Keeping with the Parsi Times

With a Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trusteeship election looming, the new Parsi Times (PT) weekly has made a timely appearance. The 16-page, all-color, tabloid sized publication is funded by industrialist Kersi Randeria, one of the founders of the Alert Zoroastrians Association (AZA), and is printed and published by noted photographer and audiovideo specialist, Sarosh Daru­walla. Priced at Rs 3 but initially to be distributed free to all Parsis/Iranis in Bombay, the newspaper is registered with the Registrar of Newspapers of India. The weekly is edited by journalist Freyan Bhathena, formerly of Poona.

"The Parsi Times will focus on celebrating the youthful Zoroastrian mind and spirit and on good words, good thoughts and good deeds. This is our first publication and it is my sincere wish that over time the young minds of the community will look forward to our weekly release,” wrote Bhathena in the inaugural issue’s editorial dated April 30, 2011.

With the Jam-e-Jamshed Weekly being viewed as a pro-establishment publication, The BPP Review being a mouthpiece of the trustees and the WAPIZ (World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zar-thoshtis) Page propagating the philosophy of soft drink concentrate magnate Areez Khambatta and BPP trustee Khojeste Mistree, many felt the need for a weekly advocating an independent line. PT will no doubt play an important role in the forthcoming elections. In the 2008 and 2009 BPP elections, from the AZA-AFP (Adult Franchise for Progress) slate of seven candidates only one, Noshir Dadrawala was successful. Dadra-wala’s resignation from the board of trustees over differences with his colleagues has resulted in another election being scheduled end-June, early-July.

Parsi Times team (from l) Kersi Randeria, Freyan Bhathena and Sarosh Daruwalla

The tabloid which is to be distributed every Saturday did not reach many of the community due to glitches in the distribution setup. Even vendors, when asked about the paper from inquiring purchasers were told that they had not heard of it.

Of the 16 pages, four are in Gujarati with some of the articles being translated from the English section. The focus of the inaugural issue was on the Iranshah Atash Behram’s 1,290th salgirah.

The weekly carries advertisements which are priced at Rs 30,000 for a full color page, Rs 16,000 for a half page and quarter page costs Rs 10,000. Their office is located at 102, Vikas Building, 11 Bank Street, Fort, Bombay 400001, phone: 66330404, website: www.parsi-times.com email: contribute@parsi-times.com, and is printed at Dangat Media Private Limited, Saki Vihar Road.