Thirty academic awards and four special awards for professional excellence were distributed at the annual awards function of the Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat (APP) held after a break of two years, informed trustee Shirin Kanga in an email to Parsiana. Dramatist Yazdi Karanjia, a Padma Shri awardee, was felicitated by APP president Brig Jahangir Anklesaria (retd) at the February 27, 2022 function held on the Trust’s Sanatorium grounds. The thespian then presented the awards.
Yazdi Karanjia (l) felicitated by Brig Jahangir Anklesaria (retd)
Among those recognized were Mehernosh Dastoor who retired as director of Gujarat State Fire Brigade Service after a 37-year career (he is reportedly credited with developing a fire-fighting robot), cyber forensic businesswoman Kaivashin Sethna, business leader Khushnum Avari and photographer Sam Panthaky. Appreciation awards for community service were given to APP honorary secretary Firoz Daver who has served the Panchayat for the past 40 years, elderly Pervez Wadia for "privately helping the old and needy Zoroastrians in spite of his own advancing age,” and Hutoxi Daruwalla, Nargish Dhalu and Homai Gabla for voluntarily helping families of the bereaved with last rites at their Doongerwadi.
Dinner was sponsored from a donation by Dr Armaity Davar in memory of her parents Soonamai and Phiroze. A jashan in memory of the senior Davars had preceded the awards ceremony, noted Kanga. F. J.