“I would like WZO to be closer to the ZTFE”

It was his first trip to Bombay in 12 years and Darayus Motivala had a few problems negotiating the city’s changed landscape and road transport scenario. The current president of the World Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO)-UK had availed of the occasion of the gala awards function — held by the Organisation’s India chapter to honor and motivate its members and supporters — to return to the city of his birth which he had left as a lad in 1961.

Among the earliest computer graduates — Motivala holds a BSc (Hons) degree in information technology from the University of Brighton and worked in the Information Technology (IT) industry initially as software engineer and later in sales and marketing for 35 years before making a lifestyle change to restaurateur in 2002 — he doubles in as WZO’s in-house computer expert, using his IT experience to develop WZO’s website www.w-z-o.org, and manages its membership system from his computer at home, designing and printing all the mailers for WZO-UK. Motivala is a Member of the British Computer Society (MBCS).

Puccinos is a theme restaurant in Maidenhead, 10 miles west of London’s Heathrow airport which, as he proudly notes, won several awards in its first year. So three years ago he ventured into D’Lites, a café in a sports center. Meeting people, providing good service to his clients is the stuff of life for Motivala.

Darayus Motivala: "Surprised at the level of intermarriage in India”

Charity work is hence an extension of his personality. "He has raised thousands of pounds sterling for a variety of charities including the Multiple Sclerosis Society. The spirit of community service runs deep in the Motivala family,” notes WZO chairman Sammy Bhiwandiwalla, adding, " The selfless contribution from his wife Arnavaz (née Jila) in the help she provides WZO behind the scene and also his mum Perrin is well known within the UK community.”

About 20 years ago, when Ruby Contractor was president of the WZO, she had invited Motivala to join the WZO board, he recalls. About 10 years later he became joint honorary secretary, responsible for the preparation of meetings, the drafting and presentation of the minutes and handling of all the initial inquiries from around the world. He continued in that position until becoming president in 2006.

The WZO is "not one big organization but a composition of four main parts, all totally independent but working together,” he tells us. The UK based WZO International is largely a fundraising body with charity status in the UK, US, New Zealand and Pakistan, he explains, adding, "To get charity status you need a local man to be involved.” Much of the WZO International’s fundraising is for the WZO Trust in India but it also now increasingly concentrates on supporting the Pouruchista Trust in Iran where he says Zoroastrians are in need of support. This Trust supports widows and the elderly, "giving them something to do, to generate income. It also supports English language and IT training for the youth.” The day care center is located in an ancestral home in Yazd where the old folk in the town are brought in by bus.

In the West, WZO funds are increasingly channeled into education because "Zoroastrians in the West also need help.” Motivala speaks of the Aloo Vatcha Educational Fund which germinated from a small amount left by the late Vatcha in her will. "We used it with her mother’s approval,” he notes. WZO funds also support non-Zoroastrian disaster victims. An annual feature is a seminar on the religion or history of the community.

A major WZO institution is the World Zarathushtrian Trust Funds founded with a munificent donation from the late Mehraban Farhangy. The special group of trustees looking after it includes Shahpur Captain, Bhiwandiwalla, Shahin Bekhradnia, Shahrokh Shahrokh and a member of the Farhangy family.

An outstanding feature of the WZO is Hamazor, the quarterly newsmagazine edited by Toxy Cowasjee which not only gives WZO news but also features articles on items of interest to Zoroastrians worldwide. It is in considerable demand from universities and associations in UK and the US, says Motivala.

According to Motivala there are currently more than 1,500 individual members and more than 25 institutional members which are local associations from various parts of the world. Not all the people who contribute to WZO espoused causes are members of the Organisation, he assures us.

WZO-India has its own constitution, distinct from that of the International body which, unlike India, accepts non-Zoroastrian spouses of Zoroastrians as members. Motivala notes however that Indians with non-Zoroastrian spouses who cannot become members of WZO India are eligible to be members of WZO International. Referring to this change in the WZO constitution that had upset a lot of Indian members of the global body Motivala says, "The environment was right for us to make the change and we did it. But the whole thing comes back to ‘freedom of choice.’” He is alluding of course to Zarathushtra’s gathic commandment to think for oneself.

Motivala with WZO-India president Dadi Engineer

The WZO Trust Funds (India) is another "totally independent” member of the WZO family. "On an average Dinshaw Tamboly (managing director of the WZO Trust Funds) distributes five to six crore rupees annually. Some of the money comes from WZO International. But a lot of it comes from his donors around the world,” Motivala expresses his appreciation. Referring to the Wills Trust founded under the will of two brothers, Dennis and Richard Williams, for the relief of poverty in India, Motivala says it has British nationals on its board of trustees – no Parsis. Yet, solicitor Alex Burns, the managing trustee, when on a visit here to select potential beneficiaries, was so impressed by the way money is dispersed by Tamboly, that the Trust has entrusted the latter with the distribution of its funds in India, said Motivala. "Dinshaw and Bachi Tamboly are totally focused on the charity side!” he exclaims.

Noting that WZO and FEZANA (Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America) work closely together, Motivala says, "I would like (WZO) to be closer to the ZTFE (Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe — the London based organization with which there has been a long history of discord on the issue of non-Zoroastrian spouses). It is a personal preference.” We learn that ZTFE president Paurush Jila is his nephew. Acknowledging that in recent years the level of antipathy has reduced, Motivala adds, "There is no reason why we shouldn’t work together more. We respect their views.”

Motivala’s wife Arnavaz has been a victim of multiple sclerosis since 1978. Their only child Zenobia who loves horses and teaches people to ride and look after horses is a source of much happiness. Zenobia has her own two horses and a dog, states the proud father who also rides for pleasure now and again. The family lives on their estate in Chinnor, a village in Oxfordshire, 50 miles from central London, where Motivala enjoys movie editing, generally the videos of WZO events, photography and social life. So far he is not a member of WZCC (World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce) but says he may become one. In the words of Bhiwandiwalla, he also "devotes long hours each day, seven days a week, for the ultimate benefit of our community.”

"The community in the West is increasing because of migration from India,” says Motivala, adding that intermarriage with other communities is a fact of life in the West. But he was "surprised at the level of intermarriage in India as also at the strong traditional view — stronger than I had anticipated!”