Movers and shapers

Continuing with a 28-day program annually for 26 continuous years in the long hot days of summer might seem like midsummer madness! But teenage tour de force – the Holiday Programme for Youth (HPY) — has survived, strengthened and shown that sharing is caring!
"This is the Google age. Change is the only constant. The world will run out someday soon of oil. What took years (to form) we burn in a few minutes! CO2 remains in the atmosphere, it is not lost in the sky. Carbon has a long life. Technology begins a whole new ball game. In your time electric cars are coming. We are running out also of water. We have to use solar, wind and wave energy for the future. Be prepared for change,” Professor Soli Arceivala, environmental engineering expert, told the 2012 batch of 16-year-olds gathered for HPY. In terms of age, there was almost a two-generation gap between the professor who pioneered the business of environmental consultancy in India way back in 1961, much before laws for pollution control were introduced, and his young audience. Yet Arceivala linked in with the youth, possibly because they too are ahead of their time!
HPY puts together a program for today’s youngster, fresh out from school, living life on mobile platforms, for whom notebooks and pads mean no pen and paper! It seeks to help all – the eager beavers and the slow starters — draw up their excel sheet. "This year we have 185 youngsters enrolled for the Programme — 85 girls and 100 boys,” announced HPY’s mentor Diana Marfatia at the inauguration function on May 6, 2012 at the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Parsee Charitable Institution (BJPCI) in Bombay. Of these, 140 were from the city, 45 from places like Ajmer, Chennai, Calcutta, Panchgani, Bordi, Jamnagar and even Dubai, she added. Of the 66 schools represented, 25 were outstation schools and the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) provided accommodation to 23 students at their F. S. Parukh Dharamshalla as they had no place to stay in Bombay. The BPP sponsors the Programme. Participants pay only a token registration fee of Rs 750 which is insufficient to cover costs including food (lunch, tea as well as a mid morning drink), transportation for sports and outdoor visits, course material, etc.

(Facing page) Living it up — fun and frolic at HPY; (center) in the thick of competition; (above) sponsoring a navjote, Azmin Mistry and Diana Marfatia are at far left and right respectively (Photos: Arish Patel, A. F. T. Digital)

(clockwise from top left): Aspi Chinoy, Adille Sumariwalla, Dr Boman Dhabhar and Soli Arceivala;

HPY encompasses activities solitary (done individually) and social, the rehearsed and the unscripted! It gives teenagers on the threshold of adulthood a sneak peek into a range of career choices, exposure to personality development through debates, dramatics, talent contest, fashion show, social service activities, sports, etc. "The Programme is designed with great thought. Our objectives are to provide information on our culture and religion, identify leadership qualities, help participants better themselves… our workshops are hugely popular,” declared chief coordinator Azmin Mistry at the inauguration. On the organizing team are Mehli Colah, BPP’s chief executive officer, Cawas Panthaki, senior executive officer, Bakhtawar Dastur, assistant executive, along with a host of ex-HPYites who are the movers and shapers! This year, Rayomand Mis­try, Khushnuma Daruvalla, Kaizeen Jehangir were in charge of sports, performing arts, literary arts/social service respectively, with Huzan Forbes as senior organizer. Along with the groups-in-charge, they convince a chattering class that work is not woe and that peer pressure can be positive!
HPY’s strength lies in the loyalty it commands! Ex-HPYites return to the Programme year after year as speakers/resource persons and organizers. Among this year’s groups-in-charge was Kainaz Kasnavia, mother of a two-year-old and expecting a second baby!
"We have to connect to youth, rather than youth feel they are on the other side,” said BPP trustee Jimmy Mistry as he crossed the divide (stepped down from the stage) to mingle with the audience. Informally dressed in jeans, T-shirt and sports shoes, the youngest of the BPP trustees and chairman of the inaugural function held out his mike to several youngsters as he proceeded down the aisle. "What is it you expect from HPY?” he asked them, receiving in reply giggles, hums and haws as the self conscious boys and girls said they were looking to "have fun, make friends and enjoy the month!” "Who’s going to do the learning?” Mistry chuckled, exhorting them to understand that the next three to five years were the most critical. "Ignite the seeds of entrepreneurship and passion,” declared the self-made businessman. "Passion is what makes all the difference.”

(Facing page, top) Trophy winners with Dr Boman Dhabhar; (Alongside, from left) Mark Shaw, Rushaad Dastoor, Demavand Sethna, Delshad Kalantary, Cyrus Khan, Ava Sethna and Pashang Lavangia; (below) Rokhsar Tantra and Shanaaz Mehta

Having come to HPY as a resource person for several years, eminent sports personality and former sprint champion Adille Suma­riwalla said he was totally taken by surprise "when Diana (Marfatia) called to invite me as guest of honor and asked me to deliver a motivational address. I was foxed about what to say till I saw the HPY booklet with the motto ‘striving for excellence.’ You may challenge (my views) and I wish you do!” There is a journey and there is a destination, a path and an end, which is more important? Sumariwalla queried. "We set ourselves certain goals. Will you want to get there at any cost? In sport, this is debated time and again. If you worry only about destination, there will be anxiety and turbulence in your system. Your blood pressure rises, there are butterflies in the stomach, you feel sick, you puke. Your system goes into a down spiral and you perform far less than your best — be it for an exam, an interview or on the sports field,” described the athlete who has won 22 gold medals at national level and 17 international medals and who has taken part in the Moscow Olympics, several Asian Track and Field Championships and Asian Games. Once you start down that path of winning at any cost, he warned, other things begin to creep in — cheating, doping, bribery… "Excellence exists in preparation. The process is supreme, the result irrelevant. Don’t let the pressure of competition choke you. The greatest of athletes have lost, not because others were better but because they themselves choked,” said the Arjuna Award winner.
Talent dazzles us, but mostly talent has little to do with it. "The most important thing is what you do with your talent. Attitude counts for more. If there is anger and ego, you won’t need opponents. You’ll have to fight yourself! Fans, autographs can be your biggest enemies! Mistakes are our best friends, they make us learn what not to do. But don’t keep repeating the same mistakes!” smiled Sumariwalla.
It is extremely difficult to decide after school what career to take, stated distinguished senior counsel Aspi Chinoy who was the chief guest for the evening. "You may have a hazy, misleading version of what a particular career is like. What you choose is probably what is in at that time. But don’t decide too quickly and be ready to change your course if required,” he said, giving his own example of how his aptitude test in the seventh standard had indicated that he would be better in the arts, he took up science in college and was a total failure in it! Be it engineering or management or anything else, you will soon "run out of fancy ties and enthusiasm” if you take up a profession you are not cut out for! "Education is not mugging and vomiting it out. It is holistic. Get ready for life, don’t learn, think. Question, collate, use, solve problems… (life) is an open book test. If you do (as a career) what you like you will have no problem spending time for it.”
In his youth, Chinoy narrated, he had hitchhiked to Khatmandu, travelling on trucks and roughing it out. "Believe me, I saw the country as I’ve never seen it since. The ‘chalta hai’ (anything will do) doctrine of mediocrity is the bane of this country. Mediocrity kills the mind,” asserted the advocate who has taken up several public litigation cases regarding bandhs and polluting vehicles, etc and has appeared in high profile matters like the Vodafone tax case.
With HPY held for the 17th year in succession at the BJPCI, the valedictory function took place in the spacious, but sweltering, hallowed hall of the Institution on June 3. "This is a grand function. So many (Parsis) in one frame. My heart is full of joy. I hope you react with each other and the bonds translate into the right partnership,” stated BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta who was chairing the function. "None can deny that the population is shrinking… (we have to) get the youth interested in the community … we believe we have been more than reasonably successful.” Reservations for Zoroastrians in colleges, even in Parsi-endowed institutions, do not seem possible as the government was not amenable, he noted. "The BPP is willing to help you more than halfway. Feel free to approach us. But this is a very different competitive world.”

On stage at the valedictory function (l to r) Diana Marfatia, Azmin Mistry, Armaity Tirandaz, Dr Boman Dhabhar, Dinshaw Mehta, Soli Arceivala, Khojeste Mistree, Jimmy Mistry, Arnavaz Mistry, Mehli Colah, Cawas Panthaki and Godrej Dotivala. (Above) BJPCI trustee Byram Jeejeebhoy (left) and CEO Feroz Mistry

"I find it very difficult to give long lectures (to you at HPY) as I have lectured only to medical students,” smiled renowned oncologist Dr Boman Dhabhar, the chief guest. "It takes 12 long years (to achieve super specialization). There have been days when we have worked for 36 hours without a wink of sleep. But in retrospect I feel this has all been worth it. As Confucius said, choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” Be successful in inter personal relationships at work at all three levels — with subordinates, colleagues and seniors. "Inculcate the Zoroastrian values of good, thoughts, good words and good deeds. Enjoy your Parsipanu and Parsi bhonu!” Arceivala, who was the guest of honor at the valedictory function, reinforced the importance of attitude and integrity: "I hope you have these qualities in plenty. The biggest enemy is complacency. Success sometimes numbs you into complacency. The secret of success is to be ready for course correction.”
"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it!” declared organizer Daruvalla in her comprehensive vote of thanks to all the people who continue to make HPY a "26-year-long success story.” She thanked the BPP for being the backbone of the Programme and trustee Jimmy Mistry for the day trip ("we all agree it was a delight”) to Della Adventure at Lonavla. "This year we collected 279 bottles of blood in the blood donation drive in association with the St George Hospital and the B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital,” Azmin Mistry had announced earlier. "This has been an awesome month. We wish it could last longer!” "You have been a great group — involved, committed and enthusiastic. Yes, you are tired, we are tired (at the end of the Programme), but your energy is extremely conta­gious... We are ready to take on the next 25 years!” reiterated Marfatia.
The prize distribution, as always, reverberated with ear shattering sounds of success! Whoops, whistles, claps accompanied the young achievers as they pounded on to the stage – ruffled mops and curly tops, silken manes swinging, spice girls in short skirts or simple salwars (Indian dress), their 1,000-watt smiles lighting up parents’ lives! "This year Mr HPY and Ms HPY were selected on the basis of performance throughout the month (not judged just on one personality contest as in the past),” Azmin Mistry announced. Cyrus Khan and Delshad Kalan­tary were Mr and Ms HPY respectively; Pashang Lav­an­gia and Ava Sethna were the runners-up. Once again, the four best participants (in each of the four groups) were boys — Mark Shaw, Rushaad Das­toor, Demavand Seth­na and Khan. Porus Shroff was the best sportsperson. Riyan Vatcha and Taronish Borzu secured first and second place respectively at the fashion show. Frahim Adajania and Benafsha Soonawalla were best male and female models, while Malcolm Antia and Kainaz Khairabadi were the best male and female catwalkers. Sethna and Hera Havewalla picked up the best actor and best actress prizes, with Jamsheed Jamaspi the best supporting actor and Afreed Mehta and Soonawalla (jointly) the best supporting actress.
In the special prizes category, Rokhsar Tantra of Queen Mary School secured 93.57 percent in the ICSE examination of March 2011 and received the Piroja Fali Forbes Award. Shaanaz Mehta of J. B. Vatcha High School scored 91.69 percent at the SSC exam of March 2011 and was presented the BPP Award.

Organizing team: committed and happy

Kaazvin Kapadia from Ahmedabad told Parsiana later: "HPY helped me to finally decide on a career. I did have law in mind but the sessions made me confirm my decision… The hobby afternoons were a boon and I had a blast in the salsa and B-boying (break dance) sessions. Activities like fashion show and dramatics helped us as we were forced to come out of our comfort zones and perform for the team.” "This was an extremely bright batch which was reflected in the literary arts events such as debates, master quiz and Just-A-Minute. It was their zeal which also made the blood donation drive, one of the biggest social service events at HPY, a great success,” stated organizer Jehangir. "Some of the speeches given by the distinguished speakers, especially the young entrepreneurs, were very enlightening and informative and we had a lot to grasp. The program also prepares you to shoulder responsibility in life through positions like the various (group) secretaries,” observes Khan. "At first I thought that the one month was going to be miserable, boring and awkward, but 28 days later I felt miserable, bored and awkward!” commented Shroff. "The lectures, the sporting activities that unified us and the incredible people I met … the entire experience is going to be unforgettable.”
"As a mentor, it is indeed gratifying to see the Program­me unfold each year as planned. The love and respect received from the participants and organizers alike is reason enough to never want to give up HPY — even though balancing everything that one is doing gets tough sometimes!” remarks Marfatia. "I think the youth is now more aware, more enthused and extremely conscious due to various global developments. Most of them quite know where they are headed. Several had made their career choices from the beginning. Most of them play a sport, a musical instrument or dance extremely well,” notes Azmin Mistry. "At the parent-child workshop, which was usually filled with disputes, both the children and their parents seem to have become a little more tolerant towards each others’ thoughts and ideas. Children are free to voice their opinion, express their desires and perform as per their own free will. That has made all the difference.” HPY plays its part in local warming!