The Federation in isolation - III

"What you are doing is not just forValsad but for the Parsi Irani Zoroastrians of the world. We salute you in the legality of what you are doing,” stated Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI) joint honorary secretary and Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustee Khojeste Mistree addressing a sizable gathering of Valsad residents and delegates largely from the smaller Gujarat towns on March 12, 2011 at Bejon Baug.

Mistree was referring to the ongoing litigation between the Valsad Parsi Anjuman (VPA) and former Valsad resident Goolrookh Gupta (née Contractor) over a purported resolution passed by the VPA barring Parsi women married to non-Parsis the right of admission to the Valsad fire temples. A founder trustee of the World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ) Mistree was a keynote speaker at the evening function. The subject of his talk was the power of prayer. "The purpose of prayer is to help all human beings… It is our connection with the spiritual world… It is the link between man and God… Why is it important to pray in a language we don’t understand? There is quality in the language of the revelation,” he explained. He referred to vibrations and the healing powers of prayer, nirang, etc. "Pray less, but your attention should be on prayer. There should be no distraction.”

After Mistree sat down Phiroze Illava of Mhow strode up from the audience to him with a request that he recite the Yatha Ahu Vairyo. Illava had heard him recite the prayer publicly before and claimed it had a very soothing effect on him. Mistree consented and noted that he had learnt how to recite the prayer in Iran. "I teach meditation,” and many of his congregation find his prayers "soothing,” he said. At least the evening function and the next day deliberations went off smoothly.

FPZAI west zone B vice president Areez Khambatta lauded the VPA which has "looked after the traditions and is fighting the ‘converterlogists.’ Religion is to be followed, our glorious religion. The ‘converterlogists’ laughed at us, it is shameful, disgusting and disgraceful.” Urging the delegates to practice what is preached, he lauded the Valsad and Bilimora anjumans for implementing the Poverty Amelioration Scheme of the FPZAI. "They are outstanding.” He noted the VPA had built 24 flats for Parsis which were being rented out at Rs 400 a month for a one room apartment and Rs 600 for two, "inclusive of municipal taxes.”

Khambatta went on to note how the traditionalists "toppled” the liberals in the FPZAI and "managed to put the cosmopolitan world body to an end. The ‘convertists’ are a little showy. There is no charity left in them.”

FPZAI president and BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta said the "elaborate function caught us by surprise. We were totally unprepared for this beautiful reception. The real credit goes to the two (VPA trustees Marazban Dhanbhoora and Sam Chothia) on the dais.” He noticed the VPA had given around 12 lakhs for medical and educational assistance to Parsis and spent around four lakhs on repairs to their buildings. He said that the BPP would "like to give Rs 50,000 as a small donation to VPA for the magnificent show you have put up...Your anjuman should be in the forefront (of the Parsi community). Unfortunately Valsad is caught in an unnecessary controversy… This Goolrookh Gupta after 20 years she wants to assert her religious rights…She pretends to be a Zoroastrian. It is not in the interest of the community. We have to follow tarikats (traditions)… The trustees are absolutely justified” in their action.

"Courts are becoming more active on religious matters,” lamented Mehta. He referred to the ban imposed by the BPP on the two so-called "renegade” priests. He noted one mobed had accepted the BPP diktat and that a single judge of the Bombay High Court (BHC) refrained from revoking the ban. But "a divisional bench reversed the decision. They said we have no right to bar.” Mehta alleged that by this judgment "a drunk or cigarette smoking” priest could not be barred from reciting prayers at Doongerwadi. (The court ruling in no way restricts the BPP from disciplining or dismissing a priest who misbehaves or does not perform his religious duties correctly — editors.) "It is not in the interest of the community to keep running to the courts,” said Mehta. He referred to the high legal costs incurred by the trust. "Lawyers don’t come cheap… I request all Parsi girls that once you decide on marriage outside the community, please do not ask for any special rights or seek special privileges.”

Nargol representative and WAPIZ founder trustee Hoshang Wania who is a chartered accountant informed the gathering of some of the clauses in the new Direct Tax Code bill to be effective April 2012 in which "depreciation will not be allowed to religious trusts as well as charitable trusts because the method of accounting has been changed to an only cash basis.” This means that without depreciation expenses being permitted, the trusts will find it difficult to set aside funds for repairs of assets.

Clockwise from top left: Dinshaw Mehta lighting a divo at the evening function; humbandagi by priests; evening’s comperes and a section of the audience

Matrimonial meet

The Sunday morning half day session of the FPZAI executive committee started with the report by Federation executive secretary and BPP trustee Arnavaz Mistry observing that the BPP has been organizing for the past year "monthly get-togethers for the youngsters of the community… to interact with the idea of matrimony.” So far 85 girls and 215 boys have attended the meets, while an additional 13 girls and 30 boys have registered.

Noting that the search for "a soul mate had suddenly become hipper with this wonderful initiative,” Mistry mentioned that 71 youngsters were booked for a day at the West Palm Beach Resort at Vasai in January this year. "The icing on the cake” came when one young couple announced their plans to marry. The participants have formed a group on Facebook and are encouraging other members to join. A trip to Udvada is also planned.

On the anvil is a matrimonial page on the BPP website and an all-India meet in May with girls being accommodated at the Avabai Petit School and boys at the Cama Convalescent Home. She urged the gathering to ensure that youngsters and their parents "make an all-out effort to find a soul mate from within the community.”

Porus Debara of Agra mentioned "a 150 people use our dharamshala in a year. The usage is minimum. Currently we have 10 rooms of which six are operative… Urgent repairs are required. The anjuman requires funds.”

Marzban Giara who represented the Jam-e-Jamshed Weekly and has published a handbook on dharamshalas suggested Debara "put posters in agiaries” announcing the dharamshala’s facilities.

Jamshed Mohta, former president of the Bardoli Jarthosti Anjuman (BJA) and founder trustee of WAPIZ who represented Amroli, spoke of the agiary there constructed in 1803. "Our agiary is older than the Wadiaji Atash Behram. Our corpus is very low. We need BPP help to sell property… and to repair the mobed’s house. We also need funds for kathi. Two trustees have to come on board.”

Meher Panthaki who represented the Badnera Amravati anjuman (and was subsequent to the FPZAI meet made a trustee of WAPIZ) noted, "Our agiary is very old and the Yazdan group repaired it as we are low on funds. Now there is no leakage and it is nicely painted.” She stated they had a large aramgah on leasehold land. "We have to see if it can be converted to freehold.”

Homi Pithawalla, BJA president, noted they had "successfully arranged a two-day matrimonial meet for the youngsters during November 2010 and can proudly announce that almost 90 percent of the girls that attended were able to find their future partners.”

Pithawalla then spoke of a dispute with "certain disgruntled, disappointed and frustrated past trustees of our anjuman.” He noted the BJA appealed to the FPZAI to "intervene…” but nothing has transpired. Even our last letter dated December 2, 2010 remains unanswered. The letter mentions that their opponents having lost "all their cases in various courts have now approached the collector… to acquire the dakhma land on behalf of the government. This is serious matter… Mr president please let us know why this letter remained unanswered. Is it due to any pressure being brought upon you not to act in this matter? FPZAI is the largest organization of our community upon whom the anjumans, punchayets (turn to) for help and cooperation in solving their problems… If for any reason FPZAI is not able to help us in saving our dakhma land, let me categorically state that we will fight till the end and are sure that we will save our dakhma land from unscrupulous elements.” (The BJA has a dispute with Mohta. Hence the allegation that the WAPIZ dominated Federation is not acting in the matter — editors.)

Mehta: "The matter is sub judice.”

Pithawalla: "We have all documentary proof. The land is valued at three crores rupees. We will give half to the Federation. (We know) Mehta and Khambatta are here to make peace not to take half from us. We are very flexible. My son had applied for a house (to the BPP) long ago but he has not heard from you all. Don’t punish him because of me. He is a young man.”

Mehta retorted angrily, "Only after we see the records can we speak. Do not use emotional blackmail. Let us stay on the side of caution. This is the Federation… BPP manages the flats. Both are independent. Do not mix the two.”

To be continued