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The Chikoo Story
Job Opportunity – Office Assistant
REQUIRED COMPUTER SAVVY OFFICE ASSISTANT TO AID THE CO-ORDINATOR MANAGE A DIPLOMA COURSE IN SECURITIES LAW AT THE GOVT LAW COLLEGE, CHURCH GATE
Timings: Full time or part time (afternoon till 6.30pm)
Salary : commensurate
Applications by email to :
securitieslawcourse@gmail.com
Handbook Cover Art Contest at the United Nations
Calling All Designers! Have your artwork prominently featured at the largest annual NGO Forum held at the United Nations.
We are gearing up for the 63rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women in 2019!
- Held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 11-22 March, 2019
- Thousands of representatives from Governments, NGOs and Women’s Organizations worldwide
- All working to advance Human Rights for Women and Girls.
Homai Vyarawalla and her iconic pics
Little did everyone know that a young and zealous Parsi girl would go on to become India’s first female photojournalist, and perhaps even the best one till this day.
Homai Vyarawalla was born on 9 December 1913 in Gujarat. She moved to Mumbai, then Bombay, to pursue a diploma at St Xavier’s college, after which she joined the J J Schools of Arts, where she, luckily for all of us, picked up a camera and began to study photography.
It was at J J school that she met Manekshaw Vyarawalla, a freelance photographer who introduced her to the art form. She would later go on to marry him.
Her first assignment at college, to photograph a picnic, was published by Bombay Chronicle, a local newspaper, after which she regularly picked up more freelance assignments, including work for The Illustrated Weekly Magazine of India.
Click Here for the full story and some amazing pics – https://www.thequint.com/photos/iconic-images-homai-vyarawalla-india-first-woman-photojournalist
(Photo courtesy: HV Archive/ The Alkazi Collection of Photography)
https://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/photos/13156794/
Support a UK Zoroastrian entrepreneur build the next Tata-size empire
We, Zoroastrians, even though small in numbers, have taken risks as entrepreneurs, built empires through hard work and commitment and have had a big positive impact on humanity. While the Tatas, Godrej, and others redefined sectors such as manufacturing and real estate, the next generation of Zoroastrian entrepreneurs are likely to leverage technology and of course artificial intelligence to build successful businesses.
Ruzbeh Bacha who was born and brought in Mumbai and has been in the UK for a decade launched his tech startup CityFALCON from his bedroom back in 2014. The company is now one of the reputed startups in the UK and even globally.. They serve clients including the French bank BNP Paribas, Austrian bank Raiffeisen Bank, and US stock exchange IEX. They are also close to signing up a major bank in Asia. Their content partners include Bloomberg, Twitter and other reputed names. The team has grown to 30, and they have raised £1.1m in funding till date.
Startup media typically portrays all the successes including big fund raises and fails to highlight the challenges that startups face. Supporting contracts from major banks and institutions require upfront capital investment and also has high maintenance costs. Raising capital as a first-time young entrepreneur with a limited network is tough. The company is now raising their next round of funds to scale the business up by hiring more people and leveraging some of the newer technologies.
One of the most significant impacts on their business has been from Brexit. Most non-UK investors are reluctant to support UK businesses due to the political uncertainties and the volatility of the pound.
How can you support?
If you are interested and can take risks involved, you could support them by investing anything from £15 here to become equity shareholders in the company. You can read more about the business and investment terms on the site. This is NOT a donation, and if the company succeeds, it could provide good returns. Note that your capital is at risk as less than 10% of the startups succeed, and even if they do succeed, the money may be locked-in for at least 5 years. There is usually no dividend or interest paid. Please only invest money that you can afford to lose.
For UK tax residents, HMRC provides significant tax breaks and incentives for investing in startups under the EIS scheme. Subject to your tax situation, you could claim 30% of your investment back as tax rebate and can set off any losses if the company goes bankrupt against your taxable income. Please consult with your financial or tax advisor before investing.
Zoroastrians (excluding Ruzbeh) already own c. 4% of the company, and Ruzbeh owns around 59%. Several younger Zoroastrians in the same age group as Ruzbeh have also invested in the previous rounds.
If you have any questions, reach out to Ruzbeh atruzbeh@cityfalcon.com or 07827830663
Let’s keep the Zoroastrian entrepreneurship flame keep shining bright!
Kind regards
Shernaz Engineer
Chair WZCC – UK
Minority Education Loans – apply till year-end
Mumbai Chairman of Maulana Azad Minorities Financial Development Corporation Limited Haji Haider Azam said the deadline for filling up educational loan forms for minority students has been extended to December 31. Students of minority communities (Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, Parsi and Jew) desiring to pursue professional and vocational courses like MBBS, MBA, BE etc) were asked to apply for educational loans trill November 30. “Seeing the increasing demand from students and to facilitate more applications, we have extended the last date. Hopefully more students will take advantage of the loan’s scheme. The loan is for up to Rs 5 lakhs per student,”said Azam.
Students are required to apply online at https://malms.maharashtra.gov.in
Zoroastrianism’s Impact On Western Thought And World Religions
Zoroastrianism, as one of the oldest religions still in existence and probably the world’s first monotheistic faith, had been the state religion of three Persian dynasties, while shaped one of the ancient world’s largest empires—the mighty Persia Empire, before the Muslim conquest of Persia in the seventh century A.D.
Although it was the dominant religion in Iran, Afghanistan, and central Asia, today Zoroastrians remain primarily in Iran, India, and Pakistan.
To highlight the impact of Zoroastrianism on western thought and the other religions in the world, we conducted an interview with Dr. Philip G. Kreyenbroek, professor and Director of Iranian Studies in Georg-August University of Göttingen (1996-2017).
Click Here for the full interview – https://iranian.com/2018/12/05/zoroastrianism-4/
‘A Parsi delight’ is a sparkling treasury on Parsi life
Tanuja Relia and Anil Relia in front of the Portrait of shipbuilder Jehangir Nowrojee with steamboat agent Oliver Miller White
Anil Relia once again opens his treasure chest to give us a sparkling collection of Parsi portraits in the ninth edition of his eponymous Indian Portrait series. The vast personal collection includes portrait paintings, photographs, prints and collectible of the Parsi community ranging from early 16th century to late 20th century. The show opened at Amdavad ni Gufa on December 4, 2018 and will remain on display until December 9, 2018.
Ninth in the series, ‘The Indian Portrait IX – A Parsi Delight’ is a collection of rare portraits from the personal collection of art collector, entrepreneur and preserver Anil Relia and his wife Tanuja Relia. The atmosphere of inauguration was amplified by the presence of eminent citizens from Parsi community who turned out at the event in their traditional attire. The exhibition opened on the evening of December 4, 2018, at Amdavad Ni Gufa in Ahmedabad.
The Indian Portrait series by Relia bears a legacy status now. The way it culminates documentary evidence and aesthetic evolution of portraiture in different regions of India over centuries, makes it a rare collection of topnotch curator-ship. In it’s early editions Relia has showcased portraits themed under subjects like Rajputana Nayak, Colonial influence on Raja Ravi Varma and his contemporaries and Mughal Empire among others. The founder of Archer Art Gallery this time takes its audience on a fascinating voyage to the Parsi culture by assembling 170 aesthetically rich paintings and collectibles from his collection. Relia, who has formerly curated shows according to era and styles has come up with an art exhibition that is specially dedicated to a community for the first time.
Click Here for more – https://creativeyatra.com/news/anil-relias-parsi-delight-sparkling-treasury-parsi-life/
Zoroastrian Studies..A Symposium, 06 Apr 2019
You are invited to the following event:
When: 06 Apr 2019 1:00 PM, EDT
Where: INNIS TOWN HALL, 2 SUSSEX AVENUE, TORONTO, ON, M5S 1J5EVENT DETAILS:
Zoroastrian Studies
A Symposium
DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF PROFESSOR EHSAN YARSHATER (1920-2018)
Date: April 6, 2019
Venue: INNIS TOWN HALL, 2 SUSSEX AVENUE, TORONTO, ON, M5S 1J5
Time: 1pm
INTRODUCTION
1:00–1:30 REGISTRATION
1:30–1:50 INTRODUCTION
Dr. Jehan Bagli, Timothy Harrison & Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi1:50–2:25 ZOROASTRIANISM IN THE ACHAEMENID PERIOD
Maria Brosius, University of Toronto2:25–3:00 PURE BODY: THE BARŠNŪM CEREMONY THROUGHOUT HISTORY
Miguel Angel Andres Toledo, University of Salamanca3:00–3:35 THE EPIC OF SAMAK-E `AYYAR: A LITERARY COMPANION TO MITHRAIC MYTHOLOGY, ETHICS, AND SOCIAL PRAXIS
Parvaneh Pourshariati, New York City College of Technology
3:30–4:10 BREAK
4:10–4:45 DANTE AND WIRAZ: TWO OTHERWORLDLY TRAVELLERS
Enrico Raffaelli, University of Toronto4:45–5:20 PARSI TRADERS AND TRAVELLERS: GLOBAL ZOROASTRIANS IN THE AGE OF EMPIRE
Jesse Palsetia, University of Guelph5:20–6:00 ZOROASTRIANISM AND THE PROBLEM OF UNIVERSAL RELIGION IN THE EARLY MODERN ISLAMIC WORLD
Dan Sheffield, Princeton University
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
DEPARTMENT OF NEAR AND MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES
TORONTO INITIATIVE FOR IRANIAN STUDIESTHE FEDERATION OF ZOROASTRIAN ASSOCIATIONS OF NORTH AMERICA,
ONTARIO ZOROASTRIAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION,
AND ZOROASTRIAN SOCIETY OF ONTARIOClick HERE for the Flyer
Ship owners dispel rumours and tell the real tale behind heroic evacuation of 722 Indians
People who have grudges against a feature film react variously. They petition the Censor Board, approach courts, tear off the film’s posters or stage dharnas. Hanif Modak whose father late Capt. I H Modak
and now Australia-based Capt. V R Kekobad co-owned cargo ship
MV Safeer, are responding to some of the alleged “lies” portrayed in 2016 film Airlift and setting the records straight with their documentary ‘Mission Safeer:37 Days to Freedom.’ MV Safeer’s heroic evacuation of 722 Indians from wartorn Kuwait in 1990 had hit global headlines. The film Airlift doesn’t directly name M V Safeer or its owners or the Captain who, in the film, is shown accepting bribes to allow the desperate evacuees on board the ship. “Yes, MV Safeer has not been named anywhere but by implication we have been shown to be heartless and it is an insult to the heroic joint efforts of seafarers, agencies and individuals who helped bring 722 Indians to safety in Dubai. We want to tell the real story behind the evacuation through this documentary,” says Captain Kekobad.
Seated in his DN Road office, Hanif shows documents, including M V Safeer’s original log book and newspaper clippings. With a cargo of bagged rice, and 26 crew members, MV Safeer left Kandla Port in Gujarat on July 24, 1990, docking at Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait on July 31, 1990. Trouble began on August 2 when Iraq invaded Kuwait. The ship’s s log book entry of August 2, 1990 reads: “No activity whatsoever in the port. Heard news on radio that Iraq had invaded Kuwait. Sounds of gunfire and shelling could be heard on the vessel and fire and smoke could be seen all over from the bridge…”
“Neither Captain Zain Abidin Juvale nor I or anyone else demanded money from anyone. All the required permissions to carry 722 Indians were secured by the owners. Once Captain Juvale met the then foreign minister I.K. Gujral in Kuwait, we prepared the ship for embarkation of the passengers. We made 20 temporary toilets on the main deck,” MV Safeer’s first officer Captain Nazir Mulla now settled in Mumbai. MV Safeer left Kuwait for Dubai on September 4, thirty-six anxious days after berthing and days of negotiations by officials, including senior Indian embassy official in Kuwait S M Mathur, MEA official K P Fabian, Dr M A Patankar in Mumbai. “Dr Patankar provided us the first breakthrough when he arranged our meeting with Iraqi attaché in Mumbai. We subsequently got permission for an embassy staff to visit the ship and ensure safety of our crew who were detained by the Iraqi army,” said Hanif.
Out of the 722 Indians rescued, 250 were from the Konkan region alone. Hashmat Kapdi, a jeweller in Kuwait, from Kasba village in Ratnagiri, was among them. “All the crew were very helpful and compassionate. There were doctors (6) and nurses (10) who travelled with us,” recalled Kapdi.
In an earlier interview to TOI Captain Juvale had said many wealthy passengers wanted to gift their expensive cars to the crew which the crew declined. “On reaching Dubai, Captain Modak, his daughter Sadika Modak, our staff and I welcomed the evacuees,” said Captain Kekobad. Hanif added the documentary is also a homage to his father’s memories.
At a recent screening in Delhi, viewers, including some of the officials now retired, involved with the rescue mission by M V Safeer, toasted the gigantic efforts. A letter from K P Fabian, now a prized possession of Capt. Kekobad, reads: “This is to confirm that Government of India did not pay your company any amount towards evacuation of Indian nationals…”
