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A decorative yellow ribbon tied to the three cricket stumps was snipped by Dr Homi Doodhwala. Bat in hand, the 70-year-old president of the Surat Parsi Panchayat (SPP) as also Surat’s Zoroastrian Club then proceeded to stand at the crease while his 86-year-old co-trustee Yazdi Karanjia bowled him a delivery. The presence of the two community stalwarts was heartening for the sports enthusiasts from the city as also from Nagpur, Jamshedpur, Calcutta and Secunderabad who had come to participate in the 35th Jiji Irani Challenge Cricket Cup Tournament in mid November 2023.

The prior month, when Parsiana went to Surat to cover the bicentenary of the Seth Pestonji Kalabhai Vakil Kadim Atash Behram, Doodhwala, Karanjia and their co-trustee Kashmira Dordi briefly met us at the SPP boardroom on October 17.  Apprising us of their recently launched programs, the challenges of running their educational and medical facilities in Shahpore, and surmounting the problems of encroachment on their properties, they enthusiastically spoke about their free community luncheon initiative started two days prior. 

 

A simple meal like masala dal and rice or curry rice with kachumber is offered to any Parsi, whether residing in Surat or visiting Surat on work or a pilgrimage trip, at the dining hall of their Parsi Orphanage. "The meal service is available between 10.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Our only request is please call us a day in advance,” said Doodhwala. With 35 Parsis on an average availing of this free luncheon in the first two days, the daily average now is closer to 100, revealed Doodhwala.

If this scheme is successful, they may extend the meal facility by sending food to the "medically certified bedridden” Parsi residents of  

Surat. This is subject to availability of donations, clarified the president. Their experience during the pandemic was a trifle disappointing. To assist senior community members who were struggling when confined to their homes during the Covid days, the Panchayat had arranged to send them free meals. "We were planning to continue this service even after the lockdown was lifted but on hearing some seniors comment that the SPP tiffin service mainly helps to feed the domestic help at their residence,” the trustees decided against it. According to their 2019 directory, seniors in Surat constituted nearly 31% of the total number of Parsis who numbered 3,510.

Yet another initiative introduced in the last quarter of 2023 was the weekly Dharmagyan class attended on an average by 40 children. Held at the Kadim Atash Behram Hall, their boiwala Ervad Yazad Engineer takes up for discussion topics like the importance of kusti prayers and the farajyat prayers (obligatory general prayers before progressing to the specific ones). "To offer some incentive, at the end of the class all children are provided some snacks by the SPP,” mentioned the president.

Among the different institutions run by the SPP the maximum sum, Rs 53.70 lakh, was expended by their Seth R. D. Tarachand Surat Parsi General Hospital Trust in the six months ending September 2023. The Trust offers free and concessional services to members of the community. Those requiring specialized medical treatment not available at the Parsi General Hospital are assured financial help for medicines and surgery as also free meals. 

During the pandemic, a special ward for Covid patients had been created at the Parsi General Hospital for those who needed to be in isolation. This Covid Wing continues at the Hospital for "the World Health Organization has yet not officially declared that the disease has ended,” stated Doodhwala. Currently functioning with a team of four-five physicians, a medical officer and nursing staff, the trustees have been endeavoring to upgrade the imposing complex in Shahpore which accommodates the Parsi General Hospital as also the Bai Goolbai Nusserwanji Mehta Maternity Hospital. Last year they were able to establish a modern pathological laboratory and sonography unit with donations received. Further improvements will depend on funds received. However the usage of the Hospital has been impacted as "the number of Parsis in Shahpore continues to shrink with many choosing to leave the neighborhood.” Another factor is the outmigration of Parsis from the suburbs of Vesu and Adajan. Earlier they would gladly avail of the Hospital facilities. There was a time when the SPP trustees were deliberating on putting the Hospital to cosmopolitan use but finally decided against that. 

The health of the community continues to get its fair share of attention from the trustees led by Doodhwala who was the medical superintendent and director for medical education and research, and professor of surgery at the Surat Municipal Institute of Medical Education and Research. While the first half of each day is devoted to medical service, from afternoon to night he is at the Panchayat office. "I only see him home around 10 p.m.” revealed his wife Dr Persis, a gynecologist.

Towards preventive and diagnostic services, the Panchayat expended Rs 10.42 lakh. Two doses of vaccines were administered free of cost to prevent cervical cancer among 184 youngsters in the 10-26 age group as also 254 women in the 27 to 45 group. The Panchayat also organized a bone mineral density test in which 157 participated to ascertain their vulnerability to osteoporosis a bone weakening condtion that can lead to bone fractures. Further, 95 individuals participated in the blood camp and nine opted for the PAP smear test to detect cervical cancer. 

  Clockwise from top l: Seth R. D. Tarachand Parsi General Hospital; 

  Bai Goolbai Mehta Maternity Hospital; Boys’ Orphanage; Nariman Home and Infirmary

 A couple of minutes’ walk from the Hospital is the Nariman Home and Infirmary that currently houses 23 senior citizens. The elderly Parsis are provided boarding, lodging, clothes, toiletries, medicines, hospitalization (if required) free of cost. Voluntary contributions given by a few are meager in comparison to what is spent on them. In the six months ending September 2023, the Panchayat expended Rs 38.13 lakh on this institution. Once or twice a year the inmates are taken on a pilgrimage to Udvada, stated Dordi. On their passing away, the four days’ obsequies are organized for them.

To run the Nariman Parsi Zoroastrian Girls Orphanage where 30 girls are housed, the Panchayat spent Rs 26.84 lakh for the six months ending September 2023. An additional Rs 19.49 lakh expenditure was incurred on the Parsi Orphanage for boys where 14 boys are provided boarding facilities. Although termed orphanages, admission is not restricted to children who have lost their parents but to those whose parents/guardians need help to cater to their needs. Besides providing for their clothes, educational fees in schools managed by the Panchayat, books, tuitions, extracurricular activities, medical aid, they are given new clothes three times a year. On their navjote, clothes and jewelry are gifted to the child. The restriction on mobile usage for the girls though is not viewed favorably by the young inmates, the trustees have realized. To make the girls more versatile, they are taught to prepare Parsi favorites like sweet puri, malido, vasana that is then shared with the inmates of the orphanages as also the hospital and infirmary. Training in kusti weaving will soon be imparted too.

The Panchayat spends Rs 300 per day on meals (including non-vegetarian dishes eight to 10 times a week) provided to the inmates of the institutions run by them. "The food menu is changed every six months,” mentioned Dordi. In addition, the SPP extends Rs 12.43 lakh every quarter to 367 needy senior citizens and widows who are given cash doles in different denominations. At the time of the Shahenshahi New Year, 506 packets of foodgrains and essentials are distributed to the needy members of the community in and around Surat in the villages of Mandvi, Mangrol, Vansda, Mahuva, Vyara, etc for which the Panchayat spent over eight lakh rupees last August. As an incentive for Parsi couples to raise more children, the SPP has recently decided to pay Rs 5,000 per month for the third and subsequent child till he/she attains the age of 25 years (see "Surat’s incentives,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, June 21-July 6, 2023). "So far we have received 25 applications. The 17 who have been shortlisted will soon start receiving their grants once they provide the bank details,” we were informed.

Barely one percent Parsi students are left at community founded schools in the vicinity as compared to 99% Muslims, said Doodhwala. The Parsi teaching staff at the Schools though must be between 30-40%. The Cambay Institute of Commerce that was thriving before the pandemic with nearly 700-800 students is now left with around 200-250 students. Of these, Parsis number barely 35, reported Karanjia who is the principal there.

For social events like gahanbars, navjotes, weddings, the Enti ni Dharamshala that was once a popular venue was taken up for reconstruction. While they have completed construction of the basement for parking, the ground floor banquet hall, kitchen, godown and open function area, as also the first floor guest rooms and dormitories, further redevelopment has been stopped until they are able to raise more funds.

Their board of nominated trustees, ratified by the Parsi Surat Charity Funds, additionally includes Malcom Pandol, Rustom Morena, Farzin Parabia and Persi Engineer. Since 2022 they have earned considerable goodwill for their persistence and determination to ensure that Parsis in Surat who succumb to Covid could be consigned to the dakhmas, cremation being anathema to orthodox members of the community. Under Doodhwala’s leadership and the support of senior counsel Fali Nariman, the matter had been pursued up to the Supreme Court. On their large Doongerwadi property they have three functional dakhmas, one of which is reserved for Covid corpses. Efforts are currently directed to create an over 3,000 meter boundary wall to ward off illegal encroachers. 

For the Panchayat that owns vast lands, maintenance of property and fending off encroachers is the most cumbersome responsibility. "There are 160 legal cases pending in different courts” against both Parsis and non-Parsis, reported the president. He mentioned how one Parsi changed his middle name from Cawasji to Kavabhai to try and prove that he came from an agriculturist family and had rights on the land under the land to the tiller rule. Knowing that legal procedures can drag on for years, the Panchayat is agreeable to negotiating for an amicable settlement.

With their multifarious responsibilities, the trustees’ platter is always full of kaam (work). "Gaar khavanu kaam (work that is rewarded with brickbats)! Jas par joothiya (no acknowledgement for the efforts),” specified Karanjia. He mentioned that he tried submitting his resignation as a trustee. Doodhwala though told him to "faari né feki déo  (tear and throw it away).” Grateful for the unity among the trustees and the community in Surat, Karanjia advised, "man bhéd hoi pan mutt bhéd na hovu joiyé  (there could be differences of opinion but there should be no dissonance)!”