A Spoonful of Sugar

A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR A historical incident published in The Times of India Supplement, The Neighbourhood Star (March 18-24, 1989) has lesson for us all. It seems that when the first batch of Parsis from Iran landed on the west coast of Gujrat, their community leader–their peshwa–went straight to the ruling monarch, Yadav Rana and requested him to allow the Parsis to stay in his state. The Raja uttered not a word in reply, but simply handed the Peshwa a glass full to the brim with milk. This was meant to show him that his state already had its full measure of population and that there was no room for any more people. The Peshwa did not answer in words either. His response was simply to add a spoonful of sugar to the milk and to return it forthwith to the Raja. This was his way of saying that the Parsis would sweeten their milk–not take possession of it. That is to say that their presence would add sweetness to the life of the state. The Raja was pleased with this response and gave them his permission to stay in Gujrat. One thousand years have passed since this incident took place, and history has shown how the Parsi Peshwa’s words came true. This was because the members of the Parsi community did not waste their time in launching demand and protest movements throughout the country. Instead, they contributed to the progress and development of the country by working harder than everyone else. They made