Making a case for topli na paneer, a little-known but much-loved Parsi dish

Every Sunday, when I was a little girl, my family and I would trudge to Slater Road to my aunt’s house for lunch. Unfailingly at noon, as the sun blanketed the streets, we would hear the cry of the paneerwallo saying, “Surti paneer! Surti paneer!” Those plump, wobbly globes of paneer, soaked in salty whey, were an integral part of my childhood.

By Meher Mirza

Bhicoo J. Manekshaw, in her seminal book, Parsi Food and Customs, traces the origin of the paneer to Surat; after all, many Parsi snacks are a jumble of Gujarati, Maharashtrian and European dishes.

“One of India’s disappearing treasures,” writes chef and cookbook writer, Niloufer Ichaporia King in Eat, Live, Pray: A celebration of Zarathushti culture and cuisine; it was traditionally “made by dripping milk coagulated with rennet derived from dried chicken gizzard through individual flower pot-shaped baskets.”

Nowadays, vegetarian rennet is also used, but “the slightly tart flavour is lost,” laments Tardeo resident, Diana Mistry. Still, “it is a small price to pay for the nostalgic tastes from my childhood,” says Noshir Mistry who grew up in Dadar Parsi Colony. “The old paneerwallo used to give us salty and unsalted paneer that he would fish out of his earthen matka. It was truly unforgettable,” adds Noshir.

Both my aunt and the paneerwallo are now long deceased, but luckily the tradition of the topli (basket) na paneer still continues. Kitchen doyennes like Aban Pardiwalla of Peddar Road and DPC’s Dinaz Wadia are known for preparing this creamy Parsi paneer; it has even been spotted at Palladium’s Foodhall.

The post Topli Na Paneer: Basket Case appeared on Parsi Khabar.

The following is an interview with Dr. Zinobia Madan, one of the founding members of the Jiyo Parsi Programme, on what the project really means to the community. This was originally published in the Jam-e-Jamshed on Sunday December 14, 2014.

“Marriage may with propriety be called the chief concern of human life. When we reflect that from it arises the nearest and most endearing relationships which go to form the comfort and happiness of existence in this world — husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters, and many others – the importance of the institution, in all its bearings on the welfare of society, will at once be recognized” – William Tegg, The Knot Tied.

The Zoroastrian religion takes a similar view of marriage. Marriage is considered as an institution that finds favour with the Almighty. Ahura Mazda says: “O Spitama Zarathushtra, indeed I thus recommend here unto thee, a man with a wife above an unmarried man), a man with a family above one without any family, a man with children above one who is without children.” (Vendidad, 4.47)

“That place is happy over which a holy man builds a house, with fire, cattle, wife, children and good followers.” (Vend. 3.2)

Marriage as an institution is strongly revered by our religion. Likewise, having children is blessed by the Almighty and is considered to bring happiness to the family.

IVF holds promise

The landscape of infertility changed dramatically with the announcement of the birth of the world’s first test tube baby, Louise Brown, in 1978,  conceived in the laboratory through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).

Today, IVF has become a most commonplace treatment for infertility around the globe.

The incidence of infertility worldwide is on the rise, due to our modern lifestyle, with an estimated more than 70 million couples afflicted. Over the past decade, 3.4 million children have been born worldwide after Assisted Reproductive Treatment.

Jiyo Parsi is a scientific endeavor for providing this landmark treatment for our Parsi couples diagnosed with infertility.

Jiyo Parsi Milestones

Exactly five years back at the World Zoroastrian Congress, Dubai, Dr. Shernaz Cama, Dr. Anahita Pandole and I met, brainstormed and arrived at a consensus on the Jiyo Parsi programme. Prior to this, Dr. Anahita Pandole had already been working for the BPP-funded infertility project on similar lines with encouraging results.

Prof. Armaity Desai was also keenly involved with us in planning this programme. We decided to focus on infertility to address the serious problem of dwindling numbers of our Parsi population. For inclusion of Parsi couples in this programme, it was decided to follow the legal definition of a Parsi.

The Jiyo Parsi programme received approval and sanction from the Ministry of Minority Affairs in September 2013 and, thereafter, was launched. Ever since, the Programme has been on track and is picking up momentum.

Recently, there was the launch of the advertising campaign with some mixed reactions, but such reactions and views can be well anticipated for a serious scientific programme of this nature.

The ad campaign strategized at creating awareness utilizing humour. It’s understandable that diverse opinions and views had to follow. Nevertheless, the ad campaign is one of themany means for awareness creation.

So it would be a good idea not to dwell on this. Rather, we should understand that this is a Programme with inherent merit and Parsi couples must derive maximum benefit and make it successful. 

Moving ahead purposefully

With the funds magnanimously granted by the Government of India, let us encourage the target of 200 Parsi couples to avail of the medical and financial benefits of the scheme by enrolling themselves and having children.

Jiyo Parsi is our first step in reversing the declining population trend by utilizing advocacy and awareness to target groups along with the best medical know-how in managing infertility.

Advocacy can be one of the tools by counselling couples on the importance of having children, caring for them and raising them. There are also plans for couples to receive advice on stress management, modifications of lifestyle, nutrition and exercises for those who have problems conceiving due to medical ailments like PCOD (Polycystic Ovarian Disease) as well as for ladies who get pregnant.

In the Jiyo Parsi Programme, Parsi couples will receive specialized care by IVF experts like Dr. Anahita Pandole at premium institutions like Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre and other leading centres in India with advanced technologies.

Targeting reproductive health

According to the formal definition by the World Health Organization (WHO), health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. Similarly, reproductive health also represents a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of reproductive disease or infirmity.

Some lifestyle factors play a major role in causing reproductive health issues.

These are enlisted below:

1) Smoking, alcohol addiction and substance abuse. Toxins from these substances interfere with hormone production in our bodies and adversely affect reproductive health. Therefore, smoking, alcohol and substance abuse are best avoided. 2) Eating disorders and weight issues. While a section of society is addicted to junk food that has increased calories and no balanced nutrition, leading to obesity, on the other hand there is the other section of society resorting to dieting to look super thin leading to anorexia and malnutrition. All these factors lead to hormonal imbalance in our body and further reproductive health problems. Eating healthy and maintaining an ideal weight is the solution. 3) Excessive stress disorder: Stress is a very common curse of today’s modern lifestyle and one of the leading factors that causes major problems in a human body, affecting regular body functions and causing hormonal imbalance. Stress levels need to be controlled by mind relaxation and yoga. 4) Disturbed sleep patterns: The mantra “work hard and party harder” has disturbed our body clocks and left us with very little time for adequate sleep. Insufficient sleep disturbs our body clock and causes hormonal imbalances, thus affecting the reproductive health of men and women. It is the correction of this disturbed body clock, which sets the pace for good health.

Need for counseling

It is our realization that many Parsi couples need counseling on good reproductive health and how intricately it is linked to overall physical health, on the importance of having a happy married life and developing healthy interpersonal relations with each other.

While counseling can sort out many of the misconceptions in several couples, a substantial number of couples will need medical treatment and reproductive care. Reproductive health of the mother determines the health of the newborn. Reproductive health is a crucial part of general health and a central feature of human development. It is a reflection of health during childhood and during adolescence and adulthood, which affects the health of the next generation.

Our lifestyle habits such as improper diet, smoking, excess alcohol intake, lack of exercise, effect of drug usage, stressful lifestyle and lack of sleep are all contributors to poor reproductive health.

Failure to deal with reproductive health problems sets the scene for later health and developmental problems.

By addressing the fertility aspects of Parsi couples, sex counseling, solving interpersonal relations, one to one counseling, group discussions, advise on prenatal and antenal exercises, dietary advice and overall lifestyle advice, the Jiyo Parsi Programme will tackle reproductive health in a multipronged way.

As long as scientific parameters, ethics and the necessity of precision record keeping of patients – all fundamental points with which the Programme was conceptualised are not jeopardised, there are no major causes of concern.

Let us not lose hope but believe that our community numbers will increase and the future generations will find brighter ways to increase our fold.

Dr. Zinobia Madan is a Healthcare Entrepreneur and founder member of Jiyo Parsi. She is the recipient of two prestigious awards – Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award for Innovations in Healthcare and Jewel of India Award for Landmark Contributions in Healthcare.

The post Jiyo Parsi: An Inside Perspective appeared on Parsi Khabar.

Friday evening December 26th at the Hilton Hotel at Los Angeles Airport was like any other evening. And then all of a sudden the lobby felt like the scene of a flashmob. Over 160 Zoroastrian youth from 18 to 35 swarmed the lobby all decked out to party on the town !! This was the first Pre-Congress youth event of the XVII North American Congress.

Over the next three days, these youth painted Los Angeles “red”. They were all over, taken around by buses; during the day. And the evenings were left to socialize at the happening spots in town.

From the pictures one saw on their super active Facebook feed it was a resounding success. The Youth Program of the XVII NAZC 2014 is truly a legacy of this Congress worth emulating. The credit for that lies with Khushchehr Italia, the young powerhouse leader behind youth activities at ZAC LA. She and her team had really nailed down every detail to a tee. And the care and passion put in to the task truly showed. Take a bow Khush and team !

Sunday evening also saw the WZCC seminar being held. Over 75 people attended an interesting lecture series. Daraius Irani spoke of real estate opportunities and how Zarathushtis should take advantage of it. Firdosh Mehta, Ex-President FEZANA spoke about the role of Corporate Social Responsibility.

Registration has been a breeze. The kits given to each delegate includes a snazzy cap, a beautifully designed program brochure, other souvenirs and of course “chavenu”.

Here are some other general pictures of the Pre-Congress Days.

The post Pre-Congress Days: North American Congress 2014 appeared on Parsi Khabar.

Faith and Unity is the theme of the XVII North American Zoroastrian Congress that begins today on Monday December 29, 2014 at the Hilton LAX in Los Angeles. Organized on behalf of FEZANA by the Zoroastrian Association of California in conjunction with the California Zoroastrian Center, the Congress brings together 760 Zarathushtis from all over North America and beyond….India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, United Kingdom etc.

The Congress already had hit the ground running with their pre-Congress tracks, which have been a spectacular success. And the first day’s events were a good continuation of that energy and spirit.

The morning started with a beautiful Khushali nu Jashan led by local priest Zarrir Bhandara who was accompanied by the very young and some of the seniormost priests like our own Ervad Soli Dastur.

The completion of the Jashan brought about the Opening ceremony. A flag march by Zarathushti Eagle Scouts started the proceedings. The USA and Canadian National Anthems were sung by young Zarathushti Sopranos. The delegates were then welcomed by Katayun Kapadia, President FEZANA; Bomi Patel NAZC Committee Chair FEZANA; Tehmi Damania; President ZAC LA and Shida Anoshiravani; President CZC.

The CZC Choir gave a musical performance that included the beautiful Khan Ashem Vohu. The ZAC Choir then took stage and began with Chaiye Hame Zarthoshti and then included some other popular Parsi Gujarati songs.

The largest applause was for the ZAC Children Choir which included the tiny tots and the very young kids who performed to a Disney tune; and looking at them perform everyone in the audience knew they were seeing the Zoroastrian future at its finest !!

After the opening ceremony, the first Keynote Speaker took the stage. Nadir Godrej in what is his unique and customary style recited a poem he had written for this occassion. He acknowledged the strides that Zoroastrians in North America had made and the entire text of his speech is available on FEZANA’s website.

The second Keynote Speaker was the very senior journalist Parisa Khosravi of CNN fame. She spoke about her path professionally and how her faith, religion and family played important rules through the journey. She urged the young Zarathushtis in the crowd to make experiences and learn and not only pursue the first high paying opportunity that comes their way.

The kids program began with the wonderful Vahishta Kaikobad leading it and creating a wonderful series of events to keep the very young occupied.

The afternoon luncheon on the first day was also an opportunity to felicitate three outstanding Zarathushtis. Zubin Mehta, Jamshed Marker and Ratan Tata were felicitated. None of them were able to be present but their awards were collected by other family members present and attending the event.

The afternoon sessions started with a panel discussing Generational Perspectives on the Issues of the Day. Moderated by Farzin Avari, the outstanding presentations that stood out were by Poruz Khambatta, this year’s FEZANA Young Professional Award Winner, and Homi Gandhi, Vice President FEZANA. Both spoke with a conviction and passion that only comes from having walked the walk and doing their own bits as a youth, and a parent respectively in embracing community life and learning/teaching religion as the case may be.

The afternoon saw another first at a North American Zoroastrian Congress. A completely new Teen Track has been set up for those between the ages of 13 and 18. The brainchild of the Congress Secretary Shazneen Gandhi; the Teen track began with a workshop by Shirin Kumaana-Wadia (Parsi Khabar Editor) on the topic of Zarathushti Creativity. Shirrin elaborated about the power of images to tell stories and set out a series of exercises for the teens to do over the next three days.

Dinsha Mistree of AgiaryConnect and Return To Roots fame made an excellent presentation of the activities and works of PARZOR Foundation.

Mobed Pervez Bajan took the audience through a wonderful talk titled “Across the Arabian Seas….But for Faith and Unity”.

I had an opportunity to present a talk titled “Aapru Internet….The State of the Zarathushti Online” which explored the Zoroastrian presence on the web, and invoked the audience to embrace the positives in the virtual world.

Zane Dalal spoke about Zoroastrians and the Next Generation and pushed the audience to introspect and understand the Gathas and older texts to find the real meaning.

The social entertainment for the evening was a Persian themed night, which showcased local talent in a variety entertainment program.

Some candid thoughts on Day One:

• The Congress is running on time ! As much as this seems a logical thing to happen; its one of the most difficult things to pull off. NAZC2014 is on top of their game on this one.
• Multiple lectures in multiple venues leaves one having to make difficult decisions. Personally I prefer the model set by ZAGNY at the 2012 NAZC where there was only one mega event on at any time. But that’s a personal preference. Not to be taken as a criticism of any sort.
• Logistics in certain areas has been a bit challenging for the hosts. It of course has to do with things outside of the NAZC control.
• A loud and distracted audience at the evening entertainment performance was a bit disrespectful of the performers. Audience had to be reminded time and again to keep quiet.
• Food…..of course, how can we forget that. The lunch left a bit to be deserved but dinner was a surprising success with Persian dishes to go with Persian entertainment

The local organising team, many of whom I have come to know personally during the event are doing a fantastic job. Khushroo Lakdawala, Darayus Mistry, Shazneen Gandhi, Persis Choksy, Sheila Madon, Tehmi Damania, Vira Suntoke, Merzi Taraporewala, Hormazd Dalal, Cyrus Irani, Khushchehr Italia and their colleagues have been doing a great job with a big smile on at all times, however crazy a request put forth to them.

The post Day 01: XVII North American Zoroastrian Congress 2014 appeared on Parsi Khabar.

The second day of the Congress was a blur of activity with a full schedule and many many presentations pulling people in all directions.

Some of the presentations that I did attend included a wonderful journey looking at Zoroastrian footprints along the fabled Silk Road. Jenny spoke of her research and travels in that part of the world, and the connections to Zoroastrianism she found there.

Dan Sheffield was the Khorshed F. Jungalwala Memorial Lecture speaker. Daniel Sheffield is a Ph.D in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University, specializing in Iranian and Persian studies.

Dan discussed…..” Zoroastrians have never been isolated from the world around them. As Iranians in Antiquity left their homes for commerce and conquest, they came into contact with a variety of religious traditions spanning the Asian continent. The universe of of medieval Zoroastrian thought written in Farsi, Sanskrit and Gujerati share intellectual spaces with their Muslim, Hindu and Jain neighbors. Emergence of ideas of religious pluralism among Zoroastrian thinkers in the 17th and 18th centuries. And, finally the impact of European education on Zoroastrian communities, how language and education affect how we interpret our faith, our view of the world, the place if our communities within it, and the role of other communities around us.”

The 2014 FEZANA North American Zarathushti Community Awards were presented to the winners at a glittering ceremony.

The winners are

Rohinton Rivetna Outstanding Zarathushti Award
Sam Vesuna

Dinshaw Framroze Joshi Excellence in Performing Arts, Painting or Literature Award
Arzan Gonda

Jamshed and Shirin Guzder Excellence in Business or profession Award
Dinshaw J. Patel

Jamshed K. Pavri Humanitarian Service Award
Nazneen Spliedt

Shirin Nariman Dastoor Outstanding Young Zarathushti Student Award
Persis Bhadha

Shirin Nariman Dastoor Outstanding Young Zarathushti Award
Ervad Poruz Khambatta

North American Mobeds Council Community Services Award
Ervad Rayomand Ravji

The afternoon sessions were “Yin and Yang of Zoroastrian Thought”  moderated by Khushroo Lakdawala and included panelists Ardeshir Anoshiravani, Behram Deboo, Kaemerz Dotiwala, and Farhad Sidhwa

The Young Adults track had the “Break Ya Ice!,” put together by  Khush Italia

Afshin Sepehri, and his daughter Nusha Sepehri had a Shahnameh recital.

Maneck Bhujwala spoke about the Zoroastrian presence on the Interfaith World Stage.

The Teen track continued with a workshop on Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds. This was moderated by Arzan Sam Wadia and included Autusa Behroozi , Dinsha Mistree and Afshin Sepehri as panelists speaking about their projects and passions in service to the community and society.

A panel on Navigating Zoroastrian Parenthood – Raising Children in North America, was moderated by Trity Pourbahrami and included Natalie Gandhi, Fereshteh Mazdyasni and Shahram Sohrab as panelists.

Houtoxi F. Contractor and Ervad Soli Dastur moderated a very interesting panel on The Achievements and Challenges of Young Mobeds in North America. Panelists include Ervad Bahrom Firozgary, Ervad Zerkxis Bhandara, Ervad Burzin Balsara, Ervad Rayomand Ravji, Ervad Rayomand Katrak

The main evening social event was an hour long regaling of the audience by the World Zoroastrian Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra included soloists Neville Bharucha and others including Meher Pavri.

The evening reception was Parsi themed with songs, dances and nataks. Local members of the community were felicitated for their contributions to the community.

The evening ended with  Generation One, the live Parsi Band from Houston; led by the dynamic Firoz Firozgary making the audience dance away into the wee hours of the morning.

Some candid comments from Day Two.

Events such as this Congress bring about opportunities that are something mind boggling. And one such opportunity transformed into a impromptu session that was not on the agenda, but which turned out to be arguably one of the best sessions in this Congress. The circumstances were perfect. Rarely do you get two of the leading young scholars of Zoroastrianism in the same space, with time to spare. Add 50 odd young folks to the mix, and you have the perfect setting for a fireside chat.

Dinsha Mistree saw that opportunity and requested Yuhan S-D Vevaina and Dan Sheffield if they would be up to talking to the young folks. They readily agreed. The news was put out over social media and by word of mouth and two hours later the event took place. And what came about was a 2.5 hour session of mindblowing discussions about anything and everything to do with Zoroastrianism. Yuhan and Dan both patiently answered questions that folks had. No question was taboo or too basic. It left the youth in the room wondering why such sessions are not mainstream and part of the overall program.

The post Day 02: XVII North American Zoroastrian Congress 2014 appeared on Parsi Khabar.

Professionals, youth, families from Zoroastrian community come together at ‘Enterprise Dubai’.

Article in Khaleej Times

Nowhere else over the weekend in the UAE would there have been such a large gathering of ladies wearing Parsi style garas — traditional saris adorned with hand embroidery — than at the ballroom of the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

A two-day event called ‘Enterprise Dubai’, brain child of organiser Meher Bhesania, took place and featured Parsi business folk, lawyers and entrepreneurs, among others. The event intended to bring together professionals, youth and families from the Zoroastrian community offered a chance to network and for visitors to explore business opportunities in Dubai.

Day one began with a keynote address delivered by Mirza Al Sayegh, Director, Office of Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed binRashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

A talk by Lord Karan Bilimoria followed. ‘Baron Bilimoria’, conferred with the title ‘Lord Bilimoria CBE, DL’, Chairman, Cobra Beer Partnership was introduced to the audience as the first ever Zoroastrian Parsi to sit in the house of Lords.

In his talk, Bilimoria touched upon numerous topics, from being privileged to know Margaret Thatcher, to Britain not investing enough of its GDP in R & D unlike South Korea; the “dangerous debate on immigration” taking place in England; and how he started his brew in a friend’s kitchen in Fulham.

Best of the lot

The two most self-effacing talks of day one though were delivered by Irishman Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice-Chairman of Dubai Duty Free, and Fali Nariman, Indian Constitutional jurist and senior advocate to the Supreme Court of India since 1971, who also spoke on Day 2.

McLoughlin delivered an informative talk, brimming with impressive statistics, on how far Dubai Duty Free, which just turned 31, established as it was on December 20, 1983 — has come from when it was first inaugurated. He spoke of the first meeting he had with the staff back in the day, inside some sort of a tunnel with oil barrels in the room and standing on a wooden pallet and telling the staff what needed to be done the next day.

Some of the best talks of the event were characterised by a personal touch and those that were in some way different from the usual jargon-heavy clichés.

Nadir Godrej, Managing Director of Godrej Industries and Chairman, Godrej Agrovet, delivered one of the more unusual speeches – all in verse, and full of rhyme: Uniliver-believer, investment pouring/Sensex soaring, RBI delusion-conclusion. Mr Godrej got a thundering applause for his eloquence, and a standing ovation. The brief felicitation for him went like this: “Nadir Godrej, you’re a man of God/ and to you sir/ we give this award.”

Perhaps most inspirational talk was given by Fali Nariman. Rich with anecdotes, Nariman’s quoted Umberto Eco in a talk he delivered last year in Delhi. Nariman said: “There are only three kinds of people who need mobile phones: plumbers, doctors and adulterers. If your phone rings, I will know who you are.” Everyone laughed. Nariman recalled that not a single mobile phone went off during Eco’s talk.

‘Ethics of Leadership’ was Nariman’s topic. “JRD (Tata)”, he said, “loved telling stories against himself — a great quality in a leader. All of us have an instinct for goodness,” he said, stating cleverness is not half as desirable a quality in a leader as goodness and ethics. “God give us leaders with strong minds and true hearts,” Nariman said.

CSR policies in India was a topic touched upon in various panel discussions. Talking about a remarkable initiative empowering rural Maharashtra, entrepreneur and founder of UTV group, Ronnie Screwvala, now the founder and trustee of Swades foundation, with his wife Zarina Screwvala, also founder and managing trustee are doing their bit to chip away at poverty through a 360 degree approach that aims to empower 10 lakh people in five years. They’re not just looking at schools or healthcare, but are 18 months into the mammoth task of providing water, sanitation, education, and ensuring livelihoods of marginal farmers and villagers. “Livelihood is our key focus,” Ronnie Screwvala told KT in a brief chat. Zarina pitched the cause of clean water as the key to rural progress. More on that at swadesfoundation.org

‘Is women power just a pie in the sky’ was discussed by another illustrious panel, this one chaired by Bachi Karkaria, and featured Zarina Screwvala, Meenal Baghel, Meera Sanyal and Bikram Vohra.

At the time of going to press, the event hadn’t yet concluded. There was yet a day three, on which the organisers of Enterprise Dubai had a lined up Dhow cruises and desert safaris and visits to Dubai mall for all visiting dignitaries and their families.

The Exquisite Parsi Garas

Never underestimate the value of a hand-embroidered sari in the Parsi community. Considered heirlooms, garas are passed down from great-grandmothers to daughters to present generations, even though fewer young Parsi women today choose to wear these exquisite crafts.

The craftsmanship can come in the form of sari borders in all colours and patterns that can be sewn on to the borders of saris, or kurtis, as was evident at the Enterprise Dubai event held over the weekend at the Crowne Plaza.

Men, too, can carry off the craftsmanship in their wardrobe on the collars of daglas — shorter than sherwanis, longer than Nehru coats.

Zenobia S Davar had the good sense to put up a stall of embroidery at the Crowne Plaza that drew the attention of the majority of Parsi visitors. Zenobia was visiting Dubai from Mumbai, where she has her store. Her husband Shahrukh was helping out, too. He explained how one can tell a fake from an authentic Parsi border: originals don’t crush. And one give away is the neatness of craftsmanship. Often times, he explained, the work is so intricate and neat, you can’t tell the reverse side from the front-up side, and women have been known to attend parties wearing saris reverse side showing. Except: in the highest quality work no one can tell. One sari on display was for Dh30,000. Affordable? No. Exquisite? Yes.

The post Enterprise Dubai: When enterprising Parsis meet in Dubai appeared on Parsi Khabar.

The last day of the Congress, as also the last day of the year 2014, were upon us at the Hilton LAX. The previous few days had been high intensity both in the intellectual sense as well as the party sense ! And Day Three of the XVII North American Zoroastrian Congress 2014 would be no different.

The morning started with a lecture by Fariborz Rahnamoon on his interpretation of the Gathas.

This was followed by a fantastic lecture by Yuhan S-D Vevaina titled Wisdom of the Ancients in the Age of the Moderns. Yuhan walked the audience through a series of scenarios to allow us to understand facets of our ancient religion and looking at it and finding meaning using modern paradigms and standards.

Yazdi Tantra spoke about global connectivity in the Zarathushti diaspora and the availability of various tools and websites that enable the same. The Teen track saw the youngsters discuss various way to make ideas and projects happen. The panel was moderated by Kayleene Writer and included panelists Shehnaz Bhujwala, Zubin D. Mehta, Yazzad Rabadi, Mahfrin Santoke, and Anahita Sidhwa.

Afshin Sepheri and his daughter Nusha had a session and read out stories from the Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings.

Post mid-morning break had an interesting session on Holistic Health moderated by Dr. Parmis Khatibi and panelists included Dr. Farhad M. Contractor, Dr. Nikan Khatibi, Dr. Ali Makki, Dr. Cyrus K. Mody, Dr. Parshan Namiranian, Dr. Freny Vaghaiwalla-Mody.

The Teen Track met up to review and discuss some of the pictures and stories they collected as a follow up to the Zoroastrian Creativity workshop conducted on Day one by Shirin Kumaana-Wadia. This marked the end of the Teen Track, one of the resounding successes of the Congress.

Pilsum Master spoke about using Archeology and Linguistics to determine the time and location of Prophet Zarathushtra.

Post-lunch was the FEZANA Session. Over 20 FEZANA stalwarts graced the main stage and President Katayun Kapadia began by briefing everyone on the status of FEZANA and its activities. She invited various committee chairs to give a status update of what each committee does. The session concluded with an invitation to the audience to participate in FEZANA activities both as participants and in positions of organizing and volunteering.

Navroz Gandhi provided a retrospective of the entire Congress and the happenings of the past few days.

The Mini Congress for our youngest Zarathushtis conducted by the amazing Vahishta Kaikobad of Houston ended with a Puppy Party.

Malcolm Bhot, representing the 6th World Zoroastrian YOUTH Congress to be held in December 2015 in Auckland New Zealand, showed a video and welcomed the youth to sign up for the Congress and participate.

Diana Vania and Arzan Sam Wadia then presented the Zoroastrian Return To Roots program and urged youth to participate in the upcoming Return To Roots Program in March 2015.

With this the Congress came into the Closing Ceremony mode.

Congress Co-Chair Khushroo Lakdawala thanked all the participants for being an amazing audience, and thanked all the sponsors for their generosity. He introduced his entire committee and in a fitting gesture invited the entire volunteer task force up on to the stage. The largest standing applause was reserved for them and it was a great validation for all the countless hours of hard work put in over the last few years.

The Torch was passed on in a symbolic ceremony to the Zoroastrian Association of British Columbia who will be the hosts of the 18th North American Zoroastrian Congress in the summer of 2017.

The evening Gala Banquet started with local talent entertaining the crowd before dinner and the live band of Nauzad and Khush Sudry blasting out great music to welcome in 2015 !

Some candid thoughts on the entire event.

The XVII North American Zoroastrian Congress 2014 built upon the legacies of earlier Congresses, and then went about setting some legacies of their own. Worthy of emulating by future hosts would be the Pre-Congress Young Adult Program set up by Khushchehr Italia and her team. And the Teen Track set up by Shazneen Gandhi from an idea that germinated from Parastu Dubash and her son Zarius of Boston. Vancouver needs to continue these.

It is sometimes better to have a few less speakers instead of having so many that it becomes impossible to choose between them. A problem of plenty is still a problem, and there was a little of it at this Congress. Too many overlapping sessions in different locations and different speakers meant you always were missing out on something. Not so much a critique of the hosts; more a rhetorical; having been both on the organizing side as well as the audience.

For all those who were grudging the meals from being great to mediocre; one needs to be reminded that the meals are one of the very few things that are out of the control of the organizers; and totally at the mercy of the Hilton Hotel staff.

Some people were disappointed that the sessions did not have more debates and exchanges. This was mostly due to the short time of each of the sessions. It was also a way to keep out unnecessary grandstanding that comes about when someone in the audience gets hold of a mic and outspeaks the speaker !

The core team of volunteers was surprisingly small for a community of the size of Southern California. Many volunteers were doing double duty in various tasks and the toll it took on them was visible on the last day in various ways. Hats off to them for their effort.

The audience at this particular event was a lot less disciplined than ones I have seen in a while. What also did not help was the sometimes strange programming of sub-events within larger events; aka the raffle before the Gala Night dinner. Its tough….no….impossible to keep a Zarathushti quiet before his or her dinner. Also the lack of audio coverage to the vast depths of the hall meant that if you were sitting at the back, you could not hear much of the spoken word, even if you wanted to. Vancouver should take note of this aspect, especially if the audience count is to be bigger.

All in all, a fantastic effort. The event brought about the largest percentage of youth at such events and that’s really the big thing to take away. It shows that with the right mix of programs and activities we can draw the youngsters….the future of our community together. And the NAZC 2014 did fantastically on that.

ZAC LA and CZC were wonderful hosts, and with many of them its hopefully the start of lifelong friendships. Looking forward to meeting them at Congresses in the years to come.

In the end I leave you with these two  image submitted by the teens at the Teen Track. These pictures sum it up all.

The post Day 03: XVII North American Zoroastrian Congress 2014 appeared on Parsi Khabar.

The Mumbai-born Canadian novelist Rohinton Mistry received the Lifetime Achievement award at the Times Litfest last December. It was his first public appearance in his original hometown, indeed India, since the Shiv Sena’s removal of `Such a Long Journey’ from the Mumbai University’s reading list in 2010. He spoke to Bachi Karkaria on the ban, his muse and his threatened community

Your reaction to the ban was bitter and scathing…

Bitter? Was it? Scathing, yes, because Scathing is the first cousin of Sarcastic. Useful accomplices for a writer. I think the important issue was not that a novel was forced off the syllabus but that a university was bullied and denied the right to decide, through due departmental processes, what could be taught in its courses.

You were recently quoted as saying: “Bombay is all I have. All my inspiration is drawn from it.” Is it still that way after 30 years in Canada?

This was part of a broader comment — that there was no question of accepting or rejecting the city because Bombay formed me and my imagination, and thus it was all I had. Not surprising, since I was born in Bombay and spent the first 23 years of my life there, those all-important, formative years.

In your evocative acceptance speech at the Times Litfest, you spoke of dreaming of being a cowboy roaming the prairies once your immigration papers came through …

The reference was to a childhood fantasy fed by Westerns, by books and comics. I’m sure I would have been laughed out of the Canadian consulate had I put that down as a qualification in my visa application. Although I did read in the Toronto Star the other day that there is a shortage of cowboys in Western Canada, caused by many of them switching to jobs in the Alberta tar sands where the pay is much better. So now’s my chance.

What makes stories about the Parsis so universal despite being such a tiny minority? Does the appeal lie in the ‘exotic’ quotient?

Strange as it may seem, the individuals who make up the Parsi community are human beings, of flesh and blood, heir to all the joys and sorrows of mortals, capable of behaving as nobly and as despicably as any other, as they go about the business of living life that is inevitably filled with laughter and tears and meanness and kindness. And that is why their stories are universal. Any ‘exotic’ quotient is the refuge of the lazy reviewer, the care less critic, the ambitious academic.Greatly exaggerated, I’d say .

A critic wrote that you ‘have a great eye and a huge heart’ and that ‘all your characters have a remarkable capacity for survival’. Do you think this applies as much to the Parsi community, or has it lost its essence?

Lost its essence? I don’t think so. But its capacity for survival is being severel undermined by the hypocrisy of some of its leaders and self-appointed messiahs, who present themselves as the repositories of all knowledge. Their double standards, their mendacity, their quackery — these are the challenges to survival. ‘Everyone underestimates their own life. Funny thing is, in the end, all our stories … they’re the same. In fact, no matter where you go in the world, there is only one important story: of youth, loss and yearning for redemption’ — Family Matters.

How much does this apply to you personally?

We speak about the crucial moment when a writer succeeds in finding his or her voice, and perhaps this happens when they stop under-estimating their own life. V S Naipaul has talked about this, hasn’t he? That he was able to start writing when he realized that the things he thought were of no interest to anyone, including himself — Trinidad, Miguel Street, his family , his childhood — were, in fact, his subject matter.

You were the first to win two Hart House Literary prizes and, uniquely, all your books were shortlisted for the Man Booker. What do prizes mean to you?

When my first novel, Such a Long Journey, was shortlisted for the Booker, my publishers and I were grateful for the media attention. But writing is not a competitive sport.In the best of all possible worlds we would not need book prizes to glamorize books in order to encourage people to read; books would be staples of life, like bread and water, and reading would be like breathing out and in.

Your brother Cyrus is also a noted writer. Is this something from your upbringing?

What was in our upbringing was books, lots of books, and the parental encouragement to read, and read widely.

What advice would you give to would-be writers?

Read. Then read some more. It’s never enough. Write, if you must, with enough. Write, if you must, with out talking too much about writing. Write regularly. If you like what you have written, re-write.

What was most memorable experience of this trip?

Watching the kites in flight outside my window beside the sea, the majestic birds circling and riding the thermals.

But the near-absence of the common house sparrow was saddening.

The post Rohinton Mistry: In Conversation appeared on Parsi Khabar.

The Dubash family behind Paradise, Mahim’s iconic single screen, celebrates a century in cinema.

Imagine enjoying a Mahim traffic jam. That’s how it was for me sometimes before the Sea Link rose.

By Meher Marfatia | Mumbai Mirror

I waited for the car crawling along L. J. Road to slow down at specific spots. One such spot was where I leaned to admire lurid posters announcing Paradise Theatre’s latest change. Muscled Mithun Chakraborty grimaced “in and as Boxer” on a hoarding I was once stuck staring at till startled by bell clangs from Sitladevi Temple across the street.

Years later that fascination got a family connection. My cousin married Niloufer Dubash, whose grandfather Shavaksha decided to buy Paradise in the mid-1950s from Sorabji Bhathena who built it in 1939-1940.

But the Dubashes had begun creating movie magic much before. Engineer and doctor by training respectively, Shavaksha and his brother Bapuji became film exhibitors. They erected Royal Cinema (holding Licence No. 1) in 1914 in the Play House theatre district. Assisting their venture was Pirojshaw Arya, a Lamington Road neighbour as close as family. The company’s surviving partners – Niloufer Dubash Dastur, sister Meherzin and mother Alloo – are set to mark the Dubash centenary in showbiz and 75 years of Paradise.

Still standing, Royal, then a tin shed with a hand-cranked projector, even provided a zenana section for women wanting seclusion from a diverse clientele. Leading lawyers and chartered accountants Niloufer meets today confess Shavaksha thoroughly indulged young Parsi patrons. “As school children, we saw films there for free every week, on displaying a bit of our sudrehs (Parsi vest) to the Pathan doorman who was instructed to let us in.” Faced with a post-war slump, Shavaksha won back viewers with schemes that included a wristwatch lottery.

Next, the brothers built Krishna at Grant Road. It was renamed Dreamland on being bought by the Kukas.

Coincidentally, now Dreamland is associated with E-Square, the Pune chain which joined hands with the Dubashes in 2008 for a revamped Paradise holding steady as a single screen theatre in the age of multiplexes. Despite equity infusion of 2 crores affording a turnaround for the 502-seater with upgraded technology, the rigours of running it weigh heavy. “Single screens are like neglected senior citizens left to die in agony,” Niloufer says. “Passion alone has kept Paradise going.”

Passion and integrity were qualities Shavaksha passed on in spades to his sons Framroze (Fali) and Jamshed (Jemi) for the business, while daughter Alloo became principal of Young Ladies High School at Fort. They carved so clean a reputation that government authorities never checked statements submitted. The biggest success playing at Paradise was the Prasad production Dadima of 1966.

Niloufer and Meherzin would rush here after school with excited friends on Fridays, crackling wafer packets in the cool dark. “When I started working for Air India, Jemi Mama teased, ‘You’re doing the same as my booking clerk – selling tickets.’ And Fali Mama encouraged me to visit regularly to learn the ropes,” the niece recalls. “He made us promise to celebrate our 100-year journey grandly with loyalists who travelled the distance with us.”

The Dubash ladies know their theatre’s location is an asset to the trade, middleclass Mahim an accurate barometer of public taste. The snack counters registered how many people didn’t move out in the interval of the engrossing Paa. For the most, though, it’s whistling and whooping as the marbled interiors shake with very vocal responses. Songs are mouthed and dance matched to screen stars in the aisles. An Ajay Devgan fan just jumped onto a POP ceiling decoration to ape the impossible Singham pull-up.

But the Khan sending Paradise customers of both sexes in a swoon is Salman. A full-wall mirror on the stairs leading to the Balcony never fails to make men whip out pocket combs to copy his style. Cut to the hit Tere Naam packing the hall with frenzied audiences.

A boy perched on the parapet begged for an unavailable ticket. Having already seen the film twice, he wore his hair straight-flicked yet slanted the way his hero famously had in that hit. Niloufer consoled him saying he looked like Salmanbhai himself. The compliment thrilled him enough to tell her canteen staff, “Madam ko meri taraf se ek Mangola pila do!”

The post Paradise Cinema: 100 years of marquee magic appeared on Parsi Khabar.

Elders have held our hand at the time of our Sunrise now its our Turn to hold theirs at their Sunset.

Abuwala Parsi Infirmary serves the elders of our Parsi Community standing besides them in their times of sunset.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQFqf9K18D4

The post The Parsi Infirmary Navsari appeared on Parsi Khabar.

Praises Jamsetji for his vision of environment-friendly energy and initiatives for welfare of people associated with the Tata Group

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday released a commemorative coin in honour of Jamsetji Tata, popularly known as father of modern Indian industry, on his 175th birth anniversary. Paying tributes to Tata, Modi said, “Those who create history, without seeking or holding power, are truly great”.

He also praised Jamsetji for his vision of environment-friendly energy and initiatives for welfare of people associated with the Tata Group. The culture of businessmen donating massive amounts in charity was new to the Western world but Jamsetji had done it long ago, the PM added.

Jamsetji is the first industrialist felicitated by the government in such a manner. He founded Tata Group, India’s largest business conglomerate. He was born on March 3, 1839, in Navsari, in south Gujarat.

Jamsetji founded the Tata Group in 1868. He worked for building India that would be an industrial power. The translation of his vision led to creation of India’s first integrated steel plant (Tata Steel’s Jamshedpur plant – 1907), hydroelectric power plants that service Mumbai’s needs till today (Tata Power’s Khopoli plant – 1910), and the Indian Institute of Science (1909).

The government had earlier honoured Jamsetji by releasing postal stamps, one in 1958 and another in 1965.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman of Tata Sons Cyrus P Mistry said Jamsetji’s focus was two-pronged, each equally important and interconnected. “The first was industrialisation of the country and building the requisite human capital. The second was conducting business in a fashion that positively impacted the quality of lives of the people it touched,” he said.

The post PM Modi releases commemorative coin on Jamsetji Tata’s birth anniversary appeared on Parsi Khabar.

Aban Daboo of Aurora, Illinois loves sharing flavors and techniques of Parsi cuisine, the style of cooking she learned growing up in Mumbai, India.

Aban Daboo makes it clear what food she loves to make by sharing her email address.

She refers to herself as a Parsi chef.

By Abby Scalf | Daily Herald

Parsi, which also can be spelled Parsee, refers to a group who emigrated to India to avoid religious persecution by Muslims. Aban explained she learned about the Parsi cuisine growing up in Mumbai where the cuisine is popular.

Like Aban, who moved from Mumbai to the United States in 1981, people who left India adapt their cooking to local produce available so the Parsi cuisine they cook takes on a nuance of that region. So, Aban said, the style of cooking incorporates Asian, Mediterranean and other diets. It’s not what most people think of as Indian cuisine.

“The recipes are very easy. Sometimes Indian food can feature a lot of spices and preparation,” said Aban, who now lives in Aurora. “This is more simple cooking. Some Indian dishes can be fried or heavy. This food is not heavy unless it’s made for a special occasion.”

Many dishes incorporate lamb and fish, she said, as India’s West coast relies on its fishing industry. One popular dish she likes to prepare is topping fish with a chutney made with coconut and lemon juice and wrapping the fish within a banana leaf before steaming.

Whether she makes her saffron chicken with apricots, her curried turkey loaf or homemade curry, Aban makes sure to include her favorite ingredient, a paste made with fresh garlic and ginger. She even adds it to vegetable dishes, combining the paste with steamed cauliflower, coconut milk and turmeric.

No matter the dish, Aban prefers using fresh including vegetables and herbs.

“We never use anything out of a bottle. It gives such good flavor we don’t need anything really spicy like curry paste, curry powder or red chili paste,” she said. “If I make red chili paste at home, I roast all the chilies, garlic and cumin and make it in the blender. It can stay for almost a month in the fridge.”

Aban loves to cook for her own family including her husband of 49 years and their two children. She also often contributes to potluck dinners and fundraisers organized by the Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Chicago where she’s been a member since its inception 31 years ago.

For Aban, cooking is a chance to be creative and create a strong bond with family and friends. And just as important, Aban said, is they enjoy a beautiful table.

“I prefer to use my good china. My husband asks how many dining sets I’ve collected. I respond I don’t know but I like to entertain,” she said adding with a laugh, “I’m the only one of my group of friends who uses cloth napkins whenever I entertain.”

The post Aban Daboo: Chicago Resident adapts Parsi recipes to local ingredients appeared on Parsi Khabar.

“Admiral Ghandhi was one of the grand stalwarts of our Navy. A flamboyant and an extremely courteous gentleman belonging to the ‘old school’ he will be missed by all of us who had the privilege of serving under him”. Commodore Rajan Vir. President Indian Maritime Foundation who dedicated his all after retirement to augment MARITIME INDIA through IMF !

Article by Ranjit B Rai in Admiration and an IDF Salute to RKS !

By the words ‘old school, IDF assumes Vir alludes to the professional lot who knew training, the divisional system, non–religious attitude and to love your men first, and then push them to limits was the old Anglo Indian, Parsi and UK trained attitude of the Navy which saw RIN achieve glory in WW 2, then braved the disbandment of the Navy after 1946 mutiny which hastened Independence; and then finally the 1971 war witnessed Navy’s Finest Hours. Admiral RKS Ghandhi was awarded VrC in command of INS Mysore as the Flag Captain in the Western Fleet in 1971.

Admiral of the Fleet Lord Louis Mountbatten called Rustom Khushro Shapoorjee Ghandhi, ‘ India’s Nelson’ after he learnt how Ghandhi handled INS Betwa in Goa operation in 1961. Ghandhi was Viceroy Mountbatten’s Flag Lieutenant at Independence in India, nicknamed Russi and there grew a bond of professionalism and friendship between them. Ghandhi prided his photograph in Parliament standing next to Pandit Nehru and Mountbatten when Nehru delivered the ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech on the midnight 14th August of Independence and established a long lasting friendship with the Mountbatten family which was enduring. It helped the Indian Navy.

Mountbatten noted Russi as a Commander had become the first Captain of the Indian Navy to take part in battle and cripple the Portuguese destroyer “NRP Afonso de Albuquerque”, off Mormugao Harbour in 1961 by superior gun action and by maneuvering Betwa in the restricted Goa harbor when Albuquerque tried to hide behind merchant ships.

Operation VIJAY annexation of Goa by force in December 1961 when political attempts failed, was Indian Navy’s first test in battle and like Lord Nelson at Trafalgar who looked through his blind eye and said he saw no signal and acted, Russi denies he saw the White Flag claimed to have been put up by Captain Antonio da Cunha Aragao in command of the Albuquerque who grounded the ship ashore under fire and abandoned her when he was wounded by Betwa’s accurate 4.5 inch gunfire. Ghandhi went to meet da Cunha in hospital who handed over his cabin key to Ghandhi in surrender.

When Aragao told him he had surrendered after the first shot, Ghandhi replied , “ Sorry Ole Captain I think your white flag got entangled in the yardarms arm and we did not see it “. It is historically recorded that the loss of Albuquerque so early in Op VIJAY led to the total Portuguese surrender one day earlier than anticipated by the advancing Army. Then only a Commander, Ghandhi sent messages via his Royal Navy contacts and Mountbatten to inform Portugal and family of Captain Antonio da Cunha Aragao that he was well and in good care. The Maritime museum in Lisbon recounts the whole sea action with photos and a short film in which Betwa fitted with the modern 4.5 inch FPS-5 computer controlled guns with gun fire noise is seen maneuvering in Goa harbor to get at Albuquerque. That event played a decisive role in the 1961 liberation of Goa. Soon after, Betwa won the Fleet regatta twice and the ship was known as the Cock of the Fleet. The result hinged on the last officers race and this writer in Mysore’s officers whaler team saw a ruddy Ghandhi shout to his team, ‘ If you lose do not came back on board !”.They won by a whisker and one learnt what is inspiration and confidence.

Ghandhi was one of the Indian Navy’s most decorated , colourful, gregarious, and courageous officers who rose to the rank of a Vice Admiral and commanded the Eastern Fleet and the Western Naval Command with aplomb and professionalism. He did his Long G ( gunnery) course at HMS Excellent at Whale Island in UK in 1949 and excelled.

It grew stronger when as a Rear Admiral the Navy appointed RKS Ghandhi as India’s Naval Adviser in London at India House in Aldwych from 1972 to 1974 to serve under High Commissioner BK Nehru. The Ghandhis spent weekends at Mountbatten’s country home and This writer as a Lt Cdr undergoing the Royal Navy Staff Course at Greenwich vividly recalls meeting Deputy High Commissioner Natwar Singh, at a dinner hosted by the Ghandhis where Deputy Defence Minister Frank Judd from Scotland was the Chief guest. Natwar Singh was holding fort in a history lesson, which is his forte, when the Admiral came up to me, “Young Rai, if you cannot change the subject, you will fail RNSC, now do it !” With trepidation I began butting in to speak of Scotch whiskies my forte, while offering the Minister a drink, and that is when Frank Judd took over extolling the waters of Scotland and the India-Scotland connection, and it became a splendid evening, and I got my request to study nuclear subjects despite 1974 ban after Pokhran. That was quintessence Russi the man, the Navy loved and admired who breathed his last few days before Xmas 2014 after a prolonged period of recovery after a stroke he suffered a few years ago. He had lost his wife earlier a generous hostess and an affectionate senior officer’s naval wife. He is survived by his son Sandy and daughters Delna head of Shell in India and Yasmin.

PART TWO OF TRIBUTE – 1965 & 1971 WARS ETCETRA MAY INTEREST NAVY

Ghandhi was in the prestigious Western Naval Fleet as the Flag Captain in command of INS Mysore in the 1971 war under Rear Admiral Chandy Kuruvilla another Gunnery officer. Russi’s heroic actions in that war earned him a Vir Chakra. He, like CNS Admiral SM Nanda, the Admiral who bombed Karachi, always regretted that INS Mysore could not go on to attack ships off Karachi with the Osa missile boat that was in tow with the Fleet, and bombard the Pakistani coast with its long range 6 inch guns on the night of December 4th 1971 when Mrs G s declared war and heard on AIR. The Western Fleet Operations Officer, another gunnery specialist felt the fleet had been spotted that evening by a Pakistani Cessna and he advised the Fleet Commander Chandy to desist from approaching Karachi, and applied Radio Silence. That’s when Adm Kohli ordered Op Trident to Karachi 4th night and by luck IAF Hunters from Jamnagar hit KEMARI oil tank farm 4th Dec morning, but Navy claimed it. Primary war research is not possible in India.

Many of the 14th NDA Course on their first sea training ship INS Tir ( Lt VPS Shekhwat on board) recall Lt Cdr Ghandhi as the Commanding Officer of INS Cauvery ( In Red pyjamas his favourite colour, at Both Watches) which ship was in company (with Lts L Ramdas and Baby Anand) in the late 1950s when we joined as a callow cadets. Tir under Cdr Dolly Mehta and Cauvery were on an extended Flag showing cum training cruise to South East Asia. But for his Parsi fair complexion as against the British ruddy white complexion, he could easily have been mistaken for a Royal Navy officer , perfectly turned out, perfect in diction and master of the kind of dripping sarcasm which often achieved more results than any other form of admonishment would like the one that won Betwa the cock.

In the pre 1965 war days Ghandhi was a four ringer Captain in command of , INS Khukri as the Senior officer of the 14th Frigate ASW squadron with INS Kuthar and Kirpan and patrolled the Kutch sea border itching to get the Pakistani submarine PNS Ghazi (EX USS Diablo on lease) till an order was passed on 6th Sept by Joint Secretary S C Sarin from the Ministry of Defence to CNS Vice Admiral BS Soman that the Indian Navy was not to patrol above Porbunder latitude or take on the Pakistan Navy unless attacked. Soman protested but was told by DM Y B Chavan, it was a Cabinet decision.

Ghandhi was Parsi by religion and was son of Khushro Shapoorjee Ghandhi and Dina Dhunjishah Amroliwalla, and was born at Jabalpur,(in Central India) on 1st July 1924. He graduated from St Joseph’s Nainital 1941 with an Intermediate Science degree and after a year of advanced studies at Allahabad University fired by the desire to serve the nation, joined the RIN, and earned a permanent commission on 1 January 1943 and after 2 years Subs courses in UK served under Lt N Krishnan DSO later VADM on board INS Shamsher as a Sub Lt during the 1945 mutiny and told Krishnan to bomb Royal Bombay Yacht Club. Krishnan cleverly kept Shamsher away from Bombay by pretending the ship was detailed a ditched aircraft 80 nm from Bombay and asked Ghandhi to supervise ! Information warfare (IW) that wily Krishnan again used in 1971 explained in Warring Nuclear Nations –India Pakistan 2015 (RR Publications) just released.

On 15th August 1949 Russi led the Indian Independence day contingent in London in the parade while doing Long G . He had just married Khorshed “Bubbles” Kharegat (deceased 2011), daughter of Sir Pheroze and Lady Kharegat who owned coal mines and an electricity plant in Nagpur on 1 January 1949,and she told many a tale of the days in UK when Royal Navy officers came over for Indian curries and she barely coped but made her mark with her immaculate command of the English language and was a voracious reader. She read all my books, and supported ‘Russi’ as the Admiral was known in the Navy and joined him in all his postings and always invited young officers to join their table.

On one occasion this writer as a Sub Lt in 1963 was invited with three other Sub Lts of the 14th frigate Squadron, PS Das (later VADM), Stubby Subberwal and late Oberoi to dinner at the Ghandhi’s home in Juhu in Bombay. As we arrived early by train to Santa Cruz where Captain Ghandhi was to collect us in his Jaguar we had a few plates of chat(savouries) . Bubbles served a five course dinner and one of us blurted, “ Ma’m I cannot eat any more. We had ‘chat’ before coming”. The Admiral was mad and nearly made us walk back to the Santa Cruz station.

Ghandhi as the Indian Naval Adviser in the High Commission in UK from 1972 to 1974 had . later Vice Admiral PC Bhasin India’s nuclear submarine builder, a Lt Cdr under him in London who had this to say. “The Indian Navy was transforming rapidly with technological induction of new Electronic Warfare (EW) systems, SATNAV and Command and Control systems. We were able to help the Naval Headquarters (NHQ) with decision making. Admiral Ghandhi, having served as ADC to Lord Louis Mountbatten, was an added plus to open doors in the UK Admiralty”. Ghandhi also forced RNSC to include me in the NUCLEAR PROPUSION Course.

Ghandhi was in line and hopeful with his unblemished service record to become Chief of Naval Staff but Admiral Oscar Stanley Dawson piped him as he was just senior in the Navy list and Chiefs in India are invariably made by seniority. But soon Ghandhi was appointed as Chairman of the Shipping Corporation of India and he attended to the task with zeal and contributed to bring about discipline and pride in the ships by visiting them regularly.

His Navy career in bullet points.
1957: Commanding Officer of the INS Cauvery when I was a cadet on INS Tir Seen first in Red Pyjamas
1961: Commanding Officer of the INS Betwa and gunned down Alphonso Albuquerque and went on to win the Fleet regatta 1961 -62 (The Cock of the Fleet) and piped another fine ship tem of INS Mysore under Capt St John Cameron when his officers boat just beat Mysore’s the deciding last race by yelling, ‘ Get Mysore’s officers boat go get Mysore and the Cock by its what nots or do not came back !”
1963: Attended US Naval War College, Newport R.I. but stuck to RN Style of working Indian Navy’s pedigree. Was CI IN DSSC. No complicated long verbose papers but practical ones.
1965: Commanding Officer of the INS Khukri and F 14 and sad he could not fight in the war as Government had no idea how to use the Navy ….IDF served in INS Kuthar and all Midshipmen in squadron including Prem Vir Das later VADM were invited to a five course meal in Ghandhi’s Juhu house.
1968: Director of Naval Operations a post IDF held later and took advise how to see all went well. His advice was Trust What The Commanding Officers’ say,,,,,They are the Navy’s Gold ! It helped IDF later as a green horn Fleet Operations Officer Western Fleet.
1969: Commanding Officer of the INS Mysore. 1971 Victorious War
1972: Naval Advisor to the India High Commission in London, U.K.
1974: Fleet Commander, Eastern Fleet. Bubbles joked. ‘The Bubbles in the fleet waters excite Russi more these days !’ alluding to his dedication.
1975: Fleet Commander, Western Fleet
1977: Commander-in-Chief, Western Naval Command
1979: Retired with the rank of Vice Admiral of the Indian Navy
He was the only officer to have commanded ships in all wars fought by India:
– the 1961 war to annex Goa as Commander of the INS Betwa
– the 1965 war with Pakistan as Commander of the 14th frigate squadron as Captain of the INS Khukri
– the 1971 war with Pakistan to create Bangladesh when he commanded the INS “Mysore,” the flagship of the Western Naval Fleet

Upon retirement from the Indian Navy, Vice Admiral Ghandhi enjoyed a short stint as technical consultant for the movie, “Sea Wolves,”[ and played a cameo role as the Governor of Goa in it.  He was appointed Chairman of the SCIIN 1981 and served in that capacity until 1986.

During April 1986 to February, 1990, when Rajiv Gandhi was Premier of India, Vice Admiral Ghandhi was awarded the Param Visishti Seva Medal or meritorious service of the highest order, and served as governor of Himachal Pradesh in Raj Bhawan in Shimla built in 1815, and formerly known as Barnes Court. In addition to governmental duties, he made many improvements to the building, including a complete restoration of the billiard room and the Durbar Hall, as well as the construction of a gazebo on the premises. He was a Member of the National Commission for Minorities from 1993 to 1996.

In the end let IDF quotes the signal Fleet Commander Ghandhi made to Rear Admiral D S Paintal another fine officer IDF served briefly in Eastern Fleet and INS Nilgiri as his second in Command.
“I hand you a fine worked up Eastern fleet ……try chief cook Barua’s  lobster thermedior …it is the best”. That was what an Admirals should be, not ones writing voluminous strategies, doctrines and capabilities and grandiose plans that the Government never reads but go listen to Commanding Officers and ASDs and discuss their issues in Commanders Conference and send classified TIME BOUND action copies to MOD, PMO and NSA for infrastructure and acquisitions which is shaking and copies for limited circulation ………Then have training, exercises, parties revise war orders and ROEs and the Indian Navy will run is IDF’s view to honour the memory of Adm Ghandhi ! . Keep it simple not like USA and make every one an Engineer –who will fight ?

The post Admiral RKS Ghandi: Three War Captain and India’s Nelson Passes Away appeared on Parsi Khabar.

The Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert took place under the baton of Zubin Mehta on January 1, 2015, in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna. The Philharmonic’s Honorary Conductor Zubin Mehta, with whom the orchestra has enjoyed an artistic partnership for over 50 years, conducted the New Year’s Concert for the fifth time.

This year’s concert was broadcast in over 90 countries around the world and was seen by 50 million television viewers. The program for the New Year’s Concert 2015 featured numerous compositions by Johann Strauss Father and Son, Eduard and Josef Strauss as well as works by Franz von Suppé und Hans Christian Lumbye. Five pieces were performed for the first time as part of the New Year’s Concert. The program also commemorated 650 years of the University of Vienna and 200 years of the Technical University of Vienna.

Here are the video recordings of the event.

The post Zubin Mehta Conducts the Vienna Philharmonic: New Year’s Concert 2015 appeared on Parsi Khabar.

Join chef Cyrus Todiwala at the Taste Of Goa festival at Garcia De Orta garden, Panjim. On the 9,10,11 th of January 2015 to enjoy the best food, music, art and beauty of Goa.

The post Chef Cyrus Todiwala at the Taste Of Goa appeared on Parsi Khabar.

Vistara a new airline jointly owned by Tata’s and Singapore Airlines took flight on January 9, 2015. This brings the Tata’s back into Indian Civil Aviation nearly 6 decades after they relinquished control of Tata Airlines in 1946.

Aviation in India has a very personal Parsi connection. The legendary JRD Tata started civil aviation in India in 1932. He became chairman of Tata Airlines and then continued on as chairman of Air India, till the Janata Party came to power and sacked him. Crooked politicians then exploited what was once a leading airline in the world and turned it into a sorry joke as it stands today.

My grandfather had the opportunity to see the original flight land at the Juhu Aerodrome in 1932. And 50 years later I accompanied my grandfather as a awestruck 9 year old when JRD re-enacted that same exact flight. The memory of that moment and of being present with my grandfather is etched in memory forever.

Hopefully Vistara will continue where Tata Airlines left off and once again become a leading airline in the world.

Not only was JRD Tata never reinstated, but his contribution to aviation is all but forgotten. When the Bombay International Airport was up for re-naming, the same spineless politicians went ahead and named it after Shivaji, adding to the dozens of things already named after him, most of which had no bearing to what Shivaji did or achieved. All in the name of votebank politics.

Below are some pictures of Vistara airlines on Day one. Images via Kaizad Postwalla via Facebook.

J R D Tata served as the pilot for the first mail service by an Indian company on October 15, 1932

Article by Aneesh Phadnis  |  Business Standard

On the afternoon of October 15, 1932, the Postmaster of Bombay and other dignitaries assembled in the city’s Juhu area to welcome a tiny Puss Moth aircraft carrying post from Karachi.

Piloted by J R D Tata, the flight had a historical significance — it was the first such mail service by an Indian company, and it laid the foundation of Air India.

Eight decades later, it will be another historic event when the Airbus A320 aircraft of Vistara, the full-service joint venture of Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, takes off on its maiden flight — from Delhi to Mumbai — on Friday afternoon. This will mark Tatas’ re-entry in the airline business after over six decades. Though the Tatas own a 30 per cent stake in AirAsia India as well, they are far less involved in its operations.

An airline’s birth is a result of passion and enterprise, often not without its challenges and ordeals. And, Tata-run airlines are no exception.

In the mid-90s, the Tata group made many unsuccessful attempts to launch an airline in partnership with Singapore Airlines.

Vistara, too, encountered a few minor bumps in its pre-launch stage, with private airlines lobbying against its approval, and delays in securing permit. The Federation of Indian Airlines, which represents almost all domestic airlines, went to court saying the new policy allowed foreign airlines to invest in existing carriers, while Vistara was a start-up. The government rejected the opposition.

For their airmail service, the Tatas had sought a subsidy of Rs 1.25 lakh from the government but received none. In 1932, after three years of negotiation, a contract was signed between the group and the government that the Tatas will only be paid a fee on the basis of weight and distance flown.

Sixteen years later, Air India’s first long-haul flight to London was launched on June 8, 1948; that was  three years after the end of the second World War.

In his book ‘Beyond the Last Blue Mountain: A Life of J R D Tata’, R M Lala writes the airmail service was to originally begin from September 15 of 1932 but the launch had to be postponed as mud flats of Juhu were under water due to heavy monsoon — there was no proper runway or airport.

J R D Tata flew in from Karachi with 55 pounds of mail, and thus heralded a new beginning of civil aviation in India. The mail service was launched by the aviation department of Tata Sons, and Tata Airlines was formed later.

Despite getting little support from the government, the airmail service made a profit and was extended to cover other Indian cities like Calcutta, Madras and Trivandrum. In 1937, a service between Delhi and Mumbai was rolled out and the company began carrying both mail and passengers. After the second World War, J R D Tata gave a proposal to the government to start an international airline, with the government owning a 49 per cent stake, Tatas 25 per cent and the public the rest. For domestic operations, there was Indian Airlines.

Tata Airlines became a public company in 1946 and was renamed Air India. Its first flight, a Bombay-Cairo-Geneva-London flight, used a Lockheed Constellation plane. In 1948, Air India became the first Asian airline to start a regular service between Asia and Europe. The tickets for the inaugural Bombay-London flight were priced at Rs 1,720 each.

Air India was nationalised five years later but J R D Tata remained its chairman until 1978, when he was removed from the post by the Moraraji Desai-led Janata Party government. Almost a decade later, Ratan Tata was named the chairman of Air India. He held the post for three years, from 1986 to 1989.

There also are other examples of Tata’s association with aviation. The group had in 2007 taken a six per cent stake in SpiceJet which it sold over the years. It had also evinced interest in teaming up with an entrepreneur to bid for Air Sahara. But a deal did not work out and Jet Airways eventually purchased that airline.

The post With Vistara, a Tata airline is reborn appeared on Parsi Khabar.

Its legacies far outnumber this fast-dwindling community with two centuries of ties to the city

In North Chennai’s populous and noisy Royapuram area, the tranquil 104-year-old Jal Phiroj Clubwala Dar-e-Meher Fire Temple appears an anomaly. A man in trousers, a half-sleeved shirt and a baseball cap arrives on his scooter and introduces himself as Bomi Vazifdar, the Zoroastrian temple’s priest. “Not many people come to the temple,” he says. “Earlier, Royapuram was the base for the city’s Parsis.”

Article by Mahima Jain | The Hindu Business Online

As you drive down the arterial Anna Salai, or Mount Road, the contributions of Parsis — as the earliest Zoroastrian settlers in India are known — jump out at you: Dhun building, Tarapore Tower, Casino Theatre, and the long-gone Elphinstone and Wellington theatres. Equally prominent are the several small Irani cafés on this stretch.

The art deco Casino theatre in Chennai was built in 1941 by JH Irani, an ice factory owner, and designed by his engineer-son, Firoz. Photo: N Sridharan

A quick afternoon chai at one these cafés proves they are nothing like their counterparts in places like Mumbai, which are cherished for their spacious interiors, wooden chairs, marble-top tables, chandeliers, and a sharp-eyed Parsi owner behind the cash counter. In Chennai, though owned by Iranis, the cafés are like any other local tea-stall, with only a customary portrait of Zoroaster, the founder of Zoroastrianism, to distinguish them.

Parsis and Iranis both follow Zoroastrianism, but are differentiated based on when they migrated to India — the former fled Iran circa 8-10th century, while the latter arrived in the 19th century. The community has whittled down to 69,000 members across India, largely in Gujarat and Mumbai, and only about 250 remain in Chennai.

Zarin Mistry, a Chennai-born Parsi and Secretary of the Madras Parsi Association, says, “Language is a huge barrier here, but people do come on transfers and some have businesses here. My father, Dr MM Cooper, moved from Lahore to Chennai in 1934.” As head of the Anatomy department of Madras Medical College, Dr Cooper was a key figure in the city’s medical fraternity and Parsi community. When he died in 2002, an obituary in the Journal of Anatomical Society read: “Meherji’s outstanding achievements and principled life have helped to (sic) put the Parsi name firmly on the map of Madras.”

Zarin Mistry is the secretary of the Madras Parsi Association. Photo: Bijoy Ghosh

Other notable Parsi Chennaiites include social worker Mary Clubwala Jhadav (who founded the Madras School of Social Work in 1952); cinematographers Adi Irani (Alam Ara, SS Vasan’s Kamadhenu and Bala Nagamma) and Mehli Irani; Minoo K Belgamwala, one of the founders of Madras Motor Sports Club; builder JH Tarapore; civil engineer Hormusji Nowroji (who the historian Sriram V calls the “father of water supply in Chennai”); Soli Darulwala, who opened Chennai’s first modern art gallery; and many more.

“I think we have all prospered and, as far as I am concerned, I have imbibed all I can. I speak a little Tamil and I love the Southern culture and food. Many people who come from Mumbai are eager to leave this city, but some get comfortable and choose to stay,” says Mistry.

According to her, the first official account of Parsis setting base in Chennai is of Heerjibhai Maneckji Kharas arriving from Coorg with five other Parsis and two priests in the early 19th century. The East India Company was strong in the then fledgling city of Madras. The Parsis chose to put down their roots in the Royapuram area.

It was much later, in 1910, that the Clubwala family built the local Parsi fire temple — the first and only in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the former French colony of Puducherry.

Today, only a single member of the Clubwala family is left in Chennai. Karachi-born Mani Clubwala married into the family in 1947 and moved to Chennai with her husband, a director at EID Parry, in the 1960s. Her sons and grandchildren are in the US, and the 86-year-old lives by herself in a sprawling bungalow in Santhome, in south Chennai. As the Parsi families flourished through the decades, they gradually moved out of Royapuram to other localities, she says.

Karachi-born Mani Clubwala has lived in the city since the 1960s, although her offspring have moved away. Photo: Bijoy Ghosh

The close-knit community congregates for monthly get-togethers, the Parsi New Year and during Jamshedi Navroz at the Clubwala Hall next to the fire temple.

The Parsis in Chennai, like elsewhere in the country, are concerned about their fast-declining numbers. Clubwala endorses, tongue firmly in cheek, the Government-supported Jiyo Parsi campaign, which explicitly asks Parsis to make more babies. “We are nearly a gone species,” she says with a laugh. “I think the ads are fun. All these people should wake up and do something!”

Mistry’s children too have moved away from Chennai to pursue their careers. “We don’t have enough youngsters who can socialise and, hopefully, get married within the community,” she points out.

The Parsis and Iranis of Chennai are determined to support their predominantly ageing community. “It is our duty, as a community, to see that they live with dignity. The Madras Parsi Zarthosti Anjuman has a guesthouse and we provide them with medical help, subsidised rent and so on,” Mistry says.

The priest Vazifdar acknowledges that whether it is his daughter’s school fee or his wife’s medical expenses, the Trust and the community are always at hand to support him.

After more than 200 years in the city, time may be running out for Chennai’s Parsi community, but their immense legacy lives on in the many sterling institutions they have bequeathed to their adopted home.

The post Chennai and its old Parsi flame appeared on Parsi Khabar.

Meet the man behind this amazing food experience called Britannia as he shares everything from how he started the Britannia restaurant in Mumbai to what it is today! Boman Kohinoor, the owner of Britannia – a parsi & irania restaurant in Mumbai talks about what this place means to him and the secret behind the authentic look and feel of this Parsi restaurant. Also, he mentions a famous dish called – Berry Pulav.

The post The Britannia Man appeared on Parsi Khabar.

The following PROPOSED CODE OF CONDUCT TO GOVERN FUTURE BPP ELECTIONS appeared in Jam-e-Jamshed edition of 11 Jan 2015

With a view to provide a level playing field to all individuals contesting future BPP Trustee elections, former Trustees of BPP along with some prominent community members had been discussing with the present Trustees, since early 2014, the necessity to introduce a ‘Code of Conduct’ that would govern future elections for BPP Trusteeship.

This communication is being released as many – individuals as well as community media – have been enquiring about the progress made in introducing the proposed ‘Code of Conduct’ under which future elections for trusteeship of BPP would be conducted.

After much deliberations and holding of several meetings a final draft of the ‘Code of Conduct’ has been evolved and forwarded to the present BPP Trustees for consideration.

As elections to BPP Trusteeship are conducted under a ‘Scheme of Elections’ framed by the Hon. Bombay High Court, a revised Scheme of Elections has been framed into which the ‘Code of Conduct’ has been incorporated, that would before implementation, first need to be approved by present Trustees and thereafter sanction sought from the Hon. Bombay High Court.

The salient features of the Code of Conduct that has been forwarded to present BPP Trustees in November 2014 are reproduced hereunder for the information of all those who have been enquiring about the same.

1. The Trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet shall constitute an Election Commission (EC) having an Election Commissioner and four other Additional Commissioners, being individuals having impeccable integrity.

2. The Additional Election Commissioners (“AEC”) shall work under the directions and supervisions of the Election Commissioner.

3. Trustees may nominate 2 “reserve members” of the EC who shall be called upon to officiate as Additional Commissioners if one or more Additional Commissioner cannot officiate as such, for any reason whatsoever. In addition the Trustees may co-opt members as required to assist in the conduct of elections and supervising/manning of EVMs.

4. The Election Commissioner and his Associates shall oversee the electoral procedure carried out by the Administrative staff of the BPP, and shall endeavour to ensure that the elections are conducted in a transparent, free and fair manner.

5. The EC shall oversee the Election Process at all times – from the announcement of the elections until their completion with sufficient administrative help and staff of the BPP to conduct the election.

6. While the Trustees of BPP shall have the general superintendence and control of the EC & the elections, all the BPP sitting trustees will remain outside the election fray at all times unless a trustee is offering himself for re-election.

7. The EC will oversee all matters pertaining to the Election process. All complaints relating to the election and/or breach of any of the conditions of this Code shall be specifically dealt by the EC.

8. Full co-operation shall be extended by the Trustees and BPP staff to the EC and the team appointed by them at all times to ensure peaceful and orderly polling.

9. Three months prior to the election date, the Election Commission will invite applications from prospective candidates, depending on the number of vacancies, for Trusteeship of the Parsi Punchayet of Bombay. Prospective candidates would file their nomination with the Election Commission and lodge a deposit of Rs 50,000/-. A candidate not procuring at least 5% of the total votes cast shall forfeit the deposit. The deposit amount shall be pegged at the prevailing cost of living index for future elections. After the Election of 2015, the BPP Trustees shall for such future elections declare in advance, the amount of such deposit.

10. The candidate would submit personal details as per a standard format devised by the Election Commission. The candidate would also submit a short bio-data with an Election Manifesto and Vision Statement of not more than 2000 words. Failure to comply with the requirements of the Election Commission would result in the candidature being rejected by the EC.

11. All the candidates will maintain an account of all the election expenses that they have personally incurred and will submit the same to the Election Commission one day prior to the last polling date, as all campaigning activities would have come to an end 48 hours prior to the date of election. Each candidate will be permitted to spend no more than Rs.3,00,000/= (Rupees three hundred thousand) for their entire election campaign.

12. The Election Commission, shall consider all written complaints by the voters/candidates about irregularities committed by any candidate and/or by his/her supporters, All the EC appointees shall consider the complaint and then give their decision, by way of a simple majority. In case of a tie, the Election Commissioner shall have a casting vote.

13. Posters will be displayed as per the guidance of BPP and all efforts will be made by EC to see that these are not destroyed, removed or defaced.

14. The Candidate will hold meetings after seeking prior permission of EC on 1st come 1st serve basis & statutory authorities including Police.

15. No incentives or inducements of any kind (including food boxes, lunches/dinners, gifts etc) will be provided to the voters who attend such election meetings, at the venue or outside or sent at home in order to maintain a level playing field for all the prospective candidates.

16. Negative criticism of the other candidates shall be restricted to their policies, programme, past record and work, only. No personal. defamatory attacks or character assassination will be allowed against any candidate.

17. Candidates can campaign outside Greater Mumbai City limits if they choose to do so but the expenses incurred will be within the permissible ceiling of Rs.3,00,000/=.

18. No moneys for any transportation (including hiring of buses) or food will be permitted or arranged directly or indirectly to be given to any voter be it from Mumbai or out of station who comes to participate in the voting.

19. None of the Fire Temples of the community or the Towers of Silence complex or any other place of worship shall be used as places for election propaganda, including speeches, posters, music etc.

20. Whilst candidates are permitted to undertake house-to-house campaigning the timings are left to the ‘good sense’ of each candidate. It will be the responsibility of each candidate to ensure that no nuisance is caused to residents by them or their representatives and supporters whilst house to house campaigning is under way.

21. All campaigning, including house-to-house shall end 48 hours before the scheduled day for holding of the election in the geographical area in which polling is to be done.

22. All activities which are corrupt practices or electoral offences such as bribery, undue influence, intimidation of voters, impersonation, are prohibited and shall be dealt with severely.

23. Any type of Demonstration, gherao or picketing before the homes or places of work of candidates by any one protesting against the candidates opinions or activities is barred and if resorted to shall be dealt strictly and appropriately by the EC.

24. All efforts should be made by the candidates and their supporters not to create disturbances of any kind, like hooting, booing, interrupting, sloganeering at public meetings and/or processions organized by rival contesting candidates.

25. Entry into the Polling Stations shall be restricted to EC Staff, those authorised by the EC, in writing which would includes paramedics, if any, and voters when they are operating an EVM to cast their vote.

26. The Polling Precinct shall be the general area outside the Polling Station and will vary from venue to venue. For each venue this area shall be suitably marked by the EC and promulgated to all concerned. Entry into the Polling Precinct is restricted to EC Staff, those by the EC for manning of Registration and Authentication (manned by candidates representatives) Desk, candidates with two of their authorised representatives and voters standing in a queue to cast their votes.

27. Posters, flags, symbols or any other propaganda material shall not be displayed in the place/s being used on the day/s of polling for any purpose by the candidate.

28. No candidate shall be permitted to provide transport to the voters. The EC shall organize a sufficient number of mini buses/vans that would ply on a pre-determined and publicized route with timings, for the voters. No remuneration of any kind shall be given to voters nor should any moneys be paid to the voters for transportation to the Polling Precinct and back.

29. Each voter shall bring his / her Voters ID Certificate at the time of voting, without which the voter will not be allowed to cast his / her vote under any circumstances.

30. On the day of polling, no Parsi who perceives himself to be under a security threat and has therefore employed security guards, armed or otherwise, shall enter the vicinity of a polling station precinct with security personnel only after obtaining permission in writing from the EC. If the Parsi who has employed security guards also happens to be a voter, then he or she shall strictly restrict movement of his/her security personnel in the election precincts. Such a voter, accompanied by security personnel shall be permitted to vote only after previous intimation to the EC in that behalf.

31. Candidates and their accredited representatives (not exceeding 2 for each candidate), shall be permitted to enter the Polling Precinct but not the Polling Station under any circumstances.

32. Only Parsis with a specific valid authority letter from the EC can enter the Polling Station. No exceptions will be made on this issue.

33. No sitting Trustee or any other Parsis shall enter the Polling Precincts except when coming to cast his/her vote. Admission to the Polling Station will be open only to members of the Election Commission and BPP administrative staff authorised in writing by the EC. if any, as provided in the Scheme.

34. The EC shall have the power to investigate the issue of a breach of the Code of Conduct or any irregularity/ illegality relating to the election process by a contesting candidate / his or her party workers, suomoto or on a complaint received by the EC, in writing. No Parsi shall be entitled to raise any objection to the election of any Parsi as Trustee unless the Parsi raising such objection shall have been entitled to vote at such election and no objection shall have any validity nor be entertained unless the grounds of such objection shall be stated in writing together with a statement of particulars on which such objection is based and such writing shall have been lodged at the office of the EC not later than 14 days on the date of which the result of such election is published by display upon the notice board. If the office of the EC is closed on the last day for lodging such writing it may be lodged on the first working day thereafter and amongst the particulars required to be stated may be such as (1) the name of the voter in personated (if it is alleged that someone else voted for him,) (2) the name of the voter prevented by force from voting (if it is alleged that there was such prevention and particulars as to how and when such force was used).

35. If any objection to an election of any Parsi to be Trustee shall be lodged at the office of the EC in accordance with the terms of the last preceding rule the EC shall have full power and authority to determine the same in such manner as they deem just and right after hearing the parties or their legal advisors, and their decision shall be final and binding on all Parsees concerned.

36. The EC shall be guided by the following among other principles in deciding such objections :-

a) If the election of a candidate whose election has been published is set aside, the candidate who has obtained the largest number of votes out of those who have not been elected and against whose election there is no valid objection shall be declared to be elected. If there are several such candidates who have obtained the same number of votes the question will be decided by drawing lots. The setting aside of the election of any candidate shall not affect the election of any other elected candidate.

b) No objection shall be entertained on the ground that a candidate who has not been elected was disqualified.

c) If any voter is proved to have been prevented from voting by force or owing to omission by mistake or otherwise of his name from a register or List of Voters or the error of an election officer and raises his/her objection within 48 hrs of the counting of votes, such voter may be given an opportunity of recording his/her vote or votes and the votes recounted thereafter and the result declared accordingly. Votes under this sub rule may be recorded in any manner the EC deems just and fit not necessarily in accordance with the foregoing rules.

d) No election shall be set aside for any irregularity in procedure unless the irregularity is proved to have materially affected the final result.

e) If the decision involves the setting aside of the election of any Parsi or the declaration of the election of any other, the result of such decision shall be published in the same way as the result of an election.

f) The fact that the election of a candidate is set aside shall not affect the validity of any act of the Trustees in which such Parsee may have taken part, if such act would have been valid without his taking part in it.

37. The Election Commission shall, within 15 days of the receipt of the complaint and hearing the complainant, within this period and considering oral or written evidence and / or submissions that may be made by either party either disqualify the candidate from contesting the election or if the election is complete, disqualify the said candidate from assuming the office of Trustee or should the candidate have assumed the office of Trustee to disqualify him / her from continuing as a Trustee.

38. In order to hold free and fair elections, the Election Commissioner will be entitled to adopt any other additional measures as he / she may deem fit.

It is now for the present Trustees of BPP to consider implementing the Revised Scheme into which the Code of Conduct has been incorporated and move the Hon. Bombay High Court for its sanction.

Jamsheed G. Kanga,

Minoo R. Shroff,

Dadi B. Engineer,

Burjor H. Antia,

Dinshaw K Tamboly

Maneck H. Engineer,

Noshir H. Dadrawala,

Homi R. S. Khushrokhan,

Farokh K. Kavarana,

Fali P. Sarkari,

Comm (Retd) Aspi Marker.

Former Trustees & other concerned Zoroastrians.

The post Code of Conduct Proposed For Future Bombay Parsi Punchayet Elections appeared on Parsi Khabar.

Parsis have a comical way of describing their unfettered zest for life using an unusual mix of sarcasm and wit. Having adopted Gujarati as their mother tongue on their arrival to India in 1384 AC, the community created its own unique version of the language and Parsi Bol: Insults, Endearments and other Parsi Gujarati Phrases is a testament to that.

Book Review by Teenaz Javat | The Tribune

The book is compiled by award-winning screenwriter and photographer Sooni Taraporevala and journalist Meher Marfatia who put out a call for contributions which came flooding in by email and snail mail from all over the world.

Two hundred and sixty contributors shared 716 phrases which were painstakingly translated by Taraporevala’s octogenarian aunt Rutty Maneckshaw.

The phrases are written in Gujarati and Roman scripts, followed by their literal meaning in English and the idiomatic connotation. The idioms are divided in over 15 themes and include everything from insults, endearments to anatomy and advice on money, wives and even death. Along with being a linguistic guide, the book is also a visual treat as Hemant Morparia and Farzana Cooper have illustrated several bols or sayings, thereby taking the reader on a theatrical journey.

For those who have grown up in a Parsi household, familiar phrases such as Evun toh photo frame thai guya (the person died and is now in a photo frame) which shows the signature Parsi humour when it comes to death or Mummo chuchcho vugar seerpa nahi which means if you don’t swear you are not a Parsi, are bound to take one down memory lane. “This book has brought so much laughter in our house. In spite of the fact [that] our children were born and brought up here in Canada, it amazes [me] how we connect with our heritage and manage to find laughter even in death,” says Armaity Anandasagar whose children are of mixed Parsi and Hindu lineage. “It’s shocking to realise that nobody had thought of doing this before. It’s as scary as losing the recipe for dhansak and lagan-noo custard,” said Bollywood actor Boman Irani. ”We would have lost forever what is unique to us — our humour, our wisdom and our heritage.”

However, to make the book equally relatable and entertaining for non-Parsis, the authors have taken great pains in putting out English translations and transliterations which are as clear and close in meaning to the original phrases as possible. Hence, if you want to learn more about the small community that has made a significant contribution to Karachi, Parsi Bol would be a great and funny place to start.

While the first print run of Parsi Bol was released last year, it has sold out already and a wonderful e-book version with an embedded audio element is expected to be released soon. The authors are looking to create a sequel as well and have invited contributors to email them to parsibol@gmail.com.

Teenaz Javat writes headlines, news alerts, tickers and tweets for a living. She tweets @TeenazFromTo

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, January 11^th, 2015.

The post Parsi Bol: A Book Review appeared on Parsi Khabar.