Surat's new edition

"The preparation of this Directory has been a delightful, satis­fying and above all a humbling experience with so many new friends that we have made in the entire process. Those long hours, tiring days and months have been witness to meticulous proof-reading, typesetting, scanning, page-making and what not,” writes Maharukh Chichgar, foun­der trustee of the Zoroastrian Women’s Assembly of Surat (ZWAS) which has compiled and published the third edition of the Directory of the Parsee Zoroastrian Residents of Surat, 2004. She was confident the Directory "will surely become a useful tool for healthy communication between our community and also the world over.”

Of the 3,616 Parsis in Surat (as of September 2002), 1,814 are males and 1,802 are females, mentions the Directory. The age distribution of Parsis shows 651 who are aged under 19, 1,950 in the 20-59 age-group and 1,015 aged over 60. Despite circulating handbills seeking details from community members, advertising in local dailies and going from house to house trying to collect information, "we have not received names of many families,” regrets an announ­cement on the penulti­mate page.

Included in the compendium are 166 pages of the alphabetic listing of the families, specifying the age, address and tele­phone numbers, where available. An apt quotation at the end of each page makes the Directory a compilation worth preserving. There is a separate listing of the 24 male and 18 female inmates and supervisors of the Nariman Home for the Aged, 47 girls and 22 boys at the Panchayat run orphanages in Surat and the seven persons working in the Nasa Khata. A five-page listing of Voluntary Blood Donors in the 18 to 45 age-group has been includ­ed in this compendium as also the list of Parsi dharamshalas in India. A four-page chronological record of developments in Surat from 1612 to 2003 makes interesting reading. A message from Chichgar, from Kainaz Kapadia, president of ZWAS and a photo of the ZWAS family — including the founder trustees Chichgar and Piloo Bhathena — feature here too. The remain­ing pages have been booked by advertisers whose support is valued as also of the well-wishers, Rohin Karanjia, the entire team of Farzan Graphics and Alauddin Kagzi of Citizen Printers, members Dilnaz Kharadi and Mani Jehangir who helped in editing, Jal Savai and Homi Turel who contributed important details for this compi­lation, and Farida Anklesaria who designed the front cover.

At the launch of the Surat Directory (from left): Chichgar, Dinshaw Tamboly, Kapadia, Master and Bachi Tamboly; Below: ZWAS ‘family’

As notes Kapadia, "The projects of ZWAS, though small in number, are pitched to reach the hearts of one and all...The Parsi Directory is a hope and promise that our worthy community has survived the worst to restore its quality and will not dwin­dle in nullity but will stand reformed and revitalized year after year.”

The launch of the Directory on October 22, 2004 was in the presence of Dastur Cyrus Dastur of Surat, the president of the Surat Parsi Panchayat Darayas Master and Bombay Parsi Punchayet trustee Dinshaw Tamboly. As remarked Tamboly, "In today’s world the Parsi ladies definitely knock out the men in accomplishments and we hope that even in future the ladies may deliver (pun intended) admirably.” Describ­ing himself as an ardent admirer of ZWAS activities Master ap­pealed to ZWAS to take up the challenge of bringing together the youth of the community and charting out a program to fight the problem of dwindling numbers. The premier of the drama Gulab gadbad na karto was also staged that evening but as Chichgar expressed, every gulab (rose) of our community should do some gadbad (mischief) to enhance the community numbers.

"This Directory is a rich tribute not only to the members of ZWAS but also to the Zoroastrians of this grand city of Surat who have appreciated and encouraged every activity and social work of ZWAS and helped us with their constant support...Our every pro­gram and this entire Directory is an example of extraordinary team work. The president, secretary (Binaifer Engineer) and committee chairpersons and members have always been just a phone call away and have responded with lots of zest and new ideas...Today ZWAS stands poised to enter its second decade of service — prepared to take new challenges and go the distance...” mentions Chichgar’s message.