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"The Federation is our family, parivar, kutumb…” There may be occasions when something said offends you but do not let it blow out of proportion and upset cordial relations, advised Yazdi Karanjia, trustee of the Surat Parsi Panchayat (SPP). He was presenting the highlights of the activities undertaken by community organizations in Surat at the annual general meeting of The Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI) at the Banaji Atash Behram hall on January 22, 2023.
When the other representatives reported on the activities in their respective anjumans, it was clear that while a few were well placed financially, some needed monetary and/or legal and administrative assistance to look after their assets. Inability to find replacements for their aging priests was repeatedly expressed too.

 

 

 

 

 "Sometimes we may need to lose in our fight with others as insaniyat (humanity) is more important,” Karanjia impressed upon the anjuman representatives: "Jalna, jalana chhodo aur Federation ka naam badhate raho (instead of being jealous and inciting each other, improve the Federation’s reputation)…  God looks at intention and not presentation. It is not important to go to heaven but to create a heaven with one’s good thoughts, words and deeds.”
On their R. D. Tarachand Hospital and Goolbai Mehta Maternity Hospital, the SPP expended Rs 83 lakh (USD 100,493) in the last three years. To offer special services during the Covid period, Rs 33 lakh (USD 39,955) was spent, reimbursement for which has already been received from senior advocate Burjor Antia and the J. J. Charities.
He referred to the SPP trustees under the leadership of Dr Homi Doodhwala going to the High Court and then to the Supreme Court to win a favorable judgment that now permits Parsis who have succumbed to Covid to be consigned to a dakhma. Senior advocate Fali Nariman, assisted by Zerick Dastur fought the case pro bono in the apex court.
There are 40 girls and 15 boys accommodated in the SPP managed orphanages on whom the Panchayat spent Rs 63 lakh (USD 76,278) in the last three years. A further Rs 53 lakh (USD 64,170) was expended as scholarships in the last three years to students in their English medium J. J. School and Patel School.
To address the issue of shortage of housing, "herculean efforts” were put in to build 184 flats in seven buildings that were assigned to newly married couples. Towards poverty relief on Bahram roz, Rs 81 lakh (USD 98,071) was spent in the last three years with an additional Rs 34 lakh (USD 41,166) being used to distribute food grains on New Year.
Among the other Zoroastrian associations in Surat, the Parsi Pragati Mandal completed its platinum jubilee, the Zoroastrian Women’s Assembly of Surat has been active for 37 years, the Yazdi Karanjia Drama Group has been performing for charity, and the Zoroastrian Youth Club organizes activities for youngsters.
Karanjia ended with the words of Indispensable Man by American writer and poet Saxon Kessinger: "Sometime when you’re feeling important/ Sometime when your ego’s in bloom/Sometime when you take it for granted/ You’re the best qualified in the room/… You can splash all you wish when you enter/ You may stir up water galore/ But stop and you’ll find that in no time/ It looks quite the same as before.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Praising Karanjia for attending FPZAI meetings even at the age of 85 and continuing to entertain, Kersi Deboo, vice president of the National Commission for Minorities recalled the thespian telling him, "I get the scripts for my comedies and tragedies by attending Parsi meetings!”

 

Comfortably placed
The Bilimora Anjuman has 125-150 members. "Until 1992 we had a corpus of Rs 50 lakh (USD 60,481). Our current corpus is seven crore rupees (USD 847,533) with an annual income of Rs 50-60 lakh (USD 60,481- 72,646) ,” reported Marazban Baria managing trustee of the Bilimora Parsi Anjuman Trust Funds. With one of their trustees, Dhanjishaw Avari, having  donated one crore rupees (USD 120,963), they were able to buy the old building next to the agiary that was once occupied by Parsis for Rs 58 lakh (USD 70,159). The anjuman will develop this property such that there is a community hall on the ground level with airconditioned rooms on the floor above for visitors. Once this facility is functional, they hope their annual income will rise to Rs 1.5 crore (USD 181,445).
They have two full-time mobeds with the main priest drawing a salary of Rs 36,500 (USD 441) plus perks and the assistant priest, Rs 25,000 (USD 302). Baria appreciated the services rendered by Ervad Vistasp Katrak of neighboring Chikhli who came to offer honorary services during one muktad when their erstwhile local priest left them in a lurch at the last moment.
The Iranian Zoroastrian Anjuman which is in its 94th year of existence has been regularly giving doles for education, medical and poverty relief. In the last three years they spent nearly Rs 86 lakh (USD 104,602), reported president Khodadad Irani. Iran is facing a serious problem with priests which requires them to adopt the services of mobedyars (paramobeds), he stated.                                                                                                                  
The market value of the community properties in Jabalpur where reside 15 Parsis is valued at around Rs 80 crore (USD 9,677,100), reported Anjuman member Bakhtawar Karbhari. The hospital on their property fetches handsome returns which are distributed to local Zoroastrian residents twice a year, plus sums are given to young students. Their aramgah admeasures 2.5 acres and their dharamshala is well protected by a boundary wall. Their president Dorab Bajan expired last November.
There are 50 adult members of the community in Belgaum. In their midst is a "well appointed dharamshala, beautiful agiary and a well maintained aramgah,” stated Cmde Medioma Bhada (retd), a member of the Belgaum Parsi Anjuman. Years ago when their aramgah needed major repairs, it was undertaken by the collector from government funds.
The Vadodara Anjuman has separate funds to look after the medical, educational, scholarship needs, plus its properties like the adarian, dakhma, dharamshala and charity block. The community in Vadodara numbers around 1,000 from 280-300 families, stated Ruhshad Cama, trustee of the Parsi Panchayat Charitable Fund Vadodara.
The Valsad anjuman has 445 Parsis with two agiaries, the Tower of Silence and 65 residential blocks, stated president Sam Chothia. They recently bought another property for residential purposes. On an average they annually expend Rs 25-30 lakh (USD 30,269- 36,323) for medical and educational purposes.
Persi Buhariwala of Vyara-Songadh informed the delegates that "the government gave us funds for our well, power blocks, electricity.” Sarosh Buhariwala specified that there are 60 Parsis residing there and the count would double to 120 if those in the neighboring villages are included. They have an agiary and a fully functional dakhma. They built a community hall that is rented out. This has made them "self-reliant.” The F. R. P. Sethna Trust gave a generous donation that has helped them plant 2,000 bawal trees, known to take 10-12 years to grow.
 "We have no complaints. There are about 70 Parsis in Bardoli,” reported Dinshaw Mehta. "Navsari has no serious problem,” stated Neville Deboo. There are around 40 Parsis in Pardi where stands an agiary and a dakhma. "We have no complaints,” said Aspi Pardiwalla.
"There are no problems because there are no Parsis in Tavdi,” said Rumy Zarir. The last of the Parsis have migrated to Navsari. "Who then are you representing?” enquired Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustee Adil Malia making Zarir give a prompt repartee, "I am here for the community.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In need of funds and guidance
There are 18-20 Parsis residing in Chikhli and another 20 or so in the neighboring talukas, said ErvadVistasp Katrak representing his father Minoo who is the joint managing trustee of the anjuman. They maintain their Guzder Agiary and a dakhma, and need funds to build a boundary wall. Katrak mentioned that he supplies complimentary kathi to small anjumans.
"Davier is a beautiful coastal village. We are hoping people will come to our dharamshala for that will bring us revenue,” said Davier anjuman trustee Pareecheher Daviervala. In contrast the dharamshala near the Sanjan Stambh (not to be confused with the WZO Sanatorium) that stands on about three acres of land "is in a very bad condition. The boundary wall has collapsed. There is fear of encroachment.” The BPP should look into this, she stated. "Don’t only look to the BPP for funds,” remarked BPP trustee Xerxes Dastur making Daviervala remind him this property is owned by the BPP! On the collector’s website, this property is listed first, known for its heritage value, she continued.
There are 30 to 40 Parsi homes in Saronda. "We are a small anjuman,” said president Aspi Pastakia who viewed himself as "a regular, going there monthly for three to four days.” Their corpus now stands at Rs 1.25 crore (USD 151,204) of which Rs 60-65 lakh (USD 72,646- 78,699) are locked with the BPP. Their funds were recently augmented by a generous donation from the Malia family. "Succeeding generations have no value for these properties. They should show an interest in looking after ancestral homes...” The local mamlatdar (custodian of land records) considers the Parsi population too inconsequential for they do not constitute a vote bank.
"Our biggest problem is the money locked up with the BPP; money that was given in a fiduciary capacity,” complained Tehmton Sidhwa, committee member (trustee) of the Udvada Samast Anjuman. "When we needed money for our Doongerwadi wall it was not forthcoming.” While there are nearly 600 anjuman members, the strength of the local community is around 50.
For the 15 to 20 Parsis remaining in Ilav, there is an agiary that needs renovation plus there is dakhma property that needs to be safeguarded from further encroachment, said Pervin Jehangir, trustee of The Ilav Zoroastrian Inhabitant Dharam Fund. Legal help would be appreciated to prevent encroachment.
Nargol anjuman needs help with paper work, stated Khushroo Deboo. Additionally the health of their 87-year-old mobed is failing. They have been functioning with a limited corpus and are gradually improving the situation by seeking donations.
The rooftop of the Rajkot agiary was repaired in 2020. Jal Sethna donated Rs 9,00,000 (USD 10,886) and Bomi Mistry and his team helped out, mentioned Khushman Tamboli. The dakhma in Rajkot is not functional. Bodies are buried on an adjoining piece of land. "There are around 15 to 19 residents plus people in transit… Dinshaw Tamboly of the World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust Funds has helped us out a lot,” added Khushman Tamboli.
The dakhma property in Sholapur has been turned into an aramgah, reported Farhiz Darukhanawala, joint honorary secretary of the Solapur Parsi Anjuman. With their wall broken down by encroachers, they need funds to rebuild it. Serving their agiary is an aged mobed. With their community hall leased out, their monthly expenses are taken care of but not their major expenses. There are around 50 Parsis staying there.
As part of their aramgah restoration in Panchgani, they had a horticulturist advising them on planting of trees on the property that lies below the tableland, stated Panchgani anjuman trustee Gita Choksi. They need to plant 40 trees and have approached two large organizations and individuals for funding, the cost being Rs 7,500 per tree. This year they incurred a loss of Rs 1,80,000 (USD 2,177). When a portion of the aramgah wall collapsed, to repair the graves it cost the anjuman six lakh rupees (USD 7,257).
Ratlam which once had a population of nearly 70, is now down to 15 and they have a corpus of Rs 1.5 lakh (USD 1,814), mentioned Tehmton Anklesaria. They had to protect their aramgah with steel fencing.
There are between 15-19 Parsis in Bhusaval, stated Adil Kavina. There are only two families residing there. Before the priest expired, he had trained his son-in-law who in turn trained an unemployed Parsi boy to perform kriyas.
Khergam has a small dadgah that is looked after by a priest supported by the Khergamwalla family, mentioned Pervez Khergamwalla.