“Soldier of Ahura Mazda”

"My personal approach in life is to do my duty as a soldier of Ahura Mazda,” remarked Lt Gen Adi Sethna, president of the Delhi Parsi Anjuman and Zoroastrian representative to the National Commission for Minorities when delivering his keynote address at the Bahman mah Ashishvangh roz jashan on July 10, 2005 under the auspices of the Bombay Zoroastrian Jashan Committee. When urged to give some inspiring advice, he responded, "No one listens to advice. All will be turned off hearing a grey head. And who am I to give you advice?”

He preferred to impress on the audience that "we Zarathushtis are considered fellow workers, Hamkars of the Almighty… The Zarathushti who follows the good religion is therefore enjoined to be a soldier of God in helping Him to make the world perfect.” He then sought to ascertain the audience’s understanding of the prayers by quoting the third line from the Yatha Ahu Vairyo prayer: Khshathremcha Ahurai a yim dregubyo dadat vastarem. "But do you know what it means?” questioned Sethna to which hardly any one in the audience had an answer, he mentions in a press release forwarded to Parsiana. "The blessings of Ahura Mazda come to him who works for his brothers meek,” he then proceeded to explain.

From left: Section of the audience and Sethna. Below: Dignitaries on the dais Photo: C. C. Gandevia

Leaders of yore made "their fame and fortune because of their superior education… Parsi students now need support,” declared Sethna, referring to the ongoing efforts to get certain seats in Parsi founded educational institutions reserved for members of the community. Among the leading educational institutes founded with Parsi largesse are the Grant Medical College, Victoria Jubilee Technical Institute and the Patuck Colleges in Bombay, Pune Engineering College, Modern Education Society’s College of Engineering, the Cusrow Wadia Institute of Technology and the Neville Wadia Institute of Management and Research in Poona, B. J. Medical Colleges in Ahmedabad and other places. Expecting that the management will keep seats for Parsis who qualify in the Common Entrance Test, and that students and parents will avail of this opportunity, Sethna stressed, "I strongly suggest that we do not equate this to ‘reservations’ which is only meant for certain categories.”

He then elaborated on the UNESCO Parzor Project’s work on the Parsi Zoroastrian craft documentation program and delineated certain vital demographic statistics: how 30 percent of the community is never married, another 30 percent is outmarried "and yet some people are protesting that these figures should be ignored because the Parsi community will never die out!” Use the Internet, see the Zarathushti matrimonial website to reduce the never married figure, urged Sethna, pleased that literature on this subject was eagerly picked up. With micro studies being conducted on the youth, aged and family attitudes under the guidance of Armaity Desai and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, he was hopeful that charity and other assistance would be channeled where it was most needed.