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"We have observed that today’s youth is more interested in the performing arts than in literary arts. Hence we often find a sizeable majority of teenagers either dancing, singing, acting or playing a musical instrument and doing so exceptionally well! So we strive to expose them to several literary and creative arts events, so as to develop their language skills,” says the Holiday Programme for Youth (HPY) chief coordinator Azmin Mistry. ‘Spoof a Scene’ was a new competition this year. "We were trying to get as close to inter-collegiate competitions and events as possible and it was truly delightful as the kids had to choose a scene from a film and enact it closest to the original. In the second round the same participants were shown a scene on the spot and had to ad-lib to score in the second round. The participants enjoyed this a lot.”

 

 

 

 

 

HPY seeks to channel the fire and brimstone of youth. Tried, tested and trusted over 27 long years, it showed once again that a program is only as good as the people who run it! And they are ready, willing and able! A ga­mut of oppor­tunities and options are provided to teens fresh out from school to look and learn, feel and imbibe. Sports like kabbadi, cricket, volleyball, basketball and football encourage youngsters to knock the socks off their competitors. The pen drives the prizes in the essay competition; debates, JAM (Just-A-Minute) sharpen the mind’s search engines. The blood donation drive, visits to the Braille Press and the Parsi Ward of the J.J. Hospital, participating in the navjote of a financially underserved child bring sensitivity into today’s smug existence. The cobwebs cluttering young minds about careers, culture, religion, etc are sought to be dispelled with talks by experts in different fields. 

 

 

 

 

 

"There are 189 participants this year, 87 girls and 102 boys. Of these, 142 are from Bombay and 47 from outside, from places like Hyderabad/Secunderabad, Madras, Ahmedabad, Poona, Surat, Ahmednagar, Lonavla, Baroda, Vesu…” announced mentor Diana Marfatia at the inauguration on May 5, 2013 at the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Parsee Charitable Institution (BJPCI) in Bombay. The program is a proud presentation of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) which subsidizes costs and provides accommodation at the F.S.Parukh Dharamshalla to outstation children who do not have anyone to stay with in Bombay. BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta chaired the inaugural function (in the absence of trustee Jimmy Mistry who has been doing so for the last few years) and the valedictory as well this year. Mehli Colah, BPP chief executive officer, Cawas Panthaki, senior executive officer and Bakhtawar Dastur, assistant executive, are part of the organizing team. Thanking them, Marfatia also expressed gratitude to the trustees of the BJPCI for allowing HPY to be held once again at the school, though it meant putting on hold for a month the ongoing major renovations to the premises.
"I personally feel you should (among other things) occupy your time to build new connections. Accomplished speakers will address you. Talk to them, do not feel shy. Facebook and Twitter are social, not direct connections. Here the connections are direct. This will be a huge asset in dealing with what the world throws at you in future,” advised Perin Bagli, principal of Activity High School. "Remember HPY is work in progress since last August. Do not be disruptive or a killjoy. Be enthusiastic, not marela (half dead) or lazy. Do your networking. But don’t get hitched at 16 — I guarantee your parents will throw you out!” Pashangh Lavangia of the 2012 batch told the youngsters in his light-hearted yet incisive "reminiscences of a former HPYite.”
In a soft-spoken, chatty yet weighty address, Dr Phiroze F. Soonawalla, reputed urologist, related the small story of how he came to be invited to the inauguration as guest of honor. "I asked  Mehta (who invited him) ‘are you sure you want me to come?’ ‘Yes, you are a youth icon,’ he told me. I had not thought of myself as an icon! And my wife tells me I am no longer a youth!” the good doctor humorously narrated. "I am amazed at the range of activities at HPY. When I finished my schooling, there was no concept of aptitude. You went into careers almost by default! I don’t know how I became a doctor. At that time it was either medicine or engineering! But after 30 years of medical practice I have no regrets!” Success does not come in a single chunk; there are many tiny, tiny steps to success. Obstacles, he said, are not necessarily bad because when you look back you realize that it was not such a bad time and that you learnt from it. Always be considerate of others, be it the liftman, watchman or peon. "This is a lesson I learnt very early in life,” he stated, relating how the senior most consultant doctor at KEM Hospital, knowing that junior doctors put in punishing 18-19 hours of work, told them that he did not expect them to look after his bedridden father who had been admitted into the hospital. "It’s not your work. This is what I’m going to do,” the senior said. "That left a lasting impression on me,” Soonawalla declared. Open your eyes to every field and facet of life, he advised; telling the students that when he was being interviewed for a Rhodes scholarship at Oxford, for 45 minutes he was asked questions on politics, current affairs, etc but no medical questions! "Interesting and successful people are these and HPY offers you all this.”

 

 

 

By 2025, we will have surpassed China with our percentage of youth population, Firoze Andhyarujina, well-known senior counsel and tax consultant, told the audience. "How are the microscopic Parsis going to face this huge tidal wave? We have to mold our youth to face this. Parsi youth must keep faith in themselves. Try to have professionalism in whatever you do and try to rise to the top. Amongst others I will try to do my best. The intent of success should be part of the large plan to see the Parsi Zoroastrian entity continue into the future.” According to a UN report, India with 122 billionaires is ranked fifth in the world list of billionaires. By 2022, the projection is that India will have 225 billionaires — an 84 percent increase. HNIs (high networth individuals) will increase by 88 percent. "How many of our Parsis will be a part of this? There is nothing wrong in making money, provided it is true, correct and legitimate according to our Parsi standards of honesty,” the tax expert stated.
In India, an estimated 26.7 million kids are born and registered per year. About 7.8 million are born but not registered. "That means 34 million kids born. Among the Parsis not even 1,000 kids are born. This is an alarming difference… My sincere advice is ‘get married early and only to a Parsi…’ We came from Iran with a purpose — to preserve identity. We are an aging community, with almost 38 percent of our population over 60 years. Parsis also have longevity and it is the duty of the youth to think of old people and be with them.” Andhyarujina’s forceful remark, to loud applause from the audience, that "there should be reservations for Parsis in schools and colleges built by our forefathers” brought forth a response from the BPP chairman who came to the mike and stated that, as members of the Minority Commission, he and Keki Daruwalla had met the Maharashtra chief minister last year to ask for, if not reservation, at least a small percentage of seats to be kept in institutions set up by the Wadias, Jeejeebhoys, etc. "We were told that we are not a backward minority. If any reservation was kept, we would immediately face litigation. It would be deemed unconstitutional. Some money, however, was sanctioned for roads, etc,” Mehta elucidated.

 

 

 

 

Slated to be the chief guest at the valedictory function on June 2, eminent gynecologist Dr Firoze Soonawalla had to give the function a miss as one of his patients was in labor. Yazdi Karanjia, Surat’s popular theater artiste who was the guest of honor, made up for any absence! With a merry mix of deadpan humor and double entendre, Karanjia had adults and children roaring with laughter. "You must have a cool mind and warm heart. See the world in better perspective. Buddha left the palace in search of peace. We budhoos (unintelligent people) have left peace in search of the palace!”  Always respect your elders, he exhorted, advising that though it is laudable to clean the glass of Zarathushtra’s portrait, youngsters could also think of cleaning bapaiji and bapavaji’s (paternal grandparents) glasses. "Ek vachan bhuli java ni tayari ma chaiye (we are on the verge of forgetting a promise made by our ancestors at Sanjan). We must follow the Gujarati language. Do not forget your mother tongue.” Swami Vivekananda, a saint in the true sense, was a widely acclaimed person, Karanjia observed. "At a religious conference in the US, when asked why he could not be better dressed, Vivekananda smiled and said: ‘In your country the tailor makes you a gentleman. In our country character makes you a gentleman,’” Karanjia related. We have not inherited this earth; we are just the trustees for future generations. Just as you maintain the temperature of your home through the fan or air-conditioner, keep an even temperature at home too. "Aaj ne bus prem thi vadhavi lo (embrace the moment with love). Like petrol and diesel prices, keep the joy increasing and sorrow decreasing, like your mobile balance!” 
The prize distribution kept the joy continuing! The fashion fulcrum this year seemed to revolve around high, higher and highest heels! There were flirty hemlines for the girls, smart suits for the boys, notwithstanding the sultry weather which resulted, a couple of hours later, in unexpected raindrops falling on heads at the open air dinner in the ‘cool’ of the night! "One question and one answer is certainly no measure of personality. Hence like last year this year too HPY decided to watch participants from day one and crown Mr and Ms HPY based on this evaluation,” announced Mistry. Judged on attitude, camaraderie, regularity, proactivity, etc, Arman Arethna and Delraaz Bunshah were crowned Mr and Ms HPY respectively. Yohann Dastoor and Simran Jehani were the runners-up. Ayesha Mehta, Huzvak Gandhi, Simin Patrawala and Dastoor were the individual winners in their groups. Pehzan Safrabadi was the best sportsperson. Fariburz Irani was the best actor, Saisha Bacha best actress. Gandhi and Jehani were the best male and female models; Urvan Zaiwalla and Dastoor best male catwalkers, with Bacha the feminine counterpart. Arethna was adjudged Literary Arts All-Rounder. The Piroja Fali Forbes Award for obtaining a phenomenal 96.14 percent at the ICSE in March 2012 was won by Kayannush Patel and Sanaya Patel. The BPP Award for securing 89.84 percent at the SSC examination 2012 went to Noshirwan Aibada.

 

 

 

 

If decibel levels were high during the giving out of prizes, the felicitation of the organizers and groups-in-charge saw the ever popular Marfatia, Mistry and others receive thumping applause. Rayomand Mistry, young entrepreneur of a travel company, has been on the OC (organizing committee) for nine years on the trot. "Be it crisis or calculation, Rayomand is always at his best,” stated Azmin Mistry. Khushnuma Daruvalla, Kaizeen Jehangir and Huzan Forbes were lauded for their leadership and commitment. The groups-in-charge — Perseus Daruwala, Kainaz Kasnavia ("mother of two young girls, she juggles between HPY and home”), Farahnaz Bhot, Harvasp Khatow, Zehan Irani, Frahim Adajania, Jennifer Tavadia and Rushaad Dastur – received appreciation for bringing out the best in the children.
The pursuit of passion followed the felicitation! Dudes and dolls displayed their dancing talent on stage with organizers sportingly wiggling to disco deewane, B-Boying by Parsi boys, magic by this year’s HPY participant Zenia Bhumgara, card tricks by Jenai Dalal and belting out of Abba numbers by the band (Dee’s Company) and young crooners Bunshah and Jehani.

HPY round up
"We had several participants from all across India, probably the highest number of outstation kids. They gelled well with the crowd and were very talented. It is sad to learn that many children missed HPY because their parents insisted they travel abroad with them. I would only request parents not to take away this one month from them, for holidays will come and holidays will go, but the opportunity to do HPY will only come once,” Azmin Mistry told Parsiana. Sports is one component we could never do without at HPY, she says. "Overall, about 60 percent of students were involved in playing some sport or the other, some being champions in their respective fields.”
"This was my first year as a group-in-charge. It was a little tough as the participants were just a year younger than me and some of them were my age! These 50 kids were like family to me for 28 days,” avers Tavadia.
"The intense and innate joy HPY gives me and all that comes with it, namely the love and affection of the batch each year… the energy it has, the positive vibes are enough to keep me there (year after year),” asserts Marfatia. Overall, this year the bonding of the HPYites has been exemplary and delightful even inter-group, she tells us. "I didn’t see the greed for winning every competition and the selfishness of cheering only for one’s group, so that was refreshing. No more do the children even of elite schools need coaxing to come to HPY and that has been the case for several years now. HPY is a baby I’ve nurtured like a doting mother and seen it come to this level and how can a mother ever let go of her child! I belong to a family of people who love music and cheer and the good things of life and I’ve grown up on a staple diet of good music and good cheer!”
"The talent contest being the first (of the competitions) was a crucial one. I won the solo singing, which frankly shocked not only my family but also me. It was the first time I sang on a stage!” Bunshah wrote in an email response to Parsiana’s questions. "I enjoyed the WZCC (World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce) workshops on entrepreneurship. We sold the drinks given to us with the help of an ad, banners and a jingle for the product. Rather than the competition being tough (overall), it was very healthy which made it fun. I made friends from places like Ahmedabad, Surat, Navsari, etc.” "I appreciated the balance they kept between the career talks and the various competitions. Who would have thought my shy little girl would turn out to be Ms HPY,” says her mother Pooraan.

 

 

 

 

 

"HPY was a voyage I was initially apprehensive to undertake and even considered turning my back on for the safety of sheltered shores. But once I was comfortable sailing with the winds I can say I returned as an experienced explorer,” comments Niyosha Gandhi. "I think the best part was that every one of us got a chance to participate in activities we had never done before and actually excel in them,” remarks Patrawala. "Also, none of us stuck to our own friends and we made lots of great new friends.”
"The activities from which I benefitted the most were probably the visits to the Braille Press, BSPCA (Bombay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and the old age homes. They taught us to be compassionate and grateful for all that we have. The ones that I enjoyed were the visits to Della Adventure, the NDA (National Defence Academy), Khadakvasla, the debates, dramatics, JAM and fashion show. Participants from different parts of the country were equally, if not more, skilled than a lot of us from here in Bombay. HPY made us all one big family. At the end of it, all of us knew everyone, if not by name then by face,” observes Ayesha Mehta. Adds her mother Shazneen: "All the visits, travelling and workshops have changed her for the better. She comes home every day a little more confident and a little more independent. HPY has helped in making her a stronger person and a better human being.”