Dastur of the Deccan

Died: Sardar Dastur Hormazdiar Noshirwan Dastur, 78, High Priest of Poona and the Deccan, and president of the Sardar Dastur Schools Trust which runs four schools, on February 26, 2003 at Poona’s Ruby Hall Clinic following lung complications.

"The entire Zoroastrian commu­nity... over a period of several decades benefited immensely by his knowledge, guidance and educational as well as monetary help,” wrote the president of the Athornan Mandal Dastur Khur­shed Dastoor in his condolence letter. "He dispelled misery and sorrow from countless homes by giving free lodging, boarding and education to deserving Parsi children and monetary help to the poor and infirm,” mentioned Dastoor.

Hormazdiar had succeeded his father Noshirwan as High Priest in 1949. Since the late High Priest’s diocese extended beyond Poona to Madras and Bangalore as well, the president of the Madras Parsi Zarthosti Anjuman Nariman Mogrelia acknowledged, "He had been extremely helpful and (a) guiding force for our Dar-e-Meher and its affairs.”

The Bangalore Parsee Zoroastrian Anjuman specially convened an uthamna in honor of Dastur on February 28 and passed a resolution referring to the High Priest as "a known scholar and authority on the Zoroastrian faith (who) discharged his duties with a strong commitment and devotion, and in doing so kept alive the customs and traditions of the faith in the footsteps of his illustrious father and grandfather.” When the Bangalore Anjuman chose to appoint its own High Priest in 1996, although some of the other High Priests objected to this precedent, Dastur magnanimously greeted Nadirshah Unvalla on his elevation as High Priest.

"He was a very lovable, disciplined and a humble individual who fulfilled his priestly duties very creditably,” remarked Dr Keki Grant, chairman and managing trustee of the Grant Medical Foundation which runs the Ruby Hall Clinic. Having known Dastur since his childhood days when they were playmates, Grant gave him credit for being "mainly instrumental in transforming the Dastur School to be one of the finest in (Poona).”

When he took over as president of the Sardar Dastur Schools Trust in 1949 there were only two schools in existence, the Dastur Girls High School and the Dastur Boys High School. The full fledged Primary School came up in 1953 and the Co-ed School, named after him, as Sardar Dastur Hormazdiar High School commenced in 1998. Nearly 4,500 children benefit from the education imparted in these four institutions, stated Shernaz Edibam, principal of the Bai Najamai Noshirwan Dastur Primary School, referring to the dedication of Dastur as also his late wife Mani, "a gracious and gentle lady (who) was also a regular visitor of the School.” Always present at the Schools’ extra curricular programs, Dastur made it a point to commend the efforts put in by the principals and staff, sending them a note of appreciation. "Dasturji invariably would be moved to tears especially during annual day functions, or while taking the salute at the march past competitions or when he heard our girls and boys spiritedly sing the School song We are Dasturians,” noted Edibam.

Dastur: impressing students

"To me Dasturji was an epitome of strength...my memory goes down to my nursery days when I remember him tirelessly walking around from one school to another, and standing at the edge of the playground watching the antics of every little child yet keeping a watchful eye on the older students,” noted school captain Prashant Mishra in his speech at the condolence meeting convened on March 27, 2003. "Little did I then know that as a high school lad I too would be pulled up for not tying my shoe laces well or dodging him because I did not have my tie-pin on,” added Mishra, thankful to Dastur for giving him "values for life...”

"Our grateful boarders who will sadly miss his benevolent presence will vouch for the fact that he made a home away from home for them all,” noted Std VIII student Roxanne Wadia at the condolence meeting appreciating his "indulgence towards the students. While playing football our students would accidentally break the rear view mirror of his car. He always told them, ‘Next time I will make you pay for it.’ Of course he never did.”

"He was very approachable. Children wouldn’t run in the opposite direction on seeing him. Instead they’d go up to him and wish him,” noted head girl Disha Saraya. Reportedly any child visiting his office was invariably rewarded with a handful of sweets from the jar he kept on his desk. "Another thing that impressed everyone was his kind, loving and caring nature,” said Saraya, referring to the stray dogs which, on entering the School compound, were never driven out but cared for and immunized.

He always wanted the students to do well on the play field and bring laurels for the School. A sports enthusiast himself since his younger days at the Sardar Dastur Hoshang Boys High School and the Nowrosji Wadia College whence he graduated, Dastur held the Western India Badminton title.

Besides looking after the 160-year-old familial Sardar Sorabji Ratanji Patel Dar-e-Meher, the oldest fire-temple in Poona, Dastur was involved with the Edulji Dinshaw Charitable Trust, Yervada Central Mental Hospital Parsee Nurse Trust, Aid for Religious Services for Peace of Mind of Zoroastrian Mentally Handicapped Trust, Junior Red Cross, Poona, and had served as divisional air raid warden during the Indo-Pakistan War, notes his life profile.

He saw to it that no needy Zoroastrian student was ever turned away from his educational institution. Even on his last day at School he was taking interviews of pre-nursery children! At the Founder’s Day function two years ago he had impressed on his students: "One tree can make a forest/One hand clasp lifts a soul/One laugh can conquer gloom/One voice can speak with wisdom/One life can make the difference/You see, it’s up to you.”

The dedicated Dastur is survived by his daughter Mehernavaz Vakil.