Remembering “Beju Da”

The 17th consecutive gahanbar in memory of Beji Bulsara (1950-2002) (pictured), trustee of the Calcutta Zoroastrian Community’s Religious and Charity Fund (CZCRCF) from 1997 till his death, was held at the Olpadvala Memorial Hall in the West Bengal capital. An active member and later managing committee member of the Calcutta Parsee Club (CPC), Bulsara served as its president from 2001 till his death of cardiac arrest. Club member Gulnar Mehta wrote in an email to Parsiana that Bulsara’s friends Numazar Mehta, Rohinton Indorewala and Jimmy Vatcha "have year after year on the same day, April 30, hosted this dinner for the community” since his first death anniversary. To add a more personal touch, this year Chinese food was served, because he loved Chinese cuisine, Gulnar noted!
Numazar is a senior trustee of CZCRCF, the apex body of Calcutta’s Parsis. "In fact, both he and Bulsara had campaigned for trusteeship in the same year, and won the two vacant seats together,” noted Gulnar. As CZCRCF trustee, Bulsara was responsible for landscaping at their tower of silence at Beliaghata, she wrote.
CPC vice president Cyrus Confectioner likened the Club to Bulsara’s second home. "‘Beju Da,’ as he was fondly called by his young friends at the Club, represented and captained the Club in the league matches in Bengal, for cricket, hockey and football. However, cricket was his forte,” he noted.  Bulsara was instrumental in setting up a gymnasium in the Club, "and urged the girls and boys to use this facility, if they were to be competitive in games.” Confectioner added that Bulsara was active in overseeing Calcutta’s preparations for the annual Parsi Pentangular Cricket tournaments (between Jamshedpur, Surat, Secunderabad, Nagpur and Calcutta). 
Starting his career as an intern with the accounting firm of S. R. Batliboi and Company, Gulnar noted that "he followed his passion by getting into the automobile industry.” The service center he started for Maruti Suzuki spares and servicing is now run by his wife Aloo and son Rayzad. Daughter Behnaz Bulsara Dugar serves as entertainment-in-charge at the CPC, while Rayzad "dominate(s) table tennis and lawn tennis in the Club,” noted Confectioner.