Baria’s Bulletin

The inaugural issue of the Public Awareness Bulletin for August 2012 is out. An initiative of the Nargisbanu Darabsha Baria Zoroastrian Foundation (NDBZF) established by Dhan Baria in memory of her late mother Nargisbanu, the Bulletin was released on her mother’s birthday, the third Gatha, August 15, 2012 in the presence of a handful of well-wishers.

The multilingual monthly periodical contains reports and articles in Gujarati and English and will in future carry items in Hindi and Marathi as well, Baria informed Parsiana. Its aim is to give voice to the poor and needy of all communities regarding any complaints they may have pertaining to lacunae in service from the municipality, government and nongovernmental organizations. An entire illustrated page on health provides useful information on asthma, in English. There are poems, philosophic observations and quotations such as the one from Swami Vivekananda which urges one to "take always the position of the giver. Give love, give help, give service.”

Dhun Baria (center) with her team of helpers and volunteers at the launch

Baria says she had visualized this initiative much earlier and registered the publication a year ago. Unfamiliar with the demands of publication, she says she is fortunate to have a cooperative team of professionals and volunteers to help her bring out the Bulletin. The entire cost of the first issue worked out to a reasonable Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000 which she paid from her personal funds, as the Foundation’s monies are meant for welfare and relief work. The 10-page black and white publication, priced at Rs 2, is printed on newsprint and illustrated with a number of photographs about Baria’s work among the less privileged. The first issue was supplied free of cost direct to homes in colonies, given to building watchmen to hand over to residents and to newspaper delivery boys to slip under doors along with their regular papers, she revealed. Since the initiative is not for Parsis alone, many copies were sent to Hindu colonies and societies as well, Baria mentioned.

In the Bulletin is an appeal for funds from the NDBZF for its ongoing activities. The Foundation is a registered public charitable trust for handicapped, blind and underprivileged children, HIV positive persons from the red light district who are provided with basic necessities and the poor, without discrimination. Donations, which are tax deductible under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act 1961, may be sent to Dhan Baria, managing trustee, Nargis-banu Darabsha Baria Zoroastrian Foundation, 16B/7, Karani Building, 1st floor, Gilder Lane, La­mington Road, Bombay 400008, tel: 23009359, mob: 9987844471. The other trustees are solicitor and community commentator Berjis Desai, solicitor Nosh Modi, former Bombay Parsi Punchayet trustee and consultant on management of trusts Noshir Dadrawala and chartered accountant Shiva Iyer.