In concert with Zochild

It was a special celebration — its 10th anniversary, hosted befittingly at the elegant Jamshed Bhabha Opera House at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) at Nariman Point in Bombay. Around 2,300 Zoroastrian school and junior college students were out of home but not alone! On November 25, 2012, the Zoroastrian Children’s Foundation (ZCF) led by founder chairman Kyoshi Vispy Kapadia hosted a whole day of festivity for what is probably the largest single congregation of Zoroastrian children anywhere in the world. The NCPA itself witnessed a rare sight. Instead of Audis and BMWs driving in with men in black (suits) and their fair ladies in silk and pearls, the complex was alive with chattering children in brightly-hued uniforms, with a phenomenal 56 school buses ferrying the children (who had gathered from different parts of India as well as Bombay) to and from the venue!
The organization of this year’s event posed a peculiar challenge. The Jamshed Bhabha auditorium has only around 1,100 seats while the number to be accommodated — children, volunteers, organizers and invitees — was more than double! Thus the 10th Zochild Day was celebrated in two sessions. For upcountry children and participants from Thana and suburbs like Vikhroli, Borivli, Goregaon, Jogeshwari, Andheri, etc it was ‘early on a Sunday’ so that they could be seated at the venue (almost at the tip of south Bombay) by 9 a.m. Around 3 p.m. the entire lot trooped out after their fill of entertainment and lunch on the lawns, to be transported back to their destinations. The auditorium filled once again with a fresh batch of babbling youngsters collected from baugs, colonies and schools from Bandra to Colaba. The second session concluded with dinner under a starry sky brightened further by myriad colored lights!

On his feet and very much the marshal of ceremonies was Kapadia himself — shepherding his congregation aged eight to 80+, ready to deal cool-headedly with complaint or crisis! "With children there are always last minute problems. We don’t get time to think. We have to take spontaneous, spot decisions,” he told Parsiana later. The logistics of providing accommodation, meals, snacks, entertainment, take-away gifts and transportation, totally free, to outstation children over two days (as they arrive a day earlier) and to Bombay youngsters on Zochild Day itself are mindboggling, he adds.
For the children, it was a feast of food, fun and, hopefully, learning! Instead of the grand symphonic sounds of Bach and Beethoven, the auditorium reverberated with cheering children encouraging their peers performing on stage. "What is heartening and reassuring is the fact that 632 people (children and escorts) came from out of Bombay — from Nagpur, Jamshedpur, Surat, Navsari, Ratlam, Mhow, Hyderabad/Secunderabad, etc. Parents have reposed faith in me and my organization. I’ll never let you or your children down,” promised Kapadia, who is a seventh dan black belt in karate and chief coach of the Indian team for karate. "Deep down from the bottom of my heart I thank you all.” Kapadia made special mention of the ZCF trustees and committee members who "toiled for six months” to organize this annual event.
On the ZCF board of trustees are Perin Bagli who is the principal of Activity High School, social worker Perviz Dotivala, former principal of Bengallee Girls’ High School Zenobia Daroga and Kapadia’s wife Shiraz, also a karate expert. Mindful of the elegant interiors of the Opera House and the boisterous nature of children gathered in large numbers, Bagli put forward at the start a list of dos and don’ts: "No eatables and no comments, no movement to and fro and no chewing gum!” she cautioned.
"This is a watershed moment in our life,” said master of ceremonies Hoshedar Khambatta, who flies down from Dubai to compere the program each year. "Ten years ago, Zochild was a mere blank canvas of hope. It has turned into a tapestry of triumph!” Zochild seeks to build Zoroastrian brand value. The Zochild flag flutters on stage with the Indian tricolor. The oath is taken by the children in chorus. The Zochild anthem is sung each year with vim and vigor by the Parsi students, whose numbers seem to be depleting year by year, of Bombay’s cosmopolitan schools.

For the volunteers and organizing committee, several of whom are senior citizens, the Zochild program is a test of stamina and spirit. Many were at the NCPA from seven in the morning till the evening ended at around 10.30 p.m., but the smile train remained on track, with camaraderie and conversation! "Zochild is eternally grateful to chairman Khushroo Suntook and the NCPA. They had faith in us. Farrahanaz Irani, Zenobia Bhadha and others have been of immense help,” notes Kapadia.
The previous day, Saturday, had been hectic too, with outstation children arriving at the railway station as early as 4 a.m! The girls were housed at the Bandra Convalescent Home for Women and Children and the Bhabha Sanatorium, the boys at the Cama Athornan Madressa at Andheri. "The Jamshedpur group was put up at the Panday Sanatorium opposite the Banaji Atashbehram at Charni Road,” says Shiraz. The all important task of logistics is handled every year by Shahrukh and Tanaz Shroff and their team from Adventure Tours and Travels. They managed the 56 bus loads with clockwork precision, Shiraz commends. The mobility of all the children for the two days including receiving/sendoff at night or early morning, their seating in the auditoriums as well as at mealtimes is carried through without a hitch, she adds. Saturday’s program at the Tejpal Auditorium for outstation children had Keki Mistry, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Housing Development Finance Corporation as the chief guest and Noshir Dadrawala, chief executive of the Centre for the Advancement of Philanthropy as the keynote speaker. Other speakers over the two days included Ervad Pervez Bajan, Dr Indu Shahani, principal of H. R. College of Commerce and Economics and sheriff of Bombay and Ervad (Dr) Ramiyar Karanjia, principal of the Dadar Athornan Institute.
"It was the first time I had attended a Zochild program. It’s really a very good community function. There are hardly any Parsi students in Madhya Pradesh. I did Bharat Natyam on both days and it gave me a good opportunity to showcase my performance,” said Afrin Karanjia, bubbling with a burst of rapid fire answers on the telephone from Mhow to Parsiana’s questions. "The reaction of the children is very positive. They enjoy singing monajats and Parsi songs and are very willing to come for practice,” opined musician Marazban Mehta. "Yes, I am at ease playing the piano and really enjoy it… But I am more interested in composing music at my own studio for films, series, ads, songs, etc. Recently I got a chance to compose the music for Shemaroo’s 50th anniversary logo, which will play on each and every DVD and also in theaters before the movie begins. I have also performed at the Kala Ghoda Festival and worked as a composer for films like The Adventures of Sinbad and Hatim-Sultan which will release in theaters soon,” pianist Kaizad Patel informed Parsiana on the email.
"Zochild provides an opportunity even to children from remote and rural areas of Surat, Navsari and other places. There is a lot of interaction between rural and urban students during these two days, irrespective of financial status,” notes Bagli. "It’s important the children carry with them happy memories,” opines Dotivala. Veera Patel of Poona has been an active volunteer/coordinator right from inception: "This year 110 children came from Poona and there were no problems! It is heartening to see children who have attended the Zochild program making every endeavor a few years later to organize events and ensure the growth of our Zoroastrian community.” "The children of the twin cities of Secunderabad and Hyderabad have been attending since 2005. Initially the number of participants was 25-30 which has since dwindled to nine participants this year, despite widespread publicity. From what we understand from parents, one of the reasons for the reduction could be the pressure of education,” wrote Jehangir Batliwalla, honorary secretary of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman of Secunderabad and Hyderabad (PZASH) in an email response to Parsiana. "Two interesting booklets titled Parsika — Volumes 1 and 2 (donated by JAK Printers and distributed to the children) were seen and appreciated by the managing committee of PZASH and a letter has been written to the organizers requesting them to send us a few copies which can be kept in our Anjuman library,” Batliwalla adds.
For Kapadia himself, his family provides a strong support system. "I thank Shiraz for her selfless hard work. She is always ready to run the extra mile,” he acknowledged. Teenage daughter Sanaya, bedecked in a red sari, was by his side for the flag hoisting and proposed the vote of thanks. "Zochild has become a major movement,” she said. "Next year and over the next decade I would like you to join us!” Older daughter Vahishta was among Kapadia’s students who performed advanced katas in the karate demonstration. Son Behram also holds a black belt like the others in the family but is also into athletics and basketball.
"It’s been 14 years since we lost Fareena (Vispy and Shiraz’s daughter who died young, in whose memory the program is held) and I have still not got over it,” Kapadia stated. Speaking to Parsiana later in his office, Kapadia declared: "We started Zochild with around 700 children at Allbless Baug. The passage of 10 years has gone very fast. I may be the face of Zochild, but I accept with all humility that I cannot fly on my own. We (Zochild committee) debate, talk, shout, fight, but finally chaiyé hamé Zarthoshti! The entire body supports me heart and soul. It’s six months’ hard labor. The follow-ups take around a month-and-a-half after the event!” The donors, several of whom donate substantial amounts year after year, are the backbone of the program, he reiterates. ZCF is a registered charitable trust with 80G exemption. "If there is a deficit, I put my hand in my pocket and clear it. The awards (with names engraved) are all from my personal funds. I have been an awardee, I realize how great it is to be recognized and to know the community cares for you,” he says. "The magnitude to which the program has grown is quite an achievement,” remarks Daroga.

"My association with ZCF now stretches back eight glorious years. The trustees, committee members and volunteers are a very dedicated, disciplined and industrious band of excellent people who have made ZCF such a formidable force,” says Urvax Dhanda. "Everything is provided gratis — and this over two days for 2,000+ children and adults. And let’s not forget the ‘summer camps’ for swimming, dancing, physical fitness, etc conducted by the ZCF where everything, including transport and food, is again free. Now add the specter of inflation and you can imagine the formidable task ahead. It’s the challenge of collecting funds and donations which are always a tough ask,” Khambatta observes. "In life we have to think passionately about other people,” Kapadia responds. The Zochild, after all, is the father of the man in a community which lacks the safety net of numbers.
Melody and message
The program for the day was, as always, a merry mix of entertainment and education. The children of Bandra’s Tata Blocks conducted by Marazban Mehta sang mellifluous monajats in English; prayer songs were sweetly rendered in Gujarati by the children of the Panday Girls High School also trained by Mehta. From the boys and girls of Navsari came movement to music with a message — that you can rise with hard work and sincerity above the circumstances in which you are born. The dance, choreographed by Navsari’s Yashan Patrawala, told the story of a lad denied admission into a school because of a lowly station in life who educates himself from outside the classroom with a teacher’s blessings.
Popular as always were the Western dance medleys and the pulsating blasts from Bollywood! Youngsters from Malcolm Baug, Jer Baug, Salsette Colony, etc added spoonfuls of sugar to their own lives and proved that every task you undertake becomes a piece of cake if accompanied by infectious enthusiasm! Bombay’s Kaizad Patel, all of 16 years of age, long hair et al, performed on the piano — fingers flying over the keyboard in Pirates of the Caribbean, Boogie Woogie, Love Story, Those were the Days … From Mhow came 17-year-old Afrin Karanjia with a graceful and confident Bharat Natyam performance. Parinaz Guard’s dance was described by Khambatta as "poetry in motion.”

Zochild seeks to provide today’s restless youngster roots as well as wings! Each year the children of Dadar’s Mancherji Edalji Joshi Memorial Trust Dharmagyan Class under Mithoo Jesia take the audience back in time, presenting in son et lumière (sound and light) pages from the Zoroastrian past. This year’s play endorsed the dictum "Parsi thy name is charity” by enacting the story of benevolent baronet Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy’s early life and his legacy, though a few historical errors had inadvertently crept into the production. Nine-year-old Ervad Rooyintan Mehenty recited Yasna 28 of the Gathas — a very long, difficult, by heart recitation, strong childish voice ringing out in clear intonation, leaving adults and children alike marveling at his memory!
Udaan, an NGO (nongovernmental organization) for the visually impaired, touched probably the deepest chord in the hearts of the audience with a sterling performance of Malkhamb (traditional Indian sport where a gymnast performs feats and poses on a rope/pole). "What we need is not sympathy but opportunity,” said their compere, explaining their various difficult maneuvers on an eight-and-a-half foot high pole, with no safeties attached, despite the performers being visually impaired. The horse jump, pyramids, backward bends, etc (on the rope) require flexibility, speed and coordination, he explained. "We bring people from different states together. The school teaches them teamwork, togetherness, taking care of themselves and their mates.”
"This (Zochild) is a brilliant idea, bringing together knowledge, culture and art,” asserted Abha Singh, recently retired director of postal services, Maharashtra. "You have energy and talent. What is lacking is your (commitment) to the nation,” she told a slightly surprised audience! "We are a young country. It is you who are going to run this country. How many of you will turn 18 in 2014 (when the next general elections are due)? Ask your mum and dad: ‘Did you vote?’ Send your parents to vote.” Colaba (in south Bombay) has the dubious distinction of having the lowest voter turnout… The BMC (Bombay Municipal Corporation) has an annual budget of Rs 22,000 crore. Yet only around 42 percent of the population voted in municipal elections, she noted. "We are a disinterested lot. Every five years we have the power to change the Prime Minister. Protect this freedom. You grasp technology so well so why can’t you grasp the running of this country? You know everything about Salman Khan (and Bollywood). You are too young for parties and drinks. Stop thinking of yourselves. Think of the nation and take it forward.”
Believing that nothing you do for children is ever wasted, Kapadia dips into his own pocket each year to recognize the achievements of children in areas other than academics. The "Youth Achiever” awards this year went to Shahzad Variava, Yashan Patrawala, Anosh Irani, Delkash Shahryarian, Aashna Irani, Afroze Elavia and Percy Elavia. In the category of "Children Achievers,” the awardees were Afrin Karanjia, Armin Bodhanwala, Delsha Patel, Frenaz Chipia, Hutash Amaria, Jehan Hormazdi, Kaazvin Kapadia, Kevin Pooniwala, Mehernaz Mavalwala, Percy Amaria, Jenai Doctor and Zeenia Ghandhi.
Elegant trophies ("Jewels of the community” awards) were also presented to adult/senior achievers. The recipients this year were Silloo Billimoria of the BMC (public service), Bomi and Dolly Dotiwala (theater/cine artists), Farokh and Katy Khodaiji (table tennis champions), Dr Marzi Mehta (oncologist), Burjor Antia (legal luminary), Mithoo Jesia (social service), Prof Khurshed Sheriar (educationist), Marazban Mehta (revival of Parsi songs), Pervin Batliwala (veteran marathon runner), Zarir Bhathena (philanthropist/builder), Perviz Dotivala (social service), Zenobia Daroga [president, ZOSTA (Zoroastrian Student Teacher Association)] and Perin Bagli (regional secretary, ICSE schools, Maharashtra region). Felicitated also were the well-wishers and donors — Persis Madon Vatcha, Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, Gev, Aban and Feroze Patel, Dr Keiki Mehta, Pheroz Balsara and many others. Nobody has an agenda, Kapadia declares emphatically. "We are not supported by any punchayet or association. We all work for the love of children and the progress of the community.”