Trusteeship tussle

With Dinshaw Tamboly’s first term as trustee of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) coming to a close on November 5, 2003, the next trusteeship election has been scheduled for September 27, 2003. Although the last date for filing of nominations was August 27, 2003, nearly five weeks prior to that community activist Noshir Dadrawala announced his decision to contest the election in The Bombay Samachar of July 20, 2003 which carried his manifesto.

A front page editorial in the Jam-e-Jamshed of July 27 clarified, "We are naturally distressed that our correspondent Noshir H. Dadrawala sent us his letter requesting support after it was printed in Bombay Samachar and he did not even think it necessary to inform us that he was contesting the election.” The same editorial asserted that Tamboly "was definitely seeking a second term.” Dadrawala is a regular columnist for the Jamé and was for a year the weekly’s associate editor.

Assessing the strengths of the two candidates in his Parsi tari arsi (PTA) column in the Samachar of July 20, Berjis Desai wrote: "Both have an excellent reputation as honest and hardworking men. Both are well versed in managing charity...Tamboly has had a sobering, quiet influence. He is a man of few words. A bit of a diplomat, but sagacious and wise. Dadrawala is a one-man army. He writes very well and wields an acerbic pen...He is the spokesman for the orthodox...He is no diplomat. He calls a spade a spade.”

Tamboly (left) and Dadrawala

The following week when the Sama-char’s PTA column predicted Dadra-wala’s odds as 100:1, prompt came Dad-rawala’s rejoinder in the Samachar of August 3: "All I can state at this stage is, there is many a slip between the cup and the lip...My worthy opponent has done quite some good work as an office bearer of the World Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO). However his contribution as a trustee of the BPP for the last seven years requires to be objectively evaluated and reviewed...Also, on a number of occasions in the last seven years the Press had reported that my worthy opponent wanted to resign. It would be in his interest to explain why he wanted to do so and what are the circumstances which have now made him enthusiastic to go in for a second term...I have announced my candidature out of a certain conviction. If the community (actually it is only a small, select, fraction of the community) votes for me I will be honored. But more than that I will consider it an opportunity to serve my community and become an instrument of social change. If the voters do not support me I will neither feel shamed nor humiliated...”

Tamboly had his own answer to that in a statement released in the run-up to the election: "I have decided to seek reelection for a second term as I am involved in many new ongoing projects that have been introduced (and)... are in an embryonic stage.” He then referred to the Venture Capital Fund, the World Zara­thushti Chamber of Commerce, the proposal to set up a management institute, liaising with a medical college for reservation of certain seats for Parsis... "At 58 years of age I can still continue to contribute effectively.” As chair of the BPP’s education committee Tamboly sought to focus on and further the cause of the youth. On housing, his thrust had been more towards catering to those in genuine need rather than on the creation of a corpus.

"My contribution in promoting and encouraging the introduction of solar concentrators at Doongerwadi is and remains the most proactive...I am aware that the role played by me has been perceived by some as not to have been in the traditional mold...My role as a custodian of the community funds was to ensure that our assets were not compromised...

"As far as my association with WZO is concerned, I take pride in being an integral part of this magnificent institution that has been able to do so much for the community in so short a time... detractors continue to defame WZO about its so assumed anti-religious stance... (based on) the decision taken by its world-wide membership during the early nineties to change their constitution and accept within their membership non Zoroastrian spouses of Zoroastrians. Many, including me, view this issue quite clearly, and that is, membership of an institution certainly does not mean conversion...

"The community has experienced my performance in community welfare work for over 20 years and as BPP trustee during the last seven years...The policy that I adopt in my profession is also reflected in areas of community leadership, which is to think rationally, analyze objectively and execute decisively...”

"At my present age of 42 years,” noted Dadrawala in his manifesto, "I have a vision and definite goals for the BPP. I also feel that I have the right combination of talent, experience, integrity and enthusiasm to serve the community as a trustee.” Involved in the affairs of the Parsi community since almost a quarter of a century, Dadrawala had worked with the Zoroastrian Community Development Institute, as assistant secretary at the B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital and is presently executive secretary of the Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy, a company specializing in areas of charity law, finance, management, taxation, resource mobilization and human resource development.

On the professional front he has authored publications like the Hand Book on Administration of Trusts, The Art of Fund-Raising, Investment Opportunities for Charitable Organizations, Management of Philanthropic Organizations and Laws Governing Voluntary Organizations in India; and of interest to Zoroastrians would be Iran — The Spiritual Motherland of Zoroastrians, Zarathush­trian Saints and Martyrs, and Dokhme­nashini and its Sustainability.

A regular lecturer at professional bodies and community organizations, Dadrawala rues: "Today the general image of the BPP is poor because it does not communicate effectively...The trustees have not called a single meeting of the Anjuman Committee in years nor even a press conference. With my expertise in areas of communication, I would consider giving this neglected area top priority. There is palpable lack of transparency and accountability...I can empathize with the aspirations of the youth of our community and devote maximum energy to the affairs of the Punchayet...”