Dr. Burjor Antia at age 90

 Today in this blog I am attempting to write about Dr. Burjorji Antia, Senior Partner and Solicitor of Mulla & Mulla Craigie Blunt and Caroe a Solicitor firm located in Mumbai in a building called Mulla House in the precincts of the iconic Flora Fountain Building. As a person from the medical field I never knew Dr. Antia and even as my father was a small time lawyer the world of solicitors and lawyers of this kind and their daunting offices were for me another world. 

In the mid nineties as an Orthopedic surgeon struggling to establish practice the easiest thing was to take an attachment to Parsi General Hospital where I was potentially given an opportunity to treat and admit Parsee patients. For non Parsee patients I was told by my colleagues to get an attachment to Masina Hospital in Byculla which was considered a very old and ordinary hospital with a crumbling infrastructure and very basic equipment. In the pregoogle era Mr. Burjor Antia for me was an unknown writer a scholar of Zoroastrian religion who was considered a champion of the ultra orthodox Parsi brethren who were against reform. The mental image I had was of a stren taciturn lawyer, no nonsense person with rigid views. I was actually intimidated by his personality. However, my first opportunity to meet him arose when for some non medical reason ( personal vendetta) I was not given an attachment to Masina Hospital, Mr Arnie Khan who ran a health unit called Lady Jehangir Health unit called him up and fixed my appointment with him. I met the man in person for the first time. I remember one endearing thing about him was that he had made it a habit to always enquire about the well being of the person he met before coming on to the business on hand. Kem chev everything ok, bolo what can i do for you? after hearing me out he called Dr. Sam Batliwalla and said the same Kem chev? How is the hospital doing? Then he asked why I was not given an attachment? and when there was no satisfactory answer he simply said please give him an attachment if there is no reason not to do so. Work over he wished me well and saw me our upto his office door. This humility bowled me over. 

Later, I lost touch with him but continued reading his articles in Jame and even though he was steadfast in his views but one endearing quality was that none of his articles criticized others who held contrarian views. This made me feel that maybe he was not as hard as his exterior projected. Later, I went to him when in 2014 I was being interviewed as a candidate to head Masina Hospital but didn't get the job. He was polite to the core and was encouraging to me with words to the effect that we have heard good things about you but at present your inability to give full commitment makes us look elsewhere. I almost felt that I was being told to wait in the wings as I got the feeling that Masina Hospital Trust and my connection were almost like a destined story waiting to unfold. 

There are many endearing features of Dr. Burjor Antia's personality which I would like to touch upon. 

Despite being the senior most trustee and a man of immense experience he has always been humble and while he has comments on important points he has never obstructed any progress. In legal matters he has provided free service and time to the trust and has been prompt in replying and addressing any problem faced by us. 

He has always had a kind word for us and very often he would give an inspirational quote to carry home. His one quote "Live life as though you are to die tomorrow and Learn in life as though you have to live forever" has remained with me. 

Another aspect of his love care and devotion to his ailing wife especially when she had Covid and later when she was struggling with respiratory ailments. He came and spent quality time with her and he adhered to the medical advise give without question. He prayed and showed a tough smiling exterior to his wife even though he could see she was ailing. 

He has contributed to the Masina Hospital Board by his sound and sage advisee and has been a catalyst and channel for many donations. In November, 2022 he donated a large amount of money to develop new modern ICU (Intensive care unit) at Masina Hospital. 

On every occasion when he visits Masina Hospital Dr. Antia would give us historical facts about the hospital. His memory and recollection of past stories endeared him to his audience and to us Senior workers in the hospital would often come and bow to him reverentially. 

He lives a disciplined life and has embraced regular habits of Yoga, Vegetarian diet and prayers along with agriculture as a hobby. 

Only a fortnight back he visited Masina Hospital to meet me and spent time chatting with me. I came to know during this chat that he shares his birth date with me. Even though this association is coincidental the reflected glory of celebrating the same birth date make my heart swell with pride. 

He is reaching the age of 90 and bears an erect posture and a smiling visage. Over the last 9 years in Masina he is the steady anchor which is the link between a glorious past and a promising future. I am indeed fortunate to know him and hope and pray that he continue his great work and he be blessed with a long and healthy life span and an equally lengthy life scan. 

Vispi Jokhi