“Brothers up in arms”

It is a sad fact that siblings should be at loggerheads with each other. Reading "Brothers up in arms” about the Vazifdars (Events and Personalities, Parsiana, May 21, 2007), I was reminded of the Mehtas of Altamount Road in Bombay who came to blows over the ownership of a painting by Jehangir Sabavala. The sister claimed that the painting belonged to her and got it back from her brother who had tried to hide it at a friend’s place during his sister’s absence. The painting in question was worth over half a crore of rupees (see "Sabavala’s serigraphs,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, June 21, 2007).

Parsis should learn how to compromise. Family feuds should be settled by some vadil (head of the family) intervening and making the two parties realize the futility of it all. Some people can be adamant, in which case there is no other recourse but the courts. Over the years such sibling squabbles are becoming more common and families are torn asunder. Often this is due to the obstinacy of one party not being amenable to the idea of compromise even when in the wrong. This results in waste of time, money and energy which could be put to better use.

Who stands to gain by long drawn court cases? The legal fraternity. May God guide us all to do what is right by each other.

N. K. PLUMBER