Farohar, you will involuntarily peep inside to check if you know who is riding in it. The malai on toast on Sunday mornings, the vasanu and doodh puff in the winters, the larvo from Parsi Dairy Farm — all these simple but wonderful things are unique to our community, and we take a great sense of pride in the little traits that we consider so very Parsi. And yet, there is a line that divides us down the middle; we are one, yet we act like a set of two. In Mumbai, there are two very distinct types of Parsis and the differences between them are only increasing with the passage of time. Both love their parsipanu, but in very different ways.

The so-called ‘Colony Parsi’

Colony Parsis are usually gregarious, outgoing — just so, well, Parsi. Although practically all of them have ongoing feuds with their immediate neighbours (!), they also take a lot of pride in and are very protective of their colonies/baugs, and so in their own small way keep parts of the community together as big happy (colony) families. Back in my school and junior college days — I attended St. Mary’s School (ICSE), followed by St Xavier’s — I had very few Parsi friends.

Thereafter, I moved to Chicago to obtain my Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and subsequently my Master’s Degree in Finance from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

In the United States, my only exposure to Parsis came by way of my host family, the Rivetnas (to whom I will be forever grateful), and the Navroze/Parsi New Year get-togethers organized by the Zoroastrian Association of Chicago.

And so it was that a large part of my life went by without my experiencing the fun of living in a colony. Back home in Mumbai, what came closest to that raucous and jolly atmosphere were Sunday lunches at my parents’ home, when family and childhood friends would come over to partake heartily of a Parsi meal, and turn the house into a mini colony for awhile with their boisterous chatter and appetites.

Colony Parsis are passionate and enthusiastic, qualities I have observed firsthand through events conducted by Zoroastrian Youth For The Next Generation (ZYNG). If we host a competition, for example, we are met with a burst of participation from the colony Parsis, not to mention their extensive support crews, who always cheer them on.

Every colony/baug in our city has its little quirks and oddities — the lady who feeds all the neighbourhood cats, the old gentleman who prefers to exercise walking backwards — and it is this quirkiness that makes colony life so different, so special.

The ‘Non-Colony Parsi’

Hoity-toity is how noncolony Parsis are sometimes referred to. I have also heard them called tichkus. As you’ve probably guessed by now, I’m a non-colony Parsi, but I definitely don’t think I am hoity-toity or a tichku, although some people I know have definitely earned themselves that title! I admit, after my Class 10 exams, I chose to go on holiday instead of attending the Holiday Program For Youth (HPY). Till I turned 21, I never participated in any all-Parsi sports or athletic meets, but I did put on a suit and attend the Annual Red Cross Ball. Today, however, when I judge HPY competitions and speak to the participants, I realise that the program has so much to offer our youth. That one month is part of a wonderful journey to adulthood, where they meet likeminded students of the same age from our community, and embark upon a path of discovery that instills in them the right values and knowledge. Kudos to Diana Marfatia, Azmin Mistry and Hoshaang Gotla.

The point I am trying to make is that Parsis who don’t live inside colonies and baugs are missing out on a lot. The hoity-toity Parsi is somewhat disconnected and detached from the community, and often looks down upon those who live in colonies; the younger lot are sometimes complacent and caught up in their personal lives, the elders are not interested in very much to do with the community and prefer living outside the fold. Make no mistake, I’m not trying to judge anyone — the point I’m trying to make is that there is a visible rift between Parsis who don’t live in colonies and the affairs and happenings of the community.

One Family

As we read in our Parsi publications each week, our community is unfortunately plagued with much controversy currently.

This could be the main reason why people are beginning to lose interest in Parsi affairs and distancing themselves from the proceedings. There is more bitterness and acrimony than news in our community press at present, and the need of the hour is to collectively do away with the mistrust that has crept into our lives and try to bring everyone together — a fresh start with a clean slate. Parsis who don’t live in colonies or baugs, please, come out and participate with the rest of us. There are various organizations that conduct community-oriented activities XYZ for toddlers, HPY for the teenagers, ZYNG for the youth, WZCC for adults –the list is long and has something for everyone. All these organizations painstakingly conduct event after event. Step out of your current comfort zone and encourage our youth to follow suit; even if they do feel a little forced at first, they will thank you for it soon enough.

There are regular sporting tournaments held in baugs and colonies across the city. Most entrants are from the colonies themselves, but here’s what — several prominent clubs such as the Bombay Gymkhana, CCI and Willingdon Club have Parsi members who participate in and even captain their clubs’ cricket, football and athletic teams. For some strange reason, however, they do not feel the need to participate in inter-colony Parsi tournaments. Imagine how much keener and healthier the competition would get if these Parsi club captains and players began playing with colony Parsis. Let us all try to get involved and share our knowledge and experiences for the benefit of everyone.

Several baugs also host annual celebrations and functions year after year. What stops so many non-colony Parsis from attending them, I really don’t know; everyone from the community is welcome, no matter where you’re from.

There are also so many social services one can participate in — if you don’t fancy boogeying the night away, you can volunteer for a worthy cause instead, lend a helping hand. There is so much we can learn from the underprivileged (and I can tell you, there are many such Parsis) — a small contribution can lead to big changes in their lives.

And so, dear colony Parsis, you must continue to be the binding force for the rest of the community, because you have been doing it so well for so long.

To others like me, please let’s make more of an effort to be part of the whole. Everyone is equal in the eyes of Ahura Mazda and there’s no reason why there should be any difference between us based on where we live. There is strength in numbers, so let’s put aside all other issues and concentrate on unity — not colony to colony, but as one community.

Published in the Jam-e-Jamshed on 7 Jun 2015