“Friendships come and go”

Areez Khambatta, the president of the Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat is fast emerging as one of the most prolific orthodox spokespersons. A long-time advertising supporter of Parsiana, he withdrew the advertisements of Pioma Industries, manufacturers of the nationally known Rasna brand, following Parsiana’s coverage of the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India meeting held in Ahmedabad last December. Subsequently correspondence ensued between Khambatta and the Editor of Parsiana, extracts of the most recent correspondence being published below:

The Editor wrote

It was good to hear from you after a lapse of over four months. I had a feeling that eventually you would respond as we are both, despite our differences, concerned about the welfare of the community.

The Parsi Press’ bias against the World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ) that you refer to, is largely a result of the ban on the Parsi Press from attending the inaugural function and also for not keeping the Parsi Press abreast of developments...

It pains me to think you have so generously parted with one crore of your hard earned money without any blueprint or plan that is open to public scrutiny and advice. Already eight to 10 lakhs must have been spent with no tangible community benefit accruing from it.

Khambatta: "be honest first”

On the contrary, in the course of this exercise you have strained your relations with people like Nariman Mogrelia which you claimed was on the grounds of religion. There was no religious issue involved in your differences with Nariman. The question was whether the children of Parsi women married to non-Parsis should be permitted entry to the Madras fire temple. This is a social and legal issue. In Iran anyone can enter a fire temple. In Delhi and Jamshedpur the children of Parsi women married to non-Parsis can enter. No religion bars people from their place of worship. They encourage visitors. It is only where the caste system prevails that these ­restrictions exist. As (Bombay High Court) Justice (Frank O. C.) Bea­man said (in Petit vs Jeejeebhoy, 1906), "This is not religion. It has nothing to do with religion. It is essentially, distinctly irreligious.”

If WAPIZ has a blueprint or an agenda for the community, I hope you will make it public so that there is discussion and feedback on the plans before they are wrongfully or wastefully executed. You of course have a right to spend your money as you wish but since you have given it in good faith, it should also be so utilized...

Khambatta’s reply

I do not agree with you that you are "concerned about the welfare of the community.” As a matter of fact your attitude of encouraging conversion… is worse than being a convert and will completely ruin and wipe out our lovely community and religion...

You very well know my blunt and frank nature and I will not tolerate deceit... You are (alleging) that the Parsi Press’ bias against WAPIZ (World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis) is "a result of the ban we imposed on it.” This is not true because your bias against us was present even before the formation of WAPIZ... The main reason for not inviting you was because of the flimsy excuses you had given for not accepting our invitation to attend our Bardoli meet and because you had colluded with the other two (The Bombay Samachar and Jam-e-Jamshed) after your visit to the Ahmedabad Fed (Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India — FPZAI) meet, which was much before the formation of WAPIZ. So you should learn to be honest first…

Ever since the Federation meeting in Ahmedabad, and even before that, you have reported events in such a way that the traditionalists are seen in a very poor light. You devoted editorials to what you called "hooliganism” (Parsiana never used this word in regard to the Ahmedabad meeting disruption or any similar event­ — the Editors) at the Ahmedabad meeting and tried to show that the entire meeting was disrupted, when that was not true at all. Moreover, we have been personally attacked in the Parsi Press in a way no respectable journalist/editor would write, so please do not try to cover up the wrong doings of the Parsi Press by blaming the ban for the reason of your bias against WAPIZ.

Even now you continue to speak against WAPIZ. WAPIZ has exposed the leadership for supporting persons who have renounced the religion of their birth as well as those who convert. Unfortunately the Parsi Press also support persons who have renounced the religion of their birth as well as (those who convert)... WAPIZ has brought back into focus our all-important Parsi/Irani identity which certain leaders who serve two masters, and journalists like yourself are trying their best to marginalize. It has exposed the Parsi Press for its bias and dishonesty. WAPIZ has united the community with the High Priests and the entire priestly class, without whom our religion cannot survive. It is a shame that our very own Parsi Press mocks at… our Vada Dasturjis (and) scholars... Their shameful low standards of hitting even our High Priests below the belt, no reader will ever forget. Persons upholding lies, are sinners themselves and they should drop the title of editors… Therefore it is only you, the Parsi Press, which is playing up not only this theme of "schism and bad blood” but also insulting our holy religion…

For people like you... platitude about "truth” is far from the truth... Edmund Burke talked about a "free” Press, an independent Press, free from bias, with a history of balanced and ethical reporting. Not a Press whose editor is obligated and indebted to his donor cronies. I pity your plight because you could not report the "truth.” I pity your plight further as I have never come across a magazine being sponsored. I should recommend to the Federation to felicitate you with an award of excellence for earning so much of foreign exchange to make your magazine fortnightly (around 12 percent of our income is from overseas, most of it subscriptions — the Editors).

As a matter of fact my bold stand at the Ahmedabad Federation meet was greatly appreciated by most of the presidents/delegates of the anjumans.

I quote below an e-mail of one of the delegates Hushang Vakil (of Dahanu):

"The Zarathushti lion awakened, and folks, Mr Areez Khambatta, deserved the lion share of tribute at that meeting, not only for being a wonderful host, along with his team of course, but like a true Zarathushti lion, he stood up for truthfulness and tackled headlong, his own co-members of the board who were sitting alongside him on the dais. That required a lot of guts and a true Zara­thushti spirit, as also a love for his religion and race, in his heart. Our hats off to him for having done that.”

Another e-mail from Shiraz Doon­gaji (of Nagpur) praised me as under:

"We are overwhelmed (by) the efforts done by you for the future of the community. We see you doing things which normally the leader of a community should do. You are the true leader of our community, who has a great foresight. I offer myself for the service of the community affairs, on your command. Please count me as your supporter at Nagpur. If I can do anything for the community I will be at your service.”

Third e-mail from Marazban Giara mentions:

"You all deserve a big thank you for your well coordinated efforts in opposing the BPP (Bombay Parsi Punchayet) and the FPZAI joining the world body.

"Thanks for your efforts for the first time in the history of the Federation, as many as 41 of the 69 anjumans who are members of the FPZAI have written letters protesting against the FPZAI joining the cosmopolitan world body. An unprecedented 24 out of the 29 anjumans represented at the Ahmedabad meeting have in a signed letter to the president, FPZAI dated December 19, 2004 listed their grievances in respect of the proposed cosmopolitan world body. This is all the more commendable considering that the Parsi Press is biased and not presenting a true and fair picture of the events happening in our community.

"The present BPP trustees talk glibly of transparency, accountability and corporate governance. Yet they have failed to even convene an anjuman committee meeting for the last five years. The last anjuman committee meeting was convened in June 1999.

"It is high time that following the lead given by anjumans all over India, the anjuman committee members both elected and donor members must mount pressure on the BPP trustees who are bending over backwards to appease the Zoroastrians abroad and ignoring those who have elected them. The trustees must realize that they are not kings and dictators who can behave as they please. The falsehood sought to be perpetrated on the community must be exposed. Truth alone triumphs, Satyamev Jayate. In the first karda of Sarosh Yasht Hadokht is stated: Arshukhdho vakhsh yahi veretha­rajastemo meaning ‘Truthfully spoken word alone will be the most victorious?’”

I am proud to inform our Federation members that by the grace of Dadar Ahura Mazda I have been able to fulfill their wishes by the formation of WAPIZ with its seat of power in Bombay and will continue doing so. I have strongly protested at the way our Federation meeting at Bombay on June 4 and 5 was postponed and am happy to inform all that the cosmopolitan world body flopped in the recent World Zoroastrian Congress held at London…

Nariman: "strained relationship”

I thank you for being so concerned about me parting with my hard earned money, which I gave to WAPIZ but if that really pained you then why have you persuaded and requested me continuously for the last more than 20 years even in the rainy and cold seasons for my advertisements of about Rs 20 lakhs which you very well knew were not at all beneficial to me as compared to your small circulation? Even your allegation that 8 to 10 lakh rupees have been spent with no tangible community benefits as usual is biased and not correct. For your information, I firmly believe that it is much better to lose money and friendship than to betray the religion and encourage convertists who are even worst than converts specially those who do it for the sake of money.

Finally coming to your comment about my friendship and now "strained relationship” with Nariman Mogrelia, please don’t worry yourself about it. Friendships come and go. I prefer to be true to my conscience and my religion. The question of whether Parsi women married to non-Parsis and their children should be permitted entry to the Madras fire temple may be a social and legal issue to you which clearly shows your ignorance of the religion but to those of us who believe in the religion as handed down to us by our forefathers, it is a religious issue, which if allowed will break down the structure of our religon. All your arguments about this are wrong.

With best wishes to… the Parsiana team which I hope will realize its folly and its bad policy.

AREEZ KHAMBATTA

C.C. To : (1) All Presidents of our FPZAI as well as President of ZTFE-London, Present, Past and Founder Presidents of FEZANA — With a request to show these to your Board Members as well as put it on your Notice Board/Library.

(2) Hushang, Shiraz and Marazban.