President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he’s nominating conservative lawyer Neomi Rao to replace Brett Kavanaugh on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

The president made the announcement, which came as a surprise, during a Diwali lighting ceremony at the White House, CNN reported. “She’s going to be fantastic—great person,” Trump said at the event.

Rao presently serves under the Trump administration as the administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, which is part of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget. In her position, Rao has been described as an “ally” to the administration in its work to strip federal government regulations, according to Politico.

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POTENTIAL LOSS OF U.S.$ 22.5 MILLION BY THE PARSEE COMMUNITY –

The B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital (PGH) has been providing yeoman service to the community for the past 105 Years in the area of charity healthcare.  For the past few years, PGH has been facing many challenges largely due to the following reasons:-

1. Steady decline of the Parsi population.

2. Many young and middle aged Parsis settling either in the far-off suburbs or migrating to foreign countries.  With an aging population and lack of variety of disciplines, it is difficult to get Resident Doctors.

3. Poor infrastructure of the city necessitating people to seek medical attention nearer home rather than traveling long distances.

4. With Mediclaim and smaller Nursing Homes mushrooming in the suburbs, local hospitalization is preferred.

5. Due to very low volumes, the provision of holistic medical services such as CT Scan,  MRI, Path Lab etc. is not economically viable.

6. Approximately 60% of the occupied bed days are utilized either for free or subsidized patients, thus affecting the PGH’s  revenue stream, resulting in a recurring annual operating deficit of nearly ₹ 8 crore, for the past many years.

PGH therefore finds it extremely difficult to continue providing even the current level of healthcare services especially to the poor and indigent members of the community.

At a time like this, to ensure PGH continues to serve the community for at least the next 50 years, the benevolent couple, Pervin and Jal Shroff of Hongkong, magnanimously came forward to support PGH by pledging US $ 22.5 Million for establishing a state-of-the-art New Hospital on following conditions:-

1.The New Hospital be called Shroff Medical Centre of the B D Petit Parsee General Hospital.  It should be for a secular use, with special emphasis on cancer treatment.

2.The pledged amount be used only for erecting the New Hospital Building, to be owned by PGH, so that the financial benefit flows to PGH, which in turn would help the poor and needy of the community on a long term sustainable basis.

3.The New Hospital to be a multi-specialty Hospital to be operated by a professional organization having the latest state-of-the-art facilities.  Such professional operator to have a pan-India presence and operating revenues of not less than ₹ 1000-crore with at least 1000 beds under its management in Tier I & II cities and no other operating Hospital in Greater Mumbai area.

4.The operator to pay an annuity as also a certain percentage of gross billable revenue to PGH.  

5.The Architects, Contractors, Operators etc., to be appointed by PGH only after obtaining  approval from the Donors.

In substance, the Donors are gifting to the Hospital a new building to be used only for the specified purposes.

In accordance with these conditions, the Architects, Contractors, Operators etc. were finalized after taking into account their technical and financial qualifications and competency by PGH jointly with the Donors. Accordingly, M/s. Somaya & Kalappa were appointed as Architects.  Tenders were thereafter floated by the Architects and M/s. Premier Construction Co., were appointed as Contractors, after following the due process, for execution of the Project. Likewise, Municipal Architects, M/s. Sunil Ambre & Associates and other Consultants too were engaged.

Since the Donors were very particular about appointing a reputed party to equip, operate and manage the New Hospital, several Hospital Groups were invited and interviewed.  The selection of Medanta was made after various lengthy detailed discussions in Mumbai between representatives of PGH, Donors and Medanta.  The final selection was made only after the Donors personally visited Medanta’s facilities in Gurugram and satisfied themselves about their medical expertise, caliber and professionalism.

In October 2017, PGH was proud to announce its association with Global Health Private Limited (a Company belonging to Medanta Group) to operate, equip and manage the New Hospital to be constructed by PGH on  an earmarked area of the PGH property at Bomanjee Petit Road, Cumballa Hill, Mumbai, which is less than 6% of total land area of PGH, from the munificent pledge of $ 22.5 million from Jal and Pervin Shroff.

BROAD TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT AND BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY

PGH was earlier restricted by confidentiality provisions in the Agreement.  However, it appears from an Article in Times of India, that the Agreement was somehow already in public domain.  In any event, PGH has now obtained the consent of Dr.Trehan to put the broad terms of the Agreement before the public as under:-

BENEFITS:-

(a) The New Hospital Building of a value of approximately ₹ 150 crore will be erected and owned by PGH. This will be an accretion to the Community assets.

(b) The state-of-the-art multi-specialty New Hospital will be a seven-storey building having an area of 225,000 Sq. Ft. for secular use to be constructed and owned by PGH, but equipped, managed and operated by Medanta.

(c) No part of the land on which the New Hospital is to be erected will be alienated but will continue as a community asset. Medanta will only have operating, equipping and management rights for the New Hospital. Medanta shall have no rights to the New Hospital Building, nor the land.

(d) Medanta, at its own substantial cost, will equip, operate and manage the New Hospital with state-of-the-art healthcare facilities, equipment and services.  Diagnostic facilities like MRI etc. will thus be available on the PGH campus itself.

(e) Medanta will initially place an interest free cash deposit of Rs.4 crore from the date of Commencement  Certificate until the date on which Medanta commences operations of the New Hospital. Simultaneously, a Bank Guarantee of Rs.2 crore to be given by Medanta which will continue till Medanta commences operations.

(f) Medanta will pay a yearly annuity of Rs.12 crore for the first 30 years and if the period is extended, then will pay an yearly annuity of Rs.18 crore for the next 15 years.

(g) Over and above the annuity, Medanta will pay a sum equivalent to 1% in the first three years, going upto 5% on and from the 8th year of the gross billable revenue without any deduction on any account. This concept to take care of inflation over the period of the Agreement because if the revenue increases, the percentage receipts also increase.

(h) PGH will not be involved or be responsible for any operational and management matters in the New Hospital and Medanta alone will be responsible and liable for day-to-day operations and management and quality of care provided at the New Hospital.

(i) Medanta to give preference to poor, indigent and weaker section of patients referred to Medanta by PGH.

(j) Medanta will charge such concessional rates as may be mutually agreed by the parties, for specialized treatment to be rendered in the New Hospital which are otherwise not available at PGH.  Patients can have access to super-specialty facilities at the New Hospital and move back to PGH for post-operative stay, thus increasing the occupancy of PGH.

(k) Medanta will assist the PGH, free of cost, in training the nursing staff and medical personnel attached to PGH.

(l)  All these will be achieved without even one rupee of the Hospital’s funds being used and that the Hospital parting with any asset.

THESE ARE THE BENEFITS THE COMMUNITY WILL LOSE IF A FEW MISGUIDED PERSONS ARE ALLOWED TO DERAIL THIS PROJECT.

PGH has taken legal advice to ensure that it does not breach the provisions of the Trust Deed/Rules and Regulations of PGH by entering into the New Hospital Project. Legal advice received also opines that since there is no alienation (but on the contrary, there is an accretion to the PGH property), hence, Section 36 of the Bombay Public Trust Act does not apply and no permission of the Charity Commissioner is required.  The Trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet have also given their wholehearted endorsement of the Project.

During last 3-4 months, a few persons from the community started raising questions on the viability of the New Hospital Project. They alleged that the project was ill-conceived and costs inflated. Besides, Medanta was not the right selection to operate the New Hospital. We did make attempts to clarify various issues raised by them and shared with them, in good faith, details including of the financials of the project. Regrettably, some gentlemen have now started personal attacks on social media on the President and some of the Executive Committee members casting aspersions on our character and integrity. We are contemplating appropriate action, including legal options.

An application challenging the New Hospital Project, has been filed with the Charity Commissioner’s Office wherein unsavoury allegations have been made, and this is also being responded to appropriately.

It will not be out of place to reiterate that the family of Petits have, over six generations during one century, nurtured PGH selflessly and with utmost care and diligence. We do not want to allow a handful of ill-informed and misguided persons to make personal accusations, whatever be their motive, and go scot free. We would rather call off the Project on our own, if our community is not with us, rather than allow anyone to point a finger at us and question our integrity. Community welfare is important but not at the cost of our personal integrity.

In the meantime, while both the Donors and Global Health Pvt. Ltd. have stated that they will not consider any amendment to the original Agreement, nor any counter-proposal, but if the community issues are not sorted out in the next few months, THE DONORS HAVE CATEGORICALLY CONFIRMED THAT THEY WILL WITHDRAW THEIR PLEDGE TO DONATE U.S.$ 22.5 MILLION OFFER AND GLOBAL HEALTH PVT. LTD. HAS STATED, THAT IT WILL ALSO TERMINATE THE AGREEMENT. In such a situation, the only losers will be the community and unfortunately the poor and needy, and the responsibility for this disastrous fallout will rest squarely on the heads of these self-appointed critics, for scuttling a well-conceived and thoroughly researched project that would sustain the Hospital for the benefit of generations to follow.

Now that the community is aware of the correct facts, they could not be misguided by false and misleading statements.  The Executive Committee of PGH, therefore, appeals to each and every member of the Parsi and Irani Zoroastrian Community to wholeheartedly support the new hospital venture. If the community chooses not to support the Project, all that we and the Donors can say is that WE TRIED OUR BEST, AND SADLY, AS MENTIONED ABOVE, THE ONLY LOSERS WILL BE THE POOR AND NEEDY OF THE COMMUNITY.

HOMA D. PETIT

PRESIDENT

THE B D PETIT PARSEE GENERAL HOSPITAL

MR. ZAIWALLA’S LETTER
18 November 2018
We have read  with regrets , the Press Release issued by Mr. Homa Petit, which is identical in all the five newspapers. It may be a paid news, but the crux of the matter is the defense put up by Mr. Petit , that community must clutch with folded hands the Hong Kong offer of Rs. 150 crores or else the offer may be with withdrawn by 31st March, 2019. 
Mr. Homa Petit is a eminent Solicitor, and world surely understand that a Rs. 150 crores donation is subject to the new building being handed over only to Medanta for 45 years , with further rights over the old hospital as per the agreement with Mr. Naresh Trehan, signed by Mr. Petit claiming to be a President of a registered society,  and suppressing the fact that the Hospital is governed by the Trust Deed of 1906 , executed by Sir Bomanjee Petit and is filed on record , even presently with the Office of the Charity Commissioner , Maharashtra State . 
The community will appreciate that the entire contract with Mr. Naresh Trehan is a fraud on public trust , and it is no answer to say  that some of the BPP Trustees have later ratified this contract. It  is a cardinal principle of law that a fraud cannot be ratified, nor can any person can take advantage of his own wrong, as fraud  renders every action null and void. 
It would highly desirable that Homa Petit files a reply, before the learned Charity Commissioner, as it is not being done for last 7 months on some pretext or another, but instead the Press Release as issued, betrays lack of faith in the judicial process. We  now hope that the reply will be filed by the next date of hearing. 
Mr. Homa Petit has  misguided the community by claiming that Mr. Naresh Trehan will pay Rs  12 crores a year for use and occupation of the new building for 45 years. It is well settled that any administrator by whatever name called,  of a property of a public trust, has to act with prudence and care. However in the present case , no bank grantee of payment of Rs. 12 crores a year has been obtained from Mr. Trehan,  and in a mostly likely case, a default is likely to happen even in the first year itself under the excuse of lack of profit , as very well pointed out by activist Mr. Zoru Bhathena, and  the Parsi beneficiaries of the Trust will be without any remedy,  and will be faced with an impossible task of recovering possession , as all prudence of a man of business has been thrown to the winds by a secret agreement. 
I have written this reply with good will towards all,  in interest of the public charitable trust,  founded by Sir Bomanjee Dinshaw Petit for the benefit of Parsi Community. 
Khushru Zaiwala

Traditional Zoroastrian funerals require stone structures called Dakhmas — “Towers of Silence” — on which corpses are eaten by buzzards, because the Zoroastrian holy text bans other funeral methods.

Excarnatory funeral practices are classified as criminal “Abuse of Corpse” by many state statutes and constitute a misdemeanor to felony offense, thus making traditional Zoroastrian funerals illegal for the 11,000 Zoroastrians in the U.S.

The illegality forces Zoroastrian-Americans to transport their dead overseas which can be prohibitively expensive or to have funerals against their religious mandate.

In a recent scholarly legal article published in the Rutgers Journal of Law and Religion — titled: “Buried, Cremated, Defleshed by Buzzards?” — I analogized the Supreme Court case Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah, noting that Zoroastrianism and the Santeria religion both mandate practices involving dead bodies of people and animals. Employing the decision in that case, I argued that traditional Zoroastrian funerals should be legal through a 1st Amendment Freedom of Religion Free Exercise Clause exemption.

Of the three tests courts could apply to a Zoroastrian funeral case, I advocated that courts use the test where an exemption would be granted unless the government could demonstrate a compelling reason not to.

Based on the government’s arguments in Hialeah, I predicted that the government in a Zoroastrian funeral case would argue that it has a compelling interest 1) in protecting public health, safety, and welfare; 2) in preventing the emotional injury that is likely to result from witnessing a religiously motivated excarnatory funeral; 3) in protecting the dead from desecration; and 4) in restrictive zoning.

The government’s interest in public health, safety, and welfare is not compelling because the government’s interest is limited to the degree of risk human corpses pose which is negligible according to the World Health Organization and the American Journal of Disaster Medicine. Further, Zoroastrian custom requires tying corpses down thus mitigating concerns about buzzards carrying off corpses. Moreover, several states have ‘body farm’ facilities which involve exposure of corpses to the elements and scavenging of corpses by animals, so differential treatment of ‘body farms’ and religiously-motivated excarnatory funerals would weaken the government’s argument.

The government’s interest in preventing the emotional injury that is likely to result from witnessing a religiously motivated excarnatory funeral is not compelling because the mourners of deceased Zoroastrians will not suffer emotional injury because they do not enter the Dakhma. Moreover, the excarnation does not occur within view of anyone, and it is a culturally accepted practice in the community.

Similarly, the government’s interest in protecting the dead from desecration is not compelling because whoever desires a traditional Zoroastrian funeral can say so in their Last Will and Testament.

However, the government’s interest in restrictive zoning is compelling, but only to the point of on par regulation with similarly situated enterprises such as body farms.

Given the need for buzzards to consume the corpse, the need to sun-bleach the bones after excarnation has occurred, and the state’s likely desire to zone Dahkmas far away from residential and commercial areas, a promising state to build a Dakhma in is Texas.

This is because the Forensic Anthropology Center or the body farm at Texas State University is well-established. Moreover, the local vulture population has already been used to study the effects of vulture scavenging on human decomposition as would occur in a Zoroastrian funeral.

Khushbu Solanki

Rutgers Law School graduate

https://www.indiawest.com/letters_to_editor/tower-of-silence-for-parsi-funerals-can-be-built-in/article_a4d37006-f432-11e8-b909-d7d7ffaa6d8b.html

People who have grudges against a feature film react variously. They petition the Censor Board, approach courts, tear off the film’s posters or stage dharnas. Hanif Modak whose father late Capt. I H Modak

 and now Australia-based Capt. V R Kekobad co-owned cargo ship

 MV Safeer, are responding to some of the alleged “lies” portrayed in 2016 film Airlift and setting the records straight with their documentary ‘Mission Safeer:37 Days to Freedom.’ MV Safeer’s heroic evacuation of 722 Indians from wartorn Kuwait in 1990 had hit global headlines. The film Airlift doesn’t directly name M V Safeer or its owners or the Captain who, in the film, is shown accepting bribes to allow the desperate evacuees on board the ship. “Yes, MV Safeer has not been named anywhere but by implication we have been shown to be heartless and it is an insult to the heroic joint efforts of seafarers, agencies and individuals who helped bring 722 Indians to safety in Dubai. We want to tell the real story behind the evacuation through this documentary,” says Captain Kekobad.

Seated in his DN Road office, Hanif shows documents, including M V Safeer’s original log book and newspaper clippings. With a cargo of bagged rice, and 26 crew members, MV Safeer left Kandla Port in Gujarat on July 24, 1990, docking at Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait on July 31, 1990. Trouble began on August 2 when Iraq invaded Kuwait. The ship’s s log book entry of August 2, 1990 reads: “No activity whatsoever in the port. Heard news on radio that Iraq had invaded Kuwait. Sounds of gunfire and shelling could be heard on the vessel and fire and smoke could be seen all over from the bridge…”

“Neither Captain Zain Abidin Juvale nor I or anyone else demanded money from anyone. All the required permissions to carry 722 Indians were secured by the owners. Once Captain Juvale met the then foreign minister I.K. Gujral in Kuwait, we prepared the ship for embarkation of the passengers. We made 20 temporary toilets on the main deck,” MV Safeer’s first officer Captain Nazir Mulla now settled in Mumbai. MV Safeer left Kuwait for Dubai on September 4, thirty-six anxious days after berthing and days of negotiations by officials, including senior Indian embassy official in Kuwait S M Mathur, MEA official K P Fabian, Dr M A Patankar in Mumbai. “Dr Patankar provided us the first breakthrough when he arranged our meeting with Iraqi attaché in Mumbai. We subsequently got permission for an embassy staff to visit the ship and ensure safety of our crew who were detained by the Iraqi army,” said Hanif.

Out of the 722 Indians rescued, 250 were from the Konkan region alone. Hashmat Kapdi, a jeweller in Kuwait, from Kasba village in Ratnagiri, was among them. “All the crew were very helpful and compassionate. There were doctors (6) and nurses (10) who travelled with us,” recalled Kapdi.

In an earlier interview to TOI Captain Juvale had said many wealthy passengers wanted to gift their expensive cars to the crew which the crew declined. “On reaching Dubai, Captain Modak, his daughter Sadika Modak, our staff and I welcomed the evacuees,” said Captain Kekobad. Hanif added the documentary is also a homage to his father’s memories.

At a recent screening in Delhi, viewers, including some of the officials now retired, involved with the rescue mission by M V Safeer, toasted the gigantic efforts. A letter from K P Fabian, now a prized possession of Capt. Kekobad, reads: “This is to confirm that Government of India did not pay your company any amount towards evacuation of Indian nationals…”

https://m.timesofindia.com/city/mumbai/ship-owners-dispel-rumours-and-tell-the-real-tale-behind-heroic-evacuation-of-722-indians/amp_articleshow/66902375.cms

Little did everyone know that a young and zealous Parsi girl would go on to become India’s first female photojournalist, and perhaps even the best one till this day.

Homai Vyarawalla was born on 9 December 1913 in Gujarat. She moved to Mumbai, then Bombay, to pursue a diploma at St Xavier’s college, after which she joined the J J Schools of Arts, where she, luckily for all of us, picked up a camera and began to study photography.

It was at J J school that she met Manekshaw Vyarawalla, a freelance photographer who introduced her to the art form. She would later go on to marry him.

Her first assignment at college, to photograph a picnic, was published by Bombay Chronicle, a local newspaper, after which she regularly picked up more freelance assignments, including work for The Illustrated Weekly Magazine of India.

Click Here for the full story and some amazing pics – https://www.thequint.com/photos/iconic-images-homai-vyarawalla-india-first-woman-photojournalist

Calling All Designers!  Have your artwork prominently featured at the largest annual NGO Forum held at the United Nations.

We are gearing up for the 63rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women in 2019! 

• Held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 11-22 March, 2019
• Thousands of representatives from Governments, NGOs and Women’s Organizations worldwide
• All working to advance Human Rights for Women and Girls.

Dear Community

Attached is the December 2018 issue of Manashni.
Hope you enjoy reading it.
Thank you to all our contributors and as always to Farhad Khurshed and Nadish Naoroji for their time and effort to get this issue put together.
The AZA Managing Committee wishes the Community Merry Christmas and a very Happy and Blessed 2019.Best Wishes.

Kind regards

Hilla Tantra

Honorary Secretary – AZA – 2018 -2019
On behalf of the AZA Managing Committee

The 5th edition of the Zoroastrian Return To Roots Program began in Mumbai, India today on December 19, 2018.

22 Zarathushti youth from USA, Canada, Pakistan, New Zealand and India gathered in Mumbai at the Cusrow Baug Pavilion to kick off the program.

Aban Marker-Kabraji, Co-Chair of RTR Program welcomed the RTR Fellows and briefed them about the history of the program and the ethos and principles on which the program is based. She emphasized the diversity of the program and thanked the institutional and individual donors who have put their faith in this program. Arzan Sam Wadia, Program Director of RTR briefed everyone about the upcoming daily program details over the next 15 days.

The group were given a brief history of the Cusrow Baug, Mumbai’s premier Zoroastrian housing colony by Hoshang Jal, the Secretary of Cusrow Baug Pavilion.

Homi Gandhi, President of FEZANA spoke of FEZANA’s commitment as a MoU partner in supporting RTR as an institutional partner.

The participants then made their way to the legendary Britannia for a scrumptious Parsi meal and a personal meeting with its equally legendary owner Boman Kohinoor.

Later in the afternoon, RTR Fellows were welcomed at Madison World, India’s premier advertising and marketing agency headed by the dynamic father-daughter duo of Sam Balsara and Lara Balsara. Here the Fellows got a masterclass in entrepreneurship, media, advertising and a detailed deep-dive in the story behind the hugely successful ad campaign for Jiyo Parsi.

Over the next two weeks Fellows will travel to Pune, Nargol, Sanjan, Udvada, Navsari and Surat before returning to Mumbai for the return leg.

As is customary, all the pre-planning leading up to this day and the daily logistics of the trip is run by RTR Alumni who come back year on year, to continue the program. Zubin Gheesta and Sheherazad Pavri from Mumbai, Kayras Irani from Auckland, Tanya Hoshi from Toronto and Cyrus Karanjia from Karachi are the alumni who will be assisting with the running of the program 

Trail Blazers India, as RTR’s logistics partners since inception were represented by Hutokshi Marker, CEO and Kurush Charna, CTO who will travel with the group for the entire duration.

If you would like to get real-time updates follow RTR on Facebook and Instagram

https://parsikhabar.net/news/zoroastrian-return-to-roots-kicks-off-5th-trip-to-india/19114/

I am an 8th grader at a middle school in the USA. I have been very fortunate to experience the wonders of traveling to other countries, and meeting other children around the world. Each time I come back home, I find that other people also love to explore and learn about exotic destinations, but not everyone is able to experience them firsthand.

I thought about other ways to help children learn more about the world, while having fun at the same time. Based on  this idea, I created Travel Explore Discover.

Check out the board game and support this Kickstarter campaign.

Zarthusti Women’s Herstories | Department of Family Practice

The ZXX study was created as a tribute to Zarthusti women and as a way to celebrate their lives. Our aim was to interview Zarthusti women about their lives in order to gain insight and contribute to the gap in literature surrounding this topic. We also wanted to create an insider participatory action project. Most scholarly literature about the Zarthusti community is written by outsiders but this project is community based and community driven. ZXX refers to Zarthusti women, as the genetic symbol for females is XX.

It is the brainchild of Dr Farah Shroff, who started the first version of this study, ZXX 1.0, as a series of interviews with Zarthusti women which were transcribed and audio recorded. ZXX 2.0 is a video recorded oral herstory project. Inspired by the love of her family and community, this project is dedicated to the wonderfully warm, eccentric and inspiring Zarthusti community.

While Zarathustrianism is considered the world’s first monotheistic religion, not much is known about the individual members of the religion or the community as most scholarly work has been of a theological nature. Many people are surprised to learn that living members of the community exist at all. Furthermore, many studies conducted about Zarathustrianism have been undertaken by scholars outside the community. This study is unique in that the majority of the researchers and authors are Zoroastrian women. Two of the researchers were also participants in the study.

In the study, Zarthusti women ranging in age were video interviewed by Dr. Farah Shroff. Topics such as childhood, school life, and religious identity were explored through the interviews. We hope you enjoy watching the videos and reading our study!

https://zxxresearch.med.ubc.ca/

The scholar, Anton Zykov, worked for the Russian Embassy between 2011 and 2013, but in November 2017, he started working on a unique three-year project of recording and analysing the Parsi dialect (Parsi Gujarati or simply Parsi in India and Zoroastrian Dari or Gavruni in Iran).

THIS RUSSIAN scholar’s ‘Parsi connect’ dates back a decade, when he chose Zoroastrianism as his thesis subject as an MPhil student at Oxford. The scholar, Anton Zykov, worked for the Russian Embassy between 2011 and 2013, but in November 2017, he started working on a unique three-year project of recording and analysing the Parsi dialect (Parsi Gujarati or simply Parsi in India and Zoroastrian Dari or Gavruni in Iran).Advertising

“The focus is on contemporary spoken Parsi (also known as Parsi Gujarati). I am looking forward to document the language as it is spoken. So I try to record the conversations which Parsis have with each other in Parsi Gujarati. It’s just an attempt to give an objective picture of the language,” said Zykov.

The scholar works by collecting video and audio samples of the Parsi speech from various places, among Parsis of various ages, professional and socio-economic background. These samples are processed, annotated and analyzed to understand syntax, lexicon, morphology and semantics used among the different varieties of the Parsi speech.

Many in the community have become his friends and collaborators on the project, like the family of Rohin and Frazin Kanga from Navsari, who hosted him for three months while he was based there gathering language material, he said. Recalling some interesting interactions with the community, he said, “Once I was making a recording at a dar-e-mehr (Fire temple) in Navsari. When I was changing my camera’s battery, the person whom I was recording asked me if I was married. I said “no” and asked the reason for his curiosity. He told me that he heard from someone that I was married to a Parsi girl. So there are some Parsis who suspect a hidden agenda in my research,” said Zykov.

The Russian scholar aspires to complete the project by publishing a grammar book and dictionary of the Parsi language and successfully archiving it with Endangered Languages Archive of SOAS University of London, which has funded the project.Advertising

“I wish to draw the community’s attention to its rich linguistic heritage like the munajats (Parsi popular devotional songs), kahavaten (proverbs) and even galliyan (cuss words) are a source of unique Parsi linguistic treasure. All this will be lost if linguistic shift towards English keeps on increasing among the Parsis and Parsi Gujarati continues to have a low social prestige. I hope my work can be used among the Parsi diaspora to learn Parsi Gujarati and maintain their identity and tradition,” he added.

Written by Abha Goradia |Mumbai |Published: January 14, 2019

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/a-russians-decade-old-love-for-parsi-dialect-5536750/

From the quirky motifs hidden in the sari to its genesis, Ashdeen Lilaowala breaks down the nuances of a traditional Parsi Gara

The timeless elegance of a traditional Parsi Gara is undeniable. Embroidered to life with photorealistic precision, the Gara sari is a unique member in the exhaustive variety of crafts found in the country. Predominantly worn by the Parsi community during weddings and special occasions, the exquisite Gara sari deserves not to be stashed away just for those big days. Vogue spoke to Ashdeen Lilaowala—one of the few creative minds carrying the legacy of the Gara forward—about the history of the embroidery, its evolution and the lesser known facts.

Tell us about the origins of Gara

Gara embroidery came into our design lexicon at a time when the Parsis from India would travel to China for trade. They carried opium and cotton with them from India, which was bartered for tea in China. Tea as a commodity was gaining a lot of popularity in Europe and the British wanted to sell more tea in Europe. The Parsis quickly became rich trading with the British.

When they came back on their ships, they also brought back ceramics and various other antiques that were available in China. Legend says that one of the traders brought back a new kind of artistic embroidery, which was very realistic in its depiction of flora and fauna and was targeted to the European market. Eventually, it was commissioned as a five-and-a-half-metre sari for the traders from India. Earlier, the pieces that came in were fully embroidered, corner to corner, but then slowly the women started travelling to China too, and they edited them to have borders, blank spaces for tucking in, etc. The Parsi community had newly settled in Bombay, become quite rich, and now wanted a certain new look—and they adopted the Gara saris as their signature.

One of the famous designs was ‘Cheena Cheeni’, which depicts a Chinese man and a Chinese woman against a landscape of pagodas, bridges, plantations and people doing daily chores in China, carrying lanterns and other knick knacks—but these were things so exotic and unseen in India, that the design became a prized possession. They also brought back narrow borders that are called as ‘Kor’, and clothes for the children—the tunics were called ‘Jhablas’ and pants were called ‘Ghicha’. These were some of the different products that were coming via the trade.

Can you tell us a little more about other popular Gara designs?

We have quirky names for motifs. Apart from ‘Cheena Cheeni’, there is a polka-dotted motif is called ‘kaanda papeta’, which stands for onion potato. Polka dots were so common at one point, that they were jestingly compared to onions and potatoes for how readily available they were. Then there is a spin wheel motif, which the Parsis call a ‘Karoliya’, or a spider. We have a ‘Marga Margi’, which is a rooster and a hen and there’s a ‘Chakla Chakli’ too, which is a male and female sparrow.

During a research exercise, we found that there is a kind of rock formation on the sari that usually comes with a peacock perched on it—the motif is called ‘The Divine Fungus’. But when you tell a Parsi woman that there’s fungus on your sari, they (naturally!) don’t take it well. And we have seen borders with exquisitely embroidered bats as well. Indians are not fond of bats, and for Parsis, bats are equivalent to death—I’ve actually had customers tell me they’re not wearing the pieces again once I confirmed the embroidery denotes a bat, and not a butterfly, as they originally thought. We also have a sari in our recent collection called ‘Morning Glory’—it has a sun and a huge spread of birds, flora and fauna, so it is like a whole narrative about the sun being the element that manifests this abundance of flora.

How long does it take to make a Gara sari?

Depending on the density of the work, it can take anything from three weeks to two months. And when I say two months, I mean six to eight people working on one sari together.

What is the base fabric of the sari?

Even though the sari is covered in silk thread embroidery all over, it has a nice flow to it and can be draped well. The original fabric was called ‘Sali Ghaj’, which has very thin lines running through it.

Garas went out of fashion in the ’30s and were only revived in the ’80s. In Mumbai, they started using this thick fabric—Shamu satin and thick Crepe d Chine back then. Presently, we largely use crepe, but not georgette or chiffon—because the silk thread is hand-embroidered and these fabrics can’t take the weight of the embroidery.

Click Here for the full interview – https://www.vogue.in/content/parsi-gara-embroidery-saree-history/

A true Indian always celebrates India’s Republic Day.     Every patriotic person respects and enjoy republic day.    So were the Parsi Zorastrians at Ahmedabad on last Saturday – 26^th January.

Since 2015, the trustees of the Dhanjishaw and Manijeh Gamir Charitable Trust at Ahmedabad [known by DMGCT] celebrated India’s Republic Day as usual – 5^th time.   Such a celebration is arranged every year since 2015.  Almost 325 community members attended the event which was started sharp as usual at 10.30 morning. 

The flag hoisting was in the hands of Maj.Gen. [Retd.] Rohinton Jamsurarwalla from Pune.   The event ceremony started sharp at 10.30 morning.   Mr. Harvez Bharucha, connected to NCC escorted Maj.Gen.[Retd.] Jambusarwalla who hoisted our national flag with our National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana, was sung by all participants at the event.  The ceremony was followed by two patriotic songs sung by Mrs.Armin Dutia and Mrs. Perin Davar both Ahmedabad residents.    Mr. Ariez Munshi, before flag hoisting, introduced the Chief guest, Maj. Gen. [Retd.] Rohinton Jambusarwalla, how well he had served the army for almost 40 years from day one of his joining till official retirement.  Maj.Gen. [Retd.] Rohinton Jambursarwalla in his speech highlighted how well he was inducted in the Army, different places and posts he served.   He highlighted that one time all different services, be it Army, Navy, Air force, the Parsis were in many numbers which gradually has been declining.   People use to keep in mind that the job attachment in any of the services is indeed very tough, no return as also life style remain different than what in business, other pomp services today observed by many educated one.   He urged young Parsi Zorastrians to join any of the services of they like and live with pride that they are doing something  for the country.    The vote of thanks were offered by one of the trustee, Mr.Aspy Unwalla who thanks the Chief Guest for visiting Ahmedabad for the event, Parsi Zarthostis of Ahmedabad for participating the event, Ahmeabad Parsi Panchayat for allowing to use the Sanitorium hall [Lalkaka Hall] and the Lunch served by Mek Caterers, Mr. Malcum Bastawala. 

The event started sharp at 10.30 morning with a welcome speech by Mr.Aspy Bharucha, Trustee, who welcomed all at the event, as also the Chief Guest.   He briefed the occasion which was cherished by Mrs. Manijeh Gamir, one of the testator of the Trust and in her life time as a trustee narrated in her speech delivered very first event in 2015, as to how she as a Teacher at the School in her old days use to arrange such celebrations.    Mr. Aspy Bharucha in brief introduced late Dhanjishaw and Manijeh Gamr of their simple life style leaving behind legacy for the welfare of the Parsi Zorastrians of Ahmedabad.    

This was the 5^th event started since 2015.   All these years, the Trust is able to find a right dignified Parsi Zarthosti having served any of the Service wings.  Earlier to this event, the Flag Hoisting was arranged in the hands of Maj.Gen. [Retd.] Mr. Navroz Chinoy now settled at Ahmedabad, and in line thereof, 2^nd was in the hands of Brig. [Retd.] Mr.Jehangir Anklesaria [Ahmedabad] 3^rd was in the hands of Mr.Areez Khambatta, Ex-Commondar of Home Guards and Chief Operating Officer of Civil Defence, Ahmedabad, and 4^th last year it was in the hands of Col. [Retd.] Kaizad Bhaya from Pune.

The event was followed by Games which was participated by all ages both individually and in group.   The games were organized by Mrs. Jeniffer Kapadia, and Mr. Ariez Bokdawala both from Ahmedabad.   As usual, the event was full of Joy, Fun, Enjoyment and Food without which any Parsi event will not end.    The lunch was served by Mr.Malcum Bastawala of Mek Caterers of Udwada. 

================

ASPY BHARUCHA6

Thanking you and with best regards,

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Dear Donors, Friends, Wellwishers,

Professor Almut Hintze FBA, Professor of Zoroastrianism and Co-Chair SOAS Shapoorji Pallonji Institute of Zoroastrian Studies, London, along with her colleagues Ms. Celine Redard, Mr. Benedikt Thomas and Mr. Kerman Daruwalla, presently at Navsari  were keen to visit some villages in South Gujarat Navsari to see for themselves and understand the harsh conditions in which many of our Zarathushti brothers and sisters live and the work the WZO Trusts are doing to bring them into the mainstream of society.

Two members of Team WZO Trusts at Navsari accompanied Professor Almut Hintze and her colleagues on a day trip to a few villages on January 30, 2019. We are pleased to attach some photographs taken during their visit.

WZO Trusts express their gratitude and are very grateful to Professor Almut Hintze and her colleagues for their interest and having taken the time and trouble to visit some of the villages for firsthand knowledge.

WZO Trusts have since 1991 impacted the lives of 489 families in 198 villages, having facilitated their transition from abject poverty and back into the mainstream of society.

We take this opportunity to acknowledge with pride the fantastic work that our Team at Navsari – Mr. Farrokh M. Kasad, Mr. Aspi B. Ambapardiwala, Mr. Cyrus D. Vandriwala, Mr. Rohinton J. Contrator, Ms. Sharmin S. Tamboly, Ms. Simin F. Bharda and other volunteers – have been doing with commitment, & dedication.

Warm regards

DinshawDinshaw K. Tamboly;Chairman.

C – 1 Hermes House, 3rd Floor,Mama Parmanand Marg,Opera House,Mumbai 400 004Tel. Nos: 91 – 22 – 23684451 / 52 / 53

ADDRESSING AN URGENT URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE

Civic Response Team (CRT) is a nonprofit that started in May 2015 to build evidence-driven solutions to civic and environmental challenges. One of the biggest initiatives they’ve undertaken is transforming the solid waste management system in Aurangabad, India.

Solid waste management is the most pressing civic and environmental challenge in many Indian cities. Civic Response Team knew that they would have to get creative–and collaborate with local government leaders–in order to effectively tackle this issue. So they looked at solid waste management best practices in other cities and compiled a report, which they presented to the municipal commissioner of Aurangabad in the hopes that he would be able to concretely replicate some of these initiatives.

However, there were thirty years of waste management practices to shift. Open waste dump sites were still the norm. Sanitation staff worked without protective equipment and in hazardous and undignified conditions. The commissioner didn’t have the required resources to implement the recommendations made by Civic Response Team

As a result, the organization realized they would need to get more directly involved in overhauling the municipal waste management system and undertake a holistic approach that worked with multiple stakeholders and addressed root causes to shift behaviors.  After much hard work, they began offering coordinated waste management services and piloted their offerings with pilots of 500 households. Over time, they began serving wards of 1000 homes and today even work with full townships of 30,000 people.

Tackling the problem at this scale required a multi-disciplinary approach.

They needed to map the pain points, educate local communities on the benefits of improving solid waste management, make changes to bylaws and regulations, consider budget requirements, and modify the practices of the sanitation department team. 

THINKING IN SYSTEMS

Very early into this work, Civic Response Team realized it would be critical to consider the whole system surrounding this problem of waste management–rather than just trying to clean up trash from the streets in isolation from the larger community dynamics and political power structures.

Co-founder Natasha Zarine explains, “We knew that unless we think in systems, it’s all going to go back to square one.”

In fact, they initially found that changes implemented in a pilot group of 500 households would hold for about six months before falling apart. The changes didn’t stick “because it was a little oasis in a larger context, within a larger system that didn’t change.” The organization recognized that for the system to truly shift, they needed “the buy-in of multiple stakeholders, including the leadership of municipal leadership.”

Municipal staff is generally supportive of the changes but Natasha found it was critical “to manage relationships at the highest level of the municipal administration and elected representatives.”

She recounts the experience with one waste management supervisor who had been working for 30 years running 14 wards of the city. Although he had amassed significant political power over his career, it was only when he began collaborating with Civic Response Team that he began to feel that his work offered dignity. “It is the first time in his life that he feels good about his work, that he feels he can do his work effectively, that he feels he’s doing the right thing,” Natasha says,

Previously, he didn’t feel proud to ask his staff to do their work, but there were no alternatives. Now, “he’s like our star sanitary inspector. He ensures that all the staff is well taken care of, that the work is happening effectively, he proudly speaks about the amount of public money he’s able to save because of the way his zone is managed, managing our waste.”

Cultivating these relationships and finding champions within local government has been critical to Civic Response Team’s ability to durably shift waste management practices in Aurangabad.

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FOR WASTE-PICKERS

Natasha and her colleagues also quickly recognized that they did not only have to consider powerful political figures if they wanted to change the system. They also needed to think about the downstream consequences that their seemingly positive interventions might have on some of the city’s poorest residents: waste-pickers.

In Aurangabad, there are approximately 600 waste-pickers who make their livelihoods by sorting through trash and finding bits that can be resold. Under the new, more efficient waste collection processes that Civic Response Team was rolling out, the trash pickers would no longer have access to waste coming directly onto the streets. Natasha realized that if they altered the current system significantly, there were going to be negative downstream economic consequences for some of the city’s poorest inhabitants.

To mitigate these unintended consequences, Civic Response Team identified the waste-pickers working in each ward and invited them to join a sorting facility.

They did not have the budget to pay a salary and at first wondered how they would effectively get waste pickers to shift their behavior and adapt to this new system. They discovered that if they concretely communicated to the workers that they would get direct access to 300 to 500 KGs of dry waste, of which 70% is recyclable, they were eager to adapt. An added bonus was that–because the waste was no longer soiled—workers could recover much more for recycling and selling.

As they began working at the sorting facility, waste-pickers were able to more than double their income. Previously, they earned about 210 rupees a day, or $3. However, now working at the sorting center they earn on average 450 rupees per day, or $7. They also benefit from more regular working hours, more family time, fewer cuts and bruises, and more dignity. Critically, they now also take pride in their work and are happy to tell people they work at the sorting center. Word quickly spread.

Civic Response Team has now trained over 1800 sanitation staff and worked with 105 waste-pickers.

One waste-picker who they met in the first pilot has done so well she was invited to speak at a UN conference in Paris about recycling to share how it has impacted her life and how it affects the environment.

This woman’s entrepreneurial spirit led her to take a leadership role, going on to recruit three friends to work at the first recyclable waste center. She soon started managing it and “is an owner in a way because she manages everything – she gets the profits, she distributes, she makes payments to the other waste pickers who are working with her. It’s been running for four years without anyone else’s intervention because she’s understood not only the business of collection and recycling but also managing a sorting center,” Natasha says.

SHIFTING COMMUNITY BEHAVIORS

One of Natasha’s most notable learnings is that waste management is all about people. You need to understand “their behavior, their relationship to waste, their relationships to each other, to their past, to their religion or their beliefs…It’s extremely complex.”

Natasha describes how complex challenges like these need a technical solution but mostly require adaptive leadership.

Adaptive leadership recognizes that both shared ownership and continuous learning are central to achieve lasting behavior change. As Natasha shares, when people think of solid waste management, they think you need, “vehicles for collection, composting machinery, biogas plants, etc. which are definitely an important part, but it’s all about people.”

The other element of behavior change that surprised Natasha is that people are ready and willing to make changes when they directly see how their actions are impacting the environment and each other.

Another way to promote behavior change is to keep the steps small and incremental. In the communities that Natasha works with, it would be too large a jump to introduce home composting right away, but they will work towards this goal since it’s the most efficient way to manage organics. Natasha points out how technical solutions come into play, “this is where technology comes in. If we have the right type of products to help people compost at home and store their waste a certain way it creates a better buy-in for the overall waste management system.”

CRT is still in the process of figuring out the best balance of centralized facilities with decentralized home management for waste, recyclables, and organics.

NATASHA’S ADVICE FOR CHANGE-MAKERS

Natasha’s advice for others interested in exploring the link between social well-being, poverty, and environmental conservation is to “dive right in.”

Bringing together a team invested in the collective vision is essential to make change happen. Although CRT’s experience with recruited volunteers has been positive, especially for short-term commitments, CRT finds it necessary to set up the sustainable funding structures that can support paid staff positions.

Natasha explains, “You really have to stand your ground and insist on either getting funding or getting paid for your services because that’s the only way to be valued.” Even when doing important work, it will not always be recognized so holding the collective vision and having the necessary structures in place for financial sustainability allows the team to remain motivated and committed to moving the work forward.

Natasha speaks of the importance of using systems thinking, research, and on-the-ground experience to understand the nuances and complexity of the behaviors you are trying to change in a larger system you are working to address.

“There’s so much happening under the epidermis that covers everything, so be aware of that.”

Finally, where people and process interact for environmental change, managing relationships is everything. Relationships build trust, and trust is essential for any behavior change to take place. Natasha says, “If people know that you’re trying to bring about a certain kind of change, and not just coming from a certain agenda, then they’re much more willing to partner with you to take that change forward.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Danielle Sutton is the Content Animator at Acumen where she surfaces stories to inspire and activate social entrepreneurs. In an age of information overload, she believes in learning ‘the right thing at the right time’ to intentionally design impactful social enterprises. You can usually find Danielle digging into the Acumen course library, playing in the mountains, or exploring marketing on The Sedge blog.

https://www.plusacumen.org/journal/facilitating-behavior-change-complex-waste-management-systems

Noel Tata, Ratan Tata’s half brother has recently joined the Tata trust’s Board. The induction of Noel Tata into the Board has once again given new air to the speculations of him, succeeding the present Chairman of Tata Trusts,Ratan Tata. He is currently the Chairman of Trent and also MD of Tata Internationals.

Many members of the Parsi community want some family member to head the Tata Trusts after Ratan Tata, who is now 81 years old.

With Noel Tata’s entry in the trusts Board, all three Tata brothers are now on the Board. Jimmy Tata has been trustee for almost last thirty years. In recent times, many trustees have expressed for an increase in the representation of the Parsi community on the Trust’s Board. Noel’s entry in the Trusts board is at a time when the Indian Conglomerate is grappling with allegations of Income Tax violations by another trustee R Venkataramanan.

R Venkataramanan resignation from the post of managing trustee of Tata Trust comes  after allegations of violation in Income Tax. Also, last year in march CBI initiated an inquiry against him and some other top executive in a bribery case.

As per the case, Venketaramanan, bribed government official to tweak the 5/20 rule in their favour so that AirAsia India (owned by Tata Group) can start its international operations. The aforementioned rule mandates the Airline to have at least 20 planes and 5 years of domestic experience to start international operations.

Jehangir H Jehangir, a fellow Parsi and philanthropist who spearheads Jahangir Hospital located in Pune, was also inducted on the Board.

By tejbhardwaj-The Indian Wire, February 14, 2019

https://www.theindianwire.com/business/noel-tata-inducted-tata-trusts-board-speculated-succeed-ratan-tata-101775/

We are proud to announce that our Documentary
” Mission Safeer ..Thirty seven Days to Freedom”has won the prestigious Best Documentary-Jury Award at the 6th International Film Festival at Noida 
Attached are the pictures of the award
We would like more people to view our documentary 
and share it with others and give comments 

Thank you!

Capt. Viraf Kekobad