2017

PARSI
PHILANTHROPY
A POST INDEPENDENCE
PERSPECTIVE

JEHANGIR D.KHAMBATA
 Table of Contents
Summary .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 4
The Parsis and Zoroastrianism ...................................................................................................... 4
Structure of this paper ................................................................................................................... 4
Part I: Defining Characteristics: extinction , entrepreneurship and endowment.............................. 5
Parsi Demography Post 1947 ........................................................................................................ 5
Parsi Entrepreneurship and Endowment ........................................................................................ 6
Part II: Nature and Extent of Parsi Philanthropy. ........................................................................... 7
Zoroastrianism and Charity ........................................................................................................... 8
The Structure of Charitable Endowments ....................................................................................... 9
What is a Trust ? ......................................................................................................................... 10
Part III: Five Sample Trusts........................................................................................................... 11
The Bombay Parsi Punchayet ...................................................................................................... 11
The Jejeebhoy Trusts ................................................................................................................... 13
The Tata Trusts............................................................................................................................ 16
The B.D.Petit Parsee General Hospital Trust............................................................................... 19
The WZO Trusts .......................................................................................................................... 21
Part IV: Parsi Philanthropy Post Independence 1947 .................................................................... 23
India Philanthropy Report - Bain & Company , Inc..................................................................... 23
Gathering Material: Interviews and Polls .................................................................................... 24
The Poll ....................................................................................................................................... 25
Trends and Findings .................................................................................................................... 28
Part V: Conclusions ....................................................................................................................... 31
Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... 33
Appendices: .................................................................................................................................... 34
Interviews with Trustees: ............................................................................................................. 34
Appendix 1: Mr N. Dadrawala,Trustee , BPP ......................................................................... 34
Appendix 2: Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, Chairman & Trustee, Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Trusts ..... 36
Appendix 3: Mr.Venkataraman , CEO and Trustee,Tata Trusts ................................................ 39
Appendix 4: A Trustee of the Parsee General Hospital. ............................................................. 41
Appendix 5: Mr Dinshaw Tamboly, Trustee and Chairman, WZO ............................................ 42
Questionnaire : Appendix 6 ......................................................................................................... 43
Poll on Issues: Appendix 7 ........................................................................................................... 45

2
Summary

Parsi Zoroastrians are a microscopic religious and ethnic minority, largely located in India.
They have contributed to Indian industry, the professions, the arts and to public philanthropy
on a scale that is vastly disproportionate to their numbers. They have high literacy rates but
remain a closed community which one can only be born into. The underlying motivation for
Parsi charity is the Zoroastrian religion that emphasizes "Good Thoughts, Good Words and
Good Deeds" in life as a means of attaining salvation.

However, Parsis face extinction as shown by the decline in their numbers from the latter half
of the 20th century. There also appears to be a significant decrease in public philanthropy by
Parsis after 1947, when India became independent. This paper attempts to analyze why.

I selected and studied five major Trusts which had Parsi origins. I personally interviewed and
polled Trustees of each of them. A number of facts emerged from my research.

Independent studies show that philanthropy by individual Indians is growing. So also,

individual charity amongst Parsis still exists although more for the benefit of Parsi
Zoroastrians. This is perhaps due to the downward demographic curve that has made the
community more inward looking and insecure.

Under British rule, Parsis were perceived as a favoured community and they also wanted to
be seen as collaborating with the British government in the establishment of public projects
such as reservoirs and hospitals. The exit of the British from India has also had an impact on
the motivation of Parsis to contribute to public causes.

Traditional Parsi trusts have not kept pace with the times in terms of organization, project
implementation and fund raising. Parsi philanthropy is at a crossroads. The need of the hour
is for the community to move to a more globalized and liberal outlook so that it regains its
confidence and public spiritedness.

3
Introduction

The Parsis and Zoroastrianism

I am a Parsi Zoroastian. That means many things to many people but in India it is usually a
word associated with philanthropy. The streets of Mumbai, (originally Bombay) are filled
with evidence of Parsi funded charity and the city of Mumbai owes much of its rise to Parsis

Who are the Parsis? Parsis are a microscopic religious minority (numbering about 60,0001)
that live largely in Western India. Parsis practice the worlds oldest monotheistic religion,
Zoroastrianism2. In the 10th century AD small groups of Zoroastrians fled Pars3 in Persia to
escape religious persecution and sought refuge in India4.

They lived as a reclusive minority on the western coast of India for several centuries in small
villages in the Indian State of Gujarat. Later with the onset of British rule in India, they
migrated to the small islands of Bombay, an early British settlement. They were and remain
a close knit and closed community5.

Structure of this paper

This paper is in five parts. The first part outlines the defining characteristics of the Parsis The
second part briefly describes the nature and extent of Parsi philanthropy. In the third part I
have selected five Trusts established by Parsis and analyzed their current operations, their

1 Census of India, 2011 found a 22% dip in the population of Parsis in India from 69,601 in 2001 to
57,264 in 2011, https://pulitzercenter.org/project/asia-india-mumbai-parsi-Zoroastrian
2 Mary Boyce Zoroastrians, Their Religious Beliefs and Practices (2001) at 1 Zoroastrianism is the

oldest of the revealed credal religions, and it has had more influence on mankind, directly and indirectly
than any other single faith and 29 Zoroaster was thus the first to teach the doctrines of an individual
judgement. Heaven and Hell, the future resurrection of the body, the general Last Judgement, and life
everlasting for the reunited soul and body. These doctrines were to become familiar articles of faith to
much of mankind, through borrowings by Judaism, Christianity and Islam; yet it is in Zoroastrianism
itself that they have their fullest logical coherence...
3 Hence Parsi
4 The year of their arrival in India is 936 AD-Mary Boyce (supra) Pg 166 Persia is modern day Iran.
5 Even today the community prohibits conversion to Zoroastrianism and refuses to treat children of

non-Parsi fathers as Parsi. John R.Hinnells , The Zoroastrian Diaspora ,Religion and Migration,pg118-
135; http://www.pyracantha.com/Z/convertz.html , Indian Express,22 October 2017, Where We
Belong: Why Parsi women in inter-faith marriages are fighting for their rightful place in the
community.

4
ability to raise funds and the nature of their activities. The fourth part attempts to find
whether Parsi philanthropy in the form of public endowments from Parsi sources continues
even after independence in 1947 as well as to determine trends in Parsi philanthropy. In the
fifth, I have attempted to draw conclusions from the trends and the findings of part four.

Part I: Defining Characteristics: extinction , entrepreneurship and endowment

These are the characteristics that define Parsis as a community. Firstly, their downward
demographic curve during the 20th -21st centuries show that they are becoming extinct.6
Secondly, their entrepreneurship and professionalism7 and thirdly, their extraordinary
philanthropy.

Parsi Demography Post 1947

The Census of India shows an alarming

decline in the number of Parsis in India
from 91,226 in 1971 to 57,264 in 20118.
The World Zorastrian Organization
website has a chart mapping the
Zoroastrian population of India from 1881
to 2001. From 85078 in 1881, the
Zoroastrian population peaked in 1941 at
114,890 and then dropped to 69,601 by 2001.9 If these figures are accurate, the trend in
Zoroastrian population corresponds to their success during British rule and declined after
independence. Of course, some part of the decline could be due to the Partition of India

6
According to the Census of India, in 1971 the Parsi population of India was 91,226. It fell to 71,630
in 1981 and in 2011 was 57,264. www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/Parsi-population-
dips-by-22-per-cent-between-2001-2011-study/article 14508859.ece
7
Thats not to ignore the arts: Freddie Mercury was and Zubin Mehta is a Parsi.
8
According to the Census of India, in 1971 the Parsi population of India was 91,226. It fell to 71,630
in 1981 and in 2011 was 57,264. www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/Parsi-population-
dips-by-22-per-cent-between-2001-2011-study/article 14508859.ece
9
https://www.w-z-o.org/news/the-parsi-zoroastrian-population-in-india/

5
(when a number of Zoroastrians remained in Pakistan) and increased emigration from India
to the U.K, USA, Canada and Australia .

Parsi Entrepreneurship and Endowment

Parsis flourished as a business community and were favoured by the British for their
westernized outlook. The two commodities that can be closely identified with early Parsi
prosperity are opium and cotton. During the latter part of the 19th century and the first part of
the 20th century, opium trade with China boomed. Several Indian traders ventured into this
lucrative but risky business including Hirjee Readymoney 10, Bomanjee Hormasjee Wadia 11
and the famous, Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, the 'merchant prince' of Bombay. 12

In the latter part of the 19th century, as a result of the American Civil War, cotton exports
from the US to England declined and were replaced by cotton exports from western India via
Bombay. This caused an economic boom in Bombay13. At this time rose other Parsi
entrepreneurs like the Wadias14 who also established cotton ginning and spinning mills in
Bombay and later the Tatas. Perhaps the most famous of all Parsi entrepreneurs was
Jamshedji Tata the founder of the Tata Group which is currently Indias largest industrial
group15. He first set up a textile factory followed by a steel plant, dams producing
hydroelectric power, and Indias first luxury hotel open to Indians, the Taj Mahal hotel in
Mumbai. This was a response to British imperialism. 16 During the 20th century, other groups
such as the Godrej Group17 and the Shapoorji Pallonji Group 18 also established large
businesses.

10 A British nickname to describe the wealth that he amassed Parsis usually adopted their fathers
name or the name of their profession or town in Gujarat from where they hailed, as surnames.
11 Im told he was my great, great, great grandfather! He in turn was a descendent of the famed Wadia

(Carpenter) shipbuilders of Surat. They built warships for the British including the HMS Minden on
which it is said that the lyrics of the Star Spangled Banner were composed by Francis Scott Key (See
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMSMinden (1810)
12 I am a descendant of his .
13
Bakhtiar K.Dadabhoy, Sugar in Milk,Lives of Eminent Parsis,pg 60
14
http://www.wadiagroup.com
15The Tata Group today is diverse with an estimated market capitalization value of $137.32 billion.
Its operations range from information technology (TCS-one of the worlds largest software companies),
cars and vehicles (Tata Motors- the owner of Jaguar Plc) tea, watches, hotels (Indian Hotels-the Taj
Mahal group of hotels), steel (Tata Steel), power (Tata Power) and retailing in fashion and electronics)
16
British imperialism exploited India for its raw materials to sustain British industry and trade.
[Shashi Tharoor. An Era of Darkness Chp 1 pgs 2-41
17
http://www.godrej.com/

6
The prosperity of Parsis, as a favoured community under British rule, also encouraged them
to make endowments. Their charity was rewarded in the form of public acknowledgement.
Three of Indias four baronets created by the British were Parsis. The three Parsi baronetcies
continue even today (Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, Sir Cowasji Jehangir and Sir Dinshaw Petit )
and their successors currently each administer their substantial charitable endowments.19

Part II: Nature and Extent of Parsi Philanthropy.

Mahatma Gandhi, the father of independent India, famously described the Parsis as
".............in numbers beneath contempt but in charity and philanthropy perhaps unequalled
and certainly unsurpassed ....."20

The extent of Parsi philanthropy is huge. A few examples of institutions established or

funded by Parsis21:

Education: Elphinstone College (1856); JB Petit School for Girls (1865); Alexandra Girls
School (1864); Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy School of Art (1857); Bombay University
Convocation Hall (1874); Jai Vakeel School for children in need of special care (1944);.

Hospitals: Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Hospital (1845); Grant Medical College (1845); Cama and
Albless Hospital for women and children (1856); B.D. Petit Parsee General Hospital (1912);
Masina Hospital (1902); Jehangir Nursing Home, Poona (1944); S.D. Petit Hospital for
animals (1874); Parsi lying in Hospital (1887).

18
http://www.shapoorji.in
19 A condition attached to each baronetcy was the setting up and continuance of a huge charitable
endowment.
20 https://www.w-z-o.org/downloads/parsi_charity.pdf Mahatma Gandhi had also said in 1931 that
the Parsi community is such a marvel that it does not need the protection of anyone. It finds its way
and protection by its wisdom, intelligence and ability. Their charities are so famed in the country that it
has no parallel; that is their protection.....................
21
Their dates of funding are available on the internet.

7
Institutes: Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (1945); Tata Institute of Social Sciences
(1936); Cowasji Jehangir Hall and Institute of Science (1911)- which also houses the recently
opened National Gallery of Modern Art; J N Petit Institute and Library (1856).

Arts: Jehangir Art Gallery (1952); Jamshed Bhabha Opera House (1999.) at the National
Centre for the Performing Arts.

Except for a few, all the other endowments were made pre-1947.

There were also numerous charitable trusts set up for the benefit of Parsis only. A 1979
survey by the Zoroastrian Community Development Institute found that there were 1170
Trusts established in Bombay for the benefit of Parsi Zoroastrians of which the majority in
number (316) were for multi purposes followed by Education (133), Housing (62) and
Healthcare (55).

Zoroastrianism and Charity

Parsi charity seems to have originated from the religion, Zoroastrianism. Giving to others is
part of Zoroastrianism. One of the verses of the Gathas (ancient Zoroastrian hymns) starts
with Happiness to him who gives happiness to whomsoever else22. One of the two basic
prayers which every Parsi knows, the Yatha Ahu Vairyo prayer, has a part that states that he
who helps any person in need will, in turn, be helped through the power of God.23

Justice Rohinton Nariman has written a book on Zoroastrianism in which he concludes that
this prayer means that ...........it is only by giving to anybody in need, in the widest sense-
charity does not only exist in the form of pecuniary benefits- that the Lord, in turn, will look
after you.24

Arderbad Marespand, the High Priest during the time of the Sassanian Emperor Shapur II
described three aspects of charity as follows:.

- to give without being asked or requested to give;

- to give immediately or being asked or required to give;

22 Rohinton Nariman The Inner Fire: Faith, Choice and Modern-Day Living in Zoroastrian, Pg 137 and
234 (Justice Nariman is a Judge on the Supreme Court of India and a trained Parsi priest. He gave me
a copy of his book.)
23 Nariman (supra) Pgs 23 and 225.
24 Nariman (supra) Pg 225

8
 - to give at the promised time if one has promised. 25

Zoroastrian philanthropy is recorded even in the Old Testament the building of the second
Temple in Jerusalem was funded by the Persians. The Book of Ezra in the Bible speaks of the
promise Cyrus the Great (of the Achaemaenian dynasty) gave to the Jews in captivity in
Babylon when he conquered the Assyrian Empire and liberated them. It was a promise to
allow them to return to Jerusalem and to finance the rebuilding of the Temple of Solomon.
That is why he is the only person, other than Jewish prophets, to be referred to as 'Anointed
of the Lord' in the Bible. He died before that happened but a later Emperor, Darius the Great,
kept that promise and funded the building of the Second Temple 26. (the Wailing Wall in
Jerusalem is supposed to be its last remnants.)

The essence of Zoroastrianism is "Humata, Hukhta, Huvarshtha". That is Good Thoughts,

Good Words and Good Deeds.27 The fate of one's soul is one's own responsibility and no
divine intervention can alter that fate. In other words the good that an individual does during
his lifetime directly affects the fate of the soul.28

The Structure of Charitable Endowments

At its simplest level charity means giving money or help to the poor and needy. To
institutionalize charity so that it continues beyond the life of the person who starts it and to
handle large volumes of money or help for charitable purposes, an institution needs to be set
up. In India this could be in one of two ways:

(i) A public charitable Trust29

25 Noshir Dadrawala, Parsi Thy Name is Charity https://zoroastrians. net/2011/08/17/parsi-charity-

and-philanthropy/
26 Nariman (supra) Pg 217 and . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_the_Great_in_the_Bible.
27 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism
28 Mary Boyce (supra) at 29, Zoroaster insisted both on the goodness of the material creation, and

hence of the physical body, and on the unswerving impartiality of divine justice. According to him,
salvation for the individual depended on the sum of his thoughts, words and deeds, and there could be
no intervention, whether compassionate or capricious, by any divine being to alter this and with such
a doctrine, belief in the Day of Judgement had its full awful significance, with each man having to bear
the responsibility for the fate of his own soul, as well as sharing in responsibility for the fate of the
world.
29 These are governed by various statutes that set up regulatory processes and mechanisms to

monitor the working and affairs of public charitable trusts and to ensure that they conduct their
charitable activities genuinely and legally.
http://www.advocatekhoj.com/library/lawareas/trust/public.php ;Public charitable and religious
trusts

9
 (ii) Foundations set up as corporations with charitable objects

What is a Trust ?

A Trust has three components30 :

(i) The person who creates the trust and donates the first amount to fund its activities.
He/she is called the author or settler of the Trust;

(ii) The people that the author or settler appoints to run the Trust are called the Trustees.
Not only will the author provide for the appointment of the first set of Trustees he or
she will also provide for the procedure to appoint future or replacement Trustees. The
Trustees accept the responsibility of using the Trust funds for charitable purposes.

(iii) The people for whose benefit the Trust has been set up by the author and who would
therefore have the right to enjoy the benefits and funds of the Trust are called its
beneficiaries.

Charity can be general ie for any charitable purpose or designated for specific purposes.
Specific donations can be to set up institutions like schools, colleges, hospitals or for housing
or to set up other beneficial institutions. Such institutions are popularly referred to as
endowments. They can be by the setting up of a Trust or Corporation or by a dedicated
donation to an existing Institution. e.g. endowment for research in a particular field.

Many Parsi Trusts only have' Parsi-Zoroastrian' as their beneficiaries. Consequently, the
beneficiaries of such Trusts are diminishing each year as deaths within the Parsi community
far exceed births.

30http://www.advocatekhoj.com/library/bareacts/indiantrusts/index.php?Title=Indian%20Trusts%20A
ct,%201882 ;Indian Trust Act 1882.
.

10
Part III: Five Sample Trusts
I selected five philanthropic institutions or trusts established by Parsis , of which four were
created before 1947 (when India gained its independence) and the fifth in 1990s. They are

(i) The Bombay Parsi Punchayet ( BPP)

(ii) The Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Trusts
(iii) The Tata Trusts
(iv) The B.D.Petit Parsee General Hospital Trust ( PGH Trust)
(v) The World Zoroastrian Organisation Trusts ( WZO Trusts )

The Tata Trusts were created, as general endowments for the public without restriction of
race, religion or caste of the beneficiaries. The Jejeebhoy Trusts have some Trusts that were
restricted for the benefit of Parsi Zoroastrians only and others that are cosmopolitan.. The
BPP and WZO Trusts restrict their activities to benefit Parsi Zoroastrians. The PGH Trust
strictly limits the use of its hospital (including subsidized and free healthcare services) to
Parsi- Zoroastrians but has recently initiated a project to build an additional hospital that will
cater to cosmopolitan patients and will run its operations commercially.

The five institutions that Ive chosen are all Trusts. They are not companies. Their structure is
therefore more traditional i.e each was established by authors or settlers and each has a set of
trustees.

The Bombay Parsi Punchayet 31

The Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) was formed by the Parsis around 1672. The then
Governor of Bombay, realizing the daunting task of ruling over a diverse foreign population,
asked all religious communities in Bombay to form their own social organizations to govern
their own people, keeping law and order within bounds of government. Each religious
community (Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Parsi etc.) formed its own association called
Punchayets. A panchayat is a traditional Indian form of caste or communal government by
five people32. The Parsi Punchayet is the only panchayat to have survived.

31 The history and other information about the BPP was furnished by Noshir Dadrawala, a Trustee of
the BPP and also CEO of the Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy a non-profit organization.
32 https://www.merriam-erbster.com/dictionary/panchayat

11
The late S.F.Desai, a Parsi historian and former Secretary of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet,
wrote that "the first fund started in 1826 for funeral expenses. Four months later another
fund was started for giving relief to the poor and destitute of the community. Since then
various funds have come into existence and the Punchayet today looks after Parsis from the
33
womb to the tomb and beyond. "

At its inception, the BPP dealt mainly with family issues. In addition, it was responsible for
certain communal matters: caring for the very poor and destitute and representing the
community in dealings with the government. The Chairman of the BPP was traditionally
chosen by the elders of the community. In 1910 an electoral system was established.

Today, the BPP is noted mainly for its considerable charitable work. It administers the funds
of various endowments. Among religious properties, the BPP manages the Parsi funeral
grounds (Doongerwadi or the Towers of Silence (roughly 55 acres of green cover) and two
fire temples (agyaris). It also manages several Parsi Colonies or Baugs that provide free or
highly subsidized housing to Parsis all over Mumbai.

A Board of seven trustees manages the funds and properties of the BPP and trustees are now
elected by the community for a term of seven years. Its work is overseen by twenty-four
committees. The BPP maintains over 1,000 separate Khatas (or funds), each a trust by
itself. The accounts are divided into three categories:

Class I: Funds in this category are for ad hoc purpose, generated by inviting and accepting
donations from members of the Parsi community.

Class II: The BPP is simply the 'custodian' of funds in this category as these are funds held in
trust by the BPP on behalf of certain rural Parsi panchayats. The BPP invests these funds and
hands over the interest or dividend to the other panchayats.

Class III: There are several funds under this category created by letters of entrustment or
donation letters by persons who give more than a certain sum of money and name a person in
whose memory the fund is to be titled.

33 History of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet, By S.F. Desai, pg.130.

12
The BPP possesses some of the most valuable real estate in the world. After the Port Trust, it
is the second largest landholder in Mumbai. It administers about 3800 apartments in Mumbai.
It also manages an Old Age Home, medical health units, a Boys Hostel and provides
educational scholarships. It gives substantial support to hospitals, hostels, schools, a training
college for priests, maintains industrial, employment and vocational bureaus and provides
funds to needy Parsis34.

Due to its traditional authority and

the magnitude and value of its
properties, the BPP is highly
influential within the Parsi
community.

The interview with Mr N.

Dadrawala,Trustee of the BPP has
been summarized in Appendix 1

At the offices of Mr.Noshir Dadrawala, Trustee of the BPP

The Jejeebhoy Trusts35

Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, was known as the Merchant Prince of Bombay. He was perhaps
the greatest Parsi philanthropist. He made a huge fortune from the opium trade with China.
Jamsetjee Jejeebhoys charity and honours made him the most famous Parsi of his time and
perhaps the first famous non-European colonial subject. An essentially self-made man,

34 http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/bombay-parsi-panchayet-at-the-largest-zoroastrian -
institution-in-modern-history
35 The material for this part has been obtained from Parsis in India and the Diaspora (2007) (Edited

by John Hinnells and Alan Williams); Amar Amar Farooqui, Smuggling as Subversion: Colonialism,
Indian Merchants and the Politics of Opium (2001); https://en-wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamestjee-
Jejeebhoy; James John Thy Name is Charity: Zoroastrianism and the Parsi Tradition of Giving;
Jesse Palsetia (2001) The Parsis of India: Preservation of Identity in Bombay City. ;
wwwbooks.google.com/booksisbn=9004121145;wwwbooks.google.com/booksisbn=1134067518

13
having experienced poverty in early life, he developed a great sympathy for his poorer
countrymen and it was for his philanthropy that he gained his reputation.

Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy applied the lessons of his successful business activities to the
establishment of his charities. He used the profitable socio-political collaboration between
Indians and the British in Bombay for the benefit of his charitable projects and his personal
elevation in colonial society.

Jejeebhoy made over one hundred and twenty five charitable endowments. 36 Jamsetjee
Jejeebhoys largest charitable projects were the Parsi Benevolent Institution (1849) at a cost
of Rs.440,000 (for spreading education and literacy) which started two schools (one for girls
and the other for boys) in Bombay, the J. J. Hospital (1850) at a cost of Rs.200,000, and the J.
J. School of Art (1857) at a cost of Rs.100,000. Hospitals, schools, homes of charity and
pension funds throughout India (particularly in Bombay, Navsari, Surat, and Poona) were
created or endowed by Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy. He financed the construction of many public
works such as wells, reservoirs, bridges, and causeways. He would also freely give to the
poor for housing, food and their other needs.

The Benevolent Institution was the first local educational institution in Western India,
educating thousands of students. The Benevolent Association had built 18 schools by 1860
with about 2000 students (both male and female). Thus by 1901, the literacy rate for Parsi
males rose to 88% and for Parsi females to 63%. The J. J. Hospital brought public and
private interests together for the first time in the cause of public health care in Bombay, while
the School of Art made Asia a centre of design.

Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy involved the British Government in his ventures. For example he
secured the British Government as Trustee of the Benevolent Institution, which gave it
stability and patronage. Since Government Policy required it to remain neutral in Indian
religious affairs, the Institution was converted into one for all faiths. He also contributed to
public projects such as paying most of the cost for building a reservoir at Poona, construction
of the Mahim Causeway and the Victoria and Albert Museum (now Dr. Bhau Daji Lad
Museum) in Mumbai.

36 http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/jejeebhoy-jamsetjee

14
In 1842 as a result of his philanthropy and his
contributions to funds for the victims of flood, fire and
famine in India and abroad, Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy
became the first Indian to receive a knighthood from
Queen Victoria. In 1857 Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy was
granted a hereditary baronetcy, becoming the first
Indian baronet. A sum of 250,000 was reserved in
trust for the maintenance of the baronetcy. At the time
of his death in 1859,the total value of his charities was
noted to be Rs 2,459,736 (more than 245,000) After

Jejeebhoys death in 1859, his descendants and The statue in Mumbai of Sir Jamsetji
St
Jejjeebhoy ,1 Baronet.
successors continued the philanthropic work.

In 1859 the citizens of Bombay honoured Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy with the erection of a marble
statue. Funds were collected from around the empire to the sum of Rs.46,340, and the statue
was the first major public tribute of its kind to an Indian in Bombay. It still stands in
Mumbai.

The British editor of the Bombay Times of 6 September 1856 appreciated the historical
significance of Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy: "There is something more remarkable in such
liberality than its munificence. It is of the most enlightened character, and places this Parsee
knight not merely among the foremost men
in India, but among the best of the British
Empire. His abounding charity proves how
truly he appreciates every element of
civilization, and how keenly alive he is to
the usefulness of schemes which have
scarcely as yet been developed among
ourselves."

He firmly believed that "it is not the duty of Standing in front of a marble bust of Sir Jamsetjee
Jejeebhoy,1ST Baronet, with the present Sir
TH
the poor to look after the poor; it is the Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy , 8 Baronet

bounden duty of the rich." His crest bore the motto Industry and Liberality.

15
The Interview with Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, 8th Baronet ( Chairman and Trustee , The
Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Trusts) has been summarized in Appendix 2

The Tata Trusts37

The Tata Trusts (actually 12 independent trusts) are

amongst India's oldest, non-sectarian philanthropic
organisations and have engaged in socio-economic
development programmes for over a century.

Jamsetjee Nusserwanjee Tata, was an Indian

pioneer industrialist, who founded the Tata Group,
India's biggest industrial group. He was born to a
Parsi Zoroastrian family of priests in the small
Gujarati village of Navsari, then part of the princely
state of Baroda. He ventured into core areas of
power and steel and also into textiles. Regarded as
the "Father of Indian Industry", Jamestjee Tata and The statue of Jamsetjee N.Tata bearing the
inscription " a great patriot and
his sons Dorab and Ratan, bequeathed much of their philanthropist. A pioneer of Indian
industry.
personal wealth to the many trusts they created for
the greater good of India and its people.

The crest of the Tata family bears the "Humata, Hukhta, Huvarshta" (Good thoughts, Good
Words, Good Deeds). By bequeathing their shareholding in Tata Sons (the company that in
turn is a large shareholder of other Tata Companies) Dorab and Ratan made the Tata Trusts
the majority shareholders in Tata Sons. Thus philanthropic trusts own Indias largest group
of companies and the dividends earned all go to fund the philanthropy of the Tata Trusts. It

37 Information used in this part is obtained from www.tata.com/aboutus/sub_index/Tata-trusts

16
is the best example of what Mahatma Gandhi called the "trusteeship principle"38 i.e. the use
of corporate and capitalist assets for the good of society as a whole.

With this belief, in 1892 Jamsetjee Tata set up the JN Tata Endowment, a fund that enabled
Indian students, regardless of caste or creed, to pursue higher studies abroad and become
future doctors, scientists, engineers, administrators and lawyers. This beginning flowered
into the Tata scholarships, which flourished to the extent that by 1924 two out of every five
Indians coming into the elite Indian Civil Service were Tata scholars.

He believed that "what advances a nation or a community is not so much to prop up its
weakest and most helpless members but to lift up the best and the most gifted, so as to make
them of the greatest service to the country". Jamsetjees vision for business was the spirit of
nation-building and a commitment to the community, and that continues to be the guiding
light for the Tata Trusts.

The Tata Trusts have transformed traditional ideas of charity and introduced the concept of
philanthropy as a means of empowerment to make a real difference to communities. Through
grants and co-partnerships, the Trusts have pioneered innovation in the areas of natural
resources management; education; healthcare and nutrition; rural upliftment; enhancing civil
society and governance; media, arts, crafts and culture; and diversified employment.

The Trusts also support causes and initiatives that provide disaster relief and aids in rescue
work in case of calamities.

Today, spread over 17 states and 170 districts across the country, programmes supported by
the Trusts reach out to millions of households through an efficient network of over 450
partner organizations. Additionally, the Trusts projects and initiatives, especially in the area
of education, significantly contribute to building intellectual capital in the country

The Tata Trusts are changing their approach to philanthropy from one of giving grants to
non-government organizations for social causes , to one where they will get directly
involved in managing and implementing welfare programmes themselves, thus having a
greater impact. They hope to achieve this by setting up programme management units in parts

38
www.gandhiashramsevagram.org/gandhi-views/on-theory-of-trusteeship.php

17
of the country and establishing strategic partnerships with the government and corporates.
Just recently it was announced that the Tata Trusts had pledged to donate Rs1000 crores and
other services to help the central government to develop cancer care facilities in five states in
India. This will greatly improve access to treatment for thousands of patients. 39

There are two principal Trusts operating under the Tata Trusts' umbrella:

Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, was established in 1932 by Sir Dorabji Tata (the elder son of Tata
group Founder, Jamsetji Tata), to enhance development across the nation and to work for the
benefit of all Indians. Sir Dorabji Tata bequeathed his entire fortune (of an estimated value
of Rs.10 million at the time) during his lifetime to the Trust. The funds were to be directed
towards the advancement of learning and research, relief work and other charitable purposes,
without any distinction of place ,nationality or creed.

The Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Allied Trusts (SDTT), have been responsible for the
establishment of several leading national institutions Indian Institute of Science, Tata
Institute of Social Sciences, Tata Memorial Centre, Tata Medical Center, Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research, National Centre for Performing Arts, among others.

Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) is one of the oldest philanthropic institutions in India. It was set
up in 1919 in accordance with the will of Sir Ratan Tata (the younger son of Tata group
founder Jamsetji Tata, a year after his demise with a corpus of Rs.8 million. The Trust was
set up to further Sir Ratan Tatas vision of building a self sufficient nation through the
advancement of education, learning and industry.

The Tata Trusts follow the 'yellow card' approach in their philanthropic activities to make a
sustainable change in the quality of lives. The term was derived from the yellow piece of
paper on which Mr Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Trust, jotted down five points: enhanced
scale; measurable impact, a finite period of support to projects; ensuring that these projects
are sustained after the Trusts have withdrawn from them and using the best available
technology.

Mr Venkataramanan, the CEO and Trustee of the Tata Trusts, said that they were " catalysts
for change " in society.

39 th
Mumbai Mirror ,20 October,2017,pg.1

18
The interview with Mr.Venkataramanan , CEO and Trustee ,Tata Trusts has been
summarized in Appendix 3

With Mr.Ratan Tata, Chairman and With Mr.Venkataramanan,CEO and

Trustee of the Tata Trusts. Trustee of the Tata Trusts

The B.D.Petit Parsee General Hospital Trust 40

Sir Dinshaw Petit (the third Parsi baronet) was a great philanthropist of the 19 th century. His
public and private donations (estimated at Rs.34 lakhs at the time) were all directed towards
religious, educational, medical, commercial and other philanthropic purposes, including a
hospital for the treatment of suffering animals. The philanthropy of the Petits is undoubtedly
enshrined in the huge charitable trusts and institutions that they founded. The Victoria
Memorial School for the Blind and the JB Petit Girls High School are lasting monuments to
their philanthropic zeal. It was only in a few cases that Parsi charity was restricted to the
community. The B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital was one such instance. The Parsee
General Hospital was founded in 1912 largely through large donations of property and money

40The material for this part was obtained from B.K. Boman-Behram and Sapur F.Desai, The Bomanji
Dinshaw Petit Parsee General Hospital; Its Orgin and Growth; and from their website
www.bdpetitparseegeneralhospital.org/history.htmThe

19
from Bomanji Dinshaw Petit (the son of Sir Dinshaw Petit) and his son Jehangir Bomanji
Petit.

The funds and property stands in the name of the Trustees of the
BPP but were to be administered by the Managing Committee of
the Hospital. The trustees of the BPP are only custodians of the
Trust property and periodically pay sums of money to the
Managing Committee as required by it for the administration of
the Hospital.

The Hospital has thrived on the philanthropy of individual Parsis

and serves the noble cause of healthcare for the sick and the poor.
Today the Hospital reserves 55 percent of its beds for free and
subsidized patients and 45 percent for paying patients. The statue of Bomanji
Dinshaw Petit founder
Over the years, the hospital has been receiving generous donations, ,erected on the grounds
of the B.D.Petit Parsi
especially from members of the Zoroastrian community living General Hospital

abroad . A few of years ago, a Parsi couple Mr.& Mrs. Shroff from Hong Kong donated
Rs.151 crore.(approximately USD 22.5 million) The Shroffs are modern days entrepreneurs
who co-founded Fossil ,a global company selling watches. Thanks to this substantial
endowment, a 200-bed, modern multidisciplinary, cosmopolitan hospital is to be built on the
grounds of the present hospital. For the first time in its 105-year history, the hospital will
admit patients from other communities. The revenue generated from the new centre will be
used to cover the current deficit of the Hospital where the majority of Parsi patients are given
either free of subsidized treatment. The revenue generated from the new wing will help the
Hospital provide free or highly subsidized healthcare with state of the art technology to Parsi
patients41.

The interview with a Trustee of the B.D.Petit Parsee General Hospital Trust, who wished to
remain anonymous, has been summarized in Appendix 4

41 Times of India 24 April 2017 http://timesofindia.com/city/mumbai/mumbai-parsee-general-

hospital-opens-its-doors-to-all-communities-in-105-years/artileshowprint/58336496.cms

20
The WZO Trusts

The World Zoroastrian Organization (WZO) is a membership based organization which was
originally registered as a charity in the United Kingdom in 1980. Subsequently various
chapters were established in different countries. Its managing committee comprised
Zoroastrians residing in many countries. In 2010 the India chapter parted ways and became
an independent organization

There are three Trusts registered in India under the Bombay Public Trust Act 1950 having the
WZO name.

They are:

a) The World Zoroastrian Organization Trust, registered at Navsari in 1991.

b) WZO Trust for Women & Children, registered at Mumbai in 1993.
c) WZO Trust Funds, registered at Mumbai in 1995.

All the Trusts were established with meagre corpus amounts of only Rs.5000/-. Its major
donors are Zoroastrian Associations located in the Far East, USA, and individuals from all
over the world. These have been increasing significantly over the years. The funds are used
primarily towards direct charity yet at the same time they try to steer the poverty stricken
into the mainstream of society and relative prosperity by making a qualitative change in their
lifestyles.

They have been involved in the rehabilitation of 484 farmers in 196 villages under the
Farmers Rehabilitation Project. They have undertaken rural housing and self employment
projects as well as built Senior Citizen Centres, and economic housing and sanitariums in
western Gujarat and sanitariums (Sanjan). In addition, the WZO extends education support
to students in pursuit of higher education and provides and provides for medical and
hospitalization needs.

The philosophy of the WZO Trusts is that charity is also needed at the level of the individual,
particularly in rural areas. In industrial communities and among more affluent families, it is

21
commonplace to find a person endowing a hospital, a home
for the aged, an orphanage or a school, all institutions for
which Parsees are particularly renowned. Nowadays,
endowments are also made for communities to meet at the
local centre for a meal together after prayers of
thanksgiving and remembrance. The WZO is a progressive
organization that seeks to meet the challenges facing
Zoroastrians in a changing world and to assist those in
need.. Their Trustees remain actively involved at the grass

root level inn all their projects and not only dependent on At the offices of the WZO with the
Chairman and Trustee,
their administrative staff. Mr.Dinshaw Tamboly

The interview with Mr Dinshaw Tamboly, Trustee and Chairman, World Zoroastrian
Organization has been summarized in Appendix 5.

22
Part IV: Parsi Philanthropy Post Independence 1947

India Philanthropy Report - Bain & Company , Inc.

Bain & Company is a leading international business consulting firm. Since 2010, it releases a
yearly report on the overview of the state of philanthropy in India. It analyses major topics
and trends in the philanthropic sector.

Private giving rose sharply in India in 2010; 40% of wealthy individuals plan to increase
donations over the next five years , according to Bain & Company's India Philanthropy
Report 201142 (the Bain 2011 Report)

Donations by wealthy Indians helped to significantly increase private giving in India in 2010
which rose by at least 50 percent since 2006 as a percentage of GDP, to approximately $5-6
billionaccording to the Bain 2011 Report.

Bain & Cos India Philanthropy Report 201743 (the Bain 2017 Report) states that funds by
individual philanthropists have not only steadily increased but also faster than foreign funds
and funds received through "Corporate Social Responsibility"(CSR). Philanthropists are
becoming more sophisticated and adopting new strategies for bigger results. However, the
need for funds to match India's sustainable development goals remains huge. The Bain 2017
Report estimates that India will face a shortfall of $8.5 trillion if it is to achieve its sustainable
development goals.

The Bain 2017 report estimates that private philanthropy is increasingly contributing a large
share of the total funds for the development of the sector in the backdrop of Indias
improving economic conditions. The number of Ultra High Net Worth Individuals(UHNWI)
households have increased from 6200 to 14600 between 2011 and 2016. The percentage of
adult population who give money to charity has also increased from 14% in 2009 to 22% in
2016. The 2017 Bain Report finds a substantial increase in private philanthropy all over
India.

I have not been able to find equivalent statistics dealing with only the Parsi community and
hence have to assume that similar trends would apply even to Parsis. Indeed given Its highly

42
http://www.bain.com/about/press/press-releases/private-giving-in-india-rose-sharply-in-2010.aspx
43
http://www.bain.com/publications/articles/india-philanthropy-report-2017.aspx

23
literate and prosperous character, the increase in wealth amongst Parsis alone is probably
even higher than the general Indian average

Gathering Material: Interviews and Polls

I interviewed trustees of each of the trusts named earlier : These were :

i) Mr. N.Dadrawala (Trustee of the BPP) ,

ii) Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy , 8th Baronet( Chairman and Trustee ,The Sir Jamsetjee
Jejeebhoy Trusts),
iii) Mr.Venkataraman (CEO and Trustee ,The Tata Trusts) and met with
Mr Ratan Tata (Chairman and Trustee,Tata Trusts)
iv) a trustee of the Parsi General Hospital who wished to remain anonymous
v) Mr.Tamboly( Chairman and Trustee, WZO)

For their assistance I had prepared a list of questions that I would be putting to them in the
interview and have attached it as Appendix 6. I have maintained a record of these interviews.
I gathered additional material from the internet and other sources . I have devised a list of
issues to obtain the opinion of these representatives on various matters and trends relating to
Parsi philanthropy today. A sample of this poll is attached to this paper as Appendix 7.

24
The Poll
Analyzing the results of the opinion poll, I found the following:

25
26
27
Trends and Findings

From the above, on the basis of the experience of these trustees ,the interviews with them
and the facts and figures provided by them it is possible to conclude as follows:

1. Although it appears that the association with the name of the founder adds brand
value to the trusts activities, it also has a negative impact in that it gives the
impression that the trust is well funded and hence detracts donations from present day
donors.

2. Limiting beneficiaries to only Parsi Zoroastrians facilitates focused spending but it

also limits the ability of the trust to spend money to cure deeper humanitarian and
social problems. Of the five trusts, The Tata Trusts are the only ones that have
transformed traditional ideas of charity and introduced the concept of philanthropy as
a means of empowerment to make a real difference to communities. They act as a
"catalyst for change", they are changing to better equip themselves to address key
problems and devise new means to solve these problems. All the other trusts are
largely engaged in direct charity, helping the poor and needy either with grants of
money or by free or subsidized housing, schooling etc. Their long term socio
economic impact is limited. To some extent the WZO Trust, although limited to
Parsis, is trying to integrate the poor into the mainstream of society by making a
qualitative change in their lifestyles.

3. Contrary to what one might have expected, the opinion of the Tata Trusts which is
cosmopolitan as well as of the WZO trust was that Parsis were willing to contribute
even to trusts where the beneficiaries were not only Parsi Zorastrians. Three others
agreed that Parsis generally contributed more to a trust for the benefit of Parsi
Zoroastrians. The Jejeebhoy Trust, the WZO, BPP, and The Parsee General Hospital
Trust all maintain that a large part of their donations are from individual Parsis and
bequests from deceased Parsis.

28
4. There is no evidence of any great reduction in the wealth of Parsis post independence.
In fact, large industrial groups which are still looked upon as Parsi owned including
the Tata Group, the Godrej Group, the Wadia Group and the Shapoorji Pallonji Group
have all prospered after independence

5. Individual generosity amongst Parsis still exists.(especially through bequests in wills)

In the interviews , I learnt that even Parsis who do not earn a lot of money still give
small donations

6. Wealthy Parsis living abroad are giving large donations. These include the Jokhis
from Hong Kong (who funded the ICU wing of the Parsee General Hospital and a
school run by the Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Trust in Navsari, a small town in Gujarat).and
the Shroffs who have funded the new cosmopolitan wing of the Parsee General
Hospital.

7. The consensus was that the demand for charitable activities exceeded funds available
to the sampled trusts. The only exception is the Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Trust which
believed that its own resources can fund its activities .

8. Whereas most agreed that the income tax laws had encouraged donations, there were
mixed opinions on whether the new law under Section 135 of The Companies Act
2013 which required each company to annually spend at least 2% of its average net
profits of the last three years towards its corporate social responsibility( CSR)
would increase donations. According to Mr Dadrawala, CSR is not strictly
compulsory, as law only requires setting up of a CSR committee and preparation of a
core plan and did not compel companies to actually spend. However Mr.
Venkataraman felt that CSR would increase their donations and in fact some non-
Tata companies had already donated.

9. The consensus was that individual philanthropy was increasing. This is a conclusion
also reached by the Bain Reports referred to earlier. Individual philanthropy will help
to fill the gap between public funding and socio economic development needs

29
 10. The trusts for the benefit of only Parsi Zoroastrians usually undertake their activities
on their own with limited collaborations, if any. However cosmopolitan activities by
trusts are often collaborative activities. An early example of public private partnership
was Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy financing many public projects including wells, bridges,
reservoirs and causeways. The BPP, WZO, the Jamesetjee Jejeebhoy Trust and the
Parsee General Hospital conduct activities on their own. The BPP cooperates with a
Government of India scheme called 'Jio Parsi' which is a scheme to arrest the decline
in population of the Parsi Zoroastrian Community in India. 44 The Tata Trusts actively
collaborate not only with Central and State governments but also with other trusts and
foundations both Indian and foreign, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

11. There has hardly been any public cosmopolitan philanthropy by Parsis after 1947. The
only other endowments after 1947 have been the Jehangir Art gallery in 1952 and the
Jamshed Bhabha Opera House in 1999. From the five trusts that were sampled, only
the WZO Trust and one new trust by the Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Trusts , have been
established.

12. Mr. Dadrawala (Trustee, BPP )felt that post independence, Parsis moved into
professions and services with fixed incomes and the great wealth that was once
generated had declined. Many Parsi professionals (like lawyers , doctors etc) may not
actually donate large sums of money but rather they give their time to provide free
professional service and expertise that does not get quantified.(for example pro bono
work)

13. It was observed in the Bain 2017 Report that philanthropy was becoming more
sophisticated. In order to achieve better results, it is necessary to adopt new strategies
to attract funds.

44
http://www.jiyoparsi.org/.

30
Part V: Conclusions

Reviewing the materials, trends and findings, it is possible to conclude that :

1. Under British rule, Parsis were perceived as a favoured community and they also
wanted to be seen as collaborating with the British government. For example Sir
Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy financed the construction of many public works like dams,
reservoirs, bridges and causeways. Perhaps the exit of the British from India has had
an impact on the motivation of Parsis to contribute to public causes.

2. The decreasing population and the apparent slide to extinction may also have caused a
feeling of insecurity amongst Parsis which causes them to become more inward
looking.

3. Traditional Parsi trusts have not kept pace with the times in terms of organization,
implementation and fund raising activities .They need to strategize and to market
themselves in order to attract more donations. The Tata Trusts, on the other hand,
appear to be run professionally and in a corporate manner. They therefore appear to
be more progressive

4. It is seen that if part of the assets of a trust are exploited for cosmopolitan purposes on
a commercial basis, the resulting increase in income can be used to fund existing
operations. An example of this is the Parsee General Hospital Trust which hopes to
secure its future by opening a new cosmopolitan wing which will make the existing
hospital economically sustainable.

5. Parsi trusts will need to adapt themselves to changing circumstances to make the best
use of their large assets. This could include collaborations with the government or
with other trusts and also exploiting some of their assets commercially to generate
more funds.

Parsi philanthropy is at a crossroad. There is a need for public spirit to be revived and for the
community to regain its confidence. In order to do so, I believe that the younger, future

31
generations of Parsi Zoroastrians should be encouraged to be more liberal and global in their
outlook.

32
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Mr. Ratan Tata , Chairman and Trustee of Tata Trusts for meeting me. I
would also like to thank Mr. Venkataraman ( CEO and Trustee , Tata Trusts ) , Sir Jamsetjee
Jejeebhoy (Chairman and Trustee, Jeejebhoy Trusts), Mr N.Dadrawala ( Trustee, BPP) , Mr
D.Tamboly (Chairman and Trustee , WZO) and a trustee from the PGH for giving me their
time to interview them and for all the information they gave me.

The idea for this paper came from my father who wanted me to learn more about my
community. He has been a great help throughout, not only by sharing his library (and
pointing me to the relevant books) but also by advising me on the structure and content of
this paper. My parents engaged in lively discussions with me which helped me to draw my
conclusions.

33
Appendices:

Interviews with Trustees:

Appendix 1: Mr N. Dadrawala,Trustee , BPP

When I met with Mr Dadrawala of the BPP , he expressed the view that the donations
received post independence were probably fewer and though a few new trusts had been
created ,they were not the equivalent of the old ones. Not many new institutions were being
formed, though some were being expanded.

In his view, there were two reasons for this:

a) He personally felt the enthusiasm had waned. Pre independence, the Parsis were pioneers
who mainly engaged in trade and business. They were quick to adapt to western customs and
education and, unlike the Hindus (whose religion forbade them to travel overseas), they did
not have any taboos which restricted their movement and so were able to trade with other
countries and became very wealthy.

However, post Independence, the phenomenal wealth that had been earlier generated by
booming trade declined as Parsis were engaged more in professions and services with fixed
incomes. To give wealth one needed to create wealth.

b) He added that though many Parsi professionals ,such as doctors and lawyers had perhaps
not actually donated large sums of money, they did give their time to provide free
professional service and expertise to the community . This pro-bono work does not get
quantified.

The main beneficiaries of the Trust were mainly Parsis. The only cosmopolitan trust that it
managed was the PF Daver Trust through which scholarships and medical assistance was
extended to non-Parsis.

Though there was a sufficient demand for their charitable activities, the inflow of funds was
insufficient .Theoretically, in terms of real estate and based on its fixed assets it was a very
rich fund, but this was a false perception and that , in reality , the BPP lacked liquidity. He

34
gave the example of the Parsi funeral grounds which covered 54 acres of prime land in
Bombay which required an annual maintenance of Rs.10 million.

Their activities are maintained through existing funds and through appeals , though it shies
away from the latter. Mr Dadrawala gave the example of how they were able to raise the
necessary funds to renovate their boys hostel, mainly through the donation was made by a
former grateful student of the hostel who had prospered.

He also felt that the problem of housing shortage that they faced was an artificial situation
created by people who had taken advantage of their charity. There were many tenants of
housing colonies who were quite affluent and lived abroad for many months and did not
actually live in the housing provided about 100-150 flats were frozen in this manner,
depriving poor Parsis of much needed charity.

He shared his ideas with me on how this situation could be alleviated. Funds could be created
by exploiting some of the potential of the existing housing societies such as selling the larger
flats in the better housing colonies and replacing old sprawling structures which served only
a few tenants with newer ones which would provide housing to many . However, he felt that
people in the community were skeptical of the motives of the BPP and did not seem
progressive enough. The very idea has provoked much opposition among the conservative
members of the community. Potentially, therefore, though these could be great sources of
revenue this remained a vexed issue for the future.

On a few occasions, the BPP has engaged in joint activities with other Trusts or with the
Government. One such example was the supportive role that the BPP plays in the Jio Parsi
government scheme a scheme not only to popularize the concept of early marriage and of
having children but also providing the medical facilities and research.

The introduction of Corporate Social responsibility, he felt, had not had much impact and not
many Companies had made donations to the BPP.

We ended our interview with a short discussion on his activities as CEO of a non-profit
company called the Centre of Advancement of Philanthropy, an organization which serves as
a clearing house of information in philanthropy.

35
Appendix 2: Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, Chairman & Trustee, Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Trusts

I interviewed the present Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy to learn more about the work and activities
of the trust. He explained to me that there were 2 main trusts under the Jamsetji Jejeebhoy
banner:

(i) SJJPBI (Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Parsi Benevolent Institute) which was purely
educational and looked after a total of 13 schools; 5 in Mumbai and 8 in southern
Gujarat.
(ii) SJJCF ( Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Charitable Fund ) which comprised 12 Trusts, the
main trust of SJJCF and 11 allied trusts which dealt with religious, socio economic,
housing, medical activities.

Set up 150 years ago, some of these 12 were now purely defunct e.g Persian poll tax fund,
which only continued to exist because process of merging it or closing it was too
cumbersome.

The main activities of the Trust are renovation, reconstruction, refurbishment and
maintenance of their properties with the aim of utilizing and promoting their properties to its
full potential.

He described the work being carried out on various fire temples (agiaries), sanitariums,
schools and hospitals.

The donations that they received were mainly from Parsis and from the estates of
philanthropic Parsi individuals. The Trust did not rely only on these to run and expand its
activities. It reinvested the income that it derived from its various properties to renovate or
rebuild existing institutions. For example, the fire temple in Pune was renovated from its own
funds and a sanitarium built on its premises.

The various properties and institutions generated a lot of income and were therefore self
supporting. He gave the example of property in the heart of the commercial district of
Mumbai which was rented by commercial establishments and yielded an income of Rs 40
lakhs a month.

36
No appeals or applications are ever issued by the Trust for donations, but occasionally they
did make exceptions .He described of how they sometimes encouraged their Mumbai school
children to complete the circle of charity by participating in a local marathon to raise charity
for others.

In recent years, with the donation from a wealthy businessman from Hong Kong, Mr. Jokhi,
the sanitarium in Navsari, in southern Gujarat, was totally renovated increasing its occupancy
rate as well as the income that they derived from it. The new English medium school in
Navsari was also the result of his generous donation to the Trust.

With the donation received from the estate of another Parsi gentleman, the old derelict
sanitarium in Khandala (a hill station in Maharashtra) was demolished and rebuilt with
modernized rooms and the sanitarium in Udvada (the holiest place of worship for the Parsis
in India) was completely renovated and expanded.

In keeping with the times, the Trust has also allowed children from mixed marriages and non-
Parsi spouses to use the sanitarium.

The Parsi charitable ward of the Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy Hospital (which is now administered
by the government ) is informally run by the Trust. Many donations have been received for
this ward both from India, as well as a few from Parsis living abroad.

Tax benefits, he said, did not seem to affect those individuals who really wanted to donate.
With reference to CSR, he felt that it did not have much impact. Multinational companies
were unlikely to donate to them since the SJJCF is predominantly a Parsi trust. Only
companies with a Parsi background were likely to donate. Tata Projects had recently offered
to install solar panels on their school buildings which would provide electricity throughout
the year for their computer laboratories.

The Sir Jamsetji Jejeebhoy Foundation, established in 1996, is probably the only new Trust
founded after independence. It is entirely secular and provides medical and educational
benefits and reducing poverty. It derives much of its income from donations received from
the other trusts

In 2009,to commemorate the 150th death anniversary of Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy , a medical
scheme was initiated for Parsis . Senior citizens who applied were given free medical
treatment within a certain limit. The Trust also covered funeral arrangements for those who
could not afford it. Over the last 8-9 years the Trust had spent Rs.1 crore on this scheme.

37
Over the last 10 years, though the activities of the Jamsetji Jejeebhoy Trusts have grown
manifold, they have found it very difficult to actually buy land to expand or establish new
institutions .They have sold properties and reinvested the money in trust objectives to provide
them with income.

38
Appendix 3: Mr.Venkataramanan , CEO and Trustee,Tata Trusts

I met with Mr Ratan Tata and with Mr.Venkataramanan whom I had the opportunity of
interviewing. He mentioned that their most important projects were those concerning
healthcare, rural prosperity, education, media arts and culture, urban poverty and energy.

The scale of the trusts activities was huge. They currently ran around 1152 projects on their
own, had 1800 people across the country, dispersed 800 crores per annum and worked with
around 500 NGO partners.

Tata Trusts did collaborate with other trusts or foundations but mainly with the Government.
Mr.Venkataramanan believed that collaboration was the key in the future .He explained that
the Government was very receptive to driving change and as a philanthropy, the ability to
take risks was greater if the government partnered with them on a programme design.

The main source of the trusts funds came from the dividends of Tata companies but they also
did receive a few domestic and foreign endowments. For example the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation was a very good collaborator but Mr. Venkataramanan mentioned that some
foundations did not give money directly to the Trust but rather towards an agreed project.

The dividend of the Trusts had been constant at 800 percent for around ten years and it was
expected to increase in the future. Tata Trust expected that the introduction of section 135 of
the Companies Act 2013(CSR) would increase donations to their Trusts, not only by the Tata
companies but also by non Tata companies as well .(some of which have already donated ! )

Tata Trusts is a direct charity. Earlier they played the role of a conventional donor but lately
they have been identifying problems and find the concerned people to work with in order to
make a difference. Given their reputation and fame, Tata Trusts acts as a catalyst for social
change. Since the government and other organizations are willing to collaborate, the Trust
can take a higher degree of risk than other Trusts.

The Tata Trusts are "catalysts for change" said Mr Venkataramananan, . They were
undergoing transformative changes to better equip them to address key problems facing
humanity devising new and innovative means and technologies to solve these problems.

39
He found that recently, with the changing economy in India, there has been a lot more retail
philanthropy rather than donations from large corporates. Present day wealth was as much as
that of the past but that increasingly people wanted to create their own trusts and foundations
rather than collaborate with others.

40
Appendix 4: A Trustee of the Parsee General Hospital .

I had the opportunity to meet a trustee of the Parsee General Hospital (PGH),who wished to
remain anonymous, and asked him a few questions. He enumerated the main reasons why he
felt that the demand for the hospitals activities had decreased.

Firstly the Parsi population , had slowly begun to shift towards the suburbs as opposed to
previously living in South Mumbai where the hospital was located. Hence people tended to
go to hospitals located closer to them rather than commute a long distance in the heavy
Mumbai traffic.

Secondly, people with medical insurance preferred to go to the smaller hospitals in their
local area and only came to the PGH for treatment and hospitalization once their policy
benefits were expended.

Thirdly , since the hospital lacked modern equipment such as MRI machines and CT
scanners, people with serious illnesses tended to visit other hospitals . He explained that the
PGH did not have the necessary patient numbers required to sustain and meet the expenses
for operating such complex machinery . The decreasing Parsi population was also another
factor in the reduced occupancy rates of PGH. He felt that they were caught in a vicious
cycle.

The PGH received donations from both individuals as well as companies but very few non
Parsis gave donations. The majority of their funds came from individual estates and other
trusts and foundations. They did receive some donations from abroad , such as the Shroffs
who are funding the new cosmopolitan wing of the hospital . However the Trust did not have
sufficient funds to run all its projects and was running into losses. The Trustee felt that with
the introduction of the new cosmopolitan wing, the revenue that it yielded would be able to
keep the existing PGH running. He felt that this was the only way for the PGH to survive.

The PGH has not collaborated with other trusts or the Government.

When asked about "Corporate Social Responsibility" , the Trustee felt that it will not increase
their donations , since they were a communal institution.

41
Appendix 5: Mr Dinshaw Tamboly, Trustee and Chairman, WZO

Mr.Tamboly mentioned that the WZO were funded mainly by Zoroastrians in Hong Kong for
projects and activities dealing with health, education and relief from poverty and was formed
to rehabilitate poor Zoroastrian farmers in the state of southern Gujarat. With an increase in
its welfare activities, two new Trusts were formed in the 1990s.

The Trust mainly depended on public donations, mainly from individual donors However,
public appeals were also made from time to time and these generated donations from non-
Zorastrians as well. Contributions were the greatest during festivals and special occasions.
They also received legacies. In fact, just recently they had received a bequest of Rs 2 crores.
( $ 20 million)

He said that they also collaborated with other organizations and had done so recently with
The Lions Club who had opted to set up solar plants in Gujarati villages through the WZO.

Mr.Tamboly felt that Parsi Zoroastrians had generally donated less post independence since
part of the wealth of the community had decreased , especially in Gujarat . He gave three
reasons for this:

a) With the introduction of Prohibition (of Liquor) in Gujarat, many Zoroastrians who
owned liquor shops lost their livelihood.
b) Secondly, , many farmers in Gujarat lost much of their land when the Tillers Act was
introduced since it restricted the size of the land which could be cultivated.
c) Lastly, with the enactment of The State Transport Act of 1952 , private bus companies
were nationalized, once again depriving Zoroastrians of their livelihood.

The decreasing population of the Zoroastrians also played a large role and all these
circumstances influence the amount of donations received from Zoroastrians.

The Trust has so far not received any funding under the CSR but two large corporations had
expressed interest in their welfare activities and the Trust had invited them to give proposals.
They were confident that their donations would increase in the future .

42
 Appendix 6

Questionnaire

1. Excluding the original Trust corpus who are your main donors ?
- Individuals/Companies/Other Trusts and Foundations?
- Indian/Foreign/Parsi
- Government/Non-Government

2. Who are the beneficiaries of your Trust?

3. Would you say that your annual inflow of funds is sufficient to fund all your projects?

4. Is there a sufficient demand for your charitable activities ?

5. Is your Trust engaged in Education/Healthcare/Social benefits/Research/Other

please give a brief description of your Trusts activities ?

6. Do you run permanent projects? (eg running a permanent institution such as a

school/hospital/old people's home) Do you also run projects for fixed terms such as
annual projects or short term projects? If so, can you give a few details?

7. Do you see your primary purpose as direct charity i.e. giving financial or other benefits
to the needy or does your Trust also have long term socio-economic objectives such as
improvements in education/healthcare/nutrition, and working towards systemic
changes in society?

8. Do you engage in joint activities/projects with other Trust/Foundations or with the

Government?

9. Has the introduction of Section 135 of the Companies Act 2013 (making it compulsory
for large public limited companies to spend at least 2% of their net profit pursuant to

43
 their Corporate Social Responsibility) increased donations to your Trust? Do you
expect that CSR will increase donations in the future ?

10. Where do you see yourself as an institution in 10 years from the following three
perspectives:

- Activities
- Funding
- Organisation/administration
-
11. Do you think that the Trust is receiving the same level of donations that it did ten years
ago? Have they significantly increased or decreased over the years ?

44
 Appendix 7
Poll on Issues

Please indicate your view on the following issues by ticking what you think is the most appropriate
response:

1. Association with the name of the founder is an advantage because it gives brand value to the
Trusts activities.
STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE

2. Identification with the founder detracts donations from present day donors who might
presume that the Trust has adequate resources and has no need of further funds.

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE

3. Narrow objects of the Trust (i.e. specific areas on which alone the Trust can spend) facilitates
focused and therefore more effective spending by the Trust.
STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE

4. Where the Trust deed limits beneficiaries to only Parsi Zoroastrians, the ability of a
philanthropic Trust to address the underlying cause of the problems of humanity and social
problems is limited.
STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE

5. There are greater donations from Parsi-Zoroastrians if the beneficiaries of a Trust are only
Parsi-Zoroastrians.

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE

6. Donations from non Parsis or from companies are non-existent or very limited where the
beneficiaries of a Trust are only Parsi-Zoroastrians.
STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE

7. The demand for charitable activities by your Trust on its activities exceeds its annual income

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE

45
8. The provisions of Section 135 of the Companies Act 2013 make it compulsory for a large
company to spend every year, at least 2% of its average net profits of the last three years, in
pursuance of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The CSR requirement will
increase donations to your Trust.
STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE

9. Income tax benefits encourage donations to your Trusts

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE

10. Individuals have become more selfish so although they may earn more they are willing to
donate less
STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE

46
47