Creating "professional beggars"

In 1932 the trustees of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust invited S. F. Markham, an academician, author and member of Parliament to "study the conditions prevailing in the Parsi community, also their existing charitable and other institutions,” stated Sir Phiroze Sethna in his foreword dated January 1, 1932 to the findings titled "A Report to the Sir Ratan Tata Trustees on problems affecting the Parsee community.” As Markham "had done similar work and given advice which was generally accepted by those who sought it, he felt he would be able to advise as to what best to do in the interest of the poor and indigent in the community so that they may become self-reliant and try to recommend what avocations they might take to, so that they may be able to stand on their own legs and thereby benefit the community as a whole,” continued Sethna.

Markham, who was with the London School of Economics and was instructed by the Carnegie Trust to carry out many of its proposals, was appointed in 1931 as Parliamentary private secretary to the Prime Minister on the formation of the national government.

In a letter to the trustees Markham stated, "During the past few weeks I had the happy privilege of visiting many Parsi institutions, particularly those situated in Bombay city and in Poona. Obviously, in such a short time it has been impossible to go deeply into the many questions that deserve consideration and the notes that I attach herewith should be taken rather as a general impression and not regarded as the final word on any of the subjects mentioned.”

Markham’s 47-page report deals with several issues:

–Infantile mortality: The rate "although low compared with other Indian communities, is still high compared with leading western nations; the Parsi figures per 1,000 births for the past seven years averaging 119 (131 for 1925-8 and 103 for 1929-31). In other words, one Parsi baby in every nine dies before it reaches the age of one year.”

–Medical health: A medical inspection of the boys in Bharda New High School revealed that one in four is undernourished. "Further, 62 percent of these Parsi boys had decayed teeth and 23.9 percent bad vision.”

–Unemployment: "The number of unemployed among the Parsis had increased considerably during the past few years... Parsi carpenters, dock workers and commercial travelers, etc have found it increasingly difficult to compete with other communities.”

–Primary education: "The percentage of illiteracy amongst Parsis in Bombay city has increased by 2.8 percent in the last 10 years... The percentage of illiteracy is greater amongst children 10-15 years of age than adults. It will be agreed, I think, that at the present time one Parsi out of four in Bombay city is illiterate.”

Less than 7,000 Parsi children between the ages of five-15 attend school in Bombay city out of 9,944 or approximately seven out of 10. "We interviewed the parents of some children who had not been sent to school until the age of eight-nine and were told that the parents could not afford the Rs 2 per month in fees...

"I am now informed by D. J. Irani, the president of the Iranian Zoroastrian Association, that during the past few years the number of Iranis in Bombay has trebled and that there are now between 4,000 and 5,000 of them. Amongst the Irani children he was of the opinion that 65 to 70 percent were illiterate. If these figures be correct (I regret I have had no means of checking them) it follows that approximately 600 Irani children, five to 15 years of age, are illiterate and this number will, of course, materially affect the general figures of literacy.”

Markham also pointed out in his report many of the advances made by the community and stated his recommendations. The penultimate chapter of his report titled "General Cultural Influences” is one of the most hard-hitting indictments of Parsi charity of those times and is considered a classic. Its findings are oft quoted even today.

Since the time Markham wrote the study, the community has made great advances in literacy, education, economic well-being and employment, the credit for which goes to the philanthropic and socially minded Parsis of the preceding decades.

Parsiana reproduces the chapter with the kind permission of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust who also supplied us a complete copy of the report.

General Cultural Influences

It would appear that there are about 50 Parsi charities or trusts whose capital funds amount to about six crores and who expend between them about Rs 30,00,000 annually. This sum carefully handled should well overcome all these drawbacks within a few years. But unfortunately, as far as I can gather, there is little cooperation between any of the trusts; on the contrary, there is much overlapping. Now, whilst it may not be possible at the present moment to organize all charities and trusts for a few years in a great campaign against existing evils, it should be possible for the seven or eight of the most enlightened and wealthiest funds notably the Pun­chayet, the N. M. Wadia Charities, the Patel, the Sir Dorab and the Sir Ratan Tata Charities, the Mehta, the Cama and the Kaka Charities and the P. N. Kerawalla Trusts, etc to evolve distinct fields of operation.

The great charitable trusts of Europe and America have a kind of gentleman’s agreement among themselves that each will not infringe the other’s field of operation but will assist in every way it can. Thus when the Pilgrims’ Trust decided to assist in the preservation of buildings of historic importance and the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust to assist museums, each tacitly avoided entering the other’s field, though many buildings of historic importance are also museums. Should cases occur of joint assistance being required, there is generally an unofficial interview between the two secretaries or one or more members of each board. In any case, each trust, through the medium of its annual reports, etc, keeps other trusts informed of its activities. The majority of the Parsi charities, however, seem to revel in mystery.

No audited accounts are published by many of them, still less annual reports. There is much wisdom in the motto "Do good by stealth,” but many of these charities are at the moment doing positive harm by stealth.

At the present time an applicant either for relief or educational assistance may go from one trust to another, getting a little or a lot from each. There has been practically no check on the activities of the "professional applicant.”

It is, however, very satisfactory to note that a slight form of cooperation is gradually being effected between 20 or 30 trusts and that a few investigations are being made.

Fourteen years ago, The Parsee Charity Organisation Society was founded. This Society, during the past few years, has consistently investigated every appeal for help from its own funds, and many appeals made to other funds. In 1929-30 it investigated 985 cases. Of these, "we had to reject,” says their annual report, "365 cases, as they were applications for help made on frivolous grounds. Thus about 37 percent of the applications for help were applications that should never have been made.” The cases include "a few who applied to four or five different funds simultaneously or at intervals.” Similarly, even the Pun­cha­yet admits that "a few parties got considerably more than their requirements.”

How many years of so-called "philanthropy” has it taken to produce this class of "professional beggars?” Those "charitable” persons who by their lack of common sense have helped to sap the spirit of self-reliance in the community cannot be regarded in any sense of the word as benefactors.

I will say nothing about those "trustees” of charities who are constantly appealing to the public for funds, but never publish a balance-sheet, beyond this: That one of the essential requirements of the community is the legal registration and compulsory audit of all those trusts which appeal to the public for funds.

The Parsi Punchayet, I am glad to say, have recently started a "General Register” of all parties who are receiving help from different charity funds. But is this enough? Is it not absolutely essential that each trust should define for itself in cooperation with other trusts its particular line of activity? There need be no surrender of "dignity” if a few trustees are over-sensitive on this matter, only a common-sense arrangement for the good of the community as a whole.

Whatever other trusts may or may not do, the Sir Ratan Tata and the Sir Dorab Tata Trusts should in the near future evolve some form of understanding with each other as to their lines of activity, and should inform the other principal trusts of their action.

I have spoken strongly about the Parsi charitable trusts. I wish I could write still more strongly — that my pen could be steeped in vitriol and my words burn themselves into the hearts of trustees, for of all the evils that the community suffers from, this indiscriminate, unscientific, beggar-producing "charity” is the worst.

It may very well be asked what immediate steps should further be taken to check the evils thus created.

It should be possible to compile a "family register” for certain areas or sections, which in the course of a year or two would show up very clearly those families who might be described as "professional applicants” to the various charities. But in this it is essential that all charities combine. It is obviously of the greatest importance that the children of those receiving charity should not grow up in turn with the "application complex.”

Further, since no Parsi charitable institution has ever made an inquiry into the causes or distribution of poverty in the community, it may be that not only much charitable effort is going to the less worthy and needful but also that others more deserving of assistance who will not confess their troubles or distress are neglected.

It is, therefore, urgently necessary that there should be an economic inquiry. I have been amazed at the almost complete lack of reliable statistics bearing on the economic condition of the community.

Possibly, this work should be done by the Parsi Punchayet with the cordial cooperation of all other charities, but it must be emphasized that such an inquiry in the causes and distribution of poverty and the distribution and effect of charity, cannot be done in the spare time of an existing official, however keen. It will require the full-time services of the best possible man available for several months. All social and health facts relating to the community, including housing, should come within his purview, and upon his successful interpretation of them much will depend.

Housing

I have not, owing to the limited time at my disposal, been able to make an inquiry into housing conditions, but from the statistics it would appear that the Parsis are better housed than any other Indian community. The new buildings erected by Nowroji N. Wadia’s Trust and the Parsi Punchayet have created a most favorable impression and I am glad to know that this excellent work is proceeding. There is, of course, still a great deal to be done to re-house the 3,000 families that still live in one room per family. When such families consist of parents and adolescent sons and daughters, it is obvious that conditions of decency are difficult to secure.

There should also be an inquiry into the use of leisure. Such an inquiry is more important than it looks. The daily job a man does is the test of his use to the community, but the way he spends his leisure is the test of his use to posterity.

But may I in conclusion point out that it is useless having reports and inquiries unless someone has the courage to act on the conclusions and recommendations. For instance, in 1920 the Punchayet published a report on the education of Parsi boys that is by no means the least interesting or useful document I have seen; but one wonders why so few of its excellent recommendations were put into effect.

If inquiries are made and reports are issued merely to be pigeonholed, a definite help is given to the forces of obstruction, ignorance and decay.

Community spirit

During the course of my investigation I have been impressed by the way in which Parsis of different types have each had their own ideas of meeting various problems. This independence of outlook, admirable in many ways, has, however, the corresponding defect that, as Dr N. A. F. Moos has pointedly said, "There is not a single major issue in which our community has acted as one man or spoken with one voice. This canker in us is the root cause of all our troubles, not to speak of the steady fall of the prestige of the community.” Some communities placed in somewhat similar circumstances, such as the Jews in various countries, the Dutch in South Africa, or indeed the British in Kenya, where they form a mere 17,000 out of millions, have generally acted publicly, whatever their private differences, with a unity and a steadfastness that has served them in good stead. Other communities in which dissension has ruled, have been swallowed up and have ceased to exist altogether.

It is, therefore, imperative that the community should devise some means of unified self-expression, for in unity there is strength.

Extracts from the conclusion

–The infantile mortality is much higher than it should be, and there is a need for a pre-natal clinic;

–The health of school going children requires attention;

–Unemployment has increased considerably, particularly among clerical workers and textile workers;

–The literacy figure of 75 percent could and should be improved during the next few years by improving primary education and by encouraging all Parsi children to attend school as soon after passing their fifth birthday as possible;

–There has been a striking advance both in "literacy in English” and in matriculation figures;

–School equipment and libraries should be improved;

–A real effort should be made to co-ordinate leading charities into a definite campaign against the drawbacks and disadvantages pointed out in this report;

–An economic survey of the community is required;

–A greater sense of disciplined service or "the team spirit” would materially help the community.