“Give a pure country...”
Actor Jackie Shroff enhanced the glam quotient at the 13th Zochild Day
Jackie Shroff
Students of the Bai Avaibai F. Petit Girls’ High School performing ring gymnastics
The actor who shares a camaraderie with Vispy dating back many years when they both used to learn karate together sprinkled his impromptu speech with a smattering of Gujarati coupled with Hindi and English. He said: "Hu gaamwalo chu, mané kai bolta nai aavé (I am a villager, I do not know how to speak). Baat kam karnéka, kaam jyada karné ka (speak less, work more). Jé bole té karé nai bappa (those who speak more, don’t deliver, dear). Baddhané help karvani try karo (try and help everybody). Take care of mummy, daddy properly. Take care of the poor, the needy,” he urged the youngsters.
On a serious note he added, "Tarrakki ké naam pé log zeher chod ja rahé hai bachcho ké liyé (in the name of advancement, people are leaving behind poison for the children). Save the environment. Give a very pure country to the children who will follow.” He was all praise for Parsi theater and quick to acknowledge two Zoroastrian stage thespians — Dinyar Contractor and Yazdi Karanjia.
The morning started with an admonition by the principal of Activity High School and ZCF trustee Perin Bagli: "You are all coming from disciplined homes and disciplined schools… Till there is perfect silence, we will not start… It looks very bad when we call speakers and children are not interested. These speakers share their thoughts with you. Take some good points and carry them home… Also do not destroy auditorium property.”
After the Indian tricolor and the ZCD flags were hoisted, Kapadia took the audience through the oath taking ceremony. With their right hand placed over their hearts they pledged to uphold the tenets of the faith and keep the fires of the ancient religion always burning bright. When voices chanting the oath ebbed a bit, Kapadia urged them to be "jara (more) powerful. Bhal bhalu aavé life ma pan power joiyé (many ups and downs may come in life, but one has to remain powerful).”
"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal; love leaves a memory no one can steal,” mentioned master of ceremonies Hoshedar Khambatta. He recalled the seminal inspiration for ZCD, the late Fareena Kapadia, and ZCF committee members who had passed away — "dedicated worker and magnanimous donor” Dr Daisy Sidhwa and Marazban Mehta, the "man who regaled us for so many years with his melodious voice,” unfailingly singly Pal pal dil ké paas, tum réhti ho in remembrance of five-and-a-half year old Fareena. Karaoke king Zubin Sanjana filled his shoes to render the song.
Avabai Petit students with Yasmin Charna; (2nd row) Vispy, Shiraz, section of the audience
Boarders of the Bai Avabai F. Petit Girls’ High School paid tribute to their music teacher Mehta, singing a monajat and a Bollywood number. Young religious prodigy Ervad Rooyinton Mehenty recited Ha 60 from the Yajashne. For the benefit of the audience it was translated into English by Ervad Yazdi Panthaki. Surat lasses sizzled next with their garba. The Petit girls were back again with a breathtaking performance of ring gymnastics under the watchful eyes of their coach Ervad Marazban Maney. Later it was the Navsari dancers who performed a contemporary item.
Food for thought was provided by Kersi Limathwalla, the first guest speaker of the day. According to the chartered accountant and World Zoroastrian Organisation-India president a Zoroastrian child is special because "you belong to a community who has just given to the country and has never asked for anything in return. A community which is loved by one and all, respected… When someone calls you a ‘bawa,’ don’t get offended. It is out of affection you are called so.” Expecting a Zochild to emerge "a winner in both success and failure,” he counseled, "For those who are better than you, compliment them, those who are weaker than you, encourage them.”
"This generation is obsessed with the idea of success. We get so stressed chasing success that we fail to be happy,” commented the second guest speaker Noshir Dadrawala, chief executive officer of the Centre for the Advancement of Philanthropy and Bombay Parsi Punchayet trustee. "Have faith in God and in your own self. Acquire wisdom which is not taught in the schools but learnt in the school of life. Your true wealth in life is your character. Be proud of what you do. In life cultivate a hobby of collecting smiles,” he advised.
"Ai paghree ék kapdu nathi, maatha par taj ché. Jé lokoé kom né saathé rakhi ché, té mobed kom é rakhi ché (this pugree is not merely a cloth, it is a crown on the head. If anybody has kept the community together, it is the mobed class),” observed principal of the M. F. Cama Athornan Institute (MFCAI), Ervad Khushru Panthaki who gave his address in Gujarati. Calling on the children and parents of the athornan class he said, "Kom né kadar ché mobedoni (the community does care for its priests). Tamuné aatli saras takht mali ché kom ni séva karva maaté (you have been given a wonderful opportunity to serve the community).” The principal urged parents to enrol their young sons in the madressa where currently the only student is Mehenty. Trying his hand at public speaking for the first time the young lad addressed the gathering in Gujarati: "Athornan bhaioné vinanti karu chu ké mehnat, lagan né practice karso tau tame pav mahal ni kriya karva taiyar thai sako chho (I am requesting my athornan brethren that with effort, dedication and practice, one can be readied to perform higher liturgical ceremonies).”
Post a vegetarian lunch child residents of Malcolm Baug performed a two-act play on Firdowsi Toosi with elaborate sets and sound. The first half depicted the legendary writer and how he took 12 years to write his magnum opus, the Shahnameh. Zal’s birth, his marriage to the beautiful Rodabeh and the birth of their son Rustom pehelvan was enacted in the second part.
Salsette children drove home a message on cleanliness with their enactment on Swatchata Abhiyan. Gags by Vistasp Gotla entertained one and all. Then it was all dancing right till the end by Jer Baug, Poona’s J. N. Petit Technical Institute, Avabai Petit, Malcolm Baug and Godrej Baug. Students of the Activity High School had earlier showed off their acting skills by staging scenes from the popular British TV comedy Mind Your Language.
Vispy and Shiraz Kapadia (center) with ZCF committee members and volunteers
Of gems and jewels
Instituted for the first time this year was the Zochild Award for Excellence conferred on the popular eye surgeon Dr Keiki Mehta. There were four recipients for the Jewels of the Community Award: "living legend” of the medical field, gynecologist Dr Rustom Soonawalla; star cricketer Mehli Irani (whose trophy was received by wife Dhun as the sportsman was in hospital following an accident); religious scholar Ervad (Dr) Parvez Bajan and Zoroastrian representative on the National Minorities Commission Dadi Mistry of Delhi.
Six persons took home the Award for Distinction — Naju Panthaki (social service); Navsari’s Vispy Kasad (karate), Vispy Kharadi of Surat (karate), Urvaz Kerawalla, also from Surat (air rifle/trap shooting, in absentia); Errick Elavia (academics/dramatics) and Mehernosh Bacha (traffic warden).
Lifting the ZoChild Rising Star trophies for youth were table tennis champions Frenaz Chipia (Surat) and Pearl Amalsadiwala, skaters Homyar Dotiwalla (also from Surat) and Naasha Pithawalla, athletes Hoshedar Chichgar and Parzan Nariman, judoka Frehan Mehta, footballer and Poona lad Kaizad Dutiya, abacus champ Parvez Mistry and bulbul Zeenia Mistry.
Sanaya Kapadia in her vote of thanks acknowledged the contribution of many large hearted Zoroastrians who open their purse strings for the ZCF.
After the lowering of the flags and singing the two anthems, the cavernous hall resonated with the cackle and babble of children all keen to return home with their give-away gifts and the Baskin Robbins ice cream cups. Volunteers tried their best to keep children in their seats as bus numbers were announced with their respective destinations. The logistical nightmare to reach all Bombay children safely to their respective drop off points and all outstation ones to their respective stations, was coordinated by Tanaz and Shahrukh Shroff of Adventure Tours and Travels with their band of volunteers.
The out-of-town boys and girls who had arrived from places like Surat, Navsari and Poona were housed at the MFCAI in Andheri, the Cama Convalescent Home at Bandra and the M. F. Pandey Parsi Dharamshala at Thakurdwar respectively. Six children came from the United States and three participants came from the Gulf, informed Shiraz in an email.
The previous day the outstation children, some as young as five years, assembled at The Bai B. S. Bengallee Girls’ High School at New Marine Lines. After all of them had lunch catered by Jimmy Gadiwala, they were whisked off to the Tejpal Auditorium to see a play Bedroom Ma Bakalyu, Bairi Ae Pakaryu. DJ Osh ensured all participants danced the night away after dinner.
The edutainment for the children seemed to have sustained their energy levels until the end.