“November notings”

I wish to make the following observations on reading the November 2003 issue of Parsiana:

It is regrettable to note that the Parsis of Ontario (basically Toronto and Mississauga) are at loggerheads. It seems to me that Parsis (those with Indian origin) love a good fight wherever they go! A few years ago the Parsis in UK (basically London) fought among themselves and had formed two bodies. Recently, the Parsis and Iranians of Northern California had filed lawsuits (expending large amounts of anjuman funds on attorneys’ fees) against each other. However this lawsuit was ultimately settled amicably and better judgment prevailed. But the two organizations remain, the Persian Zoroastrian Organization (PZO) formed mostly of Iranians and the Zoroastrian Association of Northern California (ZANC) mostly of Parsis from India. It seems that the "Nero fiddling while Rome was burning” phenomenon is rife and well. While our numbers diminish through migration and marriages outside the community, some members of our community find nothing better than to keep on squabbling amongst themselves and wasting time, energy and resources that could be better utilized to arrest our falling numbers and other community upliftment causes!

Regarding Kersasp Dalal’s letter "A hero for heroic...” I find his first paragraph in bad taste. The Parsiana Editor’s note following the letter sets the record straight! True, there have been other Parsi heroes in the armed forces. But Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw has achieved the highest rank in the army and survived to tell his tales and hence deserves the recognition of the community and I see nothing wrong in Parsiana putting him on the cover. Here I would also like the community to remember a fallen Parsi hero of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Squadron Leader Jal Maneckshaw Mistry was based at a forward air-force station during the 1971 conflict with Pakistan. After leading a sortie against targets inside Pakistan, he told his squadron to return to base while he, since he still had a couple of bombs left undropped in the pods of his Hunter fighter jet, would fly alone unescorted deep inside the enemy’s territory to attack a very strategic and heavily defended target. Mistry was unfortunately shot down and killed over Pakistan that day, December 5, 1971.

Regarding "Scarce sandalwood...” it is a fact that sandalwood trees have been over-exploited, poached by bandits and not managed well by government agencies. Like agarwood, another tree prized for its scented wood, sandalwood too may become first prohibitively expensive and then extinct. The Parsis have prided themselves so far in not asking the government for any special quotas or consideration. Let us not start now. Instead, I suggest that the Bombay Parsi Punchayet acquire some land in Karna­taka or wherever sandalwood grows best and set up its own plantations with sanction from the government. Of course these plantations would require some security arrangements which can be very expensive. I am a lay person, but does it say that the wood we offer at a fire-temple must be sandalwood only? Why not pine tree wood?

ARDESHIR B. DAMANIA

California, USA