“Misplaced zeal”

I read B. T. Dastur’s letter "Misplaced zeal” (Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, June 21, 2009). Dastur’s lament at our not being a community of foot soldiers and the wrangles in our baugs will meet with everybody’s approval. But the same cannot be said when he switches over to the Bombay Parsi Punchayet election and asks (those concerned) to stop the diatribe in Jam-e-Jamshed and The Free Press Journal’s WAPIZ Page.

While rightly pointing a finger at these two, has he forgotten to mention the third, namely "Parsi Tari Arsi” (PTA) of the Mumbai Samachar? Or has he avoided mentioning it on purpose? Whatever be the case, I think those mentioning the first two should not fight shy of mentioning the third. In fact, the third should be mentioned first because it was PTA which insisted on having universal adult franchise, ultimately to be beaten at its own game not once but twice, and without expressing any regret like some of the defeated political parties alluded to by Dastur. Should not one who chooses to comment on some aspects of daily life keep aside his/her personal bias?

ROSHAN BAMJI

rosbam@live.com