Newly launched startup Della Leaders Club (DLC), the world’s first technology-enabled global platform for CEOs and entrepreneurs with nearly 2,000 members, is set to raise $7 million (Rs 52 crore) in its first funding round in the next few weeks.
DLC’s founder, Mumbai-based entrepreneur Jimmy Mistry, is in talks with several investors to raise funds for the venture at an enterprise value of $70 million, according to a copy of the term sheet seen by ET.
These potential investors include Suketu Shah of Novotech, Sanjay Arora of D’Decor, Vinay Thadani of ABC Chemical Exports, Nirav Shah of Renaissance Pharma and Asim Dalal of The Bombay Store.
Mistry, a first-generation entrepreneur, has roped in former JM Financial investment banker Ashith Kampani to raise the funds.
The platform is targeting revenue of $380 million in the next five years, said people in the know.
Members on the platform include Keki Mistry of HDFC, Ibrahim AlHusseini of FullCycle, Dana Al Salem of Yahoo and American celebrity lawyer David Schwartz.
The DLC founder said the company was in an advanced fundraising stage but refused to give other details. “The funds will be invested in creating a technology back-end for the company and chapter development and setting up infrastructure for DLC’s expansion globally and in India,” he said.
The company has subsidiaries in the UK, US, UAE, Hong Kong and Thailand, and is designed to create a robust support system for leaders across industries globally, he said.
DLC expects to launch as many as 15 chapters globally. The platform plans to launch in 120 cities in eight phases.
DLC is a concept created to become a single common global platform for entrepreneurs, professionals and young leaders for their day-to-day business and lifestyle needs and allow them to make decisions translating across digital and physical mediums.
Zoroastrianism has had a profound influence on major world religions. Its history tells the story of imperial culture, persecution, and migration.
Utilising a rich visual repository of artifacts, paintings, and texts, this four-week course will take you through the story of Zoroastrian religion, history, and culture.
The three first weeks draw inspiration from an exhibition titled ‘The Everlasting Flame: Zoroastrianism in History and Imagination’. The fourth and last week provides an exploration of the Avestan language, in which most of the Zoroastrian ritual texts are written.
Zoroastrianism: History, Religion and Belief: An Online Course by Sarah Stewart and Céline Redard
Available free from FutureLearn
Sign Up Now
Overview of the content
Week 1 Who was Zarathushtra and what did he teach?
Welcome to the course (1.1 – 1.5)
Introducing Zarathushtra (1.6 – 1.7)
Teachings, the Gathas (1.8 – 1.9)
Teachings: Creation and the doctrine of the Amesha Spentas (1.10 – 1.12)
Week 2 Historical Perspectives: Iran
The central act of priestly worship: Yasna (2.1)
The Ancient World and the Achaemenid Empire (2.2 – 2.5)
The Parthian and Sasanian Empires (2.6 – 2.9)
After the Arab conquest of Iran (2.10 – 2.13)
Week 3 Historical Perspectives: India
Influence of Zoroastrian religious thought on world religions (3.1)
Journey from Iran and early settlement in India (3.2 – 3.4)
Devotional life and rites of passage (3.5 – 3.7)
Challenges facing Zoroastrians today (3.8 – 3.10)
Week 4 Avestan
Introduction (4.1 – 4.2)
Let’s start with letters (4.3 – 4.6)
An Avestan text: the victory of Zaraϑuštra over the demons (4.7 – 4.12)
It’s widely believed that Nagwaswalla was picked on account of being from Gujarat since Jay Shah has pushed for players from his backyard
Players coming out of Gujarat have had it good over the last few years, and the ‘talented’ Arzan Nagwaswalla is the latest to benefit. And that he happens to be the first Parsi in close to 50 years to represent India is only fodder for the PR team.
The 23-year-old from a beach-town called Nargol in Valsad was named in India’s squad for the World Test Championship final against New Zealand and the five-Test series against England, becoming the first from the Parsi community since Farokh Engineer in 1975 to make the squad. Though Nagwaswalla is only on the list of stand-bys (net bowlers effectively), it caught many by surprise.
In fact, the left-arm paceman himself wasn’t too sure how his selection came about.
“I did not expect to get called up so early in my career,” Nagwaswalla tells DH. “I didn’t even get picked for the IPL so obviously I wasn’t expecting to be in the Indian squad. These days it’s rare for someone to not play the IPL and get picked for the Indian team.”
It’s widely believed that Nagwaswalla was picked on account of being from Gujarat since Jay Shah — the current BCCI secretary and former Gujarat Cricket Association joint-secretary — has pushed for players from his backyard.
Of course, Nagwaswalla may have fuelled the rumour by revealing that Shah informed him of the selection before the squad was announced. That said, his numbers, albeit small in sample size, are actually impressive.
In 16 first-class games, he has picked up 62 wickets at an average and strike rate of 22.53 and 44.60 respectively since his debut in 2018. In 20 List-A games, he has 39 wickets, and in the latest edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he had nine wickets from five games.
“He has fantastic numbers so whoever says he was picked for something else doesn’t know what’s actually happening in cricket,” a source in the BCCI revealed. “Also, we didn’t have (T) Natarajan and Chetan Sakariya since both are injured so Arzan was the obvious choice.
“Besides doing well domestically, he has a great attitude and he brings a lot to the table as a bowler. He has been on our mind for the last three or four selection meetings so this time we knew we had to go in his direction.”
Nagwaswalla didn’t mind the rationale behind his selection, he was just happy that he was there. “I have been working a lot on my bowling but the last two years I have spent more time improving my mental state,” he explains. “I meditate on the beach every morning, focus on breathing and visualise things. I think that’s why I have done well and I am where I am right now.”
Aware of the shoes he has to fill, should the opportunity arise, Nagwaswalla said: “He (Natarajan) and I are very different bowlers. I will focus on my strengths. Whatever happens after is not in my control.”
Speaking of the Parsi heritage, Nagwaswalla plays it down. “It’s an honour but I never think about these things. Farokh sir apparently informed one of my coaches that he will meet me if I go to England… sorry when I go to England.”
Over the past one year alone Marzy Parakh has raised over Rs 2 crore for relief initiatives like distributing ration kits, cooked meals and reimbursing hospital and medicine bills of the needy in various states.
Mumbai: Thirty-year-old hotelier and Worli resident, Marzy Parakh, has been spearheading a drive to help those who are in need since he was 17 years old and has been working tirelessly to help the differently-abled for the past 18 years. Over the past one year alone he raised over Rs 2 crore for relief initiatives like distributing ration kits, cooked meals and reimbursing hospital and medicine bills of the needy in various states.
“We have facilitated masks worth over Rs 7 crore for Mumbai police, BMC and Income Tax officials as well and have facilitated over 3 lakh meals for hospital staff, frontline teams and disadvantaged communities. We have got over 1000 individuals under one roof to form LIVE TO GIVE, a unique Citizens’ movement that enables regular citizens to facilitate help to needy individuals from home,” Parakh said.
He added, “We have started a doorstep ration delivery service for especially abled individuals and a unique 24-hour lifesaving service to facilitate and prioritise booking of hospital beds, ambulances, plasma, dialysis and medicines for extreme need and critical cases. We also started a daily call and follow-up service for senior citizens, destitute, abandoned and disadvantaged individuals.”
Parakh’s work isn’t limited to Mumbai. He has been lending a helping to people across Maharashtra and also to other states. “We facilitated tarpaulin sheets for over 800 cyclone impacted families in Raigad and ration kits for over 500 families for flood relief in Assam. We have also undertaken several search and rescue missions for destitute and abandoned individuals including reuniting an abandoned senior citizen from Mumbai with his family in Uttar Pradesh through a 25-day search on social media,” Parakh shared, while speaking about the initiatives he has implemented.
Parakh has also set up a helpline where every citizen can call in for help and offer help. “Live To Give is a platform that enables the common man to make a difference from the comfort of his home. It works like a 24-hour helpline, that is created, monitored and funded by a pool of common citizens who facilitate timely help to individuals, without excessive turn around time, or paperwork. One can reach us at Whatsapp number 9820084060 or email us at info@livetogiveindia.org,” he said.
A new book, ‘The Tatas, Freddie Mercury & Other Bawas’ by Coomi Kapoor, offers a ringside view into the lives and contributions of some of India’s most well-known Parsis
Shapoorji Pallonji Jr was Pallonji Sr’s sixth child. He was only 13 years old when he was moved enough by his father’s business struggles to decide he would help out… In 1900, Shapoorji dropped out of school after completing the fifth grade to help his father…
The family’s early contracts were mostly military and PWD projects. In 1919, Pallonji Sr bequeathed his business to his son…
By working with experienced British army engineers and government civil engineers, Shapoorji gained invaluable technical experience and knowledge…
By 1943, Shapoorji Jr formed his own company, Shapoorji Pallonji Construction Private Limited (SPCL) and moved into the big league. He focused on building smart residential flats and houses… It was considered prestigious to live in an apartment block or building constructed by SPCL, recognised for its high standards.
In his career stretching over seven decades, Shapoorji’s firm played a major role in shaping Bombay’s skyline. Many of Bombay’s landmark buildings were executed by SPCL. These include the RBI building, the Bombay Central Station, the Cricket Club of India, the Taj Hotel extension, the Oberoi Hotel, the Shanmukhananda Hall, TIFR, the Homi Bhabha Auditorium, the Breach Candy Hospital and the Bombay World Towers… Despite his success, for most of his life, the master-builder operated out of a dark, Dickensian office on the first floor of Meadow Street, in the heart of the Fort commercial district… Shapoorji was a shrewd judge of men, and tended to keep his engineers on their toes by paying surprise visits to the site. Since he was not proficient in English, his secretary Mr Dumasia translated his instructions for the benefit of his staff. While most of his senior engineers were Parsis, his accountants were Gujarati and maintained their ledgers in the language. Every engineer reported to him daily and, without the help of any notes, he knew from memory which material supplies and labour requirements had to be dispatched to different sites. An employee recalls his long, frayed coat that had numerous pockets in which he kept wads of cash, his chequebook and spectacles. Shapoorji was not a lavish paymaster but inspired loyalty in his team all the same. He looked after staff members and their families when they found themselves in difficulties, and was always there for marriages or funerals — more a father-figure than boss…
The construction czar also formed an investment company titled ‘Sterling Investment Corporation’ (SIC). Its subsequent and continued success showed that he truly had the Midas touch…
Take, for example, Shapoorji’s investment in the Bollywood film, Mughal-e-Azam. Movie production is considered a high-risk business, and many have lost fortunes in film ventures just to rub shoulders with the glamorous stars. Shapoorji’s connection with Bollywood came about by chance. The script for the now iconic movie… was presented to him as payment for a debt… When another film producer approached Shapoorji for the script, he sensed that it might be valuable and decided to finance the film himself. Director K. Asif hired three famous stars, Dilip Kumar, Madhubala and Prithviraj Kapoor, to play the lead roles. Asif was, however, a perfectionist, and Shapoorji, uncharacteristically, kept shelling out more money to fund this perfectionism… just as the film was nearing completion, the technology for colour cinema came to India and the director insisted that a part of the film be reshot in colour. By this time, the cost of the movie, Rs 15 million, had mounted to 10 times the normal budget of a Hindi film and had taken eight years to make. Shapoorji’s son, Pallonji Mistry, was convinced his father was wasting good money in a bid to recover a dead loss. Some suspected it was the beauty of Madhubala that had dazzled Shapoorji, others felt it was his fascination with Prithviraj Kapoor’s Urdu dialogue, which Shapoorji recited enthusiastically while climbing the stairs, that made the normally shrewd and cautious businessman throw money at a white elephant. Of course, all the doomsday predictions came to naught. Mughal-e-Azam, the first Indian film to be shot partly in colour, turned out to be one of Bollywood’s biggest gross earners of all time.
Parsis now claim that they abjured proselytising in India because this was a condition of their pact with the Sanjan ruler. But the Parsis probably ended the practice of selectively admitting non-Parsis to the fold only by the 17th century. By the 19th century, the community had developed a great sense of pride in its exclusivity and identity, and objected entirely to the admission of any outsiders… Even in the 21st century, the schism is still wide open. On the one side are cosmopolitan and affluent modern-thinking Parsis, whether Indians or emigrants, many of whom have family members who have married out of the community but would like future generations to be brought up as Parsis and have navjotes… First and second-generation Parsi migrants to the West are conscious that if their offspring do not meet fellow Parsis, they are likely to distance themselves from their culture forever…
Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry (Express Archive photo)
But not so in the parochial baugs of Mumbai, where the middle classes live in insulated, rent-controlled Parsi housing colonies. For a girl from such an upbringing to marry outside the community still carries a terrible social stigma. As a consequence, there are more spinsters per capita among Parsis than any other community in India.
There is still a stubborn streak of fundamentalism in a sizeable section of this otherwise liberal and highly educated community. This is in part because of the charisma of the conservative, persuasive lay preacher and scholar, Khojeste Mistree. Most priests may have been unwilling to bend with the times, but their influence was limited, particularly as there were always exceptions in the clergy who were agreeable to performing religious ceremonies for those who did not fall within the strict definition of a Parsi. But Mistree succeeded in impressing his strict standards on the Parsi laity for a considerable time.
Mistree, who grew up in Pune, was drawn to mysticism since childhood. He travelled to England at the age of 16… and stayed on in the country to study accountancy. He qualified as a chartered accountant and was on the brink of making partner in a firm when he became interested in religion. He was admitted to Oxford University to study Zoroastrianism…
Mistree returned to Mumbai in 1980 and was invited to give a series of talks on Zoroastrianism. The auditoriums were packed with Parsis, young and old, keen to learn more about the faith in which they were brought up but about which they knew very little. Mistree became something of a religious pop star, thrilling the crowds with his displays of oratory and learning… His resistance to any concession to changing times coupled with his fast-growing clout made him a highly divisive figure in the community.
Justice Nariman’s seven-year-old tenure, however, comes to an end on 12 August.
A man with deep interest in history, philosophy, literature and science, Justice Nariman authored several notable judgments that the apex court has delivered in recent times, some of which were written while he was a junior judge.
As a member of many Constitution benches, his contribution to some landmark verdicts will remain etched in the history of the country’s evolving jurisprudence.
But his legal acumen is not the only reason why Justice Nariman is a favourite with his colleagues — both in the bar and the bench, regardless of their age.
Known for his plain-speaking, both inside and outside the court, Justice Nariman is an ordained Parsi priest and that makes him distinct as a judge.
Adept at performing marriages and the Navjote ceremony — when a child belonging to the Zoroastrian family is initiated — Justice Nariman also has access to enter the sanctum sanctorum (inner-most part) like any other priest from his community.
In his book, Nariman’s father and eminent jurist, Fali S Nariman, wrote that since his family was “priestly,” his wife made sure the son got ordained as a priest at the young age of 12. Writing further, the senior lawyer said that Justice Nariman had performed the Navjote ceremony of his sister Anaheeta in Mumbai.
‘Expert in comparative constitutional and civil law’
Justice Nariman got elevated a month after the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014. His name was recommended by the collegium then headed by Chief Justice R.M. Lodha.
It was after nine years that a senior lawyer from the Supreme Court bar had got elevated as a judge of the apex court.
Prior to him, Justices Santosh Hegde (January 1999-June 2005), Kuldip Singh (1988-1996) and S.M. Sikri (1963-1973) assumed offices directly.
Justice Nariman enrolled as a lawyer in 1979. A graduate in commerce from Sri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), the judge studied law at Delhi University’s faculty of law.
He later went on to do his masters in law from Harvard Law School and wrote his thesis on affirmative action: a comparison between the Indian and US constitutional law.
He practiced Maritime Law in New York at Haight, Gardener, Poor and Havens for a year before returning to India.
He was just 37 when the Supreme Court designated him as a senior advocate. The then Chief Justice Venkatachalaiah amended the rules in order to make him a senior counsel at that young age against the mandatory 45.
As a lawyer, Justice Nariman also served as the solicitor general of India in 2011 under the previous Congress regime, but resigned over his alleged differences with the then law minister Ashwani Kumar.
He has 35 years of experience with the bar, during which time Justice Nariman argued numerous cases, including before the Constitution bench and has over 500 reported Supreme Court judgments to his credit.
His elevation has been a “matter of pride” for the youngsters practising in the apex court.
“Justice Nariman is a brilliant, learned and thoughtful judge. He was especially extremely supportive of younger lawyers who argued cases,” said senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy.
“His legacy includes cases that expanded freedom in our constitutional democracy — including K.S. Puttuswamy that provided for a right to privacy, and Navtej Singh Johar, which ensured equality and non-discrimination of LGBT Indians,” she added. “He will also be remembered for his incisive judgments in commercial law, including ones on bankruptcy, which have clarified many grey areas in the code.”
Her views were seconded by Ruchi Kohli, who is the additional advocate general for Haryana in the SC.
“He is an inspiration for all of us, to achieve his level of intelligence, understanding of the law as a lawyer and a judge,” Kohli said.
“If there were a list of top 10 judges and top 10 lawyers of the top court since independence, then Justice Nariman would be the only person to illustriously figure in both lists,” added advocate Sunil Fernandes. “It is difficult to decide whether he is a better counsel or a better judge.”
Justice Nariman’s judgments showcase his deep interest in history and literature.
In his separate and concurring judgement in the Navtej Singh Johar case that decriminalised consensual sex between two adults of the same sex, Justice Nariman quoted extensively about Oscar Wilde’s life and his prosecution by the then British state because of his sexuality.
His judgments reinforce his firm belief in upholding human rights. In 2014, a five-judge bench, also comprising Justice Nariman, authored the majority verdict to hold that review petitions in death penalty cases should be heard in open court, departing from the settled apex court rules that permits chamber hearing of all review petitions.
On extrajudicial killings, a bench led by the then Chief Justice R.M. Lodha, and comprising Justice Nariman, laid down a set of 16 guidelines to be followed while investigating police encounters. It was this verdict that became the basis for the 2017 ruling on the extrajudicial killings in Manipur.
The NRC update in Assam gained significant momentum only in December 2014, when a bench comprising Justice Nariman issued detailed directions to the state to complete the project within a specific timeframe.
As member of a constitution bench, Justice Nariman sided with the majority verdict to declare the Triple Talaq practice unconstitutional. Writing for himself and Justice U.U. Lalit, the judge held that gender equality must outweigh religious freedom.
Justice Nariman’s views in the K.S. Puttaswamy case, which declared privacy a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution; Joseph Shine case that struck down Section 497 of IPC, related to adultery and the Sabarimala judgment reflect his deep understanding of different religions.
The judge found himself in the minority when he and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud rejected a review petition against the Sabarimala verdict. He observed there was a constitutional obligation on the government to implement the apex court orders, even if they were not parties before them in a case.
He has been unequivocal in his opinion about the primacy of constitutional rights. And this has found a place in several of his judgments, including the Shreya Singhal case that ruled Section 66A of Information Technology (IT) Act as unconstitutional.
A bench led by him recently took suo motu cognisance of media reports about UP allowing Kanwar Yatra amid fears of a third Covid wave.
“The health of the citizenry of India and right to life is paramount, all other sentiments whether be religious are subservient to this basic fundamental right,” he had said, forcing the state to call off the arrangements.
As a judge, Justice Nariman never minced words. His bench was instrumental in expediting the criminal trial in the Ayodhya demolition case.
‘Judge with diverse interests’
Nariman’s father has in his book described the judge as a “superb lawyer,” one who is “brilliant” with his memory, people, events and his vast general knowledge.
“Besides, he is also our devoted and God-fearing priest; the only one in the Nariman family,” the senior Nariman has said.
Senior advocate, A.M. Singhvi introduced the judge at a lecture as a man with “bewilderingly diverse interests”.
And this is evident in his first book, The Inner Fire: Faith, Choice, and Modern-Day Living in Zoroastrianism. The book is an analysis of the 238 verses of the Gathas — the sacred text of the Zoroastrian faith.
At the launch of his book in 2016, the judge said he wanted to write a children’s book on the “gems” from the religious faith practised in India. He had even pitched it to the NCERT but they were not enthusiastic, he revealed at the launch.
The second book Justice Nariman is writing traces, explores and analyses all dissenting judgments in the history of the Supreme Court of India. The book will be published in two volumes by Penguin.
Known for his deep knowledge about western classical music, Justice Nariman is a regular morning walker and is often spotted at Delhi’s Lodhi Garden.
With inputs from Tushar Kohli, a fifth-year-old law student interning with ThePrint.
(Edited by Arun Prashanth)
Justice Rohinton Nariman is in select company — he was only the fourth senior counsel to be elevated from bar to the bench.
That was on 7 July, 2014, when he was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court.
Justice Nariman’s seven-year-old tenure, however, comes to an end on 12 August.
A man with deep interest in history, philosophy, literature and science, Justice Nariman authored several notable judgments that the apex court has delivered in recent times, some of which were written while he was a junior judge.
As a member of many Constitution benches, his contribution to some landmark verdicts will remain etched in the history of the country’s evolving jurisprudence.
But his legal acumen is not the only reason why Justice Nariman is a favourite with his colleagues — both in the bar and the bench, regardless of their age.
Known for his plain-speaking, both inside and outside the court, Justice Nariman is an ordained Parsi priest and that makes him distinct as a judge.
Adept at performing marriages and the Navjote ceremony — when a child belonging to the Zoroastrian family is initiated — Justice Nariman also has access to enter the sanctum sanctorum (inner-most part) like any other priest from his community.
In his book, Nariman’s father and eminent jurist, Fali S Nariman, wrote that since his family was “priestly,” his wife made sure the son got ordained as a priest at the young age of 12. Writing further, the senior lawyer said that Justice Nariman had performed the Navjote ceremony of his sister Anaheeta in Mumbai.
‘Expert in comparative constitutional and civil law’
Justice Nariman got elevated a month after the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014. His name was recommended by the collegium then headed by Chief Justice R.M. Lodha.
It was after nine years that a senior lawyer from the Supreme Court bar had got elevated as a judge of the apex court.
Prior to him, Justices Santosh Hegde (January 1999-June 2005), Kuldip Singh (1988-1996) and S.M. Sikri (1963-1973) assumed offices directly.
Justice Nariman enrolled as a lawyer in 1979. A graduate in commerce from Sri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), the judge studied law at Delhi University’s faculty of law.
He later went on to do his masters in law from Harvard Law School and wrote his thesis on affirmative action: a comparison between the Indian and US constitutional law.
He practiced Maritime Law in New York at Haight, Gardener, Poor and Havens for a year before returning to India.
He was just 37 when the Supreme Court designated him as a senior advocate. The then Chief Justice Venkatachalaiah amended the rules in order to make him a senior counsel at that young age against the mandatory 45.
As a lawyer, Justice Nariman also served as the solicitor general of India in 2011 under the previous Congress regime, but resigned over his alleged differences with the then law minister Ashwani Kumar.
He has 35 years of experience with the bar, during which time Justice Nariman argued numerous cases, including before the Constitution bench and has over 500 reported Supreme Court judgments to his credit.
His elevation has been a “matter of pride” for the youngsters practising in the apex court.
“Justice Nariman is a brilliant, learned and thoughtful judge. He was especially extremely supportive of younger lawyers who argued cases,” said senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy.
“His legacy includes cases that expanded freedom in our constitutional democracy — including K.S. Puttuswamy that provided for a right to privacy, and Navtej Singh Johar, which ensured equality and non-discrimination of LGBT Indians,” she added. “He will also be remembered for his incisive judgments in commercial law, including ones on bankruptcy, which have clarified many grey areas in the code.”
Her views were seconded by Ruchi Kohli, who is the additional advocate general for Haryana in the SC.
“He is an inspiration for all of us, to achieve his level of intelligence, understanding of the law as a lawyer and a judge,” Kohli said.
“If there were a list of top 10 judges and top 10 lawyers of the top court since independence, then Justice Nariman would be the only person to illustriously figure in both lists,” added advocate Sunil Fernandes. “It is difficult to decide whether he is a better counsel or a better judge.”
Judge who never minced words
Justice Nariman’s judgments showcase his deep interest in history and literature.
In his separate and concurring judgement in the Navtej Singh Johar case that decriminalised consensual sex between two adults of the same sex, Justice Nariman quoted extensively about Oscar Wilde’s life and his prosecution by the then British state because of his sexuality.
His judgments reinforce his firm belief in upholding human rights. In 2014, a five-judge bench, also comprising Justice Nariman, authored the majority verdict to hold that review petitions in death penalty cases should be heard in open court, departing from the settled apex court rules that permits chamber hearing of all review petitions.
On extrajudicial killings, a bench led by the then Chief Justice R.M. Lodha, and comprising Justice Nariman, laid down a set of 16 guidelines to be followed while investigating police encounters. It was this verdict that became the basis for the 2017 ruling on the extrajudicial killings in Manipur.
The NRC update in Assam gained significant momentum only in December 2014, when a bench comprising Justice Nariman issued detailed directions to the state to complete the project within a specific timeframe.
As member of a constitution bench, Justice Nariman sided with the majority verdict to declare the Triple Talaq practice unconstitutional. Writing for himself and Justice U.U. Lalit, the judge held that gender equality must outweigh religious freedom.
Justice Nariman’s views in the K.S. Puttaswamy case, which declared privacy a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution; Joseph Shine case that struck down Section 497 of IPC, related to adultery and the Sabarimala judgment reflect his deep understanding of different religions.
The judge found himself in the minority when he and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud rejected a review petition against the Sabarimala verdict. He observed there was a constitutional obligation on the government to implement the apex court orders, even if they were not parties before them in a case.
He has been unequivocal in his opinion about the primacy of constitutional rights. And this has found a place in several of his judgments, including the Shreya Singhal case that ruled Section 66A of Information Technology (IT) Act as unconstitutional.
A bench led by him recently took suo motu cognisance of media reports about UP allowing Kanwar Yatra amid fears of a third Covid wave.
“The health of the citizenry of India and right to life is paramount, all other sentiments whether be religious are subservient to this basic fundamental right,” he had said, forcing the state to call off the arrangements.
As a judge, Justice Nariman never minced words. His bench was instrumental in expediting the criminal trial in the Ayodhya demolition case.
‘Judge with diverse interests’
Nariman’s father has in his book described the judge as a “superb lawyer,” one who is “brilliant” with his memory, people, events and his vast general knowledge.
“Besides, he is also our devoted and God-fearing priest; the only one in the Nariman family,” the senior Nariman has said.
Senior advocate, A.M. Singhvi introduced the judge at a lecture as a man with “bewilderingly diverse interests”.
And this is evident in his first book, The Inner Fire: Faith, Choice, and Modern-Day Living in Zoroastrianism. The book is an analysis of the 238 verses of the Gathas — the sacred text of the Zoroastrian faith.
At the launch of his book in 2016, the judge said he wanted to write a children’s book on the “gems” from the religious faith practised in India. He had even pitched it to the NCERT but they were not enthusiastic, he revealed at the launch.
The second book Justice Nariman is writing traces, explores and analyses all dissenting judgments in the history of the Supreme Court of India. The book will be published in two volumes by Penguin.
Known for his deep knowledge about western classical music, Justice Nariman is a regular morning walker and is often spotted at Delhi’s Lodhi Garden.
With inputs from Tushar Kohli, a fifth-year-old law student interning with ThePrint.
Brilliant chef and good friend Cyrus Todiwala writes about his recent medical bout with prostate cancer
As one that has never stopped working nearly fifteen hours a day since 1976 and, thinking that I am OK, my recent escapade with the dreaded Prostate Cancer was a rude awakening.
January 2020 our Grade Two star listed building came under new ownership and at once we started to have issues with the new landlord who told us that, under no circumstances will they be willing to extend our lease.
Upon stating that we were whilst still in India on holiday subjected to some sixty five different notices of non conformity and lease commitment failure etc. Very good ploy no doubt but scary and nerve wracking besides, a failure to have the finance to battle against a Giant. After loosing a lot of cash an agreement was reached and we could remain until the new year, but then hand over the building full stop.
Whilst all of this was going on I had this nagging doubt that I needed to get my Prostate checked. Our very dear friend and the legend of a chef Andrew Bennet was also suffering at this time as was another very dear chef friend Philip Corrick of the Royal Automobile Club and several others I learnt later plus other men not associated with the industry.
I did have my prostate checked physically previously and the doctor was a bit reluctant to get me tested again, but ran another physical test just the same, but there was no detection there. However I did insist stating that I did have few symptoms but it was nagging at me. I did not suffer from and still don’t frequent urinating at night but other changes were happening & I wanted this off my mind.
The doctor then told me that if a full test is done and if there is any detection then I should be prepared to go the full length. At which I said that if there is something then naturally I will be prepared.
A PSA test was done and the results showed a very high curve and I was summoned immediately and asked to go for an MRI. All this was happening in February whilst in one part of the world this dreaded Covid was emerging and news of a pandemic was reaching out to us here but no one took as much notice then.
The MRI scan showed a dark patch and at once Biopsy tests were booked. (painful, uncomfortable and irritable I must say especially when its just a surface anaesthetic)
Several Biopsies were taken and thereafter I was summoned to see the consultant very quickly.
I was then informed that I had stage four prostate cancer and that I was very lucky and was just months away from a rupture. Several options were given and we took advise for a few senior doctor friends as went and it was decided that I need to be operated and the prostate removed.
By this time it was the 20th of March. An urgent date was set and I was lucky to be the second last patient to be operated by Mr Prasanna Sooriyakumaran when all hospitals were shut down on the 24th of March.
My prostate was removed and all signs of any cancer were apparently removed as told to me post operation by Mr Prasanna. Later tests have shown that it is very much in control and there is extremely low detection.
I was just lucky let’s put it that way, later few months down the line our dear Friend Mr Andrew Bennett lost his battle to the cancer at a relatively very young age.
Now the reasons! For some reason we in the industry don’t think that we are invincible but we do not think that you should get yourself tested, simply because you are feeling fine and good and strong. My symptoms were at least three years old and I was not taking things seriously simply because work took over our lives. Kept blaming myself for not doing this or that, but still not making changes and not getting fully tested whilst still suffering.
I know that many like me do ignore minor health issues and we feel perfectly fine but inside a little devil may be growing and festering. This represents for both men and women, until something explodes inside and many a times it is too late and many a times it leaves us badly tainted and weakened. Covid in some way gave me a chance to recoup too but, we had so many worries and so many battles to fight it was like a living nightmare for us and a plethora of thoughts abbot the how why and when for our business which we had so nurtured over all these years, to be snatched away and destroyed giving back nothing.
We of course will never forget 2020 as the year when so much happened so quickly to us and wanted to destroy us completely, but that is not going to happen, our motto is different. From the destruction of a successful business after twenty five years to net zero, to a pandemic that wreaked havoc in all our lives and a health scare that could have gone either way. I am still not ok as I ignore my exercises and get told off all the time and know full well that I need to concentrate on my health too. But many years of being a workaholic has set in too many bad habits unfortunately. We still have a mountain to climb from re-establishing the business in a strange new location, to creating a buzz all over again and attracting a new clientele and getting the place up and running on a shoe string budget, if that. What we have is a huge reputation and a strong following and we hope that we can rise to the occasion once again.
But my sincere advise to everyone who is still fit and able and still working mad hours or staying really busy, is to give yourself some respite and get yourself tested. Yes it may be difficult to get everything done snappy on the NHS but for those who may have insurance as well, this cannot be ignored. You owe that to yourself. No one else does and can.
I came close very close and I was lucky, perhaps to tell my tale and to share my story. After we reopen and show some success perhaps I shall have another story to tell, but this time it is health and its all our health I am referring to.
So, what have I done
I have requested my surgeon to do a short write up for me that I can share with the industry. He is one of the leading lights in UK today and has immense experience and therefore will speak out the truth for us.
Do please read and digest. It is and can be embarrassing but the health and well-being of my colleagues in the industry are more dear to me and therefore I share my story knowing full well that it my conjure up many imaginations in the minds of many and yes I do suffer that burden, but I am alive today to tell the tale and I am still working as madly as I was before and aiming to do a lot more where and when I can.
Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman, Supreme Court’s ‘Renaissance Man’, retires on August 12
Article by Krishnadas Rajagopal
‘His is an absolute integrity matched by phenomenal memory and a capacity for hard work’
Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman, Supreme Court’s “Renaissance Man”, retires on August 12. He was sui generis on the Bench. Sharp, brusque, fearless and armed with repartees. He did not suffer incompetence and frivolous cases in court, dismissing both without mercy.
His professional trajectory, for lack of better words, has been path-breaking. In 1993, then Chief Justice of India M.N. Venkatachaliah amended the court’s rules to designate him senior advocate at the age of 37. He was appointed Solicitor General of India in 2011. He became only the fifth lawyer in the nation’s history to be directly appointed as judge of the Supreme Court in 2014.
An institution in himself
But Justice Nariman has always been more than a lawyer and a judge. Parsi priest, a scholar of classical western music and theology and a published author are some of his many caps. Penguin, which is releasing his new work ‘Discordant Notes -The Voice of Dissent in the Last Court of Resort’ in two volumes, introduces the author as “an institution in himself”.
Justice V. Ramasubramanian, who shared the Bench and many laughs with Justice Nariman, called him a “one-man army”. He referred to Justice Nariman’s blistering pace and scope of work. Most judgments would be ready for pronouncement within 48 hours of the closure of arguments in court.
“I once told him in a lighter vein that had you been a woman, you would not have waited for nine months to deliver. He retorted saying ‘please be happy so long as they are not premature babies’,” Justice Ramasubramanian reminisced about his colleague at a public event.
Justice Nariman almost single-handedly steered the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code through its teething years. Of the 164 Supreme Court judgments on the Code, 81 were authored by him.
“Justice Nariman spoke through his judgments. He has no personal agenda. His is an absolute integrity matched by phenomenal memory and a capacity for hard work. He is one of our great minds,” Justice Ramasubramanian said in his speech.
Words scrolled on an invitation for the launch of Justice Nariman’s book ‘Inner Fire’ in 2016 captures the essence of his pursuit of happiness through the path of truth. They read, “Truth is good. Indeed, it is best. It is happiness. Happiness comes to him, who, for the sake of truth, follows the path of truth.”
Seven-year tenure
Justice Nariman’s judgments in his seven-year tenure tap the myriad nerves of our social and legal fabric.
The Supreme Court amended its rules following his judgment that review petitions filed by condemned prisoners should be heard in open court and not within the four walls of judges’ chambers.
He struck down Section 66A of the Information Technology Act which armed the State with power to send people to prison for ‘uncomfortable’ social media messages. In his judgment in the Shreya Singhal case, Justice Nariman said, “The freedom of speech and the Press is the Ark of the Covenant of Democracy because public criticism is essential to the working of its institutions.”
His opinion saved the day for the “little man’s right to privacy”. It paved the way for privacy to be read into the Constitution as a fundamental right.
He cleansed a colonial smear from the Indian Penal Code by decriminalising homosexuality. He said the community is entitled to live with dignity. He banished the crime of adultery, saying the penal law made the husband the ‘licensor’ of his wife’s sexual choices.
Justice Nariman was part of the majority on the Bench which held that women aged between 10 and 50 years cannot be barred from the Sabarimala temple on the biological ground of menstruation. Later, when the case came up for review, his dissent shone as much as his earlier majority opinion. His absence on the Ayodhya Bench was stark.
His judgment on instant talaq found the Muslim man’s “capricious and whimsical” right “manifestly arbitrary”.
Justice Nariman held political parties accountable for the ‘criminal’ candidates they field in elections. His last judgment on August 10 chastised the lawmakers. “The nation continues to wait, and is losing patience. Cleansing the polluted stream of politics is obviously not one of the immediate pressing concerns of the legislative branch of government.”
He urged Parliament to take away the Speaker’s power to decide disqualification under the Tenth Schedule. He said an independent tribunal should be formed for this function.
In one of his judgments he pondered about law’s tolerance for moral wrongs. “Many things which are not punishable are morally worse than many things which are punishable… The rich man who refuses a mouthful of rice to save a fellow creature from death may be far worse a man than the starving wretch who snatches and devours the rice. Yet we punish the latter for theft…”
Senior advocate Fali Nariman once said it had taken him and his wife a while to appreciate the qualities of their son’s head and heart.
Justice Rohinton Nariman exits, batted for free speech, privacy
Son of noted jurist Fali Nariman and a postgraduate from Harvard Law School, Nariman was designated as a senior counsel in December 1993, at the young age of 37.
Supreme court judge Justice RF Nariman addresses the gathering during his farewell on retiring in New Delhi on Thursday. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)
JUSTICE ROHINTON Fali Nariman, who demits office Thursday after seven years as a Supreme Court judge, leaves behind a trove of judgments that sought to further free speech, privacy and personal liberty, cleanse politics, rein in constitutional authorities and recalcitrant businesses and ensure gender justice.
Son of noted jurist Fali Nariman and a postgraduate from Harvard Law School, Nariman was designated as a senior counsel in December 1993, at the young age of 37.
The judiciary, however, had no doubts on his merit, and in little over a year, on July 7, 2014, he was sworn in as a Supreme Court judge, making him the fourth such counsel to be directly elevated from the bar to the bench.
While practising as a senior counsel in the Supreme Court, he was appointed Solicitor General of India in July 2011 for three years. But in February 2013, he gave up the position. Speculation was rife that he quit following differences over some directions of the then law minister Ashwani Kumar, but his resignation letter gave no hints.
The judiciary, however, had no doubts on his merit, and in little over a year, on July 7, 2014, he was sworn in as a Supreme Court judge, making him the fourth such counsel to be directly elevated from the bar to the bench.
Justice Nariman minced no words when it came to judgments.
In March 2015, writing for a two-judge bench that struck down the controversial Section 66A introduced by the UPA government in the Information Technology Act, 2000, he said it is clear that the provision “arbitrarily, excessively and disproportionately invades the right of free speech and upsets the balance between such right and the reasonable restrictions that may be imposed on such right”.
“Such is the reach of the Section and if it is to withstand the test of constitutionality, the chilling effect on free speech would be total,” he said about the provision, which empowered police to arrest people for comments on social media.
Justice Nariman minced no words when it came to judgments.
In August 2017, a majority judgment by him and two others held as unconstitutional the centuries-old practice of instant triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat. In doing so, Justice Nariman laid out a new rule of jurisprudence – that manifest arbitrariness can be a ground for striking down a law.
That month also saw a nine-judge bench, including him, rule unanimously in the landmark Aadhaar case that “privacy is intrinsic to freedom of life and personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of Constitution”.
Decriminalising homosexuality in 2018 in the Navtej Singh Johar and Others vs Union of India case, Justice Nariman was categorical that “persons who are homosexual have a fundamental right to live with dignity… are entitled to the protection of equal laws, and are entitled to be treated in society as human beings without any stigma being attached to any of them”.
In September 2018, a Constituion bench composing Justice Nariman struck down Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code that makes adultery a punishable offence for men, saying the 158-year-old law was unconstitutional and fell foul of Article 21 (Right to life and personal liberty) and Article 14 (Right to equality).
An ordained Parsi priest, his knowledge of scriptures and philosophies of major religions made him an obvious choice for the bench which took up petitions challenging restrictions on entry of women of a particular age in the Sabarimala shrine. He spoke on gender rights in September 2018, concurring with the majority 4:1 verdict which favoured doing away with the restrictions.
Justice Nariman was also part of the bench which saw through the updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) for Assam. Rights groups had criticised the exercise, saying it violated the 1955 Citizenship Act.
In August 2018, the bench reprimanded Assam NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela and Registrar General and Census Commissioner Sailesh for giving statements on the process to the press and warned them of contempt action and time in jail. Though Hajela tendered an apology, Justice Nariman told him: “What apology? We find this very strange… Speaking for myself, I am appalled.”
In December 2020, a three-judge bench headed by him directed installation of CCTV in offices of central agencies such as the CBI and NIA and in all police stations, in a bid to further protection of human rights.
On affirmative action, a constitution bench comprising him in September 2018 upheld the creamy layer principle of excluding the affluent among SC/STs from the ambit of reservation.
Justice Nariman also had his ways of dealing with constitutional authorities and private entities.
In March 2020, a bench headed by him did not take kindly to the delay by Manipur Assembly Speaker in deciding pleas seeking disqualification of minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar Singh. The bench took upon itself the responsibility of removing Singh from the state cabinet, invoking its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution.
Justice Nariman was also part of the bench which saw through the updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) for Assam.
Another bench headed by him found Reliance Communications Ltd chairman Anil Ambani guilty of contempt of court in February 2019 for not honouring an undertaking to pay Rs 550 crore in dues to Ericsson India Ltd.
Justice Nariman also did his bit to clean up elections, directing political parties last year to make public details of criminal cases against its candidates within a stipulated time. On Tuesday, a bench headed by him held nine political parties guilty of contempt.
His command over commercial laws also made his bench the principal destination for such matters.
On August 6, 2021, a bench headed by him upheld the October 25, 2020 interim award of the Emergency Arbitrator under the Arbitration Rules of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, restraining Kishore Biyani’s Future Retail Limited from selling its assets to Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Infrastructure Group in what was touted to be a multi-billion deal.
In May 2016, writing for a two-judge bench, Justice Nariman held the Telecom Consumers Protection Regulations, 2015, that made telecom providers liable to credit each calling consumer Re 1 for each call drop within its network, as ultra vires under the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act.
Dealing with petitions on the subject of wealth tax, a bench headed by him ruled in September 2020 that the prestigious Bangalore Club cannot be brought into the wealth tax net.
Supreme Court Bar Association – Farewell Function in Honour of Hon’ble Mr. Justice R.F.Nariman, Judge, Supreme Court of India
“There’s a mantra out there — ‘move fast and break things.’ I think it’s created a lot of problems beyond technology,” the Archetype Solutions Group exec said. “I think there’s a way to learn and not cause chaos for chaos’ sake.”
Archetype Solutions Group’s new CTO, Shahrukh Tarapore, spent a lot of time in academia before realizing he didn’t want to become a tenured-track professor.
He was on the road to getting a Ph.D in computer science, but wanted to be able to apply research in a more direct way. So, he finished a master’s program at the University of Virginia instead, and dove into work at a Cherry Hill research lab for Lockheed Martin, focusing on machine learning and simulation modeling. He become a software developer by training, conducting research in advanced systems engineering and advising the corporation of the future of its technology.
“That is where I made the bridge between technical and business-focused background within a larger enterprise,” the 2020 RealLIST Engineer told Technical.ly.
Tarapore was eventually tapped to run all of the company’s R&D programs in India, fostering the relationships required for corporate responsibility and offsets. But after a few years, he started to feel the pull back to the United States.
He talked to Technical.ly about how he’s navigated his career since coming back to the Philly region. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Techncial.ly: What made you want to come back to Philadelphia after working in India?
Shahrukh Tarapore: It was a great experience, but I was getting burned out, I never saw my wife. Philadelphia was where my stuff was and I’d decided I’d had enough. I wanted a small org where I had more influence over a lot of aspects, over being a cog in a large machine. Chris Cera with Arcweb and I had been friends, and he talked to me about joining the company in a growth stage. I finally accepted and joined as a product architect, and eventually took over engineering team as head of engineering.
This was in 2015. We were a fledgling boutique consulting company, and what Chris and I did there from a tech perspective was professionalize strong developers into a streamlined process so we were able to deliver a quality software development process. I spent five or six years doing that, helping mature the process within an organization. I got to see a lot of finance, tech, engineering in a great environment. I had a lot more influence on software development and engineering.
And at the same time, because I was in a small org, it was really Philly-centric, and it was great entry point into getting more into Philadelphia. I got into civic culture, nonprofits and the tech ecosystem. Chris is a huge supporter of people engaging at that level. Then, fast forward to May of this year, for a lot of different reasons, it was a good time to move on — good growth for me and for others who could level up.
Tell me about your new role. How does it compare?
Now, at Archetype Solutions Group, I’m helping to build a tech org within the company. We target mid-market companies in the employee benefits space and healthcare with a goal with doing that management consulting work, to create an avenue for deal flow into the venture capital arm of our work. It gives me a view into a lot of different companies, and I get to play matchmaker to different orgs that might have value to other companies experiencing those products. A lot of work is in maturing and building tech and serving as a CTO to early-stage portfolio companies.
I’m still very much the new kid on the block, and I still have the luxury of coming in with some humble ignorance and asking how things work and why. I think that creates a safe space to talk about “why are we doing what we’re doing?”
What about a tech career drew you in?
I’m in a minority set of technologists where in my career, I’ve been less interested in tech for the sake of it being cool, and more motivated by it serving some purpose, whether that be to improve user experience or help them get something done. I’m actually usually the person in the room advocating for technology to be the last thing to do if you cant find another way. We’re always looking for that next technology, and I think I come from a perspective of exhausting all options before introducing new technology. Because in the world of tech, there’s always unintended consequences with new technologies.
There’s a mantra out there — “move fast and break things.” I think it’s created a lot of problems beyond technology. I think there’s a way to learn and not cause chaos for chaos’ sake. That’s the way I build teams.
Do you have advice for others who are considering a career move that’s intimidating or scary?
The thing I try to remind people of is, we’re in such an exciting time in an exciting industry. We’re in a place of privilege. A lot of other people don’t have the breadth of opportunities we have as technologists. And no matter where you are in your career, if you’re actively improving yourself and looking to be a good contributor to your team, and you’re making a career choice between Job A or Job B, its really not what’s good or what’s bad — they’re usually both really good choices.
It’s more opportunity costs. Both A and B are fantastic. Trust that if it turns out that Job A wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be, you’re still in a great space and you have a great perspective of Job B and can go and be successful over there. It’s about making that choice and riding it to its conclusion and then finding the next one.
On August 29 2021 our dearest friend, mentor and India’s greatest holistic health and wellness guru Dr. Mickey Mehta will be stepping into super sixties.
Four decades normally seem very long, but for Dr. Mickey Mehta it seems they flew pass like a breeze. Yes this year as he steps into 60th birthday, he also completes 40 years as the pioneer of wellness industry on many counts. The first holistic health columnist in India , first fitness TV radio presenter , first one to bring fitness to reality shows ( Indian idol junior , fame gurukool , nach baliye, channel V get gorgeous ,channel V pop stars and many more ) , first personal trainer of India , first one to promote equipment free training in India , first one to coach miss India / Mr. India / supermodels etc. He also has a world record in teaching swimming in 24 hours.
Incidentally he also completes 51 years of practicing yoga. Yet when we ask him are you a yogi? Pat comes the answer, “no am just an ordinary bhogi.”
He feels very fortunate as being appointed the FIT INDIA MOVEMENT champion and he also got the original Indian Olympics t-shirt to make videos for cheering the Indian Olympians.
Being a part of Indian merchant steering committee for holistic health there is lots India can expect post pandemic with his intended ventures HEALTHY INDIA WEALTHY INDIA.
As he steps into his 60th year, the Fit India movement turns three- . Is it a coincidence you ask? “And he says … I am simply blessed! ….”.
So what’s new we wonder? “Every moment, newness depends on your creativity driven by your own enthusiasm and getting inspired from within “. And he quickly opens up his cell phone with childlike enthusiasm, shows me the cover of his new book with global super chef Sanjeev Kapoor and the book is called, “IMMUNITY PLUS” where Chef Sanjeev Kapoor has contributed with health food recipes. Immunity plus also has a 4 week program of workouts, breathing, meditation, mind science, affirmations and prayers. In his own words it is a fully loaded club sandwich of well-rounded IMMUNITY all the way.
And knowing our mighty Mickey we certainly knew that wasn’t it at all. He once again pulls out his research paper on IMMUNITY FOR HUMANITY ‘by UGC- UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISION’ for which he was assisted by Dr. Havovi Rana under the guidance of Dr. Ali Irani- HOD PHYSIOTHERAPY NANAVATI HOSPITAL, DEAN NMIMS COLLEGE OF PHYSIOTHERAPY and his assistant Dr. Mansi Mehta. And yes this is Dr. Mickey ,Mehta’s second medical research paper , the first being the monu- mental code – Vedic Wisdom, published in SCI VISION JOURNAL.
Wow now we have 2 global Parsees in the business of immunity from our community. One – Mr. Adar Poonawala and second – Dr. Mickey Mehta. He quickly remembered his first meeting with Adar Poonawala at the Serum institute of India 2020 march 17 just 5 days before the lockdown to be precise and he says the idea of work on immunity germinated there.
Let’s say GET IMMUNIZED…GET MICKEYMIZED!!!
And in his own words he says, work and communicate, to the world and let maximum people get the benefit. So what’s the noise we ask? And yes he says a campaign of wellness revolution for human evolution on radio one, fever and nasha parallelly around STEPPING INTO SIXTY, and that’s not it, hold on; a campaign on Tata sky by Dr. Mickey Mehta “freedom from fat” was launched on the Independence Day.
On his birthday itself 29th August, Tata sky will run a special tribute for the legendary global leading holistic health guru Dr. Mickey Mehta – SUPER FIT SIXTY…completing 40 years of professional journey.
Parsees are known for caring and sharing and Dr. Mickey Mehta has just launched a brand new 360 degree holistic health healing center at Bhulabhai Desai Road Mahalaxmi chambers south Mumbai.
And you ask him any community related service ,and he says “ I serve the Maharashtra police , the BMC, the immigration , the customs , army , navy , air force time to time and have now started serving senior citizens from Zoroastrian community every Friday 6 pm at captain colony.
So does legendary mean THATS IT? And he says “I have just begun, I plan to live forever and contribute forever. I share my passion of social impact with my brother Jimmy Mistry and yes we both are driven by purpose. “
Then comes the line from the wordsmith’s mouth, “don’t chase your dreams …pursue your purpose and the universe will fulfil your dreams”
The project closest to his heart is DELPHIC GAMES of Greece it’s like the Olympics of art and culture. This was launched at the governors house on Saturday the 21st of August by joint commissioner Gst Sahil Seth, Hema malini ji , veteran actor Paresh Rawal, music directors Salim Suleiman , choreographers Bosco – Ceasar, MD BMG Crescendo and above all the grandmaster of physiotherapy Dr. Ali Irani, just to name a few. As a chair of holistic health for Delphic games, it seems he has the responsibility of starting a “SWAST BHARAT MAST BHARAT MOVEMENT”
It was time we had to close the interview and he appealed like a child that I have four more lines please and of course who could refuse that innocent face with a charming and a mesmerizing smile.
And then he says, “My vision is, LET WELLNESS BE THE RELIGION NUMBER ONE.
My mission is START A WELLNESS REVOLUTION FOR HUMAN EVOLUTION.
My objective is LET’S HAVE A DISEASE FREE WORLD. And my motto is SLEEP EVERY NIGHT WITH A WISH TO HEAL YOURSELF …. AND WAKE UP EVERY MORNING WITH A PROMISE TO HEAL THE WORLD.”
Yes of course Mickey – we are mesmerized and are Mickeymized ….
Howard Burton speaks with University of Bologna Iranian specialist Antonio Panaino about Zorastrianism: What is it? How was it influenced by, and in turn influence, other religious and cultural traditions? And what did it mean for the people of ancient Iran?
Zoroastrianism is an in-depth conversation with University of Bologna Iranian specialist Antonio Panaino about Zoroastrianism: What is it? How was it influenced by, and in turn influence, other religious and cultural traditions? And what did it mean for the people of ancient Iran?
“This was a new experience for me. Howard gave me the opportunity to focus on a large number of difficult topics in a very fitting, but at the same time, nice and attractive way. I think that people interested in Zoroastrian matters (and Zoroastrian people as well) can now find a presentation of many aspects of the Mazdean religion, at least as I have tried to interpret and study it. The discussion we developed, has focused on so many subjects that, when we finished, I was astonished.
“I am convinced that this kind of experience can offer a living memory of the research I am developing in these years and this instrument will be an additional support in a period in which the pandemic is limiting our mobility.
“Ideas Roadshow is a really serious, although not strictly academic, means of communication and dissemination of ideas and studies, that can be easily accessed. A very good aspect of our times.” — Antonio Panaino
In the United Kingdom, the British Library has an unrivalled collection of Zoroastrian manuscripts and therefore welcomed the opportunity to display three of its Zoroastrian treasures in the current exhibition “Epic Iran” organised by the V&A with the Iran Heritage Foundation in association with The Sarikhani Collection.
The exhibition covers approximately five millennia of Iranian history and is the first of its kind since the Royal Academy’s International Exhibition of Persian Art of 1931. Arranged in nine sections it explores and brings together the whole range of Iranian material cultures from the earliest known writing to the 1979 Revolution and beyond. Out of around 300 exhibits, the British Library contributed fifteen manuscripts which will be the subject of two blogs. In this first post, I will focus on the three Zoroastrian items.
Zoroastrianism, the religion of the ancient Iranians, owes its name to Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) whose hymns (Gathas) are thought to have been composed 1500 BC-1000 BC. It teaches the importance of good thoughts, words, and actions, in a dualistic cosmos where the forces of the All-knowing Lord, Ahura Mazda, are constantly opposed by those of the Evil Spirit, Angra Mainyu.
Originating in Central Asia, Zoroastrianism spread east to China and south to Iran where it became the main religion from the 6th century BC until the mid-7th century AD. After the arrival of Islam, Zoroastrian refugees from Iran established settlements in Gujarat, where they were called Parsis (“Persians”). Zoroastrian diaspora communities have since become established worldwide.
‘Ashem vohu’ prayer
Zoroastrianism is essentially an oral religion. The oldest scriptures, referred to as the Avesta or Zend, are in an Old Iranian language, Avestan. They were not written down, however, until around the 6th century AD during the Sasanian period, many centuries after their composition. Even after that, the main liturgical texts were transmitted orally. This is partly the reason that, apart from the Ashem vohu fragment mentioned below, there are no manuscripts surviving from before the end of the 13th century.
The ‘Ashem vohu’ prayer transcribed in Sogdian script, dating from around the 9th century. Photo credit: British Library (Public domain)
This fragment dates from around the 9th century and comes, not from India or Iran, the lands associated today with Zoroastrianism, but from Dunhuang in Central China, where it was discovered in the Mogao caves by Aurel Stein in 1907. It contains a short text in Sogdian (a middle-Iranian language) about the prophet Zarathushtra followed by a phonetic transcription into the Sogdian script of one of the holiest Zoroastrian prayers, the Ashem vohu, composed originally in Avestan.
Remarkably, the language of the prayer is neither recognisable as Sogdian nor Avestan but is likely to represent a much older Iranian dialect, perhaps an archaic form of Avestan. The prayer must have been preserved orally in this ancient form, which remained unaffected by the codification of the Avesta in the Sasanian period when the sacred texts were first written down (N Sims-Williams, The everlasting flame, p.94).
Zoroastrianism was carried eastwards to China from the early centuries of the first millennium by Sogdian traders, whose homeland was the area of Samarkand in present-day Uzbekistan. This document provides written evidence for its continuation there up to the 9th century and, more importantly, it is the only example of its kind, dating from about four centuries earlier than any other surviving Zoroastrian text.
‘Videvdad Sadah’
The Videvdad Sadah is a liturgical presentation in Avestan of the most important of Zoroastrian legal works, the Videvdad (“Law repudiating the demons”). The text, described as sadah (“clean”), ie unaccompanied by any commentary, is recited in a ritual context. This opening shows the beginning of chapter nine that concerns the nine-night purification ritual (barashnum nuh shab) for someone who has been defiled by contact with a dead body.
Most of our Zoroastrian manuscripts originate from India, copied by and for the Parsi community which traditionally emigrated from Iran from about the 8th century onwards. This beautifully written and decorated copy, however, was made in Yazd, Iran in 1647 by a Zoroastrian Mihrban Anushirvan Bahram Shah who copied it for a Zoroastrian of Kirman called Marzban Sandal Khusraw. Whereas Zoroastrian manuscripts are generally unillustrated except for small devices such as verse dividers and occasional diagrams, this one, exceptionally, contains seven coloured illustrations six of trees and one diagram. The heading here has been decorated very much in the style of contemporary illuminated Islamic manuscripts.
This copy was most likely brought to India from Iran by the Iranian poet and writer, Siyavakhsh Urmazdyar, himself a descendant of the original patron, in the mid-19th century before being acquired by Burjorji Sorabji Ashburner, a successful Bombay businessman who presented it the Royal Society, London in May 1864. Transferred to the India Office Library in 1876, it was incorporated into the British Library collection in 1982.
The ‘Bundahishn’
Chapter 27 of the ‘Bundahishn’. Photo credit: British Library, Mss Avestan 2 (Public domain)
The Bundahishn, or “Primal Creation”, is perhaps the most important Zoroastrian work on cosmogony and cosmography. Composed in Pahlavi (Middle Persian) during the early Islamic period, it is conventionally dated to the 9th century. It presents the Zoroastrian world view beginning with a detailed account of the perfect creation of the All-knowing Lord, Ahura Mazda (Ohrmazd in Middle Persian), which was attacked by the Evil Spirit, Angra Mainyu (Ahriman) and contaminated with disease and death.
The cosmic drama culminates in the resurrection of the dead and the defeat and removal of Evil from Ohrmazd’s world and its perfection at the end of time. The cosmographic parts of the text include descriptions of the world’s lands, rivers, lakes, mountains, plants animals and human races.
The text of the Bundahishn is preserved in two distinct versions, an Indian and a more complete Iranian one. This manuscript gives the text of the Indian Bundahishn and is written in Pazand, a phonetic Avestan script. Copied in India in the 17th or 18th century, it was acquired by East India Company surgeon Samuel Guise (1751-1811) while working at the East India factory at Surat and was purchased by the East India Company Library after his death.
A published catalogue of Epic Iran is available by the three curators: John Curtis, Ina Sarikhani Sandmann and Tim Stanley Epic Iran: 5,000 years of culture.
The author is Lead Curator, Persian, at the British Library,
We are thrilled to read about the new app that will ultimately help save lives and make trucking in India safer. Our dear friend and WZCC Global Youth Director Jehaan Kotwal has been working on this app for a few months now and its now ready for use.
Jehaan Kotwal the founder of JFK Transport is living the WZCC mantra of Creating Economic, Social & Intellectual Value.
Jehaan Kotwal has teamed up with his batchmate Sumedh Mane, an entrepreneur who specialises in technology, to create the HumSafer Driver Safety Foundation. It’s the only smart app dedicated to the safety of commercial drivers in India, the team claims. It is also free
With an end-to-end solution and an incentive-based programme, the app is dedicated to bringing the instances of road accidents to zero
According to a report by the National Highways Authority of India, 1.75 lakh people die in road accidents every year, of which 55,000 are truck drivers. For Jehaan Kotwal, CEO of JFK Transport, this wasn’t just an alarming statistic; it was a problem for which he felt compelled to find a solution. “As the son of a truck driver, I’ve travelled the length and breadth of the country. When I joined my dad’s business, we had a fleet of ten trucks and would end up seeing about three to four accidents happen every year. I wasn’t okay with this, so we tried to come up with solutions.” In 2017, when he went to IIM Ahmedabad on a scholarship for a logistics programme, he realised the severity of the problem. “We learnt that about 80 per cent of these accidents are due to human error and can be easily avoided,” he says.
Kotwal has teamed up with his batchmate Sumedh Mane, an entrepreneur who specialises in technology, to create the HumSafer Driver Safety Foundation. It’s the only smart app dedicated to the safety of commercial drivers in India, the team claims. It is also free.
The app sends reminders when drivers are speeding over 60 kmph. Voice assistant prompts the driver to take rest after every four hours of driving
With an end-to-end solution and an incentive-based programme, the app is dedicated to bringing the instances of road accidents to zero. Interestingly, they are using gamification to understand motivation, incentives, and rewards. For instance, alerts are sent out to gently nudge drivers on their safety and good driving behaviour, monetary rewards are credited straight to the driver through UPI and there’s also the option of live sharing of location with select contacts to keep in touch with their families. A 24×7 helpline has also been created for any road assistance so that paramedics and authorities reach in the ‘golden hour’. “We interacted with the drivers on ground to understand the existing problems in safety solutions. Many of them who had extensive driving experience were condescending towards the idea of a GPS tracker, because it was seen as a top-down approach. A lot of companies use it to just track their movements. So, it was important that we involved them as a community,” explains Mane. To combat the resistance, the team used a method of positive reinforcement to encourage drivers to follow safety standards. “If they are driving well, a ‘badhiya driving’ message is sent out, or ‘jitna safe chaloge, utne paise milenge’. We are being the carrot,” he adds.
Aside from the ever-present risk of danger, there are three other stressors that truckers face: tiredness, bad driving and lack of emergency services. “They are terribly overworked after driving for 10 to 12 hours at a stretch. They are not well rested, because there’s the danger of somebody stealing their tyres. So, when you drive for long hours, you anyway get into an autopilot mode. Lack of sleep worsens it.” Bad driving and lack of emergency services result in 80 per cent of road accidents that can be avoided, he adds.
A 2018 study published by Danish public health institute, Sydvestjysk SygehuIn, reveals that developed countries like Canada and Australia, have come up with regulations related to training and working hours. Canada stipulates a 13-hour limit with a 15-minute break every two hours and eight continuous hours of rest. India has little to show. Truckers are one of the most marginalised communities, thinks Kotwal. “Who really stops for a broken-down truck? They don’t get any assistance from the highway roads. The fleet owner is usually the only support system. In India, out of the 10 million trucks, 80 per cent are single-fleet owners, which means they double up as owner and driver. Whom do they go to? While 65 per cent [of accidents] are due to truck collisions, many accidents are caused due to lack of formal training and 20 per cent of the time drivers are driving drowsy to meet timelines,” he adds. Moreover, there’s a confusion and lack of people that the drivers can reach out to in case of emergencies on the highway.
Sumedh Mane and Jehaan Kotwal
In the pandemic, the team conducted vaccination drives for the community, held oxygen camps and introduced a one lakh insurance cover against COVID-19. “Various activists have been clamouring for truck drivers to be recognised as frontline workers. Since day one of the pandemic, they have been on the road, ferrying essential goods. It’s time we give them the due recognition,” says Kotwal.
There are a great many erroneous stories about the Dinshaw relationship with the Tatas and Wadias. The families were indeed close and were leaders in the Bombay community. The Tatas and the Dinshaws were all well known for their deep Zoroastrian faith and extraordinary philanthropic gestures. Both families donated a lot of their wealth to help establish schools and hospitals. However, the Wadia clan’s conversion to Christianity caused some strains in this relationship.
One of the great myths of the Tata narrative is that the Dinshaw family was the bankers of Tata, lenders of the last resort. It was widely reported that the Dinshaws had loaned the Tatas Rs 1 crore on two occasions (in today’s money, about $2 billion) back in the 1920s to help keep the company afloat.
It was rumoured that the Dinshaws had made their money – an absolute fortune – selling supplies to the British Army during the Second Afghan War (1878-81). That part is indeed true. Another common misconception, quoted by numerous sources, was that sometime during the 1920s, Edulji Dinshaw converted his loans into 12.5 per cent equity in Tata.
However, if you examine the Tata Sons Share Registry, you’ll see that the Dinshaws have never held any equity in Tata Sons. They certainly arranged and facilitated many loans that the Tatas required, but they never owned a single share in Tata Sons. None. When Ratanji Dadabhoy (RD) Tata died in 1926, he left his holdings to his eldest son, JRD.
JRD explained to Tata chronicler RM Lala, in his book, Beyond the Last Blue Mountain, that he felt bad about this and decided to divide it equally between his siblings. Like many a good deed done with the best of intentions, it was a decision that would have major consequences for the Tata business.
To pay back the money that Sir Dorab had lent his father, JRD was forced to sell properties. He told Lala that all that was left was the shares in Tata Sons, which equated to 20 per cent of the company, though the exact percentage has not been confirmed.
Pallonji Mistry’s father initially acquired shares in the Tata Group in 1967, when he acquired 5.9 per cent from Rodabah Sawhney – shares she had been given to her by her brother, JRD. It is not exactly clear from the registry how she ended up with 5.9 per cent. Presumably, she inherited some shares from Jimmy when he died in a plane crash in his twenties.
The next purchase by the SP Group was in 1969, when, much to JRD’s annoyance, Naval sold 4.81 per cent of Tata Sons owned by the Ratan Tata Trust. This caused much angst between JRD and Naval. Ratan explained that Naval did so without consulting JRD, who did not approve of the sale but was powerless to stop it.
It was Naval’s way of showing JRD that whilst he was not the chairman, he still had the ability to impact the all-powerful JRD. Ratan, too, was also opposed to his father selling shares to the Mistrys, but was also not in a position to stop the sale.
The final purchase came in May 1974, when Darab, who by this time had fallen out badly with JRD, sold his 6.68 per cent to the Mistrys. A rights issue in 1996 brought the total holding of the SP Group to the 18.40 per cent that it is today. All in all, a total of Rs 69 crore ($11M). The value of their holding in TCS alone is in excess of $2B. This was confirmed by Venkat, the Manager of Tata Trusts.
In sum, JRD’s act of kindness, dividing his shares equally among his siblings, seems to have spectacularly backfired. The results in monetary terms alone are staggering, eye-watering and beyond even the silliest dotcom bonanza.
As the share registry shows, in the decade between 1965 and 1975, the SP Group acquired shares in Tata for approximately $11 million (Rs 69 crore). It is difficult to estimate the value of Tata Sons, as the vast majority of the companies are privately held, but the value of the shares in Tata Consulting Services alone is pegged at least at $2 billion. In addition, SP Group has received over $150 million in dividends as a result of its holdings in TCS.
Overall, the SP holdings across the board in Tata companies has been reported in the Economic Times as being worth $15 billion. This is through two companies owned jointly by Cyrus Mistry and his brother Shapoor. Even adjusting for inflation, the $11 million invested by SP Group in Tata Sons has given them a return of at least 300 to 400 times their original investment.
By any gauge, this is a massive return on a relatively small investment. It could be argued that with results like this, Shapoor Pallonji Mistry could put Warren Buffet, the sage of Omaha, to shame when it comes to successful investing.
So, yes, Cyrus [Mistry] was fired, but there is no need to shed any tears. Forbes estimates the Mistry family to be worth in excess of $20 billion. Unlike many in India, no one in the Mistry family will miss a meal. Whilst Ratan certainly did not begrudge the incredibly massive returns that the Mistrys have made on their Tata investment, their lack of overall philanthropy has not gone unnoticed.
Excerpted with permission from The Story of Tata: 1868 to 2021, Peter Casey, Penguin Viking.
Thomas Manuel’s book ‘Opium Inc: How a Global Drug Trade Funded the British Empire’ shows how the Raj transformed entire farming economies in Bengal and Bihar into opium-producing machines.
Britain may claim it gifted civilisation to India but we know for sure that the Raj transformed entire farming economies in Bengal and Bihar into opium-producing machines over the 18th and 19th centuries. British agents smuggled tons of opium into China in exchange for tea, legally and illegally, taking silver in return. Millions were turned into addicts in China and India even as laws were passed against opium in Britain. Journalist-playwright Thomas Manuel asserts in his packed-with-facts book Opium Inc: How a Global Drug Trade Funded the British Empire that the British Raj in the 19th century was a narco-state – a country sustained by trade in an illegal drug.
Thomas Manuel Opium Inc. – How a Global Drug Trade Funded the British Empire HarperCollins India (August 2021)
At its peak, opium was the third-highest source of income for the British in India – after land and salt. Thousands of farmers cultivated and harvested the milk of the poppy – on their own or due to coercion, but always trapped in indebtedness. This made the British East India Company, which entered the hugely profitable trade in the 1700s, a drug cartel. After 1857, the Raj took over, raining more misery on India and China before global events halted opium trade in the last century.
Of course, opium was produced even during Mughal times. By 1688, Bihar’s annual output was over 4,000 chests. The East India Company accelerated poppy growth. Between 1830 and 1839, the area under cultivation doubled. By 1860, it doubled again. In three years, it doubled yet again. So, over a century, the lands devoted to opium cultivation went up by almost 800%. A Benaras Opium Agency and a Bihar Opium Agency came up to cater to the business in Uttar Pradesh and Bengal/Bihar respectively. Obscene profits were generated because of back-breaking exploitation of the peasants.
The opium was shipped to China. But there was a problem. The British were allowed to enter through just one port: Canton (now Guangzhou). The Chinese didn’t want to become another colony by letting the Europeans in to trade. Initially, in a bid to have more ports opened, the British shipped a huge quantity of gifts to the Qianlong emperor which needed 90 wagons, 40 barrows, 200 horses and 3,000 workers to ferry them to the Peking Palace. The emperor accepted the gifts but rejected the British request.
But the smugglers were so active that opium became a widespread addiction in China. When the Daoguang emperor discovered that his own son was smoking it, he ordered in 1838 a vicious crackdown that led to mass arrests, confiscation of 14 tonnes of opium and 43,000 opium pipes, besides a blockade of the European factories. The British capitulated, handing over 21,000 chests of opium which the Chinese burnt.
The British hit back – as viciously. After the First Opium War of 1842 that lasted two years, China was forced to open four new ports including Shanghai under the humiliating Treaty of Nanjing. It had to pay $21 million, partially as compensation for the cost of the war and partially for all the opium destroyed. The British seized Hong Kong too. A second opium war in which the French joined the British and invaded the Forbidden City led to a more permissive treaty, legalising trafficking in opium. Opium trade boomed. In 1865, one British trading house alone shipped opium worth 300,000 pounds – around Rs 250 crore today.
While poor Indians were squeezed to ensure bumper poppy harvest and production and sale of opium, many Indians made ‘super profits’ from the trade. Besides Calcutta, opium was shipped out of Bombay too, with the British collecting their fees and Indian merchants making a killing. One Indian who minted money thus was Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, whose wealth was estimated at Rs 40 crore when he retired from business. Many others from the Parsi and other communities were also involved in opium trade. Later, Jejeebhoy donated 245,000 pounds over time as he plunged into philanthropy and public life. He paid two-thirds of the entire cost of the Pune waterworks, created the JJ School of Arts and founded the JJ Hospital. The Parsis would endow more than 400 educational and medical institutions in the 19th and 20th centuries. Queen Victoria named Jejeebhoy the first baronet of Bombay.
Surprisingly, the nationalist movement in India remained silent on opium barring one notable exception: Dadabhai Naoroji. For the early Congress, nationalism meant fighting for better governance of India. Most leaders, while criticising liquor, felt the choice over opium was between national economic interests and the humanitarian costs. It was only in 1924 that the Congress passed its first resolution against opium. Similarly, while the history of missionary activity in China is inextricable from the colonial powers’ commercial activities, a section of the missionaries came out strongly against opium.
Eventually, both public opinion and diplomatic pressure from the US forced Britain to start distancing itself from opium trade. In 1913, a cargo of opium from India reached China, which received it and then set fire to it. But the British did not halt all opium business. In 1918, the Hong Kong government made a record $8.5 million from opium amid rising prices due to suppression in other countries.
India is one of the seven countries commercially allowed to produce opium for medical purposes under the 1953 Opium Protocol. But international bodies say that anywhere between 10-50% of legal production is diverted into illegal drug trafficking. Within India, around 2.1% use poppy products. A former narcotics commissioner of India feels that leaders from every political party are involved in the trade.
This book is a timely eye-opener on another dark side of British imperialism – “a story of immense pain for many and huge privileges for a few.”
Ole! Flamenco was founded by Behnaz Khusrokhan Bhandare. Behnaz started dancing at the age of 4 at the School of Classical Ballet and Western dance in Mumbai. She has a Bachelors in Dance from Denison University, USA. Post college she moved to New York, where she danced with various dance companies including World Dance Fusion Company, Calpulli Mexican Dance Company, Mezclado and Camara Modern dance Companies as well as the Surati Classical Indian and folk dance company. She also spent a year in Sevilla, Spain where she did an intensive advanced level flamenco course and performed with the Christina Heeren Foundation. She has performed in various places all over the world including Mumbai, New York, Seville, Washington DC and Anchorage, Alaska.
Bajun Mavalwalla and his son Baji Mavalwalla speak on NPR about their tours of duty in Afghanistan.
The U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan is officially over.
But for the more than 800,000 men and women who served there — not a day goes by that they don’t think about it.
Some feel a measure of success:
“The genie is out of the bottle in Afghanistan, the Taliban may try to turn back the clock, but they can’t,” Bajun Mavalwallasays. “We have moved that country forward and it’s irreversible. I’m actually slightly optimistic for the long haul.”
“It felt awful to be involved in a conflict that was pointless because every every bad thing that happens didn’t have to,” Laura Jedeed says. “The feeling that it was for nothing … there’s a nihilism to it. … It rots the soul.”
In the second installment of our series ‘The Longest War,’ veterans talk about how U.S. soldiers may have left Afghanistan, but the war has not left them.
Guests
Bajun Mavalwalla, retired intelligence officer with the California National Guard. He served with the Army’s 19th Special Forces Group from 2002-2003. He now runs a small defense training and security company with his son, but they’ve put their business on hold and are working to help Afghans leave their country. (@BajunMavalwalla)
Baji Mavalwalla, former sergeant with the California National Guard as an electronic warfare voice intercept operator. He deployed to Afghanistan from March 2012 until December 2012.
Laura Jedeed, former sergeant with the Army’s 82nd Airborne, she served as an intelligence analyst. She deployed to Afghanistan twice – for three months in 2008 and a year in 2010. (@LauraJedeed)
Also Featured
Tim Kudo, former marine captain with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines. He served in Afghanistan and Iraq between 2009 and 2011. (@KudoTim)
When I came back to sun-brightened Mumbai after getting a degree in London, I had never felt so far from myself. The road ahead felt bouldered, the path itself lost to me.
Then, as always, it was to food that I turned for reorientation. My mother, in a fluster of anxiety, poured out a flurry of dishes—all the Mumbai chaat that I had missed terribly, the chile cheese toast, the potato bhajias. But most satisfying was the stream of rainbowed curries. Best of all was her red seafood curry, made Parsi style the way her mum made it, the colour of a flame-charred sunset in winter, its apricity seeping into my bones.
More than anything, I loved to watch my mum make it. The scrunch of the knife as it pressed down on an onion, the smell of frying coconut tendrilling through the air, the slick of oil bubbling up around the red chile masala, the burble of the coconut milk as it roiled in the pan—it all brought me back to myself. I no longer felt like I was living my life behind frosted glass. And although it wasn’t quite the cresting of the hill that I had expected, it was certainly the start of it.
What’s in a Name?
The word “curry” is sometimes used in the West as a familiar semaphore, but the term ossifies the immense sophistication and complexity of Indian food. K.T. Achaya’s explanation for the English usurpation of curry has been the one largely memorialized in public discourse: “The meat dishes cooked with pepper were called kari in Tamil, a word now used in English as curry,” he writes in his seminal The Story of Our Food.
But it is possible the word reaches beyond the English, perhaps to the Portuguese. Gaspar Correa, travelling with Vasco da Gama, used the word “caril” in 1503, and in 1623, so did Pietro del Valle, who scurried up and down India’s western coast: “Caril is a name which in India they give to certain Broths made with Butter, the Pulp of Indian Nuts, (instead of which, in our Countries Almond Milk may be us’d, being equally good, and of the same virtue) and all sorts of Spices, particularly, Cardamoms and Ginger, (which we use but little) besides herbs, fruits, and a thousand other condiments,” he wrote in The Travels of Peter Della Valle, Sirnamed The Traveller. (Italics and capitalization his.)
Whatever its past, in India today, curry refers to a very specific type of dish, with protein or vegetables sunk in a pool of spiced gravy, halfway between a stew and a soup; fractals of rich, layered creations shored up by a constellation of thickening, spicing, coloring, and souring agents, and eaten with rice, flatbreads, or leavened breads. It isn’t a catch-all phrase for all Indian food by any means. “A curry recipe will be better understood if we work out the role that each ingredient plays in the recipe. The effect of each of the spices is a little complex,” writes Camellia Panjabi in The Great Curries of India.
The ingredients of each hew to the geography of its home state. For instance, the Pandi (pork) curry of the Kodava community of Karnataka gains its flavor from the connivance of peppercorns and kachumpuli, a strident, ink-dark vinegar drawn from the panapuli (aka kodampuli) fruit tree that capillaries through the state. Similarly, the western coast of India is furred with palm trees; as a result, many of its gravies are anchored in ground or milked coconut.
Even within the western coast, there are differences in ingredients. Mum’s burnished Parsi curry, unlike its coastal kin, is girded by khuskhus (poppy seeds) and besan (gram flour), its sourness coaxed from tomatoes and tamarind rather than the more popular kokum fruit. Cashews pounded into an oleaginous paste add a creaminess that slakes the scald of the chiles. And the curry is always served with a slash of lime and kachumber: stripes of onions, cucumber, and tomato jounced with vinegar and salt and scalpel-sharp green chile.
Aside from this red curry, the Parsi community makes plenty of others: a green coriander curry with green chile chiming through it like a bell; a hazel-yellow curry with an undertow of peanuts and poppy seeds; a decadent sau badam ni curry (curry of 100 almonds); and the rare and completely absurd cutlace ni curry, made with breaded meat cutlets that likely came about to bare the kitchen of leftovers.
All of these curries, much like Parsi cuisine, are magpie dishes plundered from here and there; their ingredients reading like pages scythed from the history books of the community. Parsis were religious refugees from Iran who settled on India’s western coast a millennium ago. The use of cashews and almonds and peanuts finds its roots in Iran’s abundance of nuts and dried fruit. Our dislocated love for Iran’s freshwater fish was soon resurrected in the seafood of India’s western coast. Also from the coast came coconut, rather exuberantly fuelling most of our curries. And then there is the near omnipresence of tomatoes and chile, once-foreign ingredients transhipped to India by the Portuguese and now pinned into the pantheon of Indian cuisine.
Although most conversations about Parsi food are marooned within euphoric descriptions of dhansak, a mutton or chicken stew eaten with caramelized brown rice and the best-known dish of the community, many Parsi restaurants also list curry on the menu. In fact, “the seafood curries have always been the best-selling items on the menu,” says Kainaz Contractor who runs Rustom’s in Delhi with her partner Rahul Dua. (They recently replaced their red seafood curry with the yellow kind). Jimmy Boy, a popular restaurant in Mumbai, makes five curries: egg, mutton, chicken, prawn, and fish versions.
“The secret of making a good curry again lies in the slicing and frying of the onions and masala,” writes Bhicoo Manekshaw in Parsi Food and Customs. “The masala should be finely ground…the curry should not be allowed to boil. It should be simmered with the lid half covering the pan and should be cooked at least two to three hours before serving, so that all the different flavours are amalgamated and brought out just right. Finally, a good curry needs a good rice which should be steamed or boiled.”
It is always hard to coax exacting recipes from my mother; they live under her skin and she draws them out subconsciously onto the plate. Nevertheless, here are some more words of advice wheedled from her while she cooks: “Chop the onions into fine flakes and fry them in more oil than you think you need, on gentle heat. Stir, stir, stir often or else they will gum themselves to the pan; when they shift from glossy pink to amber is how you know they are ready. The tomatoes, you grate.”
Meher Mirza
An additional tip: Buy prawns still cloaked in their carapace. Prawn heads are particularly delicious. In a large oiled pan, fry the shells until the pieces burnish to pink, then bruise the shells with the back of a heavy spoon until they fissure. Add two cupfuls of water next, slowly simmering until the stock lowers to half. Then layer malmal (or any diaphanous cloth, such as cheesecloth) over a finely-veined sieve, and mash through as much of this essence of prawn as you can. This elixir is what you pour into your curry paste for an infusion of umami. It will lift your curry beyond all others.
Further urgings from my mother: each curry is largely unmappable, she believes, so her advice is to be merely used as waymarkers on your trail to the perfect curry. Take your bearings from her, as I did, then let them guide you safely home.
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