Another tragic end

Following the death by starvation of Farzin Bejon Batlivala in April 2009 her four-year-old brother Yazdan died on September 22 this year. No cause was stated for the child’s death which took place at the state run G. T. Hospital. The body was consigned to Doongerwadi by the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP).

At the time of Farzin’s death the mother had been residing at the Parsi colony at Vasai. The address provided for Yazdan was Ghatlewada, Vapi, Gujarat.

According to newspaper reports in 2009 the Parsi father Bejon had abandoned his non-Parsi wife Nisha and their three offspring Farzin, Arzaan and Yazdan. Employed as domestic help in Bombay, the mother would allegedly lock up her children in the flat all day while she was at work. Kind neighbors, who often fed the neglected brood, claimed they had heard her beating the children mercilessly.

Nisha Batlivala with sons Arzaan and Yazdan, in 2009

While at the time of Farzin’s death much had been written and spoken about with fingers pointing at the alleged negligence of the parents and the indifference of the apex trust, Yazdan’s death drew no outcry and was brought to the attention of Parsiana by community activist Dr Viraf Kapadia. Kapadia inquired why the BPP had not performed the final rites for Farzin but did so for Yazdan. The Association for Revival of Zoroastrianism had stepped in to help in having Farzin’s after death ceremonies performed.

With two deaths having occurred, the future of the third child will be dependent on community intervention if he is not to meet the same fate as his siblings.