Further to Burjor Antia’s response to Rayoman Ilavia’s critical references to the Surat Parsi Panchayat (SPP) and Properties Fund in his letter ("Out with draconian laws,” Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, January 21-February 6, 2022), we would like to bring the true facts to the notice of the community.
For this, it is imperative to turn back the pages of history. A devastating fire ravaged Surat in 1837, making the lives of its citizens miserable. The benevolent Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy (Sir J. J.), First Baronet, raised funds from the "Mahajans” of Bombay to alleviate the distress of the citizens of Surat. After their rehabilitation was accomplished, Rs 90,000 remained, which was pro rata divided between the Parsis and Hindus, according to their contribution. A sum of Rs 50,000 was thus set aside for the welfare of Parsis, under the constitution of Parsi Surat Charity Funds (PSCF), 1841, headed by the First Baronet and assisted by six trustees residing in Bombay while having links with Surat. These trustees appointed nine local individuals of repute to carry on the welfare work for the people of Surat, using the interest from the sum left over with the PSCF, leading to the establishment of the SPP.
In addition to the financial aid given under various schemes as mentioned in Antia’s reply, the SPP also spends around Rs 48 lakhs annually to provide monthly financial help on roz Behram to 161 needy families in and around Surat and 187 families of Navsari, Valsad and Bombay; the villages of Mandvi, Vyara, Dang, Mahuva, and other towns/cities of the country. The SPP also distributes food grains worth approximately eight lakh rupees each year at the time of Parsi New Year to 325 families in and around Surat and 252 families of Vansda, Dang, Mandvi, Vyara, Mahuva, etc.
Surat Parsi Panchayat building
The SPP provides education without charging any fees to Parsi students studying in five schools managed by us. A total of 109 students avail of free education: 60 Parsi students, the children of staff members as also some under the Right to Education, which costs the SPP approximately Rs 10 to 11 lakhs annually.
The Panchayat-run Nariman Home and Infirmary has at present 30 aged inmates who are provided free lodging and boarding, including all meals. They also receive free medical treatment, including hospitalization. On religious occasions they are taken to the atash behrams and agiaries in Navsari and Udvada. They have use of a physiotherapy center with a full-time physiotherapist. All these services are free. Approximately Rs 85 to 90 lakhs are thus spent per year.
In your piece about retired Supreme Court Justice Rohinton Nariman, he urged that the sedition law, passed by the then British Government to suppress the freedom movement by the Indians, be abolished. This is a sensitive topic and Ilavia is wrongly comparing the appointment scheme of SPP trustees by the PSCF in Bombay with the laws of sedition. The trust deed of January 1, 1841 of the PSCF regarding appointment and removal of trustees of the SPP has nothing to do with sedition and hence any such comparison is unwarranted.
As noted by Antia, the SPP trustees are appointed by the PSCF as per recommendations made by the Surat trustees in accordance with the trust deed. The PSCF has the authority to appoint/dismiss any SPP trustee only after recommendation by the sitting SPP trustees in Surat. It has neither interfered in any administrative functions of the SPP nor has it ever taken income from the SPP to Bombay, as wrongly and repeatedly alleged by Ilavia.
Ilavia, a beneficiary residing in a charitable block of SPP, is twisting facts and spewing venom against the trustees of both SPP and PSCF. On his WhatsApp group he rants that Sir J. J. and his colleagues at PSCF are no longer welcome in Surat and threatens that if they go there they will be manhandled or roughed up. Despite these hollow threats, Sir J. J. and his colleagues have visited Surat many times and are welcomed by the Parsi community.
Unfortunately, there are certain persons in the community who are obstructionists trying to prevent any good work being done by individuals or trusts. The people in general have now understood their game.
The SPP has always upheld religious principles and traditions. A recent example is the matter where dakhmenashini was denied to unfortunate Parsi victims of Covid due to the Goverment of India’s guidelines. The SPP had the courage to fight the case first in the Gujarat High Court and thereafter in the Supreme Court, ultimately succeeding in the matter. It is a matter of regret that no other trust joined SPP in this litigation. Had the SPP adopted adult franchise for the election of trustees, we may not have been able to move the Court.
JAMSHED P. DOTIVALA, Dr HOMI D.
DOODHWALA, YAZDI N. KARANJIA,
MALCOM T. PANDOL, KESHMIRA M. DORDI, Dr RUSTOM D. MORENA
Board of Trustees, Surat Parsi Panchayat
sppanchayat@gmail.com