Unvalla’s claims

I refer to the letter from Dastur Nadirshah Unvalla sent to all and sundry. Since I have seen this reference once before, I feel I really should clarify. At the time when my parents, Silloo and Sam Manekshaw wanted a jashan to be done for the new house in Coonoor, there was no alternative but to ask for a priest from Bangalore. That being the case, there was also no alternative but to accept his conditions for performing the jashan. That my father did it politely was due to his nature.

In 2001 when my mother passed away, the same conditions were made by Bangalore and my father arranged for priests to come from Bombay, priests who had no objection to non-Parsis attending the ceremonies.

Again, when father passed on in June 2008, we asked for priests to come from Bombay, anticipating the problems from Bangalore.

Our father should not be quoted as being a bigoted Zoroastrian and certainly should not be used to further the claims of persons wanting to be elected to the Bombay Parsi Punchayet.

SHERRY BATLIWALA

batliwala.sherry@gmail.com