Bardoli brouhaha

The turbulence and rowdyism of the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anju­mans of India meeting in December 2004 in Ahmedabad were recreated at the Bardoli Jarthosti Anjuman (BJA) annual general meeting on December 1, 2007.

A disgruntled former president of the Anjuman and the World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ) founder trustee Jamshed Mohta rallied supporters from Surat and Navsari who disrupted the meeting with shouts and jeers.

They were mainly objecting to a proposal to rent dakhma lands to a school run by Zoroastrians and to filing of a "change report” to broadbase the objectives of the trust.

"Dhamaal keedhoo (they created a din),” said BJA president Homi Pitha­wala. The meeting had to be called off. The commotion was carried on to the street outside the dharamshala hall opposite the agiary where the meeting took place.

"Non-Parsis were shocked,” said an attendee from Bardoli. "They never expected Parsis to behave like this. Even the dastur who was performing the jashan said this was the first time in his life he had witnessed such a scene outside an agiary.”

According to the member, only Bardoli residents were allowed to attend the meeting, not outsiders. "Maarvaa bi aayaa (they even came to fight). We were totally unprepared for the confrontation,” he stated.

Jamshed Mohta: the reaction was justified

Following the commotion several of the trustees declared the AGM closed and walked out of the venue. Three remaining trustees and others present then reportedly passed resolutions disapproving of the change in the trust clauses.

This trust, like most old ones, was created largely for religious purposes such as the maintenance of the fire temple and dharamshala, said Pithawala, who was reluctant to elaborate on the imbroglio, this matter being sub judice. The new charitable objectives include education, medical aid, housing, alleviating poverty and so on.

He contended the profits from the school to be run by the Bardoli Parsi Jarthosti Educational and Medical Trust could be used to assist poor Parsis. Plus, as the lessees would be Parsis they would look after the land and maintain the dakhma.

But Mohta and two other trustees of the Anjuman Viraf Munsi and Viraf Pithawala are reportedly not convinced. They refer to the honorary secretary of the Anjuman Pervez Mehta starting a nursery school in his own premises in 2003 and seeking to expand by introducing primary and secondary education with the establishment of a "public cosmopolitan trust – Bardoli Parsi Jarthosti Educational and Medical Trust.”

If the property were sold Pithawala believed the new non-Parsi owners would not want the residential buildings they would construct to overlook a structure meant for the disposal of the dead. He noted that scripturally it was a greater sin to destroy a dakhma than even an atash behram. Even WAPIZ founder members were against destroying dakhmas, he stated.

Mohta retorts the "dakhma land is not in use since the last 40 years.” Selling is better "than renting.” Other trustees when given the option to sell or rent their own properties opted to sell, so why not in this case? he argues. Mohta values the dakhma land at between two to two-and-a-half crore rupees, the interest from which could be "used for the community.”

Regarding the change in the trust objectives, Mohta questions, "How can you change it?” He contends the dakhma land was gifted "to the Parsi community” and not the BJA. So with "whose authority” could the trustees rent out the property?

"Critics allege that we created tofan (disturbance). If we don’t get angry then what else do you expect?” he exclaims. Mohta contends the people from outside Bardoli who attended were "saara maanas (good people)” who would not stand by and let an injustice be done. He avers that no "gaars (swear words)” were uttered. In the past these people had been invited for gahanbars and other social occasions. So why should they not attend an AGM?

Mohta states he has spent thousands of rupees appealing to the charity commissioner and other government authorities. The other trustees in turn state they are fed up of having to periodically visit judicial and government authorities in Surat/Ahmedabad to answer all the allegations leveled against them and some may even consider resigning.

The Bardoli Anjuman was once "the most respected,” says Mohta. But now, mired in controversy, it has lost its lustre.