"Marriage has not changed my beliefs or my identity as a Parsi Zoroastrian,” Tehnaz Punwani, the newest trustee of the Calcutta Zoroastrian Community’s Religious and Charity Fund (CZCRCF) told Parsiana on August 17, 2023. She says she "follows in the line of remarkable leaders who have been and are the trustees of the Fund…Each one of them has made important and lasting contributions and I also hope to contribute my bit to uphold the values and aspirations of the trust.” Punwani was unanimously appointed to fill in the vacancy resulting from the stepping down of trustee Russi Jeejeebhoy. "His health did not permit him to continue,” CZCRCF senior trustee Numazar Mehta told Parsiana on August 17. "Tehnaz was the only one who stepped forward and showed interest.” The appointment was confirmed at the trust’s annual general meeting on July 9.
Head of the legal department and company secretary at Eveready Industries India Limited, Punwani is all praise for the multiple Zoroastrian associations in the eastern city. "Each contributes to the welfare and well-being of the community members and provides opportunities for education, housing, religious teachings, games, dramatics and various social events… I am proud and privileged to belong to the Parsi community of Calcutta and have received immense love and encouragement throughout, from so many community members and the various institutions.”
The eldest child of Tehmton and Naju Taraporewala, followed by brothers Eric and Rohinton, Punwani was born in Poona but raised in Calcutta. "As a family, we were not well off for quite a long time and had trying times which were magnified with the medical problems of both my parents… It is the goodwill of the community and various Parsi welfare organizations in the city that has enabled to see us through our problems and come out stronger,” she shared.
Married to Arun since 1990, the Punwanis have two sons, Abhishek and Nikhil. "My husband and I have always encouraged our children to be good human beings.” The children have not been navjoted. "Back in the day it was a difficult thing to do and I did not want to confuse them,” she stated.
Top: Tehnaz Punwani; above, from l: Abhishek, Tehnaz, Arun and Nikhil Punwani
Tehnaz believes that "religion, marriage, ceremonies and rituals are very personal and should be practiced with free will… I strongly believe that following the threefold path of Asha which our religion encourages us to, being good for the sake of goodness, without the hope of reward and spreading happiness, is perhaps the most satisfying way of following our religion in its true sense.” Her mantra for a satisfying life: "Believe in yourself, do good, be good and do what makes you happy.”
In addition to Mehta and Punwani, the other trustees at CZCRCF are Bahadur Postwalla, Cyrus Madan and Pessi Dadina. The Fund is the apex body of the community. Other independent welfare organizations look into the religious, cultural and social activities of the Parsis there (see "Covering Calcutta I and II,” Parsiana, December 7 and December 21, 2017).