Those Russians call it double - 10 from 10th October, when the Tsars were overthrown. We, Parsis, will call it the October Revolution. When a frustrated, fed up, angry, exasperated, irate, end of patience but determined community will vote, in thousands, to see the last of the Mandarins and Mandrakes and usher in seven new trustees. Our young men and women, just enjoying adulthood at 18, will join our Senior Citizens in a unique exercise of universal adult franchise, from October 4 to October 19.
The community eagerly awaits the unveiling of the Adult Franchise for Progress (AFP) Panel, next Sunday. WAPIZ has atlast given up litigating to avoid these elections and is ready with its own candidates. So is young Jimmy Mistry, who will be the first to file his candidature on 28th July on the stroke of eleven. So is the old warhorse, Rustom Tirandaz, never afraid of losing an election. And, of course, our friend, Dinshaw Rusi Mehta, hero or villain - depending on your perspective. Like Jesus Christ, you can love him or hate him but you cannot ignore him. Will our enfant terrible extraordinaire pull off a sensational third-term victory and be called The Comeback Kid or will the anti - incumbency factor (seen so often in our national elections) make him third-time-not-so-lucky? Arnavaz Mistry, the social worker of great compassion will join Dr. Homi Dhalla, the erudite scholar and the Solar Panel Man; and Pheroze Amroliwalla, honest experienced committed community activist, always ready to serve if commanded. A jocker in the pack will emerge from these three candidates (remember, you heard this first in PTA!). The rest are those who will provide humour, colour and Rs.5000 deposit money to the BPP. Our favourite fruitcakes. What a show, ladies and gentlemen, what a show!





It doesn’t mean that any more. Too few vultures mean carcass cleaning is being left to dogs and rats, both of which have soared in number. The risk of rabies and other disease has vastly increased. Those who used to rely on clean bones and sparkling hides can do so no more.
About 40,000 Parsis are concentrated in Mumbai. It is a community that has developed a unique and colourful identity since the first Parsis came to India more than a thousand years ago, probably the reason why orthodox Parsis zealously keep the faith.
Despite all oppositions made so far by Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) against construction of Isfahan-Shiraz railway only in 500-meter distance of Naqsh-e Rostam historic site, based on latest reports some measures have been undertaken for marking the railway path according to its original route.