Top ten in Thana

On December 1, 2007, the Thana Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman (TPZA) elected a new 10-member committee, its general secretary Kaizad M. Billimoria informed Parsiana via e-mail. The committee is headed by president Zarsis D. Udhna­wala. Pervez B. Bhesania is vice president, Prof Katy Y. Gandevia joint secretary, Jimmy R.Guard treasurer and Phirozshaw K. Daver joint treasurer. Bomi R. Boyce will serve as chairman of the functions committee. The three remaining trustees are Firdosh N. Kotwal, Hoshang A. Mohta and Dara P. Wadia.

Udhnawala, whose "dynamic and proactive approach” has served the community in and around Thana for the past 30 years, is "known for his integrity and commitment,” writes Billimoria. A wealth manager by profession, he has made a mark in the fields of insurance and investment. Having been president of the Life Insurance Agents’ Association Thane Division, he was elected as the all-India president by the Life Insurance Round Table 2007, informs the write-up.

Most Zoroastrians of Thana and elsewhere know Bhesania as "hard working and capable of taking tough decisions,” the write-up informs. Associated with the Anjuman since 1976, he has served as its secretary for 23 years and as vice president for five. Having grown up in a very poor family where most of his needs were met by his maternal uncles and many Zoroastrian trusts, Bhesania promised his beloved mother that he would repay these debts of kindness by serving the community, a promise which he has amply redeemed. A self-made man and first generation entrepreneur, along with his brother Farokh, he is founder-director and partner in the Aavan-Mehta group of companies, manufacturers of electronics and suppliers to giants like Larsen and Toubro, Philips and others.

Through his talent and enthusiasm Bhesania increased the assets of the 297-year-old Thana Zoroastrian Charity Fund from Rs 1.9 lakh in 1979 to Rs 50 lakh at present. Sensitive to social causes, he built 12 tenements for the weaker sections of the community. He does not hesitate to approach the courts and has spent endless hours in untangling legal issues, strictly observing the law of the land however painfully slow the process. Bhesania was inducted into the Thana Agiary Fund in 2000 because of his boundless enthusiasm and to help complete the project of the construction of the hall and reconstruction of the old heritage agiary, as per the write-up.

Thana team (clockwise from top left): Zarsis Udhnawala, Pervez Bhesania, Katy Gandevia, Phirozshaw Daver, Firdosh Kotwal, Dara Wadia, Hoshang Mohta, Bomi Boyce, Jimmy Guard and Kaizad Billimoria

After graduating in 1988, Billimoria started an engineering unit for reconditioning of machine tools. Today he focuses on developing his pest control business. He was co-opted as a member trustee of TPZA in 2003, elected with a handsome majority two years later and returned unopposed as general secretary in the current election. He "works to build solidarity in the community” through various projects, he informs. Recently, along with wife Havovi he was instrumental in bringing out the latest edition of the Thana directory which is a much referred book in every Zoroastrian household there.

Joint secretary Gandevia works on various committees and government organizations to better the lot of the needy, especially the mentally and psychologically affected. Holding a BA in psychology and MA in social work, she is currently chairperson of the Centre of Health and Mental Health at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences where she teaches, trains and does research in mental health and disaster management. A Fulbright scholar, she has participated in an international exchange program for social workers. She is serving on the TPZA managing committee for her third consecutive term and has contributed towards policy making.

Treasurer Guard, an MCom with management from the University of Bombay, started his career with a renowned Parsi industrial group, later joining various multinational shipping companies and rising to a senior position. A resident of Thana since 1998, he intends to contribute to the welfare of the community during his first stint on the TPZA committee. Joint treasurer Daver also joins the committee for the first time. He retired as assistant manager from Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Company Limited in December 2007 where he worked for 37 years. He brings with him experience of social service, having worked as entertainment and sports secretary for the Godrej staff club. He has organized many camps for blood donation, medical and eye checkups in remote villages.

Boyce has been in the electrical business (which he inherited from his late father Russi) since the past 28 years. He was first co-opted to the TPZA for five years and has been a trustee for the last 18 years. A trustee of the Gulistan Institute of Home Science at Walkeshwar which was started by his paternal aunt in 1955, he is also associated with seven other trusts. Kotwal, Mohta, and Wadia complete the team. Kotwal and Mohta, are first time trustees. The former, a computer professional, moved back to India after working in the USA for eight years. A runner-up in the Lead India Movement, he is an active member of the road monitoring committee, the NGO (non-governmental organization) AGNI (Action for Good Governance and Networking in India) and India Vision Foundation. He has helped children stuck with mothers serving life sentences in Tihar Jail and is an active social worker. Mohta, who retired from Godrej and Boyce after 34 years of service, is a recipient of the Consumer Service Management Award from the National Institute for Training in Industrial Engineering, Bombay. Wadia, a trustee for six years, was reelected unopposed. A mechanical and metallurgical engineer running his own business as a project consultant in the laminate industry, this valuable senior member has contributed to the development and welfare of the community in Thana, the write-up informs.