Premium Punchayet

There is a public debate raging about the precise nature and role of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) in managing the affairs of the Parsi community. It is not a new debate. It is several years old, but with a different emphasis, based on the needs of the day and the loudness of the drum which is being beaten. It is bound to be that way as all societies and communities are in a state of locomotion.

The Parsi Press has been in the vanguard of discussing our community’s affairs, based on the perception of each editor.

Of late, the BPP has been the whipping horse, of a sort.

Let us look at what the trustees of the BPP have done, about our community’s well being: Its largest and most time consuming activity is providing houses to the deserving. To decide who deserves (and to what extent) involves thousands of man-hours, from the level of the seven trustees to that of the investigator, and two layers of administration, in between. Over 2,800 flats of the BPP plus, say, another 1,600 flats of the Wadia Baugs, is the largest reservoir of communal housing in the world. No other community provides anything equal to what the BPP does to its community members. With the demand outstripping supplies, there are bound to be some irritations though the trustees make extensive efforts to smoothen the rough edges and maintain total transparency. There is a Housing Advisory Committee (HAC) which has six outsiders who assist the trustees in filtering the applications and recommending to the board the deserving cases. In the allotment of the houses, there is a distinct weightage in favor of young men and women, waiting to be married or just married and wanting to start a family.

There seems to be a grouse, in certain quarters, that the trustees allocate the flats by accepting non-interest bearing, refundable deposits. It is true for some cases, but not in every case. For instance, at the Goregaon Estate, no allotment has been made against a deposit. Quite some flats, which are believed to have a "market value” below Rs 15 lakhs, are allotted without any pecuniary consideration.

The BPP’s effort on housing is many times more than what all the anjumans and punchayets in India and abroad, put together, do.

The other important activities of the Punchayet concern medical aid, education and doles. In 2004/2005 alone, the disbursals were: religious: Rs 130.48 lakhs, education: Rs 104.46 lakhs, medicine: Rs 76 lakhs, relief of poverty: Rs 80.51 lakhs, other charitable trust: Rs 63.50 lakhs.

The strength of the community lies in the cutting edge our youngsters possess for succeeding, in India and abroad, in a human society which is becoming increasingly competitive. I must say, to the credit of the trustees, that while the BPP has been forced to cut corners (because of the falling interest rates), it has not only kept intact, but enhanced, the grants for education.

For some time now, the trustees have felt the need to rekindle the spirit of self-employment and entrepreneurship amongst Parsi men and women. This concern led to the establishment of two vehicles: the Centre for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship (CPE), to garner funds. The other is the Zoroastrian Investment Corporation Private Limited (ZICPL), for disbursal. The BPP gave a seed capital of Rs 20 lakhs, and also invited eminent Zoroastrians, with a proven record in banking and financial services, to join the boards of these two vehicles.

That helped to establish the Indian chapters of the World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce (WZCC). The first chapter was founded in Delhi on January 11, 2003 and the Bombay chapter (which is a very vibrant one), was founded on January 18, 2003. The Bombay chapter holds its meetings at regular intervals, and seeks the advice of external speakers and institutions who would advise enterprising Zoroastrians and be inclined to assist them, financially.

The first successful project, with ZICPL’s help, was launched in Madhya Pradesh, by Jehan Pestonji Bhujwala who is in the business of wildlife tourism. The next project, in the pipeline, is to assist a young Zoroastrian, Dinshaw F. Variava, who is promoting processed foods.

The trustees are seized of a very serious problem facing our community: its dwindling numbers. The trustees were seized of the problem of infertility amongst young couples, and took the initiative of consulting Dr Anahita Pandole, the reputed gynecologist, and Dr Pervin Dadachanji, psychiatrist who volunteered to treat the couples. The BPP foots the bills for the initial expenses. Up to now, consulting Pandole has helped 20 couples.

The other area in which the BPP has been active, since 1993, is the financial support given to the parents who beget a third child. The help takes the nature of a financial support from the third child onwards, of Rs 1,000 per month, till the child reaches 18 years of age. The project was conceived by our chairman emeritus, J. N. Guzder. Today, the BPP extends help to the parents of 126 children, at a total cost of Rs 15.12 lakhs per annum.

Another very meaningful project, on hand, is the investigation being done by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) under the guidance of Dr (Prof) Armaity S. Desai and Dr Shernaz Cama of the Parzor Foundation, in conjunction with the Census Commissionerate of the Government of India. That project will cost over Rs 20 lakhs and involves a door-to-door survey of the target audience. The comprehensive survey will involve collection of data regarding health, age, (in)fertility, academic attainments, job profiles, joint or nuclear families, economic status, divorce rate, number of children, housing amenities, expenses on medicare, social isolation, etc.

The fertility rate amongst the Parsis in India (1999) was 0.94 against the all India average of 3.30, according to Dr A. Bose and Dr T. K. Ghosh of the Census Commissionerate. Based on such projections, our numbers will dwindle, and the ostracism imposed, on those who marry out, will have disastrous consequences on our microscopic community. It appears that the other anjumans and punchayets are spectators to the unfolding drama and the BPP is supposed to be the only actor on the stage, with no supporting cast!

It is time that the whole community woke up to discuss and share its endemic problems, and not cast the full burden on the BPP. The BPP has more than fulfilled its role as a premium punchayet. The other punchayets/trusts with vast resources surely need to do much more and with urgency.

BEHRAM T. DASTUR