November 2000

Volume 23 Number4

EDITOR Jehangir R. Patel

MANAGING EDITOR Arnavaz S. Mama EXECUTIVE EDITOR Parinaz M. Gandhi

SENIOR EDITORS

Dina K. Mehta, Hilla P. Guzder ASSOCIATE EDITOR Roxana A. Driver SENIOR DESIGNER KrantiM. Shilotri DESIGNER Nivedita A. Potdar MARKETING DIRECTOR Veera J. Patel

2 Readers' Forum

14 Ev nts and Personalities

20 Zoroastrians Abroad:London's new Zoroastrian Centre

24 7WZC:The right to be heard

30 Dedication at Davar's Collegeof Commerce by Hilla Guzder

ADVERTISING MANAGER Jasmine D. Driver

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE Susan Hadvaid FINANCE B. L. Arora

DTP Bakhtavar R. Batliwalla, K. P. Ravi

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37Asha Foundation: Power to people on society's edge

38A. D. Shroff: "Thearticulate maverick" by Arnavaz Mama

44 Arnavaz Damania'sdifferent strokes

48 HavoviRustomji: Style in her stride by Parinaz Gandhi

54 Books

56 Milestones

59 In Memoriam: Nargesh Palkhivala

Parsiana is edited and publishedby Jehangir

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READERS'- FORUM

Readers' views are welcome on any subject of interest to the communityand should be sent to the Editor, Readers' Forum, Parsiana,G.P.O. Box 892, Bombay 400001.Letters are subjectto editing for reasons of space and clarity. Unsigned letters or those without an address will not be published.

"A man of many causes" SohrabGodrej ("A man of many causes," Parsiana, August2000) was for me a friend, philosopher and great soul. His death and the last few days I spent with him inthe hospital's intensive care in London is imprintedin my very being.

When I first met Sohrab I was a young politician visitingIndia and I was given the seat of honor by him. He courteously asked me if there was any­ thing he could do for me to which I cheekily repliedthat I wanted to meet the Queen (Elizabeth II) who was then launching the Commonwealth Heads of Government conference in Delhi.

The next day I received an invitation to join the Queen at the British High Commission. for a party. Sohrab was to escort me to the function. The Queen had arrived but not Sohrab! The British

G;HJrej: tfze only person in the world who could arrive after the Queen

2 Pars/ana November2000

High Commissioner sweetly informed me that he was the only personin the world who could arrive after the Queen!

Loving memories of Sohrab are so many. Once he asked me to join him in solidarity by wearing a black band in mourning ror India's corruption. When I explained that I couldn'twear the black band because it clashed with the color scheme of my clothes, he laughed!

There was nothing that he would not do. When he stayed with us in London he always had the same bedroom over­ looking a neighbor's(a former chair­ man of Heinz) exquisite garden.Sohrab wouldalways say he'd love to be under house arrest in our home. I had to ex­ plain that we would run out of trout: the fish was his favorite food, served at breakfast, lunch and dinner! He, in turn, always remembered what I loved to eat and while my younger son Alexander was shooting the movie Bombay Boys, Sohrab organized his 18th birthdayparty at Godrej Bhavanwhere my favorite fried bananas were served as dessert!

He was a Zoroastrian to the core - one of the greats of the 20th century­ and so involvedin everything that even when dying he was concernedto tell me that he still had work to do educating street children, saving the tigerand con­ trolling India's population, and urged me to continuehis work.

I shall never forget taking Sohrab to the hospital and beingconfronted by a rather stern consultant who asked if he had had any drinks, to which Sohrab rep!ied that the last time he'd had a drink was with Stalin!The doctor's eyebrows went up and down as Sohrab then con­ tinued to tell him that he had given up drinking on MahatmaGandhi's request. The poor Englishdoctor was convinced he was hallucinating! I had to explainto

him who Sohrab Godrejwas and that he too was one of the great Indianfigures of the 20th century.

I loved him dearly and his photo­ graph in my office remindsme every day how lucky I was to have known such a unique being. ZERBANOOGIFFORD

London, UK

"Review the system"

Adi Rabadi of Calcutta deserves con­

gratulations for his bold and frankar­ ticle,"Review the system," (Parsiana, August 2000), connectedwith the fail­ ure of the dokhmenashini system in its present form as a way of disposal of dead bodies of Zoroastrians, more so as he was brought up in the strictest ortho­ dox traditions, having gone throughthe navar and maratabceremonies. In ex­ posing the ghastly state which exists inside the dokhmas in Calcutta where dokhmenashini is practiced in the ab­ sence of vultures and Khorshed Nagira­ shni being hardly a factor to consume a corpse, he has shown moralcourage.

Rabadi has put severalpertinent ques­ tions to two of our learned Dastursfor theiradvice and opinion. It is noted with regret that it took nearlythree months for these learned Dasturs to give their replies which have neitheranswered to the point nor given any satisfactory ex­ planation to the queries raisedby Rabadi. In fact, as expected,evasive answers were given underthe protective facade of our age-old customs and practices.

To my knowledge, nothing has yet been published to assuage the public that use of ozone gas and some chemical solution or powder has decomposed and deodorized the corpses in the dokhmas.

Deodorizing and decomposing are twoentirely different problems. Ozone gas in stated dilutions can help to an extent to minimize the odor from the decomposing corpses. There are also someother products sold under the name of "Stercel" and "Herbocel" which are widely used to minimize the foul odor emanating from garbage.

In my earlier lettersin Parsiana (Au­ gust 2000 and February 2000) I had explained in detailthat none of the meth­ ods suggested, viz solarenergy, use of ozone and herbal preparations, as also any attempt to breed the vultures in captivity can ever solve the existing problems.

Of late the Bombay Parsi Punchayet(BPP) is on a welcome spree to beautify the precinct of Doongerwadi. This may attract Zoroastrians to visit the cool, quiet ambience of Doongerwadi. It would be a fallacyto assume that the beautification ofDoongerwadi will ever attract vulturesto nest and breed. The vultures are essentially birds of the wild and the present noise and pollution at Malabar Hill will never attract vultures.

Itis now suspected that the world­ wide depletion of vulture populationmay be due to a viral affliction. Govern­ ments are keen to preserve the vulture populationas a part of environment pro­ tection and hence it is most unlikely that any government will ever permit distur­ bance of the wild habitat of vulturesby giving permission for the capture of young vulturesin the wild for captive breeding just to satisfythe needs of a minority community, to perpetuate its system of disposal of the dead when more scientific methodsare available.

So,the time has come for some re­

thinking. It would be prudent if the BPP forms a new committee consisting of doctors, scientists, environmentalists, etc to advise them on the alternatives, as the earlier committee has led them to paths which are unworkable, unfeasible and unattainable.

Letour enlightened communitynot

face the ignominy of legal sanctions if we fail to providea sensible alternative to dokhmenashini as it existsin its present form. DrM. D. DISA WALLA

Bangalore

BPPassurance

During the past few weeks, the commu­

nity media and individuals have been

incensed after perusing reports that ap­ peared in a few overseas publications in which it has been mentioned thatJemima Parry-Jones of UK, one of the leading global authorities on birds of prey, has seenthe insides of the Towersof Silence in Bombay.

The trusteesof the Bombay Parsi Punchayet,fully understanding and ap­ preciatingthe sentiments and emotions behind the communityoutrage, have made an effort to determine the veracity of the reports.

Parry-Jones was invited to a meeting

with the board of trustees on September 22,2000 when she categorically assured the trusteesthat various media persons have been contacting her to discussbirds of prey. Parry-Jones assured the trustees

4 Pars/ana November 2000

that at no stage has she mentioned what hasbeen actually attributed to her, but the commentshave been twistedout of context to provide a sensational twist for the reading pleasureof their subscrib­ers.

The trustees are satisfiedwiththe

explanation providedand urge commu­ nity membersnot to get incensed over the display of fertile imagination by the authors of the article. They are making efforts in multiple directions to streng­ then our ancientand venerated system of dokhmenashini and believe that the proposed aviary project holds out po­ tential and promise.

Thetrustees urge community mem­ bers and the media to continueto repose confidencein them and assure them that at no stage will any decisionbe taken that is not in harmonywith our estab­ lished customsand doctrines and that our high priests and scholarshave been kept informed and involved in all areas of strengthening our system.

The trusteeswill be very grateful if the membersof the community and the mediawould play a constructive role in the matter and allow them to continuethis very importantcommunity project without the infusion of any avoidable controversy. J.N. GUZDER

President, BombayParsi Punchayet

Harness solar energy

In May 1998, I had submitteda "Report

on the Doongerwadi" to the trusteesof

the BombayParsi Punchayet (BPP). Therein I had pointedout that due to the scarcity of vultures, we should harness solar energy for the disposal of corpses in the dokhmas.Fortunately, the trust­ ees took cognizance of this suggestion. Hence when experiments on other pro­ jects commenced, I was asked to be the focalperson for the solar energy project. Ronnie Sabawalla launched experiments on this in Baroda.It now appears that this project holdsout great promisein solving our serious problemsat Doongerwadi. I wish to discuss the vari­ ous facets of this projectbriefly.

The basic conceptof our dokhme­ nashinisystem of disposalis Khorshed Nagirashni- exposureto the sun. Our ancestors in their wisdom had thought of using the timeless energy of the sun for this. By using a solar concentrator we are merely using a modernand more effective method to bring about the de­ sired result. Thereby we are strengthen­ ing the existing system.The pillar on

which the solar concentrator will be supported shall be placed outside and away from the wall of the dokhma.(It shall not touch the dokhma at all.) The 20 mirrors of the solar panel will reflect the solar energy directly onto the corpse which will be kept on the pavi exactlyas it is done today.

Ihad addressed separateletters to two High Priests to evoke their response to this project. I am happy to state that Dastur Hormazdyar Mirza,High Priest of the Iranshah Atash Behram and Dastur Kaikhusroo JamaspAsa, High Priest of the Anjuman Atash Behram in Bombay have both given their consent to the use of solar energy at Doongerwadi.

At presentthe problems that we are faced with are twofold.Due to the pau­ city of vultures, dehydration of the corpses has been very slow. As a result ofthis there is also a stench being emit­ ted at times.With the introduction of the solar concentrator, dehydration will be hastened and thereby the problemof stench will be hopefullyeliminated.

The initialtrials were conductedon a hen after removingthe feathers, but with the skin in place. The weight of the bird was two kg and at the end of two hours of exposure, the weight reducedto 1.1 kg. During the whole process,the tem­ perature of the hen variedfrom 80- 1700C.

The same experiment was conducted on a goat carcass. Over a period of three days, total16 hours of exposureto con­ centrated sunlight, therewas a weight loss from 26 kg of initialweight to 8.5 kg of final weight. The temperature was in the range of 80-150°C. It ispertinent to note that the carcass did not burn during the experiment. Theseare just prelimi­ nary experiments which have shown very promising results. Further experi­ments are on the way.

Sabawalla informed us that he would require about five weeks more to com­ plete these experiments on carcasses. After this, experiments would also be conducted on corpses.

After the experiment on corpses is completed, it would take about six to eight weeks to complete the manufac­ ture of this equipment.

The initialexperiments cost between three to four lakh rupees. Now that the technique is known, the equipment it­ self is very affordable as it will cost below twolakh rupees. Citiessuch as Calcutta, Poona, Baroda,etc where we have dokhmas and which face the same

problems as Bombay can easily use a solar concentrator. It will be a quick, effective and cheap way of solvingour problem.

If the panels of the concentrator are large,only 20 are to be used. If they are smaller, about 42 would be required. Thesewould normally last for about18- 24 months. Replacing all these panels would amount to only Rs 6,000 and the cost of laborwould be merelyRs 2,000.

Besides this, since sunlight is free, the running cost would be minimal.One trained person would be required for this equipment. In mofussil areas where deaths occur at long intervals, the solar concentrator can be used only when required.

It was claimed by some that the area around the focus of the experiment will

become so overheated that it would not be possible for the corpse-bearers to enter the dokhmas.Moreover, they also

claimedthat thetrees in the environ­

ment would be affected.I am now con­

vinced that this is a myth. It is pertinent to state that although we were all stand­ ing five-seven feet away from the focal point i.e the carcass,we could not feel the heat at all.

On October 8, two BPP trustees,

Minoo Shroff and Dinshaw Tamboly, accompanied me to Barodato see the experiments for themselves. They were quite impressed with the resultsof the solar concentrator. I am confidentthat after a few more experiments, this project would solve our problems at Doonger­ wadi. DrHOM! DHALLA

"Mohammed Chhel" Bhikhaji M. Adenwalla has givenan account of the exploits of the magicianMohammed Chhel (Readers' Forum,Parsiana, August 2000). Let me elabo­ rate on the wizard'suncanny feats from the tales I've heard from my father, the lateDhunjishaw FramjiSunavala who was a solicitor.

Chhel wasa regular visitor on the local railways and was immediately spot­ ted in the compartments because he used to come prominently dressed, wearingmedals and medallions on his coat.

The reported incidentaboutChhel

producing a plethora of tickets when asked for his ticketis correct but such was his clout that no ticket collectorcould dare to throw Chhel out of the compartment for fear of facing the con­ sequences ofChhel's magic. It seems Chhel asked the ticket examinerwhether

6 Parsiana November 2000

he knew whom he was talkingto and when the examiner said he didn'tcare who he was, the train stopped.When the train didn't move for half an hour, the passengersbegged of the examiner to leave Chhel alone and get the train mov­ ing.

However Adenwalla has missed cit­ ing another incident. It seems Chhel knew that a certainpassenger was carry­ ing a gold pocketwatch, and he asked the person to show him the said watch. Chhel then took out a small hammer from his pocketand damaged the gold watch. When the man raised a hue and cry, Chhel asked a man in the far corner ofthe compartment to produce the same gold watch from his pocket.

People believed thatChhel had de­

veloped powersto invoke the spirits to do his bidding, but yet he was respected as a magician because he performedhis magic only to show his powers and he never caused any financial loss or bodily harm to any person. It is said that Chhel did not reveal his secretseven to his own son because he feared that his son might misuse the powers for some evil pur­ pose. DrP. D. SUNA VALA

"Kisseh-Houston"

The contentsof"Kisseh-Houston," (Par­

siana, June-July 2000)reflect the spirit of journalism instead of sensationalism. However as authors of Kisseh-Houston we feel that the subtitle-The ortho­ dox-liberal dividewidens over the ques­ tion of including Dr Ali Jafarey as a speaker - may have misrepresented our core purpose to theZarathushti com­ munity.

Throughout the Kisseh-Houston saga our purpose has been completely fo­ cussed on the principle, not on any indi­ vidual. No names have ever been quoted by us in any of our Kisseh-Houston stories. Now these are our thoughts on theprinciple of inclusionwhich have been previously circulated by e-mail.

The principle of inclusion means communication with dignity for all. This includes the K.N.Dastoors, theJafareys, the Porus Havewalas as well as the Cyrus Coopers of our community and many more. We may or may not support their viewpoints but we do support their right to express those viewpoints, as long as it is done in a dignifiedmanner.

Since the time Shahriariand I started

the Kisseh-Houston movement, our fo­ cus on the principlehas been the basic reason why we received tremendous

support from the world Zarathushti com­ munity. If we wanted to have Jafarey at all costs at the SeventhWorld Zoroas­ trian Congress(7WZC), we would have wholeheartedly supported the concept of a concurrent independent sessionthat is presently being planned for Jafarey during the 7WZC. We did not support that suggestion simplybecause that is not how we had envisioned the "prin­ ciple of inclusion" at the 7WZC.

Our purposehas been focused on bonding the community, not on binding the community. To createunity within

diversity in our community... not "wid­ ening the divide" as your subheadindi­ cates. SHAHRIAR SHAHRIARI

North Vancouver, Canada MEHERAMALSAD

Westminister,USA

Arnavaz Mama replies

We appreciate and applaud Amalsad and Shahriari's impeccable avoidance of individual names in their crusade for the "principle of inclusion."

The abovementioned Parsiana ar­ ticle, however, also deals with the not so judiciousavoidance of personalities by others in the debate.Moreover, the battle,in essence, has focused around a single individual and it was Parsiana'sintent to demonstrate the folly of believing that a religionthat has survivedthe vi­ cissitudes of more than three or four millennia can be undermined by a single scholar voicing his versionof its scrip­ tures.

J afareyhas often contributed to Parsiana in the past and some of the interpretations for which he is being currently pilloriedwere published in our columns almost a decade ago!

Severalbricks/impediments seem to be aimed at Dr Ali Jafarey,in what seemsto be efforts to debar his active participa­ tion in the Seventh World Zoroastrian Congress 2000 scheduled in Houston ("Kisseh-Houston," Parsiana, June-July 2000). One of the main reasons given for this apparent intolerance and rejec­tion of humanrights by diverseZoroas­ trian organizations is that he is a non­ Zoroastrian, amongother claims which do not seem consistent with objectivity but impressas being emotiveand bereft of realism.One may well cite- in the hope of invoking sanity- Firdausi Toosi, writerof the Shah Nameh,whose real name was Abdul QuasaimMansur and althougha real Muslim, he was

Acknowledgement

My family members and I express our sincere gratitudeto all

our relatives and friends

for their supportand condolences extendedthrough phones, telegramsand letters on the passsingaway of my dear brother

Mr Faridoon Zartoshty on Friday, 17th November 2000.Weregret our inability

to acknowledge individually.

Mr Mehraban Zartoshty San Diego

deeply in love with the ancienthistory and culture of pre-Muslim Iran. His father's name was Fakhruddin Ahmed andhis birthplace was Taos in Khorasan, near modern Mehshed. Those Parsis and Iranian Zarathushtrians who are able to understand the meaningof his life's work surely bless Firdausi. ..a fact to­ day!

Gunning to engender the exclusion of Jafarey impresses as a failureto dis­ tinguish between comment,conjecture and fact. Straighttalking clears the air much faster than the aromic fog of reli­ giously correct rhetoric.

The scenarioof communal (Zoroas­ trian) disunity clearlyemphasizes the need for people who are experts in the only really importantfield- that is the field of plain, old-fashioned common sense. What has weakened the Zara­ thushti community is the lack of the higher direction of the preceptsof Zoro­ astrianism without whichthe true lib­ eration of the collective mind and body cannot be safeguarded. People respond to transparency and honest explanation.

The reportedstance taken by the head priests is indicative of denying autho­ rized access to J afarey as a speaker at the Seventh World Zoroastrian Congress.

Surely, human rights,applicable to all by law, demand a recognition of respon­ sibility by all. Until this is installedas an aspect of religiously correctcontempo­ rary dogma it could be a recipefor the decline of our Zoroastriancommunity into an uncaringsociety seeking com­ pensation for natural human frailtiesand accident with which we are all from time to time beset. Denying authorized ac­ cess to Jafareyis akin to a totalitarian constitution, one that is aliento a quintessentially Zoroastrian power, the freedom of choice, the cardinaldoctrine and the greatest of the principles of Zarathushtra that sets out to bringthe light of understanding into the darkness.

FURHOK K. TANGREE

LaRoche-sur-Foron. France

Avision with a mission

I have a vision. Every Zoroastrian youth

should get the best education in his/her chosen field; every Zoroastrian should beable to pursue the career/profession/ business of his/her choice and should get all information/facilities/financial and other help that he/she requires liter­ ally at the click of a mouse; every Zoro­ astrian patient should get the best medi­ cal atlention whether he/shehasthe

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means to pay for the same or not. This vision is not a utopiandream; it can be achieved.

Our revered forefathers acted very wisely and with great foresight in con­ structing the variousbaugs and colonies which not only fulfilled the basic need of housing for more than 50 percentof the Zoroastrian population in Bombay, but it has also helped considerably in knitting the community together.

The cost of maintaining the baugs and coloniesis so huge that it is straining the finances of the BombayParsi Pun­ chayet (BPP) even though many tenants bear 50 percent of the total expenses. This does not leave much funds in the hands of the BPP to cater to other more pressing needs. To continue to spend crores every year on maintenance of the buildings in baugs and coloniesI con­ sider a colossalwaste/misuse of BPP's funds because a majority of the benefac­ tors now no longer need such help.

Competition for our youngstersis becoming extremely keen in all disci­ plines, and I feel that our youth needs to be helped to excel in all spheres through specialized and where necessary,subsi­ dized education. In my view, the focus of BPP's efforts and disbursementof

funds must shift from housing to educa­ tion. To create massive funds for educa­ tion, I suggest the following:

The flats in colonies/baugs should be offered to the tenantsfor purchase at a fair price, say 50 percent of the market value. The landson which the buildings stand should be leased to the coopera­ tive housing societies formed by the tenants in thesebuildings for a period of 99 years at nominal rates. The lease should contain suitablenegative cov­ enants precluding any member from selling/leasing/letting the flat to anyper­ son other than a Zoroastrian. Our legal experts should be able to ensure by proper documentation that flats in these societies could only be sold or Jet to Zoroastrians. The BPP can continue to be the owner of those flatswhose tenants do not wish to purchase theirflats.

To protect themselves against induct­ ees and recalcitrant tenants who in spite of having sufficient means are ungrate­ ful and refuse to pay contribution for repairsout of cussedness, I suggest that BPPshould apply to the Governmentof Maharashtra and claim exemption un­ derSection 3(2)(ii) of the Maharashtra Rent Act. This will also arm BPP ad­ equately to evict rank inductees instead

With compliments from

B.B. GARDA & SONS

10B. J.Road, Poona 411001

10 Parsiana November 2000

offighting them in courts for years and years at large expenseand waste of time.

This will have a two-fold benefit: The BPP will garner immense funds and the constant drain on BPP's resources by way of expenditure on maintenance shall also cease.The BPP should use these funds to ensure that every Zoroas­ trian gets the best education; that no Zoroastrianwho has the talent/know­ how/expertise is held back because of lack of funds. Entrepreneurs and profes­ sionals should be encouraged and given loans to set up their industries/businesses and practice their professions.

To implement these plans, there should be a sea-change in the adminis­ tration of the BPP. It should no longer remainan office of a trust.It should become a most vibrantinstitution, a management institute/university/IIT I Planning Commission, all rolledinto one. It should employ the best brains, talents in the fields of humanities, edu­ cation,finance, trade, industry, science, engineering, computers, law, sports and all othermajor professions, not only from within the country but also from abroad. It should provide complete in­ formation for all these professions/study courses/business/industry at the touch of a computer key. It should chart out plans and policies to ensure that in thenext 10-15 years all the eligible youth and all other Zoroastrians in service/ business/professions couldbe provided with all inputs/facilities required by way of money/space/ideas/literature/guid­ ance, so that each and everyone of them could pursue careersof their choiceand achieve excellence in their respective fields. Zoroastrian athletes/sports per­ sons should bring Olympic medalsto India in 12-16 years from now; thereshould be Zoroastrians in every national sports team.

The ultimate objective and ideal

should be that we Zoroastrians should be looked up to not only in our country, but all over the world as the most out­ standing, the most honest,the most com­ passionate, the most helpful,the most sporting and the most fun-loving and fun-spreading peoplein the world.

There is one more avenuein which

poor Zoroastrians need help which I feel the BPP should providefor. The BPP should enter into agreementwith the B.

D. Petit Parsec General Hospitalthat they should not turn away any Zoroas­ trian who wishes to avail of the facilities

12 Parsiana November 2000

of the Hospital, even if he/she is unable to pay the initialdeposit. The BPP should make this initialpayment and also pay for further hospitalbills, if the BPP is satisfied that the persongenuinely needs BPP's assistance either fully or partly. The BPP could verify this through the Liaison Committeeor other profession­ als. This will save a lot of embarrass­ ment and anguish to many poor Zoroas­ trians.

We have excellent Parsi managed educationalinstitutions. They should be helped in every way so that all Zoroas­ trian parents would wish to put their children in these schools.The dream of Zoroastrian managedcolleges can also become a reality and no Zoroastrian student wishing to take up medicine/ engineering/management education need be disappointed. There are hardly 50,000 Zoroastrians in Bombay, and with the huge funds which will be gen­ erated by the sale of flats (not less than Rs I ,000 crores) the BPP can make my vision come true. DARAMARFATIA

Gujarati, a life line

The next project of the World Zoroas­

trian Organisation (India) and its Youth Wing is to try and spread a better knowl­ edge of Gujarati among the young and old of our community. We feel that all Zoroastrians (whether in Indiaor abroad) should have at least a good working knowledge of Gujarati and be able to speakand write the language, because Gujarati is perhaps one of the life lines that linksZoroastrians the worldover. Moreover, althoughnow our basic prayer books are also available in English, a majority of the membersof our commu­ nity use Gujarati prayer books. A better acquaintance with Gujaratiis therefore necessary.

We requestthose who are willing to devoteabout three to four hours a week to teach Gujarati on a part-timebasis, to please contactany of the following: Rusi Bhumgara, Tel 4163128/2811227/ 2811075; Mehernosh Dumasia,Tel 4011118/4013438; SaroshBana, Tel 3679717/3616025/3820639; DaraMar­

fatia, Tel 3884296/3860354.

Those who wish to learnGujarati

and/or desire that their children may learn Gujaratimay also contact any of the abovefour gentlemen. We request all Zoroastrians to give their support to this project. DADI B. ENGINEER

President, World Zoroastrian Organisation (India)

Heritage agiary repairs We, the trusteesoftheBanajiLimji Agiary, would like to point out that our Agiary having been built in 1709 is in the list of heritage buildingsand has also

Banaji Limji Agiary:heritage building declared as a .'7ut onal monument

been declared as a nationalmonument.

May we take this opportunity of re­ questingthe readers of Parsianafor donations towardsthe repair work which has exceeded the original estimateby a few lakhs? Any amount will be grate­ fully accepted.Money could be depos­ ited in a special box in the Agiary or cheques could be made out in the name of"Banaji Limji Agiary" and sent to the Banaji Limji Agiary,Banaji Street, Fort, Bombay 400001. D.K. BANAJI

Seniortrustee, Seth Banaji Limji Agiary Trust

Rehan's Parsi connection?It was reported in the Press that Priyanka(daughter of Sonia and the late Rajiv Gandhi) and Robert Vadra's son who wasborn on August29, 2000 at New Delhi has been named Rehan.

It is further reportedthat Rehan is a Parsi name which means compassion. So, if the name has any Gandhi connec­ tion, it is with Feroze Gandhi.

Readers of Parsiana are requestedto enlighten whether Rehan is a Parsi name.

BHIKHAJI M. ADENWALLA

Edited by ParinazM. Gandhi

Events and Personalities

Newsports arena

A newly constructed sports stadiumon

a 1,800 sq ft plot of land is among the latest additions to the 80-year-old Bai Ratanbai Jehangirji Chinoy ParsiHigh School in Secunderabad, notes a report by Mithi Chinoy.Playgrounds for vol­ leyball, basketball and badminton, an indoor games room, a gymnasiumand an arts and crafts room were also de­ clared open to extend the School's exist­ ing facilities of a pavilion,a library and reference room, two science laborato­ ries, a computer section and 50 class­ rooms accommodating almost I ,500stu­ dents.

After the inaugural

erations of students learnto keep away from "the sinfulness of wasted time." Lauding the dedication of the first prin­ cipal Framrozc Hi1ji-Khoorshed and his successors, Chenoy referredto the ef­ fortsof the 47 trained and experienced teachers and severalnon-teaching staff who try to inculcateamong the students a sense of discipline, moral values and thedictum that "true living is right ac­ tion."

Run as an unaidedminority institu­

tion ona no-profit, no-loss basis, the School, which reports92 percent suc­

cessful results at the sse boardexami­

nations, encourages studentsto excel in

debates, elocution, dramatics, painting and drawing, NCC (National Cadet Corps), scouts and guides. The children also host and attend scienceexhibitions regularly and benefit from yogaclasses, notesa write-up in The Hindu of Sep­ tember 13, 2000.

When JehangirjiJamshedjiChinoy

built the School in 1919 in memory of his wife Ratanbaiit was meant to pro­ vide the fundamentals of the school cur­ riculum and religious instruction. It earned recognition as a middle school from theGovernmentofNizam VII, Mir Osman Ali Khan. In 1950 when it wasmadecosmopolitan, it was granted tem-

porary recognition as a High

2000,trustee and alumnus

1 years the trusteeshave

jashanon September 3,

Polly N. Chenoy spoke on the history and achieve­ ments of the School. Refer­ ring to the School's motto of "Truth, labor, service," she hoped that future gen-

The new sports stadium at Secunderabad'sBai Ratanbai Jehangirji Chinoy School

, 14 Parsiana November2000

School, it was reported. Over

the

sought to continue expand- ing and modernizing the amenities at the School.

Jehangirji's largesse had also extended to other insti­ tutions in Secunderabad: He established the Bai Ratanbai Jamshedji Chinoy Dispen­ sary in memory of his mother, financed the con­ struction of theJamshed Hall at Secunderabad' s Parsi

Dharamshala, and donateda vast prop­

erty on which was constructed the Seth Edulji Sohrabji ChenaiDar-e-Meher.

Conservation catalysts

A fresh lease of life has been infused in

the treasure trove of literature at Navsari's First DasturMeherjirana Li­ brary where microfilming of archival material was made possible on the ini­ tiative of the UNESCO assistedParsi Zoroastrian Project, notes a report by Lt Gen Adi Sethna, the Zoroastrian repre­ sentative on the NationalCommission for Minorities. Microdata India has re-

corded this national heritageon micro­ films which meet international standards and a microfilm reader has already been imported for use by researchers in Ori­ ental studies, adds the write-up.While one copy of the microfilmwill be kept foruseattheLibrary, the originalwill be kept intact. "Thusa wealth of informa­ tion will be preserved for future genera­ tions," he writes.

Established in 1872 by the members

of the Meherjirana family, the Library in Tarota Bazarboastsimportant Mughal documents and letters from the courts of Emperors Akbar and Jehangir. It also has a gold embossed Sansador deed of gift from Akbar to the first Dastur Mehe1jirana who visited his court and introduced Akbar to Zoroastrian­ ism. The Library's collection of hand­ written manuscripts in A vesta, Pahlavi, Pazand, Persian and old Gujaratiis of­ ten the only availablesource material for Zoroastrian literature and other sub­ jects or historical and religious interest, statesthe press release.Books on as­ trology, astronomy, geomancy, medi­ cal cures from Unani and other ancient

Deolali 's Bai RatunbaiJ. Clzinoy Agiyaricelebrated its 84th anniversary on October 6, 2000 with a }as han and khushali /Ill dinner. Thefunction includeda talk by chiefguest Rust om Clzothiaon "Are Parsisjire worshippers?" and felicitation ofthe donors,priests, volunteers and outstanding achieversin thefield ofeducation and sports from Deolali, Nasik and Nasik Road, notes trustee Dhan B. Patel.

systems, Tansen'ssongs, ballads as also Rameshgari and Kashmirimusic are the other attractions in this Library.

The creditfor this conservation ef­ fort should go to UNESCOwhich has acted as a catalyst, authorPiloo Jungalwalla and the NationalArchives offndiawho have financially sponsored the project, DastursMeherj i Mehe1j irana and Firoze Kotwal who served as advi-

First Dastur Meherjirana Library: preserving a wealth of information

17 Parsiana November2000

sors, librarian BhartiGandhiwho has

protected this heritage for many years, the trustees of the Library, especially Katy Antia for her involvement, Sethna, Tirlochan Singh and Dr Shernaz Cama, the Parzor Projectteam who have con­ tributed their time, experience and knowledge, details the release.

Microdata has reportedly agreed to donate a websiteexclusively dedicated to this project.Until then those seeking further information on the projectcan log onto www .unescoparzor.com or send an e-mail at info@parzor.com or write to The First Dastur Mehetjirana Library, Tarota Bazar, Navsari 396445, India.

Adoption in motion

The first adoptionamong Christians in

Bombay was officially sanctioned by JusticeR. J. Kochar on July 28 this year following the landmark ruling in Octo­ ber 1999 when it was held that the fun­ damental right to life includedthe right to be adopted, to have a home, a name, a nationality. After two years of guard­ ianship under the Guardians and Wards Act, parents with a sound financial and health background were permitted to apply to the Bombay High Court for adoption.

The judgment had made the adoption

contingent upon securing eithera birth certificate or registration of the birth of

the child, noteda report in The Indian

Express, MumbaiNewsline of August 19, 2000. The difficulties in obtaining birth certificates were resolved this year after a circular from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Office of the Registrar General (Vital Statistics) dated July 14, 1999, received by the adoption agencies in July 2000, clarified that an applica­ tion for registration of the birthof a child offeredfor adoption will have to be made before the local magistrate along withan affidavit from the agency.On approving the details, the magistrate will direct the Registrar of Births and Deaths to issue a birth certificate where the column for the mother'sname will be shown as a blank and the adoptive par­ ents' names entered in the 'remarks' column after the adoptionis approved by the High Court and the magistrate gives the final sanction.These guide­ lines will now help adoption agencies obtain registration and birth certificates for the children which was hithertodif­ ficult, Madhavi Hegde-Karandikar, sec­ retary of the Bal Asha Trust, was quoted in the paper.

While Parsistoo may now adopt, a

non-Parsi child taken for adoption will not be deemed a Parsi and will not there­ fore be entitledto inherit the estate of the deceased parent on intestacynor be able to claim any benefitsrelatingto fire-

temples, aramgahs,dokhmas, baugs, etc meant for Parsis only, the status of the adopted child was enunciated by Rustom Gae, senioradvocate practicing in the Supreme Court of India, in "Adoption by Parsis," Parsiana, March2000.

Nagpur's religious bonding A mix of religion, songs, dances and gamesmarked the four-daycelebra­ tionsfrom October 5-9, 2000 on the occasion of the I 05th anniversary of Nagpur's Bai Hirabai Mulla Dar-e­ Meher. Functions such as these bring the community together, commented Edul Bhagwagar, vice president of the Nagpur Anjuman, in his speechon the final day of the proceedings as he urged theParsis of Nagpurto remain one happy, united family.

The valedictory function com­ menced with a jashan by 12 priests. Mazda's Children, as the Sunday school of Mazdayasnis is called, then regaled the audience with a medleyof English songs ending with We are proud to be Zoroastrians.Thiswas followed by a

25 strong ali-Parsi choirsinging old Gujaratisongs set to foot tappingmusic. Both the choirs were ably conducted by

Khursheed Masani.

The celebrations had startedwith a fun filled games evening when panthaky Darius Karanjia was the chief guest. The next day's programpre­ sided over by Villoo Bapuna included a group dance competition followed by an antaksharianchored by Tauby Bhagwagarand FerminPoacha. The keenly

contested dance events saw?&.

a Hawaiiandance by littlechildren sway­ ing in grass skirts, a Gujarati garba to the old-time favorite Talion ne tale by the mothers and grandmothers, the prize winning Scottish reel performed to per­ fection by teenagedboys and girls in kilts and the finale, a Rajasthani ghumra.

The evening of October8started with a drawing competition for chil­ dren followed by a talk and slide pre­ sentation by Ervad Aspandiar Dadachan­ ji on the shiftingof the holy Tavri fire from Navsari to Bombay's GodrejBaug. He then conducteda quiz mainly on the Zoroastrian religion. Presiding over the deliberations was Navroz Davar,man­

agingdirector of the

·-- -"-

At the salgiralzcelebra-

tions ofNagpur's Bai Hirabai Mulla Dar-e­ Meher (alongside): Edul Blzagwagar (in dagli) presenting an achievers' prize to Gulrukh and Slzimz. Mehta; the choir rendering old Gujarati songs

to organizethe functions. On this occasion weredistrib­ utedtheAnjumanmerit

prizes and the Dadi BulsaraIndoor Sports

Prizes where Rashid Karbharibagged the gents championship, DilnavazDastur the ladies championship and Armaity Davar the junior championship. Dr Feroze Bharda who had been conferred a Bharat Gaurav was honoredwith a shawl. Jamashp Bapunahad the rare distinction of baggingboth the best bowler and the best batsmantrophies.

Dilnavaz E. Bhagwagar

Memorable bus rides

"We Calcuttans are a luckyand pam­

pered lot," noted a write-upby Mary Bharucha in Calcutta Gavashni,Febru­ ary-April 2000, reportingon the excur-

'1'ne :>ncr\55 o5 Bombuy Dr Augasfme P'm!o \seconc)]rom Manaras)1tra 'State

right) conveneda condolence meetingfor Sohrab Godrej on Handloom Corpora­

June 3, 2000. Other dignitaries present were(from 1£:/f): tion.

Nana Chudasama, David Good, GodrejDotivala, Uslza Held under the ae- Mehtaand Jamshed Guzder. gisoftheNagpurParsi Gymkhana, thesal­

girah celebrations are

an annual feature and are greatly lookedfor­ ward to by the Parsis of Nagpur. President of the Gymkhana ShirazGimi, secretary MehruWatchmaker, compereof the pro­ gramsRusi Godha and a host of other helpers worked hard

sions for senior citizensthat have be­ come a regular feature with them thanks to the magnanimity ofZarine Gimi wno provided an air-conditioned bus.

As reportedin the same issue of Calcutta Gavaslzniby Soli Kotwal, the Calcutta Parsee Anjumanwas gifted a spacious air-conditioned bus by the Gimi familyas an extension of their patriarch, the late Rusi B. Gimi's many innumer­ able deeds of charity. Intendedas a convenience for the community mem­ bers to attend various functions when transport becomes a problem,"It is to be greatly hoped that the community will utilize this facility as and when required under the guidance, supervision and dis-

continued on page 28

18 PafS!ana November 2000

ZOROASTRIANS ABROAD

AnewZoroastrian Centre for London

Seven years of dedication to the projectprovides a new homefor Zoroastrians in London

Arnavaz S. Mama

The Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE) held its first jashanon October 22, 2000 at its new home: the Grosvenor Cinema (which closeddown about 10 years ago) at 440 Alexandra A venue in Harrow. The announcement was jointly issued by ZTFE presidentDorab Mistry and Shahrokh Shahrokh, chairmanof the New Premises Steering

Committee as they invited

the communityto visit the site that day between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The purchase provides 26,000 square feet of usable space for religious, cultural · and social use for the Zoro­ astrians of London as well as addresses the abiding bug­ bear ofadequate parking space. The deal for the new landmark in ZTFE's 140- year history was completed on September 29, 2000.

The association had some anxious moments before it acquired what is de­ scribed as a classic Art Deco property. Its joint honorarysecretary Paurushasp Jilla had issuedan e-mail appealto the Zoroastrians of the world in September 2000 to help bridge a shortfall of £ 400,000 in the total estimated cost of£

1.55 million in thecourse of two weeks.

A matchingdonation of£ 400,000had been promised by the philanthropic Zartoshty brothers Faridoon and Mehra­ ban. In an "unprecedented outpouring of community giving" almost£ 200,000 were received in donations that ranged from two figuresto five in the courseof fiveweeks, noted Mistryand Shahrokh.

While£ 500,000had been collected by the New Premises SteeringCommit­ teethrough various fundraisers since its inception in 1993up to August 2000 the shortfall of£ 600,000was made up by the Zartoshty familydonating£ 500,000 (instead of the promised£400,000- a total of£ 750,000 to the project accord­ ing to the ZTFE reportand probably the final charity of Faridoon who passed

20 Parsiana November 2000

away in North Americaon November 17, 2000) simultaneously providing an interest-free loan of an additional £ 100,000. £ 58,000 were drawn from ZTFE general fundsafter the member­ ship so authorized the managingcom­ mitteeat the annual general meetingin 1999.

Grosvenor Cinema's new avatar as the Zoroastrian Centre for Europe

The finalpayment of £ I ,358,000, reduced from the original estimate of£

1.55 million,was also the result of the imaginative efforts of ZTFE trustee Noshir A vari and his firm A vari and Associates whose senior consultantPe­ ter Salter successfully blocked the VAT (value added tax) charge on the pur­ chase price and saved the association £ 175,500, note Mistryand Shahrokh.

"In retrospect, we first got to know of this proper.t:·on August 14,2000. Within 17 eventful days, we exchanged con­ tracts. And within the next 28 days we raised the funds and completedthe pur­ chase. We have no doubt that we could only achieve this milestone with some divine blessing from Ahura Mazda as we crossed one hurdle after another," write Mistry and Shahrokh.

As a first step towards establishing a consecrated fire on westernsoil, the man­ aging committee is committed to main­ tain an atashdadgah at the new premises

after they have raised a further£750,000 to pay for the cost of refurbishment. "Thanks to the foresight of our benefac­ tors, we already have within the ZTFE a mobed fund," notes the letter.According to their reportfor 1999-2000 the associa­ tion is served by 18 ervads. Several do­ nors have promisedfurther contributions in the next 18monthsand two

have even named the ZTFE as a legateein their wills,add Mistry and Shahrokh.

The decisionto seek a mandate from the general body involving 75 percent agreement from voters was the "special business" at the AGMonNovember7, 1999. The special resolution put to vote asked, "That this house (authorize) the managing committee of the ZTFE to take such stepsas are appro­ priateto achieve the estab­

lishment of a new Zoroastrian Centre for Europe with a place ofworship, in or around London; including taking such steps as the raising of funds and loans, application to donors and publicbodies, preparation of plans,application for plan­ ning consent, purchaseof land, employ­ ment of professionals and contractors; and that the managing committeeis au­ thorized under Article18(b) to expend sums necessary to execute the project." An explanatory note attached to the AGM notice added, "The passingof this special resolution will also enablethe managing committee to demonstrate the wide support that this projectenjoys. It will help to unlock the various doors of assistance that are available. This man­ date will greatlyassist in approaching potential donors and public bodies for assistance, grants, matched-contribu­ tions and even special consideration of planning proposals."

The three-hourdebate on the special resolution included strong opposition from past presidentShahpur Captain according to the ZTFE newsletter of

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January 22, 2000. By his letter of No­ vember 3, 1999 Rohinton Irani had bridled against what he termed the "carte blanche authority" sought by the man­aging committee. Arguingthat the man­ date was either not requiredor impru­ dent as the raising of loans could jeop­ ardize the community's assets,Irani asked, "Whyat this stage, after seven years, is the place of worship not de­ fined? We already do have a place of worship at Zoroastrian House. We donothave a consecrated fire which to me was the nucleus for the 'new premises.' Simply a big hall and ampleparking space was not the reasonbehind the 'new premises."'

Stating that he was neither a member of the ZTFE nor of WZO (World Zoro­ astrian Organisation) CyrusMehta's let­ ter of November 1, 1999 addressedto 'Dear Zarathustis' raised similar issues and noted in the interests of the solvencyof the association that "the committee have not stated in black and white how muchit will cost per annum to run this new place (gas,electricity, maintenance, repairs, cleaning, housekeeper, insur­ ance, rates,etc) and how will this cost be offset by income from subscriptions, donationsand di videndslinterest."

The secret ballot conducted by re­ turning officer Percy Writerand his team of scrutineers docked a "resounding mandate" for the managing committeewith 84.5 percentof votes cast in its favor. A letter from Mistry informsus that 290 membersattended the AGM.

Atthe AGM on November 19, 2000 (attendedby about 150 members in­ cluding 100 life membersand 21 ordi­ nary members as per Mistry) the special businessconcerned an increasein sub­ scriptions for the ZTFE membership with both life and ordinarymembership more than doubling from£ 70 to£ 150 and from£ 7 to£ 15 respectively. "Thefee rise was approved by 120 votes to one on a show of hands," writes Mistry. Old age pensioners (men over65, women over 60, known as OAP members)are exempt from paying fees but have no right to vote.

Trustees Avari and Dr Firo?:Munshi

1

were electeduncontested. On the man­

aging committeeAdi Billimoria, Ervad

Rustom Bhedwarand councillor Filly Maravala were reelected. Joiningthe team is Kobad Avari.

Mistry continuesinto his fourth year as president aided by jointsecretaries Malcolm Debao and Jilla.

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The right to be heard

A special sessionat the Congress venue will feature two speakers hithertodebarred from the Congress

Arnavaz S. Mama

After much debateand soul searching: a workable compromise. Founder of the Los Angeles based Zarathushtrian As­ sembly Dr Ali Jafarey and Bornbay law­ yer and Khshnoomist lecturer Ervad Kaikhushroo N. Dastoorwill speak at a special event sponsored by the Federa­ tion ofZoroastrian Associations of North America(FEZANA)attheJ. W. Marriott Hotel on December30, 2000 between6

p.m. and 8 p.m. Chaired by FEZANA vice president FirdoshMehta of Alberta, the talks will be followedby a question­ answersession, notes theannouncement from FEZANA president Framroze Patel.A subsequent postinginforms us that the topic under debate will be the"Meaning and message of Yasna 30.2" which refers to humanity'sfreedom to choose as enshrined in the Gathas.

The arrangement, with FEZANA as sole organizerand sponsor, hopefully lays to rest the controversy that has dogged the SeventhWorld Zoroastrian Congress (7WZC) overthe right to speak and the rightto nominate speakers. It results from a mandatefrom FEZANA's member associations as they passedthe ZAGNY(Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York)and IZA (Iranian Zoroastrian Association) motionsby a majority in September2000. "Since then, the Board has been workingout the finer points of implementation with the Zoro­ astrian Association of Houston(ZAH) Executive Board (EB)and the WZC2000 (World Zoroastrian Congress) EB," notes Patel. The arrangement "repre­ sents a compromise (which) has come aboutthrough the willingness of all par­ ties to give a little and at the sametime maintain their core beliefs. It has taken (the) time and effort of many people," states Patel. Though the event will be held at the venue of the Congress, it remains outside the official purviewof the Congress and is not endorsedby the WZCEB.

The issue of inviting Jafareyto speak

24 Parstana November 2000

at the Congress had been gathering momentum over the year (see "Kisseh­ Houston," Parsiana, June-July 2000). Starting with the premise that the Con­ gress would includeall interpretations ofZoroastrianism,a principle enshrined in its Operating Guidelines, the EB of

Stormy petrels: Ali Jafarey (left) and K. N. Dastoor

the Congress had buckled under conser­ vative pressures and refused to permit Jafarey to speak. When the issue was raised as a 'request of motion' by ZAMWI (Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan WashingtonInc) and sec­ onded by ZAG NY at the FEZANA AGM in Houston in May 2000, ZAQ's(Zoro­ astrian Association of Quebec) andZSO's (Zoroastrian Societyof Ontario) proposal to indefinitely postponeit was carried. ThereuponZAMWI and PZO(Persian Zoroastrian Organization) had walked out of the meet (see "FEZANA AGM," Zoroastrians Abroad, Parsiana, June-July 2000).

However, the matter was not permit­ ted to rest there. The following recon­ struction of eventsis based on numerous e-mails received by Parsiana. The IZA submitted a motion requesting the com­ pliance of the Congress EB with the Operating Guidelines endorsedby FEZANAmember associations in 1997 and 1998. ZAGNYsought the commu­ nity's vote to permit Jafarey to speak at the Congress. Both motions were sent for a postal ballot by the FEZANA sec­ retariat with the returning elate being fixed for September 14.

Perhaps expectingthat the commu-

nity vote would not be in their favor, TMZA (Traditional MazdayasniZoro­ astrianAnjuman), Jafarey's most vocal critic, raised a number of technicalities questioning the IZA'slegal status, the order in which the motions could be voted upon, the lack of procedural guide­ linesfor discussion and debate, and al­ leged a breach of parliamentary rules. The attempted TMZA filibuster sought a suspension of votinguntil such clauses were incorporated in the FEZANAcon­ stitution. They also wanted to enforce voting on the issue by the generalbody of each association. Moreover, these demands were made shortly beforethe votingdeadline expired on September 14.

A simultaneous rearguard action was also fought by ZAH. A September II, 2000 e-mail from IZA president Farshid Bakhtyari to the FEZANAsecretary notes,"We have just receiveda copy of the ZAH motion, secondedby ZAPA (Zoroastrian Association of Pennsylva­ nia), asking that we vote on whether ornot to continue the indefinite postpone­ ment of the issue of Jafarey speakingat the Congress ... We would like to point out that the ZAH motion is superfluous because the very first item oftheZAGNY motion already moves that we 'end the indefinite postponement of the original motion by ZAMWI.' The ZAH motion is an attempt to gag the community."

That the results of the two ballots were withheld until September 22,2000 on the instructions of Patel leading to some uneasiness among the other FEZANAexecutives is evidentfrom the e-mails received by Parsiana. It also prompted conjectures among the com­ munity: "The silencespeaks to me very loudly ... It tells me that the community has spoken and the vote has come in. And it... is not in favor of the exclusion­ ary pol icy of the EB. It tells me that the community has askedFEZANA and (by extension) the (WZC) EB to go for in-

elusion. I do not need an officialan­ nouncement from the FEZANApresi­ dent to confirm this for me. His silence and his extension has already done that," noted youth activistShahriar Shahriari on September16. He further ventured that "the currentexecutive is looking for a dignified way of resolvingthe issue." On September 19 attorney and com­ munity activist Dina Mcintyrenoted, "The TMZA has attacked IZA' s stand­ ing as a member of FEZANA, in an attempt to get its motion thrown out. The TMZA has made a point oforder, to stop the voting on the IZA and ZAGNY motions. ZAH has made a motion, sec­ onded by ZAPA, which in essencealso is an attempt to stop the voting on these

two motions.

"Notwithstanding all these legal and parliamentary maneuvers to keep the community from voting,18 or more associations are believed to have voted on the ZAG NY and IZA motions, and a majority of the votes are in. So regard­ less of what happensto these two mo­ tions from a parliamentary or legal point ofview, morally and factually, it makes no difference. The community has spo­ ken."

On the basis of information from

seven "highly credible" but unofficial sources Mcintyre estimated41.5 'ayes' on the ZAGNY motion for inclusion and 29.5 'ayes' on the IZA motion re­ quiring the WZC EB to abide by the Operating Guidelines. In both cases the 'nays' according to Mcintyre amounted to 9.5 (with 12 abstentions for the IZA motion). Her estimates excludeTMZA's two votes which, if counted, would not change the balance.

"Now we come to the acid test. Are

the peoplewho have opposedthese motions, people of good will? Will they accept the community's wishes and come to the table, and work out an honorable resolution of this situation? Please re­ member, we are not asking anyone to abandon their religious beliefs. We are asking for theirtolerance for one hour (two different views at half an hour each) at a Congress. Is that too much to ask for the well-being of the commu­ nity?" she queried.

Nonetheless on September20 ZAH

president Kersi Engineer was suggest­ ing a further10-day extension on the voting deadline or an indefinite post­ ponement, quoting a letterof clarifica­ tionfromZAGNYpresidentGevNentin as the reason.

26 Parsiana November 2000

Adding to the crossfire have been allegations from the traditionalist lobby that the progressives have also been guilty of breachingthe inclusive prin­ ciple of the Operating Guidelines. In his posting of August28, 2000 Ervad Jal Birdy, president of the NorthAmerican MobedCouncil and vice president of TMZA,quotes an e-mail posted by Dr Ardeshir Anoshiravani, FEZANAco­ vice chair on the WZC EB, on August 13, 2000: "Itis my position that we do not need to bring in speakers whose opinions basically have nothing to do with the religionofZarathushtra but are more representative of the pre-Zara­ thushtra era. I do not think that we will serve our religionby inviting an obscure person (such as a Pundolite or Khshnoo­ mite) to address the world Zarathushti community about the backward, super­ stitious and almostdelusional mumbling about 'the invisiblewise men of Damavand."' Former president of the Zoroastrian Association of California Maneck Bhujwala' s note to Shahriari of August 30 explicitly refers to the exclu­ sion of Dastoor.

Dr MehrborzinSoroushian, who chairs the Zarathushtra Vision track of the WZC and had soughtto invite Jafarey as speaker, was himself allegedlyac­ cusedof reneging on the issue.Inane­ mail to Bakhtyariof Augut 31, Soroushian clarifies: "Late last year, I was asked by Anoshiravani to chair the Zarathushtra Vision track. I informed the EB that I would accept on certain conditions which includedthe freedom to put the program together as I saw fit, without any restriction as to speakers.

"I subsequently received a call from Patel while he was in Houston inform­ ing me that the WZC2000EB had agreed to all my terms.

"In Decemberthere was a rumor on the Z lists that there was a blacklist of people who would not be approved as speakers. I immediately wrote to (Con­ gress co-chairs) Homi Davier and Dolly Dastoor, asking if there was any truth to this. No response stating that any speaker had been blacklisted was received.I proceeded with my programing and sub­ mitted my speakerlist for the EB's ap­ proval. Jafarey was one of the speakers on my list. Itturned out the youth track hadalso listed him as a speaker.

"I was not able to attend the February

meeting in Houston in person where the subject of excludinghim became an issue although l participated a few times

by telephone. The decisionto withdraw Jafarey as a speaker was mine as I no­ ticed his name was being used as a political football which was not fitting of a Zartoshty personwho has dedicated his life to furthering of our understand­ ing of Zarathushtra's message...

"When the Kisseh-Houston initiative was launched by Meher Amalsadand Shahriari, I becameaware for the first time that the effort to exclude Jafarey from the program was a seriousviola­ tionof the Operating Guidelines. I was informed that. .. Davierengaged A mal sad and Shahriari in a discussion on making the Congress inclusive by having a panel with Jafarey, KhojesteMistree, (K. N.) Dastoor and others participating.

"I was also informedthat Davier had

told some individuals in connection with the exclusion of Jafarey as a speaker... that the blame should go to the chair oftheZarathushtra Vision trackfor with­ drawing his name. If his name had not been withdrawn, Jafarey would have been considered. Theseactivities by Davier, combined with the violationof the Operating Guidelines, and the con­ tinuing aggressive, un-Zartoshty cam­ paign to falselyvilify and discredit Jafarey, convinced me that something must be done to restorehonor to the process, and justice to this situation which, with every passing day, was bringing more shame and discredit to our community.

"In responseto a directive by the EB

to reducemultiple appearances by the same speaker, I had speakervacancies to fill. I selected Jafareyto take a spot previously considered for ProfKaikhos­ rov Irani who had three appearances. The EB was formally informedof my intention. The rest is history."

Describing the IZA motionas one

"that deals with principle," Farrokh Mistree, a former member of the WZC EB noted in his message of August 30, "This motionin effectquestions the 'constitutionality' of a few key deci­ sions taken by the WZC2000EB." Draw­ ing an analogywith the US political machinery Mistree notes, "The laws passed by the Congress are subject to a test oflegitimacy by the judicial system. Similarly, any decision taken by the FEZANA EB or the WZC2000 EB must stand up to a similar'judicial' scrutiny. In the case of the FEZANAEB, its actions must be judged in the context of the FEZANA charter and in the case oftheWZC2000 EB in the context of the

Guidelines for the WZC2000that were formally ratified by the memberasso­ ciations at FEZAN A AGMs in I 997 and 1998.

"In the absence of a mechanism for testingthe 'constitutionality' of a deci­ sion taken by the WZC2000EB, IZA through its motion is asking each mem­ ber association to review a few deci­ sions in the context ofWZC2000Guide­ linesand then to declare whether or not the WZC2000 Guidelines have been violated. This, in my opinion,is at the very core of deciding how each member association should vote..."

Earlier, Bakhtyari had noted in a mis­ sive addressed to FEZANA colleagues, "We know thatZAH is well-intentioned. We respect their interestsas the host organization. We are especially grateful for the efforts of the many individual volunteers who have been working very hard to make this Congress a success. It is precisely becauseof these good people, and our community, that IZA is tryingto resolvethese problems within the sys­ tem, instead of pulling out, and advocat­ ing boycotts. We need to make the sys­ tem work if we are to have any credibil­ ity. We need to keep faith with our youth."

In what ZAGNY's Lovji Cama de­ scribed as "awonderful, balanced and totally Zoroastrian positiontaken by a priestwho is knowledgeable and confi­ dent in his understandingof whatit meansto be aZoroastrian,"MobedZarir Bhandara of California had stated on the Internet: "Imbibing the qualities of the seven Amesha Spentasin everything we do in this physical world,we should not just permit (if we are the authority) Jafarey to speak at the Congress, instead invite him to speak at the Congressand have(an)equally knowledgeable speaker talk on the same subject. This willallow both speakersto give diversi­ fied opinions ...that way we can spread more knowledgein this world. This would be in accordance with the Zoro­ astrian doctrine. Namely,let the people choose what path they want to take and they shall be responsible for the same... If you stop or try to shut somebodyup from speaking, it clearly showsyou are scared, fearsome and do not have enough knowledge to substantiate your practice and beliefs. It is not in accordance with the tenets of our religion."

Youth activistNatalie Vania asked the community as it readied to vote on the three motions,"Is your positionone

28 Parsiana November2000

that can be upheldbefore the wider cultural milieu in which we live and to which our living commits us?"She was referring to varioushuman rights bod­ ies, political and civic organizations like United Nations, AmnestyInternational, the US Commissionon Civil Rights,etc.

Amalsad, Shahriari, ZAH member Yezdi Rustomji (who went on a protest fast until ZAH accepted the FEZANA arrangement) agreed that"The principle of inclusion meanscommunication with dignity for all. This includesthe Dastoors, the Jafareys, the Porus Have­ walas as well as the Cyrus Coopers of our community and many more. We may or may not support theirviewpoints but we do support their right to express these viewpoints as long as it is done in a dignified manner."

While the weary negotiators (prob­ ably)breathed a sigh of relief,Birdy had not given up on his mission to save the community from the jaws ofJafarey: He now challenges the authenticity of Jafarey's doctorate in Persianliterature fromthe University of Karachi ...

7WZCAwards

The WorldZarathushti Community Awards - 2000 will compriseof a trophy based on the winning entry of Tehran's Shahram Akhtar-Khavari.

Selected by six judgesfrom among the 90 entriesreceived by the 7WZC (Seventh World Zoroastrian Congress) AwardsCommittee, Akhtar-Khavari's design will eventually grace the mantlepieces of the world's five most honored Zarathushtis, as per the an­ nouncement from the committee chair Dinshaw Joshi.

The outstanding quintetcomprises:

•Philosopher-scientist, speakerand teacherProf Kaikhosrov Irani of New York who will be presented the Out­ standing World Zarathushti Award;

•Vancouver's Mobed Mehraban Zar­ toshty,whose profuse but quiet charities have won him the love and respect of the Zoroastrian world, will be presentedthe WorldZarathushti Award for Humani­ tarian Service and/or Philanthropy;

•Chairman and managing directorof India'sTata Steel Dr Jamshed Irani who has been chosenfor Excellence in Busi­ ness or Profession;

•Charismatic conductorof the New York and Israel Philharmonic Orchestras ZubinMehta for Excellence in the Per­ forming Arts, Painting or Literature;

•Chairman of the Young Zoroastrians

wing of London's ZTFE (Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe) KermanJasavala for the Youth Award for Outstanding Leadership which he displayed in orga­ nizing the Second World Zoroastrian Congress in 1997.

Forty-nine judges from nine coun­

tries siftedout the winning five from among 79 nominations from six coun­ tries. Each categorywas assigned an international panel of eight or nine re­ spected Zoroastrians with no more than two members from the same country. The Awards Committeeremained uninvolved with the evaluation process, except for the final collation of the re­ sults, writesJoshi.

The separateand distinct criteriafor evaluation in each categoryhad been included in the nominations packageso that sponsors could include the relevant material regarding their nominees. A quantitative systemofjudging based on the evaluation criteria ensured an objec­ tive approach, adds Joshi.

The trophiesbased on the winning design will be presented at a special function on December30, 2000.

EVENTSAND PERSONALITIES

continued from page 18

cretion of our trustees," adds Kotwal. The first outing on this bus was a trip for the senior citizensto Korna villageon March 17, 2000.

Their trip on May 19,2000 was par­ ticularly memorable as the bus kept "hic­ cupping" and refusedto move on the return journey, recalledBharucha. All the passengers were made to climb down while the driver contacted the service garage on his mobile. But since the bus was blocking the toll lane, the policeman insisted it be moved out. "So our three male seniors gallantlypushed the bus to a safer location.With no other option than to abandonthe bus, we were herded into two taxis and taken to the Parsi Club for high tea ...

"On the lawns of the Club with a gentle breeze coming up, we silently wished the bus would take a while to be fixed so we could chat and enjoy the beautiful evening.Surprisingly, the bus arrivedall too soon and once again we piled in but not beforegiving a hearty 'Three cheers' to the organiz­ ers, the volunteers and Gimi," noted Bharucha.

Compiled by Parinaz M. Gandhi

INSTITUTIONS

Dedication at Davar)s

A pioneerof commerce educationin India, the Davar's Collegeof Commerce celebrates its centenary Hilla P. Guzder

Her office reflects her personality - dignified, neat. Four framedcertificates hang unobtrusively on a side wall, an old ship's lanternsits atop a corner cabi­ net. Age restsbut lightly upon octoge­ narian Dr KhorshedDinshah Madon's slim shoulders. "Iget deeply involved with my work here," statesthe elegant

lady who has had a long innings as principal (she was joint principal ear­ lier) of the 100-year-old Davar'sCol­ lege of Commerce, Banking, Comput­ ers, Secretarialand Language Studies (First Counter).

Says Mad on's daughter Deena

Thacker, vice principal of the College, "My mother has a tremendous staying capacity, a copingcapacity which en­ ables her to work even now from morn­ ing to eveningwith never a complaint. If the air-conditioning is not working,even if the lightsand fans go off and every­ body around her is complaining, she can calmly conduct a seminar or training program and not even notice the heat!

30 Parsiana November 2000

She is one humanbeing I reallyadmire." Reputed as a pioneer of commerce education in India, the College was founded by ProfSohrab Davar, Mad on's father, in the year 1900when he himself was but 20 years old. The Collegehas a series offirsts to its credit-introducing as early as 1908 accounting and auditing as a profession, the company secretary's course in 1914 followed by specialized courses in banking, insurance, sales management, Gregg shorthand, etc, ac­ cording to the College brochures. As examinations in these subjectswere unheard of in India, Prof Davar used to take batches of students by ship to En­ gland, states a historical backgroundto the College, to appear for examinations

there!

Located at PI ora Fountain in the heart ofBombay'scentralbusinessdistrict, the College split in I tJSS into three parts,

with each of Sohrab's three children,

_Khorshed, Rustomand Nanabhoy (Nani) who had been joint principals earlier, headingtheir own separatedivisions. "We separated for various reasons," explained Madan. "Ideas did not match. It was also better from the point of view of succession, so that each one's chil­ dren could takeoversmoothly."Rustom closed down whatwas known as Davar' s Second Counter last year as he is not keeping well, narratesMadan. Nana­ bhoy' s Third Counter, thoughadjacent, functions as a completelyseparate en­ tity.

Madan's First Counter now also in­

cludes new millennium subjectslike computer graphics, web-designing, e­ commerce, etc. The College pioneered over 35 years ago, she says, the first personal secretary's coursein India as wellas the first grooming course now

called Elegance- Davar's Finishing School. "The personalsecretary's course helps young girlsand even olderwomen to earn well," asserts Madon, adding that even today,years later, ex-students send her greetings and thanks from places

far distantfor the firm foundation Davar' s gave to their careers. "Girls sometimes come to us totallyconfused, from broken homes or broken marriages. They may not have been the cream of students but today they have become the

cream of society,"

maintains Thacker. "Many years ago we had a young wife who lost her husband in an air crash. I taught her English on a one-to­ one basis, she com­ pleted our course suc­ cessfully and is today an accomplished busi­ nesswoman in herown right."

'"Not just students,

so many of our staff members have clone well for themselves here and abroadas well," reports Maclon. Narrates Moti Antia­ Irani, who was Ma­ clon' s personalsecre­ tary for 25years: "She is like a mother to all,

Shirinand Sohrab Davar (facing page) and (alongside) turn-of-the­ century students and faculty

Earliertop floor premises in old Bank of India building and (below) guest speaker Palklzivala

the staffmembers are her children. She has her own special way of dealing with problems. From peons to higher-ups, she will never utter a harsh word to anyone. If she is very annoyed she will at most say, 'Aresooo! (Whatis this?) Don't you think this is not right?'" When Moti's husband Phiroze Anti a (the well­ known playwright whoscripted the much-performed Behram seriesof plays) died in 1965 when Moti was still very young, "the Madonstook it upon them­ selves to treat me like their daughter. I was very lucky to have excellent bosses, that's what makesyou work!"

The College also conductstraining

programs in business communication, socialization skills, etc. "From typists to top management, we have conducted in-house courses for companies like Hindustan Lever, Bharat Petroleum, Glaxo, Tata Administrative Service and many more, teachingthem the art of table manners, etiquette, etc. These are delightful sessions," smiles Madon who has also been the consultant, scriptwriter and commentator of two video films shown on Doordarshan on innovations in office procedures and the role oftelephone operators cum receptionists. Mad on holds a PhD degreefrom Bombay University and is an advocate (Original Side) of the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court of India, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of England,past chair­ man of the board of studies in business law of the All India Management Asso­ ciation, and has been associated with a host of other organizations in various capacities.

In the pipeline is a new book authored

by Madon on the tasksof a personal secretary -illustrated with case stud­ ies, checklists, cartoons, etc. ''I'm the drafter over here, Ilove reading and writing," avers Madon who alreadyhas two books tucked under her belt - Business Letters for all occasions co­ authored with Thacker and Dr Homai McDowell who is her seconddaughter andAdministrative and Office Manage­ ment written jointly with McDowell.

Though girls form the bulk of their

students, a number of boys enrol for the computer courses, typing,executive of­ fice assistant's diploma,etc. "Our GCD

(government commercial diploma) is

31 Parsiana November 2000

Madan (top) enlightening prospective personal secretaries and (center and bottom) adding the finishing touches

32 Parsiana November 2000

popular and government recognized," Madondeclares, addingthat not all simi­ lar institutes can claim this.The College also offers a placement servicefor their own students as well as outsiders- an innovation introduced by Thacker. "Our branches in Yashi(New Bombay) and two branches in Goa (onein Panjim, the other in Ribander, outside Panjim) have been my babies," informs Thacker who has inherited, she says laughingly, the gregarious personality of her father, the late Justice Dinshah Madon. "I enjoy solving problems and interacting with people. I won'thesitate, though, to call a spade a spade. It's Mummy and sister who are the big diplomats!" quips the dynamic, on-the-go vice principal who holds a degree in commerceand law and who has worked for some time with Pace University, New York. "Ourinte­ rior designing, tailoringand fashion designing courses are very popularin Goa, asare computer coursesand ac­ counts. There are a large number of foreigners who come for our English classes too. The branch in Vashi IS also doingwell," she relates.Arabic classes are in demandwith Indians goingto the Middle East on work, as are French, Italian and Spanish,with one company wanting them to teach five junior ex­

ecutives Spanish, German,French and

Arabic all at the same time, laughs Madon. Davar's also provides transla­ tion services for a variety of Indian and European languages, Japanese, etc, states their brochure. The College has stag­ gered timings throughout the day, with students selecting the slot most conve­ nient to them.

Well patronized too are their short courses which familiarize women with money matters, taxation, how to make their own will, etc. "Wemake women aware of the pitfalls in their own situa­ tion," specifies Madon. Eminentper­ sonalities like Nani Palkhivalahave been­ guest speakers and College annualdays and special anniversaries have been pre­ sidedover by an array of vice chancel­ lors, governors, heads of the Indian Merchants' Chamber, Federation of In­ dian Chambers of Commerce and many others at the Sir Cowasji Jehangir Hall, Taj Mahal Hotel, etc. TheirCAIIB (Cer­ tified Associate of the IndianInstitute of Bankers) courses have seen ex students like Pravinchandra Y. Gandhi and Z. G. Rangoonwallarise to top positions in banks (DenaBankandTheBombay Mercantile Co-operative Bank Limited,

respectively). JamshedN. Mehta (ex mayor of Karachi) was a studentas early as 1903-04, as was MuncherjiCama, managing directorof The Bombay Chronicle Company Limited and a long list of others, states the College booklet.

Reminiscing about her marriageto

Dinshah Madan, Khorshed terms her years as a judge's wife "the happiestof our lives." He was appointed <ljudgeof theBombayHighCourtin 1967,

became chief justicein1982 and was elevated to the Su­

preme Court in 1983, the first Parsi to achievethis distinction.

"When Dinshah died in 1994 followingseveral heart attacks (he retiredin 1986), there was a full reference in his honor in the Supreme Court. The chief jus­ tice spoke, with all his fellow judgessitting alongside, the room was packed and even some of the men, who had known and

workedwithDinshah,werecrying,"

she revealssoftly. The Madons went through a traumatic experience in 1970 when Dinshah was appointed the One­ Man Commission of Inquiry to probe the unprecedented communaldistur­ bances in Bhiwandi and other places in Maharashtra. "Dinshah' s hair went grey during that time. There were some hor­ rible photos presented as evidence and Dinshah was a sensitive person," re­ lates his wife. Though he had been receiving threatening letters from both parties to the communalcarnage, Hin­ dus and Muslims,he hid the fact from thepolice, with the police commis­ sioner stumblingupon the secret by accident during one of their visits to the site.

"We really enjoyedour years in Delhi. Dinshah's court was very popu­ lar, particularly with young lawyerswho would often sit in, if they had no other matter in hand, to glean some of

hiswisdom.Hewasverywell-read,

would often quote from literature and was always quipping!"

"My father was very forthright. He

believed in stickingto his principles and we were taughtthat too," says Thacker, adding in a somewhatpeeved tone that not much has been written about Dinshah Madan's achievements as he was never one to seek publicity. "Both my parents have done a lot of quiet charity, helping the underprivileged with monetaryand educational assis­ tance to set them up on their feet. My

34 Parsrana November 2000

husband Shardul (her classmate in Sydenham Collegeto whom she has been married for 26 years) is also very supportive," assertsDeena. Shardul is a partner in the reputedsolicitors' firm of Mull a and Mulla and Craigie, Blunt and Caroe whose offices are located in the same building,now known as Mulla House (it was calledJehangir Wadia building earlier) after it was bought

7ltree generations: Madon (center), Deena (right) and PurnimaThacker Photo: Hilla Guzder

over by the firm. "My father-in-law Jashwant Thacker is Mulla and Mulla's seniormostpartner so if ever we need legal counsel, there'splenty at hand!" laughs Deena.

Recalling her childhood, Deena notes

that Davar'shas been a part of her life ever since she was a schoolgirl in Cathe­ dral and JohnConnon School nearby. "I was the only kid among eight of us (siblingsand cousins includingceleb­ rity Shiamak Davar) who was groomed to be with the College. I used to come here from school and help out, filling envelopes, stickingstamps, etc."Though she cannot much recall her grandfather Sohrab who passed away when she was but a child, Deenaremembers her "Aunty Ma" (Sohrab' s sister Homai) who was very much a part of the College and who lived with them aswell. "Every morning in a dressing gown and mathabanoo she would supervizethe kitchen for a joint family of 16 people, send us kids to school, come to the College and be here all day, managingThe Progressive Cor­ poration Limited,our publishers and book sellers.After school we would go shopping to Crawford Marketor Grant Road. She was the matriarch, even in those days she knew howtojuggle home andcareer!"

Khorshed has vivid recollections of her father. "He had a tremendoussense

of humor. When hetaught a subject, you hadno difficulty remembering it!His textbooks were the first in their respec­ tive fields in India in those days. He used to wear coattails like an English gentle­ man, and he was a Masonic grandmas­ ter. His friends would come to the Col­ lege quietlyto seek his help in writing their speeches or rehearsing their lines! In the evening,when everyone had gone, he would workoutin the Col­

lege with dumbbells," she re­ members.Born in 1879, Sohrab

had started classesin a small room in his father Rustom's

office at Elphinstone Circle. They were then known as The Davar's Commercial Training Classes. In 1925/26 they moved to the third and fourth floors of the Great Western Hotel build­ ing at Lion Gate, saysKhorshed, and later to the top floor of the old Bank of India building at

Mahatma Gandhi Road. In 1941,they

settled into their present premises. As a pioneer of commerceeducation, Sohrab helped to establishthe Sydenham Col­ lege of Commerce and the Indian Mer­ chants' Chamber and held the chair for mercantile law and businessorganiza­ tion at the Bombay University, says his daughter. Sohrab was the first Indian to pass the final examination of the Char­ tered Instituteof Secretaries of Public Companies,London and of the Society ofIncorporated Accountants and Audi­ tors of the UK. A barrister from Gray's Inn, he presidedover the first Bombay Legislative Council, declinedto be mayor due to ill health and passed away in 1949 at the age of 70, according to the College fact file.

Legal genes are in profusion in the family! Madan's son Dinyar, the young­

est of her three children, is a practising advocate in the Bombay High Court: Homai McDowell holds a doctoral de­ gree in business administration from the University of Southern California, has been assistant dean and directorof un­ dergraduate programs at the University of Maryland College of Business and Management and nowworks as a realtor in the US. She takes guest lecturesat Davar's on her trips to India,says her mother.

Ofthe fourth generation, Deena's daughter Purnimaholds an LLM degree from the UK and will shortly be joining a solicitor's firm in London.She is no stranger to Davar' s, assisting her grand-

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mother at company trainingprograms, etc. Son Siddharth works with Mull a and Mull a and is doing his LLB alongside. The youngest, Tanika, is a schoolgirl in Cathedral. "Iwould have liked my children's navjotesto be performed. In fact,

Davar used to take batchesof students by ship to Englandto appear for examinationsthere!

thechildren themselves were quite keen on it," declares Deena, adding that each couple shouldbe given the freedom of choice. Regarding the ongoing controversy about dokhmenashini, Deena opines that,in her own case, she would prefer to be consigned to the Towers."If there is a shortage of vultures, they shoulddo something about it, make the environment friendly for them to return." Opines Madan, "I'dfeel claustrophobic ifl were to be cremated.I'd rather go with the tide. In any event, I wonder if things are as bad as they are made out to be. Most of the vociferous opinions are by those who want the system to change."

Mother and daughter see hope for the community ahead. "We (Zoroastrians) are more involvednow than we were before, particularly abroad.We are trying to improvethings," believes Madan. "I most sincerely hope the communitydoesn't die (out)," adds Thacker.

Davar' s too faces the future with confidence. "Mummy and I have worked a long time in partnership. I foresee a smoothsuccession with the next generationas well," states Deena buoyantly.

INGERSOLL-RAND

Ingersoll-Rand (India) Limited, Rh8ne-Poulenc House, S. K. Ahire Marg, P. 0. Box 9138, Mumbai- 400 025. Tel:022-4936765, Fax :022-4950516.

36 Parstana November 2000

INSTITUTIONS

Power to people on society's edge

The Asha Centre will providethe framework for cross-cultural understanding, says ZerbanooGifford

Arnavaz S. Mama

"We have gone beyondtolerating diver­ sity ... it's now importantto celebrate it," Zerbanoo Giffordintroduces the es­ timated£ 20 millionAsha Centre com­ ing up on 10 acres of land - a multicultural center in the

heart of multicultural Lon­

don where she reckons274 languages are spokenev­ ery day. As its honorary director Gifford (nee Irani) is scouting for funds to match the£ 10 million al­ located by the Millennium Foundation.

Aimed at giving people

from different religions

peeledto promote linkswith comple­ mentary and alternative systems of health promotion like yoga, homeopathy, acu­ puncture, tai chi, etc and includes sup­ port for those undergoing d ifficu It medi­ cal treatments. The National

Resource Centre will pro­ vide a wealth of informa­ tion, facility and support for women. Culture and cuisine from around the world will be showcased at the Asha Arts Complexand an inter­ nationalrestaurant, while conventions and social gath­ erings arc envisaged in the

multipurpose auditorium,

many peoplefrom such variedinterest groups,cultures and faiths,speaking and listening intent!y and respectfully to each other, in plenary and small group sessions," writes Brown.

Responding to Brown's wonderat the size of the project,the optimistic, effervescentGiffordsaid, "We have been educated into thinkingthat we can't actually make a difference, which is why there has been so much apathy and disillusionment, especially among young people ... Everybody thinksthat every­ thing is so difficultand therefore they don't try to do it. It's the doing that matters, then you can hand it over to the

higher beings."

and cultural backgrounds a chance to explore com­ mon bonds, the Centrehas alreadyreceived the sup-

Gifford: bridging

religions,nationali­ ties and cultures

notesthe executive summary of the project.

Anticipating its func-

tioning in time to come

Gifford believes, "You have come into this world with certain things that you have said beforehand that you wanted to do." She hopes that young

port of all the major religions in Britain

- Baha'ism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism,Judaism, Sikhism, Taoism and Zoroastrianism, plus the United Religions Initiative. As a focus of hope or justice or divine righteousness- depending upon one's interpretation of 'Asha' -the Centre will limelight the "minorities' enormous contribution to our lives," notesthe press release.

As per the literatureprovidedby

Gifford, the Centre will comprise: a Shared Heritage Museum including ex­ hibitions, computer archivesand out­ reach programs; Faith Galleries with displays illustrating the major world re­ ligions and sacred sites around the world; a Garden of Tranquility for quiet medi­ tation; a Children's World of Discovery with exhibitions on global environment, a treasure trail to rouse their botanical interests, a dovecoteand tree of wordsto combineliteracy games with physical activity; a Youth Centre providingmu­ sic, video and photographic workshops apart from coordinating youth activity like scouting.

The HealthyLivingCentreisex-

Gifford told Sarida Brown of Cadu­

ceus magazine, "You can come for a training coursewith a voluntary orga­ nization, and also visit an exhibition or see a play or cat at a restaurant catering to the various world cuisines. All the focusesare impacting on each other. If the policeare being trainedin community awareness, they're notjust sittingin a room being told that they are a bunch of racists- Asha will give them the opportunity to interact with different communities and to meet people face-to-face. It is a place where people are going to be making conversation, meeting each other as equals -and beingpart of dynamic outreach programs using the best of modern technology."

The Asha Centre initiative was launched in North London in January 2000. "The meeting drew togetherrep­ resentatives of the police,the judiciary, ethnic organizations, local community groups, the boroughcouncil, media, arts, unions, Blue Peter, educationists and people of many interests and occupa­ tions. There was a sense both of excite­ ment and awe at the experience of so

people will not onlycreate music to­

gether at the Centre,they will also learn to be quietand listen to their inner voice and that "ifyoung peopleseeotheryoung people who are fulfilled, thatmight have more of an impact. Theyneed the chance to create the qualities that they admire themselves, instead of being shown un­ attractive role modelsby the media and being fed junk food and being told that success is about being selfish."

Noting that the 20th century "under­

played" the need for people to communi­ cate with each other, Giffordconsiders thatAsh a is a 21st century center because it aims at empowering those who have hitherto been marginalized, simulta­ neouslyenlightening those who have tra­ ditionally played the role of the oppres­ sor. "It is an indictmentof our times that bigotry, dogma and exclusion are a reality for so many in Britain today," states the press release. Hence Asha's mission is to bridgereligions, nationalities and cul­ tures. While harnessing support for chari­ table projects the Centre will encourage and develop the contribution of diverse communities, as notesthe press release.It

continued on page 55

37Parsiana November 2000

HISTORY

COVER STORY

A.D. Shroff

''The articulate maverick''

Personal repercussions could not prevent A. D. Shroff from trenchantly criticizing

Nehru's economic policy

Arnavaz S. Mama

caught the eye of Sir Dinshaw Wacha, one of the governors of the Imperial Bank of India (IBI) as a keen debater on economic issues in his days at Elphinstone College, he was advisedto complete a BSc in banking and currency from the London School of Economics and secure an apprenticeship with a London bank. The ideawas to ensure his eligibility for covenanted service with the IBI at the then ( 1923) princelysalary of Rs 500. But the project failed as noBritish bank was preparedto accept an Indian apprentice despiteletters of rec­

"Have you seen these? These are clean

hands, you cannot do anything to stop me," replied ArdeshirDarabshaw (AD) Shroff to the Government of India's minister of commerceManubhai Shah. Shah had personallyconveyed Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru'sdis­ pleasure at Shroff's irrepressible cam­ paignfor free enterprise

and trenchant criticism of the government's eco­ nomic policy in the late 1950s.The Forum of Free Enterprise (FFE) which he founded in 1956 when the Government national­ ized life insurance re­ mained an uncomfort­ able, though officially ignored, thorn in the government's side.

The anecdote con­ tained in A. D. Shroff: Titan of Finance and Free Enterpriseby Sucheta

Dalal illustrates Shroff'suncompromis­ ing intellectual integrity, outspokenness and courage. Publishedearlier this year by Penguin Books forthe A. D. Shroff Memorial Trust, thisauthorized biogra­ phy, based on Shroff's personalpapers, the Tata CentralArchives, the papers and libraries of the Bank of India and other associated institutions, wasa project generously supported by the Bank of India in memoryof its most illustrious chairman. Together with a special stamp issue by the Government of India in October 1999 and a seminar titled "A. D. Shroff- EconomicVi­ sionary and Institution Builder" jointly sponsored by the Trust, the Indo-Japa­ nese Association and the FFE on Janu­ ary 22,2000 at the Cricket Club oflndia, the book commemorates the birth cen-

38Parsiana November 2000

tenary of the economicsand finance wizard who, at the height of his career, was the chairmanof a dozen powerful companies and financialinstitutions and a director of 60 others.

"He was a man before his time, and though his relentless campaigndid not succeed in changing government poli-

Delegates to Bretton Woods: A. D. Shroff inforegroundthird from right

cies at the time,almost all his predic­ tions about the implications of follow­ ing wrong policieshave come true inthe 35 years after his death," writes Dalal who, as financial editor of The Times of India,had brokenin 1992 the story of Harshad Mehta's stockmarket scam.

Shroff's life ( 1899-1965) was full of irony. He worried about the resultsof his graduation exam: whether he would emerge "a graduateof the Bombay Uni­ versity or a disappointed drudge," as recordshis diary. In fact he topped the University list in his chosen subject of history and economics but missed the first class because he scraped through the paper on Indian economics. Having

ommendation from Wacha, R. D. Tata,

F. E. Dinshaw (chairman and financial advisorofTatas, respectively), shipping magnate Narottam Morarjeeand others. "When R. D. Tata heard of my despera­ tion, he simplytook me by hand to a small bank in those days calledEqui­ table Trust Companyof New York, an

American bank which was

subsequently absorbedby ChaseBank. He introduced me to the managerand fixed me up as an apprentice," Dalal quotes from a later public speech by Shroff. But IBI spurned his experi­ ence in an "American bank!" Years later, the IBI invited him to be a member of its board of directors. It was with some asperity that Shroff turned them down.

In 1936, when Sir Os­ borne Smith, the first gov­ ernor of the Reserve Bank

of India (RBI), sought to induct Shroff

as a deputy governor becauseofhis "two pricelessattributes-ability and honesty," the appointment was vetoed by Sir James Griggs, the finance mem· ber of the Viceroy's ExecutiveCouncil, becauseShroff was considered a "Con­ gress economist, inimicalto the interest of the Raj," noted hisnephew Minoo Shroff, vice chairman of Raymonds, who has succeededlegaldoyenNani Palkhivala to the chairmanship of the FFE. It is interesting to read in Dalal's book that the RBI deputy governor's salary then was a substantial Rs 4,500 a month, but it amounted to less than one third ofShroff's earnings at the time. According to his income tax return,his annual income in 1935 wasRs 1,67,000!

In the meanwhilehe had learnt from

R. D. Tata the impact of influential help on people's lives: "For the next40 years of his brilliant and influential career, one ofShroff's big contributions was to be the number of individuals he would help find jobs, set up industry and raise finance, purely on the basisof his judge­ ment about their abilities," writes Dalal.

Unable to find a banking job to his satisfaction, Shroff began his working life as a stockbroker with

Batlivala and Karani (B&K)

-the biggest and most in- fluential firm in the busi- ness- at the instanceofR.

D. Tata, and found his metier. He could read bal­ ancesheets in the spirit of a whodunit, writes Dalal.His prodigious memory com­ puterized entire stock port­ folios of hundredsof clients verbatim and his instinctive

analyses of market trendscombined to produce a formidable stockpicking abil­ ity which enrichedhis clients (which included several Indianprinces) and him­ self. When B&Kstarted a weekly bulle­ tin in 1933 Shroff contributed his analy­ sis of markettrends and investorsrushed to buy the scrips he recommended, writes Dalal. Nor were his analysesrestricted to Indian stock markets. Events in Lon­ don and America were closelystudied and the telephonerang routinely in the Shroff household as markets there opened for trading,his son Noshir in­ formed Dalal.

"Both Sir NowrojiSaklatvala and I

were so impressed by the soundnessof his advice that we persuadedhim to join Tatas on a full-time basis and requested Batlivala and Karani,of which he was a partner, to release him to us ... in 1939," recorded J. R. D. Tata at Shroff'scondo­ lence meet in 1965. As managing direc­ tor of the Investment Corporation of India,a company promotedby Tata Sons, he experimented with venture funding, syndicated underwriting, negotiating foreign joint ventures, lobbying for set­ ting up a unit trust in the private sector and helping createindustrialists out of scores of budding entrepreneurs, notes Dalal.Being simultaneously chairman of New India Assurance (which grew to be the largest composite public sector insurance company under him) and as director and later chairman of the Bank oflndia, his clout in the financial market was unmatched: he became the destina­ tion for anyone who wanted to raise

public funds. This abilityto raise fi­ nance accounted for his successin in­ ducing Ceat Tyres, Volkart Bros,SKF and a multitudeof other foreign compa­ nies to set up shop in the country, re­ counts Dalal. "A sticklerfor research­ based investment, Shroff insisted that research analysts at both New India Assurance and Investment Corporation make visits to factories and meet man

The new Government of India stamp and first day cover

agement beforemaking their recom­ mendations. Forty years later, with the entry of foreign institutional investors, this is a common practice," comments Dalal.

"AD was an ardent advocate of good corporate governance. He used to be a very well informed participant and on occasions a strong critic of manage­ ments at annual general meetings.His particular targets were the Imperial Bank of India and some of the Tata compa­ nies," Minoa Shroff noted in his address at the seminar.

Despite his brushes with officialdom

-both British and Indian- over eco­ nomic issues, "there was a grudging admiration for the man's enormousintel­ lect and even more for his independence ofjudgement and patriotic fervor," noted Minoa Shroff. He was selected as one of the two non-official delegates to repre­ sent India at the Bretton Woods Confer­ ence in 1944whichestablished the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. "AD's brief was to present India's case for sterlingbalances (money owed by Britain to India), which he did with such vigor and clarity that he attracted the ire of Lord John Keynes, the leader of the Britishdelegation and one of the greatest economists of his time. Keynes described Shroff as an 'articulate mav­ erick'and a 'snake in the grass trying to catch the Britishout.' (But) after listen­ ing to Shroff's exposition Keynes

changed his views and praised him for his very constructive and realistic pre­ sentation of India's case," said Minoa Shroff.

His nephew recounted Shroff'swork

on the various committees appointed by government - preand post-Indepen­ dence: As chairmanof the RBI commit­ tee on Financefor the PrivateSector in 1953, its recommendations forthe flota­ tion of a unit trust to mop up

small savings and the creation of industrial development banks and institutions to pro­ vide long-term industrial fi­ nanceand to underwrite new public issues led to the for­ mation of the Unit Trustof India,the Industrial Devel- opment Bank oflndia and the Industrial Credit and Invest­ ment Corporation of India, the last with the support of

George Woods,president of the World Bank who recognized Shroff's genius and unswerving patriotism with a deep and abiding friendship. Shroff also pro­ moted and chairedthe Indian Reinsur­ ance Corporation in 1956 so that the cour.try could developexpertise in the reinsurance field which hitherto had been a British preserve. He nurtured the In­ dian Banks Association and was thefounder president of the Indian Society of Advertisers.

In post-Independence, post-Partition India, one of the majoradministrative problems was the consolidation of the railways, some of which had belonged to the BritishGovernment, some to the East India and other privatecompanies and some to the independent princely states. There was no coordinationbe­ tween thepurchaseand utilization of stocks with staggering surpluses piling up in some areas and crippling deficits for the same items in others. Union rail ways minister Gopalaswamy· Ayyangar and minister ofstateK. Santhanam chose Shrofftoheadthe Railway Stores' SuppliesCommittee in September 1950. Within six months its authoritativeandhard-hitting report demanded the immediatecataloging of surpluses, a ban on furtherindents and the region wise distribution of the piled up spares. ((Delivering the A. D. Shroff memorial lecture after Shroff'sdeath, Santhanam said thatthe report had recommendationsso reasonable and practical that theywereimplemented fully and promptly," notes Dalal.

40 Parsiana November2000

Shroff's honeymoon with the Indian National Congress(INC) had ended abruptly in 1936 when Jawaharlal Nehru enunciated the socialistpattern of soci­ ety- the endingof private propertyand the profit system - as India'sfuture pathway to development in his presi­ dential speech at the

Lucknow session of the INC. As vice presidentof the Indian Merchants' Chamber Shroff argued publicly againstsuch evocation of class hostil­ ity between the haves and the have-nots, pointedto the contradic­ tion betweenthe goals of rapid industrialization and abolition of private propertyand predicted that such policies would lead to a flightof capital from the country.On May 20, 1936 when Nehru visited Bombay,21 business leaderspub­ lished a manifesto in The

Times of India to send him a public message which was generallybelieved to be Shroff'shandiwork, notes Dalal. When G. D. Birla opted to help Nehru and wean some of the 21 signatories away from this opposition to the INC, trade and business associations followed. Shroff's election as president of the IMC was opposed. There were those who sought to persuade him against contest­ ing. Shroff was preparedto Jose the battle (and did) but not his right "toexpress his views freely and frankly, whateverthe cost- a trait that made him the most persistentbut a rather lonely voice againstgovernment," writes Dalal. Thanks howeverto a rap­ prochement brokeredby admirers of both men, Shroff was invited by the INC to be a member of the first Planning Committee under Nehru's chairmanship constituted by Congress president Subhas Chandra Bose.

In 1944 Shroff was one of the eight architects of the Bombay Plan- "a IS­ year blueprintfor India's post-wareco­ nomic development." Based on the as­ sumption that the nationalgovernment and Indian industrywould jointly har­ ness India's resourcesto address the country's grinding poverty,its three main assumptions were thatthe entire country would be treated as a unit; that only a national government could generate the

42 Parsiana November 2000

confidence for the scale of sacrificethat economic development on a war footing required;and that the government would play an effective economicrole beyond the traditional one of maintaining law and order,etc.

According to Dalal, former RBI gov-

Standing as witness at the weddingof Minoaand VillooShroff

ernor H. V. R. Iengar, in the Second A.

D. Shroff memorial lecture in1967 at­

tributed the change"from the high noon of the BombayPlan to the wintry de­ spair of 1960 in this all-important matter of state intervention in the country's economy" to the difference between the idealisticexpectation of sacrificefor the common good and the imperfections of human natureand social rigidities born out of historicalcauses."'One reason for the growing intolerance of the Con­ gressregimetowardscriticismofits policieswas the fact that it became mono­ lithic as an organ of the State, wielding power both in the centerandinthe states,' he said. The result was the busi­ nessmen had to choose between their duties as citizens and 'theiroverriding interest as seekers of permits from gov­ ernment.' Almost everybody chosein favor of their business interests. Even J.

R. D. reacted to the situation by with­ drawing into a shell. '(But)Shroff had never any doubt as to where his duties lay,"' Dalal quotes Iengar.

Immediately on becoming chairmanof the Bank oflndia (BOT)Shroff started the practice of distributing the chairman's statement together with the workingresultsto the shareholdersin

advance so that they could have a better opportunity to study its working, BOI chairman and managing directorS. Rajagopal noted at the seminar. "Shroff has guidedthe Bank throughout in en­ suring the highest standardsof morality, ethical values, and (striven)for increas­

ing the shareholder's value. What corporate governance, transparency, etc we talk of today,he evolved and implemented in 1962," Rajagopaltold the gathering. The Bank's five-point staremblemcreated by Shroff, sym­ bolized the five continents where the Bank has its presence with the elon­gated top prong signify­ ing the thrust towards the highestgoals,explained Rajagopaladding, "Some time ago, to keep up with thefashion of changing names and emblems, a suggestion wasput for­ ward to change the em­

blem of the Bank of India. I firmly resisted this move to change our star, which has indeed become our true iden­ tity, both symbolically and for the prin­ ciples we stand for."

"For individualbanks, the abilityto attract more deposits is intimately linked up with the rangeas well as the effi­ ciency of the servicesprovided ... Unless we are able to offer better services to our customers,we cannot hope to attract more depositors," Shroff had said at the 1963 AGM of the 801. Rajagopal re­ called his stress on expanding industrial production and export promotionas the needs of the national economy.Much ahead of the nationalization of banks in 1969 and the state gospel of social re­ sponsibility of banks, he had believedin serving the needs of small industries anu borrowers who lacked both experience and credit-worthiness by instituting a special department for the purposeand had innovated mobile banking on an experimental basis,attested Rajagopal.

Aschairman of New India Assur­ ance, Shroff was deeply agitated by the nationalization of the commercial air­ lines, the Imperial Bank oflndia and life insurance.He had been consistently drawing the government's attention to the malpractices indulgedin by some private insurancecompanies over the years.1nstead ofbringing theerrantcom-

panies to book, the government nation­ alized the industrywhich included some companies with an excellent trackrecord like New India,recalled Minoo Shroff. Within a few years of the institution of the LIC its investment in the companies of Haridas Mundhrawas questioned by Nehru'sson-in-lawFirozeGandhiin

Party in 1959.)

"Shroff's notionof free enterprise was one with a socialpurpose," writes Dalal. Hence he evol vecl a Code of Con­ duct to be followed by all those engaged in free enterprise, whether businessmen or professionals. The FFE's code of conduct predates the Corporate Gover-

Japan in 1953 as chairman of New India Assurance led to the establishment of two branches to insure Japanesebusi­ ness."He had a clear foresight into what the shattered Japan could achieve in terms of its future economicdevelop­ mentby way of hard work, discipline and commitment to national rebirthas a

Parliament. During the judicial inquiry

conducted by M. C. Chagla, former chief

constructive force in the world," said

Kaku.

justice of Bombay, Shroffwas sum­ moned as an expert witness."His clinch­ ing and unequivocal evidence estab­ lished that the investment decisionsin question were not made on sound busi­ ness grounds, but on extraneous considerations," recalled Minoo Shroff. Chagla held finance minister T. T. Krishnamachari morally responsible for the deed, leading to his resignation.

But the more long-termresult of the nationalization of life insurance was the institution of the FFE of which Shroff remained chairman until his death in 1965. Eternally interested in educating and helping youth he would tell Forum secretary M. R. Pai, "teach studentshow to think, not what to think."

The publication of the Forum'smani­ festoon July 18, 1956 sparked a heated debate around the country. Within clays of its publication over a thousandletters pouredinto the Forum office "from vil­ lages, talukas, districts, some scrawled on little postcards," writes Dalal. 'To Shroff, it was a gratifying sign that the idea of the Forum had supporters across the country, cuttingacross economic barriers. The government disapproved of the Forum and found different ways ofmaking this known. Industry, taking its cue from government, also kept its distance. Nobody had doubts that under Shroff's leadership it was bound tobe controversial as well as stringently criti­ cal of government... A whisperand in­ nuendo campaign(claimed) that the Forum was foreign-inspired and was financed by the UnitedStates."Theforth­ right Shroff countered the allegations openly, claiming the Forum to be as "genuinely swacleshi in its genesis and operations as any other nationalorgani­ zation,not excluding the Congress."

He resistedall suggestions to start a political party with the FFE as nucleus. Not only did it remain totally apolitical, its funding is provided in small amounts by a large number of people on an an­ nual basis. (Freedom First editorS. V. Raju notes that Shroff playeda crucial role in the founding of the Swatantra

43 ParsianaNovember 2000

"A whisper and

innuendo campaign (claimed) that the Forum of Free

Enterprise was foreign-inspired and was financed by the United States"

nance Code of the 1990s by 40 years, she adds. The FFE endorsedhonesty, hard work, courtesyand continuous ini­ tiative. It advocated qualityat reasona­ ble cost for the consumer; welfare as a social obligation of employers, ensur­ ing dignity, honor,security and fair wages. Welcoming stable and demo­ cratic trade unions,it accepted "therole of labor as one of creative cooperation." An accountable management owed a fair return to investors while simulta­ neously providing reservesfor expan­ sion, modernization and research. Hoard­ ing, black marketing,profiteering and tax evasion were condemned as antiso­ cial and evil.

It was Shroff who inaugurated the tradition of post-budget analyses aimed at experts and economists at the Greens Hotel and Palkhivala, a Forum 'discov­ ery,' who perfectedand popularized the annual event, reaching out to the general public until the Brabourne Stadium barely accommodated the crowds till he discontinued the practice in 1994.

Shroff "was among those great Indi­

ans who (cared) for Japan when the Japanese people felt themselves disliked and (rejected) by the rest of the world immediately after the end of that re­ morseful war," Yuzuki Kaku, consul general of Japan, acknowledged at the semmar.

"In thosedays Japan was bankrupt. Japanese business houses could not ex­ port because no other country was will­ ingto provide them insurance and rein­ surance," he added. Shroff's visitto

On his return to India Shroff estab­ lished the Indo-Japanese Association and was its founder-president until his death. "With his large hooked nose, crooked teeth and a piercing look, he would puff away at his cigarette... elegantly tucked into an ivory-tipped cigarette holder... andlistentopeoplewithintense concentration, interjecting the occasional question, and then making snap deci­ sions. On the other hand, those meeting him with foolish suggestions were given short shrift," Dalal describes the man whose vast network of contacts meant that the first visitorof the day called atShroff's Juhu beach bungalow at 7.30

a.m. Fond of good food and totally averse to physical exertion,Shroff's weekends were spent readingor playing bridge in Poona and most Xmas holidayswere spent with his close friend, industrialist

M. S. Ghia in Baroda.He had sustained

a nervous breakdown, a heartattack, seriousbronchial illness and high blood pressure.

His passionfor teaching did not stop with economics but embraced good grooming including dress codes and social etiquette, taking the youngsters around him to good restaurants to en­ able them to learn the fine art of recog­ nizing different cuisinesand ordering food and wine correctly, Dalal learnt from Shroff's many admirers. "Hehad a grand lifestyle. From simple thingslike nevershaving himself and calling the barber in everydayto shave him, to the grand parties that he liked to throw and attend, he did everything on a larger­ than-life scale," Shroff's daughter-in­ law Parvin Shroff told Dalal. Married to Jerbanoo (nee Panday) he had two sons, Noshir and Homi,but "his constant stream of visitorsmade his family feel extremely neglected," that is until the grandchildren arrived on the scene,learnt Dalal.

During his studentclays Shroff had

studied Zoroastrian scriptures in A vestan, winninggold medals alongthe way, and had helped arrangeand c!as-

continued on page 60

SPORTS

Damania's different strol<es

Hockey stalwart ArnavazDamania officiates for the second time at the Olympics

Hilla P. Guzder

Hockey judge at the Sydney and Barcelona Olympics, tournament di­ rector for women's hockey at the Hiroshima Asian Games,member of the competitions committee of the FIH (in­ ternational hockey federation), long­ time president of the Indian Women's Hockey Federation, owner of The Ga­ zelle Health Spas, Beauty Parlorsand Academyin Poona - Arnavaz Damania's credentials are long and im­ pressive.

Recently returnedafter an eventful 22 days in Sydney as technical official for women's hockey,Damania delin­ eates the dutiesof a judge: "We are appointed to keep time, watch over sub­ stitutions of players,keep count for red, yellow cards issued,etc. The tourna­ ment was very well-organized, as they usually are. The hockey umpiresat Sydneywere so goodand held the match together in such a professional way, it was a real pleasure to watch, particu­ larly the men's and women'sfinals. The volunteers at the Games too were won­ derful-happy, smilingand so friendly. Theysaw to it we didn'twant for even a thing."

Though there was no representation of the Indianteam in women'shockey, the men's team, notes Damania,made a good showing with the match against Australia being the best game the Indi­ ans have played for ages, even though they drew 2-2. "Itwas really unfortunate we did not win. Mukeshand Dhanraj Pillay were superb," Damania wrote in her "Postcard from Sydney" column published in the Pune Times overthe Olympicfortnight in September.Pro­ vidinginteresting behind-the-scenes tid­ bits about the goings-on at the Olym­ pics, Damania wrote in her column of September 20 that the Olympicmove­ ment might not have survivedinto the 20th century,let alone the 21st, had it not been for stamps."A set of stamps ...

44Pars/ana November 2000

paid for the construction of four of the 1896 Athens games venues ... The most valuable Olympic stamps are a set of 12 issued on March 25, 1896...today esti­ mated to be worth$ 367,000."

An energetic and dynamicadminis­

trator in women's hockey in India over many decades, Damaniadisappointedly statesthat it is akin to righting a losing battle all around.In Maharashtra, "we train sub junior and juniorteams, orga­ nize competitions, bring them up to dis­ trict and state level. There are no proper grounds, children find it very difficult to cope with academic pressures, parents do not want to send their childrenfor competitions." Having overcome crunches in finance, accommodation, transport, etc to bring the teams up to senior level, "bigcorporations like Air India, Railways, etc pick up the best girls. With a skeleton team remaining, the few who are left lose interest."

Presiding over the Indian Women's Hockey Federation from '89-'94, Damania describes her role there: "We had five teams in waiting,players from age 12 onwards." Often witness to the machinations in the ministry and the games officials play, Damania states thatthe national body organizes too few tournaments a year for the girls to attain any kind of international standard."I have been on the international body for a long time- I'm happy to be on it and they appreciate my knowledge." Damania was appointeda judge at the Champions Trophy at Amstelveen (Netherlands) in June 2000, tournament director at the four nations'tournament at Canberra and Perth in Australia in April/May '9lJ. Globetrotting substan­ tially, Damania was in Paris in Novem­ ber to attend an international hockey seminarthere.

Recalling her earlier years, Damania

terms her tenure as tournament director at the Hiroshima Asiad "arealchal-

lenge. An Indian judge did not perform well in her first outing at the Games. As tournament director I did not post her again for any other match," much to the appreciation of the FIH, only too famil­ iar with officials who give their country­ men more than a second chance. A former international umpire, Damania has also officiated as vice presidentof the Indian OlympicAssociation and is vice president of the Maharashtra Olym­ pic Association, states her bio data. She was deputy chef-de-mission for the In­ dian contingent to the Beijing Asian Games in 1990 and managerof the In­ dian team for the Moscow Olympics in '80. Reluctantto offer commentson the Indian Olympic scene, Damania says what she really enjoys is being on the Maharashtra Sports Council Board and selector for the Dadaji Konde Award. She has been honored with the Shiv Chhatrapati Award for her contributions to women's hockey.Damania was her­ selfa player in the Women'sHockey Association ofMaharashtra team for 10 years.

Believing in versatileinterests,

Damania obtained herinternational health and beauty teachers' trainingdi­ plomafrom London. She has been run­ ning her Poona beauty parlors since 1982, with three branches at Dhole P<!til Road,BhandarkarRoadandKalyani­ nagar. She also trains beauticians: "I am very strict with instructors about how to deal with clients." Hydrotherapy (sauna, steam and chillshower),gymnasium, personal training, aerobics, etcare among the range of facilities provided. A recent innovationhas been the import of "beautiful, exoticsoaps"fromEu­ rope made fromfruit extracts, says Damania. Daughters Feruzan Ovalekar (who earlier wore India colors as part of the Indian women's hockey team at the Beijing AsianGames) and AnahitaKohli run the beautyparlorsandAcademy

Top row (from left):

Arnavaz (Photo: Spectravision Labs);

Danish, Nicole, Dara, Anahita and Feruzan Middle row:

Arnavaz (right)with fellow

official in Sydney; The Gazelle gym and (below) beauty parlor

45Parsiana November 2000

shoulder to shoulder with their mother. Eldest daughter DanishInnis is a com­ puter programer in Toronto.

"It was my husbandDara, a gem of a person, who encouraged me to launch my beauty parlors," declares Arnavaz. Dara retired two years ago as managing director of Krupp Industries (now called Thyssen and Krupp) and is currently head of representatives of the groupin Asia."He was the first Indian managing director to be on the board of directors of Krupp Industries in Essen, Germany," says his wifewith pride. "Bothof us have started our careers from scratch. Being a sportsman at heart he was also the one to encourage my activities in the hockey arena."

Winner of a best entrepreneur award, of immense satisfaction to Damania too are her social welfare activities. For al­ most a decadein the '80s, the Zoroas­ trian Association of Poona (ZAP) used to organize summer camps in the month of May for school and college students and even grown-ups to enable the par­ ticipants to utilizeholidays construc­ tively. "There would be morning and afternoon sessions at the Parsi Gym­ khana. The childrenwere so good they

would put up plays,do art and craft, enjoy outdoor and indoor games. We even succeeded in tarring the basketball court! ZAP boys were given cycles and some even came to Bombay to partici­ pate in sports competitions. All of us (volunteers) used to manage around300 children!" When this annual event pe­ tered out due to a variety of reasons, Damania started similarcamps at the factory for workers'children. "It was so beautiful, so satisfying," she muses. As a member of the National and Pune Women's Councils in the '70s,social work involved creatingjobs for women, be it setting up kiosks, earning money from catering, etc.

"Heavily involved" for a number of years with the well-known Dastur Schools in Poona (which have primary, girls' and boys' sections), Damania says: "We have just started the Ex-Dasturian Association. It is still on fledgling legs and I will be most happy if ex students read this and contact the School." Forth­ rightly stating that bickerings withinthe community turn her off, Damania as­ serts that she has always gone out of her way to help a l'ellow Zoroastrian. "It's a sad story. Small, narrow-minded people

do so much harm.Abroad Zoroastrians are trying to get together,but here in India no one bothers much! Where is it written in the scriptures that the navjotes of.children of Parsi mothers and non­ Parsi fathers cannot be performed? It is the motherwho is always closer to the child. If the husband gives his consent,it is entirely a matter to be decided by the family itself. Wake up, older people, or we will all soon be extinct," she asserts in a no-nonsense way. "Ours is a most beautiful community, rich in thought, manners and culture."

MATRIMONIAL

Wanted well educatedParsi boy from good family, for a young, slim, highlyeducated young girl, age 30. She has just completedpost-education

in Finance from U.K. and wishes

to settle abroad.Write to:

The Advertiser

Parsiana, Matrimonial (Nov/22-2000)* GPO Box 892, Bombay 400001

*Please make sure the reply envelope bears the reference number cited here.

With Best Wishes From

Mr RusyM. Shroff, M.B.E.

and

Mrs Purviz R. Shroff

46Pars1ana November 2000

PROFESSIONS

''My clients arenot scared to

put theirfaceinmy

hands," saysHavovi

Rustomji who despite her loss of vision has continued to remain in the fore of her profession as proprietor of Style Beauty Clinic. Some of the loyal patrons who have grown with her over the years have now become grandmasand send their daughters and granddaughters to her, happilyannounces the 62-year-old beautician who continuesto operate in her maiden name.

Asteady stream of customers were in and out of the parlor located in one corner of India House at the junctionof Cumballa Hill and Pedder Road in Bombay. Sittingjust within the entranceof her shop where a panel of mirrors on opposite walls give an instant accountof the movements therein, Rustomjiis able to recognize her regular patrons from the familiarity of their voiCe."My clien­ tele had been established when I had a little vision, plus those who come here after readingabout us in the papers" would know what to expect at Style, points out Rustomji.

Theeight assistants presentlyin her employment have all been trained by Rustomji and now since the last seven years when the sense of sight has totally eluded her, she has come to depend on her chief helpers when she needs advice on where they have spottedthe pigmen­ tation or which area needs a facelift or whether there are any stray strandsof hair that need trimmingafter a haircut.

Trained in Germany, Rustomjilearnt hair cuttingand hair styling at the Wella Instituteand the finernuances of mas­ saging and facials at Nemectron. She was in her mid thirties then and had already lost 25 percentof her vision when doctors in India who could not diagnose the cause of her failingeye­ sight advisedher to consult leading oph­ thalmic surgeons in Germany. "Iwasted a lot of money on treatment," points out Rustomjiregretting that no cure could be found even abroad. Her conditionwas identified as coroditis migraine.

llflll

in her stride

Parinaz M. Gandhi

When her vision began to deserther, Havovi Rustomji's confidence spurred her to launch her beautyparlor, Style

Over the next few months they tried to treather and even surgically replaceda cornea, but there was no improvement. Finally when one of the German doctors told her that "only a god man from India" could cure her Rustomji knew that she would have to take charge of her

life. "You can't sit back and cry. You have to face life: make adjustments; grab opportunities."

Herstay in Germany accorded her a chance to train as a beautician. Prior to adopting this profession she was in the business of buying and selling antiques

andfabrics, operating from her resi­ dence. When she started out as a beauti­ cian, first at Figure Fine at Century Bazar before she launched Style, she had two Chinese girls assistingher. At that time she was able to handle all aspects of the business. In the next few years she real-

ized that dyeing hair for customers was becoming difficultfor her as was string­ ing eyebrows. Preparing for the worst, she trainedable assistants who could manage the beauty parlor as also her domestic responsibilities. Just as read­ ing has become impossible for her so to is she totally dependent on others to handleher cash and finance. "Butrather than dwell on what I cannot do and unnecessarily assumetension," Rustomji would prefer to focus on her strengths.

Facials are her forte. Specializing in

all types of facials - herbal, aroma, thermoherb, gold - to gauge which product wouldbest suit a particular skin, at Style they first apply their product called dead skin removeron the face of the client.After 10 minutes, it is peeled off to indicate the texture and tonal qual­ ity of the skin. Next comesthe applica­ tion of oils and scrubs, massagingand exercising to rejuvenate the features. The beautician has definite views onhow a faceliftshould be given."Al­ though we are equipped with the latest in gadgets and technology, we prefer not to use them for facelifts," reveals Rustomji whose experience over the years has led her to formulate her own beauty aids like miracleoil and miracle face pack, free of outsidechemicals, which are used at the parlor and sold to the customers. "Indians are very lazy. They don't want to do facial exercises for 10 minutes a day (see "Therapeutic tips"). They are happyto lie down at the parlor and let the beauticians take over," comments Rustomjiwho prides herself on her glowing skin.

Those aged 20and above are advised by Rustomji to go in for a face clean-up"to avoid pimples;" facials may be needed beginning25, if there is a prob­ lem; and those in the 35 plus age-bracket are recommended to have a face-lift to tone up the skin.

A strong advocate of naturopathy, Rustomjibelieves that drinkingfour glasses of water on an empty stomach in the morningis the ideal way to start a

day. Avoid tlour, sugar, butter and fried foods and your skin won't need artificialtreatment, she declares.She has also noticed that those on a predominantly rice diet are likely to have a better skin than those who eat a lot of wheat prod­ ucts. And being a strict believer in veg­ etarianism she recommends how the food intake shouldbe controlled: insteadof drinking fruit juices which can create acidity, eat the naturalfruit, she urges.

"Hu aaste acLSte yogi banti gayi (I've gradually turned a yogi)," smilesRus­ tomji as she tugs at the shawl draped around the shoulders of her loose flow­ ing white dress. "After a certainstage

Rather than dwell on what she cannot do Rustomji would prefer to focus on

her strengths

(of meditation) your body doesn't ac­ cept these foods," she believes, attribut­ ing the changein her once hectic circuit as a well dressedsocialite to the spiritual influence of her guru GagangiriMaharaj who residesin the Sahyadris.

A chance meeting with Gagangiri Maharajproved to be the turningpoint in her dark world.Whilst he could not restore her sight, he gave her the cour­ age to overcomeher diabetes and de­ pression as also her obesity and high blood pressure,she acknowledges. The yogic exercisepranayama, where con­ trolled breathingthrough the correctusage of musclesand organs can cure many ills, has helped, she vouches. The first time shewas asked to meditate, she did not know on whom and what to focusher mind. It was the vision of Zarathushtra that abided with herduring that spell,she confides. Presently, she does not feel the need to go to fire­ temples,"not that I go to mandirs ei­ ther," she clarifies. "Godis with you, whereyou are. God will meet you ev­ erywhere," she is confident. Concentra­ tion in a templeis difficult, she points out.

Her current lifestyle involves wak­

ing up at 3 a.m. and meditating for a couple of hours.Daily exercises are a must too for Rustomji who refers to her participation in shot-putand hockey events at the all-India level in her younger days. She thenhas to complete her chores athome where she resides with her hus­ band Parvez Mogrelia who was em­ ployed with Century Industries and ran a business in chemicals before his inter­ est in wildlife inspiredhim to make a film, The Last Stronghold. Her appoint­ments at the beauty parlor start from 10

a.m. to 12 noon and then again from 4

p.m. to7 p.m. (Tel: 3863591). On week­ ends, she is busy makingher herbal applications whichare used and sold at

Style.

There are innumerable peopleinclud­ ing family members to whom Rustomji must have imparted her skills. While tinting hair golden and brown may be in vogue today,Rustomji was usingthis knowhow three decades ago, she de­ clares. The beautyparlor Style in Navsari is run by her sister Gulshan Kasad who was trained by Rustomji. Style in Ma­ dras is managed by Rustomji's daugh­ ter-in-law Mahrukh Mogrelia. Since son Noshir has opted to make his home in Madras where also resides his kaka (pa­ ternal uncle) NarimanMogrelia (presi­ dent of the Madras Parsi ZarthostiAnjuman), Rustomji is not inclinedto expand Style in Bombay. Mahrukh and Noshir'stwo children Khurshedand Benaz who attend primaryschool are into modelling, happilyannounces the grandmother. With her handicapshe notes there is "already excessive pres­ sure on me, draining my energy."

Born in Navsariand educated at the Tata Schoolthere, her fluencyin Gujarati has enabledher to retain her Gujarati customers who must constitute 75 per­ cent ofherclientele, says Rustomji. With greater affluence, Gujaratis can afford to patronizeselect outlets where they will encounterfamiliarity and comfort which is the hallmarkof Style, she adds. Parsi customersmainly come for a hair­ cut for which they are charged Rs 150-200, mentions Rustomji,"and then they will ask for such a short cut that they don't need to come for the next four months," supplements her niece Farzan Kasad, one of her main pillarsat Style. And yet there are certain loyal custom­ ers like this Parsi gentleman, receiving his pedicure whilst Parsiana was inter­ viewing Rustomji, who are willingto travel great distancesto ensure a wel­ come at Style.

For this beautician, the rewards of her labor lie not in profitsfor much of herincomeisdirectedtocharitable

causes, it was reportedin the Mid-Day of June 29, 1999. (She likes to support the cause of educationand extend help todestitute widows, she declares.) Nor toodoes she get to see the transforma­ tion in a client's appearance after treat­ ment at Style. Rustomjiis sustained by the inner satisfaction that comes from bringing to the fore the beauty in others.

Therapeutic tips

Aroundfive years agoRustomji was

trained in facialexercisesbyAva

Hoffman of Germany and has since inafortnightoverlOsittingswithaflour evolved a seven-daycourse where eli- thermoherb paste applied on every al­ ents are taughtthe different movements ternate sitting.

recommended for thejawline, nose, Her remedy for pigmentation patches

undereye, fore­

-------------- requiressoakingone

head, temples.A moredifficult ex­ ercise regimen in­ volves the con­ trolled usage of only half the fa­ cial muscles, of the jawline, of one nostril, of one

"Indians are

very lazy. They

don't want to do

facial exercises for 10 minutes a day"

tablespoon of plain wheat (without oil) in a cup of water in the morning. In the night, remove the wheat from the wa­ ter and tie up the grainsin a clean cloth.Throw away

undereye region... Exercising the neck and shoulder region is essential too, she impresses upon her clients.

At Style they are equipped with gad­ gets like electrolyzer, cold laser wax spray which is ideal to remove black­ heads, pimples and bacterial infection, and another machine which dispenses ozonesteam to make the skin tighter. Their gold facial,wherein 24-carat gold dustis used in the formula,comes for Rs 550, almost half the rate charged by some of the othersin the neighboring Kemp'sCorner locality of Bombay, mentions Rustomji. A facelift recom­ mended at Style involves sessionsonce

the water. Take 15 black currants(not red) and soak them in another cup of water. The next morning after brushing the teeth but before having tea or break­ fast, eat the wheat,currants and drink the water in which the currants were soaked. You can then have tea, coffee and breakfast. At the same time take half a cup of lukewarm milk, add a teaspoon of curd to the milk and keep it covered for two hours. Drink this loose mixture after two hours. If the mixture turns into curd it will not help. You can have this mixture five minutesearly but not late. Continue with this remedy daily for the next six to 12 months.

With best wishes

from

• Ready hand and machine made Parsi garas available as

well as made to order ones

• We transfer old jari saris/garas onto new materials

• Ready original jari borders and zardosi net borders availableas well as made to order ones

• Japanese crepe, butter crepe, Italian crepe, Georgette and plain materials are also available.

Mahavir's Embroidery Mahavir Building Compound, BhandarkarRoad, Opp KabutarKhana Matunga (C.R.), Mumbai 400019

Tel No. 4025070 C/o 4021818

Telefax: 4313328

Website: www.mahavirgroup.net

E-mail: contactus@mahavirgroup.net

Sunday closed

52 Parstana November 2000

Farah

&

Tanya

BOOKS

Asylum forthe alienated

Dr Nilufer E. Bharucha

Asylum, USA by Boman Desai. Publishedin 2000 by HarperCollins Publishers India Pri­ vate Limited, 7/16, AnsariRoad, Daryaganj. New Delhi 110002. Pp: 277. Price:Rs 195.

Asylum, USA isBoman Desai's second novel, the first having been The Memory of Elephants which was published in 1988. In that novelhe had traced the complicatedtrajectoriesofhisIndo­ Zoroastrian roots and also brought in his protagonist's brief and disappointing flir­ tationwithimmigrationtotheWest. Homi, the hero of that book lived in a disoriented world on which the memo­ scan he had invented imposed a sem­ blance of order and which enabled him

be precise -as a student, yearns for a Green Card that would enable him to stay on and like many Indian students before him enters into a 'marriage' with an American woman that wouldget him this magicalpassport to stayon in God's chosenland.

In itself this is a rather trite tune that has been played out many times over, so what does Desai do to make it sound dif­ ferent?He embel­ lishes it with several trills, 'riffs' if you preferthatword,

this is in the immediate aftermathof the hippie revolution of the 1960s. So this could be the 1970s,still the innocentpre-AIDS days when everyone did drugs and casual, unpremeditated sex. So our Noshir, the Bombay boy too, drifts in and out of several relationships, strums 'riffs' on his guitar, as he lies in his hammock in an attic in the househe shares with a woman who is not his lover.

Toraise the tone of this self-indul­

gent discourse,Desai from time to time treats the reader to short burstsof pseudo­ philosophy. This is after all a quest,a metaphysical one, on which his hero has embarked.Through all this pneumatic

tolive simultaneously in the past andthe

present. From a technical point of view thiswas a very ambitioustext and used

Desai: tracing

Indo-Zoroas­ trian roots

twists and turns that

sadly fail to raise the book above the level

flesh and one border-line nymphoma­

niac lover, Noshir is in searchof his self. In almost textbookpost-moderntech­

several post-modernist techniques such

as the elements of the fantasticand dis­ junctures of time and space. The novel also had a vast canvas that took a more than casual look at the Indian Parsis' Iranian past, their rapid growthas a colonial elite during the BritishRaj, then the downslide during the postcolo­ nial era and the move to the West to get away from this downgraded positionin independent India. This book thus be­ longed quite squarely to that groupof novels written in the 1980s and 1990s by Parsis such as RohintonMistry, Bapsi Sidhwa and Firdaus Kanga that pro­ videddetails of the Zoroastrian rei igion, Parsi customs and cuisine, in short fo­ cussed on Parsipanu.

Asylum, USA toohas a Parsi charac­ ter Noshir Daruwala at the center of the narrative but this is not a Parsi novel, in the sense thatTheM emory of Elephantswas. However, like its predecessor, this book too is a rites of passage discourse. The passage, however,is not so much through time and space, as in the earliernovel, but through the psyche of the hero as he comes to terms with living in the USA and dealing with adult relation­ ships.

To put it baldly, this is the story of Noshir,or Riff as he beginsto call him­ self, who goes to the USA- Chicago to

54Parsiana November 2000

of mediocreself-indulgence.

Noshir's wife, Barbara,is a lesbian and he shares her apartment with herlive-in Latino lover Carmen and severaldogs and cats. Interestingly enough Noshir is still a virgin and loses his virginity only monthslater and not to his wife, although she seems not too certain about her lesbian identity,but to a girl called Blythe. This person though is anything butblithe, unless she is helping lame dogs over fences-something of a power freak, to use Americanpop­ pyscho speak. Noshireventually moves in with Blytheand now finds himself sharing her apartment

with several of her fe­ male friendsand former boyfriends. Noshir's middle-class, puritanical Zoroastrian sensibilities are titillated by this sea of forbidden female flesh - and that too pink! The readers are told how two of these female friends ran around in nothing but their birthdaysuits in the apartment.

The time frameof the book is not very clear butthere are hints that

nique,Desai'sphilosophical sources/

inspirations move from John Lennon to Bob Dylan, loop over to take in the occasional European19th century phi­ losopher and thenloop back to denizens from the Americanunderworld and Hollywoodfilms. An eclecticmixture of references to operas and pop music is also thrown in for good measure.

Inthe midst of all this fluff there are

passages of sharply incisiveirony and self mockery as Noshir does some soul­ searching not just regardinghis Parsi past but also his bohemianpresent. He admits to embroidering the truth quite

oftenandponderson

the possibility of his having been unfair to his partners. There is also an underlying seri­ ousness about the dias­ poric/immigrant' s deeply engrained sense of alienation and dis­ placement from both his home as wellas host society. This feeling of displacement surfaces from time to time as Noshir hops in and out of beds and lives.

Yetonthewhole, Desai has failedto bring

off this novel. The pop psychology, the pop philosophy, the entire pop culture orientedpostmodern craft of the con­ temporary novel as practised by Salman Rushdie, among others, has failedto

Puritanical Zoroastrian sensibilities are

POWER TO PEOPLE ON...

continued from page 37

sees itselfas a tool to complementthe government's questfor greater raceequal­ ity.

Thearchitect having respondedto this call for the unbiased celebration of diversity with "a design worthy of our vision," the communities of the world are being approached to help with the balance funds.£ 101 will find a mention

Asha," she told Brown.

Theconcept is supported acrossBrit­

ishsociety, its well-wishers including a number of Zoroastrians there. Now Gifford'sintent is to involve the com­ munity across the world, even as she seeks and finds the blessings of Sai Baba, the Dalai Lama and others as she made a recent whistle-stop tour oflndia to raise funds. As she told Brown,"All the charitiesI have been involved with

titillated by this

in the Asha Millennium Book; £1,001

will enable the donor (individual or or­

sea of forbidden

female flesh

cohere into credibility and readability here. Asylum USAhasappeared 12years after Desai's first noveland belies the expectations that had been aroused by its eldersibling. Sadly, the vigor and the authentic voice that had surfacedwith such piquancy and strengthin The Memory of Elephants seemsto have got lost somewhere in the screechof Chica­ go's trains. To misquote John Lennon with whose words Desai has begun his book- it almost appears that this was a book that happenedto Desai while he was busy doing other things.

ganization) to be commemorated at the Centre; very large donors will have the option of naming buildings. But people can also opt to plant trees, lay out gar­ dens or offer other abilitiestowards the developmentof the Centre by contact­ing the organizers directly.

Gifford'sinvolvementin local and national politicsand sprawling charities

likeShelterandUNinvolvementfor

peace and anti-slavery has been an ideal training for work on the Asha Centre.

Having edited a women's magazineand written books on womenand slavery as well as a Channel4 book for schools, Gifford believes she has been divinely guided through interrelated jobs: "My life seems to be coming together in

"Everybody thinks that everything

is so difficult and

therefore they don't try to do it"

are interrelated, in the sense that all the problems they address have their origin in the way we behave towards each other. Unless we tacklethe root cause of poverty we will always have these unhappinesses around. There have to be people who are magnanimous, who re­ alize that money is there to be used in a magnificentway."

MAZDA· Financially and technically affiliatedwith Croii·Reynolds Co. inc. NJ U.S.A.

55 Parsiana November 2000

MILESTONES

The age of Zoroastrian brides (as listed in this issue)ranged be­ tween 21 and 45 years, the arith­ metic mean (the total number of individual ages divided by the total number of brides) being 33 years. The corresponding figures for the grooms were 29 and 62 years, averagingat 42 years.

There were 74 Zoroastrian deaths in Bombay in October as compared to 16 births. The ma­ jor killer as usual, heart disease, felled 30 victimsofwhomI0 were in the 80+ age-group. Ten patients each succumbed to old age/general debility and pneu­ monia/lung relateddiseases and six to brain disease.Septicemia and cancer took a toll of four lives each whereas two Zoroas­ trians each fell prey to liver dis­ ease, multi organ failureand dia­ betes. Thereweresixisolated cases registered for the month­ vehicular accident, hypertension, Parkinson's disease,anemia, as­ phyxia due to strangulation and peritonitis (inflammation of the serous membranesthat line the abdominal cavity).The age range fluctuated between 38 and 100 years. The Zoroastrianlifeex­ pectancy at birth for October, in

AHMEDABAD

IJORN

A girl, Ashoina,to Mahaz.arin

and Sami KapadiaonAugust 22, 2000

ALLAHABAD

DIED

Naju M. Nanavati; August8

BOMBAY

BORN

A boy to Monaz andJimmy Guard; October 3

A boy to Havovi and Kaivan Antia; October 4

A girl to Gulshan and Ardeshir Contractor; October 4

Twins (girls) to Tasneem and ShirazPoonevala; October4 A girl to Feeroza and Vishal Kapoor; October 7

A boy to Tushna and Rustom Kapadia; October 9

A girl to Melzemuvaz and Rustom Vesavevala; October 9 A girl, Shania, to Daisy and NarimanZorabi; October 10

A boy to Azmin and Zal

Balsara; October 11

56 Pars1ana November 2000

Bombay,was 75 years.

The data on births,marriages and deaths has been compiled from informationsuppliedby various newslettersandanju­ mans in India and abroad, courts and hospitals.This information is not always completeor con­ sistent: we are unableto carry data fromareaswherethe anjumans do not furnishthe par­ ticulars; the birthfiguresfor Bombay are suppliedbytwo hospitals - births in suburban hospitals and privatenursing home:; are not included unless in eli vicluals send us information together with acopy of the birth certificate. There may be an in­ advertent repetitionof names inthe marriagelist when a civil marriage precedes a religious cer­ emony. In the breakup of deaths according to illnesses, cspcci ally of the elderly, death is of'lcndue to a combination of several dis­ cases.

If readershave any bil1hs/mar­ riages/cleaths they would like pub­ lished, some proof to ensure the veracity of the report would be required. We are sure our readers would appreciatethis requirement and cooperate with us.

A boy to A nail a andVijay Punjabi; October 18

A girl to Reena and Zarir Engineer; October 23

A girl toTinazand Hooslwun Bharuclw; October 25

Agirl to Anahitaand Phiro-; Kerawa!La; October 27

A girl to Melzer andFreddy Bhesania; October 28

A girl toPersis and Viraf Mistry; October 31

MARRIED

Jeroo Dinshaw Klwdaijiand Sam Phirozshaw Mwjatia; October 2

Goolu GustadjiMaro!ia and Jelzangir Dinshahji Bulsaro; October 6

Ruzmeher Rustam Irani of Dahanu Rei and Percy Soli (Sorab) Devlaliwala; October 14

Ferzeen Zubin Lilaowafa

and Cyrus Adi Engineer;

October 26

lJIED

Ratwzshaw Byramshaw Camac(88), residing at 733,

Katpitia Bldg, Rd no 4, Parsi Clny, Daclar,400014;

September 30

Eruc/z. Kaikhushroo Mohta

(62), 16, J. Tata Bldg, Tata

Blocks, Bandra, 400050;

September 30

Rwny Phiroze Chinoy (SO), 518, JchangirMans, H. R. MahajanMarg, Matunga (E), 4000 19; October I

NergishJehangir Randeria (82), 6, Chotani Bldg,Proctor St, 400007; OctoberI

DinaDadi Adajania (67), 7/C, Dubash Bldg,Kashinath St, 400034; October2

Khorshed JehanbuxBarsiwolla

(85), Harganga Mhl, Dadar

T. T., 400014; October2 Slzeriyar Aspendiar Irani (78), C/o K. N. Tavakalli, C/157,

R. B. I. Qrts, M. M. Marg,

400008; October 2

NoshirShe1yarji Palsetia (64), C/o Dadi P. Pithawala, 602, Niagara, N. P. Marg, Colaba, 400005; October 2

Ranibai Kaikhushroo Ponveli­ wallo ( 100), 628, Turel Tcr, Homavazir Rd, Parsi Clny, Daclar, 4000 14; October 2

Pilo FramrozeSachimvola

(85), A/8, Malegamwala Bldg,

M. M. C. Rd, Mahim,400016;

October 2

Jams/zed NadirshahBharucha

(74), Maneck Mans, Station

Rd, Mahim, 400016;October 3 Jimmy Nusserwanji Engineer (86), A/21, Jer Baug, Dr Ambcclkar Rei, Byculla,

400027; October 4

JerbaiCawwji Sidhwa (80), 3, Meherbai Wadia Bldg, Wadia St, Tardeo,400034; October 4 Eruch Sorabji Bhathena (75), B, Aidun Bldg, Dhobitalao, 400002; October 5

DaulatKhodabux Irani (81 ),

Gangadcvi Bhavan, Uranwalla St, Grant Rd, 400007; October 5

Sam Sorabji Rabady (82), 31,

Jaiphal Ter, Forjett St, 400036; October 5

Minocher Cmva.1ji Colabe­ ll'lilla (88), MemorialBldg, Marazban Clny, GilderLane, 400008; October 6

NajamaiSlzapo01ji Mistly (84), F. S. Parukh Dharamshalla, Hughes Rd, 400007; October6

DarayasPhiroze Sarkari (46), C/ 12, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, Byculla,400027; October 6

Framroze Jamshedji Shroff (87), C/1 5, Shapur Baug, V. P. Rd, 400004;October 6

Gooh1Fmmroze !\spar(89), Evershine Residency,I. C. Clny, Holy Cross Rd, Borivli (W), 400113;October 7

DilberRashid Irani(67), 108, Bazar Ward,Kurla (W), 400070; October 7

PerinMinocher Jassawala (73), 5, Petit Bldg,Balaram St, Grant Rd, 400007; October 7

YazdiKhushroo Satarawalla (54), H/7, Captain Clny, Tardco Rd, 400034; October7 Pilloo Nanu Hee1jee (82), Broacha Hsc, Garden Rei, Apollo Reel, 400001;

October 8

Darabsha Framji Misfly (96), 22/A, WellingtonTer, Wellington St, Dhobitalao, 400002; October 8

DollyDorab Nazer (67), C-3/48/49, Prince Town,

Kalyani Ngr,Poona, 411006; October 8

Homi Nadars/w Lod/wwala (78), Makawee Mans,R. SidhwaMarg, Fort, 40000 I: October II

KekiDinshaw Adajania (65), 80A/15, BrindavanSoc, Thana (W), 40060 I; October 12 ParvezArdeslzir Damwalla (68),R/5, Nowroz Baug, Lalbaug, 4000 12; October12

MotibaiSheriar Iruni (68), 2,

Khuclabux Bldg, Mazagaon, 4000 I0; October 12 Khorshed Kaikhushru Mistry

(85), Silvercnc, 32, Altamount

Rei, 400026; October 12

Amy Dhunjishaw Pardiwalla (71), E/7, Shapur Baug, V. P. Rd, 400004; October 12 ShirinBehram Irani (83), Perin Villa,Gunpowder Rd, Mazagaon, 4000 I0;

October 13

Hchrami\rdeshir Merchant (74), P/11, S. B. Bharucha Baug, S. V. Rei, Andheri (W), 400058; October 13

DhunjiPa/onji Bhiwandiwa{/u (76), All, GodrejBaug, Off Napcan Sea Rd, 400036; October 14

Dorabji Pestonji Dadadamri

(89), 13, J. J. Bldg,Khan Est,

M. M. C. Rd, Mahim, 400016;

October 14

Telzmina Ruttonshaw Kapadia

(94), 2-A/5, A. H. Wadia

ADDENDUM

The photograph of The

B.E. Albless Obstetric

THE l1lr e atiD

PARSIANA ·

Hospitalcarriedon the

cover of Parsiana Octo­ ber 2000 was shot by Gustasp Irani.

We regretthe omission

BOOK OF lJ lrlJ

IRANIAN .,·..

NAMES ·· ,,

00 0 .

onthe contents page of that issue.

G

6A1K

The Iranian names of boys and girls along with their meaningswhich originally appeared in Parsiana have now been reprinted in an attractive 24-page booklet.The book, which is

Situation Vacant

Advertisingsales representative required for publishing concernin Fort area. Write giving full detailsto:

The Advertiser (Sales)

GPO Box 892

Bombay 400001

57Parsiana November 2000

rrr

w

d'Z

priced at Rs 40, is available

on sale at:

Kaiser-E-Hind, 300 Perin Nariman Street, BehindReserve Bank of India, Fort, Bombay 400001.

Faredoon and Burjor Sandalwood Shop, Princess Street,Bombay 400002.

Union Press, 13, Homji Street,

Bombay 400001.

husband of late Bhikhu and

SECUNDERABAD

DIED

DarabsaGustadji Edulji (80), husband of late Amie and father of Aspi and Feroza D. Chhotia; September 27

•Running totalsfor 2000 (January 2000-November 2000 issues)

*These figures pertain to information provided to or collected by Parsiana. They do not representthe total numberof births, marriagesand deaths in the Zoroastrian community in India and abroad.

58 Parsiana November 2000

IN MEMORIAM

"Simply noble, nobly simple"

Paririaz M. Gandhi

Died: NargeshNani Palkhivala, 82, not­ ed social worker who has left her indel­ ible mark on different charitable and educational organizations where she was chairperson and trustee, on June 4, 2000 in Bombay following

cardiac arrest.

"We will miss Nargesh's presence and help to our organiza­tions," noted a condo­ lence letter from the committeemembers of the Sir RatanTata Insti­

her to make a thorough study of every applicant's case history and how on one occasionshe firmly refusedto permit a Sanatorium stay to a person even in the faceof many threats.

Involved with The

Nesserwanjee Man­ ockjee Petit Charity Fund since 1955, "her advice and guidance" benefitted the trust for over four decades, re­ corded the condolence resolution. "She took

very gentle,kind and soft-spoken hidy who could also be firm when occasion demanded. It.was a pleasureto work under her chairmanship ...Shewas ever. ready to give of her valuabletime and name in order to solve any problemof the institution."

For the J. B. Petit High Schoolfor Girls too she made "anexcellent chair­ person of the board of trustees ...(who)

carried out all her duties promptlyand

efficiently," as remarkedprinicipal Shirin Darasha. Palkhivala's colleague Mehroo Kotval declared, "Hercontri­

tute (RTI) where Pal­ khivala was president. Commending her loy­ alty and dedicationto

Nargesh Pcdk!zivala with Nani (left) and encouraging a handicapped child (below)

keen interestin the wel­

fare of the widows in our two widows' homes (and) in our J.

bution in the J. B. Petit committeewas

always sound and thoughtout; her per­ spectives new and farsighted ..."

Aschairperson of the Gulistan School

the Stri Zarthosti Mandaiand the RTI,

they added, "For many, many years(she) helpednot only the organization finan­ cially but also extendedher generosity to thoseemployees who needed help." During her 30-year tenure as managing committee member she willinglyvis­ ited employees having domestic prob­ lems and helped them out, mentioned Bakhtavar Tarapore, former adminis­ trator and general secretaryof RTI. She furtherreferred to the crisis periodin the early 1990swhen RTI was rocked by severe laborproblems and faceda finan­ cial crunch.It was thanksto her contacts and abilityto procure a loan in time that the amountsdue to the staff could be paid. "All employees ofRTI- past and present - should bow their heads in gratitude to her for their continuedem­ ployment," added Tarapore.

''The trust has lost an able adminis­ trator," noted a condolence letter from the trusteesof The Framjee Dinshaw Petit Parsee Sanatorium situated at Cumballa Hill where Palkhivala had been associated as trustee since 1983, taking "keen interestin the day-to-day affairs of the Sanatoriurn." Her colleague on the trustboardJehangir H. C.Jehangir wrote, "I had developed a great respect for her abilities as a trustee and as a fine person." Her grand-niece Statira Ran ina recalls how Palkhivala's total involve-

N. Petit Technical High School, Poona

in fund-raising especially at the time of centenary celebrations, .."addedthe reso­ lution.

Many other educational institutions

too gainedfrom Palkhivala's expertise. As noted the principal of the Girton High School,Navaz Sanjana, in her tribute to theirchairperson, "We were aware that she had been ailingfor the past two years but her interest in the School work remainedunabated and she had alwaysinsisted on holdingthe School meetingsat

her residence. At all times she displayed

a great interestand ..... , devotion for her .., alma mater and she

never failedto guide and supportall the school projects which werepre­ sented to her." Com­ mented founder­ trustee Silla Arde­ shir, theGirton School "owes a deep and sincere debt of gratitude toher." Supplemented Banoo N.Cama, trustee of the Old Girtonians' Associa-

Trust "shewas always there for us, solv­

ing problems big and small," noted the condolence resolution commending, "Her intelligence was par excellence and she was blessed with a wonderful power of judgment. Underher guidance we flourished."UshaBhatt, principalof the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's Nand Vidya Niketan at Hazira, Suratreferred to "herpleasant vitality (which) was a continuous source of inspiration to all of us."

Among the other institutions where

Palkhivalahadmade

her benign presence felt were the Maha­ rashtra State Wo­ men's Councilwhere she was viewedas a dedicated volunteer supporting all their projects; the Society for Human and Envi­ ronmental Develop­ ment where she was treasurer for 17 years; the National Associa­ tion for the Blind whose funds she helped build up in the formative years; the Shankara Netralaya Eye Hospital in Ma­ dras where her name

ment with these charitable trusts required tion, "Nargesh was a

59Parsiana November 2000

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