not violate any inalienable right of the members of the community. DORAB P. PATEL the jashan ceremony were written on paper, the paper sealed in bottles and handing it over to the boiwalla. Her father, who was praying, tried to stop her, in vain. Then as we all moved to the agiary next door, she was left alone in the passage. She went to pat the dog lying in the sun. She saw me, pointed her small finger towards the sun and said “hot ” and then pointed towards the dog. Bahrot, two or three arches were carved. These arches are still there and on nearby Then she removed her topi and put it on lands the jashan ceremony papers will the dog ’s head who looked at her with baleful eyes and kept on resting. It was a most generous, bold gesture. memory or erecting a memorial. RUSTOM C. BORDIWALLA California, USA ing King Jadav Rana ’s time Zoroastri ­ ans who came from Iran took refuge in Sanjan which is about five or six miles from Zai Bordi. When Sanjan was in- Sealed and buried vaded Zoroastrians shifted the atash Jal Cavasji Bordiwalla (Jithra), my padshah from Sanjan to Bahrot. At brother, is a landlord possessing about 10 acres of land on which grow chikoos, mangoes, rice, etc at Khoomar Pada, Bordigaon, roughly about a mile and be found. half from Zai Bordi, Thana district. He volunteers as a khandhia whenever a Parsi death occurs. The land belonged to our great, great grandfather Sorabji rich, the poor and the authorities. Un- Edulji, more than 100 years ago. Sorabji fortunately. Parsis have failed to pay Impressive imp and his descendants, right up to Jal, duerespecttoJadavRanabyperform- have also been managing Bordi ’s Cama ing a single jashan ceremony in his Dharamshala, Cama ’s Inn, which is more than 100 years old. During sum ­ mer and winter Bombay Parsis used to come here on vacation. At present the Inn is in a dilapidated condition and a Doffing her topi court case is pending for its rightful possession from Gaon Panchayat. In season, our forefathers used to conduct picnic parties to the Bahrot hills. At Bahrot pahad we used to per- In India, Parsis are well-known for their charity, their goodwill towards which I will never forget by a small girl all, and they never fail to respect the towards a dog. z.m.zend Your readers who might have seen the film Kucli Kuch Hota Hai, winner of many awards, must have been enchanted by the acting of a small brat, with mischievous eyes, playing impish pranks with his hero-friend Shahrukh Khan. The other day, the same child, seven ­ year-old Parzaan T. Dastur, appeared on This time on Behram roz, when I went to Udvada, I was reminded of a cute, chubby child two or three years of age, television where he was one of the guests whom I had seen earlier in the hall of the Iranshah. She was picking up prayer on the Movers and Shakers ’ series. The host Shekhar Suman, first danced with With compliments from B. B. GARDA & SONS 10 B. J. Road, Poona 411001 54 Parsiana November 1999For more information you may con ­ tact: Indian Association for the Visu- ¦ F' iifl" ¦ 400020, Tel': 022-2838550, Fax: 3738499, e-mail: iavh@usa.net K. RAMAKRISHNA Chairman Indian Association for the Visually Handicapped V Dastur: future star him and then asked some questions about ally Handicapped, lAVH Electronic the boy ’s role in Reading Centre for the Blind, Vidyarthi the above film, Vidyapeeth Bhavan (University Club The child replied House), B Road, Churchgate, Bombay in a slow, hesi- ~ " tant voice, inno ­ cence spread J* I over his face. We also see this boy in many spot commer- Pen pals column cials on different TV channels. This very young lad, under proper guidance, may one day become a promising actor. It would be interesting to learn how the child copes with so many engagements, at the cost of his schooling. Also, when and each other and form relationships. My which was the boy ’s first assignment? proposal is that Parsiana start a Pen Our community should be proud that Pals page as a regular feature of the we have such a budding child artiste. BHIKHAJI M. ADENWALLA Parsiaiia is an excellent way of com ­ municating community news as well as providing a forum for Parsis to express their views. Parsiana could also provide a sig ­ nificant way for Parsis in different parts of the world to establish contact with magazine. The Pen Pals page would not be intended primarily for matrimonial purposes, though pen friendships could Parrot Talking Diary lead to marriage. The primary purpose The Indian Association for the Visually would be for readers of your magazine Handicapped is a charitable institution dedicated to the welfare of the blind in India. One of our objectives is to create awareness among the blind about the development of latest technology so The Editor replies to befriend fellow Parsis with similar interests, but residing in different coun ­ tries or cities. From a community perspective, the Pen Pals page could contribute to com- that they can benefit from the same and munity spirit and cohesion among Parsis make themselves independent in their from different parts of the world. work environment, furrokh panthaki We have recently come across one London, uk such product, i.e. the Parrot Talking Diary that can make the blind, the visu ­ ally impaired and those suffering from Beginning with the January 2000 is- dyslexia, who are either self-employed sue, Parsiana will introduce a Pen or working as professionals, self-reliant Pals column. (We have tentatively without having to depend on others for ' their daily work. The Parrot Plus V3 pocket size, battery-operated, talking personal then finalize.) Those interested in secretary manufactured by a com ­ pany abroad is based on voice recog ­ nition technology. It performs seven speaking functions with its very easy to use phone book, voice notepad, appointment book, clock, calculator. GOOLKHUSH RESORT Bordi (Station Golvad) ‘Off Seabeach ’ AC-Deluxe Couple Rs 1,000/- extra person Rs 450/- Non-AC Couple Rs 800/- extra person Rs 350/- Inclusive all meals and free access to swimming pool, once a day. Contact 3821494 Pager No. 9628238800 02528 41182-41336 Put your travel plans in top gear Mr Neville Mistry C/42, Cusrow Baug Shahid Bhagat Singh Road Bombay 400039 Tel: (D) 2822605,2826120 Fax: 3635121 Mobile: 9821092927 9821117914 Personal sale of Authentic Parsi garas, silver, gold and jari borders Contact: 2833078, 2873373 Astrological Gems (Birthstones) Consultancy Wear genuine/appropriate “Astrological Gems ” for good health, happiness and prosperity. For consulting, buying and verification Contact: Mr Vikram Bedi (Gem Astrologer - Gemologist) D-1, Arpita, R. T. Road, Dahisar (West), Bombay 400068 Telefax; 8930238 (Residence and Office) decided to name it “Links ” though readers are welcome to suggest other titles which we could consider and interacting with Zoroastrians from across the globe should send us the following details: full name, address, e-mail contact, age, sex and marital status, interest and hobbies. Since Furrokh Panthaki has very telephone assistance and selection thoughtfully taken the initiative of fund ­ control panel with mike, speaker, digi ­ tal keypad and function keys for re ­ cording, editing and fast forward/re- wind etc. The most exciting feature is that there is no language restriction ^^Thc Top Tcil and it works not only in English but My late husband JusticeDinshahPirosha also in any Indian language with voice feedback. It also has computer con ­ nectivity for transfer of data. ing this column there will be no charge for those desirous of participating in this column. Madon, first Parsi judge of the Supreme Court of India, should be included among the Parsi greats. 55 Parsiana November 1999In March 1983 Justice Madon was elevated to the bench of the Supreme Court of India. In 1967 he had been appointed the Chief Justice of the High Bombay Court. Two of his many landmark judgments, namely. The Press Censorship Judg ­ ment (which was against the Gov ­ ernment), The Disprin Case and Madon: land­ mark judgements were both repor ­ ted in the New York Times as well as in the London Times. Justice Madon was appointed the One Man Commission of Inquiry into what are called the Bhiwandi Riots although the inquiry covered several other nearby places. His seven-vol ­ ume report was accepted in toto by the Naik Government and this report was acted upon immediately. More ­ over, the first volume of the Madon Commission of Inquiry contains step- by-step procedures for conducting such inquiries. ciation ’s membership extends from Bandra to Andheri and over the years it has helped a large number of fami ­ lies with medical, educational and other financial aid. We are having an entertainment program and a fund-raising drive and have set ourselves a target of Rs 10 lakhs. This amount will be credited to the corpus of the trust and only the interest thereon will be used for the various charitable objectives. We es ­ timate we can help about 40 Parsi families meet part of their needs. We look forward to the Zoroastrian community in India and abroad to help us to help the needy. Donation cheques from Indian residents may be drawn in favor of “The Bandra Parsee He was the Grandmaster of Freema ­ sonry in India for several years and was regarded in high esteem by the heads of Freemasonry of England, Scotland as well as America. He was the only In ­ dian freemason to be conferred the 33rd degree (the highest in Freema ­ sonry) by the American free-masons. His papers are now kept in the archives of 33 degree freemasons. The University of Bombay invited Justice Madon to deliver at least three lectures under the Kashinath Trimbak Telang Lectureship Endowment. Jus ­ tice Telang was an outstanding young judge who died in his thirties. The themeof Justice Madon ’s lectures was “The Constitution and the Judiciary. ” Sadly, on the very day that he got his fatal heart attack he had been writing Association. ” Zoroastrians abroad the concluding chapters. He passed may send their donations in the name away on June 24, 1994 at the age of of “The World Zoroastrian Organi- 73. Dr KHORSHED D. p. madon sation Trust, ” to The Bandra Parsee Association, C/o Sam Choksey, 602, Kakad Apartments, 4, Pali Road, Dr KHORSHED D. P. MADON Bandra Association’s 50 The Bandra Parsee Association is cel- Bandra (W), Bombay 400050. ebrating its golden jubilee this year. Prof khurshed sheriar Those of you who are from Bombay President, The Bandra Parsee Association will know that a large number of Parsis reside in the suburbs. The Asso- For an authentic Udvada experience Globe Hotel and THE PARSIANA BOOK OF IRANIAN NAMES Hotel Majestic Edited by Parinaz M. Gandhi The Iranian names of boys and girls along with their meanings which originally appeared in Parsiana have now been reprinted in an attractive 24-page booklet. The book, which is priced at Rs 40, is available on sale at: . 0 Contact 02638-70282 Majestic 02638-71144,70243 Globe Managed by Neville Godiwalla 13/13, Sai Niketan, B Wing, 345, Mount Road, Mazagaon, Bombay 400010 Tel Nos .: 3775842, 3775360, 3742065, 3717036 Kaiser-E-Hind, 300 Perin Nariman Street, Behind Reserve Bank of India, Fort. Bombay 400001. Union Press, 13, Homji Street, Bombay 400001. Faredoon and Burjor Sandalwood Shop, Princess Street, Bombay 400002. t)6 Parsiana November 1999MILESTONES The age of Zoroastrianbrides (as ratory infection. Two youths (22 September 15 listed in this issue) ranged be ­ tween 32 and 48 years, the arith ­ metic mean — the total number of individual ages divided by the total number of brides — being expectancy at birth for'Septem- 40years.Theconespondingfig- 1 ures for the grooms were 39 and I'he data on births, marriages married 72 years, averaging at 50 years. and deaths has been compiled Sherazade Rusi Jail and Keki Deaths outnumbered births from information supplied by Cusrow Patel', September 2 (11 babies) as usual with 67 various newsletters and anju- Sherezad Edulji Soonawalla Zoroastrians breathing their last mans in India and abroad, courts and Kersi Hormusjee Edibam', in Bombay in September. Eight and hospitals. This information September 10 victims were in the 80 and above is not always complete or con- Bakhtawar Dadi Damania and age-group from among the 17 sistent: we are unable to cany Rohinion Dorab Chesun', who fell prey to heart disease. data from areas where the anju- September 11 The other killers were cancer (nine) and pneumonia/lung dis ­ ease and diabetes (six each). Septicemia took a toll of five lives whereas three patients suc ­ cumbed to hypertension and two included unless individuals send each to old age/general debility, brain disease and hypoproteine- copy ofthe birth certificate. There Bacha Nadir Cooper (IS), 9, mia (deficient protein in the may be an inadvertent repetition Queens Court, Opp Oval blood plasma). Isolated cases included intestinal obstruction, Alzheimer ’s disease, gastritis religious ceremony. In thebreak- (inflammation of the stomach), anemia, ascitis (free fluid in the peritoneal cavity), obesity, thrombo-angiitis (clot formation with an inflamed vessel), viral meningitis, paraplegia (paraly ­ sis of the lower limbs), bron ­ chiectasis (dilation of the bron ­ chial tubes), kidney failure, de ­ mentia, asthma, bronchitis, shock due to head injury, ca ­ chexia (malnutrition) and respi- AHMEDNAGAR DIED Meher Behram Nagarwalla (50), mother of Zavareh and Zarine on February 15, 1999 BANGALORE DIED Fram P. Unvalla, husband of late Dhun and father of Nauzer and Yezdi; September 10 BARODA BORN A boy, Farhad, to Alice and Cyrus Palsetia-, September 18 DIED Alainai Rustomji Kaviiia (85), mother of Eruch and Noshir; August 27 Gayomard Hormusji Mehta, husband of Shirin and father of Cyrus and Pearl; September 11 58 Parsiana November 1999 and 29 years) were also lost to the community. The eldest to breathe his last was a 98-year- old male. The Zoroastrian life ber, in Bombay, was 77 years. The data on births, marriages and deaths has been compiled from information supplied by various newsletters and anju- mans in India and abroad, courts is not always complete or con ­ sistent: we are unable to cany data from areas where the anju- mans do not furnish the particu ­ lars; the birth figures for Bombay are supplied by four hospitals — births in suburban hospitals and Bagwadiya (63), residing at private nursing homes are not DIED Maneksha Jamsliedji T-24, New Ava Baug, Opp S. T. Depot, Navsari, 39644^ us information together with a August 31 copy of the birth certificate. There of names in the marriage list when a civil marriage precedes a up of deaths according to ill ­ nesses, especially of the elderly, death is often due to a combina ­ tion of several diseases. If readers have any births/ marriages/deaths they would like September 2 published, some proof to ensure Rustom Burjorji Daruwala the veracity of the report would (71), 15, Ardeshir Dadi Cross be required. We are sure our Lane, 400004; September 2 readers would appreciate this Hoshang Bapuji Langrana requirement and cooperate with (69), 939, Bhimkatchi St, us. Nanpura, Surat, 395001; September 2 Freny Hormusji Arajanwalla (86), Cool Mans, 88, Walkeshwar Rd, 400006; September 3 Pirojsha Khurshedji Sethna (91), 303, Mahalasa Villa, Azad Ngr no 3, Veera Desai Rd, Andheri (W), 400058; September 3 Cursetji Ardeshir Dastur (98), Soona Villa, Malcolm Baug, Jogeshwari (W), 400102; September 4 Keki Bomanshaw Baam (63), 6/1, Seth Nusserwanji Tata Bldg, Tata Blocks, S. V. Rd, Bandra, 400050; September 5 Bapuji Framji Baria (83), P/11, Nowroz Baug, Dr S. S. Rao Rd, Lalbaug, 400012; September 5 Roshan Kaikheshroo Nejadkay (61), 73, Vijay Chmbs, Tribhu- van Rd, 400004; September 5 Sheroo Phiroze Siganporia (74), B-102, Ahuna Apts, BOMIBAY BORN A girl, Tanaisha, to Niloufer and Zarksis Italia', May 22 A boy, Arzaan, to Monaz and Mehernosh Mistry, August 31 A girl, Anahita, to Havovi and Ramiyar Karanjia', September 1 A boy to Nina and Rumi Palsetia', September 1 A boy, Viraj, to Kamal and Dara Pardiwalla', September 3 A boy to Monika and Karl Patel', September 5 A boy to Tanaz and Godrej Bhathena', September 7 A boy to Zia and Munchi Shroff', September 8 A boy to Kamal and Kaikhushru Taraporevala', September 12 A boy to Pearl and Kaus Peer, September 14 A boy to Khureshan and Nariman Amaria', A boy to Diliiawaz and Mahendosh Daruwalla', September 18 A boy to Malirukh and Adil Pagdiwalla-, September 25 Maidan, 400020; August 31 Jal Jehanbux Madon (81), 2/12, Khushnooma Apts, Carmichael Rd, 400026; September 1 Bapai Jal Billiinoria (84), C/4, Imperial Mhl, Khodadad Circle, Dadar, 400014; Edulji Rd, Charai, Thana, 400601; September 5 Kliushroo Kaikhushroo Dastiir (87), 11, Rajesh Mans, Dinshaw Wachha Rd, Churchgate, 400020; September 6 Baiioo Jehanbux Mehta (52), Vaishali Co-op Hsg Soc, Sainath Ngr, Borivli (W), 400103; September 7 Meherji Manchershaw Satha (82), Kuka Sadan, Dr Ambedkar Rd, Lalbaug, 400012; September 8 Mehermai Jehangirji Sigaiiporia (85), R/38, Nowroz Baug, Dr S. S. Rao Rd, Lalbaug, 400012; September 8 Shiavax (Shavaksha) Ralansha Vakil (82), Windmere, 55, Cuffe Parade, 400005; September 8 Zarine Rustom Khory (89), 21/1, Kapadia Bldg, Panthaky Baug, Andheri (E), 400062; September 9 Kersi Nariman Mowdawalla (40), Amee Varsha, Evershine Ngr, Vasai, Dist Thana, 401201; September 9 Manecksliaw Jamshedji Chothia (74), R-6, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; September 11 Minoo Nariman Hodiwalla (64), Botawalla Bldg, 18, Raghavji Rd, GowaliaTank, 400036; September 11 Rati Homi Mehenti (77), lB/38, Tata Mills Co-op Hsg Soc, Elphinstone Rd, Parel, 400012; September 11 Keki Dosabhai Bhesania (71), A/7, Nowroz Baug, Dr S. S. Rao Rd, Lalbaug, 400012; September 12 Sam Jehangir Commissariat (69), 44, Jamasji Apts, Sleater, Rd, 400007; September 12 Homai Noshir Master (82), 3, Petit Block, Balaram St, 400007; September 12 Goal Homi Panthaky (JI), 11, Engineer Bldg, Sleater Rd, 400007; September 13 Jamshed Faramroz Mehta (52), Tarachand Bldg, Chikalwadi, Tardeo Rd, 400007; September 14 Fili Meherji Mojia (63), 811, Jame Jamshed Bldg, Jame Jamshed Rd, Dadar, 400014; September 14 Mehroo Soli Udwadia GFi), 203, Trisandhya, B. Dadasaheb Phalke Rd, Dadar, 400014;r September 14 Dinaniai Framroze Bacha (85), 35, fame Jamshed Bldg, lame Jamshed Rd, Dadar, 400014; September 16 Maneck Sorabji Bharucha 06), Irfanabad, 145-A, St Cyril Rd, Bandra (W), 400050; September 16 Cover Jamshed Irani (84), 402, Acropolis, Lokhandwala Complex, Andheri (W), 400053; September 16 Khurshed Ratanshaw Tolat 02), A-103, Vaspan, Ahura Co-op Hsg Soc, Dr S. S. Rao Rd, Parel, 400012; September 16 Hilla Kaikhushru Kapadia (89), Serene Villa, 16K, Navrange Marg, New Gamdevi, 400007; September 17 Ruttan Dhunjishaw Shroff (91), G-6, Shapur Bang, V. P. Road, 400004; September 17 Silloo Phiroze Daruwalla (68), A-1, Nowroz Baug, Dr S. S. Rao Rd, Lalbaug, 400012; September 18 Perin Fredoon Khambata (70), 14/2, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, Byculla, 400027; September 18 Coomi Pervez Sethna (60), Union Bldg, Opp Grant Rd Stn, 54, Sleater Rd, 400007; September 18 Vahbiz Hormusji Shroff (86), Bl, Eden Hall, Dr Annie Besant Rd, Worli, 400018; September 18 Minoo Pestonji Billinioria (60), A/7, Khosravi Est, S. K. Bole Rd, Dadar, 400028; September 20 Goola Kaikhashroo Guzder (90), 17, Vijay Bhavan, St Sebastian Rd, Bandra (W), 400050; September 20 Mani Dady Messman (76), Perin Villa, Malcolm Baug, Jogeshwari (W), 400102; September 20 Darab Dinshaw Mistry (67), 4/2, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, Byculla, 400027; September 20 . Shirin Kaikhusru Daruwalla (92), Q-4, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; September 21 Minoo Khodadad Irani (51), 204, Old Sitaram Bldg, Prin ­ cess St, 400002; September 22 Najan Sorab Pavri (95), J-12, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; September 22 Bakhtyar Erach Mehta (79), E-2/22, Shanti Niketan Soc, Near Shreyas Cinema, L. B. S. Marg, Ghatkopar, 400086; FIGURES AT A GLANCE Bombay This issue 1999* India This issue 1999* World This issue 1999* 59 Parsiana Ncvember 1999 BIRTHS Boys Girls 2 11 50 64 1 2 8 3 3 1 15 12 MARRIAGES Parsi INTERCOMMUNAL Males married out Females married out DEATHS CONSIGNED Males Females CREMATED Males Females 3 32 37 135 9 4 355 365 2 2 1 1 9 15 8 6 1 3 2 72 66 14 12 37 33 1 ?Running totals lor 1999 (January1999-November 1999 issues) Overseas deaths are listed in the consigned column as /’a/a»/75does not have a breakup of those cremated. ‘These figures pertain to information provided to or collected by Parsiana. They do not represent the total number of births, marriages and deaths in the Zoroastrian community in India and abroad. September 23 Shirin Dhunjisha Sethna (84), A, Usha Sadan, Colaba, 400005; September 23 Burjis Ilomi Amalsadiwalla (22), 722/A, Dr Dinshaw Master Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; September 24 Havovi Burz.ore Chothia (29), 757, Jashan Committee Bldg, Rd no 7, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; September 24 Sheroo Piroshaw Arya (83), Motiwala Mans, A. K. Marg, 400036; September 25 Parvez Jehangir Gazdar (55), 1/6, Wadia Block, Malcolm Baug, Jogeshwari (W), 400102; September 25 Comma Burjorji Kolah (80), 14, Krishna Nivas, Roshan Ngr, Borivli (W), 400092; September 25 Khorshed Jivanji Makhania (75), Minerva Mans, Near Super Cinema, Grant Rd, 400007; September 25 Sam Dinsha Nariman (93), 6, Ness Baug Annexe II, Nana Chowk, 400007; September 25 Dina Framji Batliwalla (76), New Khan Bldg, Chikal- wadi. Grant Rd, 400007; September 26 Manek Ilormasji Dotivala (91), C/3, Ness Baug, Nana Chowk, 400007; September 26 Alamai Hormusji Irani (78), 13, Gitanjali, Nehru Rd, Santacruz (E), 400055; September 26 Frenymai Savaksha Taraporewala (78), United Chmbs, Maganlal Ngr, Charni Rd Jn, 400007; September 26 Katy Barjor Daboo (70), Queens Chmbs, 89, Queens Rd, Marine Lines, 400020; September 27 Khorshed Pirojshaw Photographer (78), Kharas Hse, 61, Queens Rd, 400020; September 27 Fardoonji Dosabhai Karbhari (87), F-1, 35/36, Godrej Hillside Qrts, L. B. S. Marg, Vikhroli (W), 400079; September 28 Pilamai Dosabhai Paliwalla (84), B, The Reward, Next to Ganga Jamuna Theater, Tardeo, 400007; September 28 Mehra Behramji Forbes (90), 262, Mancherji Sheth Bldj Tardeo Rd, 400007; September 29 Dhanjisha Dosabhai Sukheswala (79), M/6, Dalal Est, Lamington Rd, 400008; September 29 Gool Jehangir Engineer (83), B, Yusuf Mans, Khetwadi Back Rd, 400004; September 30 Minoo Burjorji Pastakia (63), B/10, Peace Haven, St Andrews Rd, Bandra (W), 400050; September 30 Khorslied Minoo Sutaria (54), 9/4, Tata Clny, Tardeo, 400034; September 30 CALCUTTA MARRIED Soumeta Basu and Nawzer Medhora', May 9 DIED Dolat Ardeshir Kaka, mother of Sam, Freny and Aban; September 23 HYDERABAD BORN Twins (girls), Simonil and Spenta, to Feroza and Cush- row Jassawala’ , September 23 MADRAS MARRIED Piroja R. Lilaoonwala and Darius Belgainvala; March 27 Ig. POONA DIED Banoo Jehangirji Batliwalla (76), A/206, Manush Darshan, Fatima Ngr, 411013; July 2 Roshan Hoshang Patel (69), 108, Carlisle Court, Clover Village, Wanawadi, 411040; July 6 Hazeer Jal Commissariaj (45), A/7, Mantri Memories, 4/0, South Main Rd, Koregaon Park, 411001; July 26 Dosan Manekji Penty (85),C/o Nergish R. Sethna, 3/8, Canopus Apts, Boat Club Rd, 411001; August 5 Perin Farainroze Irani (87), 585, Sachapir St, 411001; August 7 Mehra Jal Mistry (84), 591, Sachapir St, 411001; August 12 Jehangir Hormusji Wadia (88), 6, Alexandra Rd, Gorpadi, 411001; August 17 Mitha Dorab Pandey (86), 8, Synagogue St, 411001; August 22 Phiroze Kaikhitshru Engineer (98), 17/A, Mody Clny, Synagogue St, 411001; August 23 Shirin Behram Irani (54), 5/4, Ardeshir Baug, 411002; August 24 Ardeshir Pestonji Divecha (85), 7/A, Mody Clny, Synagogue St, 411001; September 3 Aloo Minoo Dinshaw (85), Nawaz Hse, Ma Perviz Rd, 411001; September 6 Piloo Jehangir Kaikobad (86), Utopia Gloria, B/11, 68, Wanawadi, 411041; September 19 Burjorji Cawasji Karkaria (78), 3, Triveni Ngr, Hadapsar, EVENTS AND PERSONALITIES continued from page 16 pany, subsequently renamed the 6th East Bombay Bai B. S.Bengallee Girls ’ School Guide Group. During her nearly 55 years of associa ­ tion with the guiding movement, Kanga ’s first responsibility was as assistant guide captain and gradually her command ex ­ panded as district guide captain, district ranger leader and district training com ­ missioner. As one of the seniormost leader trainers at the national level, she con ­ ducted various training courses and in recognition of her meritorious service was conferred the Silver Elephant, the highest award in guiding, in 1995. “Camps with her were full of fun and learning experiences, ” recalls her relative Pheroze Lashkari. “She was a strict disci ­ plinarian too and anyone who had any contact with her would not be able to forget her loud, authoritative voice which commanded respect (and) put everyone on alert, ” he added. “But behind the tough exterior that she always projected she had a very gentle and loving heart. ” Lashkari recalled the many instances when she went out of pocket to accommodate young de ­ serving children in guiding activities, the 60 Parsiana November 1999 411028; September 19 Burjor Faramroz Gagrat (73), 70, Lullanagar; September 20 Samary Kekii Patel (67), 5, Dr Coyaji Rd, 411001; September 21 August 27 SURAT DIED Dhanmai Dadabhai Nogamawala (72), Akash Ganga Apt, Vanki Bordi, 395003; September 5 Jal Behramsha Dadinath (89), Parsiwad, Gopipura, 395001; September 19 Jerbanoo Biirjorji Patelwala (68), Nama-ne-Hosang, 102, Vanki Bordi, 395003; September 29 CANADA Ontario BORN A girl, Donya, to Mehrnaz. and Fereidoon Khosravi', August 28 A boy, Comyar, to Armita and Behdad Babakaiv, September 11 PAKISTAN Karachi BORN A boy, Jamshed, to Benafshey and Daravoiish Kolalr, DIED Banoo Shavak Khambatta (84); March 24 Jal Framroze Golwalla (82); March 28 Bomanji Behramji Solan (85); March 29 Mini Jal Karanjia (95); April 3 Faroukh Cowas Vachha (58); April 4 Jemi Giistad Mehta (78); April 13 Rustom M. Falfeli (64); April 24 Savakshaw S. Khajotia (80); April 27 Rusi Pirojshaw Kerawalla (76); May 5 Daulat Burjor Rabadi (72); May 14 Gulchar Ardesher Irani (78); June 7 Soli Nadershaw Bharucha (81); June 20 Julian J. E. Kaikobad (70); June 25 Roshan Speetaman Arjani (53); July 16 Dina Behramji Solan (72); July 16 Goolcher Faredun Dadchanji (80); July 19 Tehmina Hormusji Dalal (92); July 20 *** special consideration she accorded to the handicapped children of the Helen Keller Institute and the SEC Day School who were included in her guiding activities. “Kanga ’s heart overflowed with gen ­ erosity and this is explicit in the various funds she has established in the Bengallee School, ” mentioned a press release issued by the principal of the School, Zenobia Daroga. She founded the Shirin Irani Li­ brary Fund in memory of a guider who died very young, the Staff Benefit Fund although site herself worked as the School supervisor for 20 years in an honorary capacity, the Guide Fund, and helped the School in its purchase of audiovisual in ­ frastructure like slide-o-matic equipment, epidiascope, synchronizer and multime ­ dia computer system, declared the press release. To keep alive her memory and her services the guiders of her School have taken the initiative to start a fund which will help defray the expenses of the poor and needy guides of the School. Dona ­ tions for this may be forwarded to the School, at 42, Sir Vithaldas Thackersey Marg, Bombay 400020, Tel; 2031577. Compiled by Parinaz M. Gandhi Shireen Phiroze Daruwalla CI2y, July 28 Rustom Jehangir Mehta (82); August 11 Kharmen N. Irani (73); August 28 Framroze Jamshedji Andhyariijina (74); September 19 Behli Mehrji Mistry (71); September 30 USA California DIED Mitra Sohrab Kliosraviani', July 2 Khodadad Bamasi, husband of Parinaz and father of Semira and Kevin; August 11 Rustom Ardeshir Lal (91), father of Ardeshir, Dhunjishaw and Aban in Antioch, August 16 Florida DIED Morvarid Ardeshir Ilarvesf 'm Jacksonville; July 23 Illinois BORN A boy, Zal, to Roxaima and Behram Daboo in Naperville; August 30 Compiled by Roxana A. Driver Change in publishing schedule In order to comply with postal regu­ lations whilst minimizing mailing costs, the Parsiana publishing schedule is to be modified. Instead of February- March and July-August being two-in- one issues, only June-July will be a composite publication. January and February will be separate issues whereas earlier there was no issue for the month of February. March will be a special Jamshedi Navroz issue, and August, the special Pateti issue. The calendar that we published last year in December will now constitute the issue for that month. Readers will continue to receive the same number of issues as previously and the same quantum of editorial matter, if not more. Pars/ana is now on schedule thanks to your support. Your assistance has made it possible for us to upgrade our computer equipment. We thank our loyal subscribers and generous ad­ vertisers and donors for bearing with our delays all these years.