Editorial Viewpoint
No Entry
The decision by the World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ) to bar the 'Parsi' Press from covering their inaugural bash smacks of immaturity and churlishness. How can a body that claims to represent the Parsi Irani Zoroastrians of the world ban the Press that consists of Parsi Irani Zoroastrians while at the same time welcoming the secular (read non-Parsi) Press?
WAPIZ bars membership to even Zoroastrians if they are not born of a Parsi/Irani Zoroastrian father. The entire basis of their world body is race. And yet the Press that belongs to the same race is not compatible to them. This smacks of rank hypocrisy.
What are they afraid of? That the community Press which is well acquainted with all their shenanigans would mock their launch? That their misrepresentations would be expo-sed? By denying the Press access, was this going to change the fourth estate's outlook of them? Certainly not.
So then why embark on such a preposterous line of action? Was it an act of vendetta or akin to an act of a child who teased by her peers responds by not inviting them to her birthday party? The only difference is we assume a child's ill behavior will outgrow with time. But how do we view such adult 'leaders of the world' who conduct such vendettas? Rather poorly.
We could easily have sent in our 'moles' to the WAPIZ launch at the Turf Club on 28th May as the prime spokesman for WAPIZ, Khojeste Mistree remarked to our managing editor. But do we really believe the event is so newsworthy that we should resort to such means?
There are better things to do on a Saturday evening than listen to ponderous speeches and pulpit speakers in the company of some co-religionists whose main motivation for attending is a free dinner and drinks.
Of course there is no such thing as a free dinner. People have to sit through the orations however tedious they be and they will have to race for the meals in order to finish and reach home at a reasonable time. They may have to put up with jostling crowds and inebriated individuals before they dig into the pulao or find their way to the exit. (The delegation from the Iranian Zoroastrian Anjuman led by their president Mehrwan Irani however stated they would attend the function but forgo the dinner in empathy with the Parsi Press. "Today they exclude you, tomorrow they may exclude us. How can they function like this?" remarked Irani. He noted Parsiana had supported him in his battle against those who wished to take over the Tithal Sana-toriam land in that south Gujarat coastal town. How could he now desert Parsiana, he queried? His sentiments however were not shared by the other community 'leaders' who attended.)
And if the organizers have not provided buses to transport the invitees, they may have to walk a fair distance in all their finery to the railway station, bus stops, cabs or car parks.
Does this sound like sour grapes? Not really. Covering community functions is time consuming, tiring and often tedious. Two days at a Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India meeting would wilt even the most determined of people. We therefore owe Mistree and his motley crew our gratitude for livening the Ahmedabad proceedings. The half hour entertainment they provided - free of cost - broke the monotony of the blah-blah. And it also added a historic dimension to the word 'Inshallah' (God willing).
In most Federation meetings the Press has to remain alert, silent and observant while anjuman delegates chat, doze, read newspapers, stroll in and out of the venue or make a token appearance and disappear.
But the Bombay meet of the all India body initially scheduled for June 2005, held promise. Would our friends from Surat turn up? Would the delegates insist the all-India body join WAPIZ as the only true world body? Would Keki Gandhi be voted out of the honorary secretaryship? Would Mistree's lieutenant Yazdi Desai be elected in hi
WAPIZ bars membership to even Zoroastrians if they are not born of a Parsi/Irani Zoroastrian father. The entire basis of their world body is race. And yet the Press that belongs to the same race is not compatible to them. This smacks of rank hypocrisy.
What are they afraid of? That the community Press which is well acquainted with all their shenanigans would mock their launch? That their misrepresentations would be expo-sed? By denying the Press access, was this going to change the fourth estate's outlook of them? Certainly not.
So then why embark on such a preposterous line of action? Was it an act of vendetta or akin to an act of a child who teased by her peers responds by not inviting them to her birthday party? The only difference is we assume a child's ill behavior will outgrow with time. But how do we view such adult 'leaders of the world' who conduct such vendettas? Rather poorly.
We could easily have sent in our 'moles' to the WAPIZ launch at the Turf Club on 28th May as the prime spokesman for WAPIZ, Khojeste Mistree remarked to our managing editor. But do we really believe the event is so newsworthy that we should resort to such means?
There are better things to do on a Saturday evening than listen to ponderous speeches and pulpit speakers in the company of some co-religionists whose main motivation for attending is a free dinner and drinks.
Of course there is no such thing as a free dinner. People have to sit through the orations however tedious they be and they will have to race for the meals in order to finish and reach home at a reasonable time. They may have to put up with jostling crowds and inebriated individuals before they dig into the pulao or find their way to the exit. (The delegation from the Iranian Zoroastrian Anjuman led by their president Mehrwan Irani however stated they would attend the function but forgo the dinner in empathy with the Parsi Press. "Today they exclude you, tomorrow they may exclude us. How can they function like this?" remarked Irani. He noted Parsiana had supported him in his battle against those who wished to take over the Tithal Sana-toriam land in that south Gujarat coastal town. How could he now desert Parsiana, he queried? His sentiments however were not shared by the other community 'leaders' who attended.)
And if the organizers have not provided buses to transport the invitees, they may have to walk a fair distance in all their finery to the railway station, bus stops, cabs or car parks.
Does this sound like sour grapes? Not really. Covering community functions is time consuming, tiring and often tedious. Two days at a Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India meeting would wilt even the most determined of people. We therefore owe Mistree and his motley crew our gratitude for livening the Ahmedabad proceedings. The half hour entertainment they provided - free of cost - broke the monotony of the blah-blah. And it also added a historic dimension to the word 'Inshallah' (God willing).
In most Federation meetings the Press has to remain alert, silent and observant while anjuman delegates chat, doze, read newspapers, stroll in and out of the venue or make a token appearance and disappear.
But the Bombay meet of the all India body initially scheduled for June 2005, held promise. Would our friends from Surat turn up? Would the delegates insist the all-India body join WAPIZ as the only true world body? Would Keki Gandhi be voted out of the honorary secretaryship? Would Mistree's lieutenant Yazdi Desai be elected in hi
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