In a poor light

A recent program on Sahara TV exposed the Parsi community to public ridicule. It showed that divisive forces were recklessly dragging the community to public forums like the Charity Commissioner and even the glare of the media in order to embarrass the trustees and force their own agenda. The community needs to take notice of such blatantly irresponsible conduct. If we persist in such vicious infighting, we will expose our divided house to others, and become the target of external forces, only to lose our precious assets. The community should not permit this to happen.

The so-called dispute over allotting some 104 flats came out to be a doubtful issue. There seemed to be no conflict on almost 60 of these allocations and the remaining cases were under scrutiny. A few cases had been found ineligible as the applicants had already migrated, etc!

Five of the trustees, particularly Dinshaw Mehta, Khojeste Mistree and Jimmy Mistry repeatedly and adequately explained these facts. The lone divergent views were expressed by Noshir Dadrawala. Then, what was this whole ruckus in aid of? Why were the rebels crying foul? There was a clear under current of old enmities between individuals, and the TV anchor even hinted at that when he mentioned about inter-personal conflict and the need for an amicable solution. Should the community be made the butt of such personal feuds?

We saw ample evidence of the same before the Punchayet elections. Now that the mandate of the electorate has been given by the much publicized adult franchise we should abide by the same and not continue to unsettle the trustees by vexatious attacks. The community needs to take a united stand to unhesi­tatingly support the elected trustees and help them to deliver results.

Without unity there will be no community.

ADI ENGINEER

Poona

adiengr@hotmail.com

The program on Sahara TV on February 23, 2009 showed the newly elected Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) board in poor light. It was painful to see presenter Rajive Bajaj having a dig at the BPP board especially in the awkward situation when another faith’s intervention seems to have been sought to ease the housing crisis. Issues like allotment of housing and implementation of allotment letters given by the previous board must be discussed and solved in camera and not on a television channel which provided onlookers with lots of ammunition to poke fun at the BPP and with it the entire community.

It would have been beneficial to deal with this issue on a positive note and announce the decision to build more housing as swiftly as possible to help the needy and deserving. It should not be forgotten that there are youngsters who work very hard in vocations and professions that do not enable them to ever have a house of their own. They need help now. The television channel was not a forum where the mention of dakhmenashini, vultures and dwindling numbers needed to be discussed.

ELINOR MIRZA

drfdmirza@hotmail.com