The lost generation - II

The report on the individual anjumans is the fourth installment on the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India executive council and general body meeting held on September 23 and 24, 2006. The fifth and final report will appear in our January 7, 2007 issue.

Iranian Zoroastrian Anjuman

The Iranian Zoroastrian Anjuman’s (IZA) main income is from the grass grown on the Palghar lands,

From left: Mehrwan Irani and Pervez Irani

said IZA president Mehrwan Irani. The Anjuman gives relief for poverty, medical assistance and scholarships. Around 3,500 people join in on the March 21 Jamshedi Navroz celebrations, he observed.

Khergam

"All is well in Khergam,” said Khergam Parsi Anjuman representative Tannaz Parakh, humorously referring to the sentence she had uttered at the last general body meeting in Bombay. She was apparently unaware at that time of the encroachment on the Anjuman property. She noted that the trustees had asked the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) and the Federation for assistance in fighting the case but "help was not forthcoming.” The trustees won against the encroachers who have now approached them for a settlement, she added.

From left Tannaz Parakh, Firoza Punthakey-Mistree

She noted that an allegation had been made in one of the Federation meetings "that not a single trustee lives in Kher­gam.” She stated Kersi Khergam­walla lives there and "looks after the dadgah.”

Madras

Around 250 to 257 Parsis reside in Madras said Madras Parsi Zarthosti Anjuman (MPZA) representative and co-opted member south zone Mani Club­wala. The south Indian city has three community bodies: the Madras Parsi Association, a social

Mani Clubwala

association, the Jal Phiroj Clubwala Dar-e-Meher Trust and the MPZA. An election for all three bodies took place on September 23 (see "Mogrelia bids adieu,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, December 7, 2006). The Dar-e-Meher’s priest is "very popular” and performs 40 to 50 private jashans in a year.

Nargol

The Nargol doongerwadi lands consist of 23 acres, said Nargol Parsi Jarthosti Anjuman representative Farroakh Gova­dia. Two thousand bawal trees have been planted on the lands, he noted. The dakhma has been cleaned and mobed quarters consisting of three rooms and a kitchen including a separate toilet for menstruating women has been constructed. "There are no youth in

From left: Hoshang Wania, Farroakh Govadia

Nargol,” stated representative Hoshang Wania. But some new housing projects are coming up and "we will see if any youth will reside there,” he added.

Nagpur

Disappointed that only one representative could be present at the Federation general body meeting, Nagpur and Kamthi Parsi Zarthosti Anjuman president Edul Bhagwagar wanted two or three representatives to be permitted to attend for the sake of "greater involvement and transparency.” The Federation was about fellowship, he said.

He noted that the Nagpur Parsis had individually contributed over Rs 58,000 to assist Parsis in Surat affected by the floods this monsoon. Giving a detailed demographic breakup of the 590 members of the Anjuman, he noted 15 percent are below the age of 20, 16 percent are between 21 and 40, 40 percent are between 40 and 60, and 29 percent are 60 and above. "The over 60s are mostly alone and in poor health,” said Bhagwagar. Noting the Anjuman faced "a shortage of funds,” Bhagwagar said 36 percent of their money is spent on maintenance of the agiary, including the salary of two priests, a chasniwalla, a mali and for kathi. Four percent goes for medical aid, five percent for education, 10 percent on the old and needy, 18 percent on municipal taxes and eight percent for the maintenance of buildings. A major achievement of the Anjuman was the "construction of a compound wall” around the aramgah grounds. He likened it to the "Great Wall of China” and profusely thanked the World Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO) and Dinshaw K. Tamboly in assisting with the required funds.

Through the good offices of Jamsheed Kanga formerly from Nagpur and a retired Indian Administrative Service officer, Bhagwagar was hoping to lease several acres of prime land in Nagpur. Bhagwagar welcomed any proposal from Parsi organizations for developing the land. He remarked that if the state of Vidarbha is formed, Nagpur will be its capital.

From left: Edul Bhagwagar, Shiraz Doongaji

"We host 120 young people once every five years,” for cricket matches between Jamshedpur, Surat, Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Calcutta and Nagpur, said Bhagwagar. Due to the limitations of logistics it is difficult to involve more cities in the matches.

Four to five youngsters had gone to Surat following the earthquake some years ago to offer assistance, he noted. Nagpur has around 75 youth and they are "very active.”

Adding to what Bhagwagar said, anjuman treasurer Shiraz Doongaji noted, there were two Guinness record holders in Nagpur. A girl had driven on "the highest motorable road” and two seniors over the age of 80 are arm wrestling champions. The agiary has two young mobeds aged 21 and 28, said Doongaji.

Secunderabad and Hyderabad

"The litigation with the endowment commission continues,” said Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman of Secunderabad and Hyderabad (PZASH) representative Omim Debara. A stay has been obtained from the court against an order that was adversarial to the Anjuman. In 2005 there were four births, seven navjotes, seven marriages and 22 deaths (see table). In 2006 two births were recorded, two navjotes and 16 deaths. A solar concentrator installed at the twin city dakhma suffered a broken mirror in the first month. The glass mirror was replaced with perspex (acrylic plastic) mirror along with stainless steel clamping plates, said Debara.

From left: Jehangir Bisney, Omim Debara and Aspi Debara

The Parsi dharam­shala in Khan Bahadur Edulji Sorabji Chinoy quarters is "under renovation. A generous donation by the Chinoy family made this possible,” he said. On August 4, 2006 PZASH president Gool Chinoy and Soona B. Mirza laid the foundation stone. Tributes were paid to Zoroastrian Stree Mandal member Shireen J. Hormusjee who expired on July 8, 2006. On September 21, 2006 on the occasion of the Hyderabad agiary salgirah a purse was presented to Ervad Hormusdiar Unwalla who had served the agiary for the last 35 years, said Debara. There are 1,200 Parsis in the twin cities.

The youth association is not functioning, said Debara, but they are involved in all community events. In 1988 the Twin City Youth League was founded, said trustee Jehangir Bisney. "Unfortunately just like FOZYA (Federation of Zoroastrian Youth Associations) the momentum was lost.” The next set of youth leaders were "not groomed… one must be ready to pass the baton.” He felt the young were not motivated and not challenged enough.

Top: Nagpur Parsi aramgah bungli and grave stone honoring Parsi railway personnel killed in accidents; Above: entrance to grave sites

Ashi Daraius Morawala secured 95 percent in the intermediate public exam and has secured admission to the medical college at Manipal, said Debara.

Solapur

The Solapur Parsee Anjuman which once had around 800 Parsis now has only 80. Of these 40 are over the age of 60, said representative Zubin S. Amaria. The Anjuman has a 163-year-old agiary which they are "trying their best to maintain.” The priest quarters are in a dilapidated condition. People in the locality neighboring the dakhma complained "of a foul smell” but the trustees cannot close down the dakhma as the two mobeds who reside in Solapur want their bodies to be consigned to the tower on their

Zubin Amaria

death. After their demise the dakhma will be closed down, said Amaria. All other Parsis are being buried. The WZO has donated a lakh of rupees towards renovating the mobed quarters and the BPP has donated Rs 25,000. The dakhma is situated on three-and-a-half acres of land and the property "needed a wall.” The Anjuman approached Sushil Kumar Shinde, Congress politician, who helped the Anjuman raise the money to construct the wall. Solapur has 12 youth, said Amaria.

To be continued