“Dream good and great”

It was meant to be a day to remember for those in their wonder years. "What a function this has been,” said legal luminary Fali Nariman, addressing a vast sea of faces at the Fifth Zoroastrian Children’s Day (Zochild Day) celebrations in Bombay, after he had been conferred a Lifetime Achievement Award by the organizers of the event, the Zoroastrian Children’s Foundation (ZCF). The vast shamiana sheltering around 3,000 school children, volunteers and invitees on December 23, 2007 at the Parsi Gymkhana grounds by the bay on Marine Drive was awash with color — myriad blues, reds, khaki and white of school uniforms, the rich tones of embroidered borders on saris silken, the pristine white of duglis, the black of the Parsi pugree…

"I came here (from Delhi where he lives) as an obedient guest, dressed in Parsi attire. We do what the organizers say. I have never seen so many Zoroastrians dressed like this except at weddings and navjotes! We are usually indistinguishable from people in the rest of the places where we stay,” remarked Nariman, a former Additional Solicitor-General of India, who for six years was a member of the Rajya Sabha (the Upper House of Parliament in India) and who has been honored with the Padma Vibhushan (the nation’s second highest civilian honor) by the Government of India.

From top: Vispy Kapadia, a scene from Never Without my Religion, Parichay Marker, demonstrating self-defence, bright hues of India from Navsari

Asked to provide inspiration to the children, Nariman laced his speech with humor and words of wisdom: "We Zoroastrians do not project ourselves differently. It is members of other faiths who perceive us to be different. Zoroastrianism is seen and admired more as a way of life than a religion. Zarathushtra’s teachings should continue to inspire us. We must continue to be truthful, hard-working and honorable citizens.” Poking gentle fun at the bawa’s ability to spin a tall story, Nariman advised his brethren however to remain fun-loving: "We must not lose our characteristics and character… People say we are a vanishing species and will not outlive the century. Don’t believe it!”

Nariman never thought we could get so many Zoroastrian children from all over India under one banner and he was so pleased with what he saw that he presented the ZCF with a very generous donation, Kyoshi Vispy Kapadia, ZCF’s founder chairman who is a seventh degree black belt in karate, told Parsiana in an interview in his office after the hurly-burly and the exhaustion of an event of this magnitude had passed. "I cannot thank my donors enough. Just one phone call and donations come in cash and kind. People believe in the work of the ZCF.” The Foundation is a registered public charitable trust, the other trustees being Vispy’s wife Shiraz, also a karate black belt, social worker Perviz Dotivala, principal of Activity High School Perin Bagli and Zoroastrian Student Teacher Association (ZOSTA) chairperson Zenobia Daroga.

The Zochild program is much more than the annual two-day fun and frolic which however is its premier event, Kapadia asserts.This May too the Foundation will hold its summer swimming program as they have for the last two years. "The ZCF subsidizes all expenses — transport, coaching, midday snack, swimming goggles, etc, the cost of which runs into lakhs. I have offered my gym as well as self-defense classes in karate for free to children who would like to avail of these during the holidays. We are looking at additional activities like dance to keep the kids constructively occupied. I would like to organize a hiking trip to Matheran for poor kids who have never been there, but we need a place to stay free of cost. I have a strong and good committee who scrutinize things carefully and see that the deserving reap the benefit,” Kapadia says.

Godrej Baug lads and lasses put on their dancing shoes

The December program saw a bigger participation of outstation children, with large contingents coming in from Navsari, Surat and Poona, as well as other places like Hyderabad/Secun­derabad, Ahmedabad, Baroda, Nagpur, Bangalore, Jaipur, Jamshedpur, etc. Gujarat and Poona are asking for an additional edition of Zochild Day, with sponsors willing to bear the costs, Kapadia notes. The logistics are enormous: "We need more staff, more volunteers, more sub-committees.” In Bombay outstation children were housed at the Bandra Parsi Convalescent Home for Women and Children and the Cama Athornan Madressa at Andheri. "We looked after and treated all the children as though they were our own,” ZCF’s torchbearer elaborates.

Over 60 buses ferried the youngsters to the venue from as far as Jogeshwari and Thana. Hundreds of colorful breakfast boxes from Macdonald’s and bottles of water were neatly placed on each seat, row upon row, awaiting not just ‘please sir I want some more’ healthy appetites, but also the invitees and volunteers arriving breakfastless on a Sunday morning! In addition to lavish take home gifts for all the children, outstation kids were fortified with packets of biryani, farcha, boiled eggs, chips and juice for the return journey, despite the lagan nu bhonu tucked into at lunchtime!

Kapadia makes special mention of Shahrukh and Tanaz Shroff of Adventure Tours and Travels. "They are outstanding as far as logistics is concerned — organizing the volunteers, supervising the arrangements and transporting pushing, shoving, boisterous boys and girls into the right buses at the right time!”

The first day’s program on December 22 (only for those from outside Bombay) saw a jashan. Ervad (Dr) Ramiyar Karanjia, principal of the Dadar Madressa, spoke on good thoughts and the implementation of good words and deeds. Ervad Zarir Bhandara of Los Angeles emphasized the importance of daily prayers. Bhandara is a fourth degree black belt and a referee and judge at world karate meets. He has been felicitated by the American Red Cross Society for saving innumerable lives by donating blood and blood platelets. Lily Patel, principal of the Dastur Boys’ School in Poona, talked about inner discipline and the role of youth.

Honoring lifetime achievers: (from left) Perviz Dotivala with Fali Nariman, Perin Bagli with Farokh Udwadia, Hoshang Sinor with Daisy Sidhwa, Silloo Commissariat and Vispy Kapadia; Dinyar Contractor with Freny Mehta, Arnavaz Damania and Zenobia Daroga, Pesi Damania and Shiraz Kapadia

Sunday’s function saw "a cocktail of old and new,” in the words of Hoshedar Khambatta who comes down from Dubai each year to compere the event. The customary flag hoisting and oath taking were followed by the singing of the Zochild song by the students of The Alexandra Girls’ English Institution, the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Parsee Charitable Institution and the Panday and Girton High Schools.

Decrying the constant criticism of the trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet and appreciating the work done, Kapadia felicitated chairman Minoo Shroff and trustees Dadi Engineer and Burjor Antia who were present on the occasion. Other individuals who had helped in various ways were also honored — Persis Madon Vatcha, Viraf Chinoy, Khodu Irani, Vistasp Katrak, Zarir Bhathena…

Besides Nariman, the ZCF presented Lifetime Achievement Awards to six others — Dr Farokh Udwadia, eminent physician and recipient of the Padma Bhushan, Poona’s Arnavaz Damania, women’s hockey player, administrator and judge at the Olympics, Scouter Pesi Damania, winner of the Silver Elephant (the highest national Scouting award), Hoshang Sinor, ex managing director and chief executive officer of ICICI Bank, Silloo Commissariat, ex principal of the Panday Girls’ High School whose devotion to teaching has spanned half a century, and Dinyar Contractor, actor and dramatist.

Students of the Mancherji Edalji Joshi Dharmagnan Class in Never Without My Religion

Responding to the honor, Udwadia stated: "This (Zochild) is a wonderful idea, it breeds a sense of comradeship, pride and belonging… I do not go to the fire temple often, maybe on birthdays. To me, it’s easy to do good words and good deeds. It is in good thoughts that one sometimes fails. Thinking pure thoughts is an achievement one must aim at. Dream good and great and single mindedly follow your dream. Zoroastrians belong to a great country and are citizens of the world.”

In a brief address in Gujarati, Dastur (Dr) Firoze Kotwal noted that the few words of the Yatha Ahu Vairyo contained the essence of the religion. "Dharam taraf nu yakin ekdam steadfast hovu joyé (you should be steadfast in your faith),” he told the children. "Pessimism is something my religion does not teach me,” stated community activist Noshir Dadrawala. "It is a lesson of history that Zoroastrianism has seen many sunsets which have all been followed by sunrise. On the soil of India too, we have seen a bit of dusk but sunrise will come.”

Seeking to bring Sasanian history alive, the students of the Mancherji Edalji Joshi Dharmagnan Class presented "Never Without My Religion.” Written and directed by Mithoo Jesia assisted by Ramiyar Karanjia, the story dramatized the end of the Yazdegird era and the conquest by the Arabs.

Trustees and organizing committee (from left) Dilnawaz Billimoria, Keki Cooper, Daisy Sidhwa, Sanober Kaka, Yasmin and Urvax Dhanda, Zenobia Daroga, Perviz Dotivala, Perin Bagli, Shiraz and Vispy Kapadia, Hutoxi Aibara, Diana Marfatia, Freny Mehta, Khorshed Kapadia and Silloo Commissariat

Delving into their personal pockets to sponsor expenses for recognizing merit in areas other than academics, Vispy and Shiraz presented elegant trophies to 29 boys and girls for success in sports, dance, choreography, acting, etc. The awardees were Farzan Vania, Barzin Contractor, Zena Chipia, Frenaz Chipia, Mazda Disawalla, Pourush Irani, Ava Chiniwalla, Porus Suntoke, Khushnuma Randelia, Khushnaz General, Zenia Bhumgara, Kerman Cooper, Afroze Elavia, Vahbiz Billimoria, Shahzad Faroodi, Nekshad Irani, Spenta Daruwalla, Minoo Jokhi, Hanoz Mehta, Xerxes Bamboat, Khushru Patel, Meherzad Daruwala, Afreen Bhathena, Alysha Khodaiji, Farhad Sukhia, Ashrafi Ginwalla, Pearl Tirandaz, Nayenaz Jamadar and Shahan Davierwala.

With Zochild providing an opportunity to many to showcase individual talent on stage, 11-year-old Parichay Marker of Poona played the violin, bringing to her performance an endearing seriousness and dedication. Cyrus Du­bash’s powerful voice rendered the Circle of Life, weaving a rich web of surround sound, while his rock and roll number had his audience foot-tapping, even without any Elvis antics! "I have recorded 10 songs in an album which is available online,” the young man who has trained as a pilot and never as a singer and who is into providing customized courses in Information Technology told Parsiana later.

Hugely popular, however, were the dance numbers — sprightly rhythms and no blues, tunes from tinsel town presented with uninhibited shimmy and shake by teenyboppers from Bharucha, Rustom, Jer and Godrej Baugs. Well trained and rehearsed, the dancers’ own obvious enjoyment was shared by the audience with whoops and screams of encouragement! Standing out was the well choreographed sequence from Navsari.

Play by Yazdi Karanjia (center)

Kapadia’s prowess as a karate teacher came through in the martial arts display by students of his All India Gojukai Karate Do. Appointed last year as chief coach of the national team, Kapadia is also senior vice president of the All India Karate Federation recognized by the Indian Olympic Association. "All five members of my family (including three children) have earned black belts, making us the first family of karate!” he quips. Inviting a few children up on stage to test the sinews of his students, Kapadia was inundated by a flood of mischievous youngsters rushing up to land kicks and punches on the karatekas till he martialled order!

"My message to the community is that Zochild is here to stay. But the day has to be established, like Sanjan Day, for example. I am aiming for that. I have a tested band of people comprising my four trustees and organizing committee members — Diana Marfatia, Commissariat, Freny Mehta, Sanober Kaka, Urvax and Yasmin Dhanda, Keki Cooper, Khorshed Kapadia, Dilnawaz Billimoria, Kersi Mistry, the list is too long to recount in full,” he says.

"By and large, our generation has been a flop as far as bonding is concerned, with too much mud-slinging. Today’s children will stay in the fold if guided correctly. Somebody at some point in life, like Jimmy Guzder and Neville Wadia, stood by me when I needed help. I want to give back. I have done it with passion and love, never hesitating to put my hand into my own pocket either.”

The goal is laudable and the fountainhead of the program is aware that Zochild needs to retain a cosmopolitan character, dealing as it does with malleable minds, so that religious fervor never turns, somewhere down the line, into religious fanaticism.