Hugely entertaining

Parsiana is nothing if not hugely entertaining — for which my deep, rolling thanks! My rag-bag of oddities has picked out some related items which need some airing.

Some time back a reader reminded that "the cook with the Goan waistcoat” while castigating the Satara representative during the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India meeting in October 2010 lisped "You should listen to the high priests.” Well and good, and quite laudable as far as that sound byte went. But those still eagerly awaiting some pronouncement have so far not heard anything!

Another, Paymaster Five Zillions, who has bankrolled our dhongi hierarchy until one dropped out from his starry line-up, launched his attack in plain view of the 2010 Sanjan Day invitees and thereafter of thousands on YouTube, similarly directed us to listen to the arch-dhongis. Well, we listened, and listened, but heard nothing — not a zillionth decibel of a response!

What none of your diligent readers have quite grasped was the underlying purpose of the February 2010 Sanjan raid under the august leadership of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) chairman. Think, O you sleepy heads! Simin J. Patel’s summing up of the ZYNG (Zoroastrian Youth for the Next Generation) calendar ("A heady cocktail,” Parsiana, February 21, 2011) should have wised you up: it was no less than a talent scouting expedition for the 2012-2013 calendar! Where we now have sudreh-less lovelies, it is the BPP-WAPIZ (World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis) preparation for bottomless sudreh-wearing hefties — with reference to the unceremonious (used here advisedly!) debagging (or trouser removal) of a discomfited Herbad Mikhail Chistyakov. Astute observers like the undersigned have rumbled the real alliance plot!

Yet another bit of promotion is that of Sai Baba at the expense of Zarathushtra ("Sai Baba’s popularity,” Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, February 21, 2011). If he "never preached conversion,” then it should be made clear that he and his Parsi lemmings are on a collision course with Zarathushtra who unequivocally enjoined conversion and made Mazda acceptance universal.

FARROKH VAJIFDAR

London

f.vajifdar@btinternet.com