“BVS Millennial Shield”

I was delighted to read about my alma mater, the Bai Virbaiji Soparivala (BVS) Parsi High School in Karachi ("BVS Millennial Shield,” Zoroastrians Abroad, Parsiana, November 2001) winning the Millennial Shield 2000 as the best private boys’ school in Karachi. Being a Virbaijiite (class of ’56) I was proud to read how well the School continues to excel in academics as well as in character building.

Behram Rustomji (popularly known as Behli Master) took over as the principal of this illustrious institution in 1946. Behli Master’s acumen as an educator and administrator was soon put to test when within a year the nation of Pakistan came into existence, resulting in the influx of non-Parsi students eventually exceeding the Parsi student population. Behli Master stayed on his charted course and did not compromise the School’s high academic standards or the Zarathushti values upon which it was founded. The result was that BVS quickly came to the Board of Edu-cation’s attention as a school with exceptional discipline, high scholarship and rich curricular programs — a tradition that continues even today. During his 19-year tenure, Behli Master placed BVS on the world map as international dignitaries, academicians, entrepreneurs and ambassadors became frequent visitors to the School. The visitors were amazed to experience a private school in a third world country whose standards were comparable to any in the West.

My association with the current principal — the fourth generation of the founder’s family — Deena M. Mistry (lovingly known in the Karachi community as Dinoo Aunty) began 52 years ago as a student taking tutorials. Dinoo Aunty with her devotion and perseverance over the last 29 years as principal has taken the School to higher excellence and many leading business executives and government officials are proud Virbaijiites. Both Behli Master and Dinoo Aunty are crown jewels of the Karachi Parsi community. Thousands of successful Virbaijiites in Hafta Keshwar Zamin are eternally indebted to both for their love of teaching, foresight, dedication and guidance "Towards That Best Light.”

SHAHROKH MEHTA

Syracuse, New York