Editorial Viewpoint
The looming battle
With less than 100 days in office, the newly elected Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) board of trustees is confronted with fresh elections.
The sudden and unfortunate death of sitting trustee Rustom Tirandaz on January 27, 2009 will probably result in all Punchayet plans and proposals being put on hold as the board readies itself for a major political battle.
The loss of Tirandaz upsets the factional balance in the BPP boardroom. A close associate and supporter of BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta, the 68-year-old Tirandaz’s demise means Mehta will have to rely on his electoral allies on the board, Khojeste Mistree and Yazdi Desai. The bond between them is more of convenience than like-mindedness.
Mehta is and Tirandaz was a political being, basing their point of view on ground realities. Mistree and Desai are dyed-in-the-wool conservatives who oppose any change they perceive as a threat, real or imagined, to their religious beliefs.
Of the remaining three trustees Arnavaz Mistry and Jimmy Mistry are independents while Noshir Dadrawala is in the opposition camp and a thorn in Mehta’s side.
Thus the next candidate elected will to some extent sway the leanings of the board. It is likely that each of the trustees will try and ensure the election of a candidate close to their hearts.
The World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis’ (WAPIZ) Mistree and Desai may put up Bomi Kavina and Shirin Choksy both of whom unsuccessfully contested the October 2008 elections but gained a considerable number of votes (3,828 and 3,752). If any WAPIZ candidate is elected, the orthodox body would more or less control the BPP. But it is unlikely the community will want to concentrate so much power in the hands of one group. In the 1980s, the then Anjuman Committee (AC) captured by the Committee for Electoral Rights (CER), voted orthodox lawyer Homi Ranina to office over CER’s Fali Poncha.
Who the Adult Franchise for Progress (AFP) will field is a question mark. The AFP sponsored seven candidates in the October elections of whom only Dadrawala won. Lawyer Nadir Modi who was the AFP’s choice for chairmanship, assuming their slate was victorious, lost by a handful of votes, coming eighth. But whether Modi will contest for a seat to a board that will partly be hostile to him is to be seen.
The other AFP candidates (in order of the votes obtained) Dr Ketayun Dinshaw, Maneck Engineer, Keki Mistry, Muncherji Cama and Byram Jeejeebhoy could be probable though unlikely candidates. One of the AFP’s strongest candidates, legal tax consultant Sohrab Dastur who withdrew on account of his wife’s ill health, also may or may not stand.
Phiroze Amroliwalla who contested and lost but gained 2,719 votes would have been a logical AFP candidate but fell out with the group over the issue of housing. A letter expressing his displeasure over the Alert Zoroastrians Association (AZA) stand in a matter before the Joint Charity Commissioner (JtCC) pertaining to housing allotments, appeared of all places on the WAPIZ Page in the Free Press Journal of January 23, 2009. The AZA is one of the major promoters of the AFP founded by noted lawyer and community activist Berjis Desai. Amroliwalla alleged The Bombay Samachar and the Jam-e-Jamshed Weekly both did not publish the letter which he then circulated by e-mail.
Which candidates, if any, Arnavaz Mistry and Jimmy Mistry will propose is a question mark. Arnavaz won the largest number of votes topping 10,000. With her vote catching abilities she makes an able campaigner. Jimmy with his enthusiasm, energy and a dedicated group of volunteers may prove to be one of the most likely kingmakers.
At a navjote on Saturday three days before his untimely death, Tirandaz told Parsiana that he was “always sure of winning” the trusteeship elections in October 2008. No one else shared his optimism at that time. His campaign consisted of sending out e-mails and then speaking at public rallies organized by the other candidates. His past performance as a trustee had been uninspiring but no one could doubt his bona fides or his honesty. On the contentious issue of Doongerwadi where he sabotaged the attempt to reserve a bungli for those opting for alternate means of disposal, Tirandaz gained popularity but also a sizeable number of critics.
He would state in private that he was a liberal but in community matters he was conservative. Regarding the bunglis he started out favoring the scheme but thought it prudent to sound out his electorate on the issue. When he found strong opposition to the proposal he changed his public stance and slowly won over Mehta and then BPP trustee Silloo Kavarana to his point of view. The other trustees fell in line and withdrew the resolution authorizing use of the bunglis.
After contesting twice to be reelected and losing, his comeback was remarkable. His victory was as surprising as his death. Hale and hearty no one expected this formidable physical specimen to succumb to a massive cardiac arrest. After his family and friends, Mehta probably will feel Tirandaz’s loss the most. In some matters such as Doongerwadi and adult franchise Tirandaz was a mentor to him.
Already the strain is beginning to show on Mehta. On January 29, 2009 he phoned Parsiana alleging the issue of November 7, 2008 had stated he was going to bar the Press from the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India meeting. When told that the subject he referred to appeared in the January 21 issue and asked whether he had read the offending editorial, Mehta replied he had stopped subscribing to Parsiana as the magazine carried material lampooning him (the offending matter was not carried in Parsiana). Asked if he received and read The Bombay Samachar and the Jam-e-Jamshed he stated that the BPP office subscribes to them and copies were sent to him. He was informed the BPP also subscribes to Parsiana but he responded it was not circulated to him.
It was explained that the Editorial Viewpoint column in question said WAPIZ may not want the Press present but that barring the two WAPIZ trustees on the BPP board, the others would not support such a prohibition. Mehta then requested Parsiana to clarify that he did not favor any ban on the Press and they could continue attending the Federation meetings under his chairmanship. He alleged the Press was causing division between the trustees and should desist from doing so.
With another electoral battle looming within the next three months, the divisions in the boardroom — with or without the Press’ alleged instigation — can only deepen.
The sudden and unfortunate death of sitting trustee Rustom Tirandaz on January 27, 2009 will probably result in all Punchayet plans and proposals being put on hold as the board readies itself for a major political battle.
The loss of Tirandaz upsets the factional balance in the BPP boardroom. A close associate and supporter of BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta, the 68-year-old Tirandaz’s demise means Mehta will have to rely on his electoral allies on the board, Khojeste Mistree and Yazdi Desai. The bond between them is more of convenience than like-mindedness.
Mehta is and Tirandaz was a political being, basing their point of view on ground realities. Mistree and Desai are dyed-in-the-wool conservatives who oppose any change they perceive as a threat, real or imagined, to their religious beliefs.
Of the remaining three trustees Arnavaz Mistry and Jimmy Mistry are independents while Noshir Dadrawala is in the opposition camp and a thorn in Mehta’s side.
Thus the next candidate elected will to some extent sway the leanings of the board. It is likely that each of the trustees will try and ensure the election of a candidate close to their hearts.
The World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis’ (WAPIZ) Mistree and Desai may put up Bomi Kavina and Shirin Choksy both of whom unsuccessfully contested the October 2008 elections but gained a considerable number of votes (3,828 and 3,752). If any WAPIZ candidate is elected, the orthodox body would more or less control the BPP. But it is unlikely the community will want to concentrate so much power in the hands of one group. In the 1980s, the then Anjuman Committee (AC) captured by the Committee for Electoral Rights (CER), voted orthodox lawyer Homi Ranina to office over CER’s Fali Poncha.
Who the Adult Franchise for Progress (AFP) will field is a question mark. The AFP sponsored seven candidates in the October elections of whom only Dadrawala won. Lawyer Nadir Modi who was the AFP’s choice for chairmanship, assuming their slate was victorious, lost by a handful of votes, coming eighth. But whether Modi will contest for a seat to a board that will partly be hostile to him is to be seen.
The other AFP candidates (in order of the votes obtained) Dr Ketayun Dinshaw, Maneck Engineer, Keki Mistry, Muncherji Cama and Byram Jeejeebhoy could be probable though unlikely candidates. One of the AFP’s strongest candidates, legal tax consultant Sohrab Dastur who withdrew on account of his wife’s ill health, also may or may not stand.
Phiroze Amroliwalla who contested and lost but gained 2,719 votes would have been a logical AFP candidate but fell out with the group over the issue of housing. A letter expressing his displeasure over the Alert Zoroastrians Association (AZA) stand in a matter before the Joint Charity Commissioner (JtCC) pertaining to housing allotments, appeared of all places on the WAPIZ Page in the Free Press Journal of January 23, 2009. The AZA is one of the major promoters of the AFP founded by noted lawyer and community activist Berjis Desai. Amroliwalla alleged The Bombay Samachar and the Jam-e-Jamshed Weekly both did not publish the letter which he then circulated by e-mail.
Which candidates, if any, Arnavaz Mistry and Jimmy Mistry will propose is a question mark. Arnavaz won the largest number of votes topping 10,000. With her vote catching abilities she makes an able campaigner. Jimmy with his enthusiasm, energy and a dedicated group of volunteers may prove to be one of the most likely kingmakers.
At a navjote on Saturday three days before his untimely death, Tirandaz told Parsiana that he was “always sure of winning” the trusteeship elections in October 2008. No one else shared his optimism at that time. His campaign consisted of sending out e-mails and then speaking at public rallies organized by the other candidates. His past performance as a trustee had been uninspiring but no one could doubt his bona fides or his honesty. On the contentious issue of Doongerwadi where he sabotaged the attempt to reserve a bungli for those opting for alternate means of disposal, Tirandaz gained popularity but also a sizeable number of critics.
He would state in private that he was a liberal but in community matters he was conservative. Regarding the bunglis he started out favoring the scheme but thought it prudent to sound out his electorate on the issue. When he found strong opposition to the proposal he changed his public stance and slowly won over Mehta and then BPP trustee Silloo Kavarana to his point of view. The other trustees fell in line and withdrew the resolution authorizing use of the bunglis.
After contesting twice to be reelected and losing, his comeback was remarkable. His victory was as surprising as his death. Hale and hearty no one expected this formidable physical specimen to succumb to a massive cardiac arrest. After his family and friends, Mehta probably will feel Tirandaz’s loss the most. In some matters such as Doongerwadi and adult franchise Tirandaz was a mentor to him.
Already the strain is beginning to show on Mehta. On January 29, 2009 he phoned Parsiana alleging the issue of November 7, 2008 had stated he was going to bar the Press from the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India meeting. When told that the subject he referred to appeared in the January 21 issue and asked whether he had read the offending editorial, Mehta replied he had stopped subscribing to Parsiana as the magazine carried material lampooning him (the offending matter was not carried in Parsiana). Asked if he received and read The Bombay Samachar and the Jam-e-Jamshed he stated that the BPP office subscribes to them and copies were sent to him. He was informed the BPP also subscribes to Parsiana but he responded it was not circulated to him.
It was explained that the Editorial Viewpoint column in question said WAPIZ may not want the Press present but that barring the two WAPIZ trustees on the BPP board, the others would not support such a prohibition. Mehta then requested Parsiana to clarify that he did not favor any ban on the Press and they could continue attending the Federation meetings under his chairmanship. He alleged the Press was causing division between the trustees and should desist from doing so.
With another electoral battle looming within the next three months, the divisions in the boardroom — with or without the Press’ alleged instigation — can only deepen.
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