Readers' Forum
“All the world’s a stage”
I have read your Editorial Viewpoint "All the world’s a stage” (Parsiana, September 21, 2013) on the forthcoming 10th World Zoroastrian Congress (WZC) to be held in Bombay from December 27 to 30, 2013 and found some of the points raised thought provoking.
The Organising Committee (OC) has yet not made public the names of the speakers. I registered for the WZC as early as June 5, 2012 as I wanted to take active interest in matters pertaining to Zoroastrianism and the Zoroastrian community in and outside India. On checking the proposed program and finding that slots were available on the afternoon of the third day, I wrote to the OC on August 6, 2013 requesting time allotment on that day as I wished to make a presentation titled "Some Suggestions on reversing the decline of Zoroastrian population in India” and asked for a line in confirmation for the time allocated.
There was no acknowledgement so I sent a reminder on August 18. There was no response to the reminder either. I tried to call the ‘contact us’ number from September 5, but did not succeed, so I sent a third reminder on September 11, stating: "Kindly refer to my letter of August 6 and a reminder dated August 18 on the subject asking for confirmation of time allotted for my talk. I tried to contact (the concerned person) last week (end September) but she was not available. I tried to call again but was told that the dialed number is not operating. As a minimum courtesy one expects an acknowledgement to a delegate’s request. Kindly respond.”
Finally, I received this response: "Dear Mr Kabraji, Thank you for your email and my apologies to have missed out on replying to your email earlier. I had forwarded your request to the OC for their perusal.”
I replied: "Thanks for at least acknowledging my messages. However I am rather disappointed with your response. Your having forwarded my request to OC does not tell me anything. How can this proposal be finalized to its logical conclusion? Kindly advise.”
The response I received on September 17 read: "This is to inform you that the OC has reached its decision. As the program schedule has now been finalized, we have no slot free in which to include any further topic. In case a slot opens up, we shall inform you.”
And here is my last letter dated September 18, with a note to the chief sponsor Dr Cyrus Poonawalla: "I am somewhat surprised to note from your response that there is no free slot to include my topic. When I first wrote on August 6, slots were available. When I sent a reminder on August 18, slots were available and now I am told that there is no free slot! Kindly advise the OC that my topic is ‘Some Suggestions on Reversing the Decline of Zoroastrian Population in India.’ Trust they will be able to appreciate that the single most concern of Zoroastrians in India is the declining population… A slot should be made available for this most vital issue of the Zoroastrian community in India.
"Trust you will be able to appreciate what I have mentioned above. Since you have sponsored this meet, I am requesting you to prevail upon the OC to make even a special slot available to discuss this topic.”
Till time of writing (October 8) there has been no response — and I do not expect one either. Organizing a world meet cannot be expected to be done by trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet whose primary function is to manage charity buildings and funds. Perhaps a proficient company should have been engaged to do this.
The Organising Committee (OC) has yet not made public the names of the speakers. I registered for the WZC as early as June 5, 2012 as I wanted to take active interest in matters pertaining to Zoroastrianism and the Zoroastrian community in and outside India. On checking the proposed program and finding that slots were available on the afternoon of the third day, I wrote to the OC on August 6, 2013 requesting time allotment on that day as I wished to make a presentation titled "Some Suggestions on reversing the decline of Zoroastrian population in India” and asked for a line in confirmation for the time allocated.
There was no acknowledgement so I sent a reminder on August 18. There was no response to the reminder either. I tried to call the ‘contact us’ number from September 5, but did not succeed, so I sent a third reminder on September 11, stating: "Kindly refer to my letter of August 6 and a reminder dated August 18 on the subject asking for confirmation of time allotted for my talk. I tried to contact (the concerned person) last week (end September) but she was not available. I tried to call again but was told that the dialed number is not operating. As a minimum courtesy one expects an acknowledgement to a delegate’s request. Kindly respond.”
Finally, I received this response: "Dear Mr Kabraji, Thank you for your email and my apologies to have missed out on replying to your email earlier. I had forwarded your request to the OC for their perusal.”
I replied: "Thanks for at least acknowledging my messages. However I am rather disappointed with your response. Your having forwarded my request to OC does not tell me anything. How can this proposal be finalized to its logical conclusion? Kindly advise.”
The response I received on September 17 read: "This is to inform you that the OC has reached its decision. As the program schedule has now been finalized, we have no slot free in which to include any further topic. In case a slot opens up, we shall inform you.”
And here is my last letter dated September 18, with a note to the chief sponsor Dr Cyrus Poonawalla: "I am somewhat surprised to note from your response that there is no free slot to include my topic. When I first wrote on August 6, slots were available. When I sent a reminder on August 18, slots were available and now I am told that there is no free slot! Kindly advise the OC that my topic is ‘Some Suggestions on Reversing the Decline of Zoroastrian Population in India.’ Trust they will be able to appreciate that the single most concern of Zoroastrians in India is the declining population… A slot should be made available for this most vital issue of the Zoroastrian community in India.
"Trust you will be able to appreciate what I have mentioned above. Since you have sponsored this meet, I am requesting you to prevail upon the OC to make even a special slot available to discuss this topic.”
Till time of writing (October 8) there has been no response — and I do not expect one either. Organizing a world meet cannot be expected to be done by trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet whose primary function is to manage charity buildings and funds. Perhaps a proficient company should have been engaged to do this.
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