Central to the Colony

Died: Paeterasp Darabshah Patel, 84, community activist and social worker who channelized the energies of the young by founding the Khareghat Colony Youth Association (KCYA) as also the Khareghat Colony and Aderbad Group, on July 16, 2009 following cardiac arrest.

"For the community, for the Khareghat Colony, for our Agiary… he has done a lot of work,” acknowledged Ervad Aspandiar Dada­chanji, panthaky of the Vacha­ghandhy Agiary at the condolence meeting convened by the KCYA on August 28, 2009. Dadachanji was particularly appreciative of the respect Patel had for priests, remembering how he would first pagé paré (genuflect) and then talk. When noticing that the late Dastur (Dr) Hormazdyar Mirza who stayed in his vicinity was standing in a bus queue, he would send his car to facilitate the High Priest’s conveyance.

"A father figure to one and all…he was a doyen not only of the Khareghat Colony but also the Parsis,” mentioned Perviz Dotivala, recalling the last time she spoke from this platform was during the pre-election meetings convened by the KCYA offering a platform to all the candidates who chose to canvass for the historic Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trusteeship elections in 2008. At that time she had Patel by her side, guiding her. She referred to the confidence Lady Hirabai Jehangir, then president of the Punchayet, had in Patel whom she considered the guardian of Khareghat Colony. Believing in charity, every year he would ready hampers of foodgrains, etc for distribution to the poor and needy on Pateti. This year too the packets he had readied before his demise were distributed, she mentioned.

In his intimation regarding the condolence meet, Ervad Cyrus Dastoor who succeeded Patel as president of the KCYA had noted, "His leadership, determination and fervor has led generations of youth in the Colony to enthusiastically participate in all programs and stand by him in times of natural or man-made disasters to reach out to affected people.” "A guide and role model for so many of us, he molded us into beacons of service,” conveyed Kashmira Vajifdar, the master of ceremonies at the well planned condolence meet. Whilst the walls of the Muncherji Khareghat Hall seemed to depict a picture gallery offering a flashback of Patel’s life, as each senior speaker paid his tribute, the screen on stage showed a photograph of that person interacting with Patel.

"He was a warrior,” affirmed BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta who remembered Patel storming into one of the earlier board meetings of the Punchayet when they had rented out the Muncherji Khareghat Hall for 15 days. Since the Hall is used by the community youth for their co-curricular activities, he had demanded, "Maaraa bachhaao kah jasé (Where will children of my Colony go)?” All his 79 candidates "swept the Anjuman Committee elections in 1992,” reminisced Mehta remembering how he approached Patel before elections each time. "I feel my victory was mainly due to his support and that of the Khareghat Colony residents,” conveyed Mehta.

He was not keen on being drawn into controversies, be it religion, housing or the election system. At the time of the Anjuman Committee elections in 1992 when Patel’s group of Khareghat Colony residents with the backing of the Committee for Economic Revival had contested 79 seats, Patel had conveyed to Parsiana (see "Orthodox set to win,” August 1992), "We do not expect the trustee we vote for to feel obliged to us. We will do our duty and elect the best man. Let them do their duty and do the best job…The trustees’ job is not an easy one…It’s easy to make problems but difficult to deliver.”

Yet another chairman of the BPP Eruch Desai acknowledged, "For my two terms as trustee his army of helpers contributed to my success…He was always running to my help and succor.” Another of Patel’s gestures, Desai said he would "never forget” was his willingness to become one of the party plaintiffs when Desai’s claim to BPP chairmanship as seniormost trustee was contested by Jamshed Guzder. With Desai and Patel’s respective fathers being the best of friends, it was only natural that the two shared fraternal bonds whilst embarking on different careers, "his in taxation and commerce, and mine in law,” noted Desai, adding, "We had the common objective to serve the community.”

"He was an integral part of my family and school,” declared Bapsy Chubb, former principal of the Cumballa Hill School where Patel’s children had studied. Considering him her "guide, philosopher and godfather,” she respected him for practicing the rare values of "ethics, honesty and integrity.” Having come to regard him as her icon, she would not do a single thing without consulting him and remembered his reassurance when she approached him in distress: "Saani fikar karoch (why do you worry)?”

"A livewire of Naushir Marfatia and Company,” the thoughts of his senior partner Burjor Mehta were conveyed at the condolence meet by his daughter Thrity Wadia: Being business partners for 60 years, Mehta viewed him as being "always righteous, always making the impossible, possible.” Mehta remembered the time when their office caught fire in 1973 and how Patel made every effort to ensure the safety of their office assistant who he knew used to sleep in the office premises. Thereafter, he played a major role in the retrieval of records lost in the fire. He had joined the firm when financial considerations compelled him to discontinue his articleship with P. C. Hansotia and Company (a chartered accountants firm) after completing his graduation from Sydenham College. Being the eldest child he was expected to help with the family expenses.

Sad and surprised with his disappearing act, Burjor Mehta remembered how Patel had planned his dying scene saying: "I will have a Parsi peg at night and disappear in the morning.” But 10 years earlier when, taking an astrologer seriously, he had his bath, wore white clothes and went to sleep expecting death to snatch him on the day predicted by the astrologer, he woke up the next morning! In the last decade, "he nurtured us sufficiently to live and continue his good work,” remarked Wadia.

His business concerns included P. D. Patel and Company where he was originally proprietor and subsequently partner. To him also goes the credit for providing the seed money to start Jak Printers Private Limited, initiated by his son Khushru and Aspi Forbes whom he considered as his second son.

Describing him as the "protective hand over Khareghat Colony,” Cyrus Patel stated how the youth were his main concern, convinced that "the future of the community lies in our youth.” "He was an extremely young person at heart. We could talk to him without fear of being scolded. He would iron out things for us,” appreciated Meirom Damania, a teenager, describing Patel as their "champion” who taught the younger ones to "stand up for what is right.”

With his loud booming voice and big dog Prince, "I was terrified of them both as a child,” admitted Hufriz Motawara who subsequently came to learn of "the soft and kind person behind the stern exterior” when she worked as secretary of the core committee. "He may have looked stern and strict but he was extremely affectionate and kind…a rock I could lean on,” remarked Dastoor. Advocating "clean and efficient administration… he knew where to put his foot down and where to yield.”

"I am an income tax consultant. I intend to work till my last day,” was his favorite style of introducing himself to a stranger, recalled his granddaughter Parvana Patel happy that he could depart the way he always wanted. Valuing the lessons she had learnt from him Parvana mentioned, "The family has lost a pillar, the Colony has lost a leader, the community has lost a well-wisher, and the world has lost a selfless giver and warmhearted person.”

The dynamic doyen is survived by his wife Dolly, sister Amy Battiwalla, brothers Rusi and Nari, daughters Jasmine Singh and Mahroukh Maharshahi and son Khushru.