A doughty community and environmental activist, Omim Debara who passed away on August 24, 2023 at the age of 77 "did not believe in pointless criticism but undertook concrete action for positive transformation,” stated Mazhar Hussain, peace network executive director of the Confederation of Voluntary Associations (COVA), in a report in The Times of India of August 25. "He was equally comfortable in quelling communal violence in bastis and fighting public interest litigations in courts.” Debara was a former president of COVA.
Among the many hats that Debara wore was the one of trusteeship of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman of Secunderabad and Hyderabad (PZASH), a body he was involved with for 28 years. A sitting managing committee member and a past vice president of The Zoroastrian Club (TZC), he was appointed in 2023 as registrar of marriages under The Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1936. Debara took up various secular causes after retiring as projects and engineering services manager in the Vazir Sultan Tobacco Company VST Industries Limited, which he had joined in 1970. These included the environment, communal harmony, the interfaith issue, heritage and preservation of water bodies.
Omim Debara: "took concrete action for transformation"
Terming him "dear, disciplined friend,” PZASH trustee Jehangir Bisney listed the projects Debara was involved with: looking after the tower of silence at Zamistanpur, the completion of the Zoroastrian directory 2022 and greening of the two towers of silence in the twin cities under the state government’s scheme through the Confederation of Indian Industry efforts (see "PZASH’s greening efforts,” Parsiana, April 7, 2018). His public interest litigations "led to bureaucrats filing immovable property returns annually, and his legal interventions resulted in the cancellation of several land allotments,” stated Bisney (see "Debara’s dedication,” Parsiana, February 7, 2011). Through a stay order from the Supreme Court he was able to prevent the construction of a memorial in Hussain Sagar (lake). "He was a trustee of the Mirasan Medical and Educational Trust and was liberal in giving aid to those he found deserving irrespective of caste or creed.”
Bisney was among those who spoke about Debara’s life and work at a meeting on September 3, organized by PZASH and TZC at the Parsi Dharmsala, commencing with a humbandagi by Ervad Aspi Patel. TZC president Bisney who conducted the meeting, recalled that even on the day before he passed away, Omim enquired about TZC matters. "Such was his dedication to his work and activities,” narrated Bisney, who sent a note on the proceedings to Parsiana.
Roomie Vakil, Roshan Kanga, Shireen and Parvez Baria, Percy Italia and Naushad Vakeel also spoke at the meeting. His services at PZASH and TZC, and help to the community during Covid were commended by all.
Reportedly active in social causes even in his youth, during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965, he did guard duty at the Hussain Sagar power plant. Debara was secretary of the Forum for Better Hyderabad and actively associated with INTACH, Rotary, Hum Sub Hindustani Trust, and the Interfaith Forum, among others.
At The Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI) he and Aspi Debara spoke of the aramgahs in Warangal and Nizamuddin, Gulbarga and Shahbad, most of which have been encroached upon. Omim informed the gathering that no documents were available for any of these places (see "Declining and defunct,” Parsiana, April 21, 2006).
"A person who loved life being narrated as a story,” his son Capt Arshad told Parsiana that Omim related stories from his past fondly. "Through our growing up years dad was busy with his work at VST… Always a loving and doting father, his involvement with our day-to-day academic activities was limited… He always mentioned this as his limitation then…He made up for it post retirement, involving himself with the academic routines of his grandchildren.” Never a sports enthusiast, he would follow the latest games they played to enable him to converse knowledgably with them, Arshad stated.
The biggest void in Omim’s life was when he lost his wife Shernaz, née Khajotia, in May 2017. "He was miserable and it seemed impossible to pull him out of it. Maneck (Arshad’s brother) tried various means, including seeking professional help… Omim slowly got involved in (more) social activity to get back on track.” At 77, until about three days before the end, he lived 25-hour days, stated Arshad.
Omim is survived by sons Capt Arshad and Maneck, and daughter Diana Irani.