BPP overstepping bounds

The decisions and the pronouncements of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) should never be construed as applicable to the Parsi community around the world. The BPP does not speak for all of us by a long shot.

While it is true that Bombay has more Parsis than any other city in the world, Bombay’s Parsis — in rapid decline for many years — do not constitute a numerical majority of the worldwide Parsi population. Even in Bombay, the views of the BPP reflect the parochial, provincial and conservative mindset of "baug Parsis,” the bulk of the BPP electorate — at complete odds with the more cosmopolitan, urbane and progressive segments of Parsi society in Bombay itself.

It is a serious problem that the BPP fails to understand and practice the principle of separation of church and state. The BPP’s role is to manage Parsi trust properties; the BPP is not supposed to meddle in aspects of religion, though it does exactly that instead. Beset with rivalries and infighting worthy of a French farce, the BPP leaves much to be desired. Doongerwadi is just one example of a very poor job. The BPP’s defensiveness and lack of transparency ironically draw even more attention to the sham they try desperately to conceal at Doongerwadi. The disgusting state of the place has been documented beyond any shade of doubt, yet the BPP does its best to cover up the magnitude of the problem and attempts to silence those who go public.

Since the separation of church and state is incomprehensible to the BPP, it must constantly be impressed on them that, as managers of trust properties, they do not have the right to be self-appointed religious arbiters who make pronouncements on intermarriages, conversions et al on behalf of the entire community.

Since the BPP men and women speak for only a minority of the world’s Parsi population, please don’t glorify them by dedicating story after story to them. Spare us the pleasure. Also, when they overstep their limits and assume a role akin to that of the Pope and his inner sanctum for the entire Zoroastrian religion, they do the religion an injustice and they should be roundly condemned for overstepping their bounds.

NIKKI KARANI

Paris, France

nikki.karani@gmail.com