Parsi Khabar

BPP Trustee Yazdi Desai Clarifies against Charges of Defamation

arzan sam wadia — Mon, 28 May 2012 04:53:26 +0000

The following email is circulated via email… CLARIFICATION BY YAZDI DESAI, BPP TRUSTEE An article was published in the Parsi Times dated 19th May 2012, and subsequently circulated widely on the internet, stating that “Yazdi Desai and Anahita Desai have been arrested and now released on bail by the Court”. This statement is misleading and has been mischievously made. There was no “arrest”. No Police came and arrested us as is being made out in the Parsi Times article. My wife Anahita, my co-trustee Khojeste and I were served a summons on 25th April 2012, to appear before the Magistrate’s Court at Ballard Pier, with regard to a defamation case filed by Zarir Bhathena of Hilla Builders, for what was published in the WAPIZ Page of 2nd February 2006. After receiving the summons Anahita and I, along with our lawyer appeared in Court on 15th May 2012. Khojeste did not appear as he was out of town. As per the procedure, an application was required to be made for bail and we gave a surety bail bond of Rs 10,000 each, as a bond to ensure our presence in Court for the Hearings. There was absolutely no arrest as irresponsibly [...]

Thread Bare: The Art of Kusti Weaving

arzan sam wadia — Sun, 27 May 2012 04:44:38 +0000

An unusual book on the weaving of the sacred thread worn by the Parsis adds to the craft revival stories in India Few, even among textile conservationists, would imagine a book deconstructing kusti, (pronounced ‘kasti’), the sacred thread worn by the Parsi community. It is certainly not a topic that dots fashion conversations these days. But if revival is India’s biggest fashion story at the moment — through disparate but persistent action by designers, textile experts and the government — unusual projects like these are gushy tributaries feeding into it. Textile designer Ashdeen Lilaowala’s Threads of Continuity, currently a work-in-progress book on kusti weaving, to be published by Parzor Foundation, an NGO, falls in that category. By Shefalee Vasudev | Indian Express Pretty strawberry milkshakes sit on the table between us on a baking summer afternoon as Lilaowala gently corrects me on my sweeping use of the term Parsis. He points out that some of it is about the Zoroastrian diaspora, while other references have seeped into our vast textile information from Iranian textile and craft. In the next 20 minutes, I realise that many of my facts about Parsi embroidery, craft, textile and clothes worn for Zoroastrian rituals are [...]

Lord Bilimoria’s Speech at the House of Lords On the Occasion of the 150th Anniversary of ZTFE

arzan sam wadia — Sat, 26 May 2012 18:03:28 +0000

House of Lords – Thursday 24 May 2012 Opening speech by Lord Bilimoria to move the motion: “That this House takes note of the contribution made by minority ethnic and religious communities to the cultural life and economy of the United Kingdom, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the formation of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe” My Lords, more than 1,000 years ago, a group of Zoroastrian refugees fleeing religious persecution in Iran arrived in India in what is now the state of Gujarat. The Zoroastrians asked the local king for refuge but he said there was no space for them in his land. One of the Zoroastrian priests asked the king for a cup of milk filled to the brim. The priest gently took a teaspoon of sugar and stirred it into the milk without spilling a drop. He then said to the king, “If you take us into your kingdom, we will be like the sugar in the milk: we will blend in with you but we will also make your kingdom sweeter”. The king allowed them to stay and that group of refugees, and others who followed, flourished to become India’s Zoroastrian Parsee community. [...]

Ratan Tata India’s most powerful CEO, Cyrus Mistry debuts at No. 15

arzan sam wadia — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:37:44 +0000

Tata Sons Chairman Ratan Tata heads the ET-Corporate Dossier ranking of India Inc’s Most Powerful CEOs for the fourth year running. Set to retire by the end of the year, Tata will leave a vacancy at the top, just as former Infosys chairman NR Narayana Murthy dropped off the list of Most Powerful CEOs only when he ceased to be a chief executive. This year’s ranking includes Cyrus Mistry for the first time, at No. 15, by virtue of his appointment as vice-chairman and chairman designate of Tata Sons. The annual ranking includes a few other major changes as well, owing mainly to the tumultuous environment that has left several business houses severely mauled. While Mukesh Ambani has managed to retain his position at second place, brother Anil has fallen six positions to 11. Sunil Mittal has had an even more drastic fall, to 16th position from No. 3 last year, mirroring the state of the telecom sector. Kumar Mangalam Birla has, however, not let his problems over the 2G issue eclipse his success in the other sectors, such as retail. The 500 senior executives interviewed by IMRB for the survey have placed him third in the power rankings, up [...]

Lord Bilimoria Addresses The House of Lords on the Occassion of ZTFE’s 150 Year Anniversary

arzan sam wadia — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:07:25 +0000

A crossbench peer and leading entrepreneur has criticised the UK’s “madcap” immigration controls, warning they are damaging business prospects. Lord Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer, condemned the government’s immigration cap as a “crude and blunt instrument”. Opening a Lords debate on the contribution of minority ethnic and religious groups to the cultural life and economy of the UK, the crossbench peer said foreign students brought up to £80 million a year in revenue into the country. “And yet potential foreign students are asking themselves: ‘does Britain really want us?’” he said, Urging ministers to think again about the “short-sighted” and “madcap idea”, Lord Bilimoria said it was also affecting business. He argued that Indian restaurants were unable to bring in the skilled staff they needed and “suffering” as a result. Lord Bilimoria, who came to Britain as a student from India 30 years ago, said the “glass ceiling” had been “shattered” and the country transformed into a “meritocracy where there is opportunity for all regardless of race, religion or background”. He forecast that a member of the ethnic minority community would become prime minister during his lifetime. Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town, winding up the debate for Labour, warned the [...]

Jeh Wadia : Bombay Realty has maintained a straight line in prices

arzan sam wadia — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:37:43 +0000

Jeh Wadia, managing director of Bombay Realty, spoke on conceptualizing projects in a tough real estate scenario and the impact of changing building norms in Mumbai By Madhurima Nandy | Livemint.com It is not often that a real estate start-up of sorts enters the business with nearly 10,000 acres of land, including 700 acres in Mumbai alone. Possession of clean-titled land is half the job done for any real estate company in India. Though it began work on a large mixed development project on a mill land in Dadar, Mumbai a few years ago, Bombay Realty was formally formed only last year. It culminates the Wadia Group’s real estate interests into a new enterprise set up to develop assets and land owned by the group and the family across cities. Bombay Realty, a part of Bombay Dyeing and Manufacturing Co. Ltd, will contribute more than half of its revenue towards the development of properties and retiring the group’s high-cost debt. In an interview, Jeh Wadia, managing director of Bombay Realty, spoke on conceptualizing projects in a tough real estate scenario and the impact of changing building norms in Mumbai. Edited excerpts: What is the strategy to develop these 10,000 acres [...]

Zarathushti Youth Without Borders

arzan sam wadia — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:24:56 +0000

Behram Pastakia writes One of the long term goals of the First Strategic Plan of FEZANA was to nurture Zarathustis willing to serve the poor and disadvantaged members of society, with like minded Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s). Roshni Kasad, orignially from New Jersey, now based in California, who had served with Manav Sadhna, an NGO working with children in the slums of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, shares information with us about a once in a decade tour of sixteen slum children as they share their message of Oneness and Unity ( Ekatva ) on a tour of the United States and England. Choreographed by the Darpana Academy, almost two years in the making, the show held at the Greenberg Auditorium of the American University in Washington D.C. was sold out with 100 persons on the waiting list for tickets. The dates and details for upcoming shows in the United States and England, U.K. are appended. Zarathushti youth and their parents who would like to have a first hand encounter with the ethos and spirit of an NGO where young Zarathushtis may consider spending a few months as volunteers, are encouraged to interact with the members of the staff and artists who are available [...]

Jamshedpur Parsis Go Platinum With Rock Climbing

arzan sam wadia — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:23:27 +0000

Bats and slippery tunnels aren’t really normal props to celebrate 75 years of an association. But when it comes to Jamshedpur Parsi Association’s (JPA) platinum jubilee, expect the unexpected. Published in the Telepgraph India Members of the feisty and adventurous community enjoyed a two-day stint at an adventure camp in Tumung in East Singhbhum, 25km from Jamshedpur, on May 12 and 13 to celebrate their special day. Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) gave them logistical support. Participants, who ranged between 11 and 61 years, took part in team building games, cooking on the field, caving, rappelling and freehand rock-climbing. “The camp was great fun. All the action and adventure helped us to combat fears and develop self-belief,” said former JPA chairman Navsar Dotiwala, who at 61, was the oldest participant and is already looking forward to organise a sports events for children for the ongoing platinum jubilee celebrations. The JPA, formed in 1937, is serving the interests of about 200 members of the Parsi community in Jamshedpur. The Parsis are one of Jamshedpur’s most prominent communities, with the city’s founder J.N. Tata himself a Parsi. Now, they are dwindling in numbers, but their infectious enthusiasm is unimpaired. Before the camp, [...]

BPP Trustee Yazdi Desai & Anahita Desai Arrested & Released on Bail in Defamation Case

arzan sam wadia — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:11:34 +0000

Yazdi Desai, BPP and WAPIZ Trustee and his wife Anahita Desai as well as Mr. Shashikant Jadhav, publisher of The Afternoon – Despatch & Courier newspaper were released on bail of Rs. 10,000/- each, by the Metropolitan Magistrate Court on 15/5/2012 in a defamation case filed by builder Zarir Bhathena of Hilla Builders. Printed in the Parsi Times. The case, which was filed in 2006, finally resulted in the Magistrate issuing summons the accused, which includes, Mr. Areez Khambatta (of Rashna fame) a Trustee of WAPIZ and BPP and WAPIZ Trustee Khojeste Mistree. In February 2006 the WAPIZ page had attacked Bhathena on the issue of Hilla Towers, which was constructed on the Lalbaug Agiary grounds. Bhathena had issued a legal notice demanding an apology, which WAPIZ ignored. Thereafter Bhathena filed a complaint under Sections 500, 501 and 502 read with 34 of the Indian Penal Code. WAPIZ in its brief history is known for attacks on individuals through its paid advertisements. Initially these "advertisements" appeared in the Afternoon newspaper and subsequently moved to the Free Press Journal. One of the most shocking attacks in recent times was the attack on a retired judge and a Senior Counsel during the [...]

Deena Mistri of BVS Parsi High School: Teacher, Principal, Humanitarian

arzan sam wadia — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:23:41 +0000

Mrs Deena Mistri, the longest serving Principal of the BVS Parsi High School, in Karachi, Pakistan. Deena dedicated her life to the school and to the cause of education in Pakistan. This is a small tribute to the woman, the teacher and the great human being…….May her soul rest in peace…..May we, her students, carry her cause forward and remember her at her very best. You May Also Like:BAWATips: I’m Bawa and I Know It The incredibly funny bunch of people at BAWATIPS bring us their first video....I'm BAWA and I Know It. The Promise Of A New Day: World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust Since the 1990s, The World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust, based in India, has been working in the villages of Gujarat, specifically ...The Irani Café : A gastronomic experience heading towards extinction The two videos below are created by “indiandocumentaries” and are posted on youtube. Reader Dara Acidwalla also informs us ...Zoroastrians – Keep The Faith: Different Drummers Rohinton Rivetna, Tenaz Jamsetjee and Shazad Mehta of Chicago were recently interview on TV for the program Different Drummers. This ...Jeejeebhoy Senior Citizen’s Centre Navsari Here are two video clips about the Bai Manechbai P. B. Jeejeebhoy Senior Citizen’s Centre situated [...]

Darion Gandhi Dances to Gold

arzan sam wadia — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:25:58 +0000

So You Think You Can Dance judge Jason Coleman thinks a young Hampton Park boy can do just that. Published in the Barwick Star News, Melbourne Australia. Nine year old Darion Gandhi from Cathy-Lea Dance Works received a gold medal at the Cechetti Junior Award Day a couple of Sundays ago. The event was held at the Ministry of Dance Studios in North Melbourne and was adjudicated by Jason Coleman from the hit television series So You Think You Can Dance. Darion was selected from 60 elite entrants at his level. Nine other students from Darion’s school received honorable mentions in the prestigious ballet competition which draws students from many of the best dance schools across Victoria, Australia. You May Also Like:BawaTips This is a hilarious and very astute collection of tips about Bawajis. Below are just 3 of more than 50 ...NAVROZYNG Join ZYNG (the youth wing of the BPP) is having its annual Navroze party "NAVROZYNG" at Dios, Tardeo, Mumbai, on ...PARZOR Exhibition in Mumbai: Hand Embroidered Products at the Women’s Week Festivities Information forwarded to Parsi Khabar by regular reader and good friend Dr. Arnavaz Havewala. Three Parsis Amongst List of 129 Padma Awardees for 2012 [...]

Zoroastrian Stree Mandal of Hyderabad and Secunderabad: Sticking together

arzan sam wadia — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:10:49 +0000

There is probably an inverse relation between a community’s population and its togetherness. The Parsi community doesn’t defy this relation and is an exceptionally close-knit community. With a population of about 1,100, the Parsi community has a sizeable population. By Amar Tejaswi | Deccan Chronicle Parsis’ business acumen drew them to the city a couple of generations back and they have remained here since with a lot of the members having businesses of their own. But the business acumen is diminishing with time as current generations move towards jobs in IT industry and elsewhere. Parsis in the city, like anywhere else, are quite conscious of their community and its number and have thus initiated a range of schemes for themselves. Schemes to alleviate poverty and child educational incentives are some that are active. The Zoroastrian Stree Mandal, a group of Parsi ladies have been doing some good work on the charity front. But Parsis are, generally, an affluent set of people and are known to believe in charity and so, these schemes are no surprise. But, noteworthy is the bi or tri-annual ‘Gambhar’, which is free feast for any Parsi who wishes to attend. The purpose of this, Parsis say, [...]

Parsis petition Centre for survival

arzan sam wadia — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:51:29 +0000

The Parsis are a demographically declining community on the cusp of near extinction. This is what Keki Daruwalla, Sahitya Akademi award-winning poet and a member of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM), wrote to the Planning Commission (PC). By Anurag Kumar Chaubey & Kshitiz Shaminit Tirkey | DNA India Alarmed by the drastic fall in India’s Parsi population, Daruwalla, in his two-page letter to PC member Dr Syeda Hameed, has highlighted the census figures which show that the number of Parsis in 1941, which was 1,14,890, almost halved to 69,601 by 2001. Daruwalla organised a meeting with PC members on April 12 to discuss the “demographic peril” his community is facing. He has sought Hameed’s help to get approval for several urgent measures recommended by the working committee of the Union ministry of minority affairs. The committee has recommended that the central government should study the community’s problems and come out with schemes accordingly which will be funded completely by the Centre and it should specifically target the “married, childless couples” as well as the girl child within the community to arrest the decline in population. Enlisting the help of two Parsi researchers from Harvard, Zubin Shroff and Dinyar Patel, [...]

Billionaire Godrej Sees Property Beating Retail

arzan sam wadia — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:50:52 +0000

Indian billionaire Adi Godrej said real estate will deliver his company’s fastest growth over the next five years as foreign rivals such as Unilever Plc (ULVR) and Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) constrain his flagship consumer-goods unit. By Ruth David and Malavika Sharma | Bloomberg “The strongest growth potential we see is in our property- development business,” Godrej, chairman of the Godrej Group, said in an interview at his office campus on the outskirts of Mumbai. “No one has any significant market share. It is divided among a large number of players.” Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. (GCPL), in which Temasek Holdings Pte. bought a 5 percent stake in January, has faced “tremendous competition” in recent years from international companies eager to tap India’s booming consumer market, said Godrej, 70. That trend is set to continue, he said. Unilever, the world’s second-biggest maker of consumer goods, has almost a third of the beauty and personal-care market in India after more than a century operating in the country. In real estate, where investment rules constrain some global operators, Godrej said he mainly contends with smaller, domestic rivals. India’s property market is forecast to grow to $180 billion by the end of [...]

Shapoor Mistry brings in talent, expands role of old hands

arzan sam wadia — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:52:28 +0000

Shapoor Mistry of the Pallonji Mistry group is bringing in talent, expanding the role of the old guard and identifying new business ventures at the $2-billion group. The initiative is aimed at transforming the way the construction-to-home appliances conglomerate functions. By Sobia Khan | The Economic Times The reclusive Irish-Parsi business tycoon, Pallonji Mistry, passed the baton of his 147-year-old business conglomerate on to elder son Shapoor Mistry in January this year after younger son Cyrus Mistry was chosen as the successor to Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata. Mistry’s father first bought shares in the Tata Sons in the 1930s, a stake that currently stands at 18.4%. The 47-year-old managing director of the SP Group has brought in former PwC director Jai Mavani as executive director in charge of M&A and family practice, signalling the group’s appetite for inorganic growth. Mavani, who will spearhead acquisitions for the group, sits on the apex decision-making body Group Centre, joining the ranks of other top executives such as Jimmy J Parakh and human resources head Vasant Sanzgiri, group head (strategy) Shankar Krishnan and financial controller Mahesh Tahilyani. Jimmy J Parakh, the man who worked closely with Pallonji Mistry during the formative years, has [...]

Water Wastage Complaint at Bhabha Sanatorium Compound

arzan sam wadia — Mon, 07 May 2012 22:24:44 +0000

200 ways to waste water For three months, allege residents, a Bandra family has been committing water carnage by pouring upto 200 litres of water out of their fourth floor flat for no reason; BMC engineer says action will be taken By Shailesh Bhatia | Mid-Day Even as Mid Day reported the acute scarcity of potable water in Thane villages which led to the death of a tribal woman, and the fact of individuals there surviving on just three litres of water per month (‘Thane, where water is a luxury’ April 26, 2012), this reporter came upon an instance of a Bandra family wasting upto 200 litres of water every day, for no apparent reason. SMD witnessed a woman deliberately pour a thick stream of water from a pipe from her fourth floor flat onto the compound below on Saturday morning. The act, witnessed at Bhabha Sanatorium, which is two buildings away from actor Shah Rukh Khan’s Bungalow Mannat at Bandstand, continued for an hour-and-a-half, which ultimately resulted in a puddle that overflowed onto the adjacent sea-facing road. SMD saw 53 year-old Sana Irani deliberately pouring a thick stream of water from a pipe from her fourth floor flat onto [...]

ZYNG Organizes A Summer Celebration for Differently Abled Parsi/Irani Zoroastrians

arzan sam wadia — Sat, 05 May 2012 21:45:00 +0000

Name: SPECIAL STARS Tagline: A Summer Celebration for Differently Abled Parsi/Irani Zoroastrians Organizers: ZYNG – Zoroastrian Youth for the Next Generation Senior Citizens Ladies Group of Rustom Baug Om Creations Trust Jam-e-Jamshed Schedule: Friday, 11th May 2012 10:00am – 2:30pm Rustom Baug Saturday, 12th May 2012 4:30pm – 7:30pm Rustom Baug Sunday, 13th May 2012 4:30pm – 7:30pm Rustom Baug Participants: Differently Abled Parsi/Irani Zoroastrians are invited to come and spend the weekend with us. We will organize workshops and games for them and make them participate in various competitions (Talent / Prayer / Fancy Dress). All participants will be given prizes and goodie-bags. Plan of Action: On Friday, 11th May 2012, all participants will assemble at 10:00am at Rustom Baug and will be accompanied by an adult. There will be a bus organised to take the participants and volunteers to Om Creations where there will be workshops and demonstrations of the activities conducted at Om Creations. This will be followed by Lunch for all participants. The bus will then bring everyone back to Rustom Baug by 2:30pm and the parents can take the children home. On Saturday, 12th May 2012, all participants will assemble at 4:30pm at Rustom Baug [...]

A year on, JJ Hospital finally gets Rs. 52 Lacs from Maneck Sanjana’s Estate

arzan sam wadia — Fri, 04 May 2012 03:43:36 +0000

In January 2011, JJ received an email that a Parsi woman had left 100,000 Canadian dollars for it. But the hospital authorities thought of it as an elaborate online fraud By Santosh Andhale | Mumbai Mirror Congratulations! You are entitled to receive 100,000 Canadian dollars. Send us your account details so that we could facilitate the transfer. If you had such an email in your inbox, you would probably frown and delete it. If your new-to-email dad gets it, you would painstakingly try to explain why that email is a fraud. So one can understand that when state-run JJ Hospital received such a mail in January last year, they chose to ignore it. Only this time, it was for real. A Canada-based Parsi millionairess had actually donated 100,000 Canadian dollars (that’s about Rs 52 lakh) to the hospital. And after a year of living in utter disbelief, the hospital authorities have finally received the large sum. Maneck K Sanjana, who died in Toronto on November 13, 2006 at the age of 89, had willed large sums of money to hospitals in Canada and to the Parsi wards of JJ, Byculla-based Masina hospital and Parsi General Hospital. In January 2011, Sanjana’s [...]

Mumbai Boss: The Chef Behind Godiwalla Caterers

arzan sam wadia — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:32:53 +0000

Tanaz Godiwalla is the undisputed high priestess of Parsi wedding catering. Families are known to call Godiwalla before they book a venue or finalise the guest list. We wouldn’t be surprised if a few of them inform Godiwalla of the date before they telephone close relatives. After all, her catering services are so much in demand that her appointments diary is already packed with commitments until December 2014. By Purva Mehra |Mumbai Boss Godiwalla Caterers have been the community favourites for over four decades now. “Both my parents were great cooks; we had this tradition of cook-offs in which my siblings and I got to decide who made the better meal,” said Godiwalla whose father Rohinton and mother Freny set up a small canteen in Colaba’s Cusrow Baug in 1965. Their business gradually grew to become a catering service dedicated to weddings and Navjotes (a thread ceremony during which a child is inducted into Zoroastrianism). Tanaz Godiwalla took charge of the business in 1991, at the age of 21. Today, she single-handedly manages a staff of 350 people, and between November and March every year, she caters as many as 150 weddings and Navjotes a month. Godiwalla takes the rest [...]

BAWATips: I’m Bawa and I Know It

arzan sam wadia — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:26:12 +0000

The incredibly funny bunch of people at BAWATIPS bring us their first video….I’m BAWA and I Know It. You May Also Like:The Promise Of A New Day: World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust Since the 1990s, The World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust, based in India, has been working in the villages of Gujarat, specifically ...Deena Mistri of BVS Parsi High School: Teacher, Principal, Humanitarian Mrs Deena Mistri, the longest serving Principal of the BVS Parsi High School, in Karachi, Pakistan. Deena dedicated her life ...The Irani Café : A gastronomic experience heading towards extinction The two videos below are created by “indiandocumentaries” and are posted on youtube. Reader Dara Acidwalla also informs us ...Zoroastrians – Keep The Faith: Different Drummers Rohinton Rivetna, Tenaz Jamsetjee and Shazad Mehta of Chicago were recently interview on TV for the program Different Drummers. This ...Jeejeebhoy Senior Citizen’s Centre Navsari Here are two video clips about the Bai Manechbai P. B. Jeejeebhoy Senior Citizen’s Centre situated in Navsari Gujarat. ...