Show of solidarity

"To reaffirm our faith and confidence in our Dasturji Nadirshah Unvalla and the trustees and to demonstrate our unqualified and total support to them in the service of our community,” a special general meeting of the Bangalore Par­see Zoroastrian An­juman (BPZA) was convened on July 14, 2002. An overwhelming majority (there were two abstentions) of the almost 80 members present passed a resolution forwarded to Parsiana to "condemn in the strongest possible manner the cowardly act of an unknown individual who has chosen to circulate an unsigned letter...containing malicious and totally unsubstantiated charges against our revered... Unvalla and our respected trustees and...to reflect the disgust and revulsion felt...”

Two senior members of the community, Nadir N. Billimoria and Sheryar D. Vakil who had reportedly taken the initiative to summon the meeting, voiced their views in favor of Unvalla and the trustees, mentions the press release. Billimoria referred to Unvalla’s dedication for 60 years during which time he had assisted innumerable families who were in distress without any consideration. He further commented that a trustee’s job is a thankless one, appreciating their concern, care and transparency. Since the anonymous letter writer had referred to personal misfortunes in the lives of Unvalla and certain trustees as retribution meted out by God, Vakil assumed the writer was "a sick man... devoid of any sense of decency.”

Unvalla: commu­nity service

According to the letter replete with grammatical and spelling errors, "Ca­was­ji, Nadirshah and Disawalla (Dr M. D. Disawalla’s membership was terminated by the BPZA last year for not subscribing to the dakhmenashini tradition) all are equally responsible for all the shame brought to all the Parsis of Bangalore.” Among the issues the letter writer was hoping to address were the problems of the present priest, Disa­walla’s problems, Unvalla’s problems and making BPZA a reputable institution.

At the meeting Jimmy Panthaki reaffirmed Unvalla’s individual acts of generosity and help to both Parsis and non-Parsis. Member Cawas Nazir also showed his disapproval of the letter writer. But when he criticized the trustees for disposing an old property (albeit with the sanction of the general body) he was not permitted to digress from the agenda on hand.

After the meeting, members, in their individual capacity, went up to Unvalla and the trustees to express their solidarity. "The Bangalore Parsis are a committed lot with the ability to arrive at their own conclusions on various issues (affecting) the community... In times of adversity or when there is a need to come together as one, whether to defend the faith or to help the Anjuman, you will never find them wanting,” summed up Billimoria.