Parsi Times presents the conclusion of the 5-part series on the entry, settlement and rise of the Parsi community in India, by Adil J. Govadia
Setting a shining example of ideals and social commitment, our Parsi ancestors believed, ‘an ounce of practice is better than a ton of preaching’. Their committed work-principles and ethics, coupled with philanthropy and ability to adapt, elevated India as a commercial nation of the world. Seth J R B Jeejeebhoy, a leading historian of his time, once stated, “…from the earliest times the Parsi mind was impregnated with the idea that monies planted in the soil of benevolence often grew into harvests of prosperity, and seldom does the suffering humanity fail to touch a Parsi’s noble and generous heart.” In fact, nothing has brought more fame and prominence to the Parsi community than its charities, often of a cosmopolitan disposition (Ref. H.D. Darukhanawala’s ‘Parsi Lusture on Indian Soil’)!
Parsi patronages have all along been directed to assuage human suffering, without distinction of religion or nationality. The Victorian age was particularly prolific in Parsi philanthropy as they left an everlasting imprint on the pages of Indian history. Parsis, by practice, validated that the purpose of wealth-creation should be for the advancement of society and not necessarily to live in opulent mansions, or own a stable-full of fancy cars or travel in personal jets! Be it in the field of education, housing, health care or research in science and technology, Parsis have demonstrated the true influence of philanthropy worldwide. No wonder that globally recognized institutions like the Indian Institute of Science, Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital, Elphinstone College, JJ Hospital, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Masina Hospital, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, The Cama & Albless Hospitals, Parsi General Hospital, the National Centre for Performing Arts, etc, are all testimony of Parsi patronage!
The community’s prominence can be judged from the number of Parsis who received heredity and honorary titles from the British, indicating the measure of political significance the community gained under the British establishment. By 1946, sixty-three Parsi-Zoroastrians were knighted and three Parsis (out of eight Indians in Bombay Presidency) received heredity Baronets, namely Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy (1857), Sir Dinshaw Manockjee Petit (1890) and Sir Cowasji Jehangir (1908).
Indeed, philanthropy and Parsis are synonymous – their value-systems of compassion, charity, patronage and generosity along with their sense of honesty, progressive and qualitative enrichment of humankind, irrespective of caste or creed, is a well-acknowledged inherent phenomenon, perhaps unmatched in the history of mankind!
Speaking of Parsi charities having a cosmopolitan outlook, what better example to cite than the Tata charities. It all started with Seth Nusserwanji Ratanji Tata (1821-1886), father of Seth Jamsetji N. Tata, who established business contracts in distant places like Karachi, Zanzibar, China and Kutch. Under his direction, was the Central India Spinning & Weaving Company established in 1874 in Nagpur. He also established a girl’s school for Zoroastrian children, in the name of his sister Bai Navajbai; and built a Dokhma in Navsari and a Dar–e-Mihr at Bandra, Bombay.
Bai Ratanbai Edulji Bamji (1846-1930), Seth Jamsetji N. Tata’s sister, devoted her life to public service after she was widowed in 1874, at the young age of 28 years. In Navsari, she built a Parsi sanatorium and a ‘Mahila Vishram’ in addition to the ‘J.N. Tata Hunarshala (Technical Institute)’, a ‘Garothaman Baug’ for needy destitute Parsis and the library hall called ‘Sayaji Vaibhav Library’. She also endowed the Deolali Dokhma and Poona’s ‘Sardar Nosherwan Dastur Girls High School’ in addition to Baroda’s ‘Girl’s Orphanage’ and several other institutions. The ‘Nusserwanji Tata Girl’s High School’ in Tehran (Iran) was also founded by Bai Ratanbai’s largesse. In fact, upon her demise in 1930, she left her entire estate in charity!
The greatest feature of the Tata family – be it Seth Jamsetji Tata, Seth J.R.D. Tata or Seth Ratan N. Tata – is that they have always remained minority stakeholders of the Tata empire, as almost two-thirds of Tata stocks are held by charitable Tata Trusts such as the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and so on, which then dispenses charities, mainly towards medical research and education, amounting to colossal sums. For an organization with its group sales amounting to over US $ 100 billion a year (in 2015), perhaps equaling to entire GDP of several developing countries, to be owned by charitable trusts is a startlingly amazing fact unsurpassed anywhere in the world!
Most noteworthy and genuine humane leadership of the highest kind was aptly demonstrated by Seth Ratan Naval Tata under the most extraordinary circumstances when Mumbai was attacked by terrorists on 26th November, 2008. Immediately after the extremist strike on Tata-owned heritage hotel, The Taj Mahal Palace, Ratan Tata set an unmatched Tata standard of corporate social welfare by forming a trust in a record time of a mere twenty days to rehabilitate all known and unknown victims, without any fanfare or media coverage – irrefutably a beacon of inspiration and hope for the world to emulate. As reported in Asian Correspondent dated 3rd December, 2009, the House of Tata’s not only rehabilitated all known and unknown victims but also pledged complete responsibility of lifetime education for 46 children of the terror victims, including those of the unknown roadside vendors.
Also, all Taj employees were extended lifetime medical facilities for the surviving family members and dependents in addition to a complete waiver of all loans and advances irrespective of the amount. A grievously injured four-year-old granddaughter of a roadside vendor was financed complete medical recovery at Bombay Hospital while new hand-carts were presented to several vendors who lost their carts in the gruesome cowardly attack. Such was the magnanimity unpretentiously demonstrated by the head of Tatas.
True leaders always inspire by their deeds and Ratan Tata’s name will always sparkle in the annals of history as a true visionary with a heart of gold! In fact, successive generations of the Tatas have liberally donated towards several social causes around the world be it famine, flood relief, promotion of sports, building hospitals, schools and educational institutions of higher learning. Recently, Tatas announced Rs. 1,000 Crores charity towards ‘affordable cancer treatment’ across India for all sections of society! Likewise, in 2010, the Harward Business School received a magnanimous gift of $ 50 million from the philanthropic entities of Tata Group like the Tata Companies, the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Tata Education and Development Trust. As reported in a press release, the said gift is the largest from an international donor in the school’s 102-year history, which will fund a new academic and residential building on its Boston campus.
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