Editorial Viewpoint
A lot to learn
The l50th anniversary (sesquicentennial) celebrations of the Parsee Girls’ School Association is an appropriate time to reflect on the development of community owned and managed institutions.
In the mid l800s the Zoroastrian community in India was entering its golden age. Around l00 fire temples were built in that century. But aside from a religious awakening there was also a social consciousness developing. Reformers like Dadabhai Naoroji, Sorabjee Bengallee, Naoroji Furdoonji, Kharshedji Cama, Behramji Malabari and others took up many public causes. British and Christian values filtered through. Though the English and the missionaries did not always practice the political idealism they preached, many of their ideals and concepts captivated the Indian intelligentsia. Naoroji underscored this dichotomy with his booklet titled Poverty and UnBritish rule in India.
Lord Macaulay’s vision of creating a class “who may be interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern; a class of persons, Indian in blood and color, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals and in intellect” had its genesis in self interest.
In the give and take of ideas between the colonizers and the colonized, the relatively more level playing field created between all Indian communities and of course the basic tenets of their religion, Zoroastrian intellectuals took up many worthy causes. Eckehard Kulke in his meticulously researched and insightful book The Parsees in India rightly added the sub-title: A minority as agent of social change.
Writing on “social and religious reforms” Kulke notes: “The liberal politics of Bentinck, Elphinstone and Macaulay and the introduction of English education after 1820 had produced a group of young Indians – predominantly Parsis – in Bombay around 1850, who, inspired by ideas and ideals of humanism and English liberalism, wanted to eliminate the obvious ‘inadequacies’ of the Indian society and culture through reforms in the widest sense of the word.”
Kulke narrates the genesis of the community schools: “In l848, one year before Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy laid the foundation of an independent Parsi educational system with Bombay’s first Parsi school, that group of young reformers under the leadership of Dadabhai Naoroji started, along with English teachers and some Hindus, the ‘Students’ Literary and Scientific Society,’ the principal aim of which was to raise the educational standard…
“The Society considered the education of young women to be especially important, something which had been neglected by the Elphinstone Institution up till then. In this regard, the Parsis proved to be decades ahead of all other Indian communities: The Society’s nine schools for girls were attended in 1855 by 740 girls, 475 of them Parsis, 178 Marathi Hindus and 87 Gujarati Hindus.
“The Parsis’ educational system was… ahead of all other communities in India and made it possible for a group of Parsis to move, at this time, into key economic, cultural and – as far as possible at that time – political positions. However, a few decades later, it could already be seen that the other communities were following and, on the other side, the Parsi schools were very soon out of date; they remained at the level of 1880 and were lacking in flexibility and the willingness to modernize. As the well-to-do Parsi families had sent their children to the best government schools or private Christian educational institutions from the very beginning, the Parsi schools remained institutions for the lower classes of the community and were thus basically never able to dissociate themselves from their charitable character…
“While the Parsi schools initially still taught in Gujarati, English was added as a language of instruction after the 70s. As a forerunner of this trend, the Alexandra Native Girls’ Education Institution founded by the Parsi Maneckjee Cursetjee in 1863 had come into prominence. Even if Gujarati was still spoken in most of the Parsi families, this language had indeed soon ceased to be the cultural and educational language of the Parsis.”
Today out of almost l,200 students at the Bai Bhikhaiji Shapoorjee Bengallee Girls’ High School and the Bai Manekbai Nowrosji Gamadia Girls’ High School, Parsis/Iranis are a handful. Many shifted residence to the suburbs. Those that continue to reside in South Bombay opt for missionary run institutions unless affordable Zoroastrian schools are in the vicinity. But even in the so-called “elite” schools today the number of Parsis/Iranis is dismal.
Several of the Parsi schools started out admitting only students from the community. As this source dried up, they were faced with two main options: close down or admit people of all faiths. Thankfully, the institutions opted for the latter.
The Parsi schools demonstrate how smoothly and without controversy community institutions can maintain their character and ownership while becoming cosmopolitan.
The Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Parsee Charitable Institution is an excellent example of a community institution that not only opened its doors to all but also went on to start a junior college for science and commerce and a senior college for commerce. Hence countless Parsi/Irani students who did not score highly in the tenth or twelfth class examinations could secure admission here. This enlightened benevolence and foresight has served the community well and wisely.
The Calcutta Parsi Club years ago permitted spouses of interfaith marriages and their progeny associate status in the institution. The Jeejeebhoy Dadabhoy Agiary grounds in Colaba are given for interfaith marriage receptions (preceded by a jashan). The Delhi Parsi Anjuman allots a limited number of rooms in the Mengusi Dharamshala to non-Parsis. Their dadgah is open to children of Parsi women married to non-Parsis.
In all these instances the purpose of the institutions continues to be served. Rather than liquidating all our assets, we should retain the selfless character and vision of the institution’s founding fathers and mothers, and continue to spread our largesse far and wide.
In the mid l800s the Zoroastrian community in India was entering its golden age. Around l00 fire temples were built in that century. But aside from a religious awakening there was also a social consciousness developing. Reformers like Dadabhai Naoroji, Sorabjee Bengallee, Naoroji Furdoonji, Kharshedji Cama, Behramji Malabari and others took up many public causes. British and Christian values filtered through. Though the English and the missionaries did not always practice the political idealism they preached, many of their ideals and concepts captivated the Indian intelligentsia. Naoroji underscored this dichotomy with his booklet titled Poverty and UnBritish rule in India.
Lord Macaulay’s vision of creating a class “who may be interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern; a class of persons, Indian in blood and color, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals and in intellect” had its genesis in self interest.
In the give and take of ideas between the colonizers and the colonized, the relatively more level playing field created between all Indian communities and of course the basic tenets of their religion, Zoroastrian intellectuals took up many worthy causes. Eckehard Kulke in his meticulously researched and insightful book The Parsees in India rightly added the sub-title: A minority as agent of social change.
Writing on “social and religious reforms” Kulke notes: “The liberal politics of Bentinck, Elphinstone and Macaulay and the introduction of English education after 1820 had produced a group of young Indians – predominantly Parsis – in Bombay around 1850, who, inspired by ideas and ideals of humanism and English liberalism, wanted to eliminate the obvious ‘inadequacies’ of the Indian society and culture through reforms in the widest sense of the word.”
Kulke narrates the genesis of the community schools: “In l848, one year before Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy laid the foundation of an independent Parsi educational system with Bombay’s first Parsi school, that group of young reformers under the leadership of Dadabhai Naoroji started, along with English teachers and some Hindus, the ‘Students’ Literary and Scientific Society,’ the principal aim of which was to raise the educational standard…
“The Society considered the education of young women to be especially important, something which had been neglected by the Elphinstone Institution up till then. In this regard, the Parsis proved to be decades ahead of all other Indian communities: The Society’s nine schools for girls were attended in 1855 by 740 girls, 475 of them Parsis, 178 Marathi Hindus and 87 Gujarati Hindus.
“The Parsis’ educational system was… ahead of all other communities in India and made it possible for a group of Parsis to move, at this time, into key economic, cultural and – as far as possible at that time – political positions. However, a few decades later, it could already be seen that the other communities were following and, on the other side, the Parsi schools were very soon out of date; they remained at the level of 1880 and were lacking in flexibility and the willingness to modernize. As the well-to-do Parsi families had sent their children to the best government schools or private Christian educational institutions from the very beginning, the Parsi schools remained institutions for the lower classes of the community and were thus basically never able to dissociate themselves from their charitable character…
“While the Parsi schools initially still taught in Gujarati, English was added as a language of instruction after the 70s. As a forerunner of this trend, the Alexandra Native Girls’ Education Institution founded by the Parsi Maneckjee Cursetjee in 1863 had come into prominence. Even if Gujarati was still spoken in most of the Parsi families, this language had indeed soon ceased to be the cultural and educational language of the Parsis.”
Today out of almost l,200 students at the Bai Bhikhaiji Shapoorjee Bengallee Girls’ High School and the Bai Manekbai Nowrosji Gamadia Girls’ High School, Parsis/Iranis are a handful. Many shifted residence to the suburbs. Those that continue to reside in South Bombay opt for missionary run institutions unless affordable Zoroastrian schools are in the vicinity. But even in the so-called “elite” schools today the number of Parsis/Iranis is dismal.
Several of the Parsi schools started out admitting only students from the community. As this source dried up, they were faced with two main options: close down or admit people of all faiths. Thankfully, the institutions opted for the latter.
The Parsi schools demonstrate how smoothly and without controversy community institutions can maintain their character and ownership while becoming cosmopolitan.
The Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Parsee Charitable Institution is an excellent example of a community institution that not only opened its doors to all but also went on to start a junior college for science and commerce and a senior college for commerce. Hence countless Parsi/Irani students who did not score highly in the tenth or twelfth class examinations could secure admission here. This enlightened benevolence and foresight has served the community well and wisely.
The Calcutta Parsi Club years ago permitted spouses of interfaith marriages and their progeny associate status in the institution. The Jeejeebhoy Dadabhoy Agiary grounds in Colaba are given for interfaith marriage receptions (preceded by a jashan). The Delhi Parsi Anjuman allots a limited number of rooms in the Mengusi Dharamshala to non-Parsis. Their dadgah is open to children of Parsi women married to non-Parsis.
In all these instances the purpose of the institutions continues to be served. Rather than liquidating all our assets, we should retain the selfless character and vision of the institution’s founding fathers and mothers, and continue to spread our largesse far and wide.
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From the archive