Community first!

"There are many trusts and much money in the community but it doesn’t reach the people who need it,” noted the senior vice president (construction), Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Company Limited and former Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustee Maneck Engineer as he addressed an audience of 300 plus in Gujarati at the Sethna Agiary Hall on November 16, 2010. Engineer was speaking in his capacity as president of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of India (ZTFI). The 18-month-old trust, a fledgling of the feisty Alert Zoroastrians Association (AZA), was in the process of launching its monthly monetary help scheme as Zoroastrians of all age groups but largely seniors enjoyed and reminisced to the tune of old Parsi Gujarati songs rendered with gusto by a quartet of community musicians.

Congratulating its trustees — Engineer, BPP trustee Noshir Dadrawala, and AZA activists Zeree Jehangirji and Percy Patel — Dastur Khurshed Dastoor, high priest of Udvada, remarked how appropriate was the ZTFI logo, ‘Community First!’ Referring to them and their supporters collectively as "sakhavat no shahensha (prince of philanthropy),” the Dastur noted that they had worked for the benefit of the community, supported the needy and faced challenges. He sought the help of Ahura Mazda to bless them "who had only received kicks so far” and their donors with good thoughts and help them to grow into a bigger, stronger, wealthier entity.

Clockwise from below: A jashan preceding the speeches; awaiting their turn at the table; listening to the speeches; at the lunch table

Engineer noted how donors had come to the help of the trust which sought to aid the impoverished and aged of the community. It is philanthropy provided with "sachaa dil (heartfelt), not aimed at improving their celestial balance sheet,” he said and hoped there might be some among the audience who would grow to become donors sometime in the future.

ZTFI, the new kid on the block of innumerable charitable trusts, "vaagho maarva nathi nikalya… Garibi né dookh né maarsé (is not out to make a show but to destroy poverty and pain),” Muncherji Cama, The Bombay Samachar’s chairman and managing director and president of the K. R. Cama Oriental Institute, proffered in his usual style. Unlike the trustees of other trusts who doled out benefactions from largesse created by their forefathers, ZTFI members were digging into their own pockets to provide for those in need, he said and was sure it will establish its own place in the community’s rich heritage as the monetary help was combined with the wish to create a sense of joy with music and good food.

Lawyer and law teacher Faranak Contractor who was the compere that day spoke of how the ZTFI followed some of the cardinal principles of the Zoroastrian religion including the adage ‘Happiness unto others.’ She referred to the High Priest as their spiritual advisor: "Any problem and we go to Dastur Khur­shed.” She sought dua (blessings) as well as medical help for those who needed it and reminded all present that "you have to walk alone if you want to tread the path of truth.”

Introduced by Contractor as one who believes in calling a spade, a spade, Dadrawala noted, "My trusteeship of the ZTFI is more important to me than the trusteeship of the Bombay Parsi Pun­chayet… We need to work for the grassroots. If the BPP can’t, ZTFI will!” He referred to the two important principles of the Zoroastrian faith — rasti or the injunction to help the righteous and radhi, giving in charity not only money but service. He compli­mented the founders of ZTFI — Kersi Randeria, Patel and Jehangirji — and the trust’s managers Sarosh Daruwalla and Yasmin Mistry not only for their planning and administration but for enthusing many youngsters to come and help. "They live the Zoroastrian life,” he noted.

Clockwise from below: Dastur Khurshed Dastoor presenting the dole; ZTFI activists recording the recipient’s signature; old and infirm community members

After the brief speeches the beneficiaries were called by name to collect their envelopes containing amounts ranging between Rs 500 to 1,000 before proceeding for a feast catered by Tanaz Godiwalla. One old gentleman who enjoyed the fare commented on her effort: "Dil thi banavéch garibon né khaatar (Puts her heart into cooking food for the poor). Also launched that morning was the ZTFI benefit card to each family enabling the trust to maintain data and social service activists to monitor medical needs as well as arrange for educational and/or entertainment programs. This was the first such distribution which was followed a month later by another distribution to approximately 500 individuals together with a takeaway food box plus an umbrella or t-shirt. That the doles were distributed to people who had been entertained and feasted seemed to sit well with the recipients.

Clockwise from top left: Kersi Randeria, Maneck Engineer, Zeree Jehangirji, Faranak Contractor, Percy Patel and Muncherji Cama

Speaking to Parsiana on the side as the distribution continued Randeria explained that the establishment of the trust was a consequence of the AZA sponsored team of Parsi professionals for BPP trusteeship elections in 2008. In the course of electioneering they had recognized that good work can be done without being a part of the Punchayet. And though the team lost the election, except for Dadrawala, "the idea remained that we should start doing what we’d been talking about,” noted Randeria. Currently the ZTFI’s programs are based on their personal efforts and funds but they are also liaising with three or four other trusts for more funding. So far there are no corporate donors, he added. The doles will be distributed for six months for now, says Randeria, being dependent on the amount in the kitty.

Below (clockwise) Noshir Dadrawala; Cyrus Digaria and Xerxes Master; Bachi Tamboly, Mithoo and Jimmy Jesia; the ZTFI team

They have already held about six medical camps in the various baugs. However, in the course of a dental camp at Bharucha Baug, the BPP trustees took umbrage at Engineer speaking to some of the residents: "The BPP said that we were bharkavoing (instigating unrest) the residents against the BPP’s redevelopment program,” said Randeria. "Also, the Bharucha Baug’s garden was in bad shape, so we got donors to help restore it. We announced the restoration and just three days before d-day the BPP called the Baug’s association representatives and arranged to stage their own BPP-WAPIZ (World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis) function there. The restoration of the garden was forgotten,” alleged Randeria. He also claimed that the BPP has written to the various baug committees to stall any function organized by the AZA or its affiliates on their grounds.

Parsiana’s subsequent visit to the ZTFI office at the Hirabai Petit Building opposite the Grant Road Station revealed a clean, sparsely furnished area where two activists were working on computers. They preferred to work quietly, unmindful of any visiting journalist. But we did learn that on two successive occasions so far they have helped aged and lonely Parsi men who had approached them with tales of having lost their accommodation with non-Parsi establishments which had had to wind up. Having investigated the story on each occasion and found it genuine, the ZTFI turned for advice and help to the WZO (World Zoroastrian Organisation) Trust Funds. In each case we learnt that Bachi and Dinshaw Tamboly had provided the gentlemen concerned with accommodation in their Senior Citizens Home in Navsari, as also the medical aid one of them needed when he was later diagnosed with cancer and treated by Dr Boman Dhabhar. The ZTFI enthusiast only shared this information on condition of anonymity.