Agitation in Ahmedabad

Former Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat (APP) trustee Porus Karanjawalla and managing committee member Firdose Kapadia wrote a letter to the president of the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India Minoo Shroff requesting him "not to allow any board member of APP to represent APP, as they are no longer the true representatives of our anjuman.”

The two stated that the five-year term plus six months’ extension for the trustees elected on December 10, 2000 expired on June 10, 2006.

"APP’s constitution as per clause 7-A, gives the managing committee a period of six months from the date of expiry of the five-year term to function as caretakers and during these six months conduct an election for the next board to take over. This six months’ period also ended on June 10, 2006. However the present leadership has not bothered to hold the elections till date and has chosen to continue to remain in office unlawfully showing utter disregard for the laws stipulated in the constitution of APP.

"We also informed the honorable charity commissioner that we have stopped functioning as a trustee and managing committee member of APP respectively, from June 10, 2006 and hence we should be absolved from all the responsibilities arising out of the actions taken by this defunct and unconstitutional managing committee of APP.”

Subsequently, 250 out of an electorate of 1,200 members of APP (way above the minimum 10 signatories requirement) forwarded a petition to the joint secretary of APP, Firoze Davar, to call for an anjuman meeting. A copy of the same was marked to the charity commissioner, noted the duo. The petition says, "As this defunct board of yours has chosen not to call for elections, we the undersigned demand an anjuman meeting at the earliest under clause 49 of APP’s constitution.”

A second petition signed by 11 members was once again submitted "requesting an anjuman meeting but that request too fell on deaf ears.”

Karanjawalla and Kapadia accused APP president Areez Khambatta of "blatantly showing disregard for the will of the people and wanting to destroy the democratic process…”

When asked to comment on Karanja­walla and Kapadia’s allegation, APP trustee Farokh Kavina stated that a circular dated August 3, 2006 issued by Davar clarifies the APP point of view. When requested to send a copy of the circular Kavina said he would check with his committee if it could be forwarded to Parsiana and would revert to us.

Karanjawalla insisted the circular referred to an application made some time ago to the charity commissioner asking that elections be held every three years instead of five.

"The frivolous reason given is that they are awaiting an approval to an amendment of the constitution carried out more than five years back, from the honorable charity commissioner’s office.”

In the meanwhile Khambatta, Kavina and Kersi Daruwalla attended the Federation meet in Bombay on September 23 and 24, 2006.