Fresh and functional at HPY

It was the changing of the guard at the 23rd Holiday Programme for Youth (HPY). Young Azmin Mistry was taking over for the first time as chief coordinator from stalwart Diana Marfatia but betrayed none of the I-have-to-prove-myself jitters. The Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), promoters of the Programme, had a new chairman and trustees on stage at the inaugural function on May 2, 2009 — Dinshaw Mehta, Arnavaz Mistry, Khojeste Mistree, Jimmy Mistry, Armaity Tirandaz, with Yazdi Desai and Noshir Dadrawala arriving a little later. The organizing team had several new youngsters as groups-in-charge.

In the audience were the 146 HPY participants — girls and boys from different parts of India who had just finished school, from the tall and strapping to the frail and nervous. With the mall-multiplex mosaic during their three-month holiday touted as manna for the teenagers and despair for their parents, HPY seeks to provide pre-college teens a compass, both external and internal, to help navigate what is often foggy terrain in their minds about the future. Multifarious activities, intellectual and physical, provide the stimulus and the choice — to plod on or rock on, to stand out or blend into the background!

"I personally feel HPY is a fantastic program. I have come here for two-three years as a resource person,” stated Jimmy Mistry who chaired the inauguration at the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Parsee Charitable Institution (BJPCI), the 14th year in succession HPY was being held at this venue. Known for his drive and out-of-the-box thinking, Mistry announced at the outset that he was not going to make a formal speech. Jumping down from the stage, he presented the mike randomly to a few youngsters (too startled to give weighty answers!), asking what they expected to gain from HPY! "Your next five years will determine the next 50,” he stated, back on stage. He exhorted the youth to "uncondition any previous negative conditioning you may have got.” Mistry cited the example of corporate training programs, where the trainee has pre-decided that the trainer knows little! "É nahi samajvano (he will not listen) as he believes he knows it all; he (the student) does not want to know! At PRG (Parsi Resource Group which he founded) we have seen that boys and girls sometimes do not know what to do even after they have finished college,” Mistry asserted. Push yourself, shape your career in accordance with "the family values we Parsis are born with… If I had nothing constructive to do the next day I would die of boredom!” Religion is of the utmost priority, he noted. "I don’t pray for hours, but if I have a tough day ahead I go to the agiary and get blessings,” he added.

From left (top row): Kurash Mestre, Hormuzd Irani, Farzan Mirza and Zinnia Engineer;The fashion show; (second row) Scherezade Contractor, Shahrouk Banaji, Shiamak Mehta, Sheriar Irani, Ava Nagporewala and Khushnuma Daruwala;Hufriya Dudhmal (left) and Meherzeen Avasia ;(bottom row) Khushnum Motafaram, Natasha Bana, Zervaan Bunshah and Arzan Varachhawala; Dilshad Cama, Shernaaz Engineer and Khushnum Patel; Dinaz Driver, Cyrus Bagwadia and Peenaz Irani

Introducing Homai Daruwalla, former chairman and managing director of the Central Bank of India who was the chief guest at the inaugural, Mistry stated that it should be an inspiration to all "that a Parsi lady has risen to these heights in the public sector.” She steered the Bank through a rough patch and rejuvenated it with new initiatives, leaving it in sound financial condition when she retired last December. Touching upon some of the "long line of awards she has received,” Mistry stated that receiving all these honors at national level was a phenomenal achievement. "I have lived in the same building and I know she is always willing to help. No success is worthwhile unless it serves the needs of the community,” he averred.

There is a plethora of career options on tap today, as well as the means to assess them, Daruwalla stated, with liberal education loans available. "That was not so in our era. The knowledge revolution however requires the student to focus on SWAT — strengths, weaknesses, aptitudes and threats. It is imperative parents do not impose their own career choices, nor should a teenager succumb to peer pressure. Health and physical exercise, good nourishment, meditation are also important. Achieve worthy goals. The quality of your goals is the key to success. You must resolve to become tender to the young, compassionate to the old, sympathetic to the striving, tolerant to the weak,” she advised. "Success with integrity lasts longer.”

Daruwalla ended her strong address with an anecdote ("I always conclude with anecdotes”) about an eagle’s egg, which fell into the chicken’s coop. "The baby eagle did what the chicken did — dug in the dirt, never flew more than a foot or two. One day it saw a mighty eagle flying high. ‘What is this beautiful bird which flies so outstandingly?’ it asked its companions. ‘This is an eagle, but you cannot fly because you are a chicken,’ he was told.” The eagle never gave it a second thought, believing it to be true. "Here was a bird deprived of its proud heritage. Born to win but conditioned to lose,” Daruwalla narrated. "Our min­d­set has to be drastically changed. You can make your parents, friends and community proud of you. That’s what success is all about.”

Activities aplenty

The "324 hours of the Programme spread over four weeks,” as per Hormuz Bana, master of ceremonies at the inauguration, saw the 71 boys and 75 girls from 54 different schools (37 from Bombay, 17 from places such as Ahmedabad, Surat, Navsari, Bardoli, Poona, Panch­gani, Goa…) participate in a mixed basket of activities. There was the creative chaos of competitions — talent display, dramatics, quiz, debates, JAM (Just-a-Minute), fashion show, personality contest and a new one this year called R.J. (Radio Jockey) Hunt. There was the rapid fire of sports — cricket, soccer, swimming, throw ball, basketball, table tennis, chess…

Helping HPYites connect with careers (around 40 career options, as per Azmin Mistry) were professionals from various fields — aviation to architecture, banking to business, nursing to rarer ones like optometry… Workshops in rhythm and dance, speech and drama, judo, parent-child relationships brought out the laughter and laments! With the single-minded focus on marks in the final year at school leaving students little time or inclination to stand and stare, trips to the Reserve Bank of India Money Museum, the Braille Press and Talking Book Library, Mani Bhavan, SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and Borivali National Park brought in value education. The youth were encouraged to show a human face with visits to old age homes where they entertained the inmates, while a few able bodied ones were brought to the BJPCI to enjoy the Antakshari competition.

The blood donation drive collected 224 bottles of blood for the blood banks of the St George’s and B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospitals. "The officers of both the blood banks were truly delighted and grateful as HPY has been among the top blood donating organizations. This year we have beaten all HPY records as well since Group 1 (Achievers) single-handedly contributed by collecting 81 bottles themselves,” announced Azmin Mistry at the valedictory function on May 30. Navjotes were performed of not one but two poor Parsi children, she added. The "Karaoke and Chaat Nite” (with resource person Sensei Cawas Billimoria lending his karaoke machine) was the special event this year, followed by a picnic on June 14 for past and present alumni, with Mehta offering his outstation bungalow to HPY for the day.

From left (top row): Homai Daruwalla, Cyrus Bagwadia, Shernaaz Engineer, Dinshaw Mehta, Diana Marfatia and Azmin Mistry; (middle row) Stepping out in style; (bottom row) HPY on song (left) and Jimmy Mistry (standing) with HPYites

Farewell function

"This Programme has been designed for you. It gives an awareness of what is in store for you for the future,” stated Mehta, in the chair for the valedictory function. "It is a very nice program and I’m sure you must have imbibed a lot from it.” The BPP sponsors the Programme and chief executive Mehli Colah, senior executive Cawas Panthaki and office assistant Bakhtawar Dastur, who shoulders much of the administrative burden, are part of the organizing team.

Introducing Sher­naaz Engineer, the guest of honor at the valedictory function, Mehta said her passion for the community is something all HPYites can draw inspiration from. Consultant editor with the Afternoon Despatch and Courier, Engineer contributes to leading publications, has recently authored a book entitled Amazing Amils: Lessons from the lives of Sindhi Achievers and is working on a book on eminent Indians. "I think she should write on the Parsis too,” Mehta opined.

"I am thrilled to be here, among our budding stars,” stated Engineer in her enthusiastic, fast-paced address. She elaborated on the promise of purpose: "Success doesn’t come from talking big or thinking big. You need to sit down and think how you would like to plan your life.” Hard work, discipline, skills you may have already learnt at HPY, there are many more, which need to be developed. "Strive hard and become your best self. Do not be second rate or third rate and retire with regrets. Think whether you backed out or buckled down when you could have been a role model.

"We Parsis have been so eminent in the past, we are so complacent in our present. We are losing our luster… we are (the generation of) the missing Parsis, missing in public life. We blame everybody — the educational system, the government, even the BPP. We need to collaborate to forge a future for the community,” she stated. Engineer exhorted the youngsters to stay true to tradition. "Choose life’s milestones with care. Select a Zoroastrian spouse… Forge ahead with vision and sagacity, or you will be letting down your family and an entire generation.” Leave a grand Zoroastrian legacy for the generations that follow, she urged.

Chief guest Cyrus Bagwadia, former managing director, Essel Propack Limited, illustrated his talk with signposts from his own life, emphasizing that fortune’s wheel can turn with drive and determination. "As a schoolboy I used to go from door to door with big boxes, selling tea powder to help supplement income for a large family of three sisters, two brothers and parents. It was a tough job, after school climbing stairs, collecting orders, having the door shut on my face,” he related. Predictably, it did nothing to lift his spirits. "Why are you walking around with a grumpy, long face?” his father queried. "Here I am working my butt off and you want me to smile?” the son countered. "Think of the opportunities you are getting to meet people, getting a Duke’s Mangola to drink,” the father encouraged. The lad began to see things from a different perspective. "I would approach customers with a smile and that part of my life changed. I became a hero in my Parsi colony. I had the maximum number of girlfriends! There are no problems. There are only opportunities.”

Work hard, but work smart as well, Bagwadia counseled. He related how at one of the company’s factories in China, a worker had come up with a simple solution to what appeared a knotty problem. "On the packaging line, the empty tube would be automatically filled with the product, the cap fixed, the filled tubes packed into cartons and closed. We noticed that we were receiving complaints that tubes reaching customers were often empty!” Top engineers suggested installing high-resolution cameras to check each tube, etc, at a very high cost. It was a humble worker’s suggestion that turned out to be the most practical — the placing of fans at the stage where the tubes were being filled. The empty tube would just fly off the assembly line! That is what I call thinking smart…”

"Don’t get so dogmatic as to bring other cultures down,” he strongly urged. One should not rate cultures, as one being better than another. It brings about animosity. Appointed to a good position in Hong Kong in an American company, Bagwadia stated he inquired of his bosses why they had chosen him. "You have an appreciation and understanding of more than one culture. You can relate to people with a Chinese, Korean, American (Western) background,” he was told. Think positive, be a multicultural person, have a cause, take a break and smile, he advised, giving another example of a young man who runs a courier company with 35 deaf and mute employees who earn an income and are so happy to be together.

Coming to community affairs, Bagwadia termed adult franchise a "historical moment” for the community. There is need for equitable, community friendly, progressive leadership. Trustees should take the message and provide the right level of leadership. "I hope this (advice) will be taken in the right spirit,” he asserted. Youngsters have an equal responsibility. "You cannot remain mere spectators. HPY should build a Youth Wing, which can help in times of national calamity, create awareness of rights and facilities. Rebuild the community with love. Youth should tell the elders and the elders should listen,” he added.

The pivots

"It’s a fantastic feeling for anyone to be a part of HPY,” Azmin Mistry told Parsiana later. From HPY participant in 2003 to chief coordinator in six short years, Mistry says she enjoys working under pressure. "To take up the mantle of being chief coordinator was a challenge at this age. In fact, my MA exams were going on in the month of May. I’m also working for a techno-based multinational. So, work, exams and HPY were all on together! I’m aware of the fact that this is just the first year and I have a long way to go. I enjoyed the challenges, the fun, the excitement and the thrill of having put together a program that’s surely going to go down in history.”

Having been HPY’s fulcrum for 20 long years, Marfatia took on this year the role of mentor: "Right through the year from when our meetings on planning started sometime in August, every meeting was in my house and so I was there at every step of the planning and penning the Programme’s schedule on paper and then calling up and confirming 60 percent of the speakers, as always.” Having completed her day at Dhirubhai Ambani International School at the Bandra-Kurla complex, Marfatia was at HPY several evenings and all weekends. "In addition I was in touch with Azmin on the phone to keep checking if all was going well. Considering the new coordinator was handling HPY in that capacity for the very first time, it was a job well done.”

Inexplicably, the number of participants was less this year. "We have been crossing 200 for the past several years… I don’t really know why (the numbers dropped),” she states. With the dial M for Marfatia syndrome still etched in people’s heads, the mentor says she was "horrified to hear” from several friends and relatives that they were not enrolling their kids this year because "you are not around. I reassured them all will be well and that they must enroll their children… and they did and they didn’t regret their decision.”

Achievers all

The Piroja Fali Forbes Award was presented to Khushnum Patel of Dhirubhai Ambani International School for securing a whopping 96.57 percent at the ICSE examination in March 2008. The Bombay Parsi Punchayet Award went to Dilshad Cama of Bai Avabai Framji Petit Girls High School for her 91.84 percent at the SSC examination last March.

Zervaan Bunshah was Mr HPY, Khushnum Motafaram Ms HPY, with Shahrouk Banaji and Scherezade Contractor the respective runners-up. Bunshah, Motafaram, Natasha Bana and Arzan Varachhawala were the winners in each of the four groups. Sheriar Irani was the Best Sportsperson, Meherzeen Avasia the Literary Arts All Rounder. Zinnia Engineer and Aaresh Bachana won first and second place in the fashion show, Kurash Mestre and Contractor were the Best Male and Female Models, Farzan Mirza and Hormuzd Irani and Khushnuma Daruwala the Best Male and Female Catwalkers.

Receiving a big round of applause were the youthful members of the organizing committee. The seniormost, Hoshaang Gotla, "has completed six years as organizer…in spite of being a qualified pilot he has chosen to give this one month to HPY,” Azmin Mistry announced. Her brother Rayomand Mistry, Hormuz Bana and group leaders Khushnaz Daruwala, Huzan Forbes, Khushnuma Daruwala, Peenaz Irani, Kaizeen Jehangir, Paurush Irani and Hoshang Kotwal were felicitated. (Rohan Sanjana was not present at the function.)

Six best interactive students received cash awards. "I felt like a total stranger on the opening day,” said Dinaz Driver, one of the six, who was the general secretary of the winning group, Achievers. "At one point Achievers was last on the scoreboard! When I become a grandmother and narrate stories to my grandchildren, HPY shall always be a part of it!” she mentioned. "The Personality Contest was quite challenging. Even though I did not take it very seriously, I still enjoyed every bit of it. Humor is the key element that made me win,” Bunshah told us amidst the babble of celebrations following the valedictory function. "I was shy, an absolute introvert. Volunteers motivated me to recognize my own talent,” Mota­faram, who came from Poona, said smilingly. HPY helped him overcome his stage fright, observed Surat’s Varachhawala, who is a champion table tennis player. Chuckled Rhea Contractor: "The Pro­gramme taught me a lot about myself! I never even knew I could play table tennis or even sing! It’s absolutely the most wonderful experience and I am grateful to be a part of it!”