"Designer aviary?"
I was happy to read the item "Designer aviary?" (Events and Personalities, Parsiana, July 21, 2013) about the proposed vulture enclosure at Doongerwadi.
It is believed that the Taj Mahal (Hotel) was designed by French architects, so why should our aviary not be designed by an English architect? It will add more color to Doongerwadi and even the gheedhras (vultures) will be glad to witness modern technology at play. However, I am not sure about how the ravans (souls) would react. At the Chinvat Pul Sarosh Yazad may or may not impose import customs duty.
Whose money is it anyway? As one Samajwadi Party politician recently said openly: "Loot sakay to loot lo (if you are able to loot, do so)." Will our akabars be open and candid enough to let the palav dar Parsis know what will be the sum total of this extravaganza? Back of the envelope calculation says Rs 25 crores for the aviary + architect’s fees over 15 years — which is not much if you consider that poor Parsis earn Rs 90,000 per month!
I am not buying the story that the Bombay Parsi Punchayet never received the proposal and that the matter was shelved over two years ago. If that were the case, why would The Indian Express publish stale news? Also, that the project is in limbo is to be taken with a pinch of salt. In all probability it is under wraps and will suddenly crop up at the right time. Perhaps at the time of the next election.
BEHRAM AGA
behram_r_aga@yahoo.co.in