A platform to perform

"We announced in the newspaper the commencement on May 7 of our learn-to-swim program for Zoroastrian children. Within 24 hours we were inundated with applications and had to close bookings!” states Kyoshi Vispy Kapa­dia, the springboard of the Zoroastrian Children’s Foundation (ZCF) and martial arts strongman who holds a seventh degree black belt in karate. "We have already booked two slots (of timings) for around 120 children at the YMCA pool at Agripada for the 21-day course. Parents will have to pay nothing. The ZCF will take care of everything — coaching charges, swimming goggles, transport to and from the pool, snacks for the kids, etc. They will have to pass an exam at the end, for beginners and advanced level. This is the second summer we are conducting this program.”

Seeking to unlock the potential of the Zoroastrian child, Kapadia and his co-trustees — his wife Shiraz, herself a karate black belt, experienced social worker Perviz Dotivala, principal of Activity High School Perin Bagli, and Zoroastrian Student Teacher Association (ZOSTA) chairperson Zenobia Daroga — have a series of programs on the anvil. "We want to provide the right angles (of perception),” states Kapadia. "It is sad to see that grandparents are not loved and respected the way they should be. We are planning a fun-filled Nana-Nani (grandpa-grandma) Night, where each child is to come accompanied by grandparents dressed in duglis/garas, etc. We are working full-fledgedly on starting our own website, where one can get all Zochild and ZCF news, register online for programs, and more. We would like to start a newsletter too, but a lot depends on donors and finances available.”

Mithoo Jesia (center) and cast of The story of Behram Yazad, with Jimi Jesia (left)

Bringing the higher age group of college-going students in the ZCF viewfinder is also on the horizon. "We want to forge our own identity, not be a clone or copycat. We are neither looking at publicity nor at getting political. People say I am doing all this to gain a foothold (in the community), maybe even aim for Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trusteeship. All this does not bother me. Our only reward is the joy we give and the spontaneous thanks we receive from the children,” says the teacher whose finger has been on the pulse of youth through his karate classes over the last 30 years (see "Kapadia’s karate kingdom,” Parsiana, May 2001). Unforgotten is the memory of Fareena, Vispy and Shiraz’s five-and-a-half-year-old daughter who passed away suddenly in 1998 after a very brief illness.

The high point of ZCF activities is their celebration of Zochilday each year, assembling what is probably the largest congregation of Zoroastrian children at one venue. "The Zoroastrian religion is all about being good and doing good,” piped a young voice at the fourth Zochilday on December 2 last year, part of a big group of small kids on stage, reaching out to the 2,600 community children from different parts of India seated row upon row at Bombay’s vast Shanmukhananda Hall. "May we make Ahura Mazda happy,” he lilted with all the charm of childhood.

A novel feature that day was the en masse transportation of 65 busloads of kids and adult volunteers from the Shanmukhananda Hall at Matunga to Bandra’s Bai Avabai F. Petit Girls’ High School to dine and dance on a midwinter night in the beautiful grounds of the School. "The kids went crazy,” laughs Kapadia. "They were having such a great time they just would not stop dancing, even past the curfew hour. In the end I had to order Hanosh Dubash (popular DJ Osh) to unplug the music! Each paant (dinner sitting) had more than 500 children! We are very grateful to Sir Dinshaw Petit who gave us the use of the grounds and sponsored the dinner as well.”

1st row: Children of Dharmag-yan Class, pyramids from Surat; (2nd row): Lasses of Navsari, enacting Mushkil Aasaan (also immediately below); (3rd row): My special friend from Poona; Lavji na lagan by Girton School

With participants coming in from Bombay and suburbs and places like Hyderabad/Secunderabad, Ahmedabad, Surat, Navsari, Bulsar, Baroda, Bilimora, Poona, Dahanu, Nagpur, etc, the ZCF pays for train/coach fares, cost of food, entertainment, take home gifts, etc. "They do not have to pay a single rupee. Even the sandalwood sticks to be offered during their visit to the atash behram are provided to them,” states Kapadia. A special treat on the next day for around 600 outstation children was a trip to Esselworld, the amusement park on the outskirts of Bombay. "There was no cutting corners. We gave them all the rides, Chinese lunch as well as food packets for the rest of the day. It’s a huge responsibility managing such large numbers of overactive youngsters!” he smiles.

Wanting to instill inspiration and present role models, the ZCF formally felicitated at the Shanmukhananda function 14 students from Bombay and outside for their excellence in fields other than academics. Receiving trophies were Sanaya Ichhaporia, Binaisha Billimoria, Karen Mistry and Firoz Mehta (athletics), Khushnama Desai (dance), Kashmira Pavri (Girl Guides), Zubin Bamji (rifle shooting), Kerfegar Dalal (karate/chess), Shaun Motoshaw (roller skating), Rushad Damania (air rifle), Zenia Bhumgara (magician), Anainah Patel (all-rounder), Arzan Varachhawala (table tennis), Kerfegar Kerawala (Boy Scouts). "These 14 were selected from around 100 bio datas we received. There was a lot of pressure on me (to select x or y) but I don’t succumb,” says the ZCF founder.

(L to R) 1st row: Sanaya Ichhaporia, Khushnama Desai, Kashmira Pavri, Zubin Bamji, Karen Mistry, Kerfegar Dalal and Shaun Motoshaw. 2nd row: Rushad Damania, Zenia Bhumgara, Anainah Patel, Arzan Varachhawala, Kerfegar Kerawala, Binaisha Billomoria and Firoz Mehta

Four eminent personalities were also publicly honored. Retired Justice Sam Variava was felicitated for the preeminence of his position as a judge of the Supreme Court of India and an ex Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court. Octogenarian Dr Keki Grant, founder of Poona’s Ruby Hall Clinic, was lauded for his "immense contribution to the world of medicine.” Architect Hafeez Contractor was eulogized as "the contractor of unique design and one of the most famous faces of architecture.” Social worker Jimi Jesia was commended for being "unassuming and calm, but a volcano of passion and energy” when it comes to working for the less fortunate.

Also felicitated were the BPP trustees, with chairman Minoo Shroff releasing the souvenir. "The community should give credit where it’s due,” Kapadia exhorts. "Though its brick and mortar matters (housing) are mired in controversy, the BPP has done and is still doing fantastic work in education and sports. Being critical is fine, but one must also appreciate the good work they are doing instead of all the time throwing stones.” Asserting that ZCF activities bear out the dictum ‘Parsi thy name is charity,’ Kapadia states: "Scylla Vatcha is like a godmother to the Parsi community. Persis Madon Vatcha, Rati Godrej, Yezdi Bhagwagar, Viraf Chi­noy… there is a long line of individuals who have helped with sincerity and we strongly believe in honoring them publicly.” ZCF is a registered public charitable trust with donations exempted under the relevant sections of the Income Tax Act.

The vast Shamukhananda Hall

As in earlier years, the Zochilday program itself was a mixed bag of entertainment and education. "Reach your creator Ahura Mazda by standing in front of the fire and pray,” exhorted Dastur Khurshed Dastoor, high priest of Udvada. Dastoor’s informative discourse and description of the boi ceremony at the Iranshah was lost in the disturbances caused by the rumblings of hunger in young tummies, as children streamed out into the passage to devour the delicacies provided! "It was very embarrassing. This is a big problem as the Shanmukhananda authorities do not allow eatables in the auditorium. We have to work this one out!” rues Kapadia. "With their short attention spans and ages ranging from those in standard three to standard XII, getting them to concentrate when anything non-visual is taking place is a tough task!”

Attracting keen attention however was The story of Behram Yazad (Mushkil Aasaan), presented by Dadar’s Mancherji Edalji Joshi Memorial Trust. Set in ancient Persia, it narrated with vibrant lights and dramatic music the tale of the poor woodcutter Gayomard, his wife and daughter and the help they receive in their distress from Behram Yazad. "We received overwhelming support from the residents of the Dadar Parsi Colony. With a large cast including three-year-olds, the group worked hard for a long spell to rehearse and present the play,” director Mithoo Jesia announced later.

"We leave it to each center/anjuman to enact whatever they choose, be it dance, drama or comedy. There should be a message in whatever they do,” Kapadia explains. In a 21st century world, where to many urban Zoroastrian children Gujarati remains a strange tongue, the juda juda jamana ni kahani (stories from different generations) brought some acquaintance, albeit fleeting, with their mother tongue. The skits in Gujarati also presented glimpses of a time gone by — the late 19th century house of a 11-member family, the aroma of loban wafting through the spacious otla (verandah), the 10-day holiday for muktad and prayers at home, the placid pace of life, to the now familiar scene of the mom-dad-and-two-kids nuclear family, each doing their own thing!

In his tips on heart health and "what ails your heart at 15 or 50,” Dr Aashish Contractor, head of the department of preventive cardiology and cardio rehabilitation at the Asian Heart Institute in Bombay, told the egg-and-meat-loving community: "There is no food you can never eat, but one to two eggs a week should suffice. You should have three to five servings daily of fruit and veggies.” Play every day, he urged, but not computer games! "Fifteen percent of young children have high blood pressure — the silent killer. One in three is ultimately going to get heart diseases. Indians are also prone to diabetes. Smoking is no longer ‘cool’ for teenagers in the West, but the trend is the opposite in India,” he regretted. No alcohol if you are a minor and even a single dose of cocaine can be harmful, he warned.

"Nine months of the year and much of my time goes into the planning and execution of Zochild activities. The movement is gathering strength. Our platform is love and no personal agendas. We walk the center path and no fanaticism please. Karate has taught me strength — physical and mental. If I can put some of this into the younger generation, I’ll consider my 35 years of teaching a complete success,” sums up the martial arts man.