Current Issue

Click here to see current issue
June21-July 6, 2025

 
 

Prize medals: patronage and philanthropy

Medals not only acknowledge excellence but they also offer an insight into the community’s history and priorities
Shailen Bhandare

The prize medals instituted by the Parsi community of Bombay present us with an interesting insight into making of the identity of a colonial elite group in a fast-changing urban space. As such they are firmly contextualized in the urban history of a colonial metropolis, reflecting the reformulation and revivalist movements in the community, and also the community’s engagement with the greater good — both within the community and outside. They are testimonies to the drive for wider social engagement, patronage and philanthropy which Parsis took very seriously while remaining true to the chief tenets of the Zoroastrian religion: Good......



To read the entire article, you must be a Parsiana subscriber.

Already Subscribed? Sign in

Subscribe now to get Full Access

SUBSCRIBE


Post Comment

View Comment (2)

Many many happy returns of the day - Happy birthday to Respected Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy (8th Baronet) Mumbai.
Dear Sir,

      Yesterday I came to know from worldwide websites that today 16th November is the auspicious day of your birth. So I wish you many many happy returns of the day for good health, happiness and prosperity.
      On this auspicious day of Hindu New Year and your birthday I would like to recall you thousands of humanitarian works which Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy (1st Baronet) had done in India and for which he was honored by the British Government as the very 1st Baronet in India in 1858.
    More than 160 years have been passed of that event but I regret that descendents of Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy (1st Baronet) could not maintain his philanthropic legacy well. As I had wrote you earlier that as the honorable Chairman of the Parsee Surat Charity Funds, Mumbai (1841) you are appointing the Trustees in Surat's Parsi Panchayat and Properties Funds and collecting its income for giving it back for philanthropic activities at Surat. I had also mentioned some legal aspects of this Trust Deed in my letter sent to you aling with present poor conditions of the philanthropic Institutions managed under SPP board appointed by PSCF. But I am very disappointed that you or any of the Cotrustees of the PSCF or SPP has replied me of my letter with necessary clarification or assurance. 
    Anyway whatever the reasons for not replying of my letter it may be, I once again wish you lots of happy returns of the day on your birthday today and humbly request you to kindly respect the principles and ethics of Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy (1st Baronet) and announce today that Sheth Rustomji Dhanjibhai Tarachand Surat Parsi General Hospital (established in 1920) would receive generous amount of donations from you for the Revival, upgradation and reconstruction of Hospital buildings and assurance from you that this Hospital may achieve its glory of 100 years once again very soon.
   Regards
Yours sincerely,
Rayoman S. Ilavia
Surat

Reply from Sir J.J.
Thank you for your good wishes and Birthday greetings.
JJ
- Rayoman Sorabji Ilavia
- 16-Nov-2020

An open letter to Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy (8th Baronet) Honorable Chairman, Parsee Surat Charity Funds, Mumbai (1841)

**************************
   In reply to the statement from Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy (8th Baronet) Honorable Chairman of Parsee Surat Charity Funds, Mumbai who with his Cotrustees claim to have powers to appoint Trustees in Surat's Parsi Panchayat and other Trusts Funds associated with it that " He has no locus standi, unless there is serious reason for concern, to interfere in the day to day working of the Surat Parsi Punchayet (SPP) and/or the Surat Parsi General Hospital" I would like to ask Honorable Chairman Sir that isn't it a serious reason for concern for you that a poor Parsi communlty members die without proper treatment and basic medical treatment facilities at the Surat's Parsi General Hospital which is claimed to be governed by all of you by appointing lifetime Trustees at Surat's Parsi Panchayat ?

       There was a historical judgement (issued in year 1908) from Honorable Bombay High Court in a case filed by the than Sir Dinshaw M. Petit and others versus the than Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy and others. Honorable Bombay High Court had issued its lengthy Order to dismiss the Trust Deed of 1884 which was claimed by respondents to have powers to govern the Bombay Parsi Panchayat and all the Trust Funds associated with it and to appoint Trustees in BPP.

     At Surat there is a same scenario on the strength of  deduced Trust Deed of the Parsee Surat Charity Funds which was registered at Bombay State / province on 1-1-1841. This Trust Deed was registered to manage the balance amount remained with Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy and Sons Company after distributing relief materials to the fire affected families at Surat in 1837. The balance amount was distributed in two parts (1) Hindu Surat Charity Funds (2) Parsee Surat Charity Funds.

       Hindu Surat Charity Funds registered at the same date with the same objects at Bombay State is now one of the oldest Trust Funds registered at Surat (Gujarat) under new name of "Surat Charity Funds" and it is independently managed by the Surat's citizens without any interference from Mumbai citizens / previous Trustees.

     Parsee Surat Charity Funds was again registered at Mumbai under the Public Trusts Act in the year of 1990 and it is still managed by Mumbai Parsis. We Surat Parsis have no concern or objection overhh it.

      But the Trust Deed of PSCF (Mumbai)  Dt.1-1-1841 has no concern with Surat's Parsi Panchayat and other Trusts Funds associated with it. The clauses mentioned in its deduced Trust Deed (1) to appoint Trustees in SPP (2) to collect income from Surat Parsi Panchayat Trust Funds were absolutely "FOR TIME BEING" and it has been written in one of the judgement issued by Gujarat High Court in 2018. 

     Hence we Surat's Parsis declare that the Trustees of Parsee Surat Charity Funds, Mumbai have no any concern to govern Surat Parsi Panchayat and all the other Trusts Funds associated with it or to appoint any person of your choice as new Trustee in SPP.  They have no right to collect the income from Surat's Parsi Trust Funds.

        The land adjoining to the Sir J.J. Agiyari at Rustompura, Surat was sold out by the Sir J.J. Charity Funds, Mumbai in 2018 and an amount of sell Deed Rs.38.5 crores were carried at Mumbai. Not a single Rupee was utilized for the philanthropic activities for Surat's Parsis from this sell deed amount.
So if Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy and his Cotrustees still believe that they have powers to govern SPP and other Trust Funds associated with it, I request them to kindly allot an amount of Rs.25 crores from this sell deed amount to Surat's Parsi Panchayat and Properties Funds to build New Surat Parsi General Hospital as per project report prepared by them and estimated to Rs.50 crores. Surat's Parsi community would manage for remaining amount required to upgrade the New Surat Parsi General Hospital.

     
- Rayoman Sorabji Ilavia
- 07-Nov-2020