“A rebel by nature”

"I do not know if it is an honor, but everyone says it is, so it must be,” noted additional solicitor general of India for the Calcutta High Court Yezdezard (Yezdi) Dastoor when the Parsis of the eastern city felicitated him on his appointment at their Olpadvala Memorial Hall on August 2, 2020. Organized by the Calcutta Zoroastrian Community’s Religious and Charity Fund (CZCRCF) and the Late Dhunjeebhoy Byramjee Mehta’s Zoroastrian Anjuman Atash Adaran where Dastoor is a trustee, the function was attended by a handful on account of the prevalent social distancing norms, but was "broadcast” live on YouTube. Parsiana noted about 100 admirers of Dastoor logged on. Until September 1, 2020, the video hosted on the Calcutta Parsee Club’s (CPC) channel had over 1,300 views. "It warms the cockles of my heart that people still think of me in this favorable light,” Dastoor stated. Informality and several reminiscences by Dastoor and his friends, family, trustees of the organizations and the many Parsi associations that work in Calcutta marked the one-and-a-half-hour function. Parsiana’s requests for an interview with Dastoor were politely declined.

The appointment was notified by the law ministry after being cleared by the Appointments Committee of the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On June 29, he was also Tweeted "Congratulations” by the West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankar.
Dastoor’s life revolved around the CPC and scouting at the Saklat Physical Culture Institute (SPCI) when he was growing up, revealed the 65-year-old law officer. Known to his friends as "Dax,” Dastoor revealed the name evolved from "Daku” (dacoit), when he was so termed on account of his hirsuteness. Prior to his brief speech, Dastoor was felicitated with a shawl and a scroll by CZCRCF senior trustee Numazar Mehta and fire temple trustee Noshir Tankariwala. The scroll, read out by CZCRCF trustee Cyrus Madan, who also served as the compere for the event, alluded to Dastoor’s "sense of integrity and responsibility” and the community’s pride in "their very own.”
The event began with a welcome in "a typical Parsi way” with CPC president Prochy Mehta, Roshni Tankarliwala and Trista Madan welcoming Dastoor and his wife Vahishta with flowers and jalebi. A tandorasti prayer recited by head priest Ervad Jimmy Taraporwalla for Yezdi and Vahishta followed.
"His hard work paid off,” revealed Numazar, after reading out Yezdi’s curriculum vitae. An alumnus of Calcutta’s St Xavier’s College and Bombay’s Government Law College, Dastoor was enrolled in the Bar Council of West Bengal in 1981 and was appointed senior advocate in 2014. Yet another nickname for Yezdi was "Ragger.” "He always had a contrarian view… He was a rebel by nature,” revealeded Numazar. Noshir referred to Yezdi’s "deep knowledge of law and jurisprudence” and commended his offering professional services to "all our members who have asked for his help.” Yezdi’s great-grandfather was the first panthaky of their fire temple, noted Noshir.
"I am sure Vahishta was responsible for the making of Yezdi as we know him,” stated professional colleague and lawyer Soumendra Nath Mookherjee who attended the event via Zoom, referring to Yezdi’s involvement in "top criminal cases,” his affability, love for horses and their "many common club memberships.” Prochy’s pictorial depiction of vignettes from Yezdi’s life won appreciative comments in the chat box from viewers on YouTube. She referred to Yezdi’s skills at the barbeque and in making akuri. The jurist’s parents Aran and Jahangir were avid members of CPC. Jahangir was the editor of their community magazine Gavashni, she recalled.
Yezdi’s sister Tehnaz Dastoor Oberoi recalled his love of books and his prowess at playing the drums. Friend Cyrus Confectioner’s reminiscences were read out. They alluded to his simplicity, mastery over English, a penchant for charity and "a direct, no-nonsense attitude, sometimes mistaken for arrogance.”
Others who felicitated Yezdi electronically were Calcutta Parsi Amateur Dramatic Club’s Parvez Kaikobad, SPCI’s Noshir Wadia, Parsi Zoroastrian Association’s Ketty Kapadia, Calcutta Stree Mandal’s Roda Bulsara and Calcutta Parsi Youth League’s Rasheed Jeejeebhoy.
Stated Madan at the close of the event: "Yezdi is indeed the pride of the community and he will always be the Yezdi Dastoor we have grown up with.”