“The enemy within”

I read with interest "The enemy within” (Parsiana, February 7, 2010) about one Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustee opposing the other orthodox trustees. That Noshir Dadrawala had to take the matter to the Charity Commissioner and the High Court of Bombay is regrettable. At the time the trustees were elected there was an outward show of bonhomie, but now the fight is out in the open. It is perfectly clear that the majority of trustees are playing to the gallery. No major breakthroughs have been observed in the year gone by. Their priority seems to be to spew hatred and use inventive in public and through the media which offers them the space.

Behram Aga has written a lengthy but most interesting letter ("Anger management,” Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, February 7, 2010) which made a lot of sense. The BPP’s samast anjuman meeting was held in the Dadar Parsi Colony, bastion of the majority of trustees, and scripted, crafted, cast, rehearsed and performed for the benefit of those who attended. When I read the details in an earlier edition of Parsiana, I said to myself that the heckling remarks from the back benchers seemed akin to the tutored and paid crowds that the Shiv Sena imports from outside Bombay for their rallies. Having read Aga’s letter, I agree with him that these crafty bigots must have stage-managed the entire event. It may have been in the best interests of the community if the voice of reason had emerged.

I travel a lot and get to see a cross section of our community. I find that the voices of the people are swayed towards methodologies that are the very opposite of what is being forced onto us by the present trustees. I have been to many places where there is no dakhma facility. Bodies are disposed of as best as possible and local priests perform the prayers. Is it only in Bombay that such draconian laws are practiced?

I must reiterate that the BPP trustees are caretakers of the community’s properties. They are in no way authorized to comment on religion and religious practices even though they profess to be scholars. They need to administer the properties and ensure transparent governance in the management of finances. They are poaching in areas that they have no right to invade and usurp.

A lot of money is being spent on fortnightly press releases (sometimes one page, at other times more). They have little to say but wish to remain in the limelight, so they invite priests to give their own prescriptions and interpretations of Zoroastrianism. Even so, there is space a-wasting, so WAPIZ (World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis) has opened a side business as marriage counselors. The remaining space is used for running down fellow trustees, past and present, reputed senior members of the community who have already proved their worth and bona fides, or singing each others’ praises and printing vulgar photographs of the BPP chairman in a boxing ring, displaying their poor mentality.

We have lived in this land for centuries in peace, never interfering, always helping. I can’t remember an earlier time when the BPP and its trustees have been in the public eye as much as at present. This is not in the best interests of the community. If such in-fighting continues, there will be many who will try to step in and take charge legally. The emotionally led members should realize that such wasteful media spending, community dinners and speechifying needs to be stopped and the money thus saved utilized for the poor.

About the changes at the Jam-e-Jamshed, it is true that with the induction of a new team leader, there would be a change in stance. Each new entrant wants to show his/her worth. I am also surprised that a journalist who has been writing in a modern style on modern topics in a contemporary manner, using youthful language, could show herself now to be of orthodox persuasion! Who knows, once she is firmly in the saddle, she may see reason and better sense may prevail. I have read her earlier writings and I do not see her fitting into the orthodox mold. JAMSHED IRANI

Calcutta

iranjams@yahoo.in