Honoring the humanist

"Today we the assembly of his friends, admirers and well-wishers and those whose lives he has touched with the wand of compassion, care, concern and the human spirit, honor and salute him for what he and his life have stood for,” read the citation presented to Banga­lore’s Dr Manchersha Disawalla on March 1, 2002. The congregation numbering over 200 had gathered at the Indiranagar Club to express "a spontaneous groundswell of gratitude” to Disawalla and his wife Dr Gool on the occasion of their golden wedding anniversary.

Disawalla’s "humanism has been the most outstanding and basic essence of his life,” added the citation read by the evening’s master of ceremonies Rashid Minocher. The citation scroll was presented to him by Vijaya Devi, sister of the last Maharaja of Mysore, the late Jayachamarajendra Wodiyar, and erstwhile head of the Bangalore Music Arts Society with which Disawalla too was involved. Eminent orthopedic surgeon Dr Hemant Kalyan then presented him the shawl as two doyennes of the community Tehmi Navroji and Pervez Dhanboora offered the couple a pure silver handcrafted photo frame bearing their photograph.

Responding to the toast raised by Air Marshal Sarosh Dastur, Disawalla, his voice choked with emotion, thanked all those present for honoring them thus. To Disawalla, this felicitation from "almost half of Bangalore’s adult Parsi population,” according to Minocher’s report, became all the more meaningful because just a few months back his life membership had been terminated by the Bangalore Parsee Zoroastrian Anju-man on the ground that he did not "believe only in dakhmenashini as a mode of final disposal of dead Parsis (see "Disawalla’s dismissal,” Parsiana, November 2001).”

Beacons Manchersha (left) and Gool Disawalla

Bombay born Disawalla who specialized in gynecology and obstetrics was associated with the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation as its chief medical officer for 21 years. His retirement took him to Bangalore where he served the P. D. Hinduja Sindhi Hospital as its medical superintendent and the Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital as medical director. Gool, also a qualified medical practitioner, has been a dedicated social worker, associated with several nongovernmental organizations working for the uplift of the downtrodden, mentions the press release.

Not content to rest with good thoughts and good words, to Disawalla, "the shining beacon has been his good work,” noted the citation. "There is not a single one among us present today... whose life has not been blessed by Manchi, the caring angel who rushes to help regardless of color, caste, creed or social status. He...truly reflects the truth that God is love.”.