“The road ahead”

Your editorial "The road ahead,” the article "The challenge that failed” and Mickie Sorabjee’s letter "BPP elections” (Parsiana, November 21, 2008) were interesting, touching, thought provoking and engrossing.

The question "Why did the Adult Franchise for Progress (AFP) lose? How could seven highly qualified and well connected individuals not be elected by such an enlightened community?” is a valid one. However, elections are a different ball game. The late Naval Tata contested Lok Sabha elections long ago and lost by a huge margin to his opponent, railways union leader George Fernandes. The late Piloo Mody contested the Lok Sabha elections from Bombay and then from Gujarat and lost, finally becoming a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha. They were both highly connected men of impeccable integrity, character and class who commanded respect. But they lost.

Elections have nothing to do with what you are. Several factors are involved. There are the vested interest of the voters and of course parikas (cash gift) and shawls. It’s a matter of "note for vote.”

Sorabjee laments that this mess is the result of universal adult franchise and calls the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) a Bartered Parsi Punchayet. She is entitled to her views/opinions but should not forget that "democracy is the worst form of government when compared with itself.” In the 1950s one Burjorji Fakirji Bharucha wrote in the Jamé (in those days a daily): "Parsi Panchayet maa howdas né choudas bharaayla chhè (Parsi Punchayet is full of venal persons).” Leave and license was also prevalent at that time. The earlier practice of mandals/bundals and anjumans, with donors voting and holding the community to ransom, was a fraud. With adult franchise at least once in seven years a person who wants to be a trustee will have to face the common Parsi/Irani. In the olden days, trustees were elected by the entire community. It is on record in the Davar Beaman judgment that trustees who were co-opted had no locus standi.

Yes there is no denying that the Parsi Press failed miserably. Instead of highlighting important issues it went hammer and tongs after individuals, brushing aside journalistic ethics and codes of conduct. This resulted in negative voting and sympathy votes for candidates targeted by the Press. Views of readers were ignored because they were unpalatable to the editors who are the moral police of our community.

Reading "The challenge that failed” reminded me of the old Errol Flynn movie They died with their boots on. Yes Berjis Desai did put up a good fight and went down with his boots on. However, in my view the AFP7 were a bunch of absolute novices, at a big disadvantage from the word go. Others like the World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ) and Jimmy Mistry were already well known and entrenched, having interacted with the community at the grassroots level. In contrast, Desai decided to keep his team under wraps until elections were announced. They came out as the upper crust, the who’s who of the community. Most important, they wanted reforms but were reluctant for reasons best known to them to come out openly and take a stand, resulting in confusion in the minds of the voters and hurting their own credibility. Their question and answer sessions at meetings exposed their inexperience in dealing with those who posed awkward, unpleasant questions. They asked for queries in writing, and answered them selectively.

That apart, the parikas, shawls, dinners and other financial carrots which were already dangled out and doing the rounds created captive vote banks for WAPIZ and Jimmy Mistry and produced results. The crème de la crème, who discuss Parsi matters and reforms at their bridge sessions, kitty parties, coffee table meetings and dinner parties failed to turn up in hordes to vote.

Now, the bawajis have spoken. They want to reside in charity buildings with subsidized rents and ample parking place for their vehicles. They also want a windfall by way of pugree, selling their flats and again applying for another flat in BPP properties by offering pugree.

The next time round various associations like Alert Zoroastrians Association, Association for the Revival of Zoroastrianism and the Association of Inter-Married Zoroastrians will have to come out in the open and put up their own candidates instead of remaining backstage. They will have to prove their courage of conviction, for the AFP may or may not be around to do their bidding.

BEHRAM AGA

behram_r_aga@yahoo.co.in

The elections are over and I am just an ordinary stranger looking through the glass. I did not vote in 2008 nor will I in the future, until someone comes along who impresses me. My friends call me an idiot as they believe in the Greek definition of an idiot — the one who did not vote. But no one impressed me except one candidate, and I am glad that person won! I am difficult to impress, my friends think I am a snob, but my belief won, so I am happy.

I am a good Parsi Zarathushti. I wear my sudreh and kusti with pride. I believe in the power of Ahura Mazda. I pray a simple "Thank you God” at night and say "Hello” to God in the morning.

I believe in the dakhmenashini as long as it works; now I am not convinced. Where are the vultures? The solar panels are no substitutes. Is this effective dakhmenashini? We Parsis have to move with the times. I do not believe that a good Parsi who dies in Bombay and who opts for cremation will not go to heaven. What happens to us when we die in places like London and the US? Do we not go to heaven? I do not think religion exists in heaven.

I believe intermarriage is good for the genes; the orthodox will kill me, but that is my belief. Give them their own agiary and dakhma if need be; who knows these hybrids or "mutts” (I have lots of these as friends) as US President elect Barack Obama calls himself will be better Zarathushtis than those born of pure Parsi Zarathushti parentage. I believe that the good we do in our daily life counts. I believe in life after death and being guided by good spirits/souls, especially in bad times. That’s when we really remember Him, don’t we?

I like to laugh and joke as well as the next person and I like to be serious at times. I like my freedom and I lead my life in my own way. I do not interfere in others’ lives and by the same token no one should interfere in mine. I like to swear when I have to brake the car to save an idiot crossing my path. I believe it’s good for the heart to swear once in a while in the comfort of your car. Try it!

I believe that going to Udvada (now and then) is wonderful, to stand in the corner facing the fire where very few can see you. I believe that going to the fire temple now and then is good for the soul. Stand before the fire and watch the flames rising from the afarganyu. What a feeling! I am mesmerized by the atash.

One of my dogs is named Atash; the other came to me on Asman roz a few months back and I have named her Sky. What characters these two are: Atash is a pure bred dachshund while Sky is a mutt we picked up from the highway in Khandala when she was a six-week puppy, beaten, bruised, thrown out in the pouring rain. Today, at about four months of age, Sky is free as a bird and mistress of all she surveys. Dogs are good stress busters, have one around!

My communication with Ahura Mazda runs from thank you for this, this and this and please, please don’t let that and that and that happen… Bargain with God in His temple? Allowed, I believe!

RUZBEH KEKI MOWDAWALA

rkmowdawala@rediffmail.com

For the first time the community has had the opportunity to elect all seven trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) under the adult franchise scheme, in an election impressively handled by Rustom Hormuzdiyar.

It was a tough fight with 32 contestants. The mindset of the voters was not in favor of reforms and liberalism. They were more for maintaining long established traditions, cultural heritage and religious fervor. People were inclined toward independent candidates and all three elected independents have creditable records. Arnavaz Mistry was on top of the list, having secured over 10,000 votes because of her selfless, meritorious undertakings. Jimmy Mistry won due to his intelligent and charitable attitude. The ever ready services of Rustom Tirandaz helped him get re-elected, while only one, Noshir Dadrawala secured a seat out of the seven-member Adult Franchise for Progress panel. From the orthodox camp religious scholar Khojeste Mistree and Yazdi Desai were elected, backed by the experienced sitting trustee Dinshaw Mehta.

Let us honor the verdict of the community and cooperate with the new team in a sporting spirit. We wish all our akabars the best during their term and expect that they will work as a united team.

NOSHIR DABOO

Ahmedabad

I congratulate all the seven new trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) and Dinshaw Mehta in particular for being unanimously elected chairman. Members of the community expect the new trustees to fulfill their promises made at public meetings and indicated in their manifestoes, and to work unitedly with an open mind.

As torchbearers of the new era they must first bring their own house to order. There are many stories about how Parsi/Irani men and women are shabbily and arrogantly treated by the BPP staff who think that the Punchayet is their fiefdom. Often, hapless visitors leave the office of the BPP, loi no got gariné (swallowing their pride). Rectifying this should be at the top of the trustees’ agenda. The staff must respect and be compassionate toward their compatriots.

Among the host of problems to be tackled are housing, welfare of the priestly class, strengthening and protecting dakhmenashini, caring for all places of worship from the holy Iranshah downward, training youth who will be the community’s future leaders and looking after the special needs of senior citizens.

I understand that the BPP sporadically publishes a periodical titled BPP Review. This should come out regularly, community members should be encouraged to contribute to it and it should be available to all at a nominal cost. Press releases should inform the community about all decisions that affect them.

BHIKHAJI M. ADENWALLA

The unsung hero of the elections is a candidate who is little known in the Parsi/Irani community. At Rustom Baug, on the morning of October 5, 2008, he was a picture of dignity and restraint. He was neatly dressed in his priestly garb and had the distinct air of one who does not wish to talk too much about his central beliefs, precisely because he holds them so close to his heart.

He visits a friend’s house every year to perform the jashan ceremony in Dae mah. She told me that she and her family did not even know that he was standing for the election until they saw his nomination, so self-effacing is he.

He is Ervad Framroze Mirza whose manifesto had two statements or slogans which summed up the innermost soul of the man. One read: "Equal rights for men and women.” He was the only candidate among the 32 who espoused such a cause so openly and courageously. Whether or not he was elected seemed a matter of utter indifference to him. He just spoke his mind, something that he had been mulling over for a long, long time.

Mirza has fully recognized that the following restrictions against and treatment of intermarried Zoroastrian women are discriminatory: not permitting these them to be used only for ceremonies for those who had opted for dakhmenashini. That was Desai’s biased presumption.

Instead of abiding by the expert legal opinion given by Sorabjee and Dada, Desai referred the matter to the Save Doongerwadi Action Committee (SDAC) who stated that they did not agree with Sorabjee and Dada. Did Desai think that SDAC was more competent than Sorabjee and Dada to interpret the trust deed? It is apparent that Desai’s presumption was due to his prejudices because he had no evidence to controvert Sorabjee and Dada.

Now that the dakhmas have become totally non-functional, it is all the more important to permit the last rites in Doongerwadi bunglis for those opting for burial or cremation. It is also worth noting here that Desai’s views have been challenged in an originating summons in the Bombay High Court by Dr Aspi Golwalla, former BPP chairman, Jamsheed Kanga, former BPP trustee and Homi Khusrokhan, director, Tata Sons.

I have mentioned earlier, and I repeat again that if Desai wants to have his body consigned in the dakhma, so be it, but his contention that those who want to use the Doongerwadi bunglis must be dispatched to the non-functional dakhmas is absurd. Dr P. D. SUNAVALA