Response to D K Tamboly's "brilliant" paper
By Noshir H. Dadrawala
The paper presented by Dinshaw K. Tamboly, a trustee of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet and a leading light of the World Zoroastrian Organization, at the meeting of World Zarthusti Leaders in Mumbai, on January 22, 2003, is interesting and informative.
He has placed (to put it in his own words),” before a mature audience, pertinent data on various facets of issues relating to our declining numbers” and then, (Ahem!), “left it to the collective wisdom of those assembled to arrive at their own conclusions and to take their own decisions.”
Our worthy leader enlightens us that we are “an aging community; perhaps the only community that is plagued by a zero growth rate”. He has pointed out for our benefit that “of 17,520,000 (seventeen million five hundred twenty thousand) children born in India every year 900 are Zarthushtis. In terms of percentage this works out to 0.005%”. There is plenty of other interesting statistical data that our worthy leader has provided and which our equally worthy Jam-e-Jamshed has published in it’s weekly edition of February 9,2003. “These figures”, according to our worthy leader, “tell their own dismal story about how long we as a community may be around in India.”
Having read and reread in the brilliantly researched paper the problems and issues affecting our “survival”, I was anxiously looking forward to what our worthy leader had to suggest with regard to, “How does one address, rationally and objectively, this issue of depleting numbers?”
According to our worthy leader, “The issue of our declining numbers is the single most dominant issue that we should all be grappling with”. However, I was disappointed that our worthy leader was absolutely clueless as to how we can possibly grapple with this issue. According to the paper he has simply urged “all Zarthushti leaders to put on their thinking caps.”
He states in his brilliantly researched paper, “It is for us the present day leaders of our community to not only recognize existing facts and circumstances, but also display the courage and wisdom to redefine our agenda's with the objective of effecting a turn around of our falling numbers.” Sadly our worthy leader does not articulate or elaborate what exactly he means by “redefining our agenda with the objective of effecting a turn around of our falling numbers”. And by the way, what is our present agenda? And what should be redefined in it and how?
Our worthy leader states with a flourish:
“Called for, is an objective analysis of the 'State of the Zarthushti Community'. Required is an approach that is in harmony with the elements of the changing global scenario.”
Sadly he has left us clueless as to what this “approach” should be?
Our worthy leader rightly observes that, “The strengths and weaknesses of a nation, community or institution are entirely dependent on the quality of human beings that lead. Success or failure is either a crown to wear or a cross to carry, depending on the quality of leadership provided.” He adds, “If we consider ourselves to be World Zarthushti Leaders, the time has indeed arrived for us to provide new direction.”
Sadly once again he fails to describe, articulate or elaborate what this “new direction” should be?
He states, “Wisdom and vision, capacity to foresee the future, restructuring old policies and keeping in tune with the times, is what one expects from its leaders.” Sure! Sure! But, for heaven’s sake which are the old policies that need to be restructured, in tune with the times and how and it what manner? Our worthy leader speaks so cryptically that even an Egyptologist who is adept at deciphering hieroglyphics would go into a spin!
Dinshaw Tamboly, is looked upon by the global Zarathushti community as a ‘pragmatic’ leader who believes in being a ‘realist’! How I wish he had done some ‘real thinking’ and ‘real talking’ in his paper, instead of cryptic statements which left me as a reader, totally confused and wondering! Even Alice dropped in the other day to say that “its getting curiouser and curiouser!” May I request our worthy leader to add in his already heavy bag of sterling human qualities and virtues, the quality of ‘articulate thought’ and ‘articulate paper writing?’ Leaders, especially those, who are realists, are expected to provide clarity. Cryptic thought and writing is best left to mystics, who in any case are not regarded as ‘realists’!
- By Noshir H. Dadrawala
A number of staunch Traditional Zarathushtris responded as follows:
Hi Noshir,
Ouch, that must have hurt!
Well written. What you have written is true articulation.
Let the so called leaders of the community be brave enough to speak their minds and then have the moral and physical courage to withstand the wrath of the community.
Be brave enough to get out of the closet, Mr. Tamboly! there is very little of your elaborate facade left now.
Regards,
Ervad Marzban Hathiram
The ideas, platitudes and opinions expresed in the "brilliant" Tamboly paper are taken from a very pro-conversion book, written by a Homi B Minocher-Homji of Karachi titled "O Wither Parsis? Placate and perish or reform and flourish?". This book quotes the Ali Baba "mentor" Dhalla at several points and is disgusting.
If there is someone knowledgeable on this alias from Karachi, I would like to know what happened in the 50's and 60's to the paris community in Karachi, to cause all this type of thinking...there must be a reason.
Tandarosti,
Cyrus Bulsara
If this worthy had the courage to express his real thoughts, he knows that he would get a lot of rotten tomatoes and eggs thrown at him by the community. So he prefers to generate collective wisdom and take refuge behind it. God help us from these kind of so-called leaders .
- Hanoz Mistry.
WHO SAYS THESE ARE COMMUNITY LEADERS.
LET THEM FIGHT AN ELECTION WITH ALL ZOROASTRIANS ALLOWED TO STAND AND VOTE
NONE OF THESE APPOINTEES WILL GET ELECTED
THEY WILL NOT EVEN BE ABLE TO RAISE FUNDS FROM 5% OF THE COMMUNITY
FLATS ARE SOLD WITHOUT AUCTIONS
NOBODY KNOWS WHAT RESOLUTIONS ARE PASSED
SHAME TO THEM
- Freddie Movdawala