Thank you PT! Thank you Khushroo Suntook!

Being out of Mumbai  in June, it is only a few days ago that I read the article of Mr. Khushroo Suntook, ‘Companionship Through Music’ and it warmed the cockles of this music lover’s heart. Thank you Khushroo Santook! Thank you Parsi Times!!

“If music be the food of love, Play on,” said Shakespeare. I would rather call it a ‘Feast’ of love. One might even enjoy a gourmet meal alone – even simple masoor-pau becomes a feast when partaken in the company of a music lover with piano strumming the music of Beethoven’s Moonlight sonata!

Concluding his article, Suntook says, “I suggest that you meet music lovers, try and see if you enjoy recordings, and later start going to concerts, because it is possible you may find concerts too long to endure in the beginning of your music appreciation days.” This is very true. Listen to classical music. Repeat listening to the same music, and every time you will find something new that appeals to you even more, something that you have heard before, lilt or tune in some other popular piece copied, or rather applied very subtly in the music – not only of Bollywood but also other Western pop music.

As a boy I listened to the western classical pieces played before the rise of the curtains in movies. I was hooked since then to classical music. All India Radio used to have a Western classical music program from 1:45pm to 2:30 pm every day. This added a lot to my repertoire of the works of the great composers. In 1967 I attended my first concert and thoroughly revelled in every moment of it – the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of aapro Zubin Mehta, and for the first time I heard Malher’s composition being played.

Another fallacy one often hears is “I do not understand Classical music.” Music is to be felt and enjoyed, even if one does not understand it technically. If food is a gastronomic treat, music is an aural treat and must be enjoyed. One need not be a rocket scientist for that. In Vienna, I heard a group of street musician playing Beethoven’s Fur Elise and Ode to Joy, and people enjoyed it thoroughly. A similar group in Salzburg was playing Mozart’s Rondo a la Turka. You just need to listen and let yourself flow into the soothing stream of sounds of Western Classical Music. You will discover a new world!

Dara Khodaiji (dara_mk@hotmail.com)

 

 

Great Initiative By Parsi Times

I sincerely appreciate your plan to develop a common platform for volunteers and causes mentioned in your earlier issue, and I wish you success! I would have joined had l not been 86 years old. I hope the list of volunteers and causes will include Litigation/ Legality-Related professionals (we need lawyers to protect properties from encroachment); Agriculturists (we need them to maximise return from unused lands of Parsi Trusts); Architects and Builders (to gainfully develop flats on Trust properties); Tax experts (to save taxes and remove discrimination on grounds of religion against Trusts meant for the benefit of a particular community, etc.)

Jal Sethna (jal.sethna@jasanigroup.com)

 

 

Dasturji Dhalla – A Good Read

Dasturji Dhalla of Karachi and his words of wisdom and simple truth, make such good and pleasant reading. Do keep it going!

Yasmine (yasminelovejoy@gmail.com)

 

 

Navroze Hope!

Living on Dhanshak, patra-ni-macchhi and pullav-berry,
feasting on ice-creams, pastries and cakes with many a cherry.
All we seek today is – how to be social and merry.

Our earnings are spent on cars, bikes and perhaps even a ferry.
And even those, very luxurious be should; by all means, extra- ordinary.
This perhaps stops us from responsibilities real. Why then marry?

Life Ahura granted us has, for a purpose specific – it’s not ordinary.
Indulge please do not in arguments and matters contemporary;
One must work hard for the community and religion on the contrary.

Hope from now, from this Navroze decide we to a Humdin marry;
Then soon plan for a prince-charming or a cute little fairy.
And through this life, with full responsibility, across ferry.

– Afried Dastur (afdastur@gmail.com)

 

 

A Few Suggestions

Congratulations for the well-quoted suggestions that our dwindling community should heed. Let me add some too. The housing problem needs immediate solution. Houses of old, single, uninformed brethrens are taken away by landlords, servants, neighbours by tricking them. For this reason, I request the retired, learned lawyers to spare their time to start a ‘Free Legal Cell’ where they can advise the uninformed community members, especially the vulnerable seniors, about how they can protect their property and bequeath it to the rightful heirs.

Regarding employment for our youth, hopefully Parsi organisations can absorb our youngsters. If our rich and affluent Parsis employ the young generation, in whichever field, there will be fewer inter-caste marriages, fights and deflections towards adopting other religions. Our microscopic community has an increasing number of quarrels, divorces, jealousy and selfishness.

Let us try to arrest these issues by coming together collectively as a community

– Gav Dalal (Email)

 

 

Community Youngsters Should Care For Seniors

In keeping with the new platform that PT is offering where volunteers from our community will be helping others’ causes, I suggest it would be a good idea if our youngsters devote some time, maybe once a week or once in fifteen days, to caring for senior citizens, with the aim of protecting them and their lives.

I had written a similar letter to earlier and am reiterating the same. Not too long back we heard of the shocking news of the murder of old Parsi senior citizens in a Parsi Colony. As per a report, over 75% of aged Parsi couples are staying by themselves for years as their children are abroad or live separately. In another incident some time ago, one senior citizen’s decaying body was found after three days of death in a Parsi colony. What are we doing for senior citizens? Many stay all alone and one knows that loneliness can kill a person. Some organizations keep entertainment programme and some take them to picnics and to places like Udvada. It is really good to take care of elders this way. But these are short term goals. We have to think of long term goals.

Most seniors suffer from some ailment or the other. They are not capable to go alone to a doctor and so they avoid taking treatment. Some are poor and hence can’t. We have a vibrant, young population. Of these, some young doctors can visit them on a regular basis and can charge those who can afford. Some young men and women can go and do some chores for them and give them company. They can take these elders for some outing. Youngsters can learn a lot from elders and it could turn out to be a symbiotic relationship. If such voluntary work is organized and is being done, our community elders will get security and happiness in life.

A PT Reader (Requested to be anonymous)