Would You Like To Be A Carpathian?

When the Titanic was sinking, there were three ships nearby. One was the Sampson, 7 miles from the Titanic. They saw the white flares signalling danger, but because the crew had been hunting seals illegally and didn’t want to be caught, they turned and went the opposite direction. The Sampson represents those of us who are so busy in our own lives that we can’t recognize when someone else is in need. The next ship was the Californian, only 14 miles away from the Titanic, but surrounded by ice fields. The captain saw the white flares but because of unfavourable conditions, he postponed helping out. This ship represents those of us who say I can’t do anything now as the conditions aren’t right and will wait until conditions are perfect. The third ship was the Carpathia, headed Southwards and 58 miles away from the Titanic when they heard the distress cries over the radio. The captain knelt down, prayed to God for direction and then turned the ship around and went full steam ahead through the ice fields. The Carpathia saved 705 survivors of the Titanic.

There will always be obstacles and reasons to avoid responsibility. Those who accept it find a place in their hearts to be remembered for the world of good they do. I really wish that we all could be Carpathians in life… this world could be a more beautiful place to live in. What is contemplated is to form a group of members who feel concerned that something needs to be done. A meeting of this group is proposed to be arranged (in Mumbai) where they can discuss various thoughts, ideas and options. Readers are requested to kindly respond to kerseekabraji@gmail.com, voicing if they would actively support by joining the group or support the movement but not be able to actively participate.

The most difficult problems in the world are resolved through open discussions and a desire to find the solution. There is no reason why we should feel shy of practicing it. May Ahura Mazda be our Guide!

Kersee Kabraji
(kerseekabraji@gmail.com)

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Let Education Not Be A Reason To Restrict Family Size

Our community has always considered the value of education, and parents strive to give the best education to their children. One of the reasons we restrict the size of the family is the high cost of education. More than the school fees, parents shell out a large chunks on private tuitions. After fleecing parents with sky rocketing fees, if the children need extra coaching, what is the standard of teaching in these hi-fi schools? The goal of education is not only to develop intelligence, but to build character and to make the child self-dependant.

Our ancestors gave priority and established various educational institutions for the progress of the community and our community’s high standard of education makes our presence felt all around. Even today, there are a number of excellent Parsi educational institutions offering sound and value based education at most affordable fees. Alexandra School, one of the most prestigious schools in Fort, offers free education to Parsi girls, as does JB Vachha. Sadly, we hardly find Parsi students taking benefits of these great institutions. All educational expenses, tuition fees, books, uniforms etc. are provided free to deserving Parsi students. We have enough trust funds for education of Parsi children, and excellent facilities are offered free of cost. The BPP trust provides scholarships and loans to deserving students.

It is sad that affluent Parsi parents prefer to send their children to high profile international schools, believing that their children will get quality education to be successful in life. Being in the company of pampered children of rich and corrupt politicians and bureaucrats, our children learn their ways and become arrogant and materialistic. The moral values, among the community is slowly dwindling. Even the middle class parents prefer to send their children to Christian convents rather than sending them to our excellent Parsi institutions where they experience friendly Parsi atmosphere, and are groomed to our unique Parsipanu – a hallmark of our community.

There are over ten times the number of applications for admissions in our esteemed Parsi schools but we hardly find any Parsi names among them. With the decline in the number attending our esteemed institutions, we have witnessed a decline in moral values among the community. Today, when the most affluent members of other communities are desperate to seek admission in our prestigious educational institutions, it is unfortunate that we do not take the benefits of these worthy institutions. When quality education is offered to us at most affordable cost, or free to the members of the community there is no reason to restrict the size of the family due to the high cost of education.

Piroja Jokhi
(piroja.jokhi@yahoo.com)