Doyen Dalal’s dedication

"I intend to live a long life to make the best use of this award,” announced 81-year-old Rusi Dalal who was felicitated by the UK community on being conferred the honorary life membership of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE). When presented the memento at The Zartoshty Brothers Hall at the Zoroastrian Centre on September 18, 2016 by the chief superintendent Simon Ovens, borough commander of Metropolitan Police Service Harrow, Dalal jested, "I am glad he read out the contents” lest the citation be misconstrued as an arrest warrant!
The honor and felicitation was in recognition of Dalal’s "dedicated and selfless voluntary services to the community for over 30 years,” read the plaque. Dalal had served as president of the oldest Asian faith based voluntary organization in the UK from 1993-1997 and continues to be ZTFE trustee since 2006. Dedicating the award to his family, friends and colleagues who have supported him over the years, he appreciated that among the 270 plus members of the audience were peers from his Zanzibar days, Iranian friends, guests from Bombay and Copenhagen, besides many from the UK. His endeavors have been guided by the motto, "Happiness unto whom who gives happiness to others,” as enshrined in the Zoroastrian faith, asserted Dalal.
"I was pleasantly surprised how many youngsters came forward with their ‘thank-you’s… (including) those thanking me for my match making efforts!” Dalal subsequently conveyed to Parsiana. "Unity plays a part and it is a common scene here when (current ZTFE president) Malcolm Deboo leads a function there are (past presidents) Paurushasp Jila, Dorab Mistry and me just standing by next to him… All the past presidents over the last 20 years or so have led ZTFE to a sound base and success,” he added.
The function following the Ardibehesht mah, Ardibehesht roz maachi and jashan, was graced by chief guests Ovens and councilor Rekha Shah, mayor of Harrow. Also present was Member of Parliament for Harrow West Gareth Thomas who is additionally co-chair of the Zoroastrian All Party Parliamentary Group. Representing the High Commission of India was minister A. S. Rajan. Dr Sarah Stewart, Zoroastrian lecturer at SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) and lead curator of The Everlasting Flame exhibition, Dr John Curtis, chief executive officer of the Iran Heritage Foundation, Dr Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis, curator of Middle Eastern Coins at The British Museum and representatives of many interfaith institutions too had come to honor Dalal.

It is thanks to the magnanimity "of people like Rusi and (his wife Dr) Roshan Dalal that the ZTFE is still serving the community after 155 years,” summed up Deboo before tracing the highlights of Rusi’s career and contributions in the UK from the time he arrived from Zanzibar in 1959 to pursue further studies in civil engineering, getting married to Dr Roshan Kolah two years later, and raising a family of four children – Sorab, Rukshana, Phiroze and Natasha – in the subsequent decade. In the 1970s he befriended eminent Iranians like Arbab Mehraban and Faredoon Zartoshty, Arbab Rustom Guiv and others who were the initial benefactors for a larger Zoroastrian House. In 1983, Rusi with Shahrokh Shahrokh was involved in the design for the extension to the Zoroastrian House in Compayne Gardens.
Between 1985 and 1993 he had served as the association’s honorary house secretary, honorary secretary and vice president when he compiled the first Directory of Zoroastrians in the UK in 1991. He continued to compile the seven subsequent editions too and took it upon himself to oversee and expand the burial ground at Brookwood Cemetery. After his presidential tenure he continued to serve on the managing committee as European coordinator and as joint vice chair of the Eighth World Zoroastrian Congress hosted by the ZTFE in 2005.
Among his protégés who could not attend the function, being out of the country was Lord Karan Bilimoria of Chelsea who stated in his message, "I can never be grateful enough for Rusi’s ceaseless support and for the guidance he has provided to me.” Dorab Mistry and his wife Shenaz in their message from Singapore gave Dalal credit for steering "ZTFE into an outward looking dynamic organization. It wasn’t just jashan and gahanbars. You encouraged and established strong linkages with academia.” When the "diaspora in North America was still crawling, Rusi and Roshan (and others of the esteemed community in the UK) served as our role models,” wrote Rohinton Rivetna, founder president of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) and his wife Roshan, the erstwhile editor of FEZANA Journal.
The Dalals are known for their "warm and generous hospitality” to community guests from all over the world. When covering ZTFE milestones, Parsiana representatives too have frequently been hosted by the gracious Dalals.