A personalized campaign

While the campaign to elect Muncherji Cama to the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trusteeship seat vacated by Noshir Dadrawala gathers steam with five public meetings being held till the end of May, the World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ) has restricted their electoral activities to door-to-door campaigning, write ups in the WAPIZ Page in the Free Press Journal and advertisements in the Jam-e-Jamshed.

Anahita Desai: bank­ing on good­will

When an informal inquiry was made as to when the meets would be held, Parsi­ana was informed they were not contemplating any as they felt their candidate Anahita Desai, wife of BPP and WAPIZ trustee Yazdi, would win on the goodwill earned by her social work and the support of the orthodox lobby.

The WAPIZ Page of May 27, 2011 carried what appeared to be a manifesto of Anahita Desai: "Those of you who have interacted with me personally for varied reasons and needs, are aware that for the last several years I have been available for the community 24/7, be it to assist with housing, education, medical, or any other personal need. For those of you who may not have interacted with me personally, let me assure you that it will always be my endeavor to try to understand the problems faced by each individual and help him or her in whatever way I can, through the BPP, if elected, as well as in my individual capacity…

"The present BPP team has put into motion many projects which they had promised to the community. Since only two-and-a-half years have passed since the new board was elected, most of these projects are ‘work in progress’… What the BPP needs at this juncture is a like-minded trustee, to be brought on board who is willing and able to shoulder responsibility, and ensure the successful completion of all the tasks undertaken as well to implement new projects that would benefit the community...

"Some of the important works in progress: Construction of charity flats at Panthaky Baug for the poor; the building at Godrej Baug, which will fund the Panthaky Baug flats for the poor; the residential facility for children with special needs (for which I am the co-ordinator); the vulture project for Doongerwadi; renovation of quarters for our pall bearers (nassessalars and khandias); a trust scheme for mobeds, (a Nusli Wadia-BPP intiative) under the chairmanship of Vada Dasturji (Dr) Firoze M. Kotwal; the housing project under the redevelopment policy of MHADA, which will increase the housing stock in our baugs, and provide enough housing for the poor as well as the middle class of the community...

"While all other decisions require consent of the majority of the trustees, the unanimous consent of all seven BPP trustees is required for housing. This means that even one single trustee can effectively stop all housing projects and allotments if he decides to disagree with the other trustees. It is imperative therefore that a like-minded trustee, who is in agreement, by and large, with the present housing policies of the BPP, be elected. I do believe I am that person!”

The WAPIZ Page also took a dig at Cama and BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta becoming "new best friends… from May 17, 2011 till July 7, 2011???”

Clockwise from top left: Areez Khambatta, Homi Ranina, Yazdi Desai, Tannaz Parakh, Khojeste Mis­-tree

(Mehta has retorted at electoral meets that he had approached Cama in 2009 to request him to get Ervad Framroze Mirza to file an affidavit in court saying he supported the high priests’ stand on the ban at Doongerwadi and two fire temples run by the BPP. Hence the friendship is not a recent one, he points out.)

In the WAPIZ Page of May 20, 2011 WAPIZ activist Tannaz Parakh flayed The Bombay Samachar (BS) Parsi Tari Arsi (PTA) columnist Berjis Desai, terming him a "bogeyman.”

"In his recent PTA columns… Desai has sought to alarm the community with an imagined fear that the BPP would lose its income-tax exemption due to trustee Yazdi and Anahita Desai residing in Rustom Baug, which makes them beneficiaries of the BPP. For crying out loud, have they absolutely nothing else to beat Anahita with, that they have to come up with such a ridiculous story?

"Firstly, if this were to be true, then it would mean that no beneficiary of the BPP can ever become a trustee! — and there are thousands of beneficiaries of the trust living in the BPP flats, not to mention those who are beneficiaries by virtue of accepting financial, medical, educational or any other aid. With one fell swoop, Berjis has decided to disqualify all 25,000 or more community members who are beneficiaries of the BPP from ever becoming trustees, conveniently leaving trusteeship open only to the rich and elite!

"Also rather conveniently, he does not mention that Yazdi and Anahita Desai’s flat at Rustom Baug was acquired and paid for by them long before Yazdi ever thought of becoming a trustee, which makes it abundantly clear that they have in no way, taken advantage of his trusteeship.

"As for his continued attempt to provoke the community against husband and wife serving simultaneously on public charitable trust, WAPIZ had given several examples to show precedents where both husband and wife, father and son, mother and daughter, brother and sister, two sisters, have served simultaneously in public charitable trusts.”

The WAPIZ Page in the meantime has been carrying encomiums on Anahita largely from known WAPIZ supporters. Three high priests, Dasturs (Dr) Kaikhusroo JamaspAsa, (Dr) Firoze Kotwal and Cyrus Dastur of Surat endorsed Anahita, with the first two stating "we have worked with Anahita closely on many community issues for the last more than 12 years. She has defended agiaries from builders, financially supported buzorg mobed sahibs, helped mobilize support for so many orthodox causes and taken up cudgels for poor Parsis, who have nowhere else to turn. She is selflessly serving our religion and our community, spending her own money and giving all her time to community causes…

"In times such as these, when our religion is being mercilessly attacked from all sides and the community is being torn apart, Anahita’s candidature as a BPP trustee should be supported not only by all those who espouse the cause of orthodoxy and want to see our religion safeguarded at the level of the BPP, but by all right-thinking Parsis, who want to see a more charitable and benevolent face for the BPP.”

Cyrus Dastur in his letter written in Gujarati said that he was "very happy Anahita was standing and that she was the right person for the job. She (is) a good hearted individual and along with her husband working as a team would benefit the community greatly.”

WAPIZ chairman, vice president of the Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrain Anjumans of India (FPZAI) and former president of the Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat Areez Khambatta noted his "immense admiration for the incomparable work she has been doing for the community, for the last 10 years or more, first in her individual capacity, then as the CEO (chief executive officer) of WAPIZ, and for the last several years in an honorary capacity, for the BPP, FPZAI, and a vast number of other community organizations. As far as community service is concerned, Anahita’s track record is unbeatable!”

Along with Khambatta three other vice presidents of the WAPIZ-controled FPZAI also voiced their support for Anahita in the WAPIZ Page of May 20. North zone vice president Tehemton Anklesaria noted, "the community needs a hard working, understanding, and dedicated person like her to take up such assignment where she can contribute to her community at large.”

South zone vice president Kerfegar Antia stated: "I have observed that Anahita is one of the few persons who really has the welfare of the community at heart. Unlike some of the social activists, she does not work only for a name nor believes in lip sympathy. Persons like Anahita are essentially needed to be at helm of affairs especially in present day circumstances when anti religious forces are bent upon destroying our beautiful religion.”

While west zone A vice president Porusasp Mehta noted: "I can think of no better person than Anahita Desai to occupy the august seat of a BPP trustee.” Sam Chothia, managing trustee of the Valsad Parsi Anjuman, Bahadur Jokhi, managing trustee of the Vyara-Songadh Parsi Jarthosti Anjuman and Marzban Baria, managing trustee of the Bilimora Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman also support Anahita.

Thirty-one participants at the Cama Baug annual sale stated: "We would like everyone to know how helpful you (Anahita) were to us when you had organized the Cama Baug sale on February 26 and 27, 2011. We were so stranded when the sale was cancelled by the earlier organizers due to some difficulty they had. You immediately took charge and organized the whole thing at a very short notice when we turned to you for help.

"You were present all through the two days of the sale and had made arrangements for a hassle-free and comfortable sale for us — from providing Bisleri water, tea (and) clean toilets with toiletries. We have taken part in many sales organized over the years but no one has taken the trouble to look into these details or look after our comfort.

"We wish you the very best and hope you are elected.”

Three girls, Sharmin Damania, Dalzin Ghadoiwala and Ronisha Chinoy who reportedly initiated an agiary clean-up campaign remarked, "Anahita has a unique way of connecting with people from all walks of life. She has coordinated as well has participated during the WAPIZ clean-ups and is a superb event organizer. We look up to Anahita simply because she is such a good human being.” The trio termed her "the perfect candidate for a BPP trusteeship.”

Dara Doomasia of Rustom Baug who is currently the chief coach of the BPP’s athletic team stated: "Anahita is very keen to spread the sporting culture to the suburbs and other centers. She has subsidized the transport and coaching of athletes from Andheri and is ever ready to finance sporting activities in other disciplines like football, volleyball and cricket.”

Adi Doctor, editor of the erratically published, ultra orthodox Parsee Voice, who has known Anahita for eight years reiterated, "Those, who today complain about a husband-wife team being on the same board, dubbing it a gher-no-ghambar (a family affair), are in desperate need of a shrink. Anahita is one of the few Parsi ladies, I know, who has a mind of her own, is firm-willed, forms an opinion independently, and, then, if necessary, consults the right people in the know, before taking a decision. It is just not possible for her to be a jee huzoor (a yes person) to anyone — including her husband!”

Amongst the others voicing support for Anahita on the WAPIZ Page are Zareen Engineer, trustee of the Mancherji Edulji Joshi Memorial Trust (MEJMT), Dadar, Dr Vispi Jokhi, orthopedic surgeon, Marzban Giara, author and columnist and Eruch Hodiwalla, trustee of the Salsette Parsi Association.

A letter purported to be from the 36 Doongerwadi staff was published in the same WAPIZ Page stating "they were very happy” that Anahita was standing for trusteeship and that she assisted them in all matters. The PTA column of May 29, 2011 however carried a retraction stating the letter "was done by Shapur C. Marolia on behalf of Anahita Desai as per their conversation over the phone. A letter was sent to Shapur Marolia by Anahita Desai at Doongerwadi office and as per her instruction, signatures were taken from all Parsi staff and was sent back to Anahita Desai.

"We the Parsi staff are absolutely neutral and henceforth we are no more concerned about it.” The letter was signed by the staff members and sent to the BPP chairman by Jemi Poonawalla, the manager of Doongerwadi.

Similarly a report in the Jam-e-Jamshed of May 22, 2011 stated that BPP trustee Armaity Tirandaz supported Anahita’s candidature. The Jamé of May 29 however stated Tirandaz "has corrected that erroneous impression by stressing that she is neither for nor against, any contesting candidate.”

The tenacious Gowadia

Stating he was "standing up for the cause of supporting all needy Mazdayasni Zarthoshti Parsi Irani brothers and sisters,” Ervad Adi Gowadia has once again thrown his hat into the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) election fray for the seat vacated by Noshir Dadrawala. In the April 2009 BPP election Govadia had also stood and garnered only 89 votes. But undeterred, the feisty 75-year-old retired technical officer of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and former boiwala at the Karani fire temple at Cusrow Baug continues to battle, handing over to Parsiana his three page, handwritten manifesto. A former body builder who once bagged the title "the most muscular Parsi of the Wadia colony,” Gowadia says he is "financially self sufficient (and a) social activist…

"I am for the cause of building strong religious beliefs and sentiments.” He intends to work for the upliftment of the priestly class and dakhmenashini, wants to find solutions for housing, assist the young, the elderly and women to become financially independent.

Ervad Adi Gowadia: supporting the needy

A practicing mobed for the past 59 years, Gowadia promises to run honorary classes to teach basic Avesta prayers to the young. He is married to Dhun and has two children, Roshni Master and Shapoor.

On the sidelines

Seventy-six year old Noshir Gotla says he is standing to get an insider’s view of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trusteeship election tussle. "Bé hatthio marai tau mari jevi kiri né barthi jovanu (When two elephants fight, an ant like me can only stand aside and watch),” he notes. A resident of Rustom Baug for 60 years, he states he is a certified company secretary and worked for about 40 years with the oil corporation Burmah Shell.

He says he gives small donations to institutions catering to the underprivileged.

Speaking to Parsiana over the phone he said he did not intend to spend more than the Rs 5,000 deposit he had to pay to stand for elections. He also refused to part with any photograph of himself.

No freebies

Stating it was "against my principles to give freebies, as is being done by the other candidates, I have decided to withdraw in protest,” said Tehmtan Dumasia, the fifth candidate in the Bombay Parsi Punchayet trusteeship electoral fray on May 25, 2011, the last day for withdrawing nominations. He noted that after he had filed his nomination, "I observed that there is no code of conduct.”

Tehmtan Dumasia: "no code of con­duct”

His reason for standing was because he felt "our youth had been neglected where accommodation and housing is concerned… when was the last time that the trustees of the BPP allotted a house on merit rating? Whenever houses have been allotted huge security deposits are asked (for). How do you expect the youngsters to take a loan for housing… This has to stop and I was wanting to champion this cause.”