“Thwarting traditions”

The Readers’ Forum column (Parsiana, December 7, 2009) gave me the impression it was an attack on the magazine by the orthodox bawas. I could not make out if it was a frontal assault or a pincer. But it appeared not to be a full scale attack... more is to be expected.

There was Faribourz Nariman, harping on the same theme as before in "Thwarting traditions.” He still can’t accept the fact that the days of "The village school master” are over and will never return. In those days the only person in a village who could read, write and calculate was the school master and he had the last word on each and every subject as almost all the villagers were ignoramuses. Yes, those were the days when bawas took everything said by the khota (false) dasturs and fekoo (fibbing) scholars as gospel.

Now times have changed and people are seeking information over the Internet. There is a Right to Information Act in place. Pertinent, uncomfortable and unpleasant questions are asked and informed decisions made. There will be few takers for Nariman’s opinions, and the "scene shifters” as he refers to others, have won the day. The scene has shifted from blind faith to probing questions, sending shivers down the spine of the fekoo scholars, and khota dasturs.

Nariman and his fanatic, fascist, diehard, zealot, orthodox should come clean and let me know whom should I believe and why?

Then there is BPP trustee Noshir Dadrawala’s letter, "Every right in law.” I am at a loss to understand whether he is doing spadework for a second term in right earnest or seeking a sympathy vote, or justifying his stand by dissenting and not resigning. I am at variance with his views. In my humble opinion a trustee is a trustee, whether elected, selected, co-opted, nominated or whatever. In the normal conduct of business a board is ruled by the majority view and the dissenting trustee has to fall in line. But if there is an issue of hanky panky, flouting the rules, norms or law then the dissenting trustee should have the courage to stand up and be counted. He should move the right forum, be it the Charity Commissioner or a court of law.

Going by Dadrawala’s logic a nominated trustee has no scope for dissent, as he should resign once he casts a dissenting vote. That is untenable as any such nominated trustee will be rendered a mere rubberstamp, all opposition will be snuffed out and a cabal can rule the roost.

More interesting was the disgruntled, orthodox bawas’ moaning, groaning and veiled threats. One Burjor Bharucha rues in his letter "Editorial bias” that Parsiana has tilted towards the reformists. He says this is unpalatable and unacceptable and should not be allowed, and he will not read it any more — or maybe he will read it, but not buy his own copy! He and his sister Silloo can’t accept that the world is not at their command or whims and fancies, and others also have views, opinions, beliefs which are not necessarily in tune with theirs. That is the typical closed mindset of orthodoxy.

Mehlli Bhagalia is disenchanted, and has his own whimsical views. According to his logic, once the trustees are elected the defeated candidates should become mere dummies. There should be no opposition to the trustees’ actions. Does he not realize that there are many bawas who did not contest or vote at these elections, and they have a right to speak their mind? He is unaware that opposition is a vital ingredient of a democratic process, where all have a right to express their views. He wonders whether it is good for any Parsi to support Parsiana with its present editorial bias. What a sweeping statement, what misplaced confidence! Typical orthodox dadagiri (bullying)! There are many bawas who will stand by Parsiana. I am one of them, although I too have a grouse.

My grouse is that our editor has very sharp scissors. Perhaps they are Chinese smuggled or duly customs cleared. They are so sharp that they make kuchoomber (salad) of my letters and some don’t even get printed. Nevertheless, Parsiana gives balanced views and both sides of the coin, though it is too soft on the orthodox. It needs to give hard punches and blows when warranted. Please don’t let these bullies squeeze your neck.

The item "Religious response” (Zoroastrians Abroad, Parsiana, December 7, 2009) was a teaser and thought provoking. A Roman Catholic priest walks amidst Zoroastrians at the Zarathushti Heritage Cultural Center, (not a Parsi Irani cultural center), lectures the Zoroastrian audience there on Zoroastrianism, and has chosen Zoroastrianism as the topic for his MPhil dissertation. After every lecture there was discussion in a cheerful manner (not the way the bawas behaved when Dr Kersey Antia came to lecture in Bombay). Can any of our chaps take a leaf from Peter Clark’s book, go to a similar place of Hindu, Christian, Muslim or any other religion and give lectures on their religion?

BEHRAM AGA

behram_r_aga@yahoo.co.in