Parsi Pragati Mandal’s 70th

The souvenir of the Parsi Pragati Mandal (PPM) of Surat commemorating its 70 years of service to the community was written and compiled by Rusi Besania and Yasmin Dotivala of the PPM with support from Dilnaz Besania, Mehernosh and Yazdi Karanjia, Nergish Hadvaid and Maharukh Chichgar, states an email sent to Parsiana by Chichgar. The Gujarati language souvenir is replete with color photographs and information and has been described as a book of "happy moments one would want to remember, dreams seen and now fulfilled, old friends lost on the way and new friends gained.” Photographs illustrate the activities of the PPM and there is information about its history and how it was established.

Besania, who has authored 37 books, had also compiled souvenirs for the PPM on its 40th, 50th and 60th anniversaries. He has written a biography of the late Dr Minocher Contractor, who founded the PPM. Besania was honored for his writing and his 50 years’ association with the PPM. He responded that he was grateful to the Mandal for giving him the opportunity to serve the community and remarked that had he not joined the PPM, many pages of the book would have remained dull!
While releasing the souvenir on February 14, 2016 chief guest Dinshaw Tamboly was appreciative of the good work done by the PPM for people in and around Surat, its efforts in encouraging the youth by giving educational scholarships and supporting elderly members of the community.
Present on the occasion was Tamboly’s wife Bachi, Surat Parsi Panchayat (SPP) president Jamshed Dotivala, Marazban Baria from Bilimora and Sam Chothia, vice president of the Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India. Dr Farhad Contractor, son of PPM founders Dr Minocher Contractor and his wife Dinamai, came with Hutoxi Contractor from the USA especially for the function, notes the email. Tamboly lauded the services of Jamshed and Yasmin Dotivala, thespian Yazdi Karanjia, author Besania, social workers Chichgar and Dilnaz Besania as well as bodies like the SPP, Zoroastrian Women’s Assembly of Surat and Yazdi Karanjia Group for enriching lives in the city, mentions the email.
Three students, Arzan Varachhawala, Sohrab Kharadi and Jehan Dordi were presented scholarships from the Mancherji Joshi Trust for their excellence in academics.
The Karanjia Group staged the hilarious natak, Kutra ni Punchhdi Vanki, as part of the celebrations.