“Everything you wanted...”

I refer to your editorial "Everything you wanted to know” (Parsiana, December 21, 2008). The questions and answers therein are a disgrace to your magazine and to the Parsi/Irani community.

Please publish this letter in your magazine so that I can tell all your subscribers as well as your regular and casual readers to boycott such articles and, if you continue, to boycott your magazine and stop subscribing to and reading it. I for one would do that.

Capt DARA E. DRIVER

To Aflatun and Alamai,

Respected Sir/Madam,

I had applied for a flat in Bombay (Bombay still rolls off the tongue more smoothly than Mumbai) in the Flats for Unmarried Parsis/Iranis scheme when I was an intern at the J. J. Hospital. That was 30 years ago.

Three years ago I was sent an advisory letter by the Punchayet to reapply for a flat in the same scheme.

My question to Alfatun and Alamai is, since I have two grown up sons and am a practicing general physician in Dahanu since the last 30 years due to lack of accommodation in Bombay, should I:

Reapply in the Flats for Unmarried Parsis/Iranis scheme?

Apply for accommodation for my graduate son?

Wait a few years more and use influence/bribe my way into an old peoples’ home run by the Punchayet?

In anticipation of your witty answer,

Dr BEHRAMSHAH MAZDA

(previously Irani)

mazdadoc@hotmail.com

Alamai and Aflatun reply

The fault dear Mazda is not in lack of housing but delays in allocation. Years go in assessing, revaluating, publici­­-zing, inviting objections and so on. Once letters of allotment are given these are challenged. The matter is referred to the Charity Commissioner (CC). A new list is drawn up. This list is challenged by the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustees. The old allottees go to court challenging the cancellation of their assignments. The matter then goes to the High Court. From there to the Supreme Court which then refers the matter back to the CC. In the meantime new elections are held and a fresh group of trustees come in with yet another new list of allottees. During the period the houses built but not occupied become dilapidated and extensive repairs costing crores of rupees have to be incurred. As the repair funds get depleted the old houses are left unoccupied and new houses are built from the new building fund. Then the whole process starts again.

Rignahej Letap replies

Alamai and Aflatun’s assessment though correct is somewhat emotive. What we require is a thoughtful, impassionate analysis of the problem. A simple, mathematical logarithm will serve our purpose. The BPP started housing constructions in 1912 and since then has built around 4,500 flats (these do not include the Wadia Baugs). Thus in 96 or 97 years the BPP constructed around 46 flats a year. Now with 950 names on the waiting list, if the BPP builds at the same rate as in the past it would take over 20 years to house all the applicants. In the interim period several applicants will either buy a flat, migrate or die. So assuming that the number drops to 600 in 13 years the waiting list will be cleared, assuming there are no new entrants.

The new trustees have pledged to build enough flats to house all the applicants. This means in seven years they will construct 950 flats or 136 flats a year or one flat every 2.70 days. If you allow that 90 days have already elapsed since the new trustees took office and no foundation stone has been laid as yet, don't hold your breath waiting for a flat.

An old people’s home is a good idea as is prayer (we are told that there are specific prayers to be recited for those desiring homes but that these appear to have all fallen flat — no pun intended — is another matter).

Alternately, if you take the Maha­­­-rash­tra Navnirman Sena advice seriously we may all have to consider returning to Iran as we may not fit their definition of Maharashtrians. May we recommend Yazd which has less chances of being nuked by the West and its allies?