New goal for New Bombay

"We are about 65 Zarathoshti families (215 members) residing at various nodes of New Bombay like Vashi, Nerul, Belapur, Koparkhairne, Sanpada and New Panvel. At present due to lack of an agiary in New Bombay, we have to go to the nearest agiary either in Thana or Dadar, both of which are 20 km away,” points out Sharukh Mahiar Doctor, president and founder trustee of the New Bombay Zoroastrian Association Charitable Trust (NBZACT). Offered a 1,000 sq m plot of land by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) of Maharashtra Limited for the proposed fire temple and community hall "at a very concessional rate of about 10-15 percent of the market value,” the trustees are keen that they do not "let go of this golden opportunity.”

The total cost envisaged for this project is Rs 71 lakhs, of which the trustees have got commitments for Rs 35 lakhs, a major impetus coming from the Framji H. B. Settna Legacy Trust which has agreed to contribute Rs 10 lakhs presently and a further five lakhs at the time of construction. A similar amount of 10 plus five lakhs has been promised by Doctor and his family. The NBZACT has five lakhs too. But this will not suffice for as per their ballpark figures just the cost of 1,000 sq m land inclusive of stamp duty, registration, etc will come up to Rs 40 lakhs. Besides, the construction costs of the community hall (Rs 10,00,000), agiary (Rs 8,60,000), priests’ quarters (Rs 6,10,000) and godown for wood storage (Rs 1,20,000) plus the cost of furniture, fixtures, electricity and water service (Rs 3,00,000) and contingency costs (Rs 2,10,000) add up to Rs 31 lakhs. "We need to raise funds very fast. Actually we required them as of yesterday,” impresses Doctor fearing that a delay may cause a change in CIDCO’s present policy.

Initially when the Framji H. B. Settna Legacy Trust evinced an interest in building an agiary and community hall at New Bombay, "after protracted correspondence and several visits to CIDCO lasting over a year” they were finally informed by the social services officer R. R. Dikshit that "the Corporation has recently approved new policy guidelines for allotment of land for religious and spiritual purpose (whereby) you are required to fulfil/furnish following information: list of 200 member families with addresses residing in Navi Mumbai; and appointment of 50 percent of management committee from the residents of Navi Mumbai.” On behalf of the Settna Legacy Trust managing trustee Rustom J. Vakil responded, "As we are not in a position to fulfil your second condition of appointment of 50 percent of management committee from the residents of Navi Mumbai…we regret we have to decline your offer. However we have no objection if the said application/plot is transferred to NBZACT.”

Since the NBZACT trust deed did not have any clause for purchase of a plot for religious purpose, CIDCO advised them to include such a provision and file a report with the assistant charity commissioner, Thana under whose jurisdiction they fall. The new clause states, "The Trust is entitled to purchase any plot of land or any other property with structure/s thereon anywhere in India or abroad for establishment of a place of worship for the Zoroastrian community. Further there shall be no restriction for the children of families where the female spouse is a non-Zoroastrian from entering and/or performing any religious ceremonies in such place or places of worship.” As per their original trust deed of 1993 the trustees were empowered to pursue charitable purposes which included "relief of poor, education, scientific research, medical relief, advancement of any other object of general public utility which are considered as a charitable purpose within the meaning of the Income Tax Act…” In addition to Doctor the three other trustees of NBZACT are Nozer Mirza, Viraf Dadachandji and Aspi Dada­chandji.

Fortified by CIDCO’s verbal assurance that on receipt of the formal application from NBZACT they will process it forthwith, Doctor reveals that their application will have to be accompanied by a bank attestation certifying that they have sufficient funds in their account. To induce large donors the Anjuman is willing to name one of their proposed facilities — the agiary, hall, baug or priests’ quarters — after a particular individual as specified by the donor. Cheques drawn in favor of "New Bombay Zoroastrian Association Charitable Trust” may be sent to Plot 179, Sector-8, Vashi, New Bombay 400703.

For want of their own premises the NBZACT used to have barely two functions a year: get-together over contributory dinner, and an occasional picnic. Charging Rs 600 per family membership their income is limited. Of their total strength about 50 must be under 20 years of age, believes Doctor, happily reporting how New Bombay is considered an educational hub with the mushrooming of engineering, medical and management colleges in their area. In their pursuit of academic goals the youngsters should not lose their religious moorings, fear the parents who consider the building of an agiary and community center in their midst a sacred obligation.