Surat snippets

Dr Sam Bhacca submitted his resignation as president of the Surat Parsi Panchayat (SPP) as did his co-trustee Noshir Dabhoiwala, and in their stead have been appointed Yazdi Karanjia and Eruchshaw Lakdawala , announced Burjor Antia of the Bombay based Parsee Surat Charity Fund (PSCF).

Members of the opposition had for many years been pressuriz­ing Bhacca to step down as SPP president (see "The Surat impasse,” Parsiana, August 2002). His detractors tried coercion, intimidation, insults and allegations, but to no avail. The SPP trustees who are appointed by the PSCF remain in power so long as they enjoy the confidence of the Bombay based commitee. As per their deed of settlement, the PSCF has the right "to nominate and appoint...to remove...and to revoke such appointment and to reappoint...Parsi merchants or householders resident at Surat or Bombay of substance, character and respectability...”

In mid October came the news that Rustam Khusrokhan, Burjor Vakeel and Firoze Vakil have resigned from the seven-member PSCF and the vacated seats have been filled in by Dr Keki Turel, Sam Kalagopi, Homiar Vakil and Khurshed Gandhi. "The three trustees who resigned and their ancestors have given yeoman services to the Surat local Parsi community. (They) have always protected the donor’s wishes, properties and funds of the Zoroastrians,” noted an e-mail from community activist Mehernosh Fitter, claiming that the trustees had resigned for "reasons not known.” Old age and a non willingness to take a firm stand on issues vexing the committee would be the main reasons for their resignations, explained Antia.

Another e-mail from the Save Doongerwadi Action Committee (SDAC) announced that at the PSCF meeting on October 23, 2002 Dr Daraius Modi’s resigna­tion from the PSCF was accepted. Thus only three of the original seven members continue to serve on the PSCF. They are: Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, Antia and Dosan Limboowalla.

The same meeting of October 23 accepted the resignations from Bhacca and Dabhoiwala. But according to the e-mail, their resignations were reportedly "taken by force and not willingly.” Neither were they given an opportunity to answer the queries put before the trustees, alleges the SDAC e-mail.

The trustees in Surat — Dr Dhanji­shaw Dumasia, Jamshed Dotiwala, Hor­mazadiar Patel, Dr Homi Dudhwala, Dr Minoo Parabia, Homai Shethna and Darius Master — will decide who they want as the new SPP president, conveys Antia. The PSCF had instructed Bhacca to hand over charge to the seniormost trustee Dumasia in the presence of all the other trustees by November 15, 2002.

"Amidst the little chaos and confusion in our Surat Parsi community we tried to bring in togetherness and fun,” noted Maharukh Chichgar, trustee of the Zoroastrian Women’s Assembly of Surat (ZWAS), reporting on the Gatha Festival organized by them in August 2002 to bring in "a little peace and enjoyment in our community.”

On the first Gatha was held a prayer competition. The spea­kers that evening were Dara Behramkamdin and Rohin Karanjia who expressed their views on spirituality and Zoroastrianism. The third Gatha was celebrated with music and colors when there were competitions for chalk and rangoli, sagan-ni-ses decoration and a musical muquabala. On August 23 was a pageant for the best wed­ding and navjote attire. The festival concluded with an evening of games on August 24, conducted by Anahita Mistry, Benaifer Engineer, Arnawaz Dungore and Pearl Daboo, and a contributory dinner. "What bigger and better work for the community can be done than bringing all on one platform and enjoying together — putting aside differences and joining hands with each other. That is our idea of Gatha celebrations every year,” notes the press release.

Winners of the best wedding and navjote attire (left) and the prayer competition held in Surat

The ZWAS which completed 10 years in November 2002 is "a dream and a plan of a few (which) has today become an inspiration and a steady platform for many enterprising women.” Starting with the compilation of a directory of Surat Parsis and working with "dedication, team work, creativity and charity towards the community” during the 10 years of its existence, ZWAS has given educational and medical aid to the needy and sought to create self employment for poor Parsis. Presently the ZWAS is led by president Dilnaz Kharadi with Kainaz Kapadia as secretary and Piloo Bhathena as treasurer.

While the ZWAS is an independent body, there are 11 communi­ty institutions/trusts which are in the control of the Surat Parsi Panchayat Fund and Properties. The SPP showed a corpus of Rs 82,859,136.16 as of March 31, 2002 as against Rs 76,451,989.44 in the preceding year. From a copy of the audited statement of accounts for the year ended March 31, 2002, we learn that dona­tions from individuals increased from Rs 226,359 in 2001 to Rs 249,543 in 2002 but donations from public trusts reduced from Rs 128,974.75 to Rs 41,755.25.

This year too the largest sum was expended on education, Rs 12,333,096.74 (as against Rs 11,534,023.10 last year), followed by Rs 1,180,312.50 on medical relief (Rs 990,858.50 last year) and Rs 748,445 on relief of poverty (compared to Rs 848,470.50 last year).

Among the educational institutions incurring expenses on educational objects, the maximum sum of Rs 1,545,036.69 was by the Bai P. M. Patel Siganporewala Girls School, followed by Rs 1,421,254.79 by the Surat Parsi Orphanage and Properties, Rs 1,405,993.21 by the Nariman Parsi Zoroastrian Girls Orphanage, Rs 34,815 by the Seth K. H. Alpaiwala Industrial Institute for Parsi Zoroastrian Women and Girls and Rs 27,785 by the Seth Sorabji Nauserwanji Parukh Polytechnic Institute. Among the other bodies incurring expenses on educational objects are The First Dastur Meherji Rana Trust Fund, Rs 79,361 and the Sorabji Burjorji Dastur Darab Pahalana Trust, Rs 72,080.

Incurring expenses primarily for medical objects are the Seth R. D. Tarachand Parsi General Hospital, Rs 1,619,096.08; Bai G. N. Mehta Maternity Hospital, Rs 309,452.31 and the Nariman Home and Infirmary, Rs 940,299.70. At the Nariman Home an equally large sum of Rs 921,334.69 was shown as diet expense with the next highest expenditure of Rs 280,468 incurred on electricity. The Dastur Darab Pahalana Trust Fund also expended Rs 72,041 on medical objects.