87 - PARSEES AND PARSEES AND ...

Being born into the zorastrian religion, I was always reminded since childhood, that we are a breed apart and that it is important to follow the basic tenets of 'manashni gavashni kunashni' which means 'good thoughts, good words, good deeds' in the avesta language.     And it is very important to wear our 'sadra' and kusti at all times,  to pray and remind us of our religion.

And I really believed that all zorastrians, parsees and iranis, also believed the same tenets.

But bubbles do burst and so did I realize that all beliefs are just for public perusal and not for practice in reality.

Parsees are not saintly, nor too charitable, nor kind hearted, any more than other communities.

In my life experiences, I have had kindness bestowed upon me by random  people and none of them happen to be parsees.  On the contrary, parsees have critizised me without complete information or details about my actions, nor about my status, medical or financial or emotional.     Parsees have been brutal and mean and emotionally drained me, instead of lending a helping hand.   Especially parsees who are my relatives through my marriage and parsees who have married my relatives.

I have lived in a parsee colony area for more than forty years, but there is not anyone who is my friend in the true sense of the word.   

A parsee will speak politely with you if they need you to share your servant, or to borrow something, or to keep your house key to give your servant when they are not in town.

A parsee will pry into your personal details just to be able to gossip about it to their circle of friends.  

A parsee will befriend you if they know that you can bestow their property on them after you are gone. 

A parsee who is a CEO of any charitable trust, or any trustee, will demean you, insult you, and ridicule your requests, but they will focus their attention on your assets, especially if you are alone and they can acquire your property to then use it to mint money in various ways from other needy parsees.

I wanted to be a part of the parsi theatre, but i was ridiculed by certain stalwarts of the industry, almost as if they were purposely hindering my dreams.

Parsi school principals have insulted my children for requesting to be as part of the organisers.  Parsees only respect another parsee who is rich or someone who they can donate foodgrains and diapers to, once a year.

Of course I must reiterate that there are a few who really reach out, but they are very very few and far apart, almost unreachable.

So when I need help, I do not go to any specific Parsee for succour, but to the good human who may belong to any other religion. 

53 - MUMBAI SIGHTS AND INSIGHTS

Yesterday I travelled to Chembur from Girgaon, for some personal work.  The taxi journey was almost two hours long, with endless views of exhaust pipes of buses and other 4 wheelers.  But the return journey by bus,  let me appreciate a few interesting sights of Mumbai.


At the Nana Lal Mehta flyover, near Matunga,  the area beneath the flyover has been transformed into an aesthetic walking space, with a neat pathway and greenery and sitting space.  Public was enjoying the space in the shade.  Wow!  If only the same transformation could be emulated at all other 'below-the-flyover' spaces.  All other similar spaces are a horror, with overflowing garbage bins, haphazardly parked vehicles, beggars living and multiplying and carrying out their daily life  chores in the public eye.



The next beautiful sight was outside the Cosmos Bank at Gokhale Road, Dadar.  Two dead tree trunks have been painted colourfully and each has been mounted with some sculptures to enhance the trunks.  One has a lotus and the other has a peacock.  It looks very natural and calming.



Then the Atria Mall flyover before Haji Ali, had the next 'treat' for the senses.  Just as we pass Worli naka and approach Atria Mall,  the stench of the Worli sewage clearing plant, assaults our senses.  and then the lovely green and fresh climbers that adorn the walls of the flyover, calm the passersby.



At Mumbai Central, either side of the road has a narrow pavement that is converted into an open air mall, every evening.  One side has a display of colourful T-shirts, watches and headphones, bags and books, and fruits.  The other side is home to the nomadic Nepalese woollens sellers.  They have built their make shift stalls all along the sidewalk, almost fifty stalls on one side of the bridge, the other side is the space for the fish and pickle stalls.  It is a soothing sight to watch people earning an honest living, rather than to see a bridge pavement taken over by slums and beggars.



Then I travelled towards the Lower Parel railway bridge.  You can buy clothes and shoes, vegetables and fruit, mobile covers and headphones,  warm clothes and toys, fresh vadapav, chilled beverages.
But when the stalls disappear, you can see the slums with their innumerable naked babies defecating openly and men smoking happily.  The women cooking and conversing aloud.  I personally knew a well-to-do man, who envied these open air slum dwellers.   Hmmmmm.........My advice to such people is that they are free to join the choice of their dreams.